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Re: Originality

To: spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Originality
From: Michael Hargreave Mawson <OC@46thFoot.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 07:23:43 +0100
In article <20010417231209974.AAA210@mail.141.com>, Laura Gharazeddine
<Laura.G@141.com> writes
>> >Mike,
>> >
>> >Daffy seems to be pretty much identical spec to yours, just a very little 
>later
>> > - her comm. number is FH125144.
>> 
>> According to the books, Daffy and Carly should be twins, with a few
>> minor exceptions:...
>
><snip>
> 
>> That is actually quite a lot of changes in a short period of time.
>
>Wow! Nothing about who supplies the screws and nuts and bolts on Daffy and who 
>supplied them on Carly? ;-)

Carly's are a mixture of the originals (made by Atlas Bolt if you must
know!) and various replacements from all over the place.  I suspect
Daffy will also have had Atlas fasteners when new.

(Ask a silly question... <g>)
> 
>> >  She comes with drivers and passenger side
>> > footwell courtesy lights, and has the little holders for them on both 
>sides.

>I found little, metal holders with bulbs-I just can't figure where they're 
>supposed to go, exactly! (Can't believe all the screws I had left over after 
>changing out the glove box-finished it off with industrial strenght velcro 
>when 
>I couldn't find all *those* holes!)

The bulb-holders are shaped like half a cheap cigar; these fit into
small pressed-steel brackets (a bit like a large tab-washer) which are
then screwed into place.   If you remove any skirts or dresses, replace
with trousers or jeans, rake the driver's seat back as far as it will
go, then lie on your back in the driver's footwell with your feet
sticking out over the boot lid you will see a little hole on the
underside of the tray, next to the ignition-switch side of the steering
column: this is where the driver's one should be fixed.   The location
of the passenger's one is beautifully illustrated in Thomason (p.100,
Fig. 5.73).
>
>> >Wipers and wing mirrors should be black.
>> 
>> Oh, dear.   I *like* my silver wing (door) mirrors, and she would look a
>> lot more "classic" with silver wipers as well.   One correspondent tells
>> me that the black fittings were not universal until a bit later, so I
>> might be able to cheat and go silver, despite Thomason's claims that we
>> all should have black fittings from FH80000 (i.e. Jan 1976)...
>
>I say, do what makes you happy-as long as it's in the spirit of the original!

I intend to! :-)
>
>I had the original black side mirror-until the little darlings here riped it 
>off 
>(And I do mean 'ripped it off'-from the way the bracket was bent, that's what 
>they did!)

Yup - lost mine the same way.
>
>Now I have a bullet style side mirror-but sprayed to match the body, so it's 
>very nice and sleek looking.

Very smart.

> My friend Bob likes the look so much that this is 
>how he's going to do a side mirror for his E-Type coupe (his one departure 
>from 
>correctness-but in L.A.-one *needs* ones side veiw mirrors!)

I think they're pretty handy to have wherever you are.
>
>On door handle-
>
>> Mine are black (but loose and faded).
>
>you can very carefully repaint those the same way as the wipers. 

At some point I'm going to have to take the doors to pieces, replace the
seals and interior trim, try to fix the locking mechanisms, and re-hang
the doors so that they fit.   I'll add this little job to the list.
>
>> >Try ringing TRGB about original steering wheels and gear knobs - they break 
>a
>> > lot of cars, and have a stock-room full of dismantled components that I 
>spend
>> > happy hours sifting through!  Chances are they will have an old one they 
>can
>> > sell you, and they tend to be very cheap on their second-hand stuff (or 
>maybe
>> > they just do that to me because I am such a frequent customer!  Or they 
>just
>> > feel sorry for me!!!)  Then you will have to pop in on the way, and Daffy 
>can
>> > meet Carly!
>
>Sounds like a heavenly place.

Yes, I'm looking forward to going there.   I haven't been up that way
yet because Carly wanted to look her best before meeting Daffy.   With
luck she will regain her balance whilst I am away, and will not look
quite so drunken when she and Daffy finally get together.

> My lawyer and I have a date in the next few months 
>to go out to his favourite auto salvage-he says that there's always Spitfires 
>there! I'm hoping to find a good rear bumper over-rider-if for nothing else, 
>to 
>use while mine is re-chromed. Hopefully, good enough to sell! And I'll also 
>write down commission numbers to pass on to Joe.

Assuming I can't find what I need at TRGB, may I send you a little
shopping list for lightweight items such as fake-wood gearknobs and map
lights?

ATB
Mike
-- 
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea,"
published by Greenhill Books on 28th March, 2001:
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html

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