Project car

[Lucas jones]

Hello! 
I am a 14 year old boy who is looking at buying an old triumph spitfire to fix up by the time I am 17 with my grandad and was hoping if someone could help me find any recommendations. 
thank you!

-Lucas Jones 

[Wendy Dawes]

Good luck Lucas, I do hope someone can find you a car to work on its very nice to find a young man who  is interested in a project at a young age well

done you 👏

Edited April 14 by Wendy Dawes

[Nick Jones]

Hi Lucas, 

That is a great idea and the Spitfire is good choice being still relatively plentiful, not too expensive (though the days of people giving them away are mostly gone now) and pretty easy to work on. Spares availability is good.

My son had the same ambition. Here’s the thread of his restoration (on the Sideways Technologies forum) 

https://sideways-technologies.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/7107-chriss-mkiv-basket-case-restored-to-glory/

He was a bit older than you when he started. His was a serious project starting with a very rough, dismantled and incomplete car. I would recommend against this.  A complete, perhaps even running car needing work will cost more than a random pile of bits will cost more - but worth the extra in my view.

How much of a project do you want?  How experienced and skilled are you and your grandfather? What tools do you have access to? This determines what level of project you are looking for. Most project cars are going to need a lot of welding.  Does your grandfather know Triumphs /Spitfires?

Asking on the Triumph Club forums is a good starting point. Club Triumph (this one) and TSSC are the main ones for the “small chassis” cars. I believe also some Facebook groups.  Also many cars on eBay to keep an eye on and get a feel for conditions and values. 
 

Do you have a particular Spitfire version in mind? MkIV / 1500 are the most plentiful, typically cheaper and arguably the most usable when finished.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

Too many questions…. Pics of my sons car