Spitfire Novice: Advice about buying

[Captain Al]

Hi, Al here. Good to be with you all.

I've had loads of classics Alpines, MGBs, Land Rovers etc. I've been thinking about a Spitfire, probably the Mark IV 1500.

Can anybody point me in the direction of a place where I can glean some knowledge? What to look out for, what to avoid etc.

many thanks

Al

[yorkshire_spam]

Starting note.... Spitfire MK IV is a 1300, Spitfire 1500 is effectively the MK V (but that's just model pedantry, no really relevant)

I came over from the land rover world about 10 years ago when I bought a Spitfire 1500 - my first classic car (land rovers aren't classic cars, they are just old/older land rovers 😉 ) my advice would depend on how handy with the spanners you are etc. Most mechanical stuff is DIY sortable, but I (personally) hate having to sort bodywork out, so I'd go to town with any you look at hunting for rust (usual places, chassis, wings etc.), spend the extra for one with overdrive if you plan on doing any long trips or higher speed roads/motorways. If you are going to thrash the car (driving up alpine passes for example) one with an oil cooler is a good plan if it's a 1500 (1300 not so bad) but these are relatively cheap to buy/fit - so not a massive deal. SEATS are expensive (relatively speaking) to re-trim and re-foam, so a car with decent seats fitted is a bonus. 

See if you can find an active local group for the club and go along and make new friends - you might find somebody with a Spitfire happy to help you look at possible purchases, or their cars might give you an idea of what to expect?

 

[Captain Al]

Thanks for the useful info yorkshire_spam.....

[Banksy82]

Hi Al,

I have had a couple of Spitfires and would second what has been said by Yorkshire_spam regarding bodywork.

One thing specifically to look out for is that although the Spitfire is a tub on chassis design, the chassis is very narrow down the centre with the sills of the body tub being structural. 

The upshot of this is if the body isn't braced correctly when the sills are replaced the whole thing can sag in the middle leading to shut lines that are all over the place.  Even on an example with good bodywork pay careful attention to the door gaps to check previous work has maintained alignment. I know from experience that fixing a drooping body is a real pain!

Of the two cars I have had the first was mechanically very good with poorly repaired bodywork and the current one has reasonable bodywork but has suffered from many miles and is mechanically sad. I can say with confidence that I much prefer dealing with the oily bits!  

Karl

[RobPearce]

Further to what Karl said, the car in my avatar was bought (by my brother) as a "nicely restored" example with very shiny bodywork but some mechanical niggles. He figured that oily bits are easier. Unfortunately, the "restoration" (and I use the term very loosely) consisted mostly of half an inch of filler in all the usual places, and a respray. After a year of use, the MOT failure list was too long for a quick fix and it took us (well, me, since he passed the car on to me as payment for fixing his GT6) three decades to get it into the condition you now see.

Take a magnet with you and check that everything is really as good as it looks.

[MJH2454]

Have a read of this    http://www.triumphspitfire.nl/buyersguide.html

https://triumphspitfire1500.co.uk

 

[Amy Wade]

As others have said, find one with a solid body. I spent a couple of years looking for a Spitfire, one of the things I learned very early in my search was if the door rubs on the top of the B post when you open it & there's no play in the hinges walk away, it will be a massive undertaking to buy it. Also get one with overdrive, it will cost less to buy one with it fitted than the cost of fitting it to a non overdrive car.

Good luck with your search and we're always here to give helpful advice. 

[Captain Al]

Thanks to everybody that replied. I will especially head the advice about correct body bracing. I've seem a few shiny examples at tempting prices, but now I understand the terror that could lurk beneath the gloss!