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Author Topic: `79 Spitfire  (Read 33301 times)

Offline normancw

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #40 on: May 06, 2014, 09:53:13 pm »
Quote from: Firm on May 05, 2014, 11:17:46 pm
Spitfire has been on the backburner since I got it running and driving. But yesterday I took a break from the yard and buffed out the paint on the trunk lid and rear deck area. Turned out really good, I had to remove the luggage rack, so i polished that too.
Looking good :thumbup:
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Offline Triple Bob

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #41 on: May 07, 2014, 08:50:21 pm »
Quote from: Firm on May 05, 2014, 11:17:46 pm
Spitfire has been on the backburner since I got it running and driving. But yesterday I took a break from the yard and buffed out the paint on the trunk lid and rear deck area. Turned out really good, I had to remove the luggage rack, so i polished that too.


Doesn't anyone around here have a job?

 :rofl2:
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Offline rrocket

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #42 on: May 07, 2014, 08:51:19 pm »
Quote from: Turbo Bob on May 07, 2014, 08:50:21 pm
Quote from: Firm on May 05, 2014, 11:17:46 pm
Spitfire has been on the backburner since I got it running and driving. But yesterday I took a break from the yard and buffed out the paint on the trunk lid and rear deck area. Turned out really good, I had to remove the luggage rack, so i polished that too.


Doesn't anyone around here have a job?

 :rofl2:

Maybe no kids?
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #43 on: May 07, 2014, 09:18:39 pm »
No kids here...I am only 25, give us some time!
"yesterday" was refering to Sunday...a weekend. I have one very stressful/demanding (11-13 hours a day) "normal" office/management job and I am a staff writer (weekly content) for an online car magazine (doubleclutch.ca). Between those, the cars, house renos and family stuff my life has become a very delicate balancing act...But I do my best to make the best of it and squeeze in some of the things I really enjoy when I can.

I do know what you mean though...Generally on weekdays I leave the house around 6:00am and don't return until around 7:00pm, so I don't really get to see what the neighbourhood looks like during a normal day. However, when I finally took a couple days off I was shocked to see 75% of people's cars just sitting in their driveway.
Seems like everyone but me has found some angle to get out of having to work like a rented mule everyday...
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #44 on: May 19, 2014, 11:11:00 pm »
Spent a solid 1/2 day on the car today.
Got one more fender (rear left) buffed out.
Scrubbed the interior and carpets
Pulled out the hackjob rear speakers
Fixed a melted contact in the fuse block and now have most of the exterior lights working!

Couple updated shots...Yes, the dashpad is destroyed, I have a new one to install sometime. I am also having some trouble with a stain on the driver's side seat bottom, I went at it with carpet cleaner but it's still there, although minimized now.
Also need to get on re-painting the wheels, they're really starting to drag down the overall look of the car now.



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Offline Arthur Dent

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #45 on: May 19, 2014, 11:13:24 pm »
Your radio antenna is snapped off like mine. Its looking but refreshed wheels should definitely make a difference.
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #46 on: May 19, 2014, 11:25:02 pm »
Yeah, that antenna is strange. I can't make much sense of it; it has a weird little metal cap thingy and a big screw in the middle of it. I have a selection of antenna's kicking around back at my parents place, so I'll just swap it out.
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Offline Arthur Dent

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #47 on: May 19, 2014, 11:29:21 pm »
Can you actually hear the radio when driving? I never could with my old Spitfire but it had a rather noisy Monza exhaust.
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #48 on: May 20, 2014, 08:48:42 am »
Nope. The only two speakers in the car where installed in the rear panel between the gas tank and the cockpit...Way too big for the space so they were warping the carboard panel...Plus the wires were disconnected. Yesterday I pull both of those out, so now there are no speakers in the car at all.
I did a little research and apparently the factory radio would have come with a single speaker installed in the passenger side glovebox/cubby hole, so I think that's what I am going to do. Unless you go all the way and install some boxed speakers on the rear shelf, and then cut up the door panels to install some there too, you're not going to hear anything anyways.
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #49 on: June 15, 2014, 10:18:26 pm »
Some more slow progress. Buffed out another rear quarter and the passenger door. Also got 2 of 5 (including spare) wheels refinished, I ordered some new chrome trim rings for them but they're not here yet. Also glued all the loose carpeting back into place inside the car.

From the doors back it's looking like a pretty tidy little car.





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Offline Arthur Dent

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #50 on: June 15, 2014, 10:28:10 pm »
That rear paint came out rear nice! Apparently chrome wheel rings from K-cars fit Spitfires - never tried myself though.
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Offline Brig

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #51 on: June 15, 2014, 10:29:12 pm »
Nice job!  Can't wait to see it when it's finished.   :)
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #52 on: June 15, 2014, 10:51:36 pm »
Thanks!
I am sure rings from any car with a 13' rim would "fit", the only question would be the depth of the ring...Spitfire original rings are 1.75inches deep, anything less than that ends up looking silly because it leaves too big of a gap - I see it a lot on cars at shows and it really bugs me, lol. Victoria British has a set on sale for $40, so I ordered them....Hopefully they've got the depth right.
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #53 on: July 21, 2014, 11:02:55 pm »
Been sluggling away at some landscape projects, so the Spitfire has kinda been ignored. But today I spent most of the afternoon with it. Finished buffing out the paint (so the whole car is nice and shiney now). Then dismantled the rear lamp assemblies, cleaned all the corrosion and crud out of them before finally cussing and swearing enough to get all the rear lighting working - except for the brake lights, which I've traced back to a faulty brake switch (ordered new for $4!).

Oh, also finished refinishing the last wheel.

In these pics you can see that the rear bumper has a bit of flaking chrome, I've been looking around for a good used bumper, but this one is presentable enough for me until I can find something better.







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Offline Arthur Dent

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #54 on: July 23, 2014, 07:10:46 pm »
Nice work. I just sold my bumper section like that. Shipping would have been killer though.
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Offline 5 Wheel Drive

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #55 on: July 24, 2014, 07:29:39 pm »
Looks great!
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Offline Firm

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #56 on: July 27, 2014, 10:25:39 pm »
Little more work this weekend. Fixed a broken exhaust and two broken exhaust hangers, sorted out a couple minor electrical tricks and removed the defrost vents from the dash so it's ready for the new replacement pad/overlay to go on next week.

Starting to look like a respectable car.....Surface rust spot repair is next on my list, after the dash.



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Offline KD

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #57 on: July 27, 2014, 10:57:09 pm »
^ Looking really nice! Great work! :thumbup:
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Offline Arthur Dent

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #58 on: July 27, 2014, 11:10:15 pm »
Looks fantastic!
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Offline Scaerio

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Re: `79 Spitfire
« Reply #59 on: July 27, 2014, 11:32:59 pm »
Great work!
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