Yet another project....The uncrashed spitfire

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Stripped out

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A tool everyone should own, ultrasonic cleaner, dogs danglies for things like this.

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Taking the last bits out, the complicated bit.

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Lower one is the original input shaft, the one above is the rarest thing ever, only 10 exist in the world and this is the last new one, Custom made input shaft converting 1850 mainshaft to 1500.
 
Really great project and I've just sat and read through 12 pages of it! Sorry to hear about the accident and glad to see you've had a really awesome project come out of it all. Can't wait to hear about the new gearbox and I can't wait to look through all the pics of it being built as well. :D
 
If that custom input shaft is the the rarest thing ever, is it not possible to get a few more made using that as a cast etc? Or does it not quite work like that? :D
 
If that custom input shaft is the the rarest thing ever, is it not possible to get a few more made using that as a cast etc? Or does it not quite work like that? :D

I was also thinking this.. but forgot to put it in my post :o
 
Shafts like that aren't cast, they would be forged and then machined. It could be copied of course, but the cost would be prohibitive for small quantities. Unless you really needed it, adapting a stronger box to fit would likely be a better solution.
 
Or fitting the flywheel from the 1850 and machining it accordingly, along with an appropriate bellhousing/adaptor?
 
Amazing thread, I've read it from the beginning and would simply love to have the time, knowledge and room to be able to do something like this.

One thing I noticed though was how unlucky you seem to be with everything, wrong parts accidents always occurring, including the main one (mind you, you are so lucky to be here at all!).

The car does look stunning and I wish you the best of luck with it in the future.
 
You cant use the flywheel or modify the belhousing without serious weak points, the whole idea is to make the box stronger as i keep knackering them. The input shaft as std is far too long to go into the clutch/engine so it needs cut short. Its not something that can be bodged up its very very skilled work to get the hardening of the steel right. Not only is it forged but then case hardened afterwards.

Its rare, but that doesnt mean its specifically in demand, most people arent as nuts as me in wanting to do this, there was originally 10 made 15years ago and thats the last one just gone now!

Most people with these cars looking for a gearbox mod would just fit a ford type9, which i have done before but was just all wrong, although it is a strong box the ratios are just all wrong. You need the right ratios or the whole operation is pointless.
 
Well a normal colour for the box unfortunatly as the orange had run out.

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Tis actually a matt black colour when it dries, called black velvet.

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All parts built up and cleaned up ready to go back in.

Just waiting on bearings and lots of clips etc arriving.

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Then sort this mess out.
 
The wheels? they are MGF 15" wheels, they are light and cheap. Did have mini lites on it but they werent right size and i cant afford to have the wheels i want made, they need to be custom done by compomotive.
 
Similar but with a much bigger offset and much smoother look without the lip.


But thanks gives me another model to try and hunt down some centercaps.

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Been knocked down with a serious chest infection, so been off sick for the last few days and not much getting done at all.

Have been tidying up a few gearbox parts.

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Casing is almost dry in its matt black.

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Bellhousing taken ages to get to this.

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Rear casing got the same treatment.
 
Its been a while!!
I havent been slacking just neglecting this thread.

So i will try and update to where i am now.

The close ratio gearbox was a bugger to get back together, the reproduction speedo gear drives are just utter crap and not worth the money, i went through 3 of them before giving up.

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But i got it together in the end, minus the speedo drive, it was always gonna be a bugger to try and configure the speedo with such a miss mash of parts so i decided to just go for an electronic one.

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However the cost of this was just too much just now whilst trying to also get the car back on the road, so the gearbox is complete and lying at the back of my shed until funds become available to buy the custom speedo i need.
 
In the mean time i was trying to sort out my carburation problems, the su's just couldnt keep up with the engines state of tune and i was flinging money left right and center at them for not much gain.
So the webers i have had sitting around have made their appearence, this as with everything on this car was frought with problems.
The period manifolds i had for them just would not fit, which was gutting to me, i loved the idea of having original period performance parts on the car, but there was just no way round, so i had to buy reproduction long track manifolds, the difference is clear to see

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and finally i was able to clear the exhaust, all be it with a bit of purseuation from a sledge hammer.

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Fitting the webers involved refitting some of the cooling system, which itself needed a revamp, so a long time humming and hawing led us to this experimental system to keep flow rate constant and the system under preasure, looks like a mass of twisting blue pipes, but trust me it works damn good.

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So allong comes january and allong comes the weather

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Not much work getting done under an inch or two of snow.
 
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