Hi Mark!
Welcome to the world of Spitfires! I haven't been here all that long (a
couple of months) but if you're anything like me, you'll love it! I saw
a beautiful yellow Spitfire when I was about 17, and thought it was the
nicest looking car I'd ever seen. I've wanted one ever since, and now I
have one, I think it's not only the nicest looking car ever, but the
best drive, too!
Anyway, to answer a few of your questions:
I find myself doing something to my car most weekends, but never
anything major (except converting to unleaded - that was fun for someone
who certainly doesn't consider himself a mechanic!) I'd certainly never
contemplate swapping the engine - my 1500 is perfectly good enough.
As for which one is better, we had a thread about that recently, and the
conclusion was everyone has different opinions. Personally, I think the
Mk 3 is the nicest looking Spitfire, but I went for a 1500 (which is the
second-nicest) for that bit of extra power. (I don't think that's so
important in the US, though, because smog stuff slows the 1500 down to
not much faster than the 1300 anyway.)
My opinion - check out the '79 (there's pleny of people on the list who
can tell you what's likely to need doing to a car which hasn't run for 3
years, far better than I could) and as long as it's not about to fall
apart, go for it, you'll love it!
Dean Dashwood
'77 Spit 1500 (back on the road again!)
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>----------
>From: Mark Gardner[SMTP:mrgrdnr@ix.netcom.com]
>Sent: 22 April 1999 02:03
>To: spitfires@autox.team.net
>Subject: Wannabe (kinda long)
>
>
>Hi all - I just signed on a few days ago. so pardon me if my questions
>have been recently covered.
>
>I wanted a spitfire 25 years ago, but settled for a Herald convertible.
>It was fun,and I thought my system had been purged. But nooooo. I need
>a spitfire. I've read the buyer's guides on the VTR and TSSC web pages
>and started looking. I signed on the list and now I'm a little
>worried. I see all the posts about engine swaps, and I wonder what I'm
>getting myself back into. Is this an aberrent thread, or do many people
>lose the stocker and go to something else?
>
>Also, I live in the High Desert of Southern California, where summertime
>temperatures regularly reach 110 F. Can a spitfire survive that
>environment? I don't want to have to run my heater all summer long (8^(
>
>Anyway, I've got a line on '79 1500 that was supposedly running when
>stored, but hasn't run in three years. Aside from the obvious, anything
>I need to know about resurrecting the little guy? Assuming body and
>interior are in fair shape, what's a reasonable price. The guy is
>asking $2K, but the little research I've done so far looks more like $1K
>to me. Am I dreaming?
>
>Do people have strong opions about models? I'm leaning towards a 1500.
>Am I crazy?
>
>BTW, I don't want to spend my whole life wrenching on the thing, but I
>am not totally inept or unfamiliar with Brtish vehicles, having been a
>Triumph/BSA/Norton mechanic more years ago then I care to admit.
>
>Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post. Future ones will be
>terse.
>
>Regards,
>
>Mark Gardner
>
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