1iTim's triumph miglia special
 

Hello all, i have the 1961 bones on a car trailer parked in the front of my house, it will hit the garage tomorrow. Then the fun begins! I will have a raft of questions for mike that my engineer wants to know, then I'll know if i can do this as a 'modified' classic, or will need full 'icv' which may mean i just restore the herald... Pics of the donor tomorrow.

This may be a question long ago answered, but could anyone let me know if the herald seats fit the miglia body? Although the fabric is ruined my seats seem in otherwise good condition.

I cant see why not but in reality on Mick would be able to tell you as he's the only one who has built one.

Hi Tim, sorry for the delay , the seats would fit . The floor pans i supply are as wide as the herald floor pans, and allows the lower position needed for the correct head position.

excellent, thanks mike. that these fold is good for that storage compartment you do, although i'd love to see that in a "boot" like the dtype... i've also emailed you some sale related questions.

[IMG]http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...psebe9c44a.jpg[/IMG]

this is my donor and:
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...psebe9c44a.jpg

the engineer is hopeful of a "modified classic" pending some info from mike.

here is why i had only 3 cyl, now we should be ok
 

http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...ps14bd4c9e.jpg

replacement on its way for 2.25 pounds (rimmer)

new fuel pump on its way too.

T

Good job you caught it early that could have made a mess quickly!

cylinder head
 

Hi all,

My Cyl head has "stanpart 303014" cast into it. It is on my spitfire engine block number FE12951. I can't find out much about the head number except in mentions in old forums linked to 1147 engines.

Any ideas?

the exhaust manifold currently looks like a Mk3, in that it is cast and a short all into 1 system, and i'm wondering if the head is a 6 or 8 port (i will know when i pull the manifolds off but am impatient!) and if i do try to get a tubular exhaust what head i have to fit it to.

I've got twin SU's that look pretty small - HS2's i think.

Morning,
An FE prefix indicates a lower compression (8.5:1) 1296cc Mk III Spitfire.

See -
http://www.triumphspitfire.com/enginenumbers.html

The cam and bottom end are great. If you up the compression a bit you will have a very nice engine. It would have been fitted with HS2s originally so they are a safe bet. It should be the 8 port head. You can tell by looking at the inlet manifold without removing it.

You can get tubular exhausts for the head no problem.

Thanks oxford. Without info on the head i'm unsure whether it may well be a high compression option. I can't tell if its the head that came with the engine. Never mind, by all research so far its a darn sight better than the 948 the car was made with! It still has the 1 1/4 inch exhaust of the herald mated up to the 1 3/4 downpipe of the spit. Theres some easy power...

I've got the body off now too, (except the scuttle) it really looks like progress.

Good luck with your build Tim.

The more photos you can post the better!

Cheers, Paul. :)

heres a pic of the car witht he body off (except the scuttle - sorting the engine out before removing it for cleaning etc)
you can see the great condition its in - no salt grit on our roads!
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...05840297_n.jpg

the body has not fared so well:
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...13346986_n.jpg

i am going to save that hankdbrake to use - too many excellent kits impaired by 21st century handbrakes from taxis.

That chassis does look to be rust free. Almost exactly the same as mine wasn't...

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...illion/001.jpg

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...illion/002.jpg

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...illion/003.jpg

:(

well it all turned out rather well in the end for you!

i have found a herald 1.25inch exhaust clamped up to my spitfire 1.75 manifold... simple fix, a $40 spitfire exhaust.

which is in canada.

and another 50 of them, in england.

shipping to australia? priceless...

custom job perhaps...

hey has anyone found if triumph had a white jaeger tacho to match the white jaeger speedos? all the spitties iv seen have black ones.

Dash is off
 

Dash is off. everything is going well so far. (scares me)

The calm before the storm eh? :eyebrows:

It'll all be fine, just work through each bit!

Looks a very good start though :eusa_dance:

Tim - Although my kit is based on a Spitfire, I did read one tip on here for cutting the Herald bulkhead.

It has been suggested that you cut the bulkhead to match the contours of the bodyshell.
( Rather than the early build approaches of a straight horizontal cut. )

I also see that you are planning to re-use the Herald handbrake.

http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...13346986_n.jpg

My suggestion would be to cut out and re-use the whole Herald transmission tunnel as well.

This was an early mock up from my own build with the Spitfire panel in place.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...L/DSCF7571.jpg

Just a thought.

Good luck, Paul. :)

Thanks, i was thinking of the whole tunnel, but it is a bit wide. As i plan on using the miglia not the ribble, the bulkhead is replaced, so the orig tunnel would have to be chopped somewhere. I'll definitely think about it.
thanks heaps,
Tim

haven't posted for a while - can't get photo bucket at work and home my wife usually has the computer. (i know easy solution.) however, heres the work so far. pity its on the way down not on the way back together, but here it is. gave it a pressure clean. next step is to get the engine n gearbox out, and keep dismantling. the chassis will be sandblasted and powder coated. (thats the plan, wallet permitting)http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/...psc61afacc.jpg

Morning Tim, keep taking the photos if only to help you re-assemble. What ideas do you have for build? Are you aiming for D24 look-a-like style or something different?

Slow progress is better than none!
Chassis looks very clean and an excellent base for your Miglia.

Thanks guys. Its night here, don't mention the cricket. Yes I'm very pleased with the quality of the bones. I will be going for an old school look, kind of d24 but also without constraint. It'll be reg as a 1961 year based on the chassis, so carries the dna, but will also be a miglia. I'll try using the herald seats too, and initially those wheels u see. I'll use ally sheet for the cocpit, perhaps a "quilted" roll finish but that may constrict bends. We'll see.

Now us cricket fans are up half the night we will be able to talk to you in real time!

I can't believe that herald has such a clean chassis

Thanks charman (ha how's that for a recovery in the ashes last night!) I think that would be because in Australia we don't grit the roads with salt. Just to make you all cry, there is only vague traces of surface rust on the chassis, otherwise looks brand new. That said, I've tried to sell the other body bits but the market for them is so low I've so far only sold the back bit, and that was to a guy who was going to use it for decoration!

Looks like I have a spit mk3 block and a mk2 6port head. With a cast exhaust manifold that looks like a mk3... Any benefit in hunting down a tubular header set? As far as tuning goes il be looking for drivability.

Heres every thing off the chassis, now to wash it up ready for blast and powdercoat.
<a href=http://s1332.photobucket.com/albums/w612/1iTim/?action=view&current=2013-12-07134317_zps01eff4f0.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w612/1iTim/2013-12-07134317_zps01eff4f0.jpg border=0 alt=Mobile upload></a>

look nice and clean, have you had to do much too it?
Mac

Chassis is in great condition. Your climate has looked after this

Wow, that really does look like a new chassis. I'm very jealous.

I have to weld back in one of those spacer tubes for the body bolt but adide from that its fine. You wait till u see it after blast and mazda true red a4a powdercoat. Mike what did u do to the front ride height of #1?
One of my frt shocks is blown so considering what to do, replace standard shock with shorter softer spring or big bucks for adjustable shocks with orig springs?

Standard shocks with Spitfire 150lb or 170lb springs cut down to your taste will work just fine. No need to spend megabucks on expensive short/adjustable shocks, mine never bottomed out even when I had the car far too low.

Hi mr t thanks for that, but here in aus i can't cut the springs, not allowed. So I'll have to get shorter springs made. That might b cheaper than 170 gbp for adjustable shockers. I cant beleive the low price of the standqrd shocks!

i have a problem. (ok not just one but lets start with that!)
My left rear upright wont come off. The lower bolt that joins the hub or rear trunion is stuck inside somehow to the bush or something.

I've tried wd40, I've tried a hammer, I've tried both together, I've then tried blowtorch until its all smoking then the hammer.

All I have succeeded in doing is deforming the bottom of the bolt with all this banging. After hitting the bolt (lots) the bolt head is a mm proud, but the top of the upright spreads to about 90mm from its restful 80. I dont want to damage the upright.

Any advice or hints on removing this bolt?

(as an aside, which front stub axle assembly goes on which side? the normal trunion thread on the right hand side, and the left hand trunion thread on the left? or the other way? I had not labelled them before i realised they are "handed")

Hi Tim

There is a small space either side, between the trunnion and the vertical link containing the flanges of the plastic bush and the thin tinplate dustshields. Hacksaw through the bolt either side of the trunnion through these. This allows you to separate the trunnion from the link and gives access to the rest of the bush inside the trunnion. Then you can remove the bush by a combination of melting, drilling and/or pressing. New bolts and bushes will obviously be required for reassembly!

The new bush kit looks like this

http://www.classicpartstrader.com/tr...-kit-758-p.asp

regards

Andrew

The right hand threaded one goes on the right hand side and vice versa.

Thanks andrew that worked a treat. Thats just about the only bush that I've not ordered yet! I'll get onto that too.