London Classic Motor Show Practical Challenge Contest
The Challenge: Perform a
mechanical restoration of a Spitfire over the
weekend of the Alexander Palace
Motor Show (while being watched by 100s of people) without using any electric or
air driven tools, as these were not allowed in the exhibition hall. The car to
be driven out at the end of the 2 day show. The event was not only a race
against time but also against a team performing the same job on an MGB.
Work Performed: A
Spitfire which had not turned a wheel under its own steam for over 5 years was
stripped 
and reassembled and
then finally driven off the stand. Front & rear suspension
units were removed, overhauled & refitted (Front: shocks, springs,
wishbones, vertical links, spindles, wheelbearings, trunnions, antiroll bar and
links. Rear: halfshafts, H brackets, hubs, bearings, cart spring, shocks). Brake
systems overhauled 
(new master, discs, pads, shoes, cylinders, copper pipes,
flexible pipes). Steering rack overhauled. Clutch master & slave
replaced. Stainless exhaust & manifold fitted. Carbs overhauled. Engine serviced. Seats recovered and
refoamed, carpets replaced, rubber
seals replaced. Wheels replaced.
Personnel: 3 Quiller
Triumph mechanics, 1 TSSC club official, 1 Practical Classics competition winner
who won the opportunity 
to work on a Spitfire at the Show. The event was
compered by Jerry Thurston and Quentin Wilson.
Result: The challenge
was completed and at the end of the show the car was driven off the stand,
having not turned a wheel under its own steam in over 5 years. Furthermore the
MGB refused to start and so we won both the race against time and the race
against our rival 
team.
How Did We Do It?
Mechanical restoration of a Spitfire in a weekend! A tall order surely? Well it
was a tall order, but it was achieved, and with 2 hours to spare. Firstly some
component assemblies were prepared here in our workshop beforehand, allowing us
a hopefully fairly trouble-free fit. Also the engine was not rebuilt, as,
although it had not run for years, we performed compression, float, and various
other tests so we knew that it was basically a sound unit. It was given a
comprehensive service on the day and fired up after only a little persuasion.
Although performed over only a weekend, with 5 people on the job a 
total
of 80 man-hours were jammed into 2 days. Furthermore Quiller Triumph and TSSC
employees know Spits inside out. If we had been able to use power tools in the
exhibition hall it may
have been completed even quicker!
Read the full story in Practical Classics May issue