Scampi - My Triumph Spitfire

[Aar0sc]

I hope the pictures work - and this is the third time I've written this out, so if I sound angry, bored and tired, it's because I hate computer - the 2nd version was by far and away the best one
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, I'm Aaron, I'm 17, and I own a 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500 that I bought last year. I'd known for ages that my first car was going to be old/classic, I just didn't know what. For I while it was going to be dad's A35, but he sold it (if you ever see BAS 595, do telleth me!). Then I settle on a Spitfire, I saw three, and bought this one - it had everything (bar overdrive) that I wanted!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6YI6mHw7Pw


So far I've only done minor jobs on it; I changed the seats from buckets to real Spitfire ones (although they're MkIVs, so if anyone knows how to fit headrests to them, please tell me!), I flushed and remeoved the radiator and cooling system, I'm midway through repainted the bootlid, I gave a some hammerite in the rusty areas, and a full service - and lots of polishing!
It seems to have had a good life, during the 90s and early 00s it was lavishly looked after, then after about 2005 it was less so - financial constraints

I'll update this whenever I do somthing on the car - although most of the time it'll be copied from Popular Classics (which is in turn copied from YGC!)

[pryantcc]

Looks good Aar0sc. The best of luck with it! Did you have any hassle getting insurance for it?

[Aar0sc]

I've been quoted about £1300 for it - but as I haven't passed my test yet I haven't got any - although dad's insured on it for £50! (and for some reason he also registered it in his name )

[kamilb1998]

That is a lovely car Aaron! Great first car.

[Aar0sc]

Been doing a bit of work on the Spit - I was sanding a bit of paint on the boot, going "gosh, this really is Sh*te! Sod it, I'm definately taking it to the sand blasters!", when I noticed how bad the black chrome edging strips were - so I took em off - then I noticed that the paint on the rea panel was pretty shoddy - so off with the bumper and the number plate - turned out that one of the screws was snapped anyway, so I'll need a new one of them
Next up; lights off, boot off to sand blasters, and make good friends with my D&T teacher with access to a welder and compresser during half term - well, I helped resray his Scimitar
























Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HC2qrnOl4I

[Paul240480]

Great thread & it sounds fab' on the vid'

I was offered 'first dibs' on one of these when I was in the RN. IIRC it was a 1500 high compression (would that sound right may have 1300?) with soft & hard top. Sadly at 19 in 1981 insurance was too high. Seeing your quote mine was nothing to be concerned about in hindsight!

good luck

[Aar0sc]

That quote will doubtless be higher now due to the crazy insurance companies - but it could be worse - to insure one of my friends on a 6 year old Golf the lowest quote he got was £27000!!!!

I told him to ring around, which reduced it to just £6000 :/

[Aar0sc]

Sooooo.... on the advice of a Triumph-Spitfire-owning-friend I'm taking off the Trunnions at the front, cleaning them out and then giving them new bushes, seals and oil, then putting it all back together again. Sounds easy enough, eh?

Sadly, I've been thwarted at the first hillock by a very tight bolt holding the caliper on - and my question is: do I just try hard to get it off (with a bit of WD40), or is it LHT or something odd like that?

Ta












TOAD!

[Luxobarge]

WD40 won't help.

WD40 is a water dispersant (that's what the "WD" stands for) not a penetrating oil.

[Aar0sc]

I've broken my good ratchet

Smelt... burnt :/

Look okay?