EXCLUSIVE: 1975 Triumph Spitfire

Update 7/7/2017: We just heard from Tom and the new owner just picked up the Spitfire! Congrats to them both!

Seller Description: Car was purchased from a customer in February of 2016. I restore British sports cars. New suspension front and back with KYB shocks, new springs: transverse and front, new ball joints, all bushings replaced with polyurethane bushings, tie rods, sway bar links, new brake hoses, new pads and shoes, new Kenda tires. Engine has been tuned, regular oil changes. 70,311 miles. Engine was rebuilt at 66,241. Weber DGEV carburetor fitted in 2017. Factory overdrive works great! No rust. Paint and interior is 43 years old. Runs and drives great! Drive as is or finish restoration. Included in the price is factory hard top, original carb and manifold, spare clutch master (brand new), and various other parts. Also catalogs and manuals. All paperwork and receipts kept since buying the car. $4500 OBO.

Having owned a Spitfire not that long ago, I can attest to how much fun these little sport cars are. If you want an easy to work on classic that is cheap to fix and drive, you really can’t beat a Spitfire. You can get every nut and bolt from various suppliers, BP Northwest was my favorite.

With all the recent work, I don’t think you will be needing any parts soon. With the KYB shocks and fully rebuilt suspension, this thing should be an absolute blast to drive. And with the Weber carb, exhaust manifold and recent tune up, it should have plenty of power to keep things interesting. It looks like the brake and clutch master cylinders need to be replaced, but both are easy enough to replace. While I was at it, I would go ahead and replace the clutch slave cylinder too.

It’s going to need some cosmetic work, but this looks like a decent little Spitfire that you can jump in and drive right now. There’s something to be said for a turnkey drop top, especially this time of year! As soon as it arrives, you could put the top down and start enjoying the warm summer weather immediately!

Special thanks to Tom for listing his Spitfire with us! If you’d love to be driving around in it this summer, be sure to message him via the form below. And if you happen to have a fun little classic that needs a new home, please consider listing it here on Barn Finds.

Asking Price: $4,500 or best offer
Location: Westlake, Ohio
Mileage: 70,311
Title Status: Clean

Contact The Seller

Comments

  1. Avatar ccrvtt

    Price is right and it looks like a fun car. My problem is with the color. I worked at a Porsche dealer in 1973 and we got a 911S in painted Chocolate brown. It was a very deep, rich color. This one is a bit yellower and reminds me of what one pundit described as fecal dun.

    Chacun a son gout…

    Like 0
    • Avatar wuzjeepnowsaab

      I think the Porsche color was Sepia Brown. My 67 was a bit darker, more chocolatey for Euro delivery, called Togo Brown. But yeah…this little Spitfire looks like that Sepia color

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Paul

    What is the button on the right side of the dash? Bet it is the horn. I had problems with my Spit’s horn.

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    • Avatar Murray

      Expect its a map reading light…… Globe is behind button and shines on to lap of passenger/navigator.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Gene Parmesan

    Love this one. If it were closer, I would snap it up in a flash. Mount those slot mag wheels ASAP and get that little roadster in the wind!

    Like 0
    • Avatar ccrvtt

      I totally missed those slotted mags. I love that style and I agree they’d look super on this car. May even make me forget about my snide comment on the color…

      Like 0
  4. Avatar DonC

    I grew up in Rocky River, right next to Westlake….and would swear I’ve seen this car in the area. Great car for sure! But given the lack of rust, I have to doubt it spent its life growing up in the burbs of Cleveland.

    Like 0
  5. HoA Howard A Member

    I have to say, without reservation, this the nicest Schpitfire to come through here. Has it all, although, I don’t care for the cheesy horn button screwed to the nice dash. Not that hard to fix a steering wheel horn button. I don’t care for the color either, but with hardtop, O/D, and Weber, this is a great deal. That dent in the front, get used to it. You learn to pick your parking spots carefully, I found that out with my MGB. Someone is going to get a nice car, ready to cruise. You will like the O/D, trust me.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Murray

      What is it with you guys in the USA and Weber Carbs on British Sports Cars? Why do you take off perfectly good SUs which are about the most efficient carb made and replace them with awful unreliable Italian Webers which are really only good for a) Looks and b) consuming copious amounts of fuel for no real benefit on this type of engine in normal factory spec……..

      Like 0
      • Avatar Kevin

        I’m hearin ya Murray. Same with Jags and the excellent, iconic double overhead cam inline six, Lets get that out and put in a V8. Why??

        Like 0
      • HoA Howard A Member

        Hi Murray, let’s not start with why American’s do what they do to cars. I agree, the SU, while touchy, is the most simplistic carb to come down the pike. I did some research on converting my GoldWing from 4 singles to one Weber, and most sites, say don’t do it. It actually detracts performance. I think it may be more of a status thing, “OOOO, look, it has a Weber”.

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      • Avatar Richard V

        This year Spit came with a troublesome Stromberg single carb so, in this case, the Weber would be an improvement. However, I’d rather see twin SUs fitted as were on the earlier cars.

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  6. Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

    I once has 67. Fun little car and not that hard to work on though mine had been previously abused. One thing that always amazed me was the amount of legroom available in a Spit. It had more than many ‘family’ cars, and I’m 6’4″ or at least I was at that time.

    Someone will get a nice one here.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar tje

    The world needs more brown cars.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar BillyT

    Factory hardtop, weber carb, manifold, and headers! Holy smokes! I had a ’72 Spitfire back in the ’80s. Fun little car and with the factory hardtop it is very weatherproof in the wintertime; of course, now I would just use it when the weather was warm and/or sunny. Somebody will indeed get a fun little runabout for a very reasonable price.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Lee

    My ex father in law had this exact one, including the color.They are fun, but they break down all the time.So if learning to become a Triumph mechanic sounds fun to you, this car is for you.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Keruth

      Had 4, ditto on the OD, rust along that seam is fairly common.
      Being able to work on them is the point.
      Really close to me. I’d go for it, but I have one already! GLWTS.
      Now, if I could find that rotted out 6+ w/the donut rear uprights…!

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Bob C.

    I remember reading a Car and Driver magazine back in the 70s. There was a comparison test with about 5 sports cars and the Spitfire and VW Karman Ghia were among them. The top speed of the Spitfire was 87 mph while the WW squeaked by at 89.

    Like 0

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