QuestionI am going to make this short and sweet. I have no clue what I am getting into, but I adore the 1976 triumph spitfire. Now I have the chance to purchase one. I know the engine has been rebuilt, it has had a paint job, and the interior look good. There has been more work done, and the owner does have proof of the work done. Not know anything about cars, should I invest in a car like this. Are these cars nitorious for anything, and issues I should look into before purchasing the vehicle. How much is something like this worth. Or any resources you could point me to.
Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
AnswerJennifer,
Hmmm.. the "short and sweet" questions make for the most difficult answers.
It helps to know a bit about the cars and their history. Many people today look at a British car like a Spitfire and think "hmmm, Miata with more unique bodywork".
The reality is that the Miata benefited from 30 years of technological advances and greater engineering investment to workout the bugs before it was put up for sale.
Any British car from the '70s is notorious for being a) underpowered and b) a rust bucket and c) leaky. You don't state where you are or where the car has spent most of it's life. Pull up the carpets and look at the floor pans. Look for solid metal, and look for marks of repair work. Get the car up on a garage lift and look at the frame. The Spitfire tends to rust badly back near the differential, despite the traditional oil leak from the differential.
The '76 Spitfire was given a 9:1 compression ratio, vs the typical 7.5:1 ratio for the other 1500s. I'm guessing the engine was given a stock rebuild and retains all the original parts, carb exhaust and emissions equipment? Or was that upgraded?
The handling on a Spitfire can be interesting. It is equipped with a swing axle rear end setup. Under extreme cornering the earlier cars had a tendency to tuck the inside wheel under the car, launching the car into the air when the loading shifted. The '70s vintage Spitfires have a "swing Spring" rear axle setup that helps prevent wheel tuck but does not eliminate it. Especially if you fall prey to the current practice of low profile +2 or +3 rims with sticky tires. Listen for clicking or knocking if you drive the car slowly in a circle in a parking lot. There are 3 or 4 u-joints (1 at each swing axle and either 1 or 2 depending upon the driveshaft used) and it's not uncommon for them to fail.
Soft tops (Hood in UK speak) rarely actually seal the car during a rain storm. Hence the rust.
As to value? Best bet is to look at www.VTR.org under the chapters list and look for a local VTR chapter. Call up the president or one of the other officers, explain what you're interested in and see if they'll hazard a guess at value. It can vary greatly at different places in the country because of perceived value.
On the plus side the Spitfire 1500 is a very basic engine. Properly treated (regular oil changes, and keeping an eye on the tach) they can run for many years between rebuilds. The electrical system can be quirky and on a car that's 30+ years old expect to either find back connections or actually bad connectors on the wiring harness. Some of the replacement electrical parts can be expensive, or the aftermarket parts built in the far east are of questionable quality.
As point of reference, I do autocross (SCCA Solo2) a 1976 Spitfire and have won numerous Regional season championships plus the 2000 SCCA Solo2 National Tour event locally. So I do like the cars, despite their possible shortcomings. Been driving Spitfires for 20 years now. Own about a dozen currently.
Cheers,
Jim
