Inspecting my terrible Triumph Spitfire

[@BrutalSavageYT]

that message from your dad really hit me in the feels, i unfortunatley will never receive that message from my dad as i lost him last year. he was 57 years old was told he had cancer and was gone in 3 months. it ripped me to pieces because im not sure ive ever met a stronger, prouder man and to see him fall apart that fast was crushing. if you have kids tell them you love them everyday and dont fall out over silly things youll regret it one day 😞

[@benedictmarshall7031]

Sage advice.

[@gavinrewell9703]

Sorry for your loss mate. Good advice.

[@BrutalSavageYT]

@@gavinrewell9703 cheers mate

[@nicklewis2734]

I am very sorry for your loss. I lost my Dad several years back, he was 58 yrs old so fit and healthy. To this day he is always in My heart.. God bless you and take care mate

[@BrutalSavageYT]

@@nicklewis2734 im not sure it something you ever get over but i sure hope it will get easier 😞thank you mate same to you ❤

[@juststeve5542]

It's called the choke because it restricts the air intake. BTW, can't help noticing... Nino gets a lovely new post lift, and then immediately sets to work on a car where you can change the clutch slave cylinder and even remove the gearbox, with all the wheels firmly on the ground! 😂

[@ricardomarcelino8388]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ReviveAndDrive-mk1]

So yhat means the car says ,,CHOKE ME DADDYY,, every morning 😂

[@juststeve5542]

@@ReviveAndDrive-mk1 Now I understand why Nino wants to work on old cars, and not these ones with speech interfaces! 😂

[@ferrumignis]

Bit of a misnomer in the case of the SU as the air inlet isn't restricted to provide enrichment.

[@juststeve5542]

​@@ferrumignis indeed, but the effect is the same, reduce the air to fuel ratio. I wonder if the control inside the car still shows the flap partially blocking a tube, or does it just say "CHOKE"

[@Audimad52]

Your dads comment bought a tear to my eye. Now time to learn to weld mate. Its not super hard. Clean = good welds.

[@stephen9937]

Dads are great ☺️ mine passed 10 years ago and I miss him everyday…. Love you dad 🍺

[@Lemma01]

Can't say more than that. Same for me. ❤

[@GuyAbbott-z2d]

Choke because you choke it of air so the mixture is rich. Top work keep it going

[@6581punk]

Yep, which is why the choke symbol was a sort of closed flap.

[@FixItLikeAGirl]

Me and my daughter have bought a blue one of these and are restoring it we appriciate this video as we need to do the clutch on ours soon as its slipping but ours is alot less rusty. The clutch does look quite straight forward and easy to teach her for her first clutch.

[@coop_coop007]

The button on the gear stick is for an overdrive, its a long time but I think it is for 3rd & 4th gear only, it needs an electrical input somewhere to make it operate, might be worth researching it a bit to see if its causing a issue if it is engaged. It may be engaged even though the button is reading its not. When voltage is applied to the actuator it should make a clunk as it engages, I think. Its been a long time. Was a desireable optional extra at the time, like adding a fifth gear.

[@muttznutts7465]

I thought this as well. Only ever had experience of this type of overdrive on a series land rover. That had electrical issues and sometimes wouldn't go into 1st or 2nd. Limping home by pulling away in 4th low range then shifting up to high range became too common and land rovers were cheep as chips then so it was sold not fixed (by me anyway). I think having a play about with the O/D is definitely worth trying.

[@spellacy29]

I think the gearbox might be fine. Overdrive inhibitor switch stops it going into reverse with overdrive in. Could be the same for first and second gear. I actually think you found the gears, just didn't realise it. I think you have to lift the lever to get into reverse iirc. I have a Spitfire 1300 with the earlier 3 rail box with overdrive. Enjoying this. Keep going! 😊

[@coop_coop007]

@@spellacy29 Yeah, what he said.

[@MrValeDale]

The prospect of you starting to weld on this channel makes me all excited!

[@cm4988]

I got exactly the same one. Spitfire 1500 in Inca yellow. It took me a lot of time to fully restore it. But it was absolutely worth the time. Right now it's a wonderful vintage car from the 70th. So please take care for this beautiful Spiti and try to bring it back to life.

[@leon0]

Maybe you could drive your restored Inca Spit down to Nino, so he can see what a finished one is like?

[@cm4988]

@@leon0 Oh no, he told us, he will not do a full restoration for us. With my car, i have actually held every single screw and nut in my hand

[@TheOriginal_BigMac]

Me too, same year as well. And mine needs a bit of welding on the floor. I'll be watching with interest

[@neilbradford4958]

We all proud of you Nino, it's why you have our support, with the little we give you to be a Patrion. Hands down the best channel on KZbin 👍

[@TaviUrsu15]

I think if you were to involve your dad into the videos would be awesome! There’s nothing more satisfying than having father and son projects, for both us the viewers and definitely for you and your dad❤️❤️

[@davesvanlife7024]

Think you made a lot of grown men have tears in their eyes from your dad’s message, myself included. You’re one of the best channels on KZbin, keep it up. 👍🤘

[@GrahameFarr]

Hi Nino - I’ve owned a 1980 spitfire (also in yellow) for 4 years, bringing it back from very tatty to presentable. Good luck with her - I’ve loved bringing mine back to life.

[@strangeknight3751]

On mine , 1st and 2nd are push to the left, up for 1st, down for second. In neutral push forward would be 3rd, pull back 4th. Reverse is pull the stick up, move to the right and push up 👍

[@brycechessum4684]

The overdrive only works on 3rd and 4th gear Ive owned an Austin with overdrive that worked from a centrifugal switch which when bypassed to a push button gave overdrive in all forward gears, later versions in Hillmans have a switch in the remote shift to activate overdrive, Triumphs have a switch on the gear shift, turn the overdrive off. The manufacturer went to a lot of trouble to lock 1st and 2nd gear out of their overdrives. turn the overdrive off and try it again the clutch will be fine.

[@ketoandyuk4816]

This is now my go to channel when your working on the spitfire. So pleased you have decided to keep it and work on it. There is nothing that can't be repaired on them. Can't wait for the next episode on it

[@KrisDouglas]

I am actually surprised just how solid the frame is! I was one of the bullies on the last video trying to convince you to keep it, but it actually looks like you've fallen on to something better than it looks. The twist in the body will be as you say, the floors being weak, as well as the body mounts. All of that is fairly accessible sheet metal repairs though.

[@brycechessum4684]

Body mounts rot away on Heralds these are based on the Herald

[@NotEconomicallyViable]

Yeah, I'm surprised too. The state of the body would certainly make it seem otherwise!

[@davidcooke6803]

I lost my dad in 2022, he told me he was proud of me a couple of months prior to his death in April. That choked me as well. That car is great and that message should be the key to restoration, great videos, please carry on with them!

[@siweljdforp]

The button on the gear knob operates a Laycock overdrive. This works via a solenoid-activated planetary gearset sitting between the manual transmission and the driveshaft. It provides a reduction in gear ratio across all gears when you click the switch. Why? It aids fuel economy. Good luck with this partial rebuild; I used to have a Mk IV Spitfire in red and it was a pleasure to drive and work on. The most accessible engine I've ever serviced!

[@MrSHAUNE55]

For roll pins you need a punch the same size as the outer diameter of the pin, if you use a tapered punch it just goes inside the pin and expands it making it grip more as you hit it.

[@struanrobertson3417]

Another option is just to drill them out and fit new pins.

[@craighammond2676]

Obviously love the content; but also the comments from the community. Lots of very knowledgeable people who all love cars. I cherish you all.

[@dashcamnorm8254]

Great video before you remove the body it would be a good idea to get your door gaps right then weld bracing bars across the door gaps and across the body so it doesn’t go out of shape when you cut out the rust . All the best loving the new work shop.

[@stevenholton438]

Good advice!

[@olliewebbuk]

Rimmer Bros will have everything you need.

[@vannicrider7953]

I love the dad moment and will definitely send similar to my sons to remind them I an so proud too.

[@coltonkruse2313]

Gosh dang it Nino! I come here to look at rusty junky cars. Not to be crying about wishing I had parents who literally gave a shit about anything I did. I'm proud of you too buddy! Hope you are having a good one. Glad to see you are going to get into some body work on this old crusty spitfire.

[@kevbrown7137]

Cherish those moments while you can.... Dad taught us everything Car related... Sadly passed 20 years ago Working on vehicles these days, sometimes a struggle, a sense hes somehow looking over our shoulders still 🙏 Nice addition to the youtube vid chap.

[@brucemelton4983]

Its a Triumph, I personally have owned over a dozen. from 1967 2000s , spitfires etc. they are great cars and have a huge part of my history. and I agree with your Dad, you're a good sort mate 😁

[@richardnewman8983]

Hello from Dronfield Derbyshire I just love watching your videos they are always entertaining and is never boring. I could see that you got choked up because of what your Dad said to you in a Text message and it was really heartfelt. My Beautiful son Nathan Died at Christmas of a massive heart attack he was only 28 he was an amazing son and we always told each other how much we love each other. But now all I have is memories. I believe you should always tell your children/family that you love them every day because as I know one day they may not be around to tell them. You must have an amazing Dad who clearly loves his son and so he should because you are a down to earth family man. I can not wait to see the spitfire back on the road I have always loved spitfire cars my teacher had one. So I want to say Thank You for making my life a little normal concidering what I have been through and being disabled and suffering with severe mental health issues and self harm your videos take my mind off the here and now and I can for a short while disappear into the world of cars which me and my son love so much. So thank you again and I am so sorry for such a long message and again thank you. Keep up the good work and I hope you go from strength to strength in everything you do for yourself and your lovely family. Kind regards Richard

[@Jeeves231]

I do love watching this channel, from the videos on the mini, to the landrover that needed sacrifices of blood, and now watching this video, it’s great watching someone who is learning at the same time as making cars better, much like myself, working things out as we go. Keep going with the great videos mate 😊

[@craigvirgin8461]

Hi Nino. Loving the channel and your plans for this car. A couple of suggestions. The switch on the gearbox is for an overdrive, a very desirable option (I'm sure you know this). If this is engaged, could it be locking out 1st and 2nd? Sort the door gaps out and weld braces in before you take the body off and start cutting metal out. Poppy's patina coating is popular amongst rat-rodders, Keep up the excellent work.

[@paultaylor9652]

Years ago, sadly parents didn't do that to their children, you've got a great father there Nino. Keep up with the great videos young man, well you're young to me😉

[@kellybrickey4300]

I don't want to make light of the car adventure, but your dad is star of this one. Hey, Nino's dad, good on ya for being that guy.

[@leon0]

I'm so happy you decided to do this. No, it doesn't make sense. It's not economically viable. So, perfect perfect perfect. These are cars to love. You have a lot of hard, vexing and dirty work ahead but I'm sure you'll never look back. Well done Nino. And thanks for letting us come with you on this journey.

[@maverick4220]

I love this beauty, 100% worth getting it back on the road. Honestly this has to be 1 of my top 3 cars you've worked on this channel.

[@gavcoopey9542]

The message from your old man really hit in the feels!! Agree with your next steps in pulling the body off - make your own rotisserie if you have to or buy a cheap one to get started…will make the body repair easier and will be way easier to move the body about in your shop. Also, you will probably need to brace the body before you separate it from the chassis just so it doesn’t continue to flex all over the place. With the body out the way, all the mechanical jobs will be uber-easy! When you get that ‘box back off I would replace the rear main oil seal…it’s been sat for 13/14 years so the chance of the seal letting go are pretty high IMO…add that to the list of ‘while I’m in there’ jobs 👍🏻

[@mattburrell4412]

I'd like to see it shiny again, but saving it from the scrappy is priority number one! Love the channel by the way!

[@NotEconomicallyViable]

Thanks bud

[@stevieshutts]

See if you can get hold of a Vincent Hurricane body for it - complete grp body replacement. They are such a simple and easy car to work on, if you can sort the chassis and mechanicals, a grp body makes for a very nice car.

[@deanriley1284]

These cars were never made well but they brilliant once sorted out. Had one for 15 years and love it! You can almost everything for them and none of it is really expensive!!

[@Isabella135i]

No one deserved a car lift more than this guy 💪

[@philhorswill-fj1ys]

Alright, bought my Spitfire in 1990. First car I ever had. Moved to Germany in 1993 ,brought the car over two years later. Anyway, the chassis likes to rust around the diff area. Need to jack up on thr chassis and not the body, called a back bone chassis. Called a choke because , you choke the carb of air to give a richer mixture. Fantastic channel . Keep it up, Gruß aus Deutschland. Phil Horswill, ps served me time at Manweb as a mechanic!!

[@PaddyBoy644]

You’re doing some great work mate, I’ve only recently discovered your channel. It’s always nice to get some positive support especially when it comes from a dad. Thanks for the hard work and content. Cheers Pat🇦🇺

[@stevefoxg]

Loved it when your Dad texted you that he is proud of you - and you are doing great things!

[@charleswatson7281]

Don’t forget to weld bracing bars across he door gaps and also across the front and back of the shell to hold it in position

[@praite81]

Another excellent video. Your positive attitude and “Everyman” approach is both relatable and inspiring! Low budget, make do and mend… I’m watching and learning loads about cars for when I get my lad his first in a few months 👍

[@Cellestion]

Aww that was lovely of your Dad. I nearly teared up too ❤ you are a nice humble guy and deserve all the success for what you do.

[@stephenbates4987]

A few kind words are so important, you are an inspiration to so many , you deserve so much good luck.

[@stephenbates4987]

I had one of these back in the seventies so have fond memories of them , so it’s good to see it being saved, they are not the best for courting in though.

[@HJRgarage]

Glad to see you decided to try and get the spitfire on the road! I’m welding my MGB with a gasless MIG welder and it’s more than adequate and probably the easiest welding to get into for someone without experience. Doesn’t leave pretty welds but they are very strong 👍🏻 good luck with it!

[@johngraziano6652]

I admire your Perserverance. I am about to get back my 1976 spitfire which i actually owned in 1983. I am also not a mechanic so this is a new venture foe me.. I have no idea what im in for but ive already learned alot from you! keep it up! Please!

[@PaulRansonArt]

I well remember MOT testing one of these years ago. As the ramp went up the middle went down! The car was rotted almost through ( an old cut and shut maybe? ) Needless to say it was dragged to the nearest scrap yard. Now it would be fixed and driven again. If only we had crystal balls back then 😃😃

[@dennisking1555]

4 years ago I picked up the wheeler dealer spitfire from London, it’s taken that long to get to a nearly perfect, still needs small cockpit jobs doing but it’s nearly done , you will be very pleased when you have finished the car I wish you luck and will stay with your progress, ☘️👍👍

[@phillipclaridge3112]

Great to have a Dad like yours - mine was a WW2 vet and he always had difficulty with feelings! I watched this episode and unlike your other contributors, I cannot get behind the concept suggested. For me it is go hard or go home. If it is not going to be done properly then it isn't worth doing - or watching!

[@Theoobovril]

Yes, now going to become a very interesting renovation project/video, great.

[@martinbeaumont1135]

Love the Spitfire and a lot of the Triumph 2 seaters (oh the Stag, be still my beating heart❤) Dry weather rat rod is a great idea 👍

[@TheColinspain]

Please restore it. I had one in my 20's and I'm now 80. Loved every minute of it. Suggest you remove the bonnet easy to do and makes working on the engine much easier. Also put a camber compensator on the rear suspension makes all the difference to the roadholding. Thanks for an excellent channel.

[@neutonrenda2303]

I still can't believe how sweet it still sounds, look at it!!! Absolutely amazing.👍

[@paultinker1963]

A big learning curve. But I reckon you’ll get there and you are one of the better blokes on the tube.

[@turbo4x4buggy]

In 1991 I helped my brother swap a spitfire body from a recently fully restored car to another spitfire with a bad engine but great body, removing the bodies I remember was pretty straight forward in a single garage without a lift, it makes all the driveline components super easy to work on. Good luck with the welding I learned much later in life myself and its a great skill to learn of course practice makes perfect, I built a couple of roll cages first then a custom off roader after that. Mind your back though don't be afraid of asking for help or using your engine crane to help lift heavy items, great videos, great editing and looking forward to more content, cheers

[@theoriginalracingsnake]

Can Bianca feature more please? Crikey! And I just did exactly what you said to do, told my daughter how proud I was of her, and how amazing she is. Thank you, for the inclusion of that response you had, it was lovely mate, really lovely. Made me miss my Dad.

[@NewBeetleBits-y2k]

That's his sister

[@theoriginalracingsnake]

@@NewBeetleBits-y2k Yep, I watched with the sound on too. Doesn't change the fact that Bianca should feature more.

[@francisouellette5938]

You're now my favorite tinkering mechanic on youtube. And the funniest to boot. Hell, you even laugh at yourself which I'm sure you got from me...😅 Please continue what you are doing as you are doing it. I can relate to what you're doing. Happy that your dad messaged you he was proud of you. Mine encouraged me with a wonderful "this will never work again" when he saw me thinkering on my bike. Confidence building that was...

[@NotEconomicallyViable]

Appreciate that bud 🤝

[@paulwhelan7105]

Aw mate - that message from your dad, what a moment :) Without wanting to get too Dominic Toretto, family - if you're lucky enough t have them - is what it's all about. Keep up the great work. All the best to you, Naomi, & your little one, & of course I look forward to winning one of your cars!

[@artfulbodger78]

Big up to your old man. For recognising he has a brilliant son. Mine openly admitted in front of myself and his mate, that he shouldn’t have had kids. That was over ten years ago and he’s cut me and my sister off since. Cherish your time mate.

[@davidskubic5606]

Love the video and your dad. He is amazing for sending the massage. Love from Slovenija.

[@TheLoxxxton]

So glad your doing the spitfire. Personally I've never liked the whole rat rod thing, but you do you!

[@michaelsimms76]

Nice message from your dad lost mine 15 years ago now, work with my lad whos 30 now tell him i love him every day (tell the wife as well lol) and he is now expecting his 1st child so proud. Good luck with the gearbox could all be down to adjustments im sure someone will know .

[@mikebowers7161]

JUST GO FOR IT!!! You will really surprise yourself. It will be great fun!

[@ArimGrim]

Thats a realy nice car 👍

[@keithgooch1805]

nice to see you taken interest in old cars loving the channel, like your new workshop

[@stevesmith2214]

Although the spit has a chassis, the sills are an important structural part, because they're rotten the door gaps have closed up. Good luck with the project. It's a good basis, later model with the optional overdrive.

[@struanrobertson3417]

Land Rover also employed the automatic anti rust oiling feature along with BL 😊 another great British innovation 😂

[@lbview]

hi, I had a spitfire many years ago. I bought it in NY and ran it as a fun car for a year then moved to Pennsylvania. There i decided to do just about what you are doing. I took the body off as it was rusted, bought a newer car that had a front accident and took the body off that as it was really good. Before I got to put the body on I was transfered to Arizona. When there house hunting I found you coild buy a rust free car of about $500. I took all the good bits and interior boxed them up ready to move. After moving in to a new house and other things time went by and I did not buy another Spitfire. I boughtr an MGB GT instead but gave all the spritfire bits to someone in the Britsh car club here for their car. I wish you luck with your car and look forward to seein it runnig.

[@graemetaylor8933]

Great choice to keep it, perfect to practice welding on ,looking forward to seeing how you get on

[@CitizenSmith-e8x]

You have an OVERDRIVE gearbox, and I think I saw that the switch on the gear lever was ‘in’ which engages the overdrive (gives you a sort off 5th gear) but that should only work when in 3rd or 4th and I believe that it engages a lock to stop you going into 1st or 2nd when switched on. So try the switch on the gear lever to the other position which should remove the inter-lock of 1st and 2nd

[@johngraziano6652]

i believe for reverse you have to pull the shifter in an upwards direction then find reverse

[@danielsellers8538]

It's been a worthwhile journey because it isn't just you that's learning, and you're getting videos out

[@philipyoud8343]

Your father´s right to be proud! Your channel is great.

[@richardbrowne2447]

Get the body to accept the doors closing and aligned correctly and weld a bar from a post to b post to hold everything secure before cutting anything. Lots of parts available rather inexpensive except for seats. They can get pricey. Looking forward to seei mg what you do with this one.

[@50RobinHill]

Years ago I had to fix a stuck first & second gear shift on my girlfriend's Vauxhall Viva HB. I assumed the problem was right inside the gearbox, but discovered it was simply a washer on the gear-shift mechanism that had become un-welded and had dropped down, jamming the gear lever's lateral motion. Easily fixed with some solder and a blow-torch. I hope your problem turns out to be that easy to solve!

[@manualgarage]

Great to see it move under its own power congratulations👍

[@wilf383]

You seem so much happier working on the old stuff!

[@JustPuttering]

Just got me of these to tinker with this winter. Ll be following along

[@theimbiber]

My uncle had one of these in the 80s and it was already rusty as hell ! I was fully expecting yours to snap in half as soon as it went up on the lift 😂

[@NotEconomicallyViable]

Haha yeah that was my concern to begin with!

[@PaulWatson-e7v]

Hi Nino, enjoying all your videos mate, just a thought, maybe you could make yourself an adjustable “Rotissarie” you would get experience welding good steel then be able to rotate the body shell making it easier for you to weld floor pans etc 😊👍👍

[@neutonrenda2303]

I googled triumph Spitfire gearbox problems and it came up with a gear lever bush kit that looks likely to be a likely candidate for the problem.👍 I was amazed by the difference it made in my jumbo Jetta years ago.

[@richardjohnson3463]

No wonder your Dad's proud of you..... very well done 👏👍

[@alanparkinson5724]

Nino great little project shoutout to john for giving you impact gun big help looking forward to more on the spitfire

[@brendonelton]

You need to double clutch to get 1st gear, press down on the clutch pedal twice to engage first. It's always been a thing with these Triumphs, there is no synchro on 1st gear, if I remember correctly you might have to double dip the clutch to get out of first as well.

[@markmooch]

I have used a bit of thin allen key to poke roll pins out of holes before, got to be thin enough to go through the hole but thick enough to touch the roll pin.

[@sussexbikerpillion]

Nice one At least it’s accessible and pretty straightforward to work on 👍👍

[@gavinralph2910]

Save it save it save it!!! make a brace between the A and B pillers, get your doors closing nicely and spot weld in a brace to keep them in line, then you can unbolt the body, its tiny and wont take up much space and remove the front body/bonnet. Then you have complete access to the chassis, weld it up, rust proof it etc...then work on the body..........weld in some new pans etc... Such a great project........and very cheap in comparison. You are then left with a car that is cheap to run and fun to drive........then look for a hardtop........for winter blasts!

[@Masophere]

I would absolutely love to get stuck in with a project like this 👍

[@DTRB56]

Would love to see you fully restore it. Would be great viewing and a long term project for the channel

[@MrSlipstreem]

A friend of mine from work fully restored one of these back in the 90s including a full respray in its original red. We lost touch over the years, but if you're watching this Malcolm, hello matey! 😊

[@Iosif.dumitru01]

The silver button is just around the corner!Great job!

[@RudyC-l5u]

Good video Nino. Removing the body from the chassis and ice blasting might a good next step so you can really see where you are at.

[@stevo63n]

Alex and Rory n Co on AutoAlex have just done Rorys Spitfire.Used a company called Moss who specialise in old Brit classics.(You probably know that don’t you🤦🏻‍♂️) Great little cars in their day,and even now if they’ve been looked after.I always hankered after my mates Triumph Vitesse back when i had a fringe and a flat stomach.Or one of my dream cars,a Triumph TR6.Keep up the hard/great work Nino.Your dad said what we all think.We’re all proud of you

[@richardetheridge9145]

Glad your keeping her . I’m currently doing mine atm they are great cars. If I was you I’d clear coat it as is and add some racing stickers. Chuck some banded steels on it and it will look the nuts. Great videos btw

[@mercedesvan-doors34]

I learned engines by rebuilding these little Triumphs. Herlads, spitties and GT6's and always found them rewarding to work at. I would recommend body off, chassis tidy and repaint/ powder coat and then work your way through from that. Choke is choke because applying it restricts air flow into the carb like' choking' someone this increases vacuum through the carb and makes the fuel air mixture very rich for easier starting. I think I have a dash for one of these somewhere, must take a look, if I find it you can have it.

[@revenanke3132]

What great luck! This is the perfect opportunity to learn how to rebuild a gearbox.

[@neutonrenda2303]

Hopefully someone who has had a similar problem with the Spitfire will be watching and giving you some easy fix. 👍

[@neutonrenda2303]

After some more searching I've found out that the 1500's gearbox gives major synchro problems and jumping out of gear. 😬

[@markfrancis824]

Loving this and excited to see what you accomplish. Be great if you tackle the gearbox yourself.