All posts by studioperdue

Triumph Spitfire 1500 trunk

Special Delivery

Triumph Spitfire 1500 trunk
Finally found out what actually fits in the Spitfire’s boot (aka trunk).
To set the record straight, that’s a FULL SIZE pie, and it only takes up HALF the trunk… so it could fit 2 STACKS of SEVERAL PIES EACH, if I was willing to remove the Safety Milk Crate full of Britcar indispensables like jumper cables, flashlight, tonneau, tire iron, ratchet set & carb/choke cleaner.

Triumph Spitfire 1500 Smith's gas gauge

Gas Crisis & the Palindromic Hawaiian Odometer Moment

Triumph Spitfire 1500 odometer
Harkening back to its 1970’s roots, the Spitfire is back on the road after running outta gas for the first time. Had to be rescued by my Hawaiian missus (mahalo!) toting a gas can – whereupon being resuscitated, the Spitfire had this Palindromic Hawaiian Odometer Moment.
Also, now know that the graduated marking on the venerable (if not trusty) old Smith’s gas gauge (the distance between marks gets larger for the lower readings) is inversely proportional to how quickly the gas is consumed: under spirited driving conditions, that last 1/8th of a tank goes by almost as quick as you can say “Blimey! How far is it to that gas station” and “Do I have cell coverage here?”. Apart from some colorful language, this was also a valuable teachable moment for more 8yo son in the passenger seat, regarding how engines work (and don’t).

Triumph Spitfire 1500 Smith's gas gauge

Triumph Spitfire 1500 rear shocks

A Shocking Discovery

Triumph Spitfire 1500 rear shocks
Managed to install new rear shocks before needing new fillings!
Shockingly, the trusty Factory Workshop Manual neglected to mention that I’d need to exert significant upward pressure with a floor jack to counteract the leaf spring, which pushed the wheels too far down for the shocks to reach the linkage. Thx again, editors @ British Leyland!
This bit of restoration definitely made a difference in ride quality though – cornering is much improved, with significantly less wheel tuck and rear axle hop over bumps (plenty of frost heaves here this time of year in VT).

1974 Striumph Spitfire 1500 weber downdraft DGV carb

Breathing Easy!

1974 Triumph Spitfire 1500  Weber DGV Carburetor
Sure, diamonds may be a girls best friend, but guys appreciate shiny things too. Kicking the anemic OEM Zenith Stromberg to the curb in favor of this Weber DGV downdraft carburetor has made the Spitfire (and me) quite pleased with ourselves. It’s like a new car: full of pep and torque, chirping tires at green lights, bellowing along at highway speeds… Also, relatively painless to install: had wiring already in place (from the Painless wiring harness I’d fitted) for the electric choke. Do miss fiddling with the manual choke on the dash a bit… but don’t really miss stalling, taking forever to warm up, and having the general sensation that the 1500 was always gasping for air.



1974 Striumph Spitfire 1500 weber downdraft DGV carb

1974 Triumph Spitfire 1500 hardtop

Miss Mardi Gras 1974 Cover-Up

1974 Triumph Spitfire 1500 hardtop
Topless no more, Miss Mardi Gras 1974 now has an optional hardtop roof. This fetching little barn find is a funky brown color that only could have come from the 70s – no need to even check if it was a repaint. Only only little tear in the headliner, otherwise in great shape – the rear quarter windows even work.
Pros:

  • Noticeably stiffens up the ride
  • Comfortable down into temperatures in the mid-30s, despite the heater modifications
  • Stylish & authentic 1970s brown color

Cons:

  • Noticeably louder in the car when driving. You thought a stereo was useless in roadster mode? Fuggedaboudit now.
  • Stylish(?) & authentic 1970s brown color