Will Orum Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 Hi everyone, As a new member, and a new triumph owner, I thought it wise to introduce myself! So here-goes - My name is Will, I'm a nineteen year old engineering apprentice from Devon, I first became interested in old British cars a few years ago when I stumbled across a MK3 GT6 on CarAndClassic. I think it's safe to say it was love at first sight, I have been saving ever since but I could never quite catch up with the cars crazy inflation! Though a bummer, there were still plenty of beautiful cars to choose from, and that is what has landed me here... My first car, a 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500 in the brightest yellow known to man! The car is in pretty good nick, body panels mostly rust free, interior brilliant, hood in great condition, and so on. Only inconvenience is it's blown head gasket! From what I've seen and heard, working on old cars, is somewhat straightforward (In Theory), though, what doesn't seem all too straightforward is knowing which manuals are best to have around, I can't seem to find a straight answer. I've plenty to learn here but that's just the fun of it! Looking forward to many roadside headaches! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 Welcome to the forum Will, you will find it very friendly and useful! Good luck with your Spitfire 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 Welcome to the forum. Advice will be along in no time about which manuals to get for your car. Roadside headaches? Not only at the roadside! You should get more smiles than headaches over time 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 Hi Will, welcome and thanks for bringing the average age here down a decade or three... Keep us posted! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 You will find several manuals here for free http://vitessesteve.co.uk/ Do not underetimate the value of the parts catalogue, it can be VERY helpful. There is no specific WSM, but there is the for the earlier cars, which will cover 90% of things. (sadly head torque etc will be different) The canley classics website has some really useful archive info (as well as being the most knowledgable parts supplier) https://www.canleyclassics.com/?archive=archives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 Hi Will, My first car was and is my Herald 13/60, though I’ve now had it about 14 years! I also had head gasket problems, about 3 months in. Though they only became apparent when it shot into the red on the A1 just north of the M25 in early December, that wasn’t fun… Anyway, that HG change was my first major job on the car and it was pretty straightforward for a classic car novice, so you should have no trouble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 12 hours ago, Will Orum said: Looking forward to many roadside headaches! these cars are as reliable as any , a lot depends on basic servicing , you seem up for the smile . club shop and others sell original reprint manuals and parts lists club shop you need to be a club member and logged on to get member prices (different log on to this forum) a head gasket is easy to fix but you need to know there are apart from different makers that there are two two very different designs the 1500 should have a recessed block that is there is an undercut around the top of the bore to support the gasket fire rings older will be a flat block you cannot mix them a recess block gasket is identified by look down the back face of the head you will see a small rectangular tab sticking out of the gasket edge thats would be a recessed gasket i suggest most fail due to lost torque the washers deform under the nuts many now use Mini washer faced Nuts cheap and far better if you use washers get hard ones , torque is 42-46lb ft on all 3/8"unf stud engines so no std nut will take that they are toughened in a black oiled finish to contain the torque good lucl let us know how you get on Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 Great to see younger blood coming into the classic fun It has been insurance costs that put so many off as youngsters in a classic all got fitted into saxo/xr/gte/turbo groups a spitty or herald is never a daft boy racer contingent and costs were worse than restrictive and a good few who started had to sell as insurance was crippling but they could get covered much fasted modern economically pure Nuts Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Twitchen Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 Will, Welcome. If you look on the Club Homepage under 'Areas' there are the details for the thriving Devon mob. Even if you cannot make a meeting the contacts should prove useful for local advice and assistance. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said: Great to see younger blood coming into the classic fun It has been insurance costs that put so many off as youngsters in a classic all got fitted into saxo/xr/gte/turbo groups a spitty or herald is never a daft boy racer contingent and costs were worse than restrictive and a good few who started had to sell as insurance was crippling but they could get covered much fasted modern economically pure Nuts Pete What period of time are you thinking of there Pete? My insurance mostly hovered round the £150 mark from 2007 when I bought my Herald, I was 21 at the time and hadn’t held insurance before. (When I bought the Spit I ended up with Peter James insuring the two for less than I was paying for one!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 Insurance can be very strange. The specialists went through a period where you absolutely had to be over 25 to get cover on a classic. On the other hand, my brother once found (admittedly some years back) that it was significantly cheaper (at a normal high-street type broker) to get insured on a TR6 than a Golf 1.6D (yes, non-turbo diseasal with zero power!) The meerkats don't know how to deal with unusual cars, so Triumphs just utterly baffle them. Things weren't too bad in 2007 but it's become a lot harder for young classic enthusiasts over the last decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 6 hours ago, Josef said: What period of time are you thinking of there Pete? certainly when i was on Com around the 2014 2017 zone there were a lot of problems with underwriters refusing youngsters ( the dates are a bit lost in the old fog ) but many under 25 were just excluded with quotes of +£2K and more Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 It’s daft really that the specialist brokers didn’t fight a bit harder there (or maybe they did and didn’t succeed I suppose). After all, FJ, Lancaster etc won’t have any future business if younger people are excluded from buying classics. Then again as NM says insurance is usually pretty strange… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 there was a lot of reaction and action maybe after a good few lost years they have worked out a reasoned plan it was well discussed by Com and the brokers in the day .ive been off for few years now and dont have the clues club membership also changed to help offset running a classic for under 25s it was the underwriters not the panel insurance brokers they could see the loose out here but hands were tied pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 As far as insurers are concernd, two primary factors seem to figure. Age, of course, and Postal code. Both of which can be "factored" easily by computer alogrithams. With the like of "classics" per se, I guess the best approach is likely to be via specialist brokers? they will have more "clout" with underwriters, and are more likely to be in a postion to supply specific claims data?. Out of pure curiosity, the Merecats quote (70+y/o no convictions no claims) £88 up to and beyond £300 in the next Month. Lancaster often seen in the classic magazines is £107. For a `71 13/60 value circa £2K. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 maybe try that for a 18/20 year old Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 46 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: maybe try that for a 18/20 year old Pete I might do but I have to get the quotes to my E-Mail address to re-connect with the link. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 thats the trouble with dont get too many online quotes or you get heighted as you are seen to be phishing with no intent so dont wreck your own useage playing for an answer Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now