Vehicle Description
1977 Triumph Spitfire
The original Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft was powered by a
huge supercharged Rolls-Royce V12 engine and was fitted with up to
eight machine guns so that it truly did spit fire from engine
exhausts and guns. The Triumph Spitfire sports car however had a
diminutive four-cylinder engine, no machine guns. It was however
much less expensive to buy, a lot cheaper to run, and it was
enormous fun.
For consignment, taking on the definition of its namesake a fully
customized 1977 Triumph Spitfire. Rebuilt from the ground up, it
has many upgrades as to power and looks, a custom paint job, and a
much snappier powerful engine and carb setup. Read on for all the
details, and meanwhile bombs away! Rat tat tat tat tat!!
Exterior
In the tradition of the British sports car the long hood cowl tilts
forward to reveal the new work of mechanical art which resides
under it, and it is a breeze to work on. Our consigner bathed it in
a custom silver paint which is just near perfection on the
application. Then a black stripe was added racing down the center.
In front the headlight bezels are new and the front bumper rubber
stops have been shortened, (thank goodness!). Moving back the gaps
are all excellently minded, with a peppering of all new marker
light lenses in the field of silver. Protecting the passengers
under the new canvas black convertible top are dual U shaped roller
bars made from 304 stainless steel, and this adds a great look. The
sleek trunk deck has a black trimming on either top edge and rolls
rearward to a rear deck with new tail lights. The bumper below is
pristine and again the shortened rubber bumpers are adding to the
look. Fully tuned Kosei 15-inch wheels now shine in the center of
45 series tires with dual valve stems. A beautiful
presentation.
Interior
The customization and color match continues on the interior with
black bolstered buckets and silver vinyl inserts. These chairs are
equipped with 4-point racing belts. In front is a LeCarra steering
wheel and now aftermarket horns are installed. The original wood
dash is in with all the original gauges. I believe it is safe to
say that this is the ONLY spitfire dash I've seen without a crack
in the wood! An aftermarket sound system is in with 6x9 speakers
throughout. Perfect black carpeting is flooding the floors and
floating the buckets. In the trunk is a custom consigner fabricated
fuel tank and more nice black carpet lining. A new tonneau cover is
doing a great job of hiding the top in the down position, and a car
cover will come with this beauty.
Drivetrain
Less than 500 miles have been put on since the 1500cc engine was
worked so says the consigner. By worked I mean this 1.5 liter 4
banger now sports a Kent street/strip cam, a .030 overbore, and
high output Pertronix ignition and distributor. The head has been
ported and polished, and on top is a Single Weber 32/36 DVG carb
and intake. A 4-speed manual transmission is on back and the rear
weighs in at 3.89. An aluminum radiator and all buttoned up under
this hood which has stainless hinges now installed so you can keep
the hood up for the oglers.
Undercarriage
All clean, fully restored, no rust and solid as a rock. New
overrated front springs work with new shocks to lower the stance
and make handling better. Braided stainless brake hoses, slotted
and drilled front disc brakes, new calipers, and new drum brakes
for the rear. A new rear leaf monospacing also helps with the
rail-like handling, and a beautiful like new Monza exhaust snakes
its way to a 4 port rear exit.
Drive-Ability
Since I owned one of these in my teen years I had to drive it, and
I must say it's the nicest Spitfire I've had the pleasure to drive.
All working, no more Lucas prince of darkness electrics, and it
runs like a TR-6. Handling is even better than the original and it
goes like a British fighter plane.
If you are a British sports car aficionado, and from the SCCA days
of yore with Group 44 and Bob Tullius, which had a spitfire in
their arsenal, this is just a cracking build, all custom, all
neatly presented, and all Triumph Sports car!! Pilot to co
pilot...
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
