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I bought a 1976 Spitfire for £4300 about 18 months ago for my wife. It was a runner and I knew I would have to tinker with it but since I had retired I thought it would be something new to learn as I had never had any interest in or knowledge about cars.
We drove it twice and the engine packed up.
Joined the TSSC and lots of people gave me advice about what it could be that had gone wrong and the upshot was I had to take the engine out of the car. So I bought all the tools and an engine crane and took out the engine.
I thought rather than fix the engine I would by a reconditioned one which I did from a guy in Cornwall for £500.
When I took out the engine I thought I will clean up the engine bay. In doing that I found the front cross member was rotten as well as the side bracing and the outriggers underneath. So I bought a welder and thought I would learn to weld and replace them. Also took up the carpet and found rot at the front on the two foot wells. Then tapped the front sill covers which were also rotten and put a torch inside the sills and saw they were rotten.
So I have replaced all these. Made the mistake of putting on the new inner, outer sills and strenghtheners without fitting the doors although I did brace the car. Upshot is the doors don’t fit well. By the way the doors were also rotten so I bought a new skin, re skinned one and bought a replacement drivers door.
Then I started cleaning underneath and had to weld some holes in the floor. Saw how the frame and underneath were very rusty so took the gearbox and fuel tank out and took the body off the chassi Stripped the paint off and repainted the chassis, filled the inside with paint and wax by covering the holes and pouring in 2 litres of each
Replaced the front suspension and rear suspension, that’s where I am now.
18 months later. Over £1000 on paint and associated stuff so far, £1000 in tools, £4000 in parts.
OH MY GOD..........he’s probably laughing up his sleeve
Can’t stop now can I.......have to finish.........
We drove it twice and the engine packed up.
Joined the TSSC and lots of people gave me advice about what it could be that had gone wrong and the upshot was I had to take the engine out of the car. So I bought all the tools and an engine crane and took out the engine.
I thought rather than fix the engine I would by a reconditioned one which I did from a guy in Cornwall for £500.
When I took out the engine I thought I will clean up the engine bay. In doing that I found the front cross member was rotten as well as the side bracing and the outriggers underneath. So I bought a welder and thought I would learn to weld and replace them. Also took up the carpet and found rot at the front on the two foot wells. Then tapped the front sill covers which were also rotten and put a torch inside the sills and saw they were rotten.
So I have replaced all these. Made the mistake of putting on the new inner, outer sills and strenghtheners without fitting the doors although I did brace the car. Upshot is the doors don’t fit well. By the way the doors were also rotten so I bought a new skin, re skinned one and bought a replacement drivers door.
Then I started cleaning underneath and had to weld some holes in the floor. Saw how the frame and underneath were very rusty so took the gearbox and fuel tank out and took the body off the chassi Stripped the paint off and repainted the chassis, filled the inside with paint and wax by covering the holes and pouring in 2 litres of each
Replaced the front suspension and rear suspension, that’s where I am now.
18 months later. Over £1000 on paint and associated stuff so far, £1000 in tools, £4000 in parts.
OH MY GOD..........he’s probably laughing up his sleeve
Can’t stop now can I.......have to finish.........
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