To all on the lists: I've added my comments to Steve's questions. Feel free
to augment, supplement, contradict if you like; just make sure Steve is at
least included as a .cc in your replies!
--Andy
Andrew Mace, President, The Vintage Triumph Register
In a message dated 09/14/2000 12:22:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
blindvilet@mindspring.com writes:
> To whom it may concern,
>
> I've wanted a sportscar ever since I was a kid, riding with my dad in
> his '72 MG. Now that I'm older, I've just bought a fantastic 1996 Mazda
Miata.
> I love it . . .and expect to keep it for several years.
>
> My problem is, since I've gotten the Miata, I've been really noticing
> what other cars are out there, ESPECIALLY the Triumph Spitfire. I would
love
> to eventually own one of these beautiful vintage British sportscars, but
I've
> been doing some research and it seems like this is the type of car only a
> mechanic could enjoy. I'm not a mechanic, but on the other hand, I've heard
a
> Spitfire is fairly simple to maintain (one that is in good shape), and the
> parts are easy to come by as well.
Well, no...and yes, respectively. Most important to keep in mind is the fact
that even the very last of the Spitfires of 1980 are basically the same as
the first ones of Fall 1962. All were based on a chassis developed over 40
years ago for the Triumph Herald, and used an engine derived from a
"brand-new" circa 1952 design. In that and many other somewhat less tangible
ways as well, it truly is a product of another era. I mention this not
because of the car being hopelessly out-of-date; in many ways it was well
ahead of its time. But it is not a new car and does not benefit from the
refinements of the last 30-40 years of automotive engineering in terms of
performance or comfort. The philosophy really was quite different back then!
Oh, yes, parts ARE relatively easy to come by, in some cases more so than
10-year-old American sedans. :-)
> My question is: Is this type of car going to be frustrating to own?
Or,
> with some patience and research, could this be the type of car that I
could
> have fun learning to maintain myself -without already being a certified
> mechanic? (I am naturally curious on how these cars work under the hood so
it
> wouldn't be a question of interest; just actual mechanical ability.)
It is very, very much the latter. It takes primarily the investment of $20-40
or so in a good workshop manual, be it the original factory manual (also
found as a Bentley reprint of same) or a Haynes or Autobook or other
"aftermarket" manual. In truth, the owner's handbook (also included in the
Bentley reprints) give a great portion of the maintenance/repair advice
normally needed.
In my opinion, so much of what one hears about the unreliability of Triumphs
and other British cars is somewhere between myth and lore! Yes, there are
some areas that required more attention than those of other cars of the era;
at the same time, the Spitfire and the Herald on which it was based required
much less chassis lubrication than did a majority of the other cars on the
road in the early 1960s.
Where that "myth/lore" comes in so often (again, in my opinion) is where the
cars were neglected and/or abused; then people were quick to complain about
how unreliable the cars were. Remember that this 40- to 50-year-old design
predated 70-80mph freeways; that's NOT what these cars were built for! They
were built for twisting roads and country lanes and not having to constantly
look out for SUVs and minivans. :-) :-) And don't fall for all the horror
stories about Lucas electrics and such. There are too many of us who can
point to original Lucas generators, voltage regulators, wiper motors, etc.,
on our 40-year-old Triumphs. But you yourself made the comment about "one in
good shape"; that was the key when these were three-year-old or ten-year-old
used cars, and it still is key now. There is no shortage of abused and
largely worn-out Spitfires out there even today. A good one might be a little
harder to find, but it's out there, too! (Shameless plug: that is where a
national club like VTR and also its many local chapters and zones can be so
beneficial, with club members advertising cars for sale and those same
members willing and able to assist in assessing, purchasing and maintaining a
car. END of shameless plug!)
All in all, one could not find a much simpler car than a Spitfire, in terms
of ease of maintenance and accessibility. Heck, the whole front end pivots
forward and out of the way, leaving you a tire to sit on while performing
most engine maintenance, tuning and repair. And if that isn't enough out of
the way, you can unbolt it and toss it over onto the lawn next to the
driveway in about 10-20 minutes!
There is very little on a Spitfire that can't be disassembled, repaired,
replaced or renewed using little more than a few basic hand tools. And most
fittings and bolts are "conventional" UNF or UNC fittings, taking regular
sockets and wrenchs (little or no metric). Frankly, if you can change a tire
on your Miata or just about any other car, you can easily learn to perform
much of the maintenance and repair on a Spitfire yourself. Again, that
maintenance might come more often than it does in an age of
computer-controlled ignition and fuel management systems, 100,000 mile spark
plugs and ABS, but it's key to keeping the car running well. And with that
proper maintenance comes a car that will last just as long as anything being
built today.
> Also, I never really hear about people driving their Spitfires year-
> round. Is this just "not done"? I want to use mine as my main car. Am I
> REALLY asking too much from this little car?
Not at all. Many folks use Spitfires as daily transportation. Where you hear
of folks putting the cars up for the winter, it is usually because a: they do
not wish to subject their cars to the harsh winter conditions, including
heavily salted roads; and b: frankly, the cars aren't really all that great
in the snow (although I know I'll probably hear arguments on that point).
> I sincerely appreciate any input you have to offer.
>
> Thank you,
> Steve
> Blindvilet@mindspring.com
There you have it, Steve. I could go on, but I hope you get the point. Just
don't try to compare a Spitfire directly to the Miata, or you'll likely be
disappointed to some degree. The Miata owes its existence to all the
Triumphs, MGs, Austin-Healeys, Fiats and even Datsun Roadsters of the 1950s
and 1960s; Mazda seems proud of that fact. But the Miata owes its current
popularity largely to the fact that it is a great car in itself, benefitting
from resources and engineering developments never dreamed of by the British
manufacturers way back when.
--Andy
Andrew Mace, President, The Vintage Triumph Register
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