In article <005201c1dc1d$56898560$e94386d9@g6a2g8>, James Carruthers
<j.carruthers@rave.ac.uk> writes
>I can't remember who it was who said that they'd restored their hardtop - but
>they said that they should have just tried to find a secondhand one because it
>was so expensive for all the seals. Mike possibly?
James,
Yes, it was me.
>
>Which bits were so expensive? I can't find ones that are much more than about
>10 quid each.
Here's what I ordered from Rimmers (taken from my "Spitfire Diary"
webpage):
HARD-TOP RESTORATION
726544PW White Headlining = #57.85
630961 Front Main Seal = #12.87 (Finally delivered 24th May, 2001 - long
after the sun had come out, and thoughts of hard-tops had been banished
to a future October.)
716184 Door Glass Seal x 2 @ #9.40 = #18.80 (Not a moulded seal, but a
length of straight seal that had to be cut to fit.)
629584 Front Seal = #8.81
624831 Rear Main Seal = #20.56
818498 Rear Moulding BACK ORDER (Eventually found a second-hand one at
Six Spares - price #25.00)
624746 Seal Pads Rear Slotted x 2 @ #1.76 = #3.52 (Still on back-order
eight weeks later. After much cajoling, finally got Rimmers to admit
that these are identical to the Seal Pads Rear Inner - which they do
have in stock - only with slots cut in them. These were posted to me on
24th May.)
624876 Seal Pads Rear Inner x 2 @ #0.71 = #1.42
622888 Front Fixing Bolt x 2 @ #1.34 = #2.68
GHF332 Spring Washer (Alternative) x 2 @ #0.09 = #0.18
GHF301 Plain Washer (Alternative) x 2 @ #0.08 = #0.16
624825 Spacer x 2 @ #4.11 = #8.22
WP125 Washer x 2 @ #0.16 = #0.32
624818 Rear Fixing Bolt x 2 @ #2.34 = #4.68
GHF333 Spring Washer x 4 @ #0.13 = #0.52 (Incorrect part number
specified in Rimmer catalogue. Replacements supplied on request.)
GHF302 Plain Washer x 4 @ #0.16 = #0.64 (Incorrect part number specified
in Rimmer catalogue. Replacements supplied on request.)
624817 Tie Bar Mounting Setscrew x 2 @ #1.47 = #2.94 (Missing from
shipment.)
624720 Tie Bar (Short) x 2 @ #11.69 = #23.38 (Finally delivered 24th
May.)
GHF101 Tie Bar Mounting Setscrew x 2 @ #0.18 = #0.36 (Description wrong
on Advice Note, but correct part supplied anyway!)
WL106001 Spring Washer x 2 @ #0.41 = #0.82
WA106042 Chrome Washer x 2 @ #0.38 = #0.76
RX1353A Trim Adhesive Spray = #8.81
Total Cost: GBP203.30
Yes, really. Over two hundred quid for parts alone!! And there are
no seals for the quarterlights in there - I didn't have any
quarterlights, so I had some non-opening windows made from Perspex
(GBP25.00 the pair), cut some seals from a sheet of rubber, and just
filled the holes with them. The struts that go across the top, and
hold the headlining away from the roof, were also missing, and it took
me over six months to find some replacements (in a skip at TRGB - price:
nothing). I didn't touch the rear windscreen either, as the seal was
fine. Later I discovered that there should be a chrome finisher in the
seal, so I had to replace that as well. (No, I didn't go for the
original metal finisher; I went with the chrome-effect plastic. Do you
think I'm made of money?! <g>).
So, if you want to replace all the replaceable parts, allow GBP350+.
I also got a few quotes for re-spraying (in the region of three hundred
quid), so in the end, I simply got some black Carriage Paint from
Halfords, and slapped it on with a brush (price GBP15-ish). If you
want to have the job done properly, you will probably have to allow at
least GBP200.
What will you spend on a complete refurbishment of a hard-top?
GBP550.00 minimum, plus hours of frustrating labour trying to get the
*&^%&*( seals on.
How much is a brand-new Lenham hardtop from Rimmers?
GBP293.75, including VAT.
Now tell me you still want to refurbish your old hard-top...
ATB
--
Mike
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html
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