A short time back I inadvertently started a mini-thread on the color of
valve covers on the late Spitfire 1500 engines, which I thought were a
red, based on cars I've seen over the years. Some folks mentioned blue
valve covers they were sure were original.
Well, yesterday I went to "informally" appraise a late 1979 Spitfire
1500 -- "rubber" bumpers, 5.0" wheels, etc. Original owner, supposedly
all original, save for newer top and much older (Lucas points)
distributor. Two possibly related questions arose as I looked at the
car.
1. The engine had a red valve cover; definitely original paint on it.
I'm wondering if perhaps the blue valve cover might have appeared on
California-spec. engines only? Any thoughts on that?
2. The car had a VIN in the 97000 range; the engine number was
120,xxxUE. I was surprised to see the engine number so much higher than
the VIN. Does that, in fact, jive with other late Spitfire 1500s? Or was
this perhaps a still-later engine -- say, 1980?
BTW, the car was definitely ok, but needing a good bit of restoration
(interior, top, paint, some mechanicals). Therefore, my precious barn
space and my just-as-precious marriage are not in any way threatened. ;-)
--Andy
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* Andrew Mace e-mail: amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
* *
* Mrs Irrelevant: Oh, is it a jet? *
* Man: Well, no... It's not so much of a jet, it's more your, er, *
* Triumph Herald engine with wings. *
* -- The Cut-price Airline Sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus *
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