It has been brought to our
attention from a reader of this site that we are becoming slack in keeping things
updated weekly - a big sorry goes out to you all especially to Marc. We will
from now on try harder to keep things updated and interesting.
Got any tips of your own that you want to share with us? Email
them here.
|
Richards tip No 63:
|
Don't make the same mistake as we did an american laddy ordered a hood - so we sent one - she promptly rang up to state the wrong part had been shipped! She meant a bonnett so beware! UK to USA Locks = Latches |
||||
|
Richards tip No 62:
|
Allways when buiying a spit check the chrome work for dents if it hasn't got any park in London and it soon will have :-( | ||||
|
Richards tip No 61:
|
When buying a car if the trim and seats look tidy rip
them to make the car look authenticly older!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 60:
|
If you are trying to loose weight then simply purchase
a GT6 with the back seat as an optional extra - once you can get in the
back then you truely are a stick insect! I bet Kate Moss checks her figure
in this mannor!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 59:
|
A hood bag or tono covers make for very nice appearance
and help to stick within the realms of tradition.
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 58:
|
Overdrive is a very worthy addition to any car. When
in use it makes driving much more relaxing. Comfy seats and its like you
never left the arm chair - well the old one with broken springs in anyways!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 57:
|
If you need to store your fuel tank ensure its empty
then get it steam cleaned - this will ensure there are no dangerpouse
vapours left inside which could ignite and destroy your garage - and relationship
with the wife not to mention the neighbours!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 56::
|
Behind door panels on all models and makes of older
(ahem classic) cars wax should be applied to try and combat rust.
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 55:
|
Never allow brake fluid antifreeze or general hydralic
fluid (clutch etc) get in contact with your paint work it will corode
it in no time!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 54:
|
Never use two pack isocyanate paints in the home or
garage! (Not sure why but Rich made me type this!)
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 53:
|
Never stand underneath or work underneath an engine
that is being suspended by a hoist. Allso when ever working underneath
a car that has been jacked up esure the wheels touching the floor are
chocked and place axel stands under the chasis - also placeing a brick
under the engine sump is a good idea if playing under the front of the
car.
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 52:
|
Don't try and man handle an engine - ask a friend to
do it! No serisouly never strain your self, also if possible keep the
engine upright once you haveremoved it from the car otherwise you will
get thick black sludgy oil all over your floor - the misses will not be
impressed with that one!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 51:
|
Its not a good idea to test for live circuits using
your tongue or spit on your fingers - we would recommend a multi-function
voltmeter or on the cheap a light bulb and some wires!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 50:
|
Allways disconnect the battery when working on a car - its so easy to short the system, resulting in personal injury or even worse damage to electrical parts. |
||||
|
Richards tip No 49:
|
Aerosol spraying. 1. THE WEATHER. If it is cold / damp then do not even attempt to spray anything, as the paint will bloom and the finish will look milkey. Two ways to correct this are: Heat the panel until touch dry, the wife's hairdryer will work a treat for this!! If the bloom is slight then a good compounding, T-cut and a wax should restore if not then flat off with 600 grade paper, wet the panel and paint again. 2. CLEANLINESS. Before you spray anything sweep out your workshop and dampen down the floor, this will help to keep any dust from getting airbourne and onto your newley painted work of art. If any dirt does get on to a painted peice, wait until it is completely dry, then wet flat with 2100 grade paper asnd soap. Compound T-cut and wax. This will not work ifd dirt was been sprayed over, so allways ensure the peice is clean before you start. 3. TECHNIQUE. Do not hold the spay can too close, this will only insight runs and dribbles to occur in those awkward places. Move the can at a uniform speed and ensure very good ventilation and as much warmth as possible - some people actually heat their workshop prior to spaying. Do not apply thick coats, several very light coats will provide a much smoother finish with the chance of runs and dribbles being much less than if you try and load on all in one go. Usefull tips: Heat the spray can in water prior to painting - this will add more pressure to the can and hopfully spot big splatters and blobs. Allways shake the can for as long as stated on the instructions, and shake for a few seconds every minute or so whilst spraying. To repair a very small area (smaller than a coin) spay the paint into the lid and apply with a small modeling brush, this will avoid large amounts of overspray. |
||||
|
Richards tip No 48:
|
If
you decide to bleed your brakes, make sure you lubricate the nipple the
night before then instead of using a spanner which in most cases will
shear the nipple allways use a good quality socket, and you will get a
50% better chance of taking the nipple out of your caliper without shearing
it. Do it with a spanner and there is a 75% chance that you will shear
it especialy if you use a ring spanner.
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 47:
|
If
you have a small dent on your back wing and your short on cash just buy
a small union jack sticker to cover it up! It will not only do the job
but union jacks on spitfires look great!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 46:
|
If
your car is over heating due to not having an expansion bottle cool yourself
down and save yourself money by buying a macdonalds water after you have
drank it the bottle will make an excellant expansion bottle. Or you could
buy an original from us!
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 45:
|
For
safe and sensible driving allways make sure you wash your windows. This
man didn't and got stopped by the police. |
||||
|
Richards tip No 44:
|
To
esnure you allways enjoy a country drive in your beloved spitfire. Before
going out check that the weather is good and the skies are clear. That
way you'll love every minute of driving. Also you get to see views like
this.
|
||||
|
Richards tip No 43:
|
Paul was trying
to economise by using red diesil in his Nissan Patrol until customs and
exercise stopped him and told him it was ilegal. So after looking at our
tips he decided to use chip fat oil to stay within the law.
 |
||||
|
Richards tip No 42:
|
To
create an original door handel simply use piston with head and attach
it to the door. As seen here:
 Another good use for a piston shaft is to weld it onto the head of an old lump hammer! Daves favourite knocking device! |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 41:
|
Take
note of all the tips and ensure to remember them all no matter what you
are doing. This sexy lady must have forgotten about tip no 39 when her
car went for it's last drive. They got carried away and rolled the night
away!
 |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 40:
|
If
you have a GT6 and it doesn't quite go fast enough for your own taste,
try removing the lump and throwing in a Rover V8 just like this fine example.
It works wonders! By the way this man drinks Carling Black Label!!!! |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 39:
|
If
you want to get romantic with your girlfriend in your spitfire. Find a
secluded area. Take the roof down, sit in the passenger seat, persuade
the yourn lady to sit on your knee, and then use your imagination. This
works in all modles of Triumph Spitfires or any other soft top car. The
only requirment is to have a fit girlfriend and a really naughty imagination.
This is truley the best way to bless or christen your car! This method
has been tried and tested by the entire Spitfire Graveyard Team and we
all say it's great.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 38:
|
Even
though the summer is here and it's nice to drive with the roof down, remember
your car will be less aerodynamic which means you'll need more petrol
to travel the same distence.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 37:
|
This
is not the recommended driving position which this person did so well
to use!
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 36:
|
Allways
make sure you have a spare wheel in the boot as if someone hits your backend
of the car it helps as a strengthner to the back end. Without the spare
wheel in your rear will crumple. We have seen a few incedents where the
spare wheel has taken the impact and stoped any major damage to the car
and the driver.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 35:
|
Adult
tip. Don't try to have sex in your spitfire as this man did as he went
for a roll with his girlfriend, and went down a hill side!
  
We left the bonnet with the owener as it was dented beyond repair. The car had gone boot over bonnet just like the man had gone head over heals with his lady friend. |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 34:
|
If
your petrol seems to constantly evaporate when your engine gets warm,
example when you stop at a petrol station your car doesn't start straight
away try fitting an electric fuel pump.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 33:
|
Only
the MK2 spitfire has an exhaust manifold which can not be much improved.
For all other spitfires get a four branch manifold as it makes sense because
your car will be easier to tune.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 32:
|
The
stiffest roll bar should not exceed 3 quarters of an inch or you will
be heading for a disaster. Don't try to make the roll or spring stiffness
too high spitfires are very well balanced cars and will behave badly on
too stiffer suspension. Try to control things from the rear.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 31:
|
To
increase the stability of your MK4 spitfire we would recommend fitting
a front spoiler.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 30:
|
If
you want to go faster go on a diet and try to get the weight down to around
600kg as the lightest Spitty weighs 760kg with a light weight driver!
It make a lot of difference. General guideline keep off the chocolate
and stear clear of drive through fast food joints. Try kissing the wife
more as it's a good substitute for chocolate the exercise will be very
good for you, also she may let you buy that Fiberglas bonnet you've wanted
for years.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 29:
|
A must for
any spitfire is a roll bar as the windscreen surround won;t offer any
protection at all if the car should be involved in a roll.
To ensure your safety this summer we are selling roll bars for £35. |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 28:
|
Later
spitfires use dual cicuit brakes which have no great advantage other than
to be easier to bleed. If you still find breaking a problem use a system
from a GT6, this has much larger disks and calipers. use the earlier GT6
calipers type 16pb, as these have larger pad pins and a wider range of
pads available.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 27:
|
Changing
the rear self adjusting drum system to manual will save a lot of headaches
on GT6's.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 26:
|
As
you will probably gathered poor handling on later spitfires is usually
caused by worn out components. The parts to watch out for (especialy if
the car is used on poor roads) are:
Front and rear trunnion bushes, shock absorbers and springs, top ball joints, bearings, track rod ends, trunnions and vertical links. In short it's anything that moves, turns or swivels. The phos-bronze trunnions and steering rack need regular lubrication with a product that prevents metal to metal contact. We have never found regular maintenance with oil or greese a problem. Ideally EP oil is best, buts gets attacked by oxygen and bacteria. A mix of limited slip oil, molyslip and castrol BNS greese needs to be put in with the trunnoin off. |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 25:
|
If
your over-riders have black plastic covers to make them look new simply
paint then with a plastic based paint. Or buy some from us and we'll paint
them for you!!!!!!!
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 24:
|
Just
because the missus has a dozen shoes it doesn't mean your allowed to have
a dozen chasis!!!!
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 23:
|
Do
you want your car to go faster? If yes then simply buy and fit a webber
carb and manifold together with a K&N filter from the Spitfire Graveyard
for a meare £125 only!
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 22:
|
When
trailoring a car allways make sure you strap the chasis to the trailor.
DO NOT strap the body of the car as the suspension moves up and down as
you travel and may result in loosening the straps accordingly.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 21:
|
When
towing your spitfire on a trailer if the trailer starts to snake or wobble
from side to side to rectify the problem and regain control - ease off
the accelerator DO NOT BRAKE OR ACCELERATE!!!! and the trailer will return
to being under control.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 20:
|
The
front spoiler on your Spitfire is not for show - it guides air into the
front grill to cool your engine. Boney says do not mount your number plate
on the spoiler or on the grill - ideally you should attach it below the
spoiler.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 19:
|
When
your fitting a new hood - firstly warm it up with a hair dryer so that
it expands a little - then once it's fitted it will contract and create
a very tight good looking fit.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 18:
|
Headgasket
problems?
A tip to get that car limping home. Leave the radiator cap off the radiator
after filling the car with water when the engine is cold - with this solution
you will be able to drive a few mile without the pressure in your engine
causing it to overheat.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 17:
|
Beat the thief!!
Cut one of the wires between the coil and distributor and line it up to
a switch in your ashtray. When turned off the car can only be moved by
pushing it.
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 16:
|
If
you should find your car has a dent try not to go to Halfords and buy
any filler as most fillers have talcum powder in them and they are porous
so when you have completed the job you will normally find even when painted
that it will bubble up. To solve this problem my extreme tip of the week
is to use a metal filler called "UpolD Metallica" in this day
and age it can be used in place of leading as it does not absorb water
it's got alloy fillings in the filler and it's great to use for a lasting
repair. If you have problems finding this product please give us a ring
and we can give you a good price on a giant tub. (It's not worth using
any of the fillers from Halfords as it will bubble up as you will have
seen on repairs in the past - technology has moved on)
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 15:
|
If
you are unfortunate enough to have your hood stanley knife by vandals,
from underneath use gaffer tape to stick it together, put a thin layer
of superglue between the top slit then use some silicone on the end of
your finger to smear on top of the glue and the slit on the hood, let
it dry. Use a can of black satin paint in a spray can spray it into the
lid, then using your finger gently smear it over the silicone. You will
find if you use this procedure you will make a very satisfactory water
proof repair, which could last a good few months until you can afford
to buy a genuine original hood from us!
|
||||
|
Richards
tip No 14:
|
Cut
a little door in your cardboard gearbox tunnel cover so you have always
got instant access to bleed your slave cylinder - saves you removing the
entire cover, which takes time and is great hassle.
(Time saving tip) |
||||
|
Richards
tip No 13:
|
Always
check that you are using the correct size wheels and tyres inflated to
the correct pressure. If you run on under or over inflated tyres your
car will not be as responsive to the road as it should. Incorrect tyre
pressure is often the cause of many high speed crahes.
|
||||
|
Richard's
tip No 12:
|
During
the winter months and the not so friendly lead up to spring - many people
cover their cars with polythene sheets to keep the weather out. This can
actually cause more damage than good to the car, the condensation that
builds up between the sheet and the car attacks the metal and paint and
will often cause the paint to "microbubble".
|
||||
|
Richard's
tip No 11:
|
To make your pride and joy (no not your home made BBQ - your car!) run better you should consider a brilliant engine from the Graveyard! |
||||
|
Richard's
tip No 10:
|
To
make your car look even better - just change the wheels for clean shiney
wires, or some sexy alloys!
Phone now to find out what we have in stock! |
||||
|
Richard's
tip No 9:
|
Beware
of stripes over body work as they are often used to attract your eyes
away from dents and scratches.
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 8:
|
When
leaving a car to stand for a long period - if possible chock the wheels
and leave the handbrake off, to ensure seizure doesn't take over.
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 7:
|
Don't drink and drive or it will end up looking like this one. A young man drank and drove and this is what happened to his car! (Click images to enlarge)
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 6:
|
Don't
put grease on your brake pipes before you take your car for MOT as a dodgy
dealer would especially if he's a friend of Arthur Daily's.
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 5:
|
When
towing a car on a trailer always put the car on facing forwards otherwise
the weight of the engine will lift the back end of the towing vehicle
and thus causing a loss of control. At speed this could be very dangerous
and costly to your health and pocket.
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 4:
|
If
you go to buy a car and the seller keeps the radio on full whack ask them
to turn it off so you can hear the engine purr. If he is reluctant to
do this then he is probably using the radio to hide some ominous clatters
and bangs.
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 3:
|
If
you should go to buy a car and it looks great and it's all nice and shiney
remember a coat of paint covers a million sins - boney says beware!
|
||||
|
Jenko's
Tip No 2:
|
Winter's
here! If your car's not kept in a garage it could mean wet seats
etc... Two ways to beat the rain: 1) Take out
your seat base and put a plastic bag underneath it - so when the water
come into the car it has to penetrate through the bag to get at the seat
sponge. 2) Put a nappy in the car at night time to soak up
any moisture!
|
||||
|
Richard's
Tip No 1:
|
If you go to look at a spitfire and you can smell chips, beware! There's probably chip fat oil in the engine to stop it smoking! This is a keen car dealer's trick, don't be caught out - advise your friends! It would appear that since this tip has been here. Someone has actually converted a car to run on chip fat! The man from Tinsley Sheffield has converted his Audi to run on used chip fat, with parts bought from highstreet auto stores! He stated in an article for the Sheffield Star that he needs to filter the fat, so that it is as pure as possible, then after running the engine on diesel for a short while he uses a switch on his dashboard and voila chip fat powered!!! We reckon he read our tip and got thinking! |
Check back regularly for a new tip from the bowels of the Spitfire Graveyard!
