Having the seats at the right height and position helps with positioning the steering wheel. I have mocked up the mounting for it for now and will weld the proper mounting and bracing next time I work on the car.

I also need to make a subframe for the seats, as I need to raise them for 7 cm.


Attachment 7034

Attachment 7035

Attachment 7036

Attachment 7037

Attachment 7038

I will also modify the steering column. I have bought a 40cm steering shaft and UJ from CBS and another, bit shorter UJ from Canleys, to attach the column to the steering rack. This is needed as the steering column needs to be extended more than it is possible with the original setting, and because the angle of the steering wheel is different from the original.

Attachment 7039



I was also trying to figure out where and how to install the seat belts. I think the approach in the second photo is better, but instead of mounting the third point using the frame-to-chassis bolt, I will weld a mounting point onto the frame just above it.


Attachment 7043

Attachment 7042



As I have mentioned before, I bought a pair of GAZ adjustable shocks a while ago. When all the above is done, I will (try to) tackle the front suspension.
I will use 14" steel wheels with 175/65 tyres. I reckon I will need to lower the car for about 2 inches.

Attachment 7040

Attachment 7041



So much for now, I'll post more photos when I progress further.

Cheers, D.

Nice work and good progress. I remember trying to get the steering position 'just right' - and in the end gave up and it is where it is!

Good luck!

T

I'd stick with the narrow seats or similar and mount them as low as possible rather than going for the bigger bases.

The reason is you'll end up with your head and upper body sticking up into the air flow above the wind deflector if you have the wide ones high enough to clear the chassis rails. That's not only bad for the aerodynamics, but it's also very uncomfortable and you'll look like Noddy tootling through Toytown.

Ideally, when seated you need your shoulders to be level with or no more than a couple of inches above the cockpit edge.

Ultimately it's your choice and it's nice to see your build progressing.

1iTim- Thank you for letting me know so I don't get too frustrated about it :smile: I am looking forward to seeing how you are going to bond the body to the frame, so good luck with it. I also enjoy your YouTube videos, nice to see more Miglias being made!

Hahahaha, thanks for your advice Mr T. I will certainly try to avoid looking like Noddy! :smile: I am not very tall though, and I will make sure my shoulders do not stick out above the cockpit too much. I just want to make sure I can see above the screen and make the MOT guys happy (possibly with the help of a cushion :wink: )

Cheers, D.

cusion, or a saw (for the screen, not you!)
T

1iTim - :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:...that's right, one or another.

Cheers, D.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hi all,

I am finally able to continue with my build and I hope to make some good progress in the next few weekends.
I have started to finalise the steering column installation, and I am still working on it, but here are some photos of the mock up that show what I am trying to achieve.

I have already improved the mounting and bracing of the column bracket and I will post more photos of the finished product shortly.


Attachment 7352

Attachment 7353

Attachment 7354


I have also refurbished and repainted all parts and shortened inner column shaft, so I can use UJ's to extend the column and to avoid welding it. Also, this way I'm more flexible with the positioning of the steering wheel.


Attachment 7355

Attachment 7356

Below are the photos showing shortening of the inner column shaft and grinding off the column surface to be able to lock it in place with the locking bracket.


Attachment 7357

Attachment 7358

Attachment 7359

Attachment 7360

Attachment 7361


That's it for now. It's good to be back...I will post more photos soon.

Cheers, D.

Deni - Good to see you are back on your car. :cool:

Good luck, Paul. :)

Thanks Paul, it’s been a while since I was able to work on the car, but I’m finally able to get back to it, which is great.
I am glad to read that you’re planning to get back on the road and enjoy driving the Swoordfish again.
I hope weight lifting is going well (great idea btw), and you’re on track with loosing another stone before the end of the summer...I’m pretty certain you’re more successful with that than I am 😉.

Cheers, D.

Hi all,

A quick update. I have re-addressed my steering column attachment. I thought it could be a bit stronger than the previous one.


Attachment 7408

Attachment 7409


This is how it looks now it's finished. It is not the most elegant solution, but it is quite strong and sturdy.


Attachment 7410

I have drilled 4 holes, so I can choose between 2 lateral positions (if necessary).

Attachment 7411

...and raise it up a bit if necessary.

Attachment 7412

Attachment 7413

Attachment 7414

Attachment 7415

It took me a while to figure out and decide how to do this and I'm happy with the result. It is strong and sturdy, as I said before, and it is easy to remove the column and the whole assembly if necessary.

I have also fabricated a back plate to bolt the back side of the brake and clutch pedals on, and to mount the accelerator pedal.

Attachment 7416

I've also added a stop plate for the accelerator pedal and to have a solid base to drill a hole and attach the accelerator cable too (as I'm not sure if the bulkhead cladding will be at the right height).

Attachment 7417

Attachment 7418

Attachment 7419

I have added a self-aligning bearing too, to add extra support to the upper steering column.

Attachment 7420

Attachment 7421


I'm not sure if it is necessary, but I am thinking of adding another self-aligning bearing further down (which would be mounted on the steel bars welded onto the chassis), to add extra support to the lower steering shaft. Any comments and advice are welcome.


Attachment 7422

Attachment 7423

I don't know if the previous owner has ever changed the brake pipes, and if so, I don't know when. Even though the brake and the fuel pipes look to be in good condition, I have decided to replace them. I've decided to use Cupro-Nickel (Kunifer) pipes instead of copper ones. I bought a pre-made set and they look and feel strong, yet easy to bend and install.

Attachment 7424

I have never done this before (like most things I have done so far in this build) and I was curious if I will be able to do this. It's going well so far I think. As you can see from the photos below, I have managed to change the back brake pipes.


Attachment 7425


Attachment 7426

I found a bit of surface corrosion below the front brake splitter (where the brake fluid was dripping I guess), so I will first clean, apply rust treatment and paint this area before replacing the front pipes. I guess I could replace the line splitters too while I am at it, but I am not sure if that is necessary. Again, any advice is welcome.

It was already getting dark by the time I wanted to do this, so I will finish the job next time I am in the garage.


Attachment 7427

I will also replace the rubber brake hoses when they arrive. They are not in the stock at the moment and are on back order with Rimmers.

So much for now.

Cheers, Deni.


P.S. I am not sure what is the build progress of other Miglia builders - I am curious how the other builders are progressing and how far on they are. Come on peeps, let us know how it's going ;-)

Deni - Sorry, I can't offer much in the way of technical advice about the steering or brakes. :rolleyes:

But I hope I can offer some general encouragement in that you are making good progress. :cool:

Like yourself, I often wonder what happened to other Miglia/Sammio builds.

Unfortunately, I think many builders get overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the task.

It took a lot to keep convincing myself that every job I did, no matter how small, was a step closer to the finish line.
(Which is why I found keeping a build thread such a big help for motivation.)

I think all of us have found this takes longer than we thought/planned/hoped.
(Especially when 'life' gets in the way.)

However, I stick by my theory that as long as you finish, it doesn't matter how long it took.

Good luck, Paul. :)

Thank you for your comments Paul.
Yes, life gets in the way very often, and my build is very slow for various reasons, but I have decided not to worry about it too much anymore - I'm doing as much as I can and when I can.
I do not have any previous experience either. Some jobs that are easy for others are a challenge for me, so I need to do a lot of research, but I'm getting there slowly and I enjoy learning how to do them.
This forum is great and the members are very helpful, friendly and understanding (even if I ask a silly question possibly), so thanks everyone for your help and advice so far - if it wasn't for this forum I would probably not dare to start this build.
Also, my garage is an hour drive from my home, so I can't just pop in and do a couple of hours to keep things moving. I couldn't go there during the lockdown either, which was very frustrating.
Nevertheless, I am grateful that I have a garage at all and I am determined to finish the car one day.

Cheers, D.

Hi all,

Just a quick update. I was waiting for nearly 4 weeks to receive the flexi brake hoses which were on back order at Rimmers. They have now arrived and I have installed them together with new cupronickel brake pipes.

Attachment 7462

Attachment 7463

Attachment 7464

Attachment 7465

Attachment 7466


In the meantime I have done a few jobs. The chassis paint I used previously was not the best one in my opinion, so I have repainted the chassis and the frame with Hammerite.
I know that I won't drive this car much in the rain, but now I have good access, I have wax-oiled the cavities and exposed bits of the chassis before the floor panels are glued and fixed to the chassis.

I have also bought a new 1/4" cupronickel petrol pipe to replace the old one, which is the next job.

Also, I need a bit of advice from you guys please.

I am toying with the idea to install the petrol tank behind the seats, instead of behind the rear axle where it is meant to go now.

The reasons for it are:

1 - I assume that placing the tank in front of the rear axle (between the axles) the weight distribution would be better?

2 - I'm not sure if this is very important - as the petrol tank does not have any baffles inside, the petrol movement inside tank while driving would be less drastic at this position?

3 - Access and maintenance in the future would be better.

4 - I do not have enough space to put the spare wheel in the compartment behind the seats. In that case, I could maybe make a little boot and a compartment in there for the spare wheel.

That's it for now.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

Cheers, D.

I wouldn't worry too much about the weight distribution, it's going to be pretty front heavy no matter where you put your tank!

From a safety perspective, behind the seats would put the tank closer to the occupants, which is a bit disconcerting, but it would then be further away from the risk of intrusion damage in a rear-end shunt which is a good thing.

Your choice, really :)

Thank you Mister Towed, much appreciated.

I believe avoiding locating the fuel tank near to the rear is standard in modern cars for the very reason of rear damage. When I had a GTM (fuel tank in front between front 'axle' and bulkhead), a friend said they'd not like a tank in that position..... I responded "at least with it in front I may have some control in whether it collides with anything". They agreed that was a valid point :icon_eek:

Mitchelkitman thank you too for your advice. That makes sense, we can't totally control if someone will hit the car from behind.

When I joined up we had (Military spec.) Series 2 Land Rovers, which had the fuel tank and filler cap under the passenger seat. We used to joke that Land Rover put it there to make sure they never had to pay any personal injury claims, just funerals which would work out cheaper in the long run.

You had to lift the seat base up to fill the tank and they always stunk of fuel inside due to the inevitable spillages.

The diesel ones were the worst as the smell never dissipated and the front footwells were like an ice-rink due to a generous coating of fuel-oil, which would instantly transfer itself onto the soles of your boots when you climbed aboard.

That meant that the passenger couldn't brace their feet against the bulkhead in corners (see below) while the driver's feet would regularly slip off the highly polished bare metal clutch and brake pedals.

This would leave you kangarooing away from a standstill and then failing to stop at busy junctions because the driver's right leg was wedged between the clutch and brake pedals with their foot on the bulkhead. I'm fairly sure that Land Rover polished the pedals so they could blame the squaddie behind the wheel rather than their feeble brakes when one of their flagship models crashed, which they often did.

The petrol ones weren't quite as bad - your feet only slipped off the pedals when it rained, which was all the time, but at least the spilled fuel evaporated fairly quickly. This would have left the occupants as high as a kite if Land Rover had not thoughtfully provided plenty of ventilation in the cabin.

Unfortunately, they achieved that by ensuring that none of the panels fitted properly so there were huge gaps around the doors and where the canvas roof 'fitted' (I use the term loosely, which is appropriate given how slack they got after an initial nail-breaking period of too-tightness).

This clever design feature allowed plenty of fresh air to circulate in the cabin, along with rain, sleet, snow and midges, which are wee bitey things if you're nae Scottish.

It also meant things could easily get out, like important documents, dropped magazines (both ammunition and porn), vomit and the occasional passenger as the doors would hilariously pop open when cornering hard and nobody bothered to wear the static seatbelts, which were always a tangled mess hanging out of the door bottoms anyway. In fact I do have an ex-forces acqaintance who gets a war pension because of injuries sutained when he fell out of a Land Rover and went under the back wheels.

Anyway, I hope I haven't diverged too far off topic, and good luck finding a place for your fuel tank. I'd just recommend that you don't put it under the passenger seat...

:lol::lol::lol: MrT that made me laugh man, thank you.

Reading your story, I can only conclude that if the iconic Land Rover could get away with it, so can I, whatever I decide to do.... but I will definitely cross off the "under the passenger seat" option from my list of possible locations :wink:

I hope your build is going ok.

Cheers, D.

Glad I made you laugh, Deni.

I'm getting close to finalising my door apertures at the moment so I should have an update soon :)

Keep up the good work!

Thanks MrT, looking forward to seeing how the doors will turn out. They looked great in your recent post.

Cheers, D

Originally Posted by davecymru:
....Additionally to that and with the help of the nice chaps at Merlin Motorsport and the Triumph Owners Club forum, I've been doing a bit of research into the Vitesse Suspension as I'm not happy with how mine is sitting at the front and my local MOT men don't like chopped springs!

Here's an interesting read (with embedded charts) for anyone looking at altering their front suspension that shows you what std springs were fitted and advise for after-market spring rates:

http://club.triumph.org.uk/cgi-bin/f...?m-1294420747/

That shows us is the front spring rates and that the OEM ones are 2 3/4" internal diameter.

Now interestingly.... if you buy the height adjustable GAZ shocks from mssr's Rimmer, those were custom made for Rimmers with a 2 3/4" spring seat so you could fit the std springs!
I know this as the nice man at Merlin Motorsports rang them and asked for me

But... most after-market lowering springs, including the ones i'd bought previously specifically for the Vitesse (although i can't remember where from) are 2 1/2" Internal Diameter!

So, If you alter the spring seats down to 2 1/2" (not too hard i've found!), or buy some 2 1/2" spring seats for your shocks then suddenly the world is your lobster!!

And if you talk to the nice man at Merlin, you can opt for just about any length and rate of 2 1/2" spring that you'd ever want and for not a lot of money at all!!

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/s...ilover-springs

After my reading and measuring i have now ordered some 2 1/2" x 8" x 325lbs springs and we shall see what we shall see....







Hi,

I need to ask a question please? This is a quote from Dave Cymry's Miglia blog (I hope Dave that you still look at this forum now and then).

I will buy/part exchange the bottom spring seats, but I'm not sure what is the solution for the top plates that are on the original shocks, as they are used with the GAZ absorbers to fix them to the chassis.

Did you modify the original top spring plates in any way to fit the smaller diameter spring?

I know that I could buy springs from Rimmers, but they are longer and stiffer than the ones I would like to buy, and I would prefer not to cut the springs down.

Cheers, D.

I'm not sure what happened to the pictures in my blog, as I can see them anymore. Any suggestions please?

Cheers, D.

Hi Deni, I just checked back a few pages and I can't see the photos either. Perhaps send John/"JG" a PM as he is the forum 'master'. There have been a number of technical problems with posting stuff on here lately, so the photo issue might be linked to that. Good luck, Paul. :)

Thanks Paul, I will send him a message.

Cheers, D.

If you need springs, don’t go to the middle man, go to Faulkner springs directly…..

Hi Biggles,

Thanks for your advice, I'll contact Faulkner springs and check out what they charge.

Btw, do you know by any chance if there will be any fitting issues with the original Triumph top spring seats now I intend to use a smaller ID springs?

Cheers, D.

Just testing the photo upload

The photos below show the replacement of the handbrake cable and adding the attachment for the handbrake lever.

Hi all,

It's been a while....just a quick update of the recent work I done on the car.

However, it's been long time since I could view the photos on my thread. I have sent multiple emails to the admin, but it seems that nothing changed. This is very frustrating, but I will upload the photos anyway, maybe some of you can see them...

I started to fabricate the handbrake brackets for the spitfire handbrake. As the seating position is further back in Miglia, I have adapted a short cable (from Vauxhall Corsa I believe) to be able to fix the handbrake further back.

I have also braced the front sides of the frame, to make it a bit stronger in that area.

I have also replaced the springs and the shock absorbers. I swapped my 2.3/4" spring seats for 2.5" ones to be able to use the springs with 2.5" ID-there is much more choice of springs with this ID.
I opted for 9" long/170lb springs. The car sits much lower now and I can adjust the height further. I will make a final adjustments when I put the wheels I will be using and when the body is back on the frame.