Fwiw,
I own a US spec 1980 1500. One of those equipped with a little forward
slanting radiator and an electric fan.
My car is regularly operated in 100 degree plus weather, in stop and go
traffic. The car does not have an overheating problem, or even get
particularly hot.
In conversations with other Spitfire owners in the area, those of us
running the later 1500 similarly equipped do not have overheating
problems at all. Not even those that are rather highly modified.
I can observe the temperature climb up, the fan kick on, and the
temperature drop back down. All well within the normal operating
range.
It is my speculation that the problem of overheating was solved via the
use of the electric fan. These units are almost invariably markedly
superior to mechanical fans in moving air through the radiator.
The forward slanting of the radiator also probably helped air flow
through the radiator by reducing the rearward obstruction (the engine)
and better aligning the fins with the air flow.
This setup of forward tilting and using an electric fan seems to have
worked so well that on the largest engine (the 1500), with the hottest
operations (emissions tuned and equipped), Triumph installed the
smallest of radiators with good results.
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