01 OctSome Ideas for Increasing MPG

Note that some are more realistic than others! The handbook for my 1500 gives 28.7 urban, 52.9 at 56mph, and 36.3 at 75mph. I’d say thats a pretty fair reflection of what my unmodified 1500 does today, and that’s promising. But surely we can do better right? Please add your own ideas in the comments […]

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01 OctRemoving Rust on the Cheap

Tried this while I had the carbs stripped this week – these linkages, springs etc were 100% covered with rust. You couldn’t see any bare metal at all, now look at them. The product I immersed them in? ‘Vinegar’. Turns out this cutting edge technology can be found at Asda in a pint bottle for […]

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01 OctFamous Triumph Spitfires

Ever heard of the ‘Internet Movie Car Database’? This curious website has listings of the majority of (if not all) films the Triumph Spitfire has been featured in, from anything as a star of a show to an extra. It also features television programmes, and altogether provides a huge list of images and facts to […]

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01 OctChanging Steering Wheels on a 1977-78 Spitfire

A simple enough task? Not so. These models were in what you could call a ‘transitional period’ for Spitfire steering wheels, where the new column and shroud design had just appeared. Unfortunately, these cars hadn’t received the benefit yet of a Moto-Lita boss, so if you’re looking to use a Moto-Lita wheel with one of […]

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01 OctSuperlative Detailing : Triumph Spitfire Mk IV

Here’s a really nice example of a Mark 4 Spitfire on one of the internet’s car ‘detailing’ forums. What makes this one particularly interesting is the use of carbon fibre wrap on the dashboard and rear trimmings, that gives the car quite a distinct feel. The combination of that, the bonnet locks and the alloy […]

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01 OctHaving Trouble With SU Carbs Overflowing?

Having recently had (and fixed) this problem, and done a lot of research, I feel I should place everything I’ve discovered in one post to help anyone else with this issue. 1) First and foremost, open up the float lids and check the clearance between the plastic float and the needle. Turned upside down, with […]

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01 OctUsing a Rear Hub Puller

I can’t comment on how correct this video is as I’ve never had the misfortune to require one myself, but this guy seems to know what he’s doing and certainly gets the job done:

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01 OctRocker Assembly Rebuilding

Excellent video showing you how this process is done, although it’s probably easier just to keep the parts laid out in order than figuring out what goes where from a photo!

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01 OctFinding Your Car’s History

If you’re in the UK, you can complete a form the DVLA has called a “V888”. This is basically an information request form, and it can be used to get copies of all the previous V5’s (log books) your car has had over the years. Crucially, this gives you the name and address of all […]

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01 OctFinding Top Dead Centre (TDC)

….using oil and a special spark plug tube device.

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