Triumph Repair: 1978 Spitfire automatic tranny, mazda rotory engine, datsun nissan

Question
I have a 1978 Triumph Spitfire that has a 1500 cc engine. My wife fell in love with this car but she can not drive a standard transmission car. Is there any automatic trannys that will fit this car or maybe a bigger 4 cylinder engine from something else with an automatic tranny? I'm looking for the easiest solution. To me, the easiest solution is her driving a standard transmission but she seems too intimidated by a standard tranny.  Any suggestions?  

Answer
David,

There's no "drop in" automatic transmission that I've heard of.  There are companies making adapters to allow the use of a Datsun/Nissan 5 speed transmission... maybe they might have tinkered with an automatic setup.

If you have time/$$/skills just about any engine can be made to fit, I've seen a late '70s Spitfire with Ford 289 V8, which does require extensive rework on the car.

The conversion I've wanted to do for years would be to drop in the Mazda rotory engine from the RX-7.  Grassroots Motorsports did one several years back and it looks/sounds like a lot of fun.

The problem is that most modern engines are too tall, so making them fit under the bonnet will be a bit of a chore.

I agree that the easiest solution would be to have her learn to drive a standard transmission.  Maybe look to see if there's a driving school in the area that might offer an "advanced" class in driving a stick?


Cheers,

Jim