Hi Andy,
You write:
>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?>>
This sounds about right. The VB catalog has a chart showing
comm# vs. Engine#. After 1976 no specific engine # data is shown.
Starting in 1977 the engine numbers are just listed as "from 1976" and
so on to the end of production.
Moss (US) catalog lists the engine numbers for 71-80, They show:
Model year 1977: Comm # FM60006, Engine # FM85026UE
Model year 1978: Comm # FM70001, Engine # FM100735UE
Model year 1979: Comm # FM95001, Engine # FM150002UE
Model year 1980: Comm # FM110001, Engine # FM168502UE
I think they should have said "Build year" instead. My cars are
built Jan 1978 Comm # FM74408U, Engine # FM101357UE
built Dec 1977 Comm # FM73278U, Engine # FM98944UE
'78 (or '79) was a weird year for Spitfires. Early '79 models (built '78)
are the same as '78s in all respects except the little black sticker below
the comm. # plate that reads
[This car complies..... for the 1979 model year] (D.J. has one of these)
We decided to ask you if these stickers were applied at the
factory or by BL USA? ;-)
The emissions specifications for these two years are the same.
The later '79s are the rubber bumper cars like you looked at.
Now if we add when the car was actually titled....
FWIW I always thought all the later valve covers were originally Red.
>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. ;-)
I always thought these "needy" cars somehow followed you home on their own
;-)
Bob "Built 1954" Sykes
'78 Spitfires......(or are they?)
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