MarkB

16 hours ago, Dannyb said:

I can't see how it was valued  at 10k. After the work.

Agree, crude but functional chassis repair. Quality prep/ paint job though. Fact that it's been restored on tv may push up the price/appeal to somebody. £300+ for a used chassis? Watch the price of them go up on ebay. They will be on there for a very long time. As mentioned above, shame to have butchered a fairy reasonable chassis, thought those sections were available from rimmers etc.

They are not living in the real world, they've got a budget to throw at the project to make an interesting and entertaining programme which I think they did.

Allan Milyard is a one off, top level engineer/fabricator with skills and abilites I could only dream of.

2 hours ago, Clive said:

Simpler solution if you don't have a puller is to leave the nut on the column, but only a few turns so it is level with the top of the column. Then  hammer in one hand, use a knee and other hand to pull the wheel towards you. Then a wack on the column and the wheel releases. Undo nut, all done.

Wish I had thought of that 40 years ago! Impatience of youth.

Once you remove the nut, best to use a two or three legged puller. The boss will be initially very tight on the spline. Learnt my lesson 40 years ago removing a steering wheel from a Vitesse. Hands at quarter to three, a few hard yanks, it suddenly came off and cracked me across the bridge of my nose. Makes your eyes water.

Frustrating to say the least! You put me to shame with the amount of maintenance work you carry out on your car, but you do really use your car which is great. Keep up the good work.

Originally all Spitfire's sat higher at the front from the factory. Years of people fitting shortened ' uprated' front springs, (me included), became the normal look. See an original Spitfire with standard springs and they look jacked up in comparison, despite years of wear. Plenty of ground clearance for speed humps and a comfortable ride.

Owned a mk2 gt6 for 20 years bog standard unrestored, still has all the original cardboard rad cowls. Never had any overheating problems, even stuck in miles of traffic on a hot summer's day, standard engine fan. 

Inside the car is a different matter.

1 hour ago, Howard said:

My inexpensive Aldi set has hinged socket head so they can be used in very tight corners which comes in handy 🙂

That sounds like a better idea, mine were bought years ago and are flat. Love buying tools, but can't justify buying any more. 

Owned a Hilka set for forty years. Maybe used a few times. Nice idea, but in practice because they lay flat on the nut/bolt, usually things are in the way, so you can't get the spanner to seat, or if you can, you can't get a swing on them.  In my experience it's easier, faster to use a socket.

On 21/10/2023 at 18:13, Anumator said:

I used a non isocyanate single stage 2k paint  from Jawel paints

That's interesting. Sprayed several cars over the years and always used cellulose. My Vitesse I sprayed a few years ago took a year before you couldn't leave a fingernail mark in the paint, a nightmare really, especially after all the restoration and new panels up to that point. I don't think cellulose is the same chemical mix as it used to be.  My Dad was a paint sprayer, using cellulose through the 60's and 70,s until it all went 2k and never used cellulose again. I would help him as a boy, and he would spray the car in cellulose one day unmask the following, and then leave it out in the open with no issues. 

The other problem I have found with cellulose is that it shrinks, and can develops hairline cracks along seams. 

I'll have to look into the non Iso paints, got a spitfire to paint at some point and don't want the nightmare I had with the Vitesse.

Like a lot of you, been driving 40+ years, and being caught in the beam of LED head lights is a distraction and dangerous. Noticing it more and more with the piercingly bright headlights fitted to modern cars. Eyes tested recently, fortunatly healthy, just needed reading glasses.  Think the potential saftey benifits are out weighed by the dangers to other road users.  How they passed scrutiny of the various regulatory bodies surprises me. Upgraded the Vitesse to Halogen lights, more than bright enough in my opinion, unless your on a night rally, through the woods.

Looking good! I seem to always be fixing something on my Triumphs, sort one issue and another comes along. Nature of classic car ownership I suppose. As a boy in the 60s & 70's, most Sundays, I would see neighbours out servicing/ fixing their cars ready for work on the Monday, rare sight nowadays. Good luck with the inspection Wednesday!

You don't hang about! Looking good, great job!

That's a nightmare! Fortunately on your first coat. Pain, as its going to hold you up.

I resprayed a Vitesse bonnet in a gazebo, decent weather, left it in there over night to dry, no rain forecast. Checked on it in the morning, bright sunny day, as the sun warmed up the gazeebo, condinsation built up inside and dripped all over the cellulose paint finish ruining it. You should be fine if your using 2K.

Times I have put things down in a rush, then cant remember where. I then go around and around looking for it, and then hours later it's just there, right in front of me. It's as if my brain makes the thing iam searching for invisible. 

Lost items are usually found in the place where you know they won't be, so always look there first. 

First thought was fuel starvation, float, blockage etc. But don't assume anything, check basics ignition, spark, plugs, points etc. Distributor hasnt moved? Lose pinch bolt. Then I would make sure fuel is getting to and through the carb.

Thanks for the heads up. Love Lydden. Watched club racing there for 40+ years but always seem to miss these shows, I'll try to get there, possibly in the Vitesse.

Excellent! Thanks for the video Pete. Your Spit goes really well. Have you a  a swing spring fitted?

I use a modified 2500s air box on my Vitesse with Hs6 Sprint carbs. About an extra inch deeper, with modified intake and K&N filter. Inside are a couple of short stub stacks.

Great car! 🙂

20 hours ago, glang said:

Interesting as just seen in the workshop manual that the assembly with the 6 small holes you can see in the first photo is the pressure relief valve. If the filter becomes blocked a spring loaded plate opens inside and lets oil through to bypass the paper element. The other one does the same but has a central hole.

Thanks, that makes sense now.

Had a quick look. The bolt has burs above and below the star which it can't go past. It moves up and down about 1/4''

Not got them in front of me but looking at the photos there are pips above and below the star shaped thingy, so it stays in that position, and can't go up or down very much, both are more or less in the same position.

I have a few original oil filter housings, Vitesse, Gt6, Triumph 2500. Looking at them the other day I can't recall which came from what car.  They have been replaced with Mocal adapters for the spin on oil filters. There appears to be slightly different types. One has holes in the filter valve the other is blank. Don't know what difference it makes or if it maters if either type was fitted to any of the straight six engines.

I had a similar experience in 2019. I had rented 3 lock-ups from the council for 30 years, packed full. Two cars, racking along the backs, full of triumph stuff, several straight six engines suspension chassis etc. etc. They let the garages go into disrepair over a couple of years. I  called the council to ask if they were going to build on the site, and was told not for the foreseeable future. Had an ominous feeling, and and there was some talk amongst some of the other garage renters. A month or so later there was a fellow taking picture of the garages, some with roofing peeled back. Ask who he was, and he said he was from health and safety. The next morning every garage had an eviction order pasted to the door, with 7 days to vacate. Not great. They did find me one garage which a car and some stuff moved to. Built another shed to house some of the parts. Bit of a nightmare really. 

If you have a bit of time, don't be to hasty and get rid of stuff you may regret later. 

I live in southeast London, with ULEZ expanding, introduction of permit parking everywhere, lack of garages to rent. I've got a van I will have to sell and a mk1 mx5 I need to find somewhere to store. Not a great place to live if you like playing with cars.

Hope you manage to find alternatives options, easy to say, but try not to get to stressed.

I know what you mean. My Vitesse one previous owner, never had a radio fitted, so no holes anywhere. I did think twice, but I like listening to the radio, music, so drilled the rear deck where I believe arials were originally fitted. I also fitted a DAB arial to the screen. If I really wanted to, the hole would be pretty easy to weld up and you would never know it was there.