We have always liked Triumph Spitfires. The last of the breed—1500 cars from 1973 to 1980—are among our favorites.
Recently while on a trip up north, we stopped at Vintage Racing Services in Stratford, Connecticut. There on the showroom floor sat a white 1980 Spitfire that seemed to be in pretty good overall condition.
The price was right at $5000, …
How much???? 
Wow... makes me feel better about the price I paid for mine. 
Fun Fact:
Kent's father was Conrad Bain.
Kent runs a great shop. Our brit car club has been there a few times and the diversity of cars he has there getting worked on is always amazing. Nice guy and a very fast racer.
mike h
Like everything else, nice low mileage, overdrive equipped Spitfires are going up.
Funny thing about Brit cars...most people refuse to buy in for much money, however, once in, there is no limit to what they will spend on the $500 wreck they bought.
I expect $5k bought a nice foundation for a restoration or a car that can be driven as you go.
Tim Suddard wrote: Like everything else, nice low mileage, overdrive equipped Spitfires are going up.
Every once in a while, it's nice to buy an old car you can enjoy and tinker with from the get-go. If every single project car was as rough as the Elan project, you'd go bats.
I hope you have a plan to get rid of those big black things on the front and rear... I didn't realize spits had ramming bars as an option.
NOHOME wrote: Funny thing about Brit cars...most people refuse to buy in for much money, however, once in, there is no limit to what they will spend on the $500 wreck they bought. I expect $5k bought a nice foundation for a restoration or a car that can be driven as you go.
I am living, breathing proof of this! Lol!
paranoid_android74 wrote:NOHOME wrote: Funny thing about Brit cars...most people refuse to buy in for much money, however, once in, there is no limit to what they will spend on the $500 wreck they bought. I expect $5k bought a nice foundation for a restoration or a car that can be driven as you go.I am living, breathing proof of this! Lol!
Guilty
Hamiltonguitars wrote: I hope you have a plan to get rid of those big black things on the front and rear... I didn't realize spits had ramming bars as an option.
I just got a chance to look at the photos- that's a nice example- complete with Sabrinas! Didn't realize Spitfires got them too.
Whatever became of young Tom's blue Spitfire y'all were working on?
Bill, Tom's French Blue Spit was sold to purchase his BMW e30. That's one of the reasons Tim jumped at this one--both he and the boy felt the hole left by that last Spitfire's departure.
Margie
In reply to Marjorie Suddard:
It's funny how Spitfires can do that. I bought my current one for the same reason.
One of my cients, Mark III powered by a tweaked 4AGE - http://www.triumphexp.com/member/Gregxster - zero to 60 in 6 seconds
And I said the guy was asking $5000. Paid bit less than that. And the bumper guards are already gone with an early 1500 Spitfire bumper exchange. And yes, it is real decent driver quality car to start playing with and improving.
And Oldskewltoy, do not even let my son see that Toyota powered car, as he has an extra supercharged MR-2 drivetrain in his garage.
Makes my 1973 SpitSix's $1900 look more like a good deal every day. Now, if only I could find the time to get it on the road...
Keith, as you know it takes both time and money. That's why this time around I picked one up that was already driver quality. And I have an extra GT-6 engine if that is where your problems lie.
Yeah, my last Spitfire left after I became embroiled in my E30 project. This time around, we're starting the right way–with a nice, fairly rust-free car (the driver's floor has some surface rust).
As far as the 4AGE spit goes, hmmmmm. That's a pretty compelling swap. And I do have that extra 4AGZE....
Tom Suddard wrote: As far as the 4AGE spit goes, hmmmmm. That's a pretty compelling swap. And I do have that extra 4AGZE....
not sure there is room for the supercharger... but the Gregxster Spit is making about the same... maybe a bit more hp then a US spec 4AGZE....
Spitfire's are nice car. Always wanted to buy one and fix it up. But the wife is totally against this. Says I already have too many toys and too much money invested in them. She says I don't need anymore.
In reply to DirtHog:
Tell her she has enough shoes
That's a dead ringer for the one I had when I was 16. Hope you have better luck with yours than I did mine.
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