Peter,
I take exception with some of the information that is represented here.
Please see below for details. I am wearing my nomex fire suit in case
of responses!
"Peter S." wrote:
>
> Read this at http://www.grmotorsports.com/boneyard.html and thought the
> rest of you could benefit from it too.
>
> Triumph
> The whole junkyard scene gets easy when you're dealing with a car that was
> produced for as long as the Spitfire. Nearly 300,000 were produced from late
> 1962 to early '80.
Actually there were "MORE" than 300K produced, in fact over 314,000.
> The biggest changes were a body style change in 1971 and engine changes in
> 1967 (1296cc) and then '73 (1500cc). The engines are real easy to swap
> around. Most racers like the 1296cc, while we really like the 1500cc engine
> for autocrossing because of its greater torque. The 1976 1500 was the only
> one to have 9.0:1 compression in 49 states. That's the one to have. The 1296
> engine came with dual SU carbs. We like Webers, but the SUs work real well
> when properly set up.
> The next things to look for in a junkyard are transmissions and
> bellhousings. The 1962-'64 cars had a "thin edge" alloy bellhousing which
> will save about 20 pounds over the later steel bellhousings. The 1965 model
> had the thick-edge alloy bellhousing, which is no heavier but even stronger
> then the thin-edge piece. The best transmissions are the 1975-up single rail
> close-ratio boxes. Unfortunately, they don't fit the early bellhousing, so
> the best setup is probably a close-ratio box from any Triumph GT6, combined
> with the 1965 alloy bellhousing.
The alloy bell housings were not fitted to the Spitfires, but rather
Heralds. And there are indeed two types. I don't recommend the thin
ones as they appear to be rather flimsy but the thicker ones appear to
be poured into the same molds as the cast iron ones and do indeed save a
lot of weight. I was fortunate enough to procure one of the thicker
aluminum ones for the Overdrive Tranny that I installed earlier this
year.
> In an effort to get back some performance, a 4.10:1 rear end ratio was
> installed in 1972. While great for racing, this ratio will kill you on the
> street (and in top speed contests) unless you use the overdrive
> transmission.
Actually, I believe it is a 4.11 but who cares about .01????
> Racers make the old-style (pre-1971) rear transverse spring work by
> de-arching and stiffening the piece. This is great for autocrossing, but
> lousy on the street. The first thing to do in any street-driven Spitfire is
> to use the 1971-up revised rear spring. This spring pretty much solved the
> rear end tuck-in problem so common to Spitfires. GT6 front springs with one
> coil cut off work well on a Spitfire. GT6 brakes are considerably bigger
> than those found on a Spitfire and are an easy, bolt-in swap.
> The 1973-up cars have a larger front anti-roll bar (approximately 15/16 inch
> instead of 11/16 inch) which, while not as good as a one-inch aftermarket
> bar, is a cheap junkyard upgrade.
And is mandatory if the "Swing-Spring" upgrade is being done. This is
to compensate for the loss of roll stiffness that occurs with the later
"Swing-spring" suspension.
> The later 1977-up cars have a smaller 13.5-inch steering wheel which makes
> the car easier to steer. The last of the Spitfires also had five-inch-wide
> wheels instead of 4.5-inch units. A better alternative is the 5.5-inch
> wheels from the Triumph TR7. They bolt right on and are cheap.
> The Spitfire weighed less than 1500 pounds when it was first introduced, but
> the weight went up to over 1800 pounds by 1980. The biggest difference was
> the addition of big, heavy bumper guards and later rubber bumpers.
> The 1971-'73 style is the lightest, best-looking setup. The rear is bolt on,
> the front takes a little massaging, but it's not that hard.
Best looking is a matter of personal preference. I don't feel that any
of the later cars stand up well to the original round tails
(particularly the Mk1 and 2) There is something about the low bumpers
that sets off the lines of the car. But again that is my opinion and
not to be construed as "Fact". 8^)
Regards,
Joe Curry
--
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
-- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
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