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Re: Steering column cover question

To: Joe Curry <spitlist@gte.net>
Subject: Re: Steering column cover question
From: John Suchak <suchak@mediaone.net>
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 13:41:03 -0400
Hey Joe:

No, they're different.  You're talking about the little plastic cups
that cover the turn signal and wiper stalks, the later Spit's have a big
plastic box that covers the whole head of the column.  (They moved the
ignition switch up to the head in '77, hence the difference.)

I'm pretty sure I have a good set of the late (big) covers Eric, let me
know if you're interested and I'll go have a look in the storage garage.

John

 

Joe Curry wrote:
> 
> Eric,
> I think your car has the same style covers as the '74 did.  If so, I
> have a pair of the plastic covers that I would be happy to part with for
> a small fee.  If you are interested, drop me your address and make an
> offer.
> 
> Joe
> 
> Craig Smith wrote:
> >
> > My suggestion is go ahead and drill out the screw that is in there now.
> > You are going to do some damage to the cover since this guy "fixed" it,
> > after you get it off I would suggest using some fiberglass resin to remold
> > the area. I used a standard fiberglass resin bought at Home Depot to do a
> > similar job and then sanded and painted the part.
> >
> > Good Luck
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Eric A. Yates [mailto:eyates@enteract.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 3:49 PM
> > To: spitfires@autox.team.net
> > Subject: Steering column cover question
> >
> > Hello all,
> >
> > My '78 Spitfire has a problem with her plastic steering column covers (the
> > two pieces that surround the column behind the steering wheel).
> >
> > I tried to take this cover off the other day and discovered that the two
> > screws that hold the halves together were mismatched. One of them is
> > correct, the other is a wrong screw that someone had simply forced into
> > place, stripping the hell out of the plastic threads in the top piece I'm
> > sure. The wrong screw will not come out, and as you know, it is not
> > something I can grab with pliers or anything because it is so deeply
> > recessed in the bottom half of the cover.
> >
> > I have no immediate need to remove the covers, so this is not an urgent
> > problem. (Before I had wanted to take them off to give myself more room to
> > remove my dash and guages, but I worked around it.) But, when the time
> > comes, how the heck am I going to get these cover halves separated without
> > ruining them?
> >
> > And as a follow-up question, why in the world would someone knowingly take
> > the wrong screw and be so damn lazy as to simply force it into place,
> > probably destroying a larger piece of the car in doing so? I have found
> > little surprises like this all over my beloved Spitfire. I can understand
> > getting frustrated and having difficulty locating all the little parts to
> > do a job right, but I can't fathom simply wrecking a part of a car for no
> > reason. It is not as though a slightly different screw with the correct
> > threads could not have been found, even if this were done 20 years ago. The
> > screw that was used is clearly just the wrong damn thing, something that
> > was lying around the shop so the guy just drove the sucker in there.
> > Someone please help me understand what could make someone commit such
> > crimes against an innocent lbc! :)
> >
> > Eric.
> >
> > -----
> > Eric Yates
> > eyates@enteract.com
> > 1978 Spitfire 1500 FM 71614 U
> > Chicago, IL USA
> 
> --
> "If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
>  -- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer

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