From Michael Z – Hey, just wanted to give you guys an update. Dave posted about a barn find 1969 Triumph Spitfire in Pennsylvania. Well, I’ve just bought it! It’s now at home with me, getting ready for a mechanical restoration. The body is totally solid with the exception of a 1/8″ hole on the right rear wheel arch. The only other rot is the front edge of the bonnet and front valance from the barn’s roof leaking. But surprisingly, this car is completely original with the exception of the paint and carpet. I did pull up the carpet to make sure the floors were solid and to keep them from getting wet till I put a new top on it. It even still has it’s original Lucas sealed beam headlamps. The commission plate on the firewall gives it a build date of May 1, 1969. It even comes with it’s original keys, which are tiny, just like the car!
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Congratulations, Michael, looks like a really solid car!
Good for you! Great little car and the 1300 was the best engine. Get an overdrive if it hasn’t got one. Parts from Rimmer UK or British Parts NW in Oregon.
Congratulations Michael. Was that the car in Home Pa? I wanted that one real bad but I don’t have anywhere to store it. The guy that was selling it is a straight shooter. Not a flipper. He has several Spitfires that he has been selling lately. Apparently over bought many years ago and is now trying to cut the number of Spitfires back to a manageable number.
Nicely done. Thanks for sharing the story.
I owned an old spitfire like this…..the really big advantage was its SU carbs….much better than strombergs…….it had a quarter-inch of crankshaft end-float, so I sold it cheap!
looks like a fun project.
So as cool as a spitfire is
Have you seen it with a GT6 bonnet
Looks even more like E type
And maybe a TR6 engine?
Putting a 6 cly engine in them ruins the handling. Stick with the 4cyl if you want to tear up the twistys.
Yes how about pontiac solstice turbo
Gary had a point but has he driven both.
My gt6 out ran a 240z, a v6 capri, and though first gear I was beside a 71 trans am HO in second his tail lights got smaller
Sticking a 6pot motor into a Spitfire might alter the handling slightly, but as I`ve owned and driven both, I`ll say, if properly set up, it will understeer less than standard. Even the Triumph 2litre lump gives good/useful gains in power/torque.I never got chance to find out how well it went with the 2.5litre lump in it :-(
Looks like a great find. Do it as original. A TR6 motor is WAY too heavy for this chassis. Enjoy it for what it was, a fairly sexy body with decent handling. Good luck with the resto. IT DESERVES TO BE RESTORED.