Triumph Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" V8s (Stag and TR8)

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88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: 88v8
Date: August 23, 2012 03:53AM

Haven't seen a V8 Spit for ages, then a second one comes along:

[www.ebay.co.uk]

Pretty good. OK, the front apron, the trunk lid, the driver's door, and the exhaust looks a Saturday afternoon job, but it's had a lot of work put into it, that rear end sounds seriously ambitious, and.... it has a nearly working speedo, ask yourself how many.cars you've seen where the speedo isn't connected.
At this price, well....... even the paintwork looks quite decent from 4,000 miles.

I'd better stop... be talking myself into buying it... lol

Ivor



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2012 03:57AM by 88v8.


bsa_m21
Martin Rothman
Vancouver, Canada
(216 posts)

Registered:
01/06/2009 11:41AM

Main British Car:
1980 TR7V8 Rover 3.9L

authors avatar
Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: bsa_m21
Date: August 23, 2012 08:38AM

I'd love to see how the rear end is set up.

"Differential center section out of an 85 BMW 735, Audi Quatro Rear Disc brakes and hubs, with Parking brake. Rear suspension is Indi Car style 4 link tubular with all Hiem Joins and Coil Over Shocks"

M.


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: 88v8
Date: August 24, 2012 02:18PM

Yes, I would too.

The seller tells me although he never claimed to be a body and fender man, he did everything on this car in his home garage, including the paint. He says the car does work very well. it handles well, stops well and 'rides decent'.
I imagine he must be very sorry to part with it.

OK the speedo reads slow, but when I think how many cars one sees with engine transplants where the speedo never got hooked up at all, this is not exacty a crime. Even Ric Vandenberg never connected the speedo on his TR6, and btw neither did the seller who resold it on eBay.
The seller of the Spit comments that the car is way better than when it came here from England and none of the Lucas or Smith stuff worked. Not for nothing is Lucas dubbed the Prince of Darkness.

This looks like an admirable piece of work, and I hope it sells for a decent price.

Ivor


rocket
Rodney Hoover

(8 posts)

Registered:
08/24/2012 12:59PM

Main British Car:


Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: rocket
Date: August 24, 2012 03:00PM

GEDC0009.JPG
GEDC0032.JPG



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2012 12:20AM by rocket.


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: 88v8
Date: August 24, 2012 03:12PM

Seller also seems unusually honest, photographing the front apron hanging off, the trunk lid not shutting too well, the driver's door hanging out a little. Most sellers would have 'accidentally' omitted these features.
What you see is really what you get, as they say.

And anyway, none of that stuff really matters, after all, you can't see it when you're in the car lol.

That suspension work must have taken a deal of time to figure out. Out of my league; I just got as far as making lowering blocks to put beneath the rear axle of my Landrover, and even that didn't work as I made them out of alloy and now they're fretting. Doh....

Ivor


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4577 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: Moderator
Date: August 24, 2012 06:18PM

I wonder what his other photos look like... you know, the ones he decided not to use.


rocket
Rodney Hoover

(8 posts)

Registered:
08/24/2012 12:59PM

Main British Car:


Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: rocket
Date: August 25, 2012 12:29AM

I'll show you any pictures you want to see. It,s not a show car. it's was a design (mule) and a daily driver. from the looks under the car you can tell it's not trailerd or babied. Concidering that it was saved from rotting away in a field,I got to say that it works rather well.By the way, the front apron is not (falling Off). The hood and body were raised for radiator and engine clearance. Rodney
GEDC0019.JPG



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2012 12:32AM by rocket.



88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: 88v8
Date: August 25, 2012 04:25AM

Hello Rodney, and welcome to the forum. We like chaps such as you who can do things.

I think you should mention that point about the apron in your listing, it sure looks as if it's falling off.

Ivor


rocket
Rodney Hoover

(8 posts)

Registered:
08/24/2012 12:59PM

Main British Car:


Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: rocket
Date: August 30, 2012 11:26PM

Well the car sold. It's going to North Carolina to be stripped down again and brought back as a Vintage Road Race car. The front apron that was( falling off) will be replaced with a new air dam. Bigger brakes,suspension upgrades, a full roll cage, among many other modifications will be going into this car. The basic v8 5 speed and BMW diff will remain. I look forward to seeing the pictures of the build as it comes together this winter. Rodney


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: rficalora
Date: August 31, 2012 06:45PM

Hey Rodney - suggest to the buyer that he sign up and post build updates here. I know a bunch of us would be interested to watch the progress.


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: roverman
Date: September 03, 2012 12:43PM

Rodney and clan, What Vintage class will this car run in ? It's an engine swap car. Thanks, roverman.


rocket
Rodney Hoover

(8 posts)

Registered:
08/24/2012 12:59PM

Main British Car:


Re: Spitfire with Olds 215
Posted by: rocket
Date: September 04, 2012 10:44PM

I'm not sure what class it will run in. The new owner states that the Vintage Racing classes in North Carolina are (Rather Laxed).


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