Newbi needing help
Discussion
When i mean "Newbi" - i really mean it, I'm not a car enthusiast so please be kind on my first post! 
Been looking to buying a new (old) car and have bounced around the idea of a TVR Wedge or Griffith but have been scared away buy the idea of not knowing what to do to look after and maintain it. Saying this, after seeing a Triumph Spitfire Mk3 - i WANT ONE! But before i jump feet first in, i really need some basic advise and harsh truth if I'm making a mistake?!
Are they ok to look after and maintain?
What are the (normal) problems to look out for
Are they day to day runners
How easy are they to modify (with my basic knowledge of cars)
Are they affordable to insure and run
The only reason i have considered this car is that i love the looks of it and it "seems" to be easier to look after than other cars i have looked at. Would anyone be able to suggest a local independent garage in Caterham/Warlingham.Croydon area who i could call to get a better understanding about the car and what i need to learn to look after one.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Been looking to buying a new (old) car and have bounced around the idea of a TVR Wedge or Griffith but have been scared away buy the idea of not knowing what to do to look after and maintain it. Saying this, after seeing a Triumph Spitfire Mk3 - i WANT ONE! But before i jump feet first in, i really need some basic advise and harsh truth if I'm making a mistake?!
Are they ok to look after and maintain?
What are the (normal) problems to look out for
Are they day to day runners
How easy are they to modify (with my basic knowledge of cars)
Are they affordable to insure and run
The only reason i have considered this car is that i love the looks of it and it "seems" to be easier to look after than other cars i have looked at. Would anyone be able to suggest a local independent garage in Caterham/Warlingham.Croydon area who i could call to get a better understanding about the car and what i need to learn to look after one.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
MattLux said:
Are they ok to look after and maintain?
In a word, yes. Mechanical parts are cheap and readily available though Mk3 bodywork/specific parts not as easy as those for the later Mk IV/1500 cars.No major mechanical issues but you do need to oil/grease thins much more frequently than on a modern car - oiling front trunnions is probably most critical task but a simple, 5-minute job.
MattLux said:
What are the (normal) problems to look out for
In a word, rust. Mechanicals are simple and relatively cheap to fix but bodywork is much more expensive. Always try to buy a condition 1 car with everything in top condition as brining a condition 2 or 3 up to condition 1 cost a lot more than just buying a condition 1 car in the first place - assuming you budget permits of course!MattLux said:
Are they day to day runners
That's up to you really but they certainly can be and I've used my Mk IV as such in the past.It's a 70's British convertable, so won't be the warmest place to start your drive on a winters morning (but fine when up to temp.) or the driest place in a rainstorm. If you keep everything in good condition it will start every day and keep up with modern traffic no problem. If you are going for longer motorway drives I'd recommend an overdrive gearbox.
MattLux said:
How easy are they to modify (with my basic knowledge of cars)
Depends when you are looking for. To get a bit more power and a few creature comforts - very easy. If you want to turn it in to a 400BPH monster - not so much.MattLux said:
Are they affordable to insure and run
I'm 37 and own/insure two Triumphs in central London for sub-£300, no limits.MattLux said:
The only reason i have considered this car is that i love the looks of it and it "seems" to be easier to look after than other cars i have looked at. Would anyone be able to suggest a local independent garage in Caterham/Warlingham.Croydon area who i could call to get a better understanding about the car and what i need to learn to look after one.
I'm not sure a Spitfire is any easier to look after than other cars of the same era but the bonnet access makes it a hell of a lot easier to work on!As for local garages, etc Wins International are a parts specialist not far from you in Lingfield, Surrey. I've bought parts from them a few times and they seemed friendly-enough. As they would be your closest dealer so potentially a good, regular customer for them in the future I'd think they would be happy to talk to you and give you an idea of part prices if nothing else. http://winsandco.co.uk/
I can also recommend JY Classics. They are a little further away in High Wycombe but not too far on the M25 and where I take my cars to get them worked on.
HTH,
Mark
MattLux said:
Are they day to day runners
I've used my Spit 1500 every day for the last year and covered 12k miles, its needed the odd thing fixing here and there (and a fair amount of oil!) but nothing really major. Just lookout for rust and you wont go far wrong. You'll have great fun to!I had a spitfire for a while (4 years), it was not my only car.
As with most classic cars, you need to be committed to own one, especially to drive it everyday. I'm not trying to put you off, and if you love the idea of having one then great BUT there will be days when you wonder what you are doing, and wish you just had a diesel golf instead...You might want to look for a car which has a hard top, these make for much drier/warmer/quieter driving and yes I don't think I'd want one without overdrive. Fitting decent (halogen) lights and making sure the brakes/carbarettors are in good condition will make a big difference to how easy the car is to drive for not much cost.
Although I am a Triumph enthusiast; for similar cost/style you might consider an MGB GT (these are 'fixed head', non-convertible cars so are a bit more refined) these seem quite good value...I've never driven one but they seem as if they would make a good every day classic.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1663868.htm
As with most classic cars, you need to be committed to own one, especially to drive it everyday. I'm not trying to put you off, and if you love the idea of having one then great BUT there will be days when you wonder what you are doing, and wish you just had a diesel golf instead...You might want to look for a car which has a hard top, these make for much drier/warmer/quieter driving and yes I don't think I'd want one without overdrive. Fitting decent (halogen) lights and making sure the brakes/carbarettors are in good condition will make a big difference to how easy the car is to drive for not much cost.
Although I am a Triumph enthusiast; for similar cost/style you might consider an MGB GT (these are 'fixed head', non-convertible cars so are a bit more refined) these seem quite good value...I've never driven one but they seem as if they would make a good every day classic.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1663868.htm
Edited by varsas on Monday 26th April 20:38
DON'T get a hard top - worst thing for running a Spitfire every day I ever tried.
In the winter condensation builds up in the car and condenses on the inside of the hard top. When the temperature drops over-night in the winter it freezes. The next morning the (actually quite good for a classic) heater kicks in, de-mists the windscreen then melts the frozen condensation. Having freezing cold water dripping on your head is about as much fin as it sounds.
Oh, and that day you pull back the curtains to a perfect winter's morning you are stuck in a box like everyone else just wishing you didn't have the hard top on and could drop the roof (it's cold but brilliant).
In the winter condensation builds up in the car and condenses on the inside of the hard top. When the temperature drops over-night in the winter it freezes. The next morning the (actually quite good for a classic) heater kicks in, de-mists the windscreen then melts the frozen condensation. Having freezing cold water dripping on your head is about as much fin as it sounds.
Oh, and that day you pull back the curtains to a perfect winter's morning you are stuck in a box like everyone else just wishing you didn't have the hard top on and could drop the roof (it's cold but brilliant).
I had a Mark 3 for 11 years, used it daily for the first year (my previous car had been a Renault 25 so the Spit was a real culture shock!)
Loved it, never had any real problems but one of the front trunnions did break and it was due to total lack of care on my behalf (I had not oiled it for 2 years!) Make sure you do not overlook trunnion oiling...ever!
Bodywork needs to be spot on & rustproof it with the best waxoil / cavity wax that there is on the market & deal with any corrosion as soon as it appears.
Mechanically very simple, easy to tune & mod, parts & running costs are for buttons.
Go for it, but look after it like its your child!
Loved it, never had any real problems but one of the front trunnions did break and it was due to total lack of care on my behalf (I had not oiled it for 2 years!) Make sure you do not overlook trunnion oiling...ever!
Bodywork needs to be spot on & rustproof it with the best waxoil / cavity wax that there is on the market & deal with any corrosion as soon as it appears.
Mechanically very simple, easy to tune & mod, parts & running costs are for buttons.
Go for it, but look after it like its your child!
Thanks for all the replies! Unfortunately, i decided not to buy one 
Went to see a few and almost bought one - but decided to take it to a specialist to get it all looked over, turned out it would have had to have over £6,000 on repairing what seemed to be a well looked after body! This as well as the cost to buy one (and putting an overdrive gearbox in)made me think long and hard.
All i can say is i would recommended Dave at Picton Sports Cars, saved me losing a lot of money!!! 01992 634464
Went to see a few and almost bought one - but decided to take it to a specialist to get it all looked over, turned out it would have had to have over £6,000 on repairing what seemed to be a well looked after body! This as well as the cost to buy one (and putting an overdrive gearbox in)made me think long and hard.
All i can say is i would recommended Dave at Picton Sports Cars, saved me losing a lot of money!!! 01992 634464
Sideways Tim said:
Great post - I was just about to ask many of the same questions, as me and the lad are just about to start work on a '68 - are any of the owners clubs worth joining?
Two main clubs cover the Spitfire - Club Triumph (http://club.triumph.org.uk) and the Triumph Sports Six Club (http://www.tssc.org.uk). I've been a member of both over the years and would probably say the TSSC has more local area meets, the more interesting (to me), monthly magazine and a good, agreed value insurance deals for 16+. CT has the far more active online forums these days and is much more about using the cars, organising the annual Round Britain Reliability Run and bi-annual 10 Countries Run than just polishing them.Edited by Sideways Tim on Tuesday 27th April 16:28
www.totallytriumph.co.uk
Old boy in a shed, but tons of bits and some very nice cars in amongst all the mess. Proper old school farm workshop, but he can't half talk.
He did give me a wheel and tyre for free, as he put it 'It costs me £1 to get rid of these, so I'm better off giving it to you'
Old boy in a shed, but tons of bits and some very nice cars in amongst all the mess. Proper old school farm workshop, but he can't half talk.
He did give me a wheel and tyre for free, as he put it 'It costs me £1 to get rid of these, so I'm better off giving it to you'
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