1979 Vermillion Spitfire 1500

[Jase1969]

Hi everyone, long time Triumph fan and owner. I've owned this car since 1989. This was my only transport as a 19 year old in 89 and it was fantastic. It needed a full rebuild in 1990 having sucuumbed to rust and the usual BL gremlins. Having no fear at that age I took the body off, learnt too weld (badly) and spray paint and had a go. The car was back on the road in 12 months and served well right through to my first job when sadly a Maxi drove into the rear of the car in 1995. The temptation of a Peugeot 205 1.9GTi at age 25 was too much and the car sat on the drive until I repaired it in 1995 and used it briefly before parking it up again. Fast forward and I am now finishing it off along with other projects. The first picture (in the same very untidy garage) is from 1998 and the second (in a much tidier space) is from July 2022. I'll post some more pics of the previous work and the rectifying work I am completing now.

 

[Piglet]

Great to see another Spitfire being give a new lease of life!

Alex

[Stratton Jimmer]

Hi Jase, ignore my question on the other topic.

[Jase1969]

So, I was very untidy years ago working on my car  tried to rectify that now but I guess it's easier as most of the time you were aimimg to get the car back on the road for the summer. The following grainy shots are from the second resto circa 98/99. The car had deteriorated quite a bit, I had let someone else patch it up to get it back on the road in 97 to help a friend but he didn't take any care with the work and welded in the thickest plate you could find. I decided to take it right back and fit all new panels including two new floors, sills inner, strengtheners, outer, door skins, new bonnet, new bootlid, basicall every panel except the rear wings:

 

[Jase1969]

I picked up a replacement hardtop from spitbitz I think, same colour but does need a repaint, told you I was messy.

 

[Jase1969]

The rear deck need a little bit of work but nothing huge. Changed the rear bumper for a new later one with the twin lights for the number plate, a friend had a brand new one in his loft.

 

[Jase1969]

A few more:

[Jase1969]

I went with lots of upgrades on the car as I went through it including aluminium rear brake fins, Gaz shocks, lowered springs, vented discs, polybushes, new rear spring, new screen, elecronic ignition, kenlowe, oil cooler, servo etc etc. yet to drive it with most of this stuff on it  I used to run the car on dolly sprint wheels which were superb and a lot safer than the 155 tyres on the original car.

 

[Jase1969]

So, fast forward another 10 years I shipped the car to my house from my parent's house as I was expecting a new Mini Clubman bodyshell from Motor heritage so had to make some space:

 

[Jase1969]

The finish was straight of the gun using celly and I had a go at re-veneering my dashboard, I'll post some progress of the refit. However its back in pieces again.

[Jase1969]

I should also add that the gearbox is overdrive and was fitted as a reconditioned unit back in 89, overdrive is original, the engine is a reconditioned unit delivered by JOhn Kipping before he retired, yet to use that either  

[Jase1969]

Uploading from your phone is much easier, some more pics:

 

[Jase1969]

Refit of interior etc:

 

[Jase1969]

A few more:

 

[Jase1969]

So, what started to happen as the car was outside under a cover some of the paint started to chip off leaving just ecoat and this started to rust. It also included the screen frame so I have now stripped the car back down to bare metal and started from scratch  

 

[Jase1969]

Evwrything then re-painted in celly, still working on this at the moment:

 

[Mark B]

Lots of work, looking good. I resprayed my Vitesse a few years ago in cellulose and it took an age to harden fully, probably a year or so.  Don't know if the cellulose they produce today is a different mix than in years gone by or I was just unlucky. I did respray a Spitfire and Vitesse probably 30 years ago with cellulose and I was able to T-cut it after a couple of weeks. Don't know if you are still at the painting stage, but you need to be carefull in the cold damp weather, otherwise it can bloom and go flat, which you're probably aware of. Keep up the good Work!

[Jase1969]

Thanks Mark, I was really surprised to see it chipping off, still painting but have a heated area and using anti bloom. Although going to leave anymore top coats until March now, not that much to go now. Then onto replacement Canley front hubs etc

[Jase1969]

A few more updates, the passenger side is taking slightly longer to prepare for top coat, I've had to put some small amounts of filler in the boot to level it out, got it a bit too hot when I was removing the paint. A quick flat back on the rear wings that require no prep, prime and top coat. I have a scissor lift arriving soon so life will be much easier when polishing up:

 

 

[Jase1969]

Up on the ramp for some more painting prep:

 

[Jase1969]

Some more pics of the car prior to this current work, very frustrating having to strip it down again but all good fun. The worse part is going to be refitting the chrome strip to the windscreen  I also 'plumbed' in an extra fusebox for the electric fan etc.

 

[Jase1969]

Any recommendations for tyres? I have Yokohama 175/70/13s on the car at the moment, not sure if I could squeeze to 185/70/13s. Anyway the current Yokos have been on the car for over 10 years.

[Pete Lewis]

we have a local on 185 and the tyres fouls the Rear wing lip on bumps  its cutting a groove in the outer tread 

175/70 is the good std size sed by many 

pete

[wimpus]

That windscreen trim, was it a plastic or a metal one ?

[Jase1969]

7 hours ago, wimpus said:

That windscreen trim, was it a plastic or a metal one ?

It is a metal one, just waiting for warmer days to refit it. When I removed it I could see that it hadn't quite caught properly on all of the corners but wasn't noticeable when on, will keep an eye on those when I refit, it's not easy but well worth it.