Spitfire 1500 - Re-Living My Youth (RLMY)

[Pettifordo]

26 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

agree no hitting  just gentle persuasion

Same thing in my book 🤣🤣🤣

[AlanT]

So what’s it like driving a Spit again after all these years? I’ve found it terrific fun with the roof down; not so sure about using it with the roof up. Perhaps a 50 something vs 20 something thing…

[Pettifordo]

We made it to the club - 90 miles round trip. All seems to be ok - no obvious leaks.

Gear lever makes an annoying rattle at about 50 mph and if you don’t get it into 3rd will a good shove, then it pops out of gear which is a bit shocking.

To answer @AlanT question about how it is driving the car - I have to say it will take some time to love it like it did. It was basically cold (the heater is really bad) and noisy.  Today I was alive to every rattle being the first signs of some catastrophic failure about to happen !!!

I enjoyed 2 or 3 moments when the car felt good - but generally just terrified it was going to breakdown 🤣🤣🤣

I’m sure in the summer with the roof down it will be as I remember it.

[AlanT]

Sounds just like my experience of post rebuild early runs! Nervous.
Roof off entirely different and brilliant as the noise is just the road and exhaust as you cane it. 
Heaters are usually great. Perhaps yours needs a clean out? 

[Pettifordo]

30 minutes ago, AlanT said:

Heaters are usually great. Perhaps yours needs a clean out? 

Can you get air locks ? What would be the most effective way to clean it ? The value going in was pretty full of crud - but I did clean it up - perhaps a new one of those would be a sensible next step ?

[NonMember]

If the valve was full of crud there's a decent chance the heater matrix is also full of crud. They're pretty inaccessible once the car's assembled but you may be able to flush it out through the pipework in the engine bay.

[AlanT]

43 minutes ago, Pettifordo said:

Can you get air locks ? What would be the most effective way to clean it ? The value going in was pretty full of crud - but I did clean it up - perhaps a new one of those would be a sensible next step ?

Probably the valve. I fitted a new one. Cheap.

[Pete Lewis]

other places that clog are the pipe under the manifold and its  adaptor into the water pump 

the only way to shirt an air lock is partly pull the highest heater hose off at the baulkhead run the engine and pop hose back fully when coolant escapes 

do make sure the thermostat has a jiggle pin in its rim  if not drilla 3mm hole to let air escape when its close (

thats a hole in the outer support rim 

Pete

[Pettifordo]

13 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

pipe under the manifold and its  adaptor into the water pump

I replaced the pipe under the manifold and cleaned the adaptor (took it all to pieces).

I’ve bought some rad cleaner and a new heater value - let’s see if that does the trick 👍

The car is running at just over a quarter on the temp gauge so I’m thinking the main rad must be ok.

I think I will attached a hose pipe to the inlet for the heater and use this after popping in the rad cleaner for a bit - hopefully blast out any c***

[alan.gilbert_6384]

2 hours ago, Pettifordo said:

I replaced the pipe under the manifold and cleaned the adaptor (took it all to pieces).

I’ve bought some rad cleaner and a new heater value - let’s see if that does the trick 👍

The car is running at just over a quarter on the temp gauge so I’m thinking the main rad must be ok.

I think I will attached a hose pipe to the inlet for the heater and use this after popping in the rad cleaner for a bit - hopefully blast out any c***

Did you also get a new brass thingy for the valve, the old ones tend to weld to the screws (dissimilar metals and all that)

[AlanT]

Is it a standard rad? Mine runs just below half.

[Josef]

The temp gauge ‘normal’ is somewhere close to the middle of the gauge. I’d find an IR thermometer to check the actual temperature, and only worry about the gauge reading nominally low if the real thermometer agrees (in which case your thermostat is likely being over zealous and sticking open).

[Pettifordo]

11 hours ago, Josef said:

in which case your thermostat is likely being over zealous and sticking open

It was a new one so hopefully ok - I will get the heater sorted and then measure with a thermometer - better to be too cold than too warm 👍

[Pettifordo]

22 hours ago, AlanT said:

Is it a standard rad

Yep standard rad - guess it is possible that the new thermostat is wrong ?

[PeteH]

No Heat on the feet?, (Cold air). Blocked or Airlocked heater Matrix, Control valve, OR the Engine is being Overcooled, in which case start with the Thermostat. An IR thermometer, as suggested, would be useful.

No Blown air would suggest the Control flap is not functioning, or even debris in Matrix Air side. Took an Escort one apart once it was full of old crap, bit of paper, fluff bird feathers. A P-O had removed the filter screen.

Pete

[AlanT]

Drove mine for 30 miles today, roof down, hat and gloves. Warm. Fab Fun in an old school ‘hang on tight’ way (and that’s from someone who’s owned a Boxster, Lotus, Z4).
Heater should be fixable. That said, with the blower on mine only registered 1/4 temp today (cold day) despite being driven hard (aside from a 1 minute breakdown…dodgy coil spade connector). 

 

[Pete Lewis]

Apart from blocked matrix and dodgy air flap sealing bear in mind there are a number of thermostats available for the small chassis cars .

std uk/eu  is 82 c for all except the 1500 spit which is  88c    there is a stat for hot climates as 78C    

(emission rules leaning off mixtures raised the base temperature on later cars )

all make a change to the needle position   82  yes midpoint     78c  lower   88c  higher  it will show a change if you swap them 

dont discount voltage stabiliser and wrong senders into the equation 

the idea of a using a cheap IR or even a cheap stick thermometer in the filler will give you some simple basic ideas just what  the 

system is working at  before you dive into the unknown and lots of guesswork.

[Pettifordo]

On 08/12/2022 at 13:02, Pete Lewis said:

is 82 c for all except the 1500 spit which is  88c 

Just checked what I bought and it is an 82c thermostat, so wrong for the car 😩😩

Do you think it will damage things to leave it as it is ? Or should I swap ASAP ?

[NonMember]

It shouldn't cause any damage. The hotter running of the 1500 was for improved efficiency and emissions.

[Pete Lewis]

yes it will be fine   just the hotter will allow a weaker idle mixture   so at 82 c its likely a litlle richer to run sweet,,,,,, not a lot though 

Pete

[Pettifordo]

Door Hanging Tips

Does anyone have any door hanging tips ? I have so far been shutting the door and then tightening the front door nuts - that seems to work ok but it does mean the door need a good slam  to shut as the door rests on the door catch.

Should I pack the door catch with something so I tighten them a bit higher ? Any other tips ?

Seats are in and looking good.

Took my daughter out for a Boxing Day spin and let her have a drive (not sure she is a classic car convert 😩😩)

[chrishawley]

Getting optimal adjustment of Spitfire (and GT6) doors can be a wearisome undertaking!

Something it took me a while to grasp was this: That the door latch and striker should not be ‘holding the door up’ when in the closed position. Or to put it another way: the position of the striker plate should be adjusted such that it conforms with an already nicely adjusted door. Or a third way of putting it is: the latch should slide into the jaws of the striker, when closing, such that it barely makes contact with the upper or lower faces; closing would then be nice and light under just gentle palm pressure.

But how does one get an ‘already nicely adjusted door’? (Of the bit we are talking about). This process is a possibility….

• Shut the door in the condition as it stands. Slightly open the door and estimate by how much it drops as the weight is taken off the striker. About 1/4 inch is common.

Slacken the three setscrews fixing the striker and raise it by roughly the amount of drop that was observed above.  Slightly relieve the (6) screws holding the hinges to the side scuttle. Close door. It will be too high at the back and that is correct.

Tighten the 6 hinge screws firmly and open door. Remove striker (entirely). Now, with striker removed, push the door to closed position (gently) and observe the alignment. If good, proceed to below. If incorrect then repeat above steps.

Once the door in a ‘free floating’ condition (i.e no striker fitted) aligns well then the striker is refitted. This is trial and error and may require repeated resetting of the up/down and in/out position so that the latch just sits into the striker nicely.

The above is only a part of the whole door alignment conundrum but I hope it’s relevant to the circumstances you describe.

[Pettifordo]

13 hours ago, chrishawley said:

Slacken the three setscrews fixing the striker and raise it by roughly the amount of drop that was observed above

What a great idea - and so simple - sounds like hours of full !!

[Pettifordo]

Anyone have tips for how to figure out what colour my car is ? (And don’t say Green 🤣🤣🤣).

It was resprayed by a PO to a metallic British Racing Green and I’ve now decided that most of it is ok, so I would like to find the colour so I can buy some rattle cans…..

I did buy some “Dark British Racing Green GN29” which I have used to hand paint the bulk head and the inside of the bonnet. It is darker than the paint on it.

I also purchased some HAM paint but this is too light.

Thanks

[Pete Lewis]

many paint factors can scan th colour and even make it into spray cans   

have a look on locl suppliers of automotive paint  give them a call   and take the car for a scan 

club shop can do this but need a sample to post to the factors 

but i cant think of a painted part of a conveinient size to post  

i used a fuel flap on the 2000  which is easybut  on a spitty   Hmmm  what could you use ????

Pete