Roger Swafford wrote:
>
> I have a '70 Spitfire MK III that I acquired about 3 years ago, after
> almost an entire summer of work I had it running for just a few weeks. The
> carb has given me nightmares. The little 1.3L with 4 speed is in
> short....anemic. The car was butchered up pretty badly by a prior owner
> so....I would like to do an engine and trans conversion.
>
> Any suggestions? I'm considering a 2.8L Chevy V6 with a 5 speed from an S10
> or Blazer.
>
> Am I nuts....yeah probably, but I really like the style of the little tub.
>
> Roger Swafford
> Lafayette, IN
> gizmo@wcic.org
Roger ... here's something else to think about.
1) Dual SU carbs.
2) Header + free flow exhaust.
3) Panasport wheels.
The carbs and exhaust could add 20 hp, and the wheels will knock off about 50
pounds of
unsprung weight. Depending on the deals you find (read: used carbs and
wheels), you
could do it all for about a grand, keep the originality, and not lose your mind
trying
to adapt an engine for which you would also have to upgrade the brakes and
suspension.
(That's the stuff the Spit-6 people go through -- and I suspect it shortens
their lives
just a touch.)
For what it's worth, a lot of people really like the 1296 -- because it's
sturdy and
it can rev.
--
Martin Secrest
73 GT6
74 Spitfire
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