I don't know a lot about the 1147 and the 1296, but there were at least
three different variants of the 1500. All the years except the 1976 had
a 7.5:1 compression ratio while the 1976 had a 9:1 ratio. I don't know
if California models got the high compression in 1976. Also the 1973 and
1974 models had slightly bigger valves. The type of engine you look for
also depends on what you plan to use the car for. If you want to
autocross you will probably want the 1500 as it has more torque. If you
plan on using the car on the track one of the early two are better as
they can turn higher rpm safer than the 1500. For normal street driving
it probably comes down to personal preference. The engine number can be
used to tell what type of engine you have. Many part catalogs give the
engine numbers. If you plan on buying a Spitfire, which I highly
recommend, you will probably want to get some of these catalogs. I have
some links on the page I am working on. It is no where near finished,
but the links should be helpful. It is at
http://pappatho.freeservers.com/spitfire.html
Chris Pappathopoulos
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