I spent the second half of today installing the alloy water pump housing that I've had sitting around for months.
The job coincides with replacing the radiator with a larger aluminium after market unit and also replacing the engine mounted fan with twin electric fans.
The water pump housing went really well without any real hitches. This even included re-tapping for the thermo fan switch!
First time for everything I guess.

In Melbourne you need a Roadworthy Certificate (RWC) to buy or sell a car and register it. I needed one.
I was very worried about this because sometimes you pick the wrong mechanic and they send you on an expensive journey in order to pass. they wanna get more money out of you so they say "you need this, this and this, " "and this" "from us"
I had gained some mechanical knowledge from working on my Celica, and knew the internet was an amazing resource. The plan was to do any work myself and save money.
The hard part about getting a RWC is that by law you bring the car in, they give you a list of things to do and you have A WEEK to get it all done. If you don't do it by then you need to pay again to get the check again.
So I devised a plan, find a mechanic who had no interest In my car, and just wanted it gone from his workshop. Someone who would say "get this stupid thing out of my life, yes it's fine" *signs RWC*
this plan made perfect sense to me at the time, perhaps I was overthinking, but it worked.
I chose an ALFA specialist around the corner from me. A very cool old school guy who had trouble getting in and out of the car.
he gave me a short list on a little scrap of paper (not the legal document, meaning he was giving me more than a week), expressed that he was glad I was doing the work and not him, and sent me on my way to fix the problems.
The list was very kind. The hardest job being to fix the wheel studs.
I'd already got the rust fixed prodfessionally, starter motor and new tires knowing this would help with the RWC (and to start the car!!)

one of the many enourmously helpful sites on the web:
http://auskellian.com/paul/links_files/upgrade_spitfire_wheel_studs.html

I did the jobs, I got my RWC, I registered the car on my birthday.

"Yes it runs on unleaded"= It hasn't had work done to run on unleaded but I do run it on unleaded.

"rust has been repaired, no known rust" =I didn't see that hole behind the drivers seat.

"electrics re wired" = an alarm has been put in and I don't have the button for it and all the wires are different colours now. The rusty loose connections that count are as original.

"I have lots of papers and history on the car, I will put them under the seat" =I will not do this and will ignore requests to send them to you.

"It has a heater but you don't really need it" = The heater doesn't work.


in the pics:
New tires which didn't turn up on the car.
A nice stereo that didn't turn up in the car.

What I learned in the first few days of ownership:
A roadworthy certificate and rego in Perth means NOTHING in Victoria.

The superlite wheels were too thick for the original wheel studs, meaning the wheel nuts where holding a dangerously small amount of thread (I think this could've killed me no?) the tires also rubbed on the body before full lock.

The starter motor is caput.

The gearbox cover is holy like Jesus.

I'm sure there's more to bitch about that right now I can't recall.

The ad seemed too good to be true. (alarm bells much?)
I didn't save the text (wish I had) but from memory It read that the car was rust free, had had work done on the engine and ran on unleaded fuel, had new tires, electrics had been re wired, had a road worthy certificate and was registered for a few months. It was also cheaper than any car I'd seen in similar condition.
Only problem was that it was In Perth. (other side of the country).
Got talking to the owner and he seemed pretty legit. Also claimed to have Jesus on his side...erm. With the benefit of hindsight I realize that Satan would've been more knowledgeable on the subject of Lucas electrics.
I looked Into transport and It was all still cheaper than a local car.

I bought it sight unseen.....IDIOT.

2009, The celica was long gone, I was driving a Mitsubishi lancer and LONGING for some style.
and then I came into some money.
before this I had gotten close to buying a spitfire, having saved up, only to decide to do the mature thing and buy a piano with that money (I teach piano)
but this new money came from out of the blue, inherited. "you can spend it on booze and hookers If you want" was the word jokingly given to me from my dad.
surely a car is more savory than that!
I held off for a while, thinking I should be an adult with this money, maybe I'll need it for some mature venture soon. And then an ad popped up in the car classifieds, and I was in love again.

2009, The celica was long gone, I was driving a Mitsubishi lancer and LONGING for some style.
and then I came into some money.
before this I had gotten close to buying a spitfire, having saved up, only to decide to do the mature thing and buy a piano with that money (I teach piano)
but this new money came from out of the blue, inherited. "you can spend it on booze and hookers If you want" was the word jokingly given to me from my dad.
surely a car is more savory than that!
I held off for a while, thinking I should be an adult with this money, maybe I'll need it for some mature venture soon. And then an ad popped up in the car classifieds, and I was in love again.

here's a pic from the ad.