Spitfire Upgrades

"Fredster" realised it was Mon, 7 Jul 2003

If it doesn't have an overdrive, fit one. That's the best money I ever spent on my Spitfire. Less revs, noise and fuel consumption, longer engine life (in theory, at least).

To improve the ride, fit Koni or Spax dampers and replace the rear spring rubber pads with Nylon pads. Also, replace rubber suspension bushes with polystyrene ones, especially if the rubber bushes are still the originals.

The Spitfire 1500 engine won't suffer a lot of tuning. I suggest K&N air filters, richer needles, a tubular exhaust manifold and a free breathing exhaust - much more and you'll only wear out the engine quicker. It'll be a bit noisier too, though.

I don't think anything will improve the ride quality - it was never good on any Spitfire but any there was was traded for better handling when the rear was decambered. If you don't have an overdrive fit one it makes the car quieter and also gives you overdrive in 3rd which is a very handy ratio when waiting to overtake on a B road. One worthwhile mod is greenstuff brake pads -- never tried it on a Spit but works wonders on other cars.

Fit an overdrive. I'll do it for you if you want as I have a spare box and some of the bits. I'm just up the M3 from you in hampton If you already have one I'll fix it anyway. Jonners

Change the s*it in the drivers seat

-- AJL Electronics (G6FGO) : Satellite and TV aerial systems

If you are going to attempt to forge my posts, at least *try* to make them look similar.

Sadly Tiscali is full of morons like you and they seem to accommodate without question, otherwise I would have taken the time to ask for your account to be pulled.

Actually, just on the off chance that they will take action, I have reported the forgery to your ISP anyway.

HAND

I was going to call in on you in Gloucester re. Spitfire but I don't think I'll bother, having done a Google NG search of your name.

LOL - I think you'll find that the best upgrade for a Midget is a Triumph

Not a good negotiation point Jason - the 1500 engine was very unreliable in the Midget application due to the different airflow characteristics of the engine bay. In the Midget the 1500 has a nasty tendency to throw rods out the side of the block. I've seen dozens of Midgets failed in this way, but only one Spitfire 1500. I'm not a big fan of the 1500 engine full stop - give me a small crank 1300 or 1147 for longevity and revability (is that a real word?) any day. In my opinion (having owned and worked extensively on both cars), the Midget is more cramped than the Spitfire and horribly noisy at any kind of touring speed due to the absence of overdrive. Fine if all you want is a country lane thrashing machine, but not so much fun on a long run. From an engineering viewpoint, I was always struck by the crudity of the Midget's construction. Cheers, Bill.

-- Rarebits4classics .......just what you've been looking for

PO Box 1232 Calne Wiltshire SN11 8WA United Kingdom

I sometimes think I'm unique amongst the Triumph "hardcore" fraternity in that I've had a number of MGs and I've got a lot of respect for them - I had a 1968 BGT for 9 years. The last I had was a 1958 ZB Magnette, one previous owner, sold that 6 years ago. If events in my personal life hadn't overtaken me I think I'd still have that car now. Cheers, Bill.

-- Rarebits4classics .......just what you've been looking for

PO Box 1232 Calne Wiltshire SN11 8WA United Kingdom

Never owned one but been in a few, driven a couple and seen lots. I can respect the MGC and the V8, I think a midget/sprite with a nice buzzing A series and a blower could be fun. The ZB Magnette is a nice car, a little out of the ordinary really. I never really saw the point of tip topped sports cars like the BGT (or the GT6 come to that) - seems to have all the bad points of a saloon with all the bad points of a sports car - I prefer my motoring topless (or with air con and sat nav - but only if the company's paying!)

Agree with you on this I don't think there is any brit mid 50s to mid 70s sports car that isn't due respect (apart from the Bond Bug -- nice engine shame about the rest) but I always found the GT6 pretty pointless it was inferior to the Spitfire in a number of ways and the poor relation of the real TR series. The Alpine was actually the nicest to drive of the sub 2 litre cars from the volume manufacturers, not as truck like as the B while the body and suspension didn't rattle like a Triumph. Back in the 60s in the sub 1300 sports cars Midget and Spitfire just looked to old fashioned when compared to a Cooper S or better still an Imp Sport. -- anyone who has never driven an Imp Sport or Coupe should try one the corner power and handling were on a different planet from the Midget and Spitfire.

In article , Yippee writes

It's a lot more tolerant than many people think. However, for road use you're probably right, except I think a mildly hotter cam (say Mk3 profile) would take the above list to the appropriate road-car level.

If you're doing this, it's worth looking at the brakes. My preference is for GT6 disks and calipers. You need the GT6 suspension uprights too, because the mounting lugs differ. It's not really necessary to do the rears unless you're going for the 2-litre engine. A possibly cheaper alternative is cross-drilled disks, but they always feel too boy-racer for my liking.

In article , J writes

Many years ago, when my only car was a multi-coloured and decidedly tired Mk1 Vitesse, I offered lifts to work to a colleague with a Midget. One of the comments he made was "It's very refined, have you added lots of extra sound deadening?" Actually, the car had a large chunk of the gearbox cover missing and a letter-box sized hole directly into the engine bay.

I have to disagree with this! The six is a lovely engine, and it makes the Vitesse a glorious car. I don't mind Heralds, but they're just far too lacking in go. I don't like Mk2 Vitesses for cosmetic reasons, and because the ride comfort suffered with the rotoflex. But the Mk1 Vitesse is a true driver's car. The cornering is not a problem. No, really, that's what I said. Unless the rear tyres are flat, the handling is really quite acceptable, and the communication it gives beats any other car I've ever driven.

I'll grant the GT6 is not as fun as a Spitfire, but 90% of that is due to the roof. Its road manners are different, but not unpleasant. Mind you, mine is a rotoflex one, so it suffers the world's worst ride quality.

Now we're talking! Imps are great, some the best fun I've had was in a Sunbeam Stiletto, pretty much standard but well sorted and buzzing - cornering in one of these is special, you will go round roundabouts 2 or 3 times just because you can. Engine was a little temperamental and the chassis could do with loads more power and a little less weight in the back but I did love it.

: I have to disagree with this! The six is a lovely engine, and it makes : the Vitesse a glorious car.

I agree about the engine, and the 1600 in particular is lovely. But it's just too damn heavy, and however good the suspension is it just makes the Vitesse a pig to drive fast.

: I don't mind Heralds, but they're just far : too lacking in go.

On a fun twisty road a Herald will walk over a Vitesse. Of course it's the other way round on motorways.

Ian

Wasn't it Sammy Davis who summed up the Midget (well, Sprite actually) as 'giving all the sensations of speed without actually going very fast'? From what I remember of a friend's blown one he was right.

Ron Robinson

In message , Robert Pearce writes

Are you sure that you're not getting the infamous rusting up of the long bolt that attaches the lower wishbone to the hub carrier? I had that happen and it really screwed up the ride. It was an absolute bugger to get out though. I hear some people drill a hole and put a grease nipple in so that you can stick some grease in to stop any problems with water getting past the top-hat nylon bits etc.

In article , Ian Johnston writes

That hasn't been my experience. The Vitesse is not nearly as mild mannered as modern cars, but it's far from "a pig" to drive fast.

Again, that has not generally been my experience. I did struggle to keep up with a friend in a somewhat tuned Herald, but it was well short of a "walk over" (and the Mini would have easily beaten both of us).