[various descriptions of late Spitfire problems at freeway
speeds deleted.]
Check the float level on the carb. When I sold my Spitfire a few
weeks ago to fellow lister John Hazelton, he took it onto the
freeway to drive it home to California, and it started cutting
out at speed.
He phoned me from about 30 miles up the road to ask for
suggestions. I hadn't driven it at sustained freeway speeds
since I repaired the broken float arm, so it occurred to me that
I'd set the level too low (I'd had overflow problems as a
consequence of the broken float, so I was leery about setting it
high) and that at major fuel-sucking speeds it would be going
dry. I then threw my tools into the truck and went out to get
him. By the time I got there he'd taken my suggestion and reset
the float a little higher, and tested it on an empty stretch of
side road. No problems. ***Note, by the way that 4000 RPM in
fourth is more of a fuel demand than 4000 in third because of
greatly increased resistance.***
I didn't mind the wasted trip. As I told him at the time, it's
always a poignant moment when you see a much-loved old sportscar
drive away for the last time...I got to have a second poignant
moment as he zipped up the onramp and away....
- Dan
'65 Vitesse
'79 ex-Spitfire
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