1970 Triumph Spitfire Mark 3 1.3 from North America
Summary:
A fun little car for the weekends
Faults:
Carburetor rebuild
Ignition system rebuild
Faulty fuel pump
Faulty speedometer and tachometer cables
Faulty exhaust system
Ignition wiring fire
Leaky heater valve
Corroded battery box and battery cables
Faulty voltage regulator
Worn seats, carpet, convertible top, and weather stripping.
General Comments:
It's an old Spitfire, so naturally there are things that are wrong with it. There are still intermittent running problems that occur, but the rebuild of the Stromberg CD150 carburetor and the entire ignition system has gone a long way towards making the vehicle much more reliable. I trust it to get me to work a few days a week, but wouldn't want to drive it more than 50 miles from my house.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st March, 2002
23rd Jun 2004, 00:09
Just one thing... what's it cost? If I have to ask I can't afford it, right?
23rd Jun 2004, 06:47
You must be kidding... an old Spitfire is about the cheapest way to experience vintage British sports car (TR-7's don't count)
9th Jun 2007, 01:11
I had a 1968 Spitfire back in the late seventies and loved it.
It drove like a street legal go-cart and returned excellent gas mileage. These cars have a legendary tight turning circle, and the steering was light as a feather. It was more fun to drive than my '66 MGB.
The routine maintenance was easy because of the excellent access to the engine when the bonnet was opened. The only other car like that was the Jaguar XKE. In fact we used to call the Spitfire GT-6 the "Baby Jag".
4th Jun 2008, 16:21
I bought a 1970 spitfire brand new. It was a great little car.
Drove it every where. One year I put the top down and the tonneau cover on in early March, and didn't put the top back up until mid November. This was in Ohio, so it got a little chilly.
About 1987 I ran out of gas on my way to work at 2:00 am in the morning. Parked up on the side walk and walked the rest of the way to work. At 4:00 am the police called and said it was in the middle of the road upside down. Some losers thought it was funny to flip it and beat the crap out of it.
I would have kicked the crap out of them if I could have caught them. Loved that car.
13th Apr 2003, 21:53
All faulty items listed are wearable items that need to be replaced in time... No fault of the parts, just past their time.