Description
I hereby offer my beloved Triumph Spitfire 1500 for sale.
I always wanted a Triumph Spitfire because of its beautiful 60 ties Italian (Michelotti) design, simple British mechanics and the true driving experience it has to offer. And all of this at a reasonable price.
I spend a long time looking for a rust free example until I finally found one in 2017. I didn't hesitate to purchase it on first viewing as the car went through a complete nut and bolt restoration by one of the previous owners.
I really liked the fact that there was (and still is) no underseal coating underneath. The lacquer underneath is nearly as pretty as on the outside panels. No rust and no hidden nastiness.
For me it ticked all of the boxes. But being a somewhat older restoration there were a few minor mechanical issues that needed addressing.
Being a former GT/ F1 mechanic, I enjoy picking up spanners and putting things right.
So after I drove the car home it went on axle stands and it was thoroughly inspected.
The brakes were only mildly reducing speed due to stuck pistons in the front callipers. It had a leaking front oil seal on the crank and the sump was sweating to much for my liking.
So the callipers were taken apart and I CNC machined new pistons from stainless steel billet. I replaced the front discs by vented ones and fitted softer green brake pads. The rear brakes were rebuilt as well. I recently fitted new rear brake cilinders. This work had a major impact on the braking performance. Even though it hasn't got a brake servo you can now lock the wheels.
The front right trunnion was worn out so that has been replaced together with the upright. A complete car setup was done.
Later on I took off the sump, cam chain housing etc. for resealing. Cam chain and sprockets were checked and found in very good order. It is rare to find a Triumph which doesn't leak oil. This is the one that doesn't. Not a drip!
Gearbox oil was changed, diff oil was changed, brake fluid of course and the coolant has been renewed.
I did plugs, point and condenser but because the quality of these parts is unfortunately pretty bad these days (cheap chinese import) So I opted for a 123 ignition system after I broke down in the middle of France on Holiday with a brand new Chinese condenser giving way after 200 miles. Of course the original Lucas distributor is still with the car and can be refitted by the purists.
On the rear diff the rubbers bushes were worn out at some point. So I have replaced those by polyurethane versions purchased at Canley's classics. Never to be touched again.
The car is entirely 100% rust free and 95 % original.
Few things which are not factory fitted are:
The mini-Lite wheels, although I don't think they harm the car. It is a nice period correct enhancement.
Because this car can be used as a daily runner I had it on normal plates and even though obliged I insisted on going through MOT every year. This because I like my cars to be in perfect condition at all time. At one point they didn't let me through MOT because of a missing FOG light. So I fitted a Porsche one as it originally never had one. It is the cleanest solution I could think of. A nice original Porsche pull switch was fitted to the dashboard to flick it on. It is all quite subtle.
The car is fitted with the classic red Koni shock absorbers which do a great job. Again, probably not original but an expensive decent quality item which is a true asset to the handling of the car.
The car has done little mileage. Too many cars in the garage. But we have lovely memories. We went on holiday to France a couple of times. And we did classic car gatherings. And in summer I enjoyed driving it to work when the weather was nice. It has never been driven in the rain and is always kept in a proper garage.
Every month the car has been taking out for a spin and warmed up thoroughly. As we all know a car needs to run to keep her in good shape.
Except for 1 chinese condenser this car has been an extremely reliable runner. And lots of fun to drive. Elegant styling for little money. Easy the work on and very forgiving if driven slightly harder.
The car has originated from Holland. I had the car 10 years. I a have covered around 5000 km in that time. The previous owner bought the car in Holland from an elderly couple who did the restoration but decided to sell it due to age.
Every year the car received fresh oil (Duckhams 20/ 50) plugs and filter, no matter how little mileage I did. If you are looking for a good first time classic and you would like to get into the basics of spannering this is an ideal car. If you are looking for the best spitfire this one might stand a chance. It is not a new one but it is the best one I have seen so far.
It is definitely an affordable classic to run if you pick the right one.
The one and only reason I am selling my spitfire is because I am running out of space. I recently purchased a wood chassis Marcos to restore and I am tired of shifting cars around in my garage.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Or if you would like an appointment for viewing, you are more than welcome.
Thanks for reading.
