Steve's 1969 Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog
Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread
Read the full write-up at Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread ↗
A 1969 Triumph Spitfire Mk3 stripped to a bare tub for rust repair
Steve bought a rough-running 1969/1970 Spitfire in 2017 and documents a frame-off restoration on YouTube as "Steve's Project Car Garage." After sorting brakes and a troublesome wiring harness, he discovered serious rot in the heelboard and floors during Covid lockdown and began a full teardown, cutting out the heelboard, floors and tunnel to assess and replace rusted metal.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Front brakes
- GT6 calipers found fitted by a previous owner, later swapped back toward Spitfire-type parts via Moss
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original 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.
Brakes 1
- GT6 front calipers
Found already fitted to the front brakes from a previous owner, did not match standard Spitfire caliper replacements
Body & Trim 1
- Lower B post patch panelsRimmers
Ordered to repair the B post and heelboard area
In the shops
B-Post Lower Repair Panel ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $105.25 USD
B-Post Lower Repair Panel ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $83.99 USD
L/H Lower A-Post Repair Panel ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $183.50 USD
Tools & Workshop 1
- Lincoln MIG welderLincoln
Purchased to do the bodywork welding for the restoration
Other 1
- Replacement restoration parts orderSpitbits
Large parts order unboxed for the build
Photos
12 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
SteveTheBrewer · 2021-04-08T11:33:30-0400 4this post at Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread ↗
SteveTheBrewer · 2021-04-10T18:51:28-0400 1this post at Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread ↗
SteveTheBrewer · 2021-04-19T10:07:56-0400 3this post at Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread ↗
SteveTheBrewer · 2021-04-21T10:17:24-0400 4this post at Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
Steve bought the Spitfire in 2017 for $1500 knowing it could have rust issues. He got it running with ether, drove it a short lap, then parked it. The front brakes turned out to have GT6 calipers fitted instead of standard Spitfire parts, and the carburettor rebuild left it running rich.
Electrical troubles
A blown, melted fuse led Steve to find a disastrous wiring mess under the dash. He pulled the front harness, repaired it and replaced rear lamp housings, but a broken wire between the voltage regulator and ignition switch kept causing failures, which stalled the project for a long while.
Starting the frame-off restoration
During the Covid period Steve decided to pursue a full frame-off restoration after finding serious rot at the heelboard. He began documenting the work on YouTube, removing doors, boot lid, fuel tank, windshield, dash, steering column, brakes, clutch, handbrake and bumpers.
Rust discovery and cutting
Investigating the sills and floors revealed extensive rust and crude prior repairs, including three layers of metal with a 1/8 inch steel plate hidden by a previous owner. Steve braced the tub, then cut out the heelboard, radius arms, trans tunnel and sections of floor to prepare for new metal.
Progress so far
Steve rebuilt the B post as a milestone, with new patch panels on order from Rimmers and new parts obtained from Spitbits. He plans to treat rust, weld in the heelboard support, and refurbish the transmission tunnel, with the restoration ongoing.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Triumph Spitfire Restoration Blog thread ↗
Worth knowing
- Removing a windshield needs more care than expected, as Steve learned the hard way
- Rebuilding the carburettor without the right expertise can leave the engine running rich
- Hidden prior repairs, like a plate steel floor patch, can make rust far worse than it looks