Yet another project....The uncrashed spitfire
- Thread starter Mattius
- Start date
better video of the last heatsoak minute run, cooling system will be added next and i'll need to wait for the new fuel pump before i run it again.
http://www.youtube.com/v/X06r3wVh0MM
http://www.youtube.com/v/X06r3wVh0MM
Lack of updates recently as i have been messing around with firstly the fuel system, which when i put the electric pump on it sprang more leaks than a sprinkler system. Mainly just due to the high pressure leading to the regulator. Just waiting on some fuel clips arriving so i can run a braided hose front to back replacing all the old pipes.
In the mean time i started to rewire my fuse box again and one think led to another and i have ended up re-wiring the whole car.
Side project was re-covering the dash, got rid of the wood, didnt like it, alright for a cruiser but this car aint gonna be a cruiser.
And back in the car in the midst of wiring chaos
Every wire now soldered, pic was from halfway through, just fog lights and cooling fans to wire in now and lots of tidying it up.
In the mean time i started to rewire my fuse box again and one think led to another and i have ended up re-wiring the whole car.
Side project was re-covering the dash, got rid of the wood, didnt like it, alright for a cruiser but this car aint gonna be a cruiser.
And back in the car in the midst of wiring chaos
Every wire now soldered, pic was from halfway through, just fog lights and cooling fans to wire in now and lots of tidying it up.
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Well its all now in, it all works, few things to tidy but wiring is done!
Fuel lines plumbed in tomorrow and hopefully the spray guy will come round give me the final estimate. Not long now till we can go racing!
Fuse box is messier than i would have liked but its practical, all wires are easily accessed, note the correctly coloured and rated wires, just need to work out the currents and put correct rated fuses in now.
Fuel lines plumbed in tomorrow and hopefully the spray guy will come round give me the final estimate. Not long now till we can go racing!
Fuse box is messier than i would have liked but its practical, all wires are easily accessed, note the correctly coloured and rated wires, just need to work out the currents and put correct rated fuses in now.
Battery is in the boot, battery box bolted down (the wrong way round doh!) , fuel pipes and new electric pump sorted.
Interior is finished being tidied now, just needs some cleaning now.
Engine bay all tidied up, need a new header tank, and need to buy new cooler hoses as my pump isnt sitting right.
Other side of engine
Clean and tidy
Im still not happy with the tidyness i really need to get a grip it is neat. im just hard to please.
Interior is finished being tidied now, just needs some cleaning now.
Engine bay all tidied up, need a new header tank, and need to buy new cooler hoses as my pump isnt sitting right.
Other side of engine
Clean and tidy
Im still not happy with the tidyness i really need to get a grip it is neat. im just hard to please.
LOL nah, i looked at it, but maybe in the future i like all the wires etc exposed at the moment, it is practical and makes working on the car a sinch.
onto radiator hoses now, going silicon but trying to find cheap take offs.
onto radiator hoses now, going silicon but trying to find cheap take offs.
Well heres the result of the run in. changed the oil over today, nothing worrying in it, bit darker than i expected but still heck of a lot cleaner than before.
There is flecks of orrange debrie inside the oil filter, but nothing major and im sure this is mostly my lack of cleanleyness
There is flecks of orrange debrie inside the oil filter, but nothing major and im sure this is mostly my lack of cleanleyness
Spent a day or so tidying the fuse box, still not happy with it, but its as tidy as i get.
So everything was working, got my engine tuned today and it runs a treat works awesomely, no more smoke from the exhausts.
So i book it in for its mot seeing as things are going so well, an then....
Look at the difference between front 4 rockers and rear 4 rockers. front four lots of oil, back four oily suit, doh! so now im gonna need to rebuild my rocker system and try and find the blockage.
Then i go to check the lights and they are all over the place since the tidy up. nothing works right.
grrrr....
i think this car saw what i did to the last one and doesnt want to go on the road.
So everything was working, got my engine tuned today and it runs a treat works awesomely, no more smoke from the exhausts.
So i book it in for its mot seeing as things are going so well, an then....
Look at the difference between front 4 rockers and rear 4 rockers. front four lots of oil, back four oily suit, doh! so now im gonna need to rebuild my rocker system and try and find the blockage.
Then i go to check the lights and they are all over the place since the tidy up. nothing works right.
grrrr....
i think this car saw what i did to the last one and doesnt want to go on the road.
Well i have most of my engine problems sorted.
But whilst rebuilding the doors, i found one of my locks is buggered, a new lock is 50 quid to get working with my original key, and i cant be bothered having 5 keys for the car.
So the soloution, simple, remote central locking lol.
works beautifully and clears the windows etc.
But whilst rebuilding the doors, i found one of my locks is buggered, a new lock is 50 quid to get working with my original key, and i cant be bothered having 5 keys for the car.
So the soloution, simple, remote central locking lol.
works beautifully and clears the windows etc.
If anyone wants to read my life story so far, im famous in Classics monthly this month.
I wrote the article a while back with one purpose in mind, to thank those who got me out of the wreck and saved my life, i think it does that quite well.
I wrote the article a while back with one purpose in mind, to thank those who got me out of the wreck and saved my life, i think it does that quite well.
Scary biscuits!!!! the spitfire is ready for its MOT, it goes in tomorrow morning, tis scary stuff, not too concerned with anything bar the emissions test, cause its a brand new engine its still running in so doesnt run too clean.
...
Still amazed that you came out of it pretty much fine.
...
Well i wouldnt go that far, im just about to be registered partially dissabled for the rest of my life. But yeah i have both my legs and arms still even if one leg and one arm dont work.
For definate i was extremely fortunate, i came far far too close to ending it, the sight of someone giving you chest compressions is one that haunts me even to this day.
35-40 mph onto oil/diesel from an accident the night before on a damp road, battled the car for 300m fighting for control and eventually lost it sideways into a tree 3 ft up. Police stopping test afterwards proved he slid 3 times further than normal on a damp road.
You can read the whole story in this months classics monthly
or see the rest of the photos in all their glory here http://www.mattinglis.com/index.php?Pagename=crash
That was a gorgeous car though, im still gutted to this day about it.
35-40 mph onto oil/diesel from an accident the night before on a damp road, battled the car for 300m fighting for control and eventually lost it sideways into a tree 3 ft up. Police stopping test afterwards proved he slid 3 times further than normal on a damp road.
You can read the whole story in this months classics monthly
or see the rest of the photos in all their glory here http://www.mattinglis.com/index.php?Pagename=crash
That was a gorgeous car though, im still gutted to this day about it.
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The majority of the mods are done just a few to do, plumbed in fire extinguisher needs to go in, new seats are needed to go in, and i need to create some kind of interior, appart from that and that i need to find someone to spray it, its done.
Thanks guys, really chuffed with the magazine article, the response i got when i first told a few people i was writting it was a bit negative, i think they thought i would dwell on the past. But now its out the response has been amazing, lots and lots of positive comments even from the people the frowned at first. The other two pages which im not gonna post contain the rebuild story.
But the main reason i agreed to write it after they asked was so i could get the blue columnb down the side to thank those who i will never know and never meet again who helped me. Also to inspire people not to let things get you down, there always is light at the end of the tunnel. I had a horrific time over the past year recovering mentally and physically but its made me such a better person with such a more positive outlook on life, i dont regret a thing.
But the main reason i agreed to write it after they asked was so i could get the blue columnb down the side to thank those who i will never know and never meet again who helped me. Also to inspire people not to let things get you down, there always is light at the end of the tunnel. I had a horrific time over the past year recovering mentally and physically but its made me such a better person with such a more positive outlook on life, i dont regret a thing.
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