Not that I'm thinking of buying one but...
Can those bumpers be replaced by nice shiny chrome units and still pass an inspection?

The photo showing the SCCA National Championships badge and the dangling wire with the aftermarket-looking toggle switch really says everything you need to say.

AND a Mitsubishi Expo LRV! wow.

Holy Jebus, I used to have one of these! It was my first drop-top, and I still remember bringing it home from the dealership and putting the top down for the very first time. It was like a religious experience. That car was a ball to drive, when it ran.

Sadly, it was also the worst car I have ever owned. Ever. In my entire life. Out of about 20 cars total, this was far and away the most unreliable, least durable, most frustrating. It seemed to take active pleasure in breaking down and leaving me stranded. The Lucas electronic ignition would randomly fail, usually while I was traveling at 70 on the freeway, in the hot lane.

That one even has the hardtop, that's a nice find. Sorry to see it going the way of Elvis, somebody should have shown it more love.

Thanks Murilee, that brought back a flood of memories. I'm gonna' need a moment here.

God help me. I want that car. My first car was a '76. This one is nicer, and it's in a junkyard!!

The worst year for Spitfires with the nasty rubber bumpers. Looks like the best part - the overdrive transmission has already been snagged.

The earlier ones are much nicer.

I had a beater 74 Spitfire. Loved that car. Mine was very reliable - shocking considering I bought it for $1400 off a teenage girl.

[flickr.com]

There's a lot salvageable here, hardtop, interior bits, etc. The bumpers should not be salvaged, I agree. They should be launched into the sun.

Spitfires never moved me like MGB's, TR4's, and the like, but this one is surprisingly intact. Just rebuild the engine, replace missing transmission, replace carb with a Weber, replace wiring harness, new Mallory distributor and coil, chrome bumpers, replace all gas and brake lines....oh, never mind

@Dave7:

Dude, you had a Reliant Scimitar? You totally rule! Your Triumph was sweet too.

My wife had a 1967 Spitfire (bone in the nose) which was what turned me on to the car. Sadly, I made the unfortunate decision to buy the newest one I could find, under the assumption it would be the least used up. Boy was I wrong.

@graverobber: What's the toggle switch on the right side of the dash under the wood? I wouldn't think it was factory, but knowing the British... Gosh if Caddys had Dagmars what would one call these bumper monstrosities? Holy crapola.

@Isetta: Fake Silicone Dagmars. And just like on the organic models, they don't look as good as the real ones.

@Isetta:

That's something added-on, probably the switch for some sort of radio frequency device that alerts the tow truck when flipped. I don't remember there being anything in the parcel shelf area on mine.

There is a knurled knob that sticks out under the driver's side of the dash, which is for resetting the trip odometer, not that you'd want to take a trip of the multi-mile variety in one of these.

Man, I miss that crappy little car.

"made me feel like Jimmy Carter still negotiating"

Just Imagine what kind of bumpers or mileage we'd have had if the CIA's guys would have been trading illicit weapons to the auto companies to stall the developement of the safety bumpers or big V8's. Oh wait we've got that now...it's called the H2 and the Hummer tax loophole.

My friend in high school had the exact same one and he was so proud of it in 92 (then again I had an 85 Buick)
it had the same ratty dusty interior and he lved that thing until it became a headache so he traded it .......for a Bertone X1/9 eeek!!

@Isetta: Aftermarket Overdrive? Hopefully, Nitrous.

@Rust-MyEnemy: Or, possibly a switch which works with the Lucas electricals and "Makes everything OK".

Hah. I had the same luggage rack on the back of my TR7. So stylish, and when you looked in the rear view mirror, it was just about all you saw.

My dad had 2 (count 'em two) Spitfires. He had an older 60's model and he "upgraded" to a new one in the late 60's and it was complete crap. I believe he still regrets that trade in. We got rear ended by a guy with a Pontiac and that was the end of that.

Especially in the era of thousand dollar fender benders, those are starting to look pretty good. Crown Vic spec bull bars, or 'Roo bars might be another worthy alternative.

@brewsy: Sure, California doesn't do equipment inspections, so you could also put shorter front springs to get the European ride height. You can even get past the smog check by putting a later (preferably Japanese) engine in the car, as long as you have all the smog gear required for the year of engine manufacture and you get a BAR referee to sign off on it.

@graverobber

The Scimitar was a neat car. Its currently being restored in Manitoba. Sadly the Spitfire was sold off. Would love another one.

@yellofury:

The two cars I really wanted as a lad were the Spitfire and X1/9. I am probably very fortunate neither of those dreams came true.

@SundaySunday: That rack would be worth saving off of that car, they're a good seller on eBay. I would guess the hardtop and a few other things could turn a profit too, depending on what the junkyard wants for it.

Boy, those bumpers are horrifying. We really do need to have a voting challenge on what car from the 70's-80's has the Malaiseiest bumpers on it. I think this one beats out the BMW 2002 and Mercedes w115.

@jbarrow:
Funny thing, a fellow once offered to trade me his X1/9 for my spit (which at the time it had a rather tired datsun 210 powerplant) We drove each others cars around the block, and both agreed that we didn't really want to trade. I did end up buying the spitfire seat he had in his living room in front of his playstation.

For all the bad things you can find to say about the spit (and there are many!), they really are fun to drive. Especially if you follow Murilee Martins advice and put in a 100+ hp Japanese motor ;)

@dohcspit: I tend to agree. The MGB was pretty bad, too, but at least they attempted to integrate the bumpers.

Nothing so awful as what I witnessed on an old Mitusbishi Eclipse the other day.

@Murilee Martin: I'm thinking swap in a 4AGE or a F20, rework the suspension, drop a couple racing shells inside, and slap some sticky rubber on it, you could have a damn fun little car that would be at least semi-reliable.

@something_unique_and_descriptive: Jesus, either of those would twist the frame like a pretzel. The Spitfire is body on (a very willowy, Herald-based) frame. It can't take much, and didn't do well with the 68 or so HP the 1500 put out. This car is not for going fast, but for giving the driver the impression of going fast.
Also, one of the last cars ever to have cut-down doors allowing the helmsman to become one with the macadam by reaching down and grazing ones fingers along the road surface while traversing it with a modicum of precipitateness. All the while whilst gripping a proper fat-rimmed wheel positioned behind a luxurious wood dashboard and gripping the perfectly-positioned, short-throw shift lever. This was motoring at its finest... until one of the mains lets go. Then it ends up like our friend here.

@graverobber: The narrow backbone wasn't tops in torsional rigidity, but there is precedent for having 100+hp in them without issue.

The MK3 was rated 100hp from the factory. The 1500 got choked down with emissions stuff (air pump, I'm looking at you), and resulted in a sad 63 hp (the same as a late 80's Ford Festiva 1200).

After ripping the vanes out of the air pump to turn it into an oversized idler pulley, the Spitfire 1500 is a lot of fun, and could oversteer easily with incredible control.

Plus, they land perfect every time. (at least in my experience.)

@graverobber:
The motor currently in my car (Nissan GA16DE) is rated at 110 hp from the factory. My car isn't any more bent than it was when the motor was installed ;)

I have blown up a diff and a few u-joints.

FWIW, the GT6 was rated for a similar amount of power to my car, weighs a lot more, uses the same frame. Many people have made spit-6s (put a spit body on a GT6) without incident.

I would suggest that if you want to go significantly over that power level, you'd want re-work some things.
@something_unique_and_descriptive: If i were doing it again, I'd think seriously about the SR20DE (T if you are feeling adventurous.)

The diff only takes about 100hp - more than the and you need to swap something more robust in (Datsun 510 and the similar Subaru ones are popular).

The Herald frame is different that the Spitfire. Herald is true body on frame where as Spitfire uses rockers for strength too.

Good Lord. There is something either doubly phallic about those bumpers, or else they are a cruel stereotype.

I was a long-time British fanatic for years. But when I saw those rubber bumpers, I knew the ride was over. Personally, I miss the old oil-leakers.