Spitfire MKIV Restoration Newbie.

[MadMitch82]

Get yourself something like one of these:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/polycarbonate-face-screen

And wear a few layers of clothing and gloves (that you dont mind getting really, REALLY dirty), youll get used to being on your back under car with grinder just watch out for kicks if wire brush snags a flange though

[LouisW]

Good plan with the face mask, I have my welding mask I suppose I could use?
Did a bit more today, rebuilt the leaf spring with new bolts, diy spacer tubes and new buttons which I made from moulded silicone. will see how well they work in the future!


Also cleaned up the diff but still a bit greasy, will normal degrease sort this out?  Anyone cleaned up their different in the past?


Also vacced out the inside and applied filler to the outside




.

[LouisW]

Well I've (hopefully) purchased enough new parts to finish off the car now! More updates next week!

[LouisW]

Got all the LHS rear chassis rust removed, primered and undersealed, removed the vertical link from the hub carrier... a pain in the arse when it's seized!
Refitted new bearings, just the other side to go!
Also got rebuild kits for my brake cylinders, bought new springs, got my brake back plate and a few other little parts sandblasted, primered and painted.

I have also overhauled my driveshafts with primer and underseal fitting new ujs whilst at it.

Struggled with removing the seized trunnion bolt but with a bit of fire i got it out eventually

It's just the other side to go and general reassembly.

[LouisW]

Sorry i've not been very active recently! Life's been catching upto me with university work and the like! I recently purchased a little 1.2 clio as well which has seen me getting back onto the road after nearly 2 years of passing my test and not driving. Going home this weekend and hope to complete nearly all the welding on the spitfire and get the rear brakes sorted. That's if it's dry...

Hopefully post more again soon. 🙂

[byakk0]

If it's any consolation, Louis, I've been getting in some school myself and haven't had much time to devote to my car since last august.

[LouisW]

It has been a long time since I have posted on this forum, but to be honest I didn't really get along with the new updates! 

 

Project spitfire hasn't really progressed any further unfortunately, finishing university then starting a job and living away from where the spitfire is really slowed things down! However, we are moving into a new rental that has a garage and space for working, so i'm going to get the spitfire back up!

 

Looking back at the pictures and old progress there are a lot of things that I would have done different. Looking at some of my welds makes me cringe! What is going to happen is I will recover the spitfire to my house at the end of next month, then start with removing the tub and 'starting again'. Now this doesn't mean all progress has been lost from before as the spitfire has been under cover. I just now have more income as i'm working full-time (now 23, not 16 like when the project started!) and I hope I can do things 'properly' this time round.

 

I will try to keep the thread updated and undo any previous made bodges that were done on a shoestring. Really thankful to all the people who helped me with the spitfire so early on, namely Richard at RB Mobile classics (unsure of forum name now?). Definitely owe him about 10 pints!