16th October 1999

Got the new engine at last. Despite it being bright blue, it is everything Jon said it would be. Unfortunately I don't have a car to put it in just yet, as my Spit is still at Chariots having the inside re-trimmed

.The new engine  The new engine The new engine

For the last five weeks, my car has had all its inside striped out. All the interior panels are being reupholstered in black leather, the seats are being trimmed in black and red leather, and the stereo refitted and made to sound better by having a Kenwood amp and new speakers attached. They are also fitting a new Mohair soft top which should keep the rain out. This is being done in exchange for a website I designed for them. Check it out, click on the logo below!!!

 

 

 

Below are some cool pictures of my Spit at Chariots, notice how it doesn't look out of place next to the Aston Martin 8-)

     The Spit at Chariots The Spit at Chariots The Spit at Chariots

21st October 1999

Its the big day today, the Spitfire's new interior is finished!  What have they done, well:

  1. Black leather and grey Alcantara middles.
  2. Leather door panels and door cappings.
  3. New leather sun visors
  4. Retrim centre console
  5. Refit stereo, with JVC amp in boot.
  6. Fabricated new sound box for rear speakers, and trimmed it with black material
  7. Fit Clifford alarm system
  8. New mohair soft top.

Is it good, judge for yourself, check out the photos below.

25th October 1999

Finally finished putting the new engine together. The engine builder had put the cam in 108 degrees out, setting it up on the exhaust and not the inlet.. Oh well, at least I can sleep well tonight!

The new engine now started sounds really sweet, all those characteristic rattles have gone. Acceleration, although running in, seems good,

More pictures............

Engine going in New inside New inside

17th November 1999

Just when finally everything is going well, the worst possible thing happens. Some one drives into you. There I was minding my own business, driving to pick my son up from school, and a boy racer in a VW Golf pulled out straight in front of me. I didn't have time to even touch the brakes ..... 2 hours later my car had been transported to a body shop  in Cowley, Middlesex. One guys first comments were ... "That's knackered!".  I was given a courtesy car and sent on my way.

19th November 1999

Today at 11:00am the insurance inspector came to look at the damage. Fortunately the inspector from the insurance company once worked in a Standard Triumph garage in Watford, and knew everything about Triumphs. He was almost complementary about the car, he did however strongly dislike the rear spoiler, saying that having it on the car reduced the value by about a grand. So I guess, it'll have to come off. He has authorised  the repairs... Of course some photos...

Crash Crash Crash Crash

Lets hope they can do a good job! At least I will get a new bumper, the old one did look quite tired.

Three months later I eventually got her back. Stupidly I picked the car up in the dusk, the next day when I inspected the work they had done......

And to cap it all, the new bonnet had a crack in it. Back we go ........

I took the car back, and they promised to ring me when the bits were in... They never did

A meeting was set up between my insurance assessor and the managing director of XXXXXXX and my self. He agreed to some of the work, the crack in the bonnet he dismissed as the fault of the carbs, (strange, the old bonnet did not touch the throttle linkages!) the door hitting the bonnet was greeted with "What do you expect, its a 30 year old car"......

17th March 2000

The car has been redone, but may have to go back because of another crack appearing in the GRP bonnet. All that remains now is to get it tuned up again at Redline tuning. The accident must have knocked the carbs out of sync as it runs like a 30 year old dog!!

23rd March 2000

Tony has worked his magic! The car is producing about 105 bhp at the wheels, that's about 130 at the flywheel.. Not bad.... This time I am definitely upgrading the brakes!

27th March 2000

Today I ordered ....

  1. Set of cross drilled vented disks from the TSSC
  2. Set of Green performance pad from the TSSC
  3. Set of up rated and shortened springs from the TSSC
  4. Set of Spax adjustable front shocks with height adjustment from the TSSC
  5. Alloy rocker cover from the TSSC
  6. New GRP boot lid. (The one comment the insurance assessor made regarding my car, was that the spoilered boot lid knocked about a £1000 off its value. But he still valued it at about £4500.00 )