MadaboutKitcars

Ha ha, I didn't work on Lightnings - they were still operational for a decade while I was serving but I did my time variously on: Vulcans; Victors; Canberras; Phantoms; Buccaneers (all 3rd line completing major servicing on the canopy jettison systems and ejection seats); and front-line on Sea Harriers (attached to the Fleet Air Arm); Jaguars; and Tornado F3's and GR4's.

I also packed in a tour working on missile systems, participated in the ongoing EOD clearance of the Falklands (I blew up the 13,000,000th item of unexploded ordnance there in 1993), had a couple of positions in armouries and taught sabotage techniques to some troopers from a regiment that's a bit Special (my job at the time was to find and disable ied's in buildings and they wanted to know how to make that job more hazardous for my equivalent on the other side).

I did spend some time alongside a Lightning Squadron in Cyprus one year, and most of their Phlegms (Flight Line Mechanics) had brown scorch marks singed into the tops of their berets where they'd used them to put out Avpin fires on start up.

Ahh, memories...

Anyway, Methanol. You can buy it on ebay - I found an ebay supplier based in Norfolk who happened to have a boat moored a few miles from my house and I picked it up from him there. I was paying about £5/litre for 25 litres plus a one-off payment of another fiver for the (reusable) container. You can have it delivered, though, but it'll cost a bit more (quick ebay search threw this up) -

f:0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-Litres-of-Methanol-99-85-Pure-Grade-For-Biodiesel-ADR-Delivery/303012329657?epid=884109407&hash=item468cf138b9:g:lgoAAOSwcgNZGxb8:rk:6f:0

Handling and storage are no problem so long as you follow some pretty basic health and safety rules - don't drink it, wear gloves and eye protection, keep it in a proper container with the hazard symbols clearly displayed so Trumpton know what it is if your garage catches fire, etc. I mixed it with distilled water, also available on ebay for around £4/litre -

f:0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-LITRE-PURE-DISTILLED-DE-IONISED-DEMINERALISED-WATER/292834228727?hash=item442e47b9f7:g:-dwAAOSwpKtZ36wo:rk:13f:0

To eliminate pinking, unless the instructions that came with your system* say otherwise I'd go with about 20% Methanol to 80% water. *Is it an 'off the shelf' system or did you build it yourself?

There's a lot of useful information on the 'net (and a load of crap from Jap turbo-drift-mod-tyres-too-narrow-for-my-wheels idiot bhp boasters who like to ruin Nissan 200SX's by 'improving' them). Anyone who's interested in the real benefits of water/methanol injection could do worse than starting here -

http://www.enginebasics.com/Advanced%20Engine%20Tuning/Watermeth%20injection.html

While this is a useful chart detailing the nozzle size to choose for your engine's power output -

https://www.aemelectronics.com/forum/what-nozzle-size-should-i-be-using

Good luck with your supercharged motor, would like to see some pic's btw

My car is actually featured in the current TKC mag - pre-water meth fitting... I made up the system from parts from Devils Own but used advice from various MGB forums. The nozzle blows through the centre of the airfilter and through the HS8 carb. The charger is from a Mini and was installed by the previous owner. I was having some issues with calibrating the pressure switch but with just water it ran a lot smoother. The switch is now sorted but I’m now waiting for decent weather to try it out...

I’ll work out how to post pictures on here and start a new thread somewhere to avoid a hijack!!

I used to fly Hercs - Avpin was hated by us when we carried it for the Canberras, we used to put it right on the edge of the ramp so if we had any probs we could chuck it overboard...the lightning had just left service as I joined unfortunately

Ooh, I got to see the World by Fat Albert, you may even have been driving one I was cargo in.

Did you happen to go out to Malaysia in '97 for the joint Special Forces' exercise 'Elang Osprey'? The Herc I was in had a faulty cabin conditioning system so it rained inside the aircraft when we descended. We always felt that the Herc fleet just didn't do maintenance. We also got diverted into Colombo right in the middle of the civil war, which was rather disconcerting.

All the Canberras I worked on were cartridge start while everything else was either electric start from a Houchin or pressure started from a Palouste, so I didn't suffer the delights of invisibly burning overalls experienced by those working with Avpin.

I did deal with a few start up and brake fires, and I also had an F16 dump Hydrazine all over the pan in Saudi while I was bombing up a nearby Tornado, though. Now that's really nasty stuff that eats anything organic, including people.

The Lightning went out of service in 1988 and I was in the Guard of Honour at the parade at Binbrook where 5 Squadron (Lightnings) handed over the colours to 5 Squadron (Tornado F3's).

There was a barrel afterwards and when I got on the bus back to Coningsby I found that a bunch of our lineys had 'borrowed' a drill Firestreak missile that they'd found just lying around, apparently, and had managed to load it on the bus as a 'gizzit'.

Anyway, with apologies to Mickey for the thread hijack, that's enough reminiscing for now.

Working on the 2CV based Leighton I'v fitted the body hinges.
The boot hinges on the front edge giving maximum access.



The bonnet has been cut allowing for the dash to remain fixed.



Also fitted most of the bulkhead sealing panels.

I like it!

Delivered a Spyder body to a new customer and after a long chat traded a wind screen and half tonneau cover for this.



His son abandoned it a few years ago. He thought it was a Z600.
Turns out it's a ZX10. eace:

Had a chap come to look at the Spyder and his mate expressed a serious interest in the "D" type!
I dusted it off, got it out and onto my newly installed 2 post ramp so he can have a better look next visit.



The project has been overlooked due to a few build problems.
One of the problem has been awaiting a friend who promised make a very tricky Stainless steel exhaust downpipe.



Some how the new downpipe has to exit the manifold 90% to the engine, snake across the bulkhead and finally curve backward along the chassis rail to enable me to fit a side mounted exhaust silencer much like the original "D" type has!! I think this is why I hav'nt heard from him for a while.

D-Type Exhaust


Hi Micky

I believe only the prototype, early cars, and the XKSS had side exhausts. I plumped for a rear exit on my A352, which was simple to achieve. Scottie's side exiting version was considerably more complex, but then he was going for the full XKSS look. Here's XKD503 at Bromyard last Sunday. If I'd known we'd be talking exhausts I'd have taken it at a more oblique angle.



Anyway, good luck with build whichever route you take .

Regards, Mick

I was going for the simple rear exit exhaust but it hung to low under the chassis so it's got to be the complicated side exit.

After much effort and no success trying to contact my friend regarding the new down pipe I though I would fabricate one using the original down pipe.

This is not my best work but it'll do the job.



Turning the original exhaust down pipe from this.



To a bespoke side exit exhaust pipe.

That will work just fine!

I fitted a new exhaust to a friend's Freelander and kept the old pipe work.



I trimmed it down a little.



It was a near fit but the silencer exit pipe fell short so I extended the whole thing by about 60mm and all was good.



So, it might not be a shinny £600 stainless steel performance exhaust but it is a complete functional side exit exhaust that has been made for the cost of a little time, a few scrap parts, some welding consumables and a few rubber exhaust mounts.
If I get a spare £600 I might replace it but for now you just can't beat "much cheapness"

Finally, just to put the cherry-on-the-cake the GPS speedo arrived and fitted perfect.



On the whole it's been a very satisfying day all round.

Nice work on the exhaust. A dab of high temp paint will do wonders.

The finished exhaust ended up very close to the body.

.

As I like the way many of the original "D" type's recessed the silencer into the body I thought I would try and copy them.
First I cut a hole a little bigger than the silencer into the body.



Then I made a fiberglass mould using a cardboard tube.



I fitted the moulded section into the hole which matched the silencer just right.



Finally I took moleur advice ad added some VHT paint.



Again I very pleased with the results.

looking good! Well done

I think wrapping the pipe before the silencer would look good

Mike – Great news that you might have a potential buyer lied up.

Especially as if they put their money where their mouth is, they could decide the final colour etc.

Good luck, Paul.

Had a chase-up phone call on the "D" type so it's back on the ramp!!

This time I removed the body work.



I intend to finish the electrics, note the GPS speedo sender on the top rail.



The passenger side dash is now finished and the gerrbox tunnel covered




The fuel tank was behind the seats but after I reworked the hand brake setup I was able to re-use the original tank which sits under the rear floor.

.



With the fuel tank removed I rebuilt the rear cage frame giving better access to the "new" luggage area under the rear body.

Now that most of the interior floor is now covered I intend to re-paint every thing in silver before finally fixing the body down. .

Repainted the interior in silver.
I also re-worked the rear body support giving better access to the boot area.





Looking much better.

Repainted the interior in silver.
I also re-worked the rear body support giving better access to the boot area.





IMHO, It Looks much better.

With the body off the effort that when into the exhaust down pipe is evident. hwell:

The body is now screwed and bonded into place.



I can finally start "filling in" the gaps left behind.

looks like this is all coming together nicely.

Got around to finishing the aluminium work on bulk head area.





As there was room I thought I would make the N/S inner wing into a storage box, which should prove very useful in the future.



Mental note = get help when handling and cutting a 8' x 4' sheet of aluminium !!!!!

Next troublesome task is fitting the doors properly!!

Some good progress there ...If you are using the Tribute 'Mono-hinge' items , I found them quite easy to fit , getting the flex out of them , as with any hinge of this style , is the tricky bit ...it didn't matter so much on a race car if it chipped the paint a little by flexing , but it's a bit more important on our recreations ..The blue F120GR has little locating pins at the rear bottom corner of each door to hold them when closed ..in the same way a lot of cabriolets over the years have done ..

The hinges are the Tribute " Mono-hinge" style..
There are now welded to the frame work but getting the door to shut well is going to be an effort !

Not helped by the fact I fitted the inner body door shuts flat to the car only to find out they should have been set on a angle to accommodate the door inner skins.

I intend to use these bear claw door catches.

https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/mini-bear-claw-door-latches-pair-75mm

They will hold the doors shut and the pins should help locate the doors in place. .