Build catalogue
Mitchell Barrett's 1975 Triumph Spitfire V8 conversion
britishv8.orgBritish V8 Newsletter, Volume 12 Issue 1, 2004
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1975 Triumph Spitfire rebuilt with a turbocharged Olds 215 V8
Mitchell Barrett has owned this Spitfire since 1976, when he bought it with a con-rod through the block at just 16,000 miles. He has taken it through two frame-off rebuilds, first a factory-correct restoration after years of Pennsylvania winters, then a second to install a turbocharged Oldsmobile 215 cubic inch V8. It is a short but interesting case of a long-term owner still refining the car, weighing brake and gearing upgrades.
Specs
As the owner states it.
- Engine
- Turbocharged 215 cid Oldsmobile V8
Parts used
What the owner names in the write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 1
- Oldsmobile 215 cid V8, turbochargedOldsmobile
Installed during the second frame-off restoration to replace the original Triumph engine
Photos
All 7 pictures in the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
A rough start
Barrett bought the Spitfire in 1976 as its second owner, with only 16,000 miles on the clock but a con-rod already poking through the engine block. Despite this bad beginning, he kept the car through years of hard use in Pennsylvania winters.
First restoration: back to factory
The first frame-off restoration aimed simply to bring the Spitfire back to original factory condition after the damage done by years of harsh winter driving.
Second restoration: V8 power
Years later Barrett tore the car down a second time, this build converting it to run a turbocharged Oldsmobile 215 cubic inch V8 in place of the original engine.
Living with the car
Barrett describes the finished car as fun to drive, but says he still wants to fit a better brake system, mentioning vented Brembo brakes as a possibility, and to find a way to lower the final drive ratio to reduce engine RPM.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗
Worth knowing
- A car bought cheap with hidden engine damage can still be worth decades of ownership.
- Restoring to factory condition first can be a separate project from later adding V8 power.
- A turbocharged small V8 swap can leave the stock brakes feeling inadequate, prompting thoughts of upgrading to vented brakes.
- Gearing matched to the original engine may leave the V8 running higher RPM than desired, suggesting a need to revisit the final drive ratio.