Buying a Triumph Spitfire

I suppose the first point to take into consideration before buying a Triumph Spitfire is that you are buying a hobby and not a car! You have to realise that the technology used to design and build a Triumph Spitfire is old just like the cars themselves and they do not have the reliability of today's hi-tech cars built by robots. Triumph Spitfires do and will break down so be prepared for this eventuality.

Once you understand the above you can have peace of mind that almost everything that can go wrong with a Triumph Spitfire can be easily fixed - with the exception of some aspects of the body work! An otherwise decent car can turn into a costly mess or even a death trap. A shiny paint job can hide major rust, it is wise to take a magnet when looking to buy a Triumph Spitfire (preferably from a refrigerator door seal) and use this on key areas of the bodywork such as the nose, under the doors (sills) and behind the wheels. If you find the magnet does not stick to the bodywork there could be body filler under the paint. This does not mean the car is a total wreck, it maybe the odd repair but at least you have highlighted it and you can discuss with the seller.

If you go through with buying a Triumph Spitfire then it's a good idea to give your new hobby a complete going over. Everything on the car that can wear out needs replacing to ensure your car starts with a new lease of life. Start by replacing the fluids including oil, brake fluid, gearbox fluid and coolant. Next oil/grease hinges, u-joints and trunnions. Give it a complete tune up and replace plugs, ignition wires, distribution cap and points and follow this by checking the timing etc. Replace all hoses, belts and brake pads and you could even consider rebuilding the carb. There is obviously a cost involved if you do this yourself or if you have someone do this for you - remember though that the difference in performance of the car will be huge.

If the car has not moved for sometime then the brakes and clutch will most probably have problems. Whilst these repairs are quite simple and straight forward they must be fixed as yours and other road users safety is critical.

Author Andrew Whitehead