Triumph Repair: 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500, triumph spitfire 1500, speedo cables

Question
I own a 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500.  I had the engine rebuilt and have slowly but surely, as $ allows, been restoring the interior and other odds and ends as I come across them. A problem I have come across now is one I can't seem to find the answer to, not in repair manuals or even parts and accessories catalogs.  ( I have been obtaining various parts and accessories from Victoria British LTD, and they don't have the part and haven't told me the name of the part I'm looking for.  That's confusing to me because in their catalog it shows the part I'm looking for but it's not an item listed for sale. It's just a picture of a box that the cables are attached to.)     Anyway, I am now trying to get the speedometer to work and had to purchase the speedo cables.  The car has a lower and upper cable, no OD. In attempting to hook up the speedometer cables which I purchased I came to find that there is no junction box???? to attach the lower and upper cables to.  I need to know the name of the part I am looking for and if you are aware of anywhere where I may be able to obtain the part? Do you know what the part is called that the upper and lower cables are attached to???  And, if so, where I may be able to obtain one.  Thanks.

Answer
Tony,

I believe the common name for the part you're looking for is the "service interval indicator", it was supposed to keep track of the mileage and every so often force you to go to the dealer for servicing.

As memory serves I had to buy a cable for a Mk IV Spitfire (1971/1972) in order to get a once piece cable with the correct speedometer end and then I had to make an adapter to fit the transmission end.  In my case the adapter was a washer with an inner diameter large enough to fit over the cable end with a slot cut out to slide it over the plastic coated part of the outer housing.

You can possibly find the service interval indicator by trying some of the other vendors.  Spit Bits (www.spitbits.com) is a great source for used parts.  Tell Nigel I say "hi".

There is a good list of specialist vendors on the Vintage Triumph Register website (www.VTR.org) in case Nigel can't help you out.

You can even post a "part wanted" ad on the VTR site and see if anyone else out there has the part.

Cheers,

Jim