anyone love triumph spitfire

[milkybarkidrules]

hi.. i love triumph spitfires.. does anyone wanto talk about them?

[Wacky Racer]

milkybarkidrules said:

hi.. i love triumph spitfires.. does anyone wanto talk about them?

You start....

[milkybarkidrules]

so have you got one?

[tr3a]

milkybarkidrules said:

so have you got one?

I've got one.

[Wacky Racer]

milkybarkidrules said:

so have you got one?

I bought a brand new 1300cc Mk 4 in January 1973, Pimento Red, reg no WNA 857L...

I have very happy memories of the car, kept it three years, 36,000 miles, no trouble at all....

[niva441]

Just about to put the 78 1500 back on the road after it spending the last year lurking in my sister's garage.

Unfortunately it won't be for long as I'll have to sell it soon to make space.

[J1mmyD]

:sigh:

Me loves these old things. I have a 73 1300 in BRG in the garage. It really is just because I saw one as a kid, but it does make me smile every single time. I don't care that you can't take it over 60. I doesn't matter that bits fall off it. So what if the passenger door only opens when it wants to. And the starter motor sticks once in a while. There's nothing you can't fix with a penknife and some duck tape.

Sadly, the old dear's gonna have to go soon. Only to a good home ... someone who'll bring her back up to her old glory and promises to make sure that when they get rid it stays with someone who'll love her. (Now .. ain't that sad?)

[//j17]

milkybarkidrules said:

anyone love triumph spitfire

Not physically.

J1mmyD said:

I don't care that you can't take it over 60.

Why not - mine gets to 4500RPM with no trouble and that's the best part of 80? If the steering gets light, swap on the front splitter from a 1500.

J1mmyD said:

There's nothing you can't fix with a penknife and some duck tape.

I have found cable ties to be a wonderful addition to my tool bag.

[J1mmyD]

LOL ... let me elaborate.

You can comfortably do 60 in it. Wind it round to 70 and a few things start to vibrate. Take it round past 75, though, and you have to keep one eye on the rear view to see where the bits that fall off land for later recovery.

[trackcar]

I still have my first car that my parents bought me when i wa 14 .. a 1963 spitfire4
Could never sell it, worthless in real terms but so much sentimental value

[ARH]

I am fixing up a gt6 right now (see profile) good fun so far.

[vitessesteve]

A Spitfire is a fine motor but what you realy need is a straight six in it. I am currently upgrading my Vitesse with 2.5 PI engine. Being small and low geared these cars sure surprise moderns at the lights who think it is a district nurse Herald.

[trackcar]

I had a spitfire Mk4 with a 2 litre straight six .. always sounded great but had no performance whatsoever .. I remember me and my then partner Christine (she eventually became as scary as the car namesake) driving to Skegness for a holiday , going over the Humber Bridge we thought it was going to blow away despite being filled so full with luggage that the Triumphtune Twin system grounded at every chance.

Happy times

[799boy]

I've owned almost all the Triumph models over the years and still rate the mk3 to be the best. My first Mk3 was a royal blue '67. O/drive g/box, wire wheels and hard top. Relatively relaxed cruising at 70-80mph in o/drive top and top whack of 100mph as they had the most powerful engine (same output as the 1500 but happier to rev). Owned 2 other mk3's since (+ various GT6's which are simply a grown up version of the same concept)and rate them highly. Moved onto Stags now but loads of respect to the little gems. I wouldn't touch another Midget with a barge pole as they always seemed to bring bad luck !! Now's the time to be buying one ....

[AJLintern]

Yes I'm about to get mine on the road again for the summer I need to replace the tyres first though - I got some 5.5" GT6 wheels from ebay which I'm going to have a go at refurbisihing this weekend, then put some 175x70 tyres on and get driving!

[//j17]

799boy said:

...as [the Mk 3] had the most powerful engine (same output as the 1500 but happier to rev).

Close, but no banana I'm afraid.

The Mk3 was listed as having 75bhp the 1500 as having 71bhp, but the two engines were measured in different ways (don't know what the former was but the latter was the German DIN system).

The Mk3 actually had the exact same power output (in the UK at least) as the MkIV, which was listed as having 63bhp (DIN). This means the 1500 would have approx. 84/85bhp.

[purpleheadedcerb]

At least the 1300 has less of a tendency to throw rods out the side of the block. The 1147 was the most powerful anyway.

[J1mmyD]

I was going to cut down a tree and lop the big aple tree at the back of the house today .... now I want to take the tarp off the spitfire and give her some TLC.

(I bet that's where the Woodface CD is, thinking about it!)

[//j17]

purpleheadedcerb said:

At least the 1300 has less of a tendency to throw rods out the side of the block. The 1147 was the most powerful anyway.

Only with it's Le Mans head on.

[triumphman]

Mine is sitting back in UK in the brother-in-laws garage. Gets taken out every two weeks for a spin ( he tells me ). I noticed clutch slip last time home - so not looking forward to that job next time I'm back in the UK. She's a nice old girl though and always draws the looks..... while the engine's out though....HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ......... IT'S ALIVE!!!!! etc.. etc... in the white coat with lightning flashing in background.....