DaveNotSoSideways Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 My Baby. Bet you never seen this before! Current Situation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 My car in the olden days Yes it IS the same one It was brought "concours" in 2000. I started to butcher it right after it blew its 2nd head gasket. I missed the fact it had a very nicely worked JanSpeed Engine the first time. The 2nd time I removed the head I gave it some new guides, then grit blasting it I noticed it was stamped "Janspeed 8-11-87 (date) Stage 4". The previous owner had "detuned" it by fitting a Herald cam, it was on the wrong plugs, needles, timing and dieseled like a pig on 95 octane, always ran hot...I discovered why when I found out what the engine was. I then brought a Fast Road 89 cam, slapped on some Webers, my first go at any of this stuff. I kind of got lucky on the jetting, the damn thing gained about 50% more power with the carbs and cam and was a total rocket ship compared, it was always really free reving and went ok...So the story starts there really TBC. These were the early years...Things got a bit more serious, at this time I was buying all the usual crap from "tuning" companies and spending too much on junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 Some more random "gastly" modifications from the darkages. It was getting faster and I was learning ALOT. Radiator was miles too big Pipercross filter socks are crap and smell. I loved thin tyres and SLIDING, alot, hense the tyre wear.... Discovered the Isuzu starter. TT leads, green last about 5seconds. I was still perfecting my water system it had an EWP at this time, or was in process of fitting. Note the beautiful airbox I made from SUPERTHIN alloy...*clueless* it imploded within 500yards I made a lovely alloy bonnet stay, it snapped and the bonnet nearly cut my head off. I refer to this period as the formative stage. I did masses of stupid things, but I learnt from my errors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oli Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 I really like your car Dave, was a big influence in buying a spitfire, i was looking for vitesse's before! I like the de-bumpered look a lot, suits your car, am definatly going to see how it looks on my spit one day. I also really like the blue water hoses, can you remember where they came from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonsaiisuperstar Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Aye, that car is quite famous these days. Even across the pond (I take that it is legal to run with no side mirrors over there??) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Hoses were Samco... Same as Vernair. They are just 3wall Silicone. Plenty on Ebay... Demon-tweeks Merlin Motorsport Rally Design... You can buy them all over. Wing mirrors? No idea Think its legal...I have one on the driver side now (Racetech..convex)...Makes life easier with the hardtop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jony Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 ye no mirrors needed depending on year! and the hoses i guess are samco, no doubt a bargin buy from dave lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jony Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 thatll teach me for not refreshing the page before i reply........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumdriver69 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 really nice car. When i got the anglia years ago, loved to play with spitfire in France (generally BRG and ready for scrap) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Plenty of Spitfire Owners here! A full squadron or three! Converting it to a Rover VVC 1800 K-series atm http://www.crazyspitfire.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumdriver69 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 a great engine too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 A pleasing end to a modification! ;D Just need to spin up some side spacers for the rose joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Firstly understand its better engineering that way, but.... Never bothered me, the central pin on a polybush/supeflex or solid bush beaches on the metal of the tower/bracket and the bolt and pin stays in place, the bush rotates around the pin and bolt. There is no movement on the pin or bolt. I just torque them to whatever is needed to pinch the metal together and lock the pins in place and let the bushes spin around them. Rubber bushes are similar but the bush deforms and may make the pin inclined to rotate, hense the need to torque rubbers up with the car on its wheels as to not deform them constantly from the pin being locked into a droop point. I saw some horror story on Jon Wolfes site with reference to selling bolts with longer shanks. However over a decade of abusing Triumphs I have never seen a bolt with a mark on it and never used ones with a long shank, regarding rubbing on the towers. I assume the images I saw related to a bolt that was loose or some horrendous cockup in fitment or something was broken, or came from a radius arm... I won't be changing those bolts. Wolfes ones need about 4 washers as the shanks were too long, ugly, you can of course recut the threads down, its not on my priorty list. I think of the poly bush as like a spherical bearing the centre of locked, the body/outer rotates around the centre so the bolt serves no function bar a locking pin. I always used those bolts they always come out exactly as fitted I brought a bag of them years ago, evident the pin and bolt has not moved from fitting cause the pins are usually WELDED with rust to the Bolt. There is no trace of movement on the metal area the pin seats on, no oval holes, no ovalling or marks on the thread of the bolt. I understand its better, but it doesn't bother me. I am firm believer in studying things that are taken apart and sorting issues I see as problems, that is not for me personally any cause for concern. On the lower brackets the "pinching" is harder, I have some tiny waffer thin washers I slide between the pin and bracket if needed and then just tweak them up to lock the pin in place. If the pin isn't movng the bolt certainly isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6Steve Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I've seen lots of them worn and elongated bolt holes. Very rarely see pins rusted to bolts though. Funny that, eh? Just noticed the Prancing Horse in the Feb 4 pics. Were you over at Stepneys house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Its a complete bastard here, you splatter copperslip all over them, use the car for 6months they are still welded to the bolts! Thanks for the critic. I have just never noted a problem on my own car, I always assemble it the same way using the same parts. I over-torque the bolts btw (compared to book figure) to ensure the pins never move. I do have 8 longer bolts here with longer shanks. I could cut them down, recut the threads, but I am not inclined to for whatever reason. I actually thought some smart-arse might pick-up on that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6Steve Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Its a complete bastard here, you splatter copperslip all over them, use the car for 6months they are still welded to the bolts! Thanks for the critic. I have just never noted a problem on my own car, I always assemble it the same way using the same parts. I over-torque the bolts btw (compared to book figure) to ensure the pins never move. I do have 8 longer bolts here with longer shanks. I could cut them down, recut the threads, but I am not inclined to for whatever reason. I actually thought some smart-arse might pick-up on that I was able to find bolts that went through and just needed a washer (or two?) for clearance then I cut off the excess threaded length. Triumph bolts from somewhere else on the car. The really nutso correct way is to by the aircraft bolts in exactly the right length. Had to do that for the steering flex joint clamp cuz the scrutineers were going wild if they saw threads in the clamp area. The car is looking fantastic BTW, it really is craftsmenship on display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Heh. That was my "cockpit" for the simulation racing rig I used to have setup... Its called a hyperstimulator. http://www.hyperstimulator.com/personal/personal.html I used to race this Sim. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKQ3wRYHCrM&feature=related Lap with the mighty Greger Huttu, Sim Racing World Champ! Who I did beat once or twice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Good to see scruits actually checking. I'd buy all black bolts on grade R, but....well, I just do not see a 600kilo car needing the very best on suspension links.... If you look at a Caterham race-car the lower shocker (spherical) joint is side spacer pinched between the wishbone arms on a 5/16 bolt etc! Thats taking the whole weight of the car and loading from bone-hard race setups...I am on a 7/16th there, way over engineered...I'll use nice bolts where needed or things that concern me. I used top grade bolts for the new shocker mounts and K-nuts. As they will take a hammering. You could say the bolt could be the other way up, K nut on the bottom, however for packaging reasons it has to go that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5 Chris Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Ready for test drive? 8) How long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveNotSoSideways Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Gotta be while yet. I got some expenses to cover first, I don't like digging into my piggybank. Hopefully 6weeks and it should ready for a test fire...However I am not that inclined to rush anything. Its at the stage where arsing about with small things takes ages. It all has to come apart again and go back together too (for the last time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Come on dave, give us a decent photo. All we get snippits with arches and boot badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick B. Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Ay - looking good Dave. How come you put a Club Triumph bagde on the boot?(smarty)(devil)(ban) I envy you your painting skills. When I had my spit painted I gave two semitrained monkeys 1.000 quid to do it. (Painting and sanding on a sandblasted tub) They messed the car up pretty well. While sanding the car, the stands it were on collapsed. Nice dent in the lower rear wing. Not to mention that the sill seam was not at all straight and closed anymore. Now two years later the paint starts bubling. I am probably going to repaint the car at a later stage. This time I will do it myself. Lesson learned - want something done right - do it yourself! Cheers Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Sounds like DS monster is gonna be ready almost exactly the same time as my black animal Jag. Howz about a race round the ring in September? Get my mate from Arte-Tv to come and film it with his XJS? Is DS Spitfire gonna be the FIRST candidate for a 150mph Triumph? You're well in the stakes by the looks of it. ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy66 Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Ay - looking good Dave. How come you put a Club Triumph bagde on the boot? Its a 'GT' badge I think!? looking good Dave! shiney! ya polisher ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6Steve Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Its a 'GT' badge I think!? looking good Dave! shiney! ya polisher ya! I thought that was a new speed part Gareth had on offer? 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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