I'm now a two-Triumph man!

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 03/09/2016 at 05:49 • Filed to: Spit Slant

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After 16 hours of driving, I’m the proud owner of another Spitfire! (and a ton of other stuff too)

I can say that operation cheap car trailer performed without a hitch :) ok, jockey wheel unwound itself while driving but a bungee cord on the handle fixed that.

We borrowed my uncle’s Ford Ranger to go pick it up as our van doesn’t have a towball. 2.5TD 4 berth. Towed very nicely, and apart from a bit of a jiggly ride unloaded (understandable) and a diff that’s starting to howl it did very well too.

The main thing about the car is it has paint! Comes with GAZ shocks, GT6 rear suspension, a Rover V8 from a TR8 in bits, a 2.0l Triumph 6, an LT77 5-speed for the V8 and a 4-speed GT6 ‘box.

Oh, and a bonnet with a hood scoop to clear the RV8 that ranks on an 8/10 on the ‘terrible home hack jobs’ scale. That will be going fairly promptly...

Onto the mountain of parts! 90% of the bits to finish the car, three windscreens, a whole second set of Spitfire front suspension, the two engines, the two gearboxes and a car cover. Tons of stuff!

The only issue is where to put it all...(see picture of garage below)

zeontestpilot > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 06:00

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Dang, I’m envious of your budget and garage space. Congrats though!

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 06:25

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Which LT77? It’s a funny old gearbox that one, but some of the later versions are pretty solid. This eBay special is a bit of a bargain with all those parts in too, what was the total £££ on the haul?

KatzManDu > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 06:41

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Holy crapola, mate! That’s an amazing haul. Good luck with the build!

Cé hé sin > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 07:00

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You didn’t buy the Lada Niva while you were at it? Or the BX now that I see it.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > KatzManDu 03/09/2016 at 07:02

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It really is :) I had to borrow money to make it happen which sucks a little, but it was too good of a deal to pass up :)

The chap I bought it all from is using the money to get a turbo for his NB MX-5, aiming for 300bhp!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 03/09/2016 at 07:11

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Apparently it’s a close-ratio 5-speed from a TR8 which would make it pretty rare. Haven’t checked part numbers though.

I paid £1200 for it all and if I sold everything individually I’d probably end up with about £2800-£3000!

Not going to do that though :) most parts will find uses in one project or another, although I might sell the 2.0l and gearbox to recoup some of my losses (and space!)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > zeontestpilot 03/09/2016 at 07:14

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Yeah I’m very lucky when it comes to garage space. It’s quite sizeable, although I’ve managed to fill it up with quite a lot of stuff very quickly!

Money-wise my family’s well off, but I probably don’t even earn the average of what people my age get paid (working for the NHS). Low outgoings is a massive benefit though.

In my thinking, money=time. If you have money you don’t have to wait, if you don’t just wait and then either you’ll have money or you’ll manage to snag a screaming deal like I did :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Cé hé sin 03/09/2016 at 07:22

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They’re already mine! The BX has managed to spring a suspension leak which needs to be fixed (on a return line so low pressure, which is a relief). The Niva is a bit of a heap as it’s led a very hard life. Only bit that’s majorly wrong is that only one of the twin brake circuits is working. Once that’s done it could be technically roadworthy, although still bloody terrifying...

KatzManDu > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 07:35

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That sounds amazing. Good luck with it!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > KatzManDu 03/09/2016 at 07:44

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Shall do :) there’s bits in here for a coupe of different future projects which I’ll be sure to post about when I get started :)

jkm7680 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 07:57

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Very nice! Good luck with it!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 08:07

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The real triumph will be when I see one finally make it all of the way around a track without falling apart or breaking down. Saw one lose a wheel, one flip, a few break down on the start line, and a bunch not get started at all.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > jkm7680 03/09/2016 at 08:45

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Thanks man :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2016 at 08:49

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Last Triumph I saw was a TR5 that turned a lap at Brands Hatch Indy circuit faster than the race-winning E46 M3 in another race that day.

Came second behind a 350 Mk1 Camaro.

Depends who puts them together ;)

random001 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 09:02

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Tell me, please. Can a 6'4" guy comfortably drive a Spit? Because I love them so...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > random001 03/09/2016 at 09:08

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Hmmm, I come from a family of shortarses so I’m not sure if I can comment :S

Getting in and out might be tricky, and if you’ve got big feet too there’s not much space in the footwells.

The hardtops have a bit more headroom than the soft-tops though. They’ve got a sort of gurney-bubble like thing. Even more if you leave them untrimmed.

I’d say legroom yes. Headroom marginal, although it’s fairly straightforward to bolt the seats directly to the floor rather than on rails to gain a couple of inches of headroom...

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 09:31

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Oh yeah. I’m sure that there are a few of them that run. Probably more of them in the UK than in the US. I just haven’t seen any on track that have been put together correctly yet.

random001 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 09:42

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So running it without a top altogether = OK!

Legroom would be the concern, but if it’s ok, then awesome!

Ross Kraz > random001 03/09/2016 at 10:50

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I'm 6'2 and only drove my spit with the top down. But I also left part of the dash (a strange glovebox like thing) disassembled near my left leg because I couldn't comfortable hit the clutch with this part installed.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 03/09/2016 at 10:54

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To be fair, there are a lot of bits that are fairly marginal on them. Thrust washers for instance are about half the width they should be :S

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/09/2016 at 14:13

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Oh yeah. I should have said re assembled correctly since none of them were put together right in the first place.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/10/2016 at 15:49

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What are you going to do with that 4.0? Supercharge it and put it in something fun?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 03/10/2016 at 16:01

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The original plan was porting, 6-3-1 manifold and ITBs and into an XJS to make a 300+bhp E46 M3-fighter, but XJS’ have got expensive now :S

Offroad go-kart?

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/10/2016 at 16:05

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M3 fighter; perhaps only in a straight line, but I agree with the sentiment.

MR 4.0 4wd off-road buggy? You know that tickles my pickle. I would happily make the trek to help you build it. Next winter, you say? To avoid clashing with my seasonal work schedule, you say? Fantastic, I’ll see you there. I’ll bring flasks and tea bags.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 03/10/2016 at 16:40

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That’d just be a case of suspension tweaks and lightweighting...

That does sound cool! I was thinking that the Rover V8 I’ve got will go into an MGB GT with a Landy LT85 gearbox, Jag IRS from my crushed XJ40 and a Subaru R160 I’ve got lying around up front with big knobbly tyres.

There’s definitely an untapped niche for sleek-looking 4x4/lifted AWD sports cars. An MG Baja, so to speak :)

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/10/2016 at 17:27

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Would the r160 be wide enough for a V8? I see torque explosions in our future! The Jag IRS, does the cambet change with bound/unbound? Would be a super fun project, it’s got me thinking!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 03/10/2016 at 17:48

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Wide enough? Power-wise it should be fine as it seems to do well with high-powered WRXs. Plus, it comes in a ratio ~1% different to the Jag diff which can be taken up by the centre diff no problem.

Trouble would be fitting it all in the front of a B. I’m thinking offset the engine to the left, have the diff to the right and a cutout through the sump to clear a longer driveshaft.

Could use Freelander front uprights as they bolt onto the strut at the top, leaving it free to mate with a fabricated upper wishbone. Then I’d get a splined front hub with the same PCD as the Jag IRS at the back, meaning I can use the 15" Jag wheels I’ve already got.

The Jag IRS does change get positive camber on droop, so lifting would cause issues unless you shorten the upper driveshaft (which would change how it gains camber as the suspension compresses). Ideally, I’d have most of the lift accomplished by having bigger rolling stock than the stock MGB. Standard they had ~24" diameter wheels, and Jag 15" wheels with Freelander tyres comes to 27.5" so would be a 1.75" lift without changing the suspension geometry. Perhaps enough for a rallycross car, if not a proper offroader...

mikecyc72usa > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/14/2016 at 10:49

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I’m intrigued, was this car ever on the road? There was an RV8 powered dark blue Spitfire in England about a decade ago...

mikecyc72usa > random001 03/14/2016 at 10:52

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I am just over 6 feet tall with crazy long arms (wingspan of 76.5 inches) and an inseam of 33 inches. My shins are longer than my femur by a centimeter. I weigh from 170-188lbs depending on fitness, and have no trouble fitting in my Spitfire. Wide feet will make pedal usage an issue. But I cant’s touch the firewall without really trying by pointing my toes when in the driver seat.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mikecyc72usa 03/14/2016 at 11:16

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Hmmm, not sure it was as there are some half-finished engine mounts that came with it. Can’t see why someone would remake an engine mount when there was one there already.

Still showing as a 1296cc on the DVLA so it hasn't had an engine swap registered (not that that means much even nowadays).

mikecyc72usa > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/14/2016 at 11:21

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Gotcha. Funny that the 3.5L is lighter than the 1500 engine as well as the MGB 1800. By quite a bit. 44lbs for the B engine and about 30-35 for the 1500 if memory is correct.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mikecyc72usa 03/14/2016 at 11:31

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That gets bandied around a lot and I’m fairly certain it’s not true based on trying to get accurate weights for similarly dressed engines.

The original die-cast Buick 215 with a couple fewer head bolts was 161kg (355lbs) against 125kg (276lbs) for the 1500 and 152kg (335lbs) for the B.

The sand-cast Rover V8s were a little heavier at 170kg (375lbs) for a 3.5l.

Still incredibly light for a 3.5l that can be pushed out to 5.2, and a lot more powerful than the only marginally lighter I4s, but heavier nonetheless.

mikecyc72usa > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/14/2016 at 11:41

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I know the engines, when fully built (fluids, radiators, hoses, etc) are heavier on an MGB as I saw the weights on a scale myself. I bet they also are including transmissions, the Rover SD1 box is pretty light compared to an MGB 4 speed with OD. Same with Spitfire 1500 with OD.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mikecyc72usa 03/14/2016 at 11:42

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Interesting. The other thing that it's really hard to tell is if people are weighing them with or without a flywheel/clutch which can add a ton of weight...

mikecyc72usa > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/14/2016 at 11:44

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And what combo: stock vs lightened vs lightweight race...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mikecyc72usa 03/14/2016 at 12:03

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Alternator, starter, water pump, A/C compressor, exhaust manifolds (and how far the manifold goes down)...

Very difficult.

random001 > mikecyc72usa 03/14/2016 at 12:52

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You sound like a mirror image of me, though a couple inches less. There’s this awesome canary yellow spit close to me....

mikecyc72usa > random001 03/14/2016 at 13:14

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It’s fun. It keeps you fit. It will frustrate and reward you.