aoie Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Hi folks New member to Sidways looking for future guidence on restoring my 1972 Spitfire MKIV. Owned the car since 1995 but has been in storage for the last decade! Working on the front suspension this summer, and planning to use a GT6 frame with Rotoflex rear end I purchased for a ground up restoration starting this winter. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomwah Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Welcome Andy, plenty of advice to be got here and, as always, posting lots of pictures helps us all. You may want to stock up on a few bottles for those times you're sitting staring at the car and scratching your head, take a wee dram of the good stuff as an aid to inspiration and concentration, might help to keep the cold out too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aoie Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thanks for the welcome! Wisconsin is best known for beer drinking but I'm more partial to Kentucky bourbon! I cut and pasted a picture of my Spitfire with my introduction but it does not appear to have worked! Does the picture need to be a specific size, or do I not see the picture becouse I posted this topic? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomwah Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Hi Andy, there's an explanation of how to post pictures here: http://sideways-technologies.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic/6827-how-to-post-pictures-and-photos-online-in-sideways/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aoie Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Try, Try, again! Picture of my MKIV: Interesting, was able to post picture using Mozilla but not internet explorer. No worries it's a start! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomwah Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) Nice! Doesn't look like it needs much, a bit of a tidy up maybe? I think I'd be getting that spare fuel tank out of the rain though, it's a right PITA to clean once they get rusty inside. Edited July 9, 2014 by pomwah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 HI Andy, Welcome. Looks like a good car. Are those MX5 wheels? How did you get those to fit? Cheers Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aoie Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Nick You are correct, wheels are MX5 14x5.5 . I purchased some wheel adapters to use 4x100 bolt pattern wheels. Started with some inexpensive steel Honda Civic rims from a local salvage yard to make sure larger 14" rims would work, then upgraded to MX5 rims shown in picture. I have some occasional rubbing up-front on large bumps that I hope to solve by upgrading the front suspension with some larger springs off a GT6 frame I recently purchased. Cars existing front suspension is in bad shape and is my summer project to fix/upgrade. I'm committed to making the bigger wheels work, the difference in the cars ride with more rubber on the road is significant. I can actually drink a cup of coffee on my way to work, and not break my teeth. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS211083 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Andy, easy fix is canley's have nylon front spring spacers which increase the ride height a touch. They are cheap and easy to fit and will stop the wheels rubbing over bumps. Don't fit the gt6 springs as they are for use with the bigger heavier engine and will make the front end fly in the air. Best bet is adjustable spring height dampers but the nylon spacers work fine and are cheaper. Chris. Edited July 10, 2014 by CHRIS211083 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aoie Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Chris Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately I think the existing springs have collapsed over time and still need replacing. Do you have any idea what the height of the existing springs should be un-collapsed, or some measurement I can take while installed that would tell me if they truly need replacement. Since I have the GT6 springs in hand I will probably install them temporarily while I'm upgrading the disks/calipers and hub to the larger GT6 style. Also do you have a source recommendation for adjustable spring height dampeners if needed. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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