Engine Strip Down

While I’m waiting for sand blasting media to arrive so I can finish stripping the chassis (yes, I’m still stripping the chassis!), I could start work on the engine. So far I’ve removed the gearbox and bell housing, cylinder head, front and rear engine plates, cam shaft, oil pump and crank shaft. It turns out the cam shaft was on its way out […]

Spitfire Chassis Strip Down

So I’ve continued with the Spitfire today. Last week I removed the engine and gearbox along with the radiator. I removed the engine with ease using an electric winch I was given and my dad has installed in the garage to do just this (or lift motorbikes). I plan to work on the engine and any other mechanical parts or suspension over the […]

Automotive Surgery

Now it’s really coming on and there’s no turning back. I finished removing everything from the body tub this weekend. The pedals, fuel tank and hand brake cable. Although I hadn’t realised the handbrake cable was still attached to the body initially. We tried to pull the body tub off the chassis and it didn’t get very far. It’s strange to see what […]

Spitfire Restoration Continues

I spent a fair while working on the Spitfire today. Mainly concentrating on the interior and the wiring loom. Last time I worked on it I removed the bumpers, lights, quarter valances, various bits of chrome trim and the boot trim. Most of that went fairly smoothly. The only bit I found hard was taking the side lights/indicators out of the quarter valances. […]

Small Car, Mammoth Task

I’ve owned my ’79 Spitfire 1500 for about 8 years now. It’s been used as my daily driver every year, through every season with the exception of about 1 year when I was in Australia for 6 months and unemployed for the next 6 months. I paid about £3800 for it back then and it was in immaculate condition. Not a spot of […]