Another Triumph Drove Over the Cuckoo's Nest

OK, here we go again. Another boring tale of woe, skinned knuckles, burnt skin and good money going somewhere that would cause any responsible fiscal planner to be committed. Nonetheless I am moving forward with the current restoration project of a 1976 Spitfire. If it works out right, this car will be the college graduation present for Sandy, the youngest and last of the Pawlak girls. After this, I'm out of the business of preserving Triumphs for the next generation.

As with any project, there needs to be some type of plan. I sort of always have a plan, not that it gets written down or anything. Well I guess the next bunch of articles will cover the execution and writing down of this "master plan". As with the previous restoration series on the TR7, I will endeavor to keep track of all the hours and costs associated with the restoration. If my calculations come out OK, I will have a very nice Spitfire for about $5500. Mind you I could buy a very nice Spitfire for $5500, but then I didn't do the work, nor do I know how well the work was done. Being afflicted with "I gotta do it" disease, I also fess up to the consequences of succumbing to that disease. Time and money. So laugh at me as I will attempt to transform this poor little car into something that should be pleasant to look at and drive. It certainly doesn't do each of those very well right now.

Body: As you can see from the photo, under the dust is a Triumph Java "Puke" Green Spitfire. Sorry to insult the java green purists out there, but I'm not going to go through all this trouble for THAT color. This will NOT be the color of the final product, nor will this body shell! The tub is too far rusted to be bothered with. Instead I have a new/used body tub that is relatively solid with some minor rear end damage. This tub will be painted in Damson Red (maroonish). The doors are not missing, they were used on a couple of ISOA body clinics and are hanging up in the shop. So those are done. The tub will have the rear end damage repaired and the whole thing will be delivered to Redi-Strip to have all the paint and rust removed. The boot lid is junk and needs to be replaced and the bonnet will have replacements to the entire lower portion if I do not locate a different one.

Engine & Drivetrain: Yuck! The entire engine will be rebuilt. I did have it running for a short time, but it is unknown of the internals. When the time comes, the block and head will be taken over to Andressens (I bet you can't wait, huh Tom?) Not to be left out, but the radiator gets dropped off at Revcore (bet you can't wait, huh Tim?) Other than standard updates, the engine will be stock. If I can locate a Spitfire overdrive transmission, this car will see it. If not, a standard rebuild will occur as well as new seals and endplay settings in the diff.

Frame & Suspension: New components all the way around. The frame will also get the "dipping" treatment to remove rust and grime. This will be the first major component that will see damson red. The frame and body colors match on all Spitfires.

Interior: The entire interior will be replaced, carpets, seats everything. The heated debate is on. Sandy wants the black "herringbone" interior. I think the tan would look much better with the damson red. Nothing is bought yet, so we'll see if she changes her mind. I will be refinishing the wood dash and of course update the stereo to a CD.

That's it! Enough to keep me busy for awhile. Kathy will know where I will be for the next 2 years. Running costs and time will appear in Part 2: Dismantling is a Many Splendored Thing.

By Joe "Stagmeister" Pawlak

Copyright © 2002 Illinois Sports Owners Association