Hughbert

Right thanks all

Spitfire2500 wrote: Be warned - it may not be much help  :-/ First time we visited we had to circle round three times before we managed to figure out where Slimboy's emporium is :B  :B   ;D Where is he based then just outside Cov or what  :-/

AlanChatterton wrote:http://www.canleyclassics.com/?xhtml=xhtml/general/contact.html&xsl=general.xsl Cheers for the link Alan ;) I paln a visit to Canley too.

So can any one give me the address post code of Canley classics please ;)

Spitfire2500 wrote: http://radfordpanel.co.uk Cheers Bill ;)

Wow Radford Panels that is a blast from the past as I am an old Coventry kid I think Radford Panels were one of the actual original OEM suppliers to the Canley Factory many moons ago. I never knew they did replacement panels though. Has anyone got their web link please if they have one. I am in Cov next week so I might pop in as I am after some panels for my MK1 GT6 so I would like to check if they do them. Cheers Hugh ;)

3106 wrote: Polycarbonate has the WORST chemical resistance of any plastic resin, not what you want for under bonnet!  ABS isn't much better. Polypropylene would be better, but Tony Dunn's louvered aluminum pieces are extremely nice and they will likely allow a bit more air flow than solid panels.  Fasten them securely with rubber washers and they should never rattle. Polypropylene is not just better it is what ever car manufacture in the world uses for under bonnet,inner wings,under tray,etc so it is the material of choice. Polycarbonate is not the worst of all the plastic composites chemical resistance and ABS is a well used and tried material in the automotive industry too. Many OEM car companies us PC ABS 20% talc for for their front grilles,windscreen trims,bumpers,exterior trim,etc. I have powder coated louvred aluminium engine and radiator valances they are nice yes but not for everyone  ;)      

3106 wrote: Polycarbonate has the WORST chemical resistance of any plastic resin, not what you want for under bonnet!  ABS isn't much better. Polypropylene would be better, but Tony Dunn's louvered aluminum pieces are extremely nice and they will likely allow a bit more air flow than solid panels.  Fasten them securely with rubber washers and they should never rattle. Polypropylene is not just better it is what ever car manufacture in the world uses for under bonnet,inner wings,under tray,etc so it is the material of choice. Polycarbonate is not the worst of all the plastic composites chemical resistance and ABS is a well used and tried material in the automotive industry too. Many OEM car companies us PC ABS 20% talc for for their front grilles,windscreen trims,bumpers,exterior trim,etc. I have powder coated louvred aluminium engine and radiator valances they are nice yes but not for everyone  ;)      

4526 wrote:This afternoon i opened up my bonnet and there was only 1 small spot of paint missing ! No dirt on top of the bulkhead and inside the bonnet also  ;D So they do there job pretty good  :) Well done I will be doing the same on my two GT6 cars

Brilliant info on your thread I am restoring my GT6 MK1 seats and this thread is really helpful Well Done Cheers Hugh :) Oh and a very nice car you have there  :)

Thanks all for the replies they are Spitfire 4 MK 1 doors  :-/ My door skins are good as are the frames but one door skin drivers side has a dent in it at the crease and the frame is spilt width ways right across it too. Left hand door skin is good but door frame again has a spilt right across the width too I will take photos tomorrow I can get down and lie on the garage floor to take pictures I just can't get back uo on my own  :-/ ( long boring story behind it) and I do not want to end up stuck lying there all day and night  ;D ;D ;D ;D Kneeling down mo problem so I will see what I can do. Thanks All ;)

Thanks all for the replies they are Spitfire 4 MK 1 doors  :-/ My door skins are good as are the frames but one door skin drivers side has a dent in it at the crease and the frame is spilt width ways right across it too. Left hand door skin is good but door frame again has a spilt right across the width too I will take photos tomorrow I can get down and lie on the garage floor to take pictures I just can't get back uo on my own  :-/ ( long boring story behind it) and I do not want to end up stuck lying there all day and night  ;D ;D ;D ;D Kneeling down mo problem so I will see what I can do. Thanks All ;)

Can anyone please advise me if Spitfire MK4 doors will fit a MK1 GT6 Many Thanks Hugh

Can anyone please advise me if Spitfire MK4 doors will fit a MK1 GT6 Many Thanks Hugh

rotoflex wrote:I've been thinking for a while that it would be nice to have them in heavy-duty plastic, like that which now lines wheel wells of cars.  Easy to wash, no rattles, won't deteriorate when wet.  I've been sort of stuck as to what to scavenge the plastic from. Try searching for Polypropylene Black Pinseal Plastic Sheet as polypropylene is what they use for inner wheel arch covers on automotive vehicles. It is better than ABS which tends to be ridged and can shatter if struck with a stone etc. Polypropylene Black Pinseal Plastic Sheet is used to make domestic chopping boards for home use cooking food preperation.

rotoflex wrote:I've been thinking for a while that it would be nice to have them in heavy-duty plastic, like that which now lines wheel wells of cars.  Easy to wash, no rattles, won't deteriorate when wet.  I've been sort of stuck as to what to scavenge the plastic from. Try searching for Polypropylene Black Pinseal Plastic Sheet as polypropylene is what they use for inner wheel arch covers on automotive vehicles. It is better than ABS which tends to be ridged and can shatter if struck with a stone etc. Polypropylene Black Pinseal Plastic Sheet is used to make domestic chopping boards for home use cooking food preperation.

I am making my own seat covers from 0.6mm goat skin Nappa leather ox blood in colour I am also doing all the interior trim in the same leather too. I bought a very old hand cranked Jones semi industrial sewing machine some leather sewing needles for it and some Guttamann leather sewing thread for sewing machines. I am going for this style of trim finish  :)

I used some strong welding wire to pull a length of parachute cord through which I attached to the wire loom  ;)

4526 wrote: I've noticed that on the other side it was't stopping water very good, that's why my wiper motor was stuck solid a few times  :-/ And the inside of my bonnet & my bulkhead that side is also very dirty  :-/ And because it's my daily driver i just want it to a bit water tight (i know i'm asking much from a spitfire !), but so far she preformed well  :P Looks like a good idea and if you are having water thrown up its best to stick with a sea; I had the same problem with water/mud being splashed up and then the air flow carrying it over the battery and wiper motor too :-/ Well done ;)

JensH wrote:Chris, try to find a copy of John Thomason's Triumph Spitfire & GT6 - a guide to originality. Yours a mk 4? Chassis and body tub was painted body colour without any suspension parts. These - and all brackets was mounted after and was painted black in some semi gloss.... something! There are a few pictures here too, don't know how original these cars are now: http://www.triumphspitfire.com/photos.html http://www.triumphspitfire.com/enginephotos.html Cheers, Jens, Copenhagen, Denmark. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Spitfire-and-GT6-A-Guide-to-Originality-John-Thomason-/141158060308?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item20ddad1114

Fantastic quality Nick well done 🙂

Slimboyfat wrote: That's a sweeping statement. My father worked at the Standard, as did many of my relatives, and friends over the years. You talk face to face with any ex Triumph guy and what comes over is the pride they had in working there. Strikes? I have the day to day production records for Canley in the 1970's here, and they list every reason for every shutdown. Most shutdowns were caused by component supplier disputes, Triumph (unlike other BL factories) had good industrial relations (my father lost less than a week in the 16 years he worked there). Having stripped the best part of a thousand plus Triumph engines in the course of my job over the last 30 years I have to say that you must have been unlucky. I have found that genuinely untampered with stuff is/was consistantly good quality. Your quite correct I being a Cov kid ( born in Royal Leamington Spa but moved when 3 years old to Cov) I know many old Canley workers and Jaguar, Rover,Rootes, Chrysler, Hillman,Triumph, Morris, etc workers too. Many had great pride in their work the striking militant worker who did not give a dam for his workmanship that seems to have become the standard description of every UK car worker of the time is very wrong. Very poor management with constant interference from successive governments very little inward investment to keep pace with developing technologies meant UK car plants falling behind the rest of the world. The constant upheaval poor planning and overlapping models with confusing strategies did nothing to help and lead to many workers feeling as though their skills were considered as worthless and very undervalued. Plus the many union leaders who ran a personal vendetta due to having a grudge against the company or because they completely forgot what the people they were meant to be representing didn't do the workers any favours either. So many car manufactures based in Coventry now sadly none left there now no actual car is built in Cov just some engineering by Jaguar it was very very sad to see the once massive Peugeot plant being reduced to rubble cleared. Sad too to watch  the Rolls Royce Aero plant at Parkside reduced to rubble plus the Humber plant destroyed and replaced with houses. The Canley site being destroyed was sad to watch too. The Alvis site on the Holyhead Road reduced to rubble so many great  car maker land sites gone. A large Amazon warehouse now stands on a small part of the huge Peugeot plant site at Ryton on Dunsmore says it all really. Sorry thread drift.

I some how feel Bentley Motors Ltd will not be challenged in the quality of their engine badges some how   :o

3650 wrote: I've already emailed, spitfire graveyard and quiller triumph, but neither seemed to have mk3 seat frames, as far as I can see they seem quite hard to come by Would MG Midget seats possible be similar frames to recover as they al came from the same suppliers its just a thought :-/ http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-SEATS-1-PAIR-/380762014523?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item58a72f433b http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-MIDGET-SEATS-1-PAIR-BLACK-/380762117177?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item58a730d439

Not sure if anyone is interested but I spotted this Spitfire on MK1 Spitfire an import Reg 1981 x Reg I would have thought it was making more than this with 6.5 hrs left on auction. Aren't MK1 Spitfires like hens teeth or something surly worth saving. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321290818867?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649