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[chet]

Hi,

It's my first post, so forgive me for my ignorance. My question is whether I should restore it, give it away to an enthusiast free for the towing cost, or send it to the crusher?

In my garage I have a '69 Spitfire MkIII. It has a long 40 year history, but leave it to say that it has been unlicensed for at least 10 years. It was raced (probably SCCA), given to a high school shop class, and retrieved by a friend of mine for his daughter. His daughter wanted air conditioning and bought an SUV. I had it towed to my place as I had a plan for it at the time. My plan would have destroyed it's value as a classic car, but I digress.

This car looks to me a great Triumph restoration project and I'm wondering if I'm the right guy. I don't think I can actually sit in the thing without cutting the frame in half and adding about 4" to the over all length. I'm about 6'6" tall and maybe not the right fellow to drive a small sports car. I've tried in the past, but it has usually proven to be a bad idea. But who knows? Maybe bruising my knees against the dash is worth the effort.

The frame is straight. The body is clean. The paint is faded but there are some minor ripples in the sheet metal. nothing serious. All the parts appear to be there except for the ragtop,a battery, and an alternator. It even has the original paper fiber transmission hump. The frame for the convertible top is there, but the fabric is long lost. Oh, and the interior door panels are gone.

I assume that the engine will require significant work and all interior carpet and seats will need some investment. It's basically rough because it sat, unprotected outside in northern California without a top.

Any support, suggestions, or concerns?

I'll grab a photo of all the appropriate numbers and general condition to give you an idea of what I'm working with. I'll post it soon. I'm serious. I don't know what to do with it.

Chet

[Autoquick]

I'm 6'1" and I fit just fine in my '65.  The steering wheel can be adjusted out so your knees won't touch.  Adjusting the body and frame would be a major undertaking and commitment.  Now my '65 Datsun is another story.  People over 6' would have problems.
English and German cars could handle taller people.  Post some snaps.

[chet]

ok, you asked for a pic. This is a duplicate. I posted it in the newbie forum previously. This is the start. The passenger side is clean. The driver has a couple of little bumps. I've already removed most of the chrome and I'm starting to work on pulling the engine/tranny.