QuestionHello, I have a general Spitfire question. I grew up on Triumphs, and MG's and loved them, but never had a Spitfire. My son just bought a Spitfire and our mechanic, who owns a British Car Repair business told us we made a mistake buying a Spitfire. He is saying that the spitfire's had bad engine, transmission and rear problems. Is he right, are they that much worse than a TR6 or MGB? I don't want to steer my son wrong.
Thanks
Don
AnswerDon,
I hate to have to say this... but it sounds like you need to find another mechanic. At least for the Spitfire.
Keep in mind that the Spitfire is an English sports car and as such is not built to Chevy or Ford truck standards. As such it does require a lighter touch to get the best sustainable performance out of the car.
The rear axle setup is a definite weak point on the Spitfire, especially if the engine is tuned/tweaked for significantly more power.
MGBs, TR6s and all of the other English sports cars had their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Mostly the Spitfire gets looked down upon because it's not a "TR"... but more Spitfires were built than any other TR model except the TR7, another maligned Triumph.
For you son I'd suggest checking and or replacing the u-joints with quality units (Spicer or similar) and to keep in mind that it's not a NASCAR racer.
Cheers,
Jim
