WIMPUS

Another job i've been doing.. Cleaning up some old lights with original lenses. Current one on Fox have 10year old lenses, but are losing color. Morea yellowish indicator then a orange one. Red lens is getting more pink 😅 Old lenses where cleaned with soap and water, scratches sanded out with p7000 wet and then polished with Plastx. Reverse light lense is new (but i can spot minor differences to the original ones ). Only 1 light done.. now the other.

Seems Fox and me where filmed. I was just showing 2 people pics of all the welding etc 😅 From 1min25

Sadly not mine 😅 I would say a 4 post is a bit better for our convertible cars.

Yesterday tried to finish off the TR4. Rear diff seal changed, all fluids checked over. It is a hard starter.. but not to bad after standing for 6 weeks or so. And then.. Testdrive time. I had a go to, for now the oldest car i've ever driven. Now to fit the horn ring.. arriving today (typical..) And need to change/setup the steering column better, so the steering wheel sits straight and indicator cancelling works sort off.

Today i went to the openday at Anglo Parts. Lots of cars and people... until it started to rain. My favorit thing really.. an original dealer sticker from garage (John) Lins in Antwerp. From 1995 or 1998 the garage became Renault, in 2013 the building was knocked down. A pic of back in the day..

So yesterday evening fitted the diff, all went in good and easy. It was 11pm when we done a testdrive and top down 😅 Very silent at the back now, I had fitted a new waterpump, fan, thermostat, temp sensor. Now it the temp is also spot on. Next is some electrical work (fuse box and charging point for phone etc) and put a new cheap ebay radio in it. Oh.. and rustproof a bit and maybe a spot of welding. Next winter he wants to have the floors etc stripped to bare metal, epoxy and stonechip. But first.. finishing off the TR4, hope to testdrive that sunday.

Yesterday evening the bearings arrived. Time to start.. well it all went pretty well 😅 Guess what I will be doing tonight 😅😆

Sunday Fox time. Thermostat change from 88°C to 82°C. Ready for the summer ! Need to look at my door lock, sometimes the handle doesnt work. But it has play and getting worn.. Sadly couldnt do it due to migraine 😑

More stuff done saturday.. But forgot some tools 😑 Drained the rear axle oil, renewed the seal.. what a pig of a job. Front seal leaking badly, but forgot my 'tool' to hold the flange, so can undo the nut. Horn was iffy and play in the column. ok.. horn slip ring broken and fixed in the column with glue. looked deeper inside.. they have been at the bushes before. Column was also loose in the car. So stripped it out, time to do it right ! The new self driving TR4 ! 😅 Never seen a column like this in 2 pieces.. It just fell apart 😑😑 I will fix it 😅

Its only M8 thread that ive used. Been looking for a magnectic drainplug, but only found 1 that is M8 for a motorcyle. Need to buy some to test, but this diff needs to be installed asap. 😑 No pressure at all 😅

Hi ! Yeah.. its really depressing that they have done it like this. No other Triumph forum does it like this. Drain plug I made/drilled. Only takes 5min 😅

And another friend his diff was leaking.. but then very big oil leaks started.. Opened up the diff.. ffs this had a bad day. But he was oh so lucky it seems, can be fixed. A crown wheel bolt washer fell apart. Got between the pinion and crown.. a small piece of the pinion broke off.. That piece and pieces of the washer went behind the inner pinion bearing and got stuck.. and worned out the bearing. Need a few new parts and bearings and its all good to go. Oh and it has a 6 stud case with 2 closed off as its in a late Spitfire. And typical on 1500 diffs, fibre washers.. gone. Time to upgrade to the earlier style. NTN bearings now ordered and waiting for them to arrive to crack on.😅😅

As always.. been very busy the laat weeks with other Triumphs. A friend his TR4 needed some work. All bushes and trunnions etc where very very worn, probably original. Steering was all over the place to. Oh.. and engine resting just on the steering rack, because of very bad engine mounts... a pig of a job to do ! So been busy on rebuilding it fully up front. Oh yeah.. and its my first TR4 im working on.. so all a bit new for me.

Still had some odd noises. Found out the Spax shocks where going bad. (I know spax should be yellow, but repainted mine red due to rust during covid). But.. they had done 238.000kms/140.000miles since sept 2013 ! Bought some Koni's from Bastuck Germany and fitted them today. Wow.. what a difference

Last weekend used a friend his ramp. Could hear ticking sound.. Fitted thicker clips in the UJ cups. 2 1500's side by side 😅

Dont know the make of my old ones. But always use the GKN regreasable (Guj115) now. Not that you can regrease them on the car 😅 I do know LR Freelander prop ujs should work to. Got some in my stock, but not tried it yet.

Last saturday done some work on Fox. After 60.000 miles/100.000kms and 5 years the uj's and shafts where going bad. So not bad going ! Also been busy on a TR5PI the last few weeks from a friend...

And this weekend... time for Fox. I knew the UJ's needed a good look at, as they hsd done +60.000miles/100.000kms since 2018. So builded new shafts (in a pervious post) Now this weekend replaced the shafts. Lucky I went this route.. as bearing housing had play to (could just feel it move) A day of work and it was done, today brakes nreded another bleed... now the pedal is good again 🙃 (Another 200kms and we are at 355.000kms !)

Last few weeks/saturdays been really busy on a friend his TR5 PI. Now that is finished and drives great! Some pics 😅 New prop, new uprated driveshafts, all new bushes etc etc. No expense spared.

On my daily in use Spit 1500 (only done 220.000miles 😅 ) i've done the next. -Electronic ignition, never failed me in 9 years of daily driving. -Modern fuse box upgrade. -Intermittend wiper kit. -Fitted a relay in the OD wiring (switch now lasting for +5 years) and warning light. -Superflex bushes (modern repro rubber ones lasted a year on mine..) -Halogen headlights with relays -Wide radiator + going from viscous to fixed fan. -Brakes, I use Mintex M1144 with standard discs, works very fell for me. -Engine side.. mk3 profile cam, much more fun to daily drive now. -Overdrive, my Spit came with if from factory. Etc.. 😅

I didnt use any as the windscreen needs to come out of paint. It does leak at 1 corner now. Lots of people say to use 'Gutter' sealant.

Some pics of what I've been doing over the christmas holiday, exept beeing sick 😅 Mostly work was done on a friends TR5PI. Whole rear suspension rebuild, welding on the chassis etc etc All new driveshafts and propshaft (sliding splines al had awful play) Diff needs to be re-sealed. Diff mounts, one was 'repaired', so I boxed them in to be stronger. So.. we have a few weekends work. Hopefully we can put some paint on the chassis and underside of the body this weekend.

First start up of the new year. After 42 hours of standing still. Fires right up as usual.

Those double ball joint ones are very good. Bought mine from Classic Driving Development. Think James Paddock sells them to. Now i think 3 years of use, still good and like new. As are the rubber gaiters ! (Did put in extra grease when i fit them) Before less then a year on new regular ones .

Another little job done. My rear fog light became very rusty inside. So fitted new 2 Hella ones.