Is the Spitfire going to be ok outside?
Discussion
Well I did an oil change on Saturday and I have fully flushed the water system twice and refilled with clean water and 33% antifreeze so it should be fine.
I hear horror stories about frozen diffs though!
Been told not to take it out on salted roads which makes sense I suppose, planning on starting it each week but didn't really fancy taking it out.
I hear horror stories about frozen diffs though!
Been told not to take it out on salted roads which makes sense I suppose, planning on starting it each week but didn't really fancy taking it out.
D18OCK said:
Well I did an oil change on Saturday
(and filter) that's a good start I always recommend buying the correct owners handbook and doing a full and proper 36,000 miles serviceD18OCK said:
and I have fully flushed the water system twice and refilled with clean water and 33% antifreeze so it should be fine.
again a good start - I'm going to get accused of being patronising now - back flushing and shaking rad and heater matrix, using cleaning agent and not forgetting engine block - tap water isn't best thing to useD18OCK said:
I hear horror stories about frozen diffs though!
Nope, I'm lost on that but oil change always useful (part of 36k service) D18OCK said:
Been told not to take it out on salted roads which makes sense I suppose, planning on starting it each week but didn't really fancy taking it out.
If you can clean it after, especially underneath, then you can take it out on salted roadsJust starting the car and not driving it will do it no good really, what about brakes, clutch, gear, wheels, suspension, and on and on, and you learning about your car
I may be wrong but you seem inexperienced with classic cars, as we all were at some time, so I'd suggest you join a club where some are actually using their classic cars regularly and during winter and learn by their experiences
If you want, email me and I’ll suggest one of the best to look after your car and best to stay well clear of
Edited by Nigel At on Tuesday 30th November 17:05
Frozen diff??? siberia maybe but not here in the uk.
Your worst case scenario you might loose a core plug in the engine, but if you have decent antifreeze it should sort it. I run 50/50 antifreeze in the spit over the winter, its been sat outside 5 years now, winter and summer underneath a decent car cover.
Its not ideal, but it does.
I however disagree, starting the engine and leaving it running for 30mins of so every couple of weeks will keep the battery topped up, keep the seals lubricated throughout the engine and gearbox, and also keep the antifreeze circulated.
Btw this is my spitfire at the moment complete with its snow spoiler, and i cleared 5" of snow off it yesterday afternoon!
underneath that is a spitfire with an engine in pieces in situ, i wholey expect a core plug popped when i uncover it again, i never had the chance to rebuild the engine before winter hit and get the antifreeze circulated.
If you dont have one though get a decent car cover, i buy the extreme covers from hamilton classics, they are fantastic value, im on my 2nd one now first one lasted 3 years! in all weathers.
Your worst case scenario you might loose a core plug in the engine, but if you have decent antifreeze it should sort it. I run 50/50 antifreeze in the spit over the winter, its been sat outside 5 years now, winter and summer underneath a decent car cover.
Its not ideal, but it does.
I however disagree, starting the engine and leaving it running for 30mins of so every couple of weeks will keep the battery topped up, keep the seals lubricated throughout the engine and gearbox, and also keep the antifreeze circulated.
Btw this is my spitfire at the moment complete with its snow spoiler, and i cleared 5" of snow off it yesterday afternoon!
underneath that is a spitfire with an engine in pieces in situ, i wholey expect a core plug popped when i uncover it again, i never had the chance to rebuild the engine before winter hit and get the antifreeze circulated.
If you dont have one though get a decent car cover, i buy the extreme covers from hamilton classics, they are fantastic value, im on my 2nd one now first one lasted 3 years! in all weathers.
Edited by mattius on Wednesday 1st December 00:19
mattius said:
I however disagree, starting the engine and leaving it running for 30mins of so every couple of weeks will keep the battery topped up, keep the seals lubricated throughout the engine and gearbox, and also keep the antifreeze circulated.
We have different opinions, nothing wrong with that, I think if you're going to run it for 30 minutes you might as well drive it and have the rest of the car working and giving you more oppitunity to check for faults and to learn, or remind you, how your whole car runsAlso driving the car will vary the stresses, loads and pressures and as I said will fully work the clucth, gears, brakes, ect.
If I'm right, it takes 15 mins of running to put back the charge you took out the battery by starting the car
Driving the car will certainly lubricate the seals and circulate the antifreeze (Darren, antifreeze does more than just stopping the water from freezing)
For a car that you intend to regularly use, in my personal opinion, an outdoor car cover can be a nuisance, before you can put it on you need the car to be clean and dry and once you have the cover on it makes you reluctant to take the car out for a quick drive because it then means you have to wash and dry the car before you can put the cover back on and you have to have the correct weather and time to clean and dry the car
All my personal opinion and experience
whilst i agree with your points, in weather like this there is no way i would drive a spitfire, hence i say just run the engine until it is safe to drive it.
also if you get a breathable car cover then you do not need to be as pernickety about before covering the car up, in bad conditions i throw the cover over the car, in good conditions i uncover it and make sure its dried out.
also if you get a breathable car cover then you do not need to be as pernickety about before covering the car up, in bad conditions i throw the cover over the car, in good conditions i uncover it and make sure its dried out.
I suppose yeah I am a complete novice when it comes to maintaining a classic, I can cut, make panels and weld but never actually had a car worth looking after before! Part of the reason for buying it was to teach myself some more mechanical skills.
This is my point exactly though there are so many conflicting theories regarding what to do with it in the cold that it can become a little daunting.
I have bought the manual and I am a member of Club Triumph now. I think it is preped for winter in that it has had a full oil and filter change, (this took forever due to warn pipes and clips.) Its now been properly flushed and filled with antifreeze. I also serviced the carbs whilst I was at it and had a good clean up and inspection of the underside and engine bay. Its kept in a dry garage (until Thurs) and generally well looked after. Despite all this and my yearn to drive my newly acquired toy, I have to say that I really do not fancy driving it in this weather, its hard enough driving a modern car where I live and more importantly I don't want to have it smashed up by some 17 year old oik!
Bearing that in mind surely it is better to start it occasionally even if not driven. I think i'll trickle charge the battery over winter.
Maybe when the weather drys out a bit it would be nice to take it out on salted raods though I can't really get under it properly in the garage to clean it - so not ideal.
Not sure where all this frozen diff rubbish comes from, unfortunately there is alot of rubbish out there on the net. Kind of like the self diagnosis websites!
The main thing is I think it'll be ok for a few days so long as the roof doesn't break with sheer weight of snow or hungry polar bear!
So thanks for the help and healthy debate guys, save for the first unhelpful and rather uneccesary comment! It's not JUST a car, it's my pride and joy!
What are you each driving by the way?
BTW Mattius I am loving the snow spoiler!
Daz
This is my point exactly though there are so many conflicting theories regarding what to do with it in the cold that it can become a little daunting.
I have bought the manual and I am a member of Club Triumph now. I think it is preped for winter in that it has had a full oil and filter change, (this took forever due to warn pipes and clips.) Its now been properly flushed and filled with antifreeze. I also serviced the carbs whilst I was at it and had a good clean up and inspection of the underside and engine bay. Its kept in a dry garage (until Thurs) and generally well looked after. Despite all this and my yearn to drive my newly acquired toy, I have to say that I really do not fancy driving it in this weather, its hard enough driving a modern car where I live and more importantly I don't want to have it smashed up by some 17 year old oik!
Bearing that in mind surely it is better to start it occasionally even if not driven. I think i'll trickle charge the battery over winter.
Maybe when the weather drys out a bit it would be nice to take it out on salted raods though I can't really get under it properly in the garage to clean it - so not ideal.
Not sure where all this frozen diff rubbish comes from, unfortunately there is alot of rubbish out there on the net. Kind of like the self diagnosis websites!
The main thing is I think it'll be ok for a few days so long as the roof doesn't break with sheer weight of snow or hungry polar bear!
So thanks for the help and healthy debate guys, save for the first unhelpful and rather uneccesary comment! It's not JUST a car, it's my pride and joy!
What are you each driving by the way?
BTW Mattius I am loving the snow spoiler!
Daz
i drive a 1979 Spitfire 1500 race car, hoping to get it finished to regulation spec next year.
I've rebuilt it from scratch every panel has been been replaced and the whole engine and drivetrain rebuilt and blueprinted.
you can see the complete build here
http://www.mattinglis.com/copp/thumbnails.php?albu...
I've rebuilt it from scratch every panel has been been replaced and the whole engine and drivetrain rebuilt and blueprinted.
you can see the complete build here
http://www.mattinglis.com/copp/thumbnails.php?albu...
Edited by mattius on Wednesday 1st December 14:01
Nom nom nom!
That looks awesome! I wish my engine bay looked that nice! I thought my new Spit was in good nick but its nothing compared to yours!
Impressive piece of work.
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...
That looks awesome! I wish my engine bay looked that nice! I thought my new Spit was in good nick but its nothing compared to yours!
Impressive piece of work.
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...
Firstly that is a very smart car you’ve got Matt
I’m sure there’ll be some Spit owners who use them as dailies so will be driving through the winter, thin tyres help, I certainly drove my previous MGs thro’ the snow but will admit sometimes struggling with a Mk3 Cortina (with wider 185 tyres) in the snow of 1990
I’ve had thick, heavy duty, vented and thin, breathable, full outdoor covers through a few winters, I’ve have thought a breathable car cover on a wet car at the moment would mean it would freeze on to the car
I’ve used classics as dailies and for work for 20 years so have knowledge and experience of winter running
Darren I agree you’re right to be cautious of taking your car out at the moment but in a week or two the roads could be dry and unsalted so you could drive your Spit then and not worry about salt, if it’s a weekday then take a long route to and from work, it’ll brighten your day
I think learning about your car in the winter is better than in the summer because you learn to drive your car in less than ideal conditions and you’re not caught out when these conditions happen again, it’ll build your confidence in the car and mean you can drive it anytime
So I say don’t trickle charge the battery (unless it has an immobiliser) and don’t just start it drive it – even last winter we only had a couple of weeks of snow
In the last 10 years, including last year’s 30 year record, near where I live, which is not far from Beds, the average number of days per year it sleeted or snowed is under 11 and a lot less for the snow actually settling – don’t believe me, check here – http://www.northantsweather.org.uk/
During the ‘70s it is very likely that your car was driven all year round and it was possibly not in as good condition as it is now
Get a top cover if you’re worried about the roof leaking, all the soft tops I’ve had didn’t leak (see my Profile for my cars)
I’ll take a photo of my present Midget when it snows heavy again as it not quite as nice as Matt's
I’m sure there’ll be some Spit owners who use them as dailies so will be driving through the winter, thin tyres help, I certainly drove my previous MGs thro’ the snow but will admit sometimes struggling with a Mk3 Cortina (with wider 185 tyres) in the snow of 1990
I’ve had thick, heavy duty, vented and thin, breathable, full outdoor covers through a few winters, I’ve have thought a breathable car cover on a wet car at the moment would mean it would freeze on to the car
I’ve used classics as dailies and for work for 20 years so have knowledge and experience of winter running
Darren I agree you’re right to be cautious of taking your car out at the moment but in a week or two the roads could be dry and unsalted so you could drive your Spit then and not worry about salt, if it’s a weekday then take a long route to and from work, it’ll brighten your day
I think learning about your car in the winter is better than in the summer because you learn to drive your car in less than ideal conditions and you’re not caught out when these conditions happen again, it’ll build your confidence in the car and mean you can drive it anytime
So I say don’t trickle charge the battery (unless it has an immobiliser) and don’t just start it drive it – even last winter we only had a couple of weeks of snow
In the last 10 years, including last year’s 30 year record, near where I live, which is not far from Beds, the average number of days per year it sleeted or snowed is under 11 and a lot less for the snow actually settling – don’t believe me, check here – http://www.northantsweather.org.uk/
During the ‘70s it is very likely that your car was driven all year round and it was possibly not in as good condition as it is now
Get a top cover if you’re worried about the roof leaking, all the soft tops I’ve had didn’t leak (see my Profile for my cars)
I’ll take a photo of my present Midget when it snows heavy again as it not quite as nice as Matt's
Good advice.
I will get the car out again soon. I have a hard top already but it isn't in great condition and could do with a little work (or rather a full strip down and repaint). More concerningly the window fit is terrible when the hardtop is on! Not really sure why.
Midgets are nice. Until recently I was working on the full restoration of a 68 Sprite, I love that car. Maybe go back to it in the summer.
I will get the car out again soon. I have a hard top already but it isn't in great condition and could do with a little work (or rather a full strip down and repaint). More concerningly the window fit is terrible when the hardtop is on! Not really sure why.
Midgets are nice. Until recently I was working on the full restoration of a 68 Sprite, I love that car. Maybe go back to it in the summer.
Please don't mention Spidgets in a Spit thread you'll upset some of the Triumph lot 
I personally dislike hardtops and unless you have a security "issue" or your soft top leaks like a sieve I don't see the need for them
- put it this way, with the soft top you could drive somewhere in pouring rain and when it's time to return if the weather has changed you can drop the soft top
with a hard top your stuck it has to remain on when you could have enjoyed top down driving
Even in the winter there are many days when top down driving is very enjoyable yes fair enough on most you'll need possibly a jacket, hat, scarf and gloves but youd probably be putting those on when you get out of the car anyway
And again a nice bracing drive can make the journey to and from work much more acceptable
Assuming you've driven your Sprite (whoops) you'll know that it is very different to the Spit
I've never driven a Spit (I imagine it's similar to the GT6) as my mate got rid of his before I had a chance but if you want to swap drives I'm fully insured if you are and we could meet in suitable weather, plenty of good pubs between us
My car is recognised as quite a good drive if not show standards cosmetically
I've just checked we've only had 4 days where it's actually snowed here and then not much, Wigan had none apparently
I personally dislike hardtops and unless you have a security "issue" or your soft top leaks like a sieve I don't see the need for them
- put it this way, with the soft top you could drive somewhere in pouring rain and when it's time to return if the weather has changed you can drop the soft top
with a hard top your stuck it has to remain on when you could have enjoyed top down driving
Even in the winter there are many days when top down driving is very enjoyable yes fair enough on most you'll need possibly a jacket, hat, scarf and gloves but youd probably be putting those on when you get out of the car anyway
And again a nice bracing drive can make the journey to and from work much more acceptable
Assuming you've driven your Sprite (whoops) you'll know that it is very different to the Spit
I've never driven a Spit (I imagine it's similar to the GT6) as my mate got rid of his before I had a chance but if you want to swap drives I'm fully insured if you are and we could meet in suitable weather, plenty of good pubs between us
My car is recognised as quite a good drive if not show standards cosmetically
I've just checked we've only had 4 days where it's actually snowed here and then not much, Wigan had none apparently
Anyone know if Spitfire hoods that are in good condition and fitted reasonably well generally leak ?
I've known with previous cars I've had that others have said the hoods leak but not on my cars so I can only assume theirs were not fitted properly
I've known with previous cars I've had that others have said the hoods leak but not on my cars so I can only assume theirs were not fitted properly
Edited by Nigel At on Thursday 2nd December 11:25
The main problem is at the top of the door windows with the hoods.
However with the mk4/1500 as long as the frame is in good condition and the hood is tensioned right it shouldnt be anymore than just a tiny dribble if anything.
Mk3 hoods dont have as good a frame which presses against the windows, and mk2/1 frame has nothing in that area. Cause of my full roll bar at the back im using a mk1 hood frame with a 1500 hood, im still playing with the tension to get the windows sealed.
be ware although a nice drive in a spit can be fun at this time of year, watch that backend on greasey corners.
This was my mk3 spit that almost cost my life.
However with the mk4/1500 as long as the frame is in good condition and the hood is tensioned right it shouldnt be anymore than just a tiny dribble if anything.
Mk3 hoods dont have as good a frame which presses against the windows, and mk2/1 frame has nothing in that area. Cause of my full roll bar at the back im using a mk1 hood frame with a 1500 hood, im still playing with the tension to get the windows sealed.
be ware although a nice drive in a spit can be fun at this time of year, watch that backend on greasey corners.
This was my mk3 spit that almost cost my life.
Good advice about driving caution
Most accidents are driver errors - I know all of mine have been
Even those accidents where car faults have contributed most will be where the driver and/or owner haven't properly maintained or inspected the vehicle
"Oil spills" are usually blamed for many spins
Greasy roads mean lower your speed and adjust your driving to the prevailing conditions
When people say "I wasn't going fast" they rarely accept that however low the speed it wasn't was low enough, either that or they lost contol not the car
This is the reason I think it's better to learn to drive in winter especially with a rear wheel drive and classic - how many (for example) MX-5s are bought and driven in spring and summer to slide off a roundabout when it rains a bit or in autumn and winter
Of course some things can't be antiscipated that's when accidents happen
Most accidents are driver errors - I know all of mine have been
Even those accidents where car faults have contributed most will be where the driver and/or owner haven't properly maintained or inspected the vehicle
"Oil spills" are usually blamed for many spins
Greasy roads mean lower your speed and adjust your driving to the prevailing conditions
When people say "I wasn't going fast" they rarely accept that however low the speed it wasn't was low enough, either that or they lost contol not the car
This is the reason I think it's better to learn to drive in winter especially with a rear wheel drive and classic - how many (for example) MX-5s are bought and driven in spring and summer to slide off a roundabout when it rains a bit or in autumn and winter
Of course some things can't be antiscipated that's when accidents happen
Classic cars need treated differently to your moderns, my spitfire was my first car i learnt to drive in it, yet i still got caught out on a diesel spill on a damp road, was i going to fast? doubt it was cruising, but i may have put the power down on the exit to the bend, it was a leason on how to drive on slick tyres on a damp greasy road.
You learn to respect the road, the conditions, adapt your style of driving to the conditions. Its a fantastic learning experience but if you push the limits you dont get away with it like you do a modern box.
You learn to respect the road, the conditions, adapt your style of driving to the conditions. Its a fantastic learning experience but if you push the limits you dont get away with it like you do a modern box.
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