JohnD

Excellent, Shynsy! From someone with far more experience of the event than me, I hope your advice on the comfort and tiredness aspects will make the RBRR all the more the great event it is. I know that previously I have irritated many by advocating sleep afterwards, before you set off home, but taking advantage of the favourable reception to your words, may I repeat it now? Just one incident could lead to the loss of the RBRR. John

DEs, When I made the Silverback race estate, I took a mould from the roof, to add lightness. I didn't keep the metal roof, it was badly corroded in places, including a rear pillar IIRC, but I still have the mould. I could take a cast of the pillar area from that, if it would be useful to your restorer to fabricate a replacement. John

Yes, but that was to reduce oxides of nitrogen in the emissions, which contribute to smog. On fuel and alcohol, it's worth noting that pure alcohol is a superb knock suppressant! While a CR of 10.5 is about the limit with 98 octane fuel, cars to run on ethanol can be built to have a CR of 14:1 !!!

Well, you do use MON rating in the US, but make it even more complicated by taking the mean between the two! " 93" is a bit lower than the mean of 98 and 90, so bad luck! JOhn

So many believe this! There is no more energy in 100 octane fuel than in fuels of lesser octane rating. The octane number ONLY refers to its resistance to knock, pre-ignition. This does mean that you can run much higher compression which will generate more power, and modern engines that have engine management and knock sensors to adjust ignition automatically will produce less power with low octane fuel, but those are due to engine tune and timing, not the 'power' of the petrol! John

Yes there are! Probably as many who share my name, possibly yours! He's the first one: https://www.facebook.com/mark.field.336 John

The Pi cars were intended to run on "Five Star" fuel - 100 octane! Part of lead's action as a fuel additive was for anti-knock, or pinking, and without it 98 is the best that is available, unless you live near a race circuit or aerodrome where AvGas at 100 octane may be sold. My Vitesse has Pi, and a CR of 10.5, which is at the limit for low octane fuel, but I find it runs fine, no pinking, on 98 Octane. I favour Shell's V-Plus. BUT, to get the octane rating up there, modern fuels have additives that are volatile, when tetra-ethyl lead was not volatile at all. Today, fuel that has sat in the tank for more than a month or so may no longer be at 98 octane. Run your tank down to the minimum before winter storage, or else add a 'fuel stabiliser'. John PS Europe uses the "RON" (Research Octane Number) to classify fuel. In the US they use MON (Motor Octane Number). which gives a lower number for the same fuel. (98 RON is the same as 90 MON) J.

Another time, Keith, on FB page, top left, "Search Facebook". What series do you intend to race in? I can recommend CSCC, Swinging '60s! John

Keith, Suggest you ask Mark Field? Not only is he a mine of Triumph information, but his firm Jigsaw marketed later Le Mans Spitfire parts, arising from his own ADU1B, that is a far closer replica of the original Le Mans Spitfire than a Lenham! He's on Facebook. John

You are not the first. They do bow with age. What is your driving style? Are you racing? Have you noticed any fin cornering ability, one way or the other? If not, then ignore it. If you have, new ARB. To bend it straight it must lose its temper and be retempered. Not easy, to do, or to find someone who can do it. John

I have one, damaged, that you would be welcome to.

They are clearly (I'd say) home made, welded on the face side and need grinding back for, as glang says, a flat face. Better welded on the other side. And as TSM says, a 6-1 is a pure race model, that only assists extraction at full revs, 6K+. But to be useful the primaries must be EXACTLY equal length, and these aren't - the three forward tubes go around the outside of the three backward to the collector, so probably at least an inch longer. It needs work and probably will never be of any benefit. Unless you can get for a song, I'd let it go. John

My underline. That is NOT a slipping clutch cone on the O/d! As Nick says, probably an electrical connection. John

Have a look at eBay: 1970 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE MK3 restoration project | eBay Guy wants a grand, but says its all there. Good luck ! JOhn

Any further back along the chassis, and you're into the suspension mounts steering mounts and suspension turrets. And the chassis rails are one piece, all the way back. No idea where you mean! I think I cut at the right place. John

What have I done? And am still doing? Earlier this year, at Thruxton, I had an argument with the Armco. The front chassis end 'horns' that hold the bumper bar on SofS were bent back and up, forcing the radiator into the front of the engine. My first thought was to get them bent back again, and I consulted my local body building firm. While they do this sort of work and have a proper jig to align the panels, modern car metal is quite different. Boron steel and other alloys cannot be heated to soften them, and the shop doesn't even have a oxy-acetylene torch today! Anyway, the Boss had been very familiar with the Triumph small chassis cars in the day, and said that replacement, rather than re-bending, had been the rule then. The parts are not available, but I still have the chassis from Silverback, which has doubtful geometry overall, having span and rolled at the 'Ring, but the frotn end was intact, so I cut it off. I did the same surgery to SofS's front end then constructed a primitive jig, to hold the transplant into place: (SofS is 'Son of Silverback', because when it came to me, it inherited so many of Silverback's parts. It has even more now!) After positioning the front end, checking by measurements from the workshop manual Chassis Dimensions Plan, I welded it into place: To protect non-metallic parts from welding heat, I stripped off the front suspension and steering, and now "reassembly is the reverse procedure", but Ive taken the opportunity to replace all the polyurethane bushings. Wheels back on today, and all the bolts to be torqued with them on the ground. Then, it's new radiators, water and oil, and bodywork. Thanks to RogerGuzzi (thank you, Roger!) I have an intact bonnet to replace the shattered old one, and then it's the painting. But that's motor racing for you!

Recore your original? Or, Rimmers offer one with a recessed filler cap "for use with metal header tank". You could disguise the cap by covering it! https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-305306R John

Not necessarily, but it is why they employ 'stores clerks'!

Paul, Suggest you join Club Triumph (and TSSC?)! The East Sussex Group must be on your doorstep, attend some of their meetings. Nothing like local knowledge of what is available, and possibly an expert companion to inspect prospective buys! Also the Haynes "Guide to purchase and DiY Restoration" for the 'small chassis' Triumphs includes a section, Chapter 2, on "Buying". This details all the expected faults and prices their repair, in "tyres" so even though my copy is thirty years old the costs are still relevant. May no longer be in print but available second hand: Triumph Spitfire, GT6 Vitesse and Herald - Guide to Purchase and D.I.Y. Restoration by Peter Lindsay and Williams - Hardcover - 1990 - from Goldring Books (SKU: 010913) (biblio.co.uk) Good luck! John

He's frequently on Facebook and therefore can be contacted by Messenger. Just search on FB and you will be offered a Message. John

Kevin R, surely timing covers are available, used but not warped? Better than even a well engineered bodge! John

Triumph just earthed the bulb holders to the housing, and assumed that made enough contact with the bodywork to be good enough. But after fifty years or so, it don't! Usually because of corrosion between the pot-metal housing and the body. Take a jumper lead, crocodiles both ends, and earth the light housings until you get correct function. Then arrange a permanent earth in the jumpers place, to the adjacent body, remembering that you might want to take off the housing at some future time! John

Thanks, Rychu, that's the way to do it! Yes, it is! I think with others above that adjusting your rear drums may be the way forward. Good luck! John

Ryachu, It really, really helps if you give essential details when asking Qs on any website. You're not stupid, but others aren't psychic! For instance, Canley's list at least FOUR different M/cs for Triumphs, and there are many more out there, that your DPO could have fitted! Pictures? And "long travel" is not the same as "spongy pedal"! Ensure that your brake drums are correctly adjusted, forget the hand brake for now, that has a completely different adjustment, come back and tell us how you get on. John

Another reason for a long travel could be too small diameter a master cylinder. Ryuchu, have you or the DPO replaced the M/c? Should be, I think, 0.7". A larger cylinder displaces more fluid per millimeter of travel, so shorter. But you may need to press a bigger M/c harder for the same braking effect! John