The GBU

The GBU, otherwise known as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good:

I have placed my first set of orders! I will be getting a lot of stuff, stuff to get the engine running, stuff to replace body panels, and generally stuff to get the ball rolling.

The Spitbits order, trunk seal and body panels, has shipped already and UPS is furiously working on getting it to me pronto! (UPS Ground, yah right) The Victoria British order with the stuff for the Engine hasn't shipped yet, but it is scheduled for pickup of the partial order.

I will also be joining the British Motoring Club New Orleans, hopefully making connections to help with the revival of the Spitfire. I hope to get advice, mental support as the project car lumbers on.

The Bad:

I have, finally, got the windshield wiper assembly off the drivers side of the car. I wedged a piece of 2X4 behind the assembly and locked onto the stripped nut with my favorite set of vice grips. I got enough of a grip on it to start the nut turning. After about three turns, and no obvious progress, I heard a mild pop and the nut had split! I wedged it off and quickly found out why I was having so much trouble with it. The thread was destroyed where the nut was and was free spinning. Pulling off the assembly after showed the it was damaged and the PO had sorta glued it in place. I was able to remove this assembly and I tried to remove the wiper motor. No such luck! The Passenger side assembly is frozen in place and simply will not turn! I abandoned this removal at this time, leaving it for another day...

The Ugly:

I slowly made progress in removing the front windshield, I worked it from the back as I've seen described on the internet. In inspecting the glass, I had noticed a very small chip in the glass and what appeared to be a phantom crack about 1/4 inch away from the chip. I got the last of the windshield out where it was not bound by anything. Then, as I stopped to survey my work and figure where the best place to grab it and lift it off the car, I heard a horribly deafening faint crack as a a fracture climbed up the glass. I was HOT! The entire drivers side proceeded to spider out with cracks and fractures! I can only guess that it had been filled and was under pressure. With the restriction of being installed removed, it relieved the pressure and destroyed itself. This is going to be about a $200 error, one that I did not figure into the mix.


Removing the windshield itself still resists me, I am slowly working it though. For a seal in such bad shape, it is really resisting me quite well. For all that she didn't resist removing parts in all the visits before, she bit me three times in one day!