The Creation Of A Spit6

I got the hood painted and corrected the right side headlight cover. It had a run from the first effort. All that turned out so good I jumped on the doors. Bad idea, as I hung them and one hook let got on the final coat on left door. I did half ass catch it but still got a good dent in the top corner. More work, but just glad it wasn't something I could not correct with a hour or so worth of effort.

Today started out to be a get day to paint, but by the time the final coat was being applied it was 90 degrees in the tent and I had a 80 degree thinner.
Added a bit more thinner to make it flow and it turned out pretty good, will need to wet sand and buff, but I figured that was going to happen and is part of it when painting in a tent.
It's still good, just not perfect.
The fire wall takes forever to get in all the nook and crannies.

Finally got the wiring harness complete, with all the separations on the circuits that was possible to fuse with out taking a lot of time to not make much improvement.
I split most of the feeds and added a couple.
The box required a little bit of cutting to install, it does clear the clutch master for fuse replacement.

If all else fails.
Those switches work by a sliding quarter size copper washer, cut off square on two sides. A copper peg rides in the middle. The contacts have springs holding pressure on them.
Over the years they tend to get gummed up. Don't know what your expertise is or what you are willing to try, so take this or leave it.
Clean the floor out and put down a towel or sheet up the seat, tunnel and door area. Just in case you take things apart to quick and things go bong in the night.
Unplug the battery. Mark the switch and housing with a magic ma ker, to make sure we have a put back together point.
There are three small overlapping pinched pieces of pot metal (read verrrry pron to break) these hold the switch in place, move only far enough to clear the white plastic with a small screwdriver or such. Take out the small phillips head screw and unplug the ground under the switch. Some are black and some are the black with a purple strip, (for seat belt and other warning type lights and switches)
the white plastic will now pry out with a sharp screwdriver. Do this slowly and things won't tend to fly all over the car.
Do not move the key at any time. The little bar will fall out first and if you are lucky all the springs will stay in place. the washer looking part slides around making contact with different areas of the switch. Take all parts out and clean, both parts, (wire and switch side) with a soft brush and WD40. Put it all back, taking note of the knobs on that washer is facing the contacts. It will go together much easier if you use some de electric grease to hold all in place. Slowly slide back together, put in the screw and try not to break the tabs that hold it in place. If you do, thin strips of duct tape through the wires and then some around the switch. Kind of puts a emphases on those little tabs.
You now have a good chance the switch will last another 35 years.
I am getting rid of all the switches in that black/purple circuit, so I will get rid of that bar, which I think gives it a signal to not start if all is not up to the safety standards of 1980.
I may be wrong about that and have to do it over, Oh well.


Wayne
1970 TR6
2000 Jaguar XK8
1949 Triumph Roadster 2000
1978 Spitfire (rust victim)
1971 GT6 (tarp covered for 12 years, rusted inside out)
1980 Spitfire (getting all the good GT6 parts, all poly suspension and Spax shocks)

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All, lots of us have struggled with and in most cases won against the heavy lump that turns the wheels. Some times the major problem has nothing to do with the rearend. The exhaust system, or back half of it needs to be gone, lots of places for the little Spitfire or GT6 to fight back. A couple of days before starting, put some penetrate on the brackets and pipe overlaps. While at it, give the rear long bolt, were it goes through the back a couple of shots. The bolt gets stuck in the collar of the bushing..
The trick is to not pry anything, that's where the excitement comes in, as things tend to move in a hurry when they weight this much.
A few folks have tried and removed and replaced leaving the spring in. Just not a good idea, all parts removed can be checked, if not cleaned.
Four bolts on the each out side for the suspension, slide those bolts back in their hole and put the nut and washer on. (top spring, bottom shock, trailing arm and trunnion). Now four each for on 3 drive shaft flanges. Quick way to get the axle ones is a 24 inch extension, u joint type 9/16 socket from the outside of the car, with the nut to be removed at the top. . bracing a openend against the frame. Air or a speed wrench makes quick work of it. The drive shaft bolts present them self at the bottom as you turn it..
All this should be removed before you attempt the studs at the top of the spring. Here's a little trick, that cross bolt in the cage that surrounds the spring, give it a couple of loosening turns, it allows it to move around slightly, not so much assistance on the taking out process, but you will thank me on the install, as the spring is locked in place by the slot and centering bolt, making it almost impossible to get the studs lined up. The spring will catch less on the rearend if you turn the spring sideways, curve towards the front.
If you were lucky, you now have all your fingers and not too many cuts. The prize is in sight. If you will take a crow bar or such and pry the rear bracket apart just a little, it will help it come out of it's hole. The front nuts should be taken loose, down to a few threads, do not take them off, just get it down a bit, so the rubbers are loose. It doesn't seem right, but support the lump and take the back bolt out first, should knock out without a lot of effort. It will fall down when the weight is released a bit and now take the two nuts off the front. Being careful let the jack down to clear the studs and pull the jack forward to get the rear end out of the rear brackets. Don't let it wobble off to the side, a helper would be great at this time.
Install in reverse order, taking note to stuff the rear inside the brackets at the rear. Put the rubbers on the stud, top and bottom and install washer and a few turns on the nuts. All of this while supporting the rear with a jack. If you try and put the front on first and tighten it up, your nightmare has just begun, getting the rear inside the brackets. Use a couple of good size Philips head screwdrivers or small bushing pullers, the pointed bolt will go in easy, use a little anti seize on it.
I didn't say it was going to be easy, but really it is, just time consuming.
Have fun.

Just showing the wires around the distributor.