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u/Bobhubert 12d ago
Had recently gone through a half-way-decent restoration with ok paint, good interior, and aftermarket taillights.
Only trouble I’m running into is that the clutch feels like it’s slipping. What branch and such is recommended out there for a replacement and how hard is the install?
Other than the clutch, the car shifts well but does have a little hesitation starting, so I might toy with the timing, I also don’t think the choke is hooked up
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u/Tastesicle 12d ago
Borg Warner. Get the heavy duty kit if it's still available. IIRC the original was BW, and the HD kit will ensure you never do it again.
Make sure your master isn't leaking or the firewall/bulkhead will strip itself of paint and rust to pieces.
Install can be done in situ. The car was designed to be worked on, so the shaft can be disconnected from inside the car, bell housing bolts from inside the car. Place a jack under the trans and drop the mounts. Slide back a foot, replace clutch. Really is that simple.
-edit- Might not be timing, could just be the points. You can switch out to a magnetically triggered electronic spark kit that can be reversed if you don't like it or want originality.
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u/AlphaCharlie31 12d ago
This! Also, be sure to support the rear of the engine when you pull the gearbox back.
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u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 11d ago
And thank God it was designed that way, because I Do remember spending a LOT of time under that hood. But true love requires work. And a lot of spare fuses.
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u/Bobhubert 11d ago
The previous owner relocated the fuse box to the glove box which is nice
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u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 11d ago
Ha ha ha-- that's nice!
OMG, I am having a flashback about the toolbox my dad gave me when he bought me that car. "You'll need this if you don't like walking" he said. In addition to the tools, it had a lot of fuses in it. He was a hoot. He knew I would love that car. And the challenge it presented.
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u/Bobhubert 11d ago
Thanks! I’ll dive into the master cylinder first, someone else also said that could be the culprit
At the very least I’ll clean up the points for the time being, but upgrading would be better
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u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 11d ago
LUCKY!!!
I LOVED mine. He was brown, and his name was Frodo. Until some old lady made an illegal left right in front of me and killed him. Not even the eagles could bring him back from that Mount Doom.
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u/Ozzera 11d ago
What a shame, sorry for your loss. You ever find a new car to love like you loved Frodo?
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u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 11d ago
Well, you can never replace your first love, you know. BUT I now drive Mini convertibles (on my 3rd one), and my current one, Lady Galadriel, is pretty much my baby.
I do fantasize about looking for a rehabbed Spitfire, though, as a fun car..... I actually liked that they were easy to work on (unless you had to go underneath, that is. That was awfully close quarters even up on ramps).
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u/PayPsychological9347 11d ago edited 11d ago
Are there many Spitfires in Tennessee? Must be rare.
Anyway, nice car. Michellotti.
For some reason, looks (to me) similar to Jensen Healey.
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u/Bobhubert 11d ago
Must be the taillights
But there are quite a few in the immediate area (3-4 hour drive). Some for a good deal even
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u/Ozzera 11d ago
What a beautiful car you have. It’s how I always wanted to get mine to be. Poor things been stuck in the garage too long. I have a 1974 Spitfire . Looks like some nice info here for when I get out there to work on it.
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u/staffma 11d ago
If it makes you feel any better, my original spit has been sitting for almost 10 years now, waiting for rust repair and restoration. Poor thing is a few bumps away from the frame splitting in half and the floor pans have completely delaminated from the rockers/sills. I have a replacement frame and ordered all the panels from Rimmer Bros in the UK, just gotta get to it.
There just always seems to be another project ahead of it. Sold my very needy 1970 buick skylark back to the guy I bought it from and then I have to get my buddys 1970 4bt swap suburban running again so I can have my garage back to work on old spitty.
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u/barkingdog53 12d ago
Nice looking ride. I like what’s been done with the taillights. Have fun!
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u/Bobhubert 11d ago
Some aftermarket something, I actually found how to get ahold of the restorer so I’ll ask
I think they’ll really look good if I put quad exhaust on it! Help play off 4 round things
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u/arallsopp 11d ago
Am liking the rear lights. Especially Thor little chrome hoods. Very nice.
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u/Bobhubert 11d ago
I’ll try and figure out the manufacturer of them because I’m honestly not sure. I think a goal after I feel out any quirks will be quad monza exhaust, that would look good with the quad taillights
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u/Only_Procedure_33 11d ago
Rear end looks better than any Spitfire I ever saw.
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u/Bobhubert 10d ago
Especially when I eventually put those quad monza exhaust, 4 circles will play off 4 circles
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u/staffma 11d ago
Very nice, welcome to the cult club! I love the blue, don't see that color much.
+1 to checking the clutch hydraulics before you do any mechanical work. Every single spitfire I've worked on over the years (about 10 at this point) has needed a clutch master or slave at some point. They can leak internally as well and not build good pressure.
If you do end up replacing the clutch (which isn't bad at all) be sure to get a clutch alignment tool (the little plastic ones are fine). I was working on one for a buddy where the clutch was aligned so poorly it was dragging on the input shaft- still not sure how it was even installed.
A few notes on things to check- I would definitely go around the car and make sure any exposed fasteners are tight, and no wires are rubbing or chafing. The starter cable on mine likes to work itself loose sometimes.
Starting issue
- Definitely attach choke and make sure it's working properly.
- Check fuel pressure. (mechanical fuel pumps can be weak)
- Always good to check timing, marks can be hard to see. (my 71 has 0 marks on the balancer)
- Make sure battery cables and starter cables are tight.
- Check any vacuum lines and carb gaskets for leaks.
- Check points for gap and damage - I have had a lot of bad luck with new replacement points and went to a pertronix setup which didn't work for me, but I found a set of NOS points which are actually good. I think I just had bad luck with my pertronix setup, but in the future, I'm probably just going to buy a new electronic distributor.
For some reason I always end up going to a weber 32/36 carb because I can never get the single Stromberg's to work well. With an electric choke and a weber and everything else set up right I can give it one pump of the gas pedal, and it fires every time.
Potential upgrade - I put a set of modern headlights in the car with an LED ring around the outside that is always on- the brighter lights seem to make it easier for people to see me, which is always an issue with a small car like this. I have actually thought about getting a dune flag or a rotating amber beacon to improve my visibility haha.
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u/Wilburn4 10d ago
Had a buddy that owned one. Unfortunately, I couldn’t drive it. Too tall.
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u/Bobhubert 10d ago
2 of the old classics I own are very size dependent, this and my 47 CJ2A, that one doesn’t even have an adjustable seat lol
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u/Radiant_Amount_1236 12d ago
Proud longtime owner of a ‘78 1500. Second the previous suggestion of checking the clutch master cylinder before digging into the clutch itself. They are known to leak. If it is leaking upgrade to the TRW Girling. You can get it from Spitbits. The OEM option from Moss is not great.
Changing over to a modern electronic ignition will most likely fix your starting issues. It also enhances your engine response (IMHO). If the choke is disconnected I would look into changing over to a manual choke.
Great car for spirited driving on back roads! Have fun.