Triumph Spitfire Mk II - a few pointers, please?
Discussion
Hello folks
I am the proud owner of a 1966 MK II Spitty which, I am TOLD is largely original. It's in pretty good nick and has a genuine, documented 31K on the clock!
I'm wondering how much I will affect it's value if I make some small changes to it? The glass in the wing mirrors is badly burnished, and I don't think you can change it without replacing the whole assembly; I'd also like a full-size rear view mirror and a smaller steering wheel. Am I compromising resale value by doing so?
I hope the answer to those is "no", but I'm less confident about the next bit; I'd like to insert a stereo. I assume this is more likely to affect value, BUT I'm hoping to be able to put one in without cutting into doors etc. Has anyone had this done? And can anyone recommend someone in London who could do it for me?
Cheers!
I am the proud owner of a 1966 MK II Spitty which, I am TOLD is largely original. It's in pretty good nick and has a genuine, documented 31K on the clock!
I'm wondering how much I will affect it's value if I make some small changes to it? The glass in the wing mirrors is badly burnished, and I don't think you can change it without replacing the whole assembly; I'd also like a full-size rear view mirror and a smaller steering wheel. Am I compromising resale value by doing so?
I hope the answer to those is "no", but I'm less confident about the next bit; I'd like to insert a stereo. I assume this is more likely to affect value, BUT I'm hoping to be able to put one in without cutting into doors etc. Has anyone had this done? And can anyone recommend someone in London who could do it for me?
Cheers!
For the stereo, this was on a '1500 but should be similar.
Make up a shallow shelf that fits between the inner rear wings behind the seats, just a bit higher then the transmission tunnel. Make it a fairly tight fit. Then cut holes in this for the speakers, 6x9's will easily fit. Then fit flat covers to the speakers, and cover the whole thing in acoustic cloth. You now have speakers without cutting the car about. To remove them simply lift the shelf out. If it's covered and done properly no one will ever know they are there unless they really look and if you use decent speaker covers you'll still have most of the luggage space.
I don't know where you are going to fit the head unit, personally I'd get a portable mp3 player and an amplifier under the speaker shelf. I know it's your car but don't cut the dashboard about, you will regret it. Alternatively get a period radio and have it updated or get something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Radiomobile-70T-Classic-Car-...
Which should fit your dash? I use one of these in my Stag, modern tunes with period looks. I did have a modern head unit in it for a while but couldn't live with the ugliness.
If you have more money this:
http://www.radios.freeserve.co.uk/
or you can get adaptor plates to fit modern stereo into older, larger size, holes.
I'm just going through the same issue with my XJ6, it has a period radio with am radio and a mono speaker, although someone has already butchered the door cards (all four of them! why?!?) to fit speakers so at least I don't need to worry about where to put those...
re: the steering wheel, again seems a shame to change it but it's easily reversible, just keep the original boss/wheel. For what it's worth I put the original steering wheels back on my land rover and spitfire and it made both much nicer to drive.
oh, and pics if you have them!
ETA your car is probably +ve earth so would need converting for a modern stereo.
Make up a shallow shelf that fits between the inner rear wings behind the seats, just a bit higher then the transmission tunnel. Make it a fairly tight fit. Then cut holes in this for the speakers, 6x9's will easily fit. Then fit flat covers to the speakers, and cover the whole thing in acoustic cloth. You now have speakers without cutting the car about. To remove them simply lift the shelf out. If it's covered and done properly no one will ever know they are there unless they really look and if you use decent speaker covers you'll still have most of the luggage space.
I don't know where you are going to fit the head unit, personally I'd get a portable mp3 player and an amplifier under the speaker shelf. I know it's your car but don't cut the dashboard about, you will regret it. Alternatively get a period radio and have it updated or get something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Radiomobile-70T-Classic-Car-...
Which should fit your dash? I use one of these in my Stag, modern tunes with period looks. I did have a modern head unit in it for a while but couldn't live with the ugliness.
If you have more money this:
http://www.radios.freeserve.co.uk/
or you can get adaptor plates to fit modern stereo into older, larger size, holes.
I'm just going through the same issue with my XJ6, it has a period radio with am radio and a mono speaker, although someone has already butchered the door cards (all four of them! why?!?) to fit speakers so at least I don't need to worry about where to put those...
re: the steering wheel, again seems a shame to change it but it's easily reversible, just keep the original boss/wheel. For what it's worth I put the original steering wheels back on my land rover and spitfire and it made both much nicer to drive.
oh, and pics if you have them!
ETA your car is probably +ve earth so would need converting for a modern stereo.
Edited by varsas on Saturday 9th April 16:30
Depends why you bought it really.
If you're a concourse queen then you can replace the wing mirrors like-for-like and will probably score a few more points (it's about looking like new, not being new).
If you bought it as an investment then get out more.
If you bought it to enjoy then I don't see any issue with any of those changes - they are all quite common and the only one that isn't just a bolt-on change (so the originals can be checked in the loft and passed on with the car if the buyer wants them) is the stereo. In this case for every potential buyer that comes along and sniffs at having a modern stereo fitted you will get one who's happy they don't have to fit one them selves - a period MW/LW radio doesn't give you too many stations to choose from these days.
Shop carefully and you can find head units that aren't all flashing neon and speakers can either go in the panel behind the seats (or a copy of the panel if you want to keep the original), behind the seats as mentioned, or you can make up boxes for smaller speakers that go down in the footwells on top the 'shoulder' down by your toes.
If you're a concourse queen then you can replace the wing mirrors like-for-like and will probably score a few more points (it's about looking like new, not being new).
If you bought it as an investment then get out more.
If you bought it to enjoy then I don't see any issue with any of those changes - they are all quite common and the only one that isn't just a bolt-on change (so the originals can be checked in the loft and passed on with the car if the buyer wants them) is the stereo. In this case for every potential buyer that comes along and sniffs at having a modern stereo fitted you will get one who's happy they don't have to fit one them selves - a period MW/LW radio doesn't give you too many stations to choose from these days.
Shop carefully and you can find head units that aren't all flashing neon and speakers can either go in the panel behind the seats (or a copy of the panel if you want to keep the original), behind the seats as mentioned, or you can make up boxes for smaller speakers that go down in the footwells on top the 'shoulder' down by your toes.
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