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Went to the junkyard today...

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Lionheart

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Yesterday, I went with a buddy to a local junkyard to look for a part for his Dad's truck. I naturally had a look around (like you do), and found what we're gonna call "a few things of interest".

There was a vignette of LBC's in the back corner. There amongst them was a 79 Spitfire...went over and had a quick shufty around it. Parts of it were OK, but it had been sittin in the weather with no top, so most of the bits-n-bobs were useless. It did still have the whole power train installed.

Got home and got to thinking..."did that shifter have an overdrive switch on it?"

Went back today to check, and BINGO!
Negotiations led to a price of $200 for the transmission. Me and my buddy pulled the engine and trans and yard guy lifted it out with an enormous articulated forklift. I was gonna offer him a bit more for the combo, but I noticed a connecting rod poking out the side of the block...lucky I noticed.

Anyway, here's what I got (plus the shifter) for my $200...I didn't get the drive shaft...I think the guy was getting a little irritated with us so I wanted to jet as soon as possible.

Did I get a bargain?

Other things of interest were:
These wire wheels installed on an engine-less MGBGT.
This Alpha Romeo
And for a real ground-up restore, this Stag (Notice that it has wire wheels installed as well.)

Let me know if there's any interest in the wire wheels...I can go back and bargain for them. (It's B&B auto salvage in Cookstown, NJ if you're nearby.)
 
[censored].... I'll give you $200 for the trans! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Andrew Mace said:
...you might want to go back and get that driveshaft!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've been kicking myself all afternoon. I also left a like-new fiberglass tunnel sitting there. Perhaps I'll go back next Saturday. (They are a bit crush-happy there...I'm keeping my fingers crossed.)

The yard does a large volume of metal by the pound, so I think we were more of a nuissance than a source of income to them. The guy had to move 6 cars to get the spit out...that and the weight of the transmission was basically what I was paying for.

The yard guy had a very strange sense of humor...he was carrying a car on his forks and went out of his way to "drop" it on the spit bonnet which was laying in front of the car. Sad thing is...the bonnet was in just about the same condition as mine.

That was about the time I started to feel the welcome fading.
 
ya know... maybe you should have tipped him a twenty dollar bill, but be sure to let it burn half-way before you flicked it at him. That's just bad PR, the way he screwed up that bonnet. definitely a sh_thead thing to do.

Achtung
 
Would love to poke around the Alfa. Did you look inside of it?
I could use a few bits.
Rick
 
We're in the middle of an O/D conversion on a '79. Paid a LOT more than $200 for the transmission... and still need to get a driveshaft (or shorten the existing one).

Btw, you'll also need a new speedometer cable (the connection on the the trans is different). About $20, so IMO it's not really worth bothering with digging out a used one.

We're probably going to skip the knob mounted switch and go with something dash-mounted.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif
 
hottvr said:
Would love to poke around the Alfa. Did you look inside of it?
I could use a few bits.
Rick
Click to expand...

No, I didn't look closely...incidentally, what model is that? Anything special? Here's a picture of the back of the Alpha.

Some other cars at the yard:
A ? MkIII Spitfire
Another MGBGT (with wire wheels)
A Midget
And a really sweet little Saab
 
Alfa link seems broken. No connection.
 
Hey Lionheart,
Those links to the photos don't work for me.

Do send me some info on the bone yard and the photos.

I'd like to get some info on the Stag so we can get it into our registry.

Thanks!
 
Yeah, the photos are hosted on my GoDaddy account...they seem to be down today. This is the first time ever.

Do you want the reg# from the stag?
 
IanF said:
We're in the middle of an O/D conversion on a '79. Paid a LOT more than $200 for the transmission... and still need to get a driveshaft (or shorten the existing one).

Btw, you'll also need a new speedometer cable (the connection on the the trans is different). About $20, so IMO it's not really worth bothering with digging out a used one.

We're probably going to skip the knob mounted switch and go with something dash-mounted.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif
Click to expand...
I am rather curious as to how much this trans is worth. I'm sorry you had to pay a LOT for one.

As far as the drive shaft...my drive shaft has a sliding joint...maybe I won't need a different one???

Speedo cable...we got the right angle adapter (you know...the locking device for the right trans mount bolt haha), but not the cable.

Shifter switch...the one I got is missing a chunk of the plastic next to the switch. Was considering a modern shifter-mounted accessory switch.
However, one of these in the dash would raise a few eyebrows.
 
Lionheart said:
I am rather curious as to how much this trans is worth. I'm sorry you had to pay a LOT for one.

As far as the drive shaft...my drive shaft has a sliding joint...maybe I won't need a different one???

Speedo cable...we got the right angle adapter (you know...the locking device for the right trans mount bolt haha), but not the cable.

Shifter switch...the one I got is missing a chunk of the plastic next to the switch. Was considering a modern shifter-mounted accessory switch.

However, one of these in the dash would raise a few eyebrows.
Click to expand...

Hard to say... I suppose the good part is the one we got came from a local Brit-car vendor (British Miles) and has something of a gaurantee.

What year is your car? On my g/f's '79, the driveshaft doesn't really have any part that slides. The flange at the transmission has what looks like a CV joint, but fore-aft movement is minimal.

The speedo cable for the '79 is one piece and apparently the O/D cable is as well. No right-angle bit. At least I hope not...

We had the EXACT same thought regarding the O/D swtich! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif ...but will probably go with something a bit more subdued... LOL.

Also ended up ordering a new transmission mount. Shame too as I recently replaced the rubber donut mounts for the OE trans, which are different. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif
 
Your driveshaft is too long. It's 1" too long when fully compressed, as I recall.

When you go back, also snag the rear transmission mounting plate that's on the car. It's different from the standard one.

Canley, Spitbits and others sell replacement switches and shift knob parts.

If you've got a good husky power drill, you can chuck up the snout of the transmission, spin it, apply power to the solenoid and see if the overdrive is working. If nothing else, it's fun to watch things spin.
 
foxtrapper said:
If you've got a good husky power drill, you can chuck up the snout of the transmission, spin it, apply power to the solenoid and see if the overdrive is working. If nothing else, it's fun to watch things spin.
Click to expand...

Cool idea! We'll have to try that while the transmission is in the house. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
 
Lionheart said:
Shifter switch...the one I got is missing a chunk of the plastic next to the switch. Was considering a modern shifter-mounted accessory switch.
However, one of these in the dash would raise a few eyebrows.
Click to expand...

OMG! Two great minds with but one thought. Like Ian posted earlier I had the same idea! I found this one on the Radio Shack website last week. I'm still kind of tempted...
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]If you've got a good husky power drill, you can chuck up the snout of the transmission, spin it, apply power to the solenoid and see if the overdrive is working. If nothing else, it's fun to watch things spin. [/QUOTE]

Just make sure that you have it engaged in a gear that the O/D is designed to work in. It's won't engage in first or second as far as I know, only the type A models of the early TR3/4/6 did second.
 
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