1976 Spitfire

[PeteLeathersac]

‘

Looks like a good one Lynn, have some fun w/ it!
No Spits but we’ve had 3x Triumphs in for service over the last week, two TR6’s and one Stag.
Both TR’s stock, one resto w/ loose Knockoffs, the other a low miler w/ loose Halfshafts.
The Stag original other than SBC/M35 powered, went for a quick Roadtest in it.

~ Pete

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[markinnaples]

How were the TR6's? Man, I'd love to find one. Recommend restore to stock or resto-mod?

[Lynn]

My brother still autocrosses a 68 MG. Bone stock. Even has the wire wheels.

He has had two TR6s. Pretty fun cars, but like everything British, just kind of archaic and weird.

TR6s definitely bring more than Spitfires. That is one of the things that makes me want to just unload this. But..... I am now thinking about keeping it. After all, it was free.

After working 8+ hours on the LT-1 today, I decided to pull the Dist on the Spitfire. Took a while to find TDC because the plug wires were not even in the correct order!!! Guessing someone had been messing with it before it was parked, trying to figure out why it wouldn't run.

Anyway, spun the pump for about 5 seconds and had oil coming up out of the distributor hole. Buttoned it back up and cranked it. Now has oil pressure. Only registered about 10 PSI on the aftermarket gauge, but that is fine for cranking pressure.

I keep thinking I am going to run into something that makes me want to ditch it. I do not believe the rockers were painted black from the factory. I was afraid they might be full of bondo. Nope. Put a magnet on each side every couple of inches for the entire length. All solid metal. Guys on the Triumph site said I would likely have corrosion in the battery tray, under the brake and clutch master cylinders, and the floor boards. None in the battery tray (other than a small strip of surface rust where the battery rubbed the paint off). None under the master cylinders. Floors have surface rust as you would expect for a car that sat in a carport with a tarp on it for years. But, it is just surface rust. They are rock solid.

Because these just don't bring much, Sherri keeps reminding me how much more I can make just spending more time at the office than I can getting this going and then selling it. Part of me wants to at least get it running. Would like to drive it and see if it is fun enough to keep. I like oddball cars for some reason, and the proportions and lines on these Spitfires are just classic British sport car to me. I have always liked the looks of them. I would have to do SOMETHING with the giant bumper extensions. I THINK they can be removed and much smaller ones can be installed. The smaller ones look like 60s bumper guards. That I can live with.

[Too Many Projects]

"Because these just don't bring much, Sherri keeps reminding me how much more I can make just spending more time at the office than I can getting this going and then selling it."
She doesn't understand it's not about the money, playing with cars is far more fun that doing office work you have been doing for years...

[big gear head]

Every time my ex wife tried to get me to work more overtime it meant that I needed to do a credit check, quick.

[Lynn]

Trust me. Sherri gets it. She fully supports my habit. Just hates to see me get so buried in projects.