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Spitfire GT6 with Spitfire hood.

Reh

Senior Member
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I always see Spit 6s but has anyone put a Mk1 Spit hood on a Mk1 GT6?
 
You could, but it would require a shorter engine as the hump in the hood is partly there to clear the valve cover. Alternatively, the engine can be moved back by about six inches and that'll give enough space for a Spitfire hood to be fitted.

bay_wires.jpg
 
racingenglishcars said:
If you're referring to the bonnet, with a smaller engine it should fit. I wasn't aware that Americans would actually install a <span style="font-style: italic">smaller</span> engine

Well my father is thinking about getting a TDI from a wrecked jetta, and the TDI is a bit shorter.
 
racingenglishcars said:
If you're referring to the bonnet, with a smaller engine it should fit. I wasn't aware that Americans would actually install a <span style="font-style: italic">smaller</span> engine
I know someone in the Massachusetts area who made a "tribute" Le Mans Spitfire using a GT6 body and a Spitfire engine. Of course, the Le Mans Spitfires (as were all the "Works" Spitfires) were four-cylinder cars.

And yes, the bonnet will fit fine over the four...or over the six if you a: move it well back or b: have the bulge. Alternatively, one can do what someone did long ago with a GT6 I bought from a junkyard. Presumably the original bonnet was damaged, so someone cut the bulge from it and grafted it onto a "Mk1" Spitfire bonnet. Looked fine if you ignored the 879 lb. of plastic filler used to blend the bulge into the top of the Spitfire bonnet! :hammer:
 
It'd be interesting, but I'd expect quite a bit of work getting that FWD engine to mate up. If you do it, keep us informed on the work with lots of pictures! As cheap as those engines are and how easy the engine and tranny come out of the GT6's and Spits, it might be fun to have a 65mpg conversation piece!

If you're after not quite as much effort, there's a lot of aftermarket for the 1.8L Miata engines, and transmissions are super available (used in all the B series trucks, and some Rx7s, also.) Harder to find, but a BIT more technically accurate, there are some rear wheel drive nice Ford Engines (like the Ecotec, but with a different transmission bolt pattern, I guess?). It's the weapon of choice for the Caterham 7 clones, because there's a lot of neat work with these engines in Britain, but not much makes it's way across the pond.
 
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