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Spitfire upgrades


Alex

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Ok I’m saying upgrades as I’ve not got a clue what else to call it. 
Fundamentally there’s nothing wrong with my car… other than things getting tired, like me to be honest this week!

Ive decided I want to use my car for the rbr again, last did it in 2016.

I'm almost sure it could do it tomorrow but almost isn’t enough. 
The rear shocks are tired ,the fronts are the same age and make the car sit very low.( Spax all round)
The soft top is a mohair that’s shrunk.

I fancy some trunnion less vertical links. 
Id like to fit some decent anti roll bar links. 
Also it’s got horrid rattly rear wheel barrow silencers that I fitted almost 20yrs ago. I’m thinking of a single pipe exit….. 

I’d appreciate any views on each of these items. Best sources and perhaps reason why and why not? 

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Trunnionless front uprights... fit and forget and serious piece of mind in my opinion, although others have reported geometry issues after fitting. I put mine on before 10cr - just so I didn't have to worry about vl failure on the mountain passes.

If it's a 1500 I'd seriously suggest an oil cooler if you don't already have one.

 

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2015 10CR we did without a cooler... brand new oil before the run (Vr1 I think) - ruined by the time we got home.

2017 10CR done with a cooler... oil was still degraded afterwards, but nowhere near as bad.

My cooler is:
Mocal 13 Row Oil Cooler 1/2BSP OC5133-8 (sourced from Matt Lewis)

My take off plate is:
Mocal part OTSP1 (came from www.raceparts.co.uk, but I don't think they stock them anymore)

I made up my own hoses with 1/2 BSP push on fittings, but if I did it again I'd get a local hydraulics place to make some up.

Brackets welded between the chassis at the front and bolted up with rubber pads to help isolate vibrations etc.

7w-F4D9_afWXCbqMIPNJjkrukEwdMwkd1cH1je_UPbgYuIA2EJ3jtwkHVDSy0lCeYoO271C0swPlhtShtfkDlwAxJo1-f3HHX8Ppatdsi8kG8P902D0Z355K0hLWET7eaqmpOhWrfKKEAzKtDgSQyNOPwvHJSHZ_wQFpI3XPdEvw0xWXTGwJBnM2RhZoVGNM3S1IPiiDB6Mq8019j5ufo10S0NAypx21LI18ONGthRnQa6AUUc_VwEDM28l0KwmRf09s7D887vHbXBcMMrKf_vQ_CMYCgsNTmMIgQ8wJe9hww9Tr6lvMLGN1DxxUNq8KrjJi2rJVTbOXYsbjKSMk_YH6uZNcLPPpjAB9DHo1DW_tuLifLmtBGb2dTXokusD-J_dN_PDf7oA4alC7CmMe-rMg5VGXcevYwdOv1qyWXZ3chS5_mgPzqoUiMHhD6xq4KRsWkqgGJ9tNa4khVBb-A6uT9muR8sl8_i0m3Y2oWIlm-u9GSjZxzaLmSi86BIecrwKFlblZt6PkzBR98JyESuNVKU3czC8OBYe4ND__Vq3kH9FfPgYYS-aLeML-7T7Si-vTbrQWfiHjsI0qO8iAEXDixv_TZt9wkrIEAJfDoufWsP4fPci1tgpmY7Aei5n0JF2WmooaSDZthkmyIC6lKJsS9l41EgoZo2uNfRkMAMCIEQia_vmI8mvbkrISA6jZ7x15YPaC-fIsU-r_AE0AS37S=w1168-h657-no?authuser=0

Take off plate is easy - just bolt it in. At the same time I fitted the thread adapter (wix) so I could fit a filter with the anti-drain valve.

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13 minutes ago, yorkshire_spam said:

2015 10CR we did without a cooler... brand new oil before the run (Vr1 I think) - ruined by the time we got home.

2017 10CR done with a cooler... oil was still degraded afterwards, but nowhere near as bad.

My cooler is:
Mocal 13 Row Oil Cooler 1/2BSP OC5133-8 (sourced from Matt Lewis)

My take off plate is:
Mocal part OTSP1 (came from www.raceparts.co.uk, but I don't think they stock them anymore)

I made up my own hoses with 1/2 BSP push on fittings, but if I did it again I'd get a local hydraulics place to make some up.

Brackets welded between the chassis at the front and bolted up with rubber pads to help isolate vibrations etc.

7w-F4D9_afWXCbqMIPNJjkrukEwdMwkd1cH1je_UPbgYuIA2EJ3jtwkHVDSy0lCeYoO271C0swPlhtShtfkDlwAxJo1-f3HHX8Ppatdsi8kG8P902D0Z355K0hLWET7eaqmpOhWrfKKEAzKtDgSQyNOPwvHJSHZ_wQFpI3XPdEvw0xWXTGwJBnM2RhZoVGNM3S1IPiiDB6Mq8019j5ufo10S0NAypx21LI18ONGthRnQa6AUUc_VwEDM28l0KwmRf09s7D887vHbXBcMMrKf_vQ_CMYCgsNTmMIgQ8wJe9hww9Tr6lvMLGN1DxxUNq8KrjJi2rJVTbOXYsbjKSMk_YH6uZNcLPPpjAB9DHo1DW_tuLifLmtBGb2dTXokusD-J_dN_PDf7oA4alC7CmMe-rMg5VGXcevYwdOv1qyWXZ3chS5_mgPzqoUiMHhD6xq4KRsWkqgGJ9tNa4khVBb-A6uT9muR8sl8_i0m3Y2oWIlm-u9GSjZxzaLmSi86BIecrwKFlblZt6PkzBR98JyESuNVKU3czC8OBYe4ND__Vq3kH9FfPgYYS-aLeML-7T7Si-vTbrQWfiHjsI0qO8iAEXDixv_TZt9wkrIEAJfDoufWsP4fPci1tgpmY7Aei5n0JF2WmooaSDZthkmyIC6lKJsS9l41EgoZo2uNfRkMAMCIEQia_vmI8mvbkrISA6jZ7x15YPaC-fIsU-r_AE0AS37S=w1168-h657-no?authuser=0

Take off plate is easy - just bolt it in. At the same time I fitted the thread adapter (wix) so I could fit a filter with the anti-drain valve.

Do you not have a thermostat? 

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Bin the Spax and fit Konis, especially at the front. Regret to say that ride height is not down to the dampers, that’s springs (or just possibly partially seized trunnion bushes.

I agree on the 1500 needing an oil cooler. Probably the only small chassis Triumph that does in standardish form. Do include an oil-stat in the installation though.

Exhaust…… wheel barrow type vary in fit and noise. I’d choose a GT6 Mk3 transverse box in sport pattern I think

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7 minutes ago, ferny said:

 

ARB links you can knock yourself. I can try to find my parts list ifvyou want. They offer no real benefit to everyday cars though.

 

No but they look cool with rose jointed ends rather than the rubber 😂

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Alex,

Engine:

13 row Oil Cooler with rubber hoses and thermo.

MED 1.5 SU Stub Stacks and ITG panel filter (Merlin Motorsport)

Suspension:

Rose jointed arb links: Jon Wolfe, aka Wolitt Racing.

475LB front springs (Faulkners) and 1 to 1.5 degrees of neg at the front.

Konis all round: Larkfield sell them at a good price.

Uprated wishbone bushes, Superflex.

Adjustable radius arms.

4 Wheel alignment.

Brakes:

Ditch the back plates and fit decent pads, I have no problem with EBS Green, many seem too?

Steering:

Polybush the rack mounts, check the UJ and fit a decent steering wheel, many seem happy with the Astrali ones that are on the market now.

And, I guess you will expect this, ditch the chuffing Cobra stripes and fit one across the nose, aka Group 44 in Green, very cool on a white car.

Then you would have a lovely Spitfire, its already a great car, even better with these improvements.

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Wow that’s a bit precise!
 

Easy bits first…..

car already has a motolita,poly bushed throughout,

1144 pads, aluminium rack mounts.

Im not entirely sure which springs it has…. Some old guy gave em to me? They’re red………

 

Like the sound of the 13 row cooler…..will it make it faster?

Adjustable radius arms are they really worthwhile?

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7 minutes ago, Alex said:

Wow that’s a bit precise!
 

Easy bits first…..

car already has a motolita,poly bushed throughout,

1144 pads, aluminium rack mounts.

Im not entirely sure which springs it has…. Some old guy gave em to me? They’re red………

 

Like the sound of the 13 row cooler…..will it make it faster?

Adjustable radius arms are they really worthwhile?

I'm happy with 1155 on my herald. They're much better than 1144 in all conditions as far as I'm concerned. 

 

This is my cooler by the way. Yeah, I'm just showing off that I got lucky and got mine for £25 🤣

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304052200892

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1 hour ago, Alex said:

 

Like the sound of the 13 row cooler…..will it make it faster?

 

If you are after an oil cooler, I have the setup I took off my toledo when I fitted the TR7 engine. Takeoff plate, thermostat and cooler. Hoses worth replacing. It is in the garage somewhere....

Trunnionless I very much like. But the geometry thing is real. With trunnionless the yellow spit is fairly compliant with 480lb springs. The red spit is std uprights, same 480lb springs but significantly harder. 

And yes, dump the wheelbarrow exhaust. they are just a nuisance. 

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