SpitNoir

Did you end up fitting it? Was going to say the same thing about rotating the housing on the mounting flange. Not sure about your exact model, since I've never used one, but many of that type are "clockable" to help them fit multiple applications. Of course, that would lead one to believe that the advertisers definition of "no modifications" is a bit broadminded. Best of luck. Hope yours is one that will have the position that you need. Better yet, that it's up and running already. Paul

Not sure Dave. In my case, the brake and clutch masters were at the same angle, with the brake one being taller. Around these parts, the taller original one is not available and we're to use the clutch master in both applications. I could have bought a rebuild kit for the original, but though I've done that before, just wanted new to "bolt-n-go" so to speak. Still had to bend my own new pipe for it, since the old one was pretty well thrashed, but that worked out well. With the brackets, I wonder if there is a difference for a left-hand drive car like this one? Still a '65, so the same year as yours, but if right-hand drive, is it possible there is a variation there? Good luck sorting it all out. I think I prefer having a larger reservoir for the brakes, but like the look of both being the same size. Cheers. Paul

Very timely bit of information here gents. Thanks so much. Was on here just to find out a bit about the float bowls due to the ones on this car spewing forth profusely. Just figured it to be dried out gaskets from not being run for a few months and was going to ask if there was a better version. Now that I see this discussion, I know there's another direction to look. And if it starts and runs better too, that'd be a very nice bonus. Glad I browsed all the way to the tenth page in the forum. Cheers! Paul

Had to replace a switch recently as well. Sorted the holders previously, so the lights worked. For about a week! The switch had gone belly-up, but not as easy to find new around here. So just used a semi-generic version that Ford and GM have used here for years. Fit into the same bracket and away you go. Nice to have them work as expected for once. Glad you found your issue and got yours working so quickly. Paul

Yep, many of the old time numbers cross over from one company to another. From the Timkin book: Spitfire 1962 to 1980 Inner: 07100S Cone and 08210X Cup Outer: 03062 Cone and 03162 cup Seal:  1110 Paul

Thanks all! Yes, I'm convinced that some creativity was applied at some point in it's past. And that Brown w/yellow wire is oversized for sure and not part of the original headlight circuits. At some point, someone cut off the regular bullet connector, used a flat blade connector and hooked this large wire in from somewhere behind the instrument panel. I have yet to trace it, but it's powered all the time. I'm wondering now if something important is no longer functioning because power was re-routed to the lights! It does have the floor mounted dimmer switch, so that's consistent. Thanks for the rundown on the individual functions. Now I know what to look for. That seems consistent with what I have, and why I couldn't see anything (in the daylight) when pulling on the dash switch. And thanks for he diagrams Chris. I actually have the big green service manual with wiring diagrams, but it does not always differentiate between left and right hand drives like yours does. And yes, the colors, and even the layout are slightly different, so that helped quite a bit. Andy, I bought the new switch from SpitBits here in CA and don't remember if it had any markings on it or not. But it was definitely a replacement, as far as the physical design went. But with just slight variations on the wiring colors. Colors were "similar", but not always exact. For example, The switch as a Blue only wire, where the chassis side has a Blue wire with a tracer (red? or was it white?) on it. Things like that. But it did seem to connect correctly (with some double-checking with an ohm-meter) and the lights do come on. Now that I know what to expect from it, I can check to make sure that all is functioning as expected. The lights were never that great, and the car has been sitting for a long time, so I have to learn some things as I go. To be completely certain where troubles lie, I have to go back and redo the running lights and their grounds AGAIN. After all, I let things sit for a few months while I sorted out other stuff, so naturally things I did back then no longer work. I blame it on myself though. If I had done everything right the first time, as I thought I had (whether leaving stock or modifying to be better), they'd all still work! Right? Cheers. Paul

I'm currently trying to retrofit some newer styles to the cranky old stock ones that came on the Spit back in '65. Yours look positively modern by comparison! Those for the '72? I'm trying to make some of the standard off-the-shelf types fit. The ones typically available on the spinner racks at local auto parts stores. Using those so future replacement will be easier. Theoretically... Good luck with yours. Hope the next batch lasts longer than one pull. Paul

Greetings all. Just wondering about the workings of the two separate power leads coming into the steering column light switch? One is from the ignition switch (Brown w/green) and the other is from the dash-mounted headlight switch (Red w/green). Do either of these provide constant power, or are they both "switched" to the column? When I replaced the failed column switch (fell apart in my hands as I removed it!), I found that it was wired with a very large gauge Brown w/yellow stripe wire with constant power. Also found that the Red w/green from the dash switch had no power under any circumstances. A mystery. Oh blow. So, just wondering what the normal function should be. Do the lamps only work with the key on and the dash switch pulled? Or is the dash switch primarily for the parking and tail lamps, while the column switch turns on the headlamps and switches between the main and dipped beams? Thanks for any insight into this mess. Trying to get them to work, but so far only the 3rd position of the column switch nets me any headlights. Oh, and this is for the '65 Spit, as in the sig. Paul

Down to a more normal 3-wire alt then, eh? Sounds much simpler. Like you, I've looked for details on various alternator conversions too, but don't remember seeing good pictures of the back and descriptions of the connections. So I'm not sure what all the 6 existing wires do, but what the heck. Let's play. Just for conversation's sake then, let's find out what each one is. I am by no means an experienced ACR oficianado, so please take this as rambling garage-talk for now. Just to kill time until someone with real knowledge has the time to chime in. Looks to me like the alternator's case and connectors are clearly marked as to their basic battery functions, so let's test. If you have a volt-meter or light to just verify, I'll venture a guess as to their function. First, the 2-wire plug in the lower portion of your image: The large Natural/Brown/Tan (whatever it's called) wire looks to be your alternator's main output wire. If so, it should test with full battery voltage all the time. That wire is going to be kept of course, and go to the output stud or terminal of the new alternator. It's currently marked with a "+" and is the larger wire, so that's a reasonable "assumption" here. The Black wire in the same connector should be the system ground. You can verify with an ohm-meter, or volt-meter if you put the red test lead to the battery's positive side. This wire is very possibly one that might no longer share a space in a common connector. Could have it's own ground terminal on the new alt, so that would be one of the wires that would not be counted in a 3-wire setup. Commonly alternators are grounded through their cases and mounting bolts. I personally feel it's just good sound practice to have a dedicated grounding wire or strap between the case/bolt/stud to a good ground. Whether directly to the battery, or just to a well-known grounded area of the engine or chassis. Oops, got ahead of myself. Substitute "earth" every time I mentioned ground. The 3-wire plug: The top wire is also marked "B+" so may be the sensing wire. It should also test out as always hot with battery voltage. This wire will probably have a home in the new alternator too. Also, a way to verify that the system is sound is to measure voltage with a good meter and make sure there is no drop between the battery and that wire. More than say, 1/4 volt and you should start looking for corroded connections or old tired wire. You want this to read as close to battery voltage as possible, or the alternator could try to overcharge the battery. Are the others marked? One of the other two connecting points should be an ON with the key 12v source. Easy to test too, with your light or meter. Not sure if this is needed on the new one or not. Some alternators have "self-exciting" regulators and don't need the keyed-power. Not sure what the other one(s) would be, unless the regulator has it's own discreet earth connection, or they do the same duties as some of the additional wires on the old external regulator/control boxes from the generator days. Because they're not Black though, perhaps they send a signal to an indicator lamp in the dash, or a Stator's output voltage for a heated choke for the carbs, or whatnot. Ok, so none of that may hold water, but I was bored and needed some chat time and was curious if I could figure out something I know nothing about. Kind of a crossword puzzle for car-junkies! Now maybe others can come play and give you corrected info in a less confusing format. I'm very interested in hearing just how this setup is wired, and how well they work. Too bad I don't get e-mail notifications when someone posts a reply to a thread I'm in. Good luck. Paul

Wish I had pics, but my main computer is down for the count, so it might be awhile. But I'm not using the factory style, so it probably wouldn't have helped anyway. In the meantime, back to the top of the page! Not sure about the '79 in your sig, but the '65 used a simple bit of angle-iron (for lack of a better term) the width of the battery, with a bit of a twist and a hole drilled in each corner. Simple J-bolts hold it down to the leading edge of the battery by angling down to the two holes in the battery box. I'm just using a store-bought standard rectangular framed hold-down with J-hooks in a vertical fashion down to those same holes. This method is secure and clean looking, but not as safe or as simple as the factory. Too much metal frame close to the terminals in my opinion. So I'll probably build something along the lines of the original. Good luck. Paul

As for the clamp, I'd just make sure that the nut is a locking type and in good shape. You shouldn't need to tighten it down so that the u-clamp is pressing hard onto the edges of the leaves, if that's what the inspector was thinking. If it's just loose, then yes, tighten it until the locking threads hold. If no locking, I'd replace it with a good locker. From the looks of the hose, I'd try to bend the bracket first. Even if you did manage to re-orient the hose so as to hold it farther from the leaf pack, it looks (from the angle of the pics anyway) like the bracket will always try to point the initial part of the hose towards the spring. Looks really well built and welded, but I'd try bending it first. Then re-route and bleed if you still need to. Paul

I used standard engine paint on my Ford truck about 25 years ago and it's still in really good shape. It's dirty, a bit greasy looking, but has not a single chip or burn/peel or heat discoloration that I can see. Well, I suppose a mild fading could be considered heat fade, but all in all it's been good stuff. I want to say it's Duplicolor's ceramic-infused engine enamel, but I don't think that particular type has been around that long. It was something similar though. I do seem to remember using a primer at least, but otherwise just cleaned and painted. I do have dedicated caliper paint sitting on the shelf though, waiting for the right application, but never felt it was the only way to go. Paul

Hi Xplus. Like ferny said, it could be just a legal requirement from a testing and paperwork standpoint. Just like we're supposed to use headlamps with the DOT (Department of Transportation) mark in them. But I can say one thing, if it's like all the lights in my experience, the EU lights will have WAY better beam patterns, from a driver's standpoint. Depending on the age and brand of the DOT lamps, they could be anywhere from pretty decent, to just acceptable to downright lousy. Often you get st a subdued blob of light that you can hope puts light somewhere useful. A real good one from a recent vintage is somewhat acceptable, but if you have the option, I'd run, or at least try, the EU-legal lights. The thought was that we wanted dip-beams that were more friendly to oncoming traffic. The reality was just the opposite though. The non-DOT compliant lights often had a much sharper vertical cutoff (similar to a "fog" light over here) that, along with that high right flare, made for not only traffic friendly lights, but very good for seeing street signs and the odd buffalo thinking about crossing the road at night. When I've looked at what's called an E-code, or "Euro-spec" lamp here, I don't remember seeing any specific markings to that effect. They're just identified by their lack of the DOT stamp. The DOT lights are well marked, but the others don't seem to be. At least with the older lamps I use. Perhaps current offerings are well marked with the proper certifications for your region. Brands such as Cibi� offer both left-hand and right-hand drive beams. Standard Hella E-code lights (as sold over here anyway) are only listed for left-hand drive (right side of the road) with the high kick-up on the right (curb side) like johnnyk was talking about. Hella sells a decent DOT version too, but most here still prefer the non-DOT version, which is sold as "Motorcycle and Off-Road Only" replacement lamps. Personally, I'd try both of the types you received with the car. Just for fun (and so you can tell us what you think!). I realize that changing out lamp assemblies on a Spitfire is not the same quick and simple affair that it is with many other vehicles, but I think it'd totally be worth your time.  I tried 7 different brands (8 styles) of H4 replacement lamps in my Bronco to see if I could find one I liked. Tried 4 of the large rectangular ones in my pickup too, for the same reason. Bosch, Carrello, Lucas, Cibi�, Hella, Eagle Eye, and one other that I can't remember right now. HUGE difference between most brands. Have fun! Paul

The plot thickens... In the way of an update, the coil actually was wired as if in a positive ground system. Sound like someone thought, just as I did, that all the early models were positive ground and hooked it up this way even though the battery connections indicated otherwise. Still, it did put out enough spark to light the engine. Going to swap wires tomorrow and hope for an even better spark. Naturally, there is a fuel problem to deal with first though. PaulB

Perfect! Thanks for that link. Double-checked myself, and the numbers on the coil were "1" and "15", so now I can verify which way it's hooked up. Tomorrow, in the daylight. I did find some info tonight though, that pretty much clinches it for me. While delving into John Thomason's "Guide to Originality" and looking for possible locations of side-view mirrors and other stuff, I chanced upon some electrical info in the Mark III specifications. At the bottom of the page was a special note attached to the electrical info which states that the changeover from positive to negative earth actually occurred sometime in '64, rather than the previously thought of '67 model year!!! Too bad that there is no such specification page for the Mark I or II, and no wiring diagrams for the pre-'67 cars in the BGB (Big Green Book) that I've been using for reference. Both books are well put together I feel, so the relative lack of early info may be due to the info just not being as well documented. Sounds plausible at least? So anyway, I think I can be reasonably certain that this car, being from late '64, was probably negative ground as delivered after all. Which would explain a lot! Still, I'm going to verify the coil connections. before moving on to the next mystery. Thanks again to all. Paul