Spitfire Question on front calipers 1973 spitfire part

Hi everyone.

I am trying to find out what a certain part is on my spitfire.
I have attached a link to my flicker account with a photo of the part in question. (did it this way as I can not figure out for the life of me how to attach a photo :frown: )

Its some type of plate that connects to the outside of the caliper.

I am trying to figure out what this part does and if its critical to have it on the car?

The reason I ask its on one side of the car however on the other side is so rusted it is not use able and I can't see to find any place that sells it.

any help would be great. I am getting down to putting everything back together on the front end and getting the car back on the ground.



If my photo doesnt work I added a link

photo link (photo is on flicker)

Caliper shim, maybe?

BTW, Yahoo goes out of their way to make sure you cannot share photos from their site, without people going to the site and seeing the ads. https://photobucket.com/ is much friendlier IMO.

Hey TR3Driver,

Yeah I am not sure I was thinking it was a shim also however it connects to the caliper bolts after the caliper is mounted to the car so not sure how it shims the caliper. I tried to look it up on my repair manual but it doesn't really show anything. Looked to order another one on victoriabritish and also mossmotors. victoriabritish shows the part but their is not part number or discription for it and mossmotor doesnt even show the part at all.

Canley Classics (UK) simply calls it a "caliper dust shield"; whether it's absolutely necessary, I can't say.

Thanks Andrew Mace, At least now I have a name for the part. now I am try to figure out if its 100% necessary, I hate not putting parts back on a car that was their in the first place however sometimes you just cant find the part.

and thanks for another site I can use to find out stuff Canley Classics (UK)

I just found this on another site.


here is a good photo of what I am trying to find out what they do.




So I have a name for the item thanks to Andrew. Now just not sure if I need to spend a ton of money ordering then from over the pond as this is just a driving car not a show car.. Any ideas?

It is a metal shim that goes between the caliper and the bracket the calipers bolt into I beleive.

Thanks JKB, Hmmm I wonder if the ones on my car were put in the wrong place? Mine are bolted to the caliper not between anything..

So if I listed how it was put together it would be the following

Caliper bolts
The shims or what ever that is in the photo above
The Caliper
The Caliper dust shield
Wheel spindle that you bolt the caliper to.



If that makes sense.

does anyone know where I could get photos of the braking systems on a spitfire? I hate my repair manual doesn't really take about that part.

Just a bit of flat steel to try and control the spread of brake dust. You can get a small piece of galvanized steel, and cut out a similar shape, drill two holes and you are ready to go.

Or just ignore it. The tiny change in location won't make the slightest bit of difference.

Thanks 70herald.. I might just ignore it then as I really like they way it looks without that piece of metal just sticking out from the caliper