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The engine is pretty simple compared to modern cars. I love the
way that the hood (the British say "bonnet") opens forward with the sidewalls
allowing easier access to the engine. Most engine work can be done from
the seated position putting your feet in the wheel area and sitting down
on the tire! [Feburary 2000] |
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This is an interior shot showing more progress than months earlier.
The carpet kit forward is now in and I finally found a company that sold
the steering wheel's center horn pad. I used a power grinder with a 6"
wire-wheel brush to clean-up the metal surface of the steering wheel. I
also painted the dash air vents and the ash tray. I still need to finish
the interior vinyl parts and get a new glove box. [March 2000] |
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That last work was getting ready for the New Orleans British Car Day
2000 held at Lafrenaire Park in Metairie, LA. I trailered the car to the
show and had a great time looking at all the British Cars. Maybe next year
I'll drive the Spitfire to this show.[March 2000] |
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Here is the Spitfire at the Pensacola British Car Beach Bash 2000 on
Pensacola Beach, Florida. Five Spitfires and one GT6 were present.
Total cars showed up was 98. My car still needed more interior pars,
trunk attention, and engine detailing. My future wife was having
her bridal shower on the same day which is good because guys don't do bridal
showers, do we guys? Nah! [April 2000] |
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Getting ready for my wedding had
been taking up most of my spare time in April, May, and June 2000. I did
attend a local car show the weekend before the wedding. I decided I had
to have fun on my last free weekend! :-) It was for a good cause too, the
Lillian Alabama Volunteer Fire Department Benefit Car show. It was quite
fun. Sixty nine cars showed up to participate and 19 were British cars.
We suprised the Muscle car guys by the large number of British cars attending.
Jolly good show! [June 2000] |
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Since returning from the honeymoon
with my wife, I have found a little time to trace a electrical problem
with the charging system. The battery was sometimes dead and at first the
ignition warning light would not go out, then later it never came on. Confused?
I was! So after checking what I knew, I decided that it was again time
to learn something. But this time I did my own research and I did it on
the internet, of course. :-) Retrieving information from the Vintage
Triumph Register, I traced the alternator circuit and then duplicated
the warning light system with a test light. Turning the ignition on had
the light go on and starting the engine made the light go out, just as
it should. I then checked the bulb of the dash ignition warning light and
found it was ok, but then found its wiring to have a short somewhere going
into the fuse box. Not having enought time to redo that wiring, I'm leaving
my duplicated warning test light in place until I can repair it correctly.
The battery voltage reads 12.5 volts engine off, 13.4~ engine idle, and
14.0 volts engine fast, so that proves that the alternator is charging
the battery. [August 2000] |
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This month was pretty good for British cars. First, my
club met for a group drive from Pensacola to Gulf Shores, AL. Nine
cars started the procession in west Pensacola and four more joined along
the way. It was an impressive sight and turned the heads of other passing
drivers. My car ran great and it was a nice drive, even though it was a
still bit hot.[September 2000] |
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The next news item is that I have purchased another Triumph to add
to my shop: a 1969 Triumph GT6+. It will need a bit of body work
since it was in a minor accident, but like I stated at the top of this
page, I want to learn how to do that myself. Therefore this is the car
to do that. The first picture is my shop showing the restored Spitfire
and GT6 needing it. The previous owner had started some of the body work
himself and then decided to sell it as is. You can tell that the
original color was red and that he had it painted gold/brown before that accident.
Hopefully my GT6 will look as good as other restored ones when I'm finished.
I chose the GT6 as my next Triumph because it's so similar to the Spitfire,
having been developed as a variant. Maybe my wife will drive it after I
teach her how to drive standard shift. [September 2000] |
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