I've loved sports car since I was 5 or 6 years old. My brother was nine years
older than me and was a car freak as a teenager. He was into Formula One, Le
Mans, and sports cars. I learned that love from him. When I was a little
older, Jim Clark was my hero. I loved Lotuses (or is that Loti?). Around that
same time (1966 or so) my best friend's older brother took me for a drive in
his Austin Healy 3000. I'd never ridden In a car with bucket seats, much less
a four on the floor, or one so small and nimble. (Remember what cars were
like then. We had a 1964 Pontiac Catalina that was about a football field
long and a "compact car," a 1966 Tempest convertible, that was, relatively
speaking, huge.)
As I got older I was attracted to MG's and Triumph's. After college I got my
first car, a 1971 poop brown TR-6. This was my first car. If it had been a
beat-up VW bug I would have been in love with it. Being a haul-ass, sexy
sports cars with balls, I was smitten. I loved that car totally and
completely. I had it dialed in. We were one. I could double clutch, heel and
toe automatically without thought. It's powercurve and I were totally in
tune.
Then I hydroplaned at low (30-40 mph) in heavy rain, and cracked the frame
beyond repair. I was heartbroken.
With my insurance money I bought a 1964 Spitfire 4 with a GT6 bonnet and
drivetrain. Whoever had modified it knew what they were doing. I suspect it
had been raced. The suspension was lowered, the rear spring dearched,
headers, free-flow, and it had a very fast road cam, you had to shift
constantly around town, but, boy, when you nailed it and the revs hit ~3500
then hold on tight! From 3500 to around 7000 rpm it was brutally fast. I once
beat an XKE on the NY State Thruway, the speedo said >125 mph, but the car
hadn't hit its top end.
Anyway, I didn't have a garage, I was 24, just married and, as incredible as
the Spit was, it wasn't a TR-6, the car I really wanted.
So I ditched it for $600, since I couldn't get it running. (Bad fuel pump).
Stupid!
That was 1979 or so.
In the fall of 2000, a friend of mine was selling a 1967 Mk3 (red, of course)
and a 1970 parts car. $500. Cool.
$1500 or so later, it has all new steering, totally new brakes front & rear,
all new hydraulics, poly bushes throughout, replaced the differential, fixed
the electrics, replaced the water pump, etc. The body is OK, but faded, the
heads smoke (worn valve guides, but it drives like a charm. I'd be
embarrassed to show it a car show, but that'll come later.
I recently got a 1970 for my 14 year old to work on and restore.
I'm addicted.
(Plus now I've got a garage and the tools and $ to be able to do this.)
Brian Yarborough
/// spitfires@autox.team.net mailing list
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|