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Spitfire 75 Spitfire

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MikeMcKay

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OK, so I've always had a Sprite and soon a Midget. I was getting a hardtop for my MKII Sprite last weekend from a guy who is apparently a body repairman. He had a 1975 Spitfire he said he would sell for right at $2000. He has rebuilt the engine and the transmission is OK. The engine smokes a little when first cranked up. It has headers on it with what I think is an ANSA exhaust. The car apparently sat on the ground for a while with a PO and rusted the floor pans He has already replaced the floor pans. He says the frame has some rust and needs to be replaced. I don't see any other rust under the car. He has the extra frame to go with the car. Body is in very good shape; all the red does not match in a couple of spots. It of course needs carpet and interior panels work. Dash veneer is in rough shape. He also has a hardtop to go with it but the side glass needs replacing. I know there is work involved but I've done more work on other cars than this one needs. The only Triumph I have been around much is a TR7 my dad had.
Sound like it's worth the price?
 
I was with you until you mentioned the frame. That would be too much work for that kind of money, in my book.
 
Run, too much. In todays economy there are lots of desperados dumping thier toys. It is a buyers market, keep looking. Try jaxed.com ect. and be patient.
For $2-3K you can get a nice spitfire with few if any of those needs.
 
Waaaay to much money for something that needs a frame, or a repair to the frame. Give him your business card with $800 bucks written on it and walk away.

an interior kit is 1600, hours of labor swapping the frame, smoke on startup is a valve job. If you need something to do in order to stay out of the saloons, there are things out there at much less money, if you are looking for something to drive, there are things much nicer for the same money.

just my two coppers
 
$800 is too much.
 
$800 is too much. Find a car with less needs.The car in my signiture was $2200 with overdrive, new top, zero rust. I have put $500 in it, and have only a couple niggling things to do. They are out there, and many are desperate sellers right now and cash is king.
 
All right. You guys convinced me. That's why I posted to see if it's really worth that. Back to my 62 Sprite, 73 Midget and 2 free Bugeyes! I've probably got more to work on than I have time for. Thanks.
 
The frame had been cut and rewelded to make room for a header. I didn't like look of the weld job. The owner said it was like that when he got it. He said he had the frame for a change out because of rust. He told me the frame was rusted but I didn't see anything that bad; just the poor cut and weld job.
 
Funny thing is that "poor cut and weld job" might actually be from the factory. From 1975 on, the home market Spitfires had both a dual SU and a dual exhaust pipe off the manifold. To make room for that, the frames were notched, and often not very cleanly at that. The modification to the frame was also made on US Spitfires, although the single exhaust pipe continued here (along with the single Stromberg carb.) I've seen any number of later Spitfires with what looks to be a butcher job in that area but appears to have been original!?

In truth, I'd have expected the spare chassis to be there due to the all-too-typical rear extension rust found on the 1974 and later Spitfires; that rust often spreads deeper down into the main rails around the rear suspension and differential area.
 
Andrew has a good point, the weld on my 74 with that frame notch does look pretty sloppy. Depending upon where that patch you are talking about is, could very well be factory.

Dennis
 
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