Spitfire MOT and The Shed

Been quite a successful day today as the Spitfire managed to sail it's way through another MOT, this time without any advisory notices. While this evening my next Triumph was delivered, in the form of a MkI 2000 saloon.

Affectionately know as "The Shed" the completed the Round Britain Reliability Run (RBRR) in 2006 and the 10 countries run in 2005. Unfortunately during the last RBRR the car had a run-in with a Deer, making a bit of a mess of the front end. The previous owner, Andy, had started work on the bodywork, but had not had time to complete replacement of panels.
The car comes with a spare complete front end, so the plan is to exchange panels as required to getting the car looking right again.
My plan for the next few days is to spend a bit of time going through the car deciding on what I will have to do to get it through a MOT, it may end up with me bodging panels for the short-term so I can get it on the road and replace panels as time allows me, allowing me to sell the Spitfire. Should be a couple of weeks?

For more history of The Shed why not have a look round Andy's website

Spitfire MOT prep.

With the MOT due on my Spitfire in just over a weeks time and the Bank Holiday upon us, I decided it was time to start getting the car ready.
Fortunately as I have been using the car quite regularly, the car is in quite good condition as any problems noted were normally sorted relatively quickly.
Work that I have had to do included fitting a new exhaust back-box, bought from Paddocks a few weeks ago, checking the screen wash and fitting new wiper blades – apart from that the car was pretty much ready for the MOT.

Since I plan to sell the Spitfire a few weeks after the MOT, once I have another car on the road, a fair bit of time was spent over the weekend on the rear bodywork. Fibreglass was removed from the inner rear wheel arch and wing bottom of the Spitfire to be replaced with some fresh steel, while making a repair to the boot floor and rear valance. A previous owner had repaired both inner rear wheel arches and lower rear wing sections with a mix of fibreglass and aluminium matting at some point, but the rust was starting to get under some of it and lift it up.
I repaired the passenger side fibreglass sections about a year ago, so it was about time I got the drivers side done.

Spitfire - an update

A few weeks ago I got my NOS propshaft from Paddocks, only problem was that on standing it next to the one I had just removed from my car I noticed the new one was 1/4" longer when both were fully compressed. Undeterred by this I was just able to squeeze it in place, but was unhappy with it being so tight in-between the gearbox and differential, so a quick call to Paddocks to explain the situation was made and assurances given to me that there should be no problem with it.
So with the gearbox tunnel back in place, I took the car out for a run, a pleasure to drive now the vibrations had gone, well for at least two miles, when a new vibration and noise started. I quick inspection of the propshaft showed that the sliding CV joint was running very hot, so it was time to turn around and head back for home to remove this new propshaft.
After further discussions with Paddocks it was decided that I would return the NOS propshaft and replace it with a slightly more expensive, but more extendable, propshaft. A day or so later it had arrived, been fitted and run in with no further problems.

With the car running quieter and vibrations reduced I was able again to get up to good speed and really get the engine warmed up. Only trouble was that the car was overheating and pushing all of the coolant out of the engine through the radiator expansion pot. This went on for a few days with me continually having to refill the system, despite having flushed the cooling system through numerous times.
I finally worked out what the problem was when plumes of white smoke issued from the exhaust after a spirited run - the head gasket had failed. Just what I did not want as I was due to drive down to Cornwall in 36 hours time. So that evening the head was stripped down to reveal the fire ring on number 4 cylinder had failed, letting a weep through. Fortunately my local motor factors was able to get me a brand new head gasket on same day delivery, so I managed to get a lift to his shop, pick up all the required parts and set to getting it all back together again.
24 hours after the head gasket had gone the car was up and running again, would have been quicker if I had kept a spare gasket in stock. Since then the car has done me trouble free mileage to and from Cornwall and then down to Exeter and back, totalling 600 mile in the past fours days. I reckon the car is going the best it has since I brought it, shame I am thinking about selling it now.
Know anybody who was to but a tax exempt Triumph Spitfire 1500?? contact SpitBang through the Club Triumph forum or leave me a comment (will not be published)