Triumph Repair: Ballpark cost for Spitfire 1500,76, wheel bearings, clutch masters

Question
Hello Jim,
I have a 1976 Spitfire that I parked 15 years ago. It has been covered and
on jacks in a garage. Would you have a ballpark cost to bring this car
to a road worthy condition? I just want to get it to a safe, drivable condition.
Thanks for your time.
-Gary

Answer
Gary,

There are too many variables involved.  First off, what shape was the car in when it was put on jacks in the first place?  IE:  what problem caused you to not drive it then?

Assuming it was a complete good running car with no rust/body damage when parked then you'll probably need to do the following at minimum:

New hydraulics (brake/clutch masters, cylinder/slave, hoses).  It's typical for the rear wheel cylinders to leak, contaminating the rear shoes.  While you're at it, new front pads are a good idea, and possibly new discs and have the rear drums checked/turned.

New soft top and/or interior, depending upon initial storage condition and aging while stored

Sometimes the seals on the differential and the tranmission will start to leak when the car is parked for an extended period of time.

In addition, for safety sake you should count on doing a complete mechanical rebuild of the brakes, wheel bearings (replace or at least repack), u-joints, suspension bushings and motor mounts.

I'm hoping the engine was in good shape when placed in storage, and was prepped for it's nap properly.  Otherwise that'll add another chunk of money to the startup.

Few of the parts singly amount to a large amount of money but it all adds up.

The final variable is how much you can do yourself vs how much you need to have done by professional shops.

At minimum for new tires and brakes/clutch hydraulics you're looking at about $800-$1000 in parts and some labor, unless you mount and balance your own tires.


Cheers,

Jim