I did a 100mile round trip at the weekend and the engine is running fantastically.  Mostly on motorways and the clicking has been resolved.  Nicks advice was spot on and 0.3mm of shims has solved that issue. I do still have one new issue and one new-ish. New-ish issue started when I replaced the propshaft UJ and is a small vibration starting at 65mph.  Could be that I replaced the UJ yoke 180° out of phase, but feels unlikely.  Might be that a wheel weight has come off? I suspect the trunnion bush is binding slightly.  I'm getting a noise at full compression and a slightly humming from what I assume is the bearing.  When I noticed/identified the potential source I stopped at a services and after 30 mins of motorway speeds the driveshaft was warm to the touch, but only very slightly warmer than my hands.  My comments on the trunnion bush kit are that the square section rubber o-rings seem to be too small in diameter and too thick.  The central tube is slightly longer than the one it replaced too, but that shouldn't cause binding.  Also the rubber o-rings had scallops missing as if they had been damaged.   All in all, should have known better and ordered the superpro kit in the first place - I have some on order now.  

Cheers John. I am wondering about making a new hardtop in raw carbon. Just coz... However meanwhile I want get this thing done 

Me too, think it would be even better with the wheels from the green spit in the earlier photo.

And the finish looks so good it would be a shame to paint it!

Nice looking motor from the pictures, not sure on the colour….if it were on our drive it would probably grow on me plus if the drive is exciting I can’t see too much of the colour from the driver’s seat. Looks like a great buy.

Plan is to get someone to come in and do all the plastering at the end, there will be quite a lot as we're going to end up ripping the ceilings down and a lot of the plastering is poor or blown. Builder is doing the beam only, although there are some drain/ground works I also don't fancy doing that much...   Perhaps myself and Hugh both bought houses off the same people, I think there is now a law that says you must leave light fittings. Previous people here did take as much as they could, including curtain poles, and replaced all the light fittings with simple drops.

Having had most Triumph models (apart from the big saloons) I decided its time for a TR7.... Brought this one from near Grimsby and drove it home last week to Cambridge, probably the longest trip is has done in 10 years. Its a 2l low mileage, 35k, and was Zeibarted (sp?) from new and doesn't seem too rusty apart from the drivers door.  Starts and goes well, running a bit rich and a nice torquey engine. Feels very modern after the Herald and very spacious! But terrible wheel wobble at 65 but I understand they all do that! Clutch is heavy and gearbox a bit slow until its warmed up. A few electrical faults, fuel and temperature gauge not working, lazy NS headlight (temporary fixed with some Plusgas). Probably a bit more of a project than I really wanted but quite pleased with it. I have booked it in with my friendly MOT garage to get on a ramp and get them to go over the underneath and to get the wheels balanced. mike

"Brits On The Lake" - Port Perry, Ontario. August 2024 There's a bookstand beside the right rear wing. There's a 4" thick binder on it with laminated pages documenting the whole build. It's kind of a spitfire in name only in some ways. Engine is a Nissan DET20 twin cam. He can "set" the horsepower from the drivers seat, anywhere from a low of 150hp to a high of 385hp. (Says he keeps it around 200 for street driving.) Transmission and Rear diff are from a Lexus. Front suspension is original. He says the Nissan engine is lighter than the original cast iron 1500. But the added weight of  the turbo and other ancillaries brings it back up to almost the same front axle weight. Measured 50-50 weight distribution with no driver.  I like the build. I hate it when someone sticks a small block chevy or ford engine in one and cuts a massive hole in the bonnet for the air cleaner or supercharger to stick up in your face. Bonnet down, the power bulge is a bit bigger than a GT6. You'd hardly know it's heavily modified other than the massive tires. (He kept 4 bolt rims but I doubt the hubs are original spitfire.)

I don’t think people here are purists at all. 😄

Over time, I owned 3 Minis. '73, '76 and '78. Often as a second car.  Before the '73, I had a 1966 Hillman Minx. 1970 Austin 1800. More recently the Spitfires.  It's been a long attraction to LBC's.