Potenial 1964 Spitfire engine swap

[uiceJ7]

Hi,

I am a new member here and not yet a Triumph owner. I have been offered the chance to buy a 1964 Spitfire 4. I am hoping this community can offer some advice. 

I don't know too much about the car (or Triumphs generally) but I have been told it has a factory hard top, the engine and gearbox has been removed and it will require some level of restoration. I'm going to look at the car on Friday, so I'll have a clearer picture then. 

Is there anyone here that has swapped a pinto engine and type 9 gearbox into one of these cars? Is there any modifications that will be needed to make it fit? I have seen an old thread here and the consensus was that the pinto will be too tall and heavy with suggestions of something more modern. However I am specifically looking at the pinto engine swap as I already have a donor car that I would be taking the engine and gearbox from.

If the body and chassis isn't too bad and a pinto engine swap not too difficult it might be a viable project for me. 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. 

[RobPearce]

The Pinto is a very poor choice to go in a Spitfire, which makes a Spitfire a very poor choice to make use of a spare Pinto engine. If you happened to have some eggs and somebody offered you a box of weetabix, would you try to make dinner by combining them?

[Guppy916]

Rob that was a bit blunt but true, 

[uiceJ7]

Quoted from RobPearce-

The Pinto is a very poor choice to go in a Spitfire, which makes a Spitfire a very poor choice to make use of a spare Pinto engine. If you happened to have some eggs and somebody offered you a box of weetabix, would you try to make dinner by combining them?

I appreciate you have an opinion on the matter so thanks for sharing, but more specifically what is it that makes it a poor choice and so incompatible in your opinion? 

At this point all I have is it is too heavy and tall. Is there an issue with fouling at the top of the engine? The stock pinto is more powerful than the original Spitfire engine plus it is easily tunable so the extra weight can be accounted for by increasing the power.

Or is the problem with the pinto is it just doesn't meet what you expect a Triumph to have?

[RobPearce]

The Pinto is a big, heavy lump of an engine that won't fit under the bonnet. The Spitfire is a very light, pretty car. It's nimble and spritely rather than straight-line quick. If you try to marry the two you'll end up severely front-heavy and you'll have to hack it around, so it won't be pretty, or nimble, and with the weight imbalance it won't go round corners and probably won't be able to put the power down to even go fast in a straight line. It's a lose-lose.

[glang]

Quoted from RobPearce-

The Pinto is a big, heavy lump of an engine that won't fit under the bonnet. The Spitfire is a very light, pretty car. It's nimble and spritely rather than straight-line quick. If you try to marry the two you'll end up severely front-heavy and you'll have to hack it around, so it won't be pretty, or nimble, and with the weight imbalance it won't go round corners and probably won't be able to put the power down to even go fast in a straight line. It's a lose-lose.

Hey that sounds like a GT6! Alright I know the extra two cylinders makes up for it🤣

[nang]

Why does everyone think they know better than the original engineers in trying to  ' improve' a good existing design. If you want more power buy a bigger car.🤬

Tony.

[Clive]

Quoted from uiceJ7-

Hi,

I am a new member here and not yet a Triumph owner. I have been offered the chance to buy a 1964 Spitfire 4. I am hoping this community can offer some advice. 

I don't know too much about the car (or Triumphs generally) but I have been told it has a factory hard top, the engine and gearbox has been removed and it will require some level of restoration. I'm going to look at the car on Friday, so I'll have a clearer picture then. 

Is there anyone here that has swapped a pinto engine and type 9 gearbox into one of these cars? Is there any modifications that will be needed to make it fit? I have seen an old thread here and the consensus was that the pinto will be too tall and heavy with suggestions of something more modern. However I am specifically looking at the pinto engine swap as I already have a donor car that I would be taking the engine and gearbox from.

If the body and chassis isn't too bad and a pinto engine swap not too difficult it might be a viable project for me. 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. 

 I have a spitfire, fitted with an ST170 (Zetec derivative) engine/type9 gearbox. So similar.

The process is not as simple as it may seem. Plenty of fabrication, and I am unsure what induction you have. If the std DGAV carb I expect that will be an issue in terms of height. Hugh Glossip fitted a pinto about 15 years ago in a spitfire, he used weber carbs, and I think a modified capri aftermarket 4 branch exhaust manifold. 

At the rear, the diff will need swapping to the spitfire 1500 (I now use a subaru diff)

 

But do not expect any conversion to be easy. It takes a substantial amount of time and "make it fit" skills. 

The mk2 spit is a rare and valuable little car, but won't be with an alternative engine. Likewise a good pinto and 5 speed box have serious value these days. Just  thought.

Oh, and my car is around 180bhp. Fabulous fun, handles well for a spitfire. So it can work.

 

[PeteStupps]

Just to agree with Clive's point, whatever the technical considerations, early Spitfires have become very valuable - certainly in Britain. Up to twice the price of mkIV or 1500 models. Not sure where you are based but you might consider selling the 1964 car on and buying a 1500 instead. You'd then also have the later, more stable rear suspension, wider wheels plus stronger differential.

Pete

[thescrapman]

It ought to be easy to source a Triumph engine and box, well certainly in the U.K.(I am assuming you aren't in the UK)

That would be my preference, as so much easier.