Jan/Feb 2001
visitors since February, 2000
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This is the original picture that I spotted on eBay
January of 2000. After a 7 hour drive from Terre Haute, IN to Rochester Hills, MI, and a 7 hour drive the next day back home, we had "Little Red" safely tucked in our garage the first weekend of February, 2000. |
| The Spitfire had been sitting for a few years
undriven. The engine would turn over but not fire. I changed the fuel filter,
the fan belt, but it still would not fire. I pulled the fuel line off and
cranked the engine over but no fuel came out. I hooked a fuel can directly
to the carb and tried to start it and it started and ran. I figured it
might be the fuel pump, so I took it off and ordered a new one online.
With nice weather setting in, I got impatient and didn't wait for the new
fuel pump to arrive. Instead I changed all the rubber fuel lines and re-installed
the original fuel pump. I hit the key and it started right up.
She was purring like a kitten, with a little smoke from the pipe because I added a little Marvels Mystery Oil to 2 gallons of gas before pouring it in the tank. I went in and asked my wife to do me a favor... To put on her shoes and take a spin with me. Out we went, slowly out of the garage. We waited to start the music till we drove a couple blocks. One block from home a boy coming out of his house stopped and yelled "Nice car!" I knew we had done good. |
In went the tape, on went the amp, and
'Born to be Wild' started screaming from the speakers.My wife reached in
the cubby hole and pulled out the red hat that came with the car and put
it on. Out on the highway, slowly at first, waiting for something to break.
So far so good. We got up to 40 mph and held it there. We drove about four
miles, and stopped by a friends house to show
it off. With their nod of approval we headed
on back toward home. We stopped and filled the tank with premium, ($1.499/gal)
but it only took $6.90 to fill it full. I told my wife, before we go home
we have to 'cruise the Bash' (Wabash Ave in Terre Haute, the main drag)
just once.It was dark out but I knew the street lights would make 'her'
look good.
Lots of stares and smiles and a few people commenting "nice car", but we didn't see any other LBC's during our first drive. Our first trip was 17 miles, with no breakdowns. I must admit, it took a while to find where reverse was hidden, but I found it. |
That's me, trying it on for size... |
Ginny at the wheel. |
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| While we have enjoyed driving around in "Little Red", very soon we must take her apart down to the frame. She suffers from the common Spitfire disease of rear frame rot. Midwest salt and corrosion and varying humidity levels allowed the rear section of frame to rust out badly. The body is in good shape, and the engine runs fine (only 32,000 miles on it) but the rear suspension is in danger of breaking if we do not repair it soon. Fortunately, Scott Helms of Nothern Indiana (and a multiple Triumph owner) recommended I place an ad on the VTR (Vintage Triumph Register) in search of a frame. | I placed the ad and the next day I had several responses,
with the best being from John Gauldin, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. John had been working on a GT6 hybrid project and
had a '75 Spitfire frame left over. He made me a good deal on the frame
and all suspension components, and a few weeks later, the frame arrived, ready to sandblast, prime, and paint. Click on the "Next Page" link below to follow the frame up restoration of "Little Red". |
Spitfire/GT6 Links
May 19-27, 2001 was Drive Your British Car Week
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 Frame Restoration |
 Terre Haute, IN, USA |
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