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Author: Kevin Builta 
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday September 3, 2010 8:14 AM
This past weekend, I put gas struts to open and hold the bonnet in place of the old, bent up stock prop rod that I was going to have to replace anyway. After reading about this mod and seeing an example at the Quad Cities British Car Club's Auto Show a couple of weeks ago, I decided that this was my fix. Paul Tegler's advised struts (Sachs SG123002) are available from Rock Auto at a better price than the update on Paul's website. The hardest part of the job was innovating a connection for the ball connector on the piston end. I wound up buying a length of 1x1x1/8 angle steel and cut two one inch lengths from it. Then drilled a hole for the ball connector's screw thread and a hole for a frame bolt that I'm sharing now with the frame. One hole for the cylinder end mount (looks like a screen door mount) was already available in the wheel well part under the bonnet. I drilled a second hole through that cover for the other cylinder end mount (held to the cylinder with a supplied clevis and clip ring). It took minutes to mount them both, including drilling the extra hole in each wheel well cover and voila, the bonnet opens and closes now just like Paul Tegler describes on his websi... read more
Author: Don McHale
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday August 27, 2010 10:34 AM
Fixed 2 coolant leaks and a fuel leak yesterday. Also replaced voltage stabilizer, tuned the new dual carbs, timed it, and slowed an oil leak at the fuel pump. I thought it was totally fixed untill I found one drop of oil under the fuel pump this morning. attached the choke cable, replaced the turn signal switch assembly (which fixed the headlights). also fixed the header. it was vibrating against the frame so i had a small piece cut off. Then I took it on a long drive to the beach along PCH. Next I plan on replacing the bumpers, brake hoses and waxing it.
Author: Todd Bulebush 
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday August 20, 2010 7:05 PM
I bought my spitfire in May, 2010. I searched the Internet within a 300 mile radius but ended up finding it a half hour away. Body was good but the car needed mechanical work. It had about 60,000 miles on it but had no power and needed a ton of electrical work - only the headlights and turn signals worked. It has the original radio which I call the "anti-theft" radio. But that doesn't work either. I am very fortunate to have a spitfire mentor, namely, my wife's cousin who has crazy skills and a beautiful '77 spitfire. Three days after I bought it, he and I went over the brakes and replaced the wheel cylinders on the rear wheels and the upper ball joints on the front. My first problem ocurred when the spark plugs started fouling and the engine would die. I struggled to fix it. My Mentor came over and saw (almost) immediately that the throttle valve was closed all the time, thus burning rich and fouling the plugs. We fixed that but the car continued to do a hesitation thing while cruising. I'm still working on that. The next poblem was that the brake pressure warning differntial actuator switch was squirting brake fluid - mainly because a PO unpugged the switch fro... read more
Author: Bryan White
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Tuesday July 13, 2010 4:49 PM
Purchased in 1984 or 1985 for $2,000. Throttle was stuck (revved at 2500 idle) but problem was easily solved with some Marvel Mystery Oil in the carbs. Headlight motors never worked. Had new top, 60 series tires and was SUPERB to drive! Sold during a fit of pique at the continuing wiring problems for $2500 in 1987/8. Miss her very much. Added tuned exhaust and 12" steering wheel. New top cover, etc. etc. Even drove it in Maine winters for 2+ years! Only parked when snow banks were higher than antenna = = made the car quite invisible at intersections and therefore DANGEROUS.
Author: Paul Gledstone 
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday July 2, 2010 5:37 AM
Took the plunge and started cleaning the engine etc. Not a full rebuild by any means but its suprising how a little bit of cleaning and renewing basics, can make things look better. Obviously new gaskets but also repainting , and just cleaning works wonders. Slightly worried abount the replacement head I purchased ages ago.Quite a lot was skimmed off the head and I am running with dommed top pistons, therefore the compression may be too high. We shall see! Spare parts are not particularly expensive but judging by my Bank balance recently, they soon add up.
Author: Bob Coker
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday June 25, 2010 7:22 AM
I realized that with the head still off, I have an opportunity to align the cam and crank very simply. This has been a quandary, since replacement sprockets (manufactured by County and sold everywhere.) have no timing marks. By temporarily fitting the timing cover and sliding on the timing pulley, I can "dial in" the crankshaft to 0 degrees @ TDC, visually checking the timing mark on the pulley with the timing arrow on the cover. Rotating the cam to between the lobes on cylinder #1 (As per the Bentley manual) puts both closed, so I then installed the head. Checking the valves with pushrods in place, I was still on the money, so I removed the cover and pulley and installed the new duplex chain.
Author: Loren Welch
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Saturday June 19, 2010 10:11 AM
I fabricated an air tunnel to force air up into my lay-down radiator.
Author: Loren Welch
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Saturday June 19, 2010 10:07 AM
replaced the ratty cardboard engine valences with aluminum.
Author: bob futrell
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday June 18, 2010 4:07 AM
If anyone is looking for a super solid, reliable MGA or MGTF, mine are for sale. I have decided to just keep the aaaatriumph and Porsches and sell the others.
Author: Charlotte Green
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Tuesday June 8, 2010 11:58 AM
While practically everyone on the planet has heard of the Triumph Bonneville, the Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle has not achieved the same amount of fame. And yet, the Thunderbird was at least as important to Triumph as the 'Bonny' in terms of sales and popularity .. it simply doesn't get mentioned as often. Among the Triumph faithful and aficionados though, the Thunderbird is perhaps the most important Triumph to be produced according to some custom papers. It all started with three riders driving across 500 miles at 92 mph on three different - but recorded as stock - Thunderbird 6T motorcycles. In 1949, that was a testament to durability, reliability and speed. From that year until 1966, Triumph produced the Thunderbird motorcycle out of the Meriden factory and shipped them all over the world. All models had a 649c.c. two-cylinder engine - a big increase from the 498c.c. Speed Twin it was modeled after - and was mated to a 4-speed gearbox. It proved to be so well liked - perhaps loved - in the U.S. that, after 1950, Triumph sold more bikes in America than it did in any other country including in the homeland of England. The Thunderb... read more
Author: Bob Coker
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Sunday June 6, 2010 3:32 PM
Since I can't leave well enough alone, I decided to make a new, larger (Bigger is better, right?) heat shield for my carbs. The previous shield was probably sufficient, but I wanted to extend the shield forward for more protection against hot radiator fan 'wash'. For the original shield, I had used thin poster board to make a template by pressing against the intake manifold and cutting out the holes. Always wear eye and ear protection when working with power tools and sheet metal. As well, I wear heavy gloves to protect against sharp edges. This time, I merely used the previously made shield as the template and made the required openings as small as possible. Some of the 'extra' holes are necessary to allow the linkages and bellcranks to rotate freely. These were cut out with a hand-held scroll saw. The carburetor throat holes were cut with a 1-1/2" hole saw in my hand drill. The aluminum used for this shield is much thicker than the sheet metal I used for the radiator shroud and consequently was far more difficult to work with. I was fortunate to have a friend, who does a great deal of automotive fabrication, give me a generous sheet of this to work with. I couldn'... read more
Author: Bob Coker
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Sunday June 6, 2010 3:07 PM
I bought some thin aluminum sheet at Home Depot and used the original cardboard as a template. Looking back, I should have used card stock or poster board to make a template, since the OE shroud leaves a lot of gaps for air to escape. Always wear eye and ear protection when working with power tools and sheet metal. As well, I wear heavy gloves to protect against sharp edges. I drilled out the rivets on the OE shroud and laid it on the aluminum sheet to mark out my shape. After cutting with a metal cutting blade in my Skil saw, the edges were de-burred with a Stanley Shur-Form. I then marked and scribed the lines for folding. In order to give it some structural strength, I also scribed a pair of lines in the top center running from the center forward, This is to help prevent rattling and 'drumming'. Clamping with furniture clamps to a portable work table, I used a 2x4 against the scribe marks and simply bent the metal to the shape I had scribed. Two holes were drilled on each side to bolt it to the radiator brackets. While at Home Depot, I found a 3" dia. plumbing fixture, probably intended for a toilet drain. It has a 45 degree bend with a stainless steel collar. Thi... read more
Author: Bill Chapman
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Friday May 28, 2010 7:47 AM
All good stories have a begining, weather or not this will be a good story will be revealed in the telling. Back in the mid 70's a friend of my dad bought a yellow Spitfire and dropped by our house to show my dad. Dad was working on this guys 36 Plymouth coupe at the time and I was about 7 years old. My dads friend took me for a ride in that little yellow car and I was hooked. Ever since I have been able to drive I have wanted one of these cars. However, I understood that this car was not a "daily driver" for commuting to work everyday, hauling people, etc. If I was to have one I knew it would have to be my second car. Life carried on, the wife came, followed by the kids, the house, the car payments... everytime I found myself with a bit of extra cash I found myself without the space and time for a second car...and whenever I had the space and time...well...I didn't have the extra money. I have been watching pricing on these cars and reading blogs and doing research trying to prep myself for the day when I would have one. About two years ago I saw a red Triumph Spitfire 1500 sitting in the lot of a small mechanic shop near my house. On a whim I stopped in and loo... read more
Author: Bob Coker
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Tuesday May 25, 2010 12:50 PM
It's been a while since I last made an entry. Life is often more complicated than you expect. Or want. The machine shop (Ewing Machine in Snellville) did exemplary work, boring and honing the cylinders out .020. They rebuilt the rods and attached the pistons. The crank was micro-polished and the block align bored, and all rotating parts balanced. The head was checked and new, hardened exhaust seats were installed along with new valves and a 3-angle grind. He center bored the existing valve guides and installed bronze sleeves. He prefers this method to bronze guides and it was cheaper... One of my complications has been the pistons. I ordered new .020 over pistons from James Paddock, Ltd. in the UK. Excellent prices and excellent service. Unfortunately, through a warehouse error, the wrong pistons were sent. I didn't notice; since I didn't compare the new with the old, or it would've been immediately obvious. It makes me feel a little better that my machinist didn't notice, either. Apparently I was sent a set of TR6 pistons, which are the same diameter, yet shorter. Most importantly, the wrist pin (gudgeon) is in a different location, further up the head of the... read more
Author: Jonathan Cronin
Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Post Date: Sunday May 23, 2010 12:13 PM
Things going well (ish!) This weekend I removed the windscreen glass and the surround then removed the dashtop. This was a little nervy as the dashtop are notorious for splitting and the very early Spitfires have a different dashtop to almost the rest of the Mk1, 2 and 3 production which all had the same. The early dashtops had no extended lip over the instrument cluster - it's not a documented change but it's beleived to have been chanegd sometime after the 1st 1000 cars or so were built. Fortunately mine is in good condition and came off easily enough in the end. Just need to store it someplace safe now :-) To be honest I'm finding a lot of things are different on the very early cars (I have all the mechanical parts and interior for a mid 1963 Spitfire4 - FC14255 - to compare against) - The radio console/dash support is different; the fuel tank is different; the rear stop lamps are different (although I think mine are prototypes (no part numbers anywhere or makers name (lucas) if fact the design is ever so slightly different too; the inlet manifold is different; no makers name on my header tank (compared to the header tank for FC14255 which has a little plate underneath) -... read more
