Hi Vortex, I’m currently restoring a Mk1 Spit. Your videos are a great help but there are some I can’t find. I’m looking for the detailed video of the replacement of the floor pans and all three sections of the sills. I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction. Many thanks,,, Martin UK
I know older vehicles arent very safe to begin with (especially the tiny cars) but the way the fame moves in and only runs in the center of the body where the seats are youd be scrambled in a side impact crash!
Yeah but everything fun has it's risks. It's still safer than a motorcycle and I would ride one everyday if I could. I forgot to mention, that style of chassis is called a backbone chassis. It allows for the body to sit level with the bottom of the chassis which in-turn allows for a lower overall car. It's actually under a lot of cars and big trucks due to it's off-road handling potentials
I'm so glad you're making these videos. When I was 17 I was given a 1970 Mk3 which was the same age as me. Although the engine was changed out, the car was quite tired looking. I took apart, resprayed it, and like a fool didn't put it back together. The whole thing went into a barn, and 3 weeks ago (nearly 30 years later) I found all the parts and decided to re-build it. The floor pans have gone, and the plan is to gas weld them. The inner sills (rockers) are in worse shape than yours. I'll be following all you do really closely. Not sure what to use on the chassis and underbody. How did you choose powder coating? My wheels are also steel with such hub-caps. On UK cars, holes like this near the pedals are made to top-up the gearbox oil. Hope you're thinking of using that original blue colour? I've seen cars finished in this colour, and they look very classy. When taking off the body you should have found various shims? These vary in number and would need cataloging if you were using the same chassis. Did you need the bracing parts, as well as leaving the doors in the body? I'm still clearing space to work, but plan a body off restoration (and update to alternator and maybe electronic ignition where it makes sense). Thanks again, and good-luck!
Great story! Some of my first car memories were being driven around in a Spitfire around age 4 or 5. Good luck with your build! Yep - found the body shims, have a few that came off set aside, and a few are still stuck on the chassis for now. Will record where they go. I'm debating still on color - sure I'll think about it 'till the end. The light blue is nice for sure!
Great stepping through the process. If it were a car I was keeping there would have been a few more steps but just for fun, nice job. Also question of lingo. You kept saying "timing" while all you showed on the video was setting the firing order and dwell angle. Did it also need to set the initial timing? We're the advance mechanisms working? Thanks
what year is yours and did you find a place for parts i am going to start on a 68 Austen Healey they look about the same i need parts also can you help
You keep calling out metric sizes on the nuts and bolts, but this is a British car from the 1960's so there were no metric hardware bits on these cars. Fortunately, this is newer than the 1950's so you won't encounter many Whitworth hardware, but those 14mm bolts were actually 9/16" SAE (BSF) thread bolts. Try to put a metric nut on there and it will cross-thread in a heartbeat. Also, that black ball shifter is original and highly sought after by people that value originality on these cars. The wooden knobs with Triumph logos were aftermarket.
Oops, saw a close-up of the knob and no shift pattern., so it is after market also. The originals were black balls with the shift pattern in-filled with white paint.
+Michael Stoliker Were black vinyl knobs with a Triumph logo aftermarket too? I have one of those and unsure. I also noted the shift handle was shorter on this one so figured it was an aftermarket deal. Also I won't be putting incorrect thread nuts on, but I don't currently hav many BSF sockets. I do know the threads would not match a metric pattern. thx!
Yes, but just to confuse things, they were often dealer offered upgrades like radios and luggage racks. I can't say about the shift stick length, but it's possible the owner did a short throw mod. It's more likely that the shifter bushing are blown out and the shifter has dropped. You can get a kit from the usual vendors that will tighten that gear shift up very nicely. This is a common problem on the 3 rail trans. Let's hope you don't have the other common problem where the main shaft snap ring takes a walk followed by the gears. BTW, you one very rare item on that car. The little plinths for the rectangular front lamps were installed for only a few months until the stock of Mark II bonnets were used up. Underneath that plinth you'll find the holes for the individual bee-hive lamps like on the back of the car.
Yes car is SAE, not metric or any other! And yes shifter bushings look blown... Car is so "beat up".. better to Racetoration than restoration. Upgrade parts as you see fit. Early Spits are positive ground, Later years negative ground. (hard to find pos ground stereo's etc... You will want to upgrade suspension to some degree.... Header, Sway bars, Crane Pointless Distro, etc... I can really help with those SU carbs as I have worked on them for 43 years! And the only seats that fit a spitfire are spitfire seats, any year. Or Miata with slight mods.... I wish I could send you pics of my 65. Totally custom inside out, but with respect to Triumph! 2 sets of custom one off wheels, 13x5 Center lines and 17x 7 HRE'S! You should be on TV!
your bring back memories! I have thousands of pictures of my restoration but no video until the final start up stages. Check them out on my site. lots of work ahead of you! When your done you will have lots of extra parts.
Do you know you folks were pretty critical and condescending about that little Spitfire but you have to remember that spitfire came out of the factory before you were ever born long before!! Sol, considering that, and considering I’ve seen domestic cars being far worse, shape being far newer, and being more rotten to oblivion than that one is that being a little Spitfire it’s pretty remarkable that that is almost to survive!! So stop being so high and mighty, and if you’re going to go on with the show, take a little more enthusiasm and less critical viewpoint of what you’re working on……
Hi, The cut on the tunnel should have be done to access to the slave cylinder of the clutch.
Hi Vortex, I’m currently restoring a Mk1 Spit. Your videos are a great help but there are some I can’t find. I’m looking for the detailed video of the replacement of the floor pans and all three sections of the sills. I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction. Many thanks,,, Martin UK
I know older vehicles arent very safe to begin with (especially the tiny cars) but the way the fame moves in and only runs in the center of the body where the seats are youd be scrambled in a side impact crash!
I agree! hard to see this as something someone would have daily driven. we have come a long way
Yeah but everything fun has it's risks. It's still safer than a motorcycle and I would ride one everyday if I could. I forgot to mention, that style of chassis is called a backbone chassis. It allows for the body to sit level with the bottom of the chassis which in-turn allows for a lower overall car. It's actually under a lot of cars and big trucks due to it's off-road handling potentials
I'm so glad you're making these videos. When I was 17 I was given a 1970 Mk3 which was the same age as me. Although the engine was changed out, the car was quite tired looking. I took apart, resprayed it, and like a fool didn't put it back together. The whole thing went into a barn, and 3 weeks ago (nearly 30 years later) I found all the parts and decided to re-build it. The floor pans have gone, and the plan is to gas weld them. The inner sills (rockers) are in worse shape than yours. I'll be following all you do really closely. Not sure what to use on the chassis and underbody. How did you choose powder coating? My wheels are also steel with such hub-caps.
On UK cars, holes like this near the pedals are made to top-up the gearbox oil. Hope you're thinking of using that original blue colour? I've seen cars finished in this colour, and they look very classy. When taking off the body you should have found various shims? These vary in number and would need cataloging if you were using the same chassis. Did you need the bracing parts, as well as leaving the doors in the body? I'm still clearing space to work, but plan a body off restoration (and update to alternator and maybe electronic ignition where it makes sense).
Thanks again, and good-luck!
Great story! Some of my first car memories were being driven around in a Spitfire around age 4 or 5. Good luck with your build!
Yep - found the body shims, have a few that came off set aside, and a few are still stuck on the chassis for now. Will record where they go.
I'm debating still on color - sure I'll think about it 'till the end. The light blue is nice for sure!
Great stepping through the process. If it were a car I was keeping there would have been a few more steps but just for fun, nice job. Also question of lingo. You kept saying "timing" while all you showed on the video was setting the firing order and dwell angle. Did it also need to set the initial timing? We're the advance mechanisms working? Thanks
any more vids on this project
Bonjour combien d 'heur pour démonté la caisse pour avoir le châssis nu plaise
I'm currently working on one. where do you recommend finding suspension and brake parts for an mk1 ? I live in Texas .
what year is yours and did you find a place for parts i am going to start on a 68 Austen Healey they look about the same i need parts also can you help
You keep calling out metric sizes on the nuts and bolts, but this is a British car from the 1960's so there were no metric hardware bits on these cars. Fortunately, this is newer than the 1950's so you won't encounter many Whitworth hardware, but those 14mm bolts were actually 9/16" SAE (BSF) thread bolts. Try to put a metric nut on there and it will cross-thread in a heartbeat. Also, that black ball shifter is original and highly sought after by people that value originality on these cars. The wooden knobs with Triumph logos were aftermarket.
Oops, saw a close-up of the knob and no shift pattern., so it is after market also. The originals were black balls with the shift pattern in-filled with white paint.
+Michael Stoliker Were black vinyl knobs with a Triumph logo aftermarket too? I have one of those and unsure. I also noted the shift handle was shorter on this one so figured it was an aftermarket deal. Also I won't be putting incorrect thread nuts on, but I don't currently hav many BSF sockets. I do know the threads would not match a metric pattern. thx!
Yes, but just to confuse things, they were often dealer offered upgrades like radios and luggage racks. I can't say about the shift stick length, but it's possible the owner did a short throw mod. It's more likely that the shifter bushing are blown out and the shifter has dropped. You can get a kit from the usual vendors that will tighten that gear shift up very nicely. This is a common problem on the 3 rail trans. Let's hope you don't have the other common problem where the main shaft snap ring takes a walk followed by the gears.
BTW, you one very rare item on that car. The little plinths for the rectangular front lamps were installed for only a few months until the stock of Mark II bonnets were used up. Underneath that plinth you'll find the holes for the individual bee-hive lamps like on the back of the car.
+Michael Stoliker Awesome, thank you! great info and is very much appreciated
Yes car is SAE, not metric or any other! And yes shifter bushings look blown... Car is so "beat up".. better to Racetoration than restoration. Upgrade parts as you see fit. Early Spits are positive ground, Later years negative ground. (hard to find pos ground stereo's etc... You will want to upgrade suspension to some degree.... Header, Sway bars, Crane Pointless Distro, etc... I can really help with those SU carbs as I have worked on them for 43 years! And the only seats that fit a spitfire are spitfire seats, any year. Or Miata with slight mods....
I wish I could send you pics of my 65. Totally custom inside out, but with respect to Triumph! 2 sets of custom one off wheels, 13x5 Center lines and 17x 7 HRE'S! You should be on TV!
your bring back memories! I have thousands of pictures of my restoration but no video until the final start up stages. Check them out on my site. lots of work ahead of you! When your done you will have lots of extra parts.
Do you know you folks were pretty critical and condescending about that little Spitfire but you have to remember that spitfire came out of the factory before you were ever born long before!! Sol, considering that, and considering I’ve seen domestic cars being far worse, shape being far newer, and being more rotten to oblivion than that one is that being a little Spitfire it’s pretty remarkable that that is almost to survive!!
So stop being so high and mighty, and if you’re going to go on with the show, take a little more enthusiasm and less critical viewpoint of what you’re working on……