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76Spit_Owner

76Spit_Owner

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Hey all!!! New to the site here!!! Just a quick intro. I bought a 1976 Spit 1500 for $600 and am working on getting the engine running right now. The body is straight and looks great. The engine is missing a freeze plug, but the block isn't cracked. It hasn't seen the road since 1996, so this may be a bit of a project. Brakes are nonfunctional, not sure about the clutch, driver's side floorboard is rusting out by the feet(I have a set of brand new floorboards waiting to go in though), engine turns over, fuel pump works, I'm guessing the fuel filter is working, I t hink the carb needs to be rebuilt, and I need a new battery and plugs/plug cables. Here are some pics of it....

frontdriverside.jpg


S3000024.jpg


P7050028.jpg


S3000102.jpg
 
Congrats; looks like you have a good platform to work with. You'll have many hours pleasure with it.
 
Welcome aboard, and congrataulations on the good buy. She certainly looks nice even if she doens't run. They are pretty easy to work on, so you shouldn't have any trouble getting it up and running soon.
 
Hi,

Wow! That's a great start.

A tip, the rusty driver's side floor is most likely an indication of the condition of the brake system.

Triumphs that are left sitting for a long time tend to start leaking brake fluid out of the master cylinder, which drips down onto the floor and puddles there, where it promptly removes any remaining paint and promotes a nice growth of rust that eats through the floor amazingly quickly.

Patch panels are available for the floor, or can be made up and welded in place. The bigger issue is likely that the brake system will need to be gone through pretty thoroughly, as a safety critical item. The master cylinder is probably empty by now, but likely the plunger is jammed inside. Corrosion may have damaged the cylinder to the point it needs honing, or resleeving or replacement.

Overall, though, it looks like you got a really good deal on a great starting point! Enjoy!

Alan Myers
'62 TR4 CT17602L
 
Thanks for the welcome guys!

Alen, I think you hit the nail on the head!! The entire area by the master cylinder is quite rusty, and I don't have any brakes AT ALL (except the parking brake)!!! I planned to replace the entire brake system anyways just to be safe.

As for the patch panels, I'm not too worried. I have both driver and passenger side floorboards.....the ENTIRE floorboard, brand new sitting in the garage waiting for the interior work to get done. First thing on the list is to get it running and driveable. Then comes the interior renovation.
 
Welcome!! I think you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of your Triumph, so long as you don't have to depend on it everyday! Seriously though, they are fun little cars. My only advice would be to find a good British car mechanic in your area that you can call on or take your car to if needs be. This forum is great, but it's no substitute for someone who's been there and done it all before. Again, welcome to the family.
 
Congrats on your deal and welcome to the forum. I've learned an lot and benefitted from this group a good deal. By the way, smart of you to get brakes done properly as a first. I remember as a kid, brakes were only on the radar screen if they didn't work at all and if not, only the minimum was done to get them working again. Now, with some gray hairs and after surviving some frightening brake failures, I choose to stop before I go.
 
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