Tarting up.

Started to fit out the boot tonite.

Also got all my final bits for tarting up into a pile, steering column, brackets and small parts.. might as well tart up everypiece inside as they have had a hard time over the last few years of unrelenting messing about. I don't intend any further mods to the inside of cockpit.

I will strip off the front suspension arms and rack and get that coated, but as the car felt a certain way at Combe and I knew exactly what it needed, it was my best friend in means of handling, after the Nurburgring Trip, day Curburough I don't want to pull it all apart yet.

I want get it running exactly as it was the day I blew the engine...So I can get back into the Spitfire driving and feel exactly what difference the motor swap has made by means of vastly changed weight distribution > reward...I haven't changed anything on the chassis, so should be as I left it! It had a touch to much understeer and the rear was glued to the road, it was so stable in any phase of a corner, on or over the limit.

I was having a look back through the blog tonite too. Interesting to see how my skills and understanding of parts in the market place, how to put they go good use has developed in the last 18months.

I look back at the car as it was 3-4 years ago and chuckle, guess we all have to start somewhere.

I was happy with the car visually and functionally in the entries in the blog at the end of July/August 2006 just before the blowup coming home from Combe. There was really nothing more I could do to simplify it or improve its performance or ancillary functions, it was perfect.

Kind of glad there has really been no showing of what it will look like as a package yet on the blog, just snippets of nice stuff surrounded by dust, mess and things that need cleaning up.

Its gonna be quite nice :)

The entries to this blog over the next few months will be a bling fest!

Fitting a few things to the boot was nice as it was the first stage of sticking back together a bare car! I like this stage of the project, just a bit or clean assembly with some tarting up inbetween and some small engineering tasks to complete. Takes how long it takes, there is no reason to rush anything, bodge anything.

Spied a suitable seat too. Its lightly used and weights about 3kilos.

Haven't really spent any great amount of cash on the car for months, infact nothing at all, its all been funded from selling parts of the last build and stuff I have accumulated. So I will buy this special seat I have been waiting on. Should be perfect. That should wrap up the cockpit, bar a decent harness and some gauges.

Now best get that bulkhead painted and those mounts welded in...Just need to get a helper round to put out the fires or hold a damp towel on the underseal that will instant combust, then bit more paint removal and stonechip there after! Also need to make/clean up the inspection hatch that allows access to the 3 bolts and stiffening plate holding the exhaust to the sill.....

Will fit a 1500 dashtop I think...Mines got rusty crust on the metal retaining strip, thats swelled to twice its size from rust and also some of the captive bolts have rusted off.