spitfire project idea...

[King Minger]

Ok we've been looking at moving house in the area and a few have popped up with decent sized garages, which got my mind going on project cars.....

I've been wanting to get hold of another spitfire since I had to part with my 1500 back in 97 as it had become undriveable and was in need of pretty much a body off restoration.
however since i didn't want a repeat experience of not being able to do one justice in the upkeep department, I have not really bothered looking for one.

now it looks as this may change, and i'm thinking spits pretty much every day:love1:

I have seen some pretty mad ideas carried out ranging from a 'simple' spitfire six or GT6 roadster conversion right through to small block V8's shoehorned in.

my idea is to keep it a bit simpler. first i thought 'original' then as my mind began to wander..... when i was at the scrappie pulling parts off a perfectly good (:cry:) ZS180.... what about a KV6!

Ok back on planet earth, I carried on the thought train.... how about a 'normal' K-series... light enough to keep from weighing the spitty down and enough power options enough to make it interesting! (thinking 135 rather than 160 VVC... though that too could be on the cards)

doing a bit of reading around, no one (i have found... yet) has done it. there are several of k-engined spridgets around, and if the spit is unfeasable, the spridget might happen instead.

So any thoughts? (apart from NUTTER!)
Al

[MaddAussie]

Do it! Ignore the calls of nutter and just do it

[King Minger]

I'd love to do it!
what i'm after is if anyone knows of any reason why these two may not join in holy matr...... err.... holy rusted metal ;) (hopefully not!)

[GT]

You could compromise and use an early MGF or Rover 200Vi '145 VVC' as a nice half-way point with the option to then tweak the power at a later date if you choose :)

[King Minger]

Hmmm a whole range of power options :D

[MartinW]

I am involved with a GT being fitted with an early VVC (from a write off BRM) and the benefit of the VVC is that it doesn't have a dizzy sticking off the back end which fouls with the heater box on the GT or Midget.
You need a few things to do this as in a Ford Type 9 5spd box, and from Caterham or Lotus and adpator bellhousing to the K engine. I don't know if any of the guys like Hi-gear do a 5sp for the Spitfire as they do for MGs, but this would make the fitting of the g/box easier. There's no reason why it shouldn't fit. The K is very light at 100kgs or so, and even 143bhp is a big step up from the standard 1500 unit which was always a bit weak on the bottom end. The length should be ok, but keep it as far back against the bulkhead as possible.
As to the KV6, I am keen for my BGT, but I think the extra weight and less willing to rev would make it a little less attractive, but the torque and smooth V6 sound would be awesome. the KV6 is a tall unit and is a wide angle V which could make it tricky to fit. The K would be much easier. The K is also fitted in the Morris Minor.

HTH

[King Minger]

Cheers martin! that's pretty much what i'd found, re ford GB and bellhousing. thanks for the tip about the dizzy cap!. i'm pretty sure a VVC will be the way to go for fairly straightforward transplant.

KV6 would be superb, but a little beyond my talent/budget

[GT]

Mine doesnt have a dizzy cap either :D

[Excel620]

I think one of the contributors to Practical Classics has a K powered Midget.

[MartinW]

GT
My wife's 214 has a dizzy off the rear cam. Must have been a change when MEMS3 arrived.
However, the later Midget 1500 shared the same engine as the Spitfire, and the Spitfire had o/d and the midget didnot, which would suggest there is sufficient room to fit a Type 9 box. Frontline Costello are the renowned, if expensive, purveyors of all parts for K series Midgets.

Excel, I have been reading that with interest but unfortunately there is not much detail.

[King Minger]

Hmmm, I used to get practical classics way back when. might have to start reading again if that's the case.

this all may be moot for a while now, if the house we went to look at today is anything to go by, garage with enough room to get a car in but that's about it. and in this case, no room to extend.

maybe more places will turn up with the appropriate space.....or at least potential.

[MartinW]

Look out for a future issue of Retro Cars magazine this baby is to be featured!
Ed (http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/upgrades4mgs/ed_bracklik.htm#An%20Update%20-%2029th%20July%202006) Braclik's VVC BGT!

I am still seriously contemplating a KV6, although a V8 beckons more strongly, it just seems difficult to find a decent KV6 atr a reasonable price!

[Beaker]

So any thoughts?
Al

Yes, honey, I have one or two thoughts.... like the practicality of having a 10 year old 2 seater MGF, and an even older 2 seater Spit :wife:.

I checked you were definately not still thinking of doing this before I got Beaker, now I will have to sell him :cry2:

Think we may need to talk about this...

[King Minger]

i was only thinking out loud.... mainly filed under one day.....

did you look at the last post date? MARCH...

[Beaker]

now it looks as this may change, and i'm thinking spits pretty much every day:love1:

Al

Sorry, a pre-Beaker post that had been bumped. Still half asleep - the above scared me!!!

[MartinW]

Oops, sorry! Didn't mean to cause matrimonial disharmony!

[JC.]

You need a few things to do this as in a Ford Type 9 5spd box, and from Caterham or Lotus and adpator bellhousing to the K engine. I don't know if any of the guys like Hi-gear do a 5sp for the Spitfire as they do for MGs, but this would make the fitting of the g/box easier.

HTH

Remember, the tunnel in a spitfire is made of fiberglass, so chances are you will be making a new tunnel anyway. What may prove the stumbling block, is that the gearbox in a spitfire hangs between the two main chassis rails which run from the front to the back of the car. These two rails may need to be dressed out of the way of the new gearbox, depending on how wide it is. That is a major structural change as the two rails and the sills on a spit (the other crucial area to check) provide the strength for the whole middle of the car.

-JC

[GT]

I still think you should go for this project, what an awesome machine you'd have afterwards!

Will keep an eye out in Retro Cars, too!

[Beaker]

I still think you should go for this project, what an awesome machine you'd have afterwards!

Will keep an eye out in Retro Cars, too!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo please don't encourage him. Beaker will not get on well with any other old two seater :banghead: and despite Beaker getting off to a bad start, I am not parting with him.

[GT]

Could always ask if he's interested in a Dolly Sprint! :D

http://gallery.brit-cars.com/data//518/medium/Photo-0075.jpg

[Beaker]

Please bury this thread in a large hole somewhere, It keeps getting bumped. KM will get naughty ideas and turn up with some weird machine and you will all be responsible for turning me crazy :crazy: (ok before someone else says it, its too late I am crazy already)

[King Minger]

when i had the red 1500, i always fancied the idea of a sprint engine in the spit...

that one looks the donuts tho...

[Beaker]

Yeah thanks Rob, just wait until I see you :hit1: Geshmack!

[MYCaptainChris]

I am still seriously contemplating a KV6, although a V8 beckons more strongly, it just seems difficult to find a decent KV6 atr a reasonable price!

If your heading the V8 route and need me to source a mustang unit, give me a shout. That would be one hell of a project, an MGB V8 with the ZT V8 engine. I can imagine the noise it would make now!!!!! :happy1: The aftermarket gear for the Mustang engine is huge, so there are no end of mods you could do.

Beaker: Do you like the re-route of subject

[MartinW]

NO! Not a Mustang unit! It's already got a boat anchor with 4 cylinders - I don't want another boat anchor with 8 cylinders although 260hp in std format might just upset another member with Rover V8 due to go in his BGT! :)
What's the weight of the Mustang unit? Would it fit?

Anyway I contacted a scrappy with a 75 and broken engine and he wants £100 for the bare engine or £250 with all ancilaries - how am I supposed to find a knackered engine to do my initial measurements?

Oh well, hopefully the price of KV6 engines will put KM off the idea! But it has to be done!

[King Minger]

well the price of a KV6 was never the issue for me... only the size....
I've heard of chevy small block V8's put into spits, albeit with a lot of chassis engineering and the KV6 is pretty tall so would probably have the same problem.

i still think a K4 with individual throttle bodies and no inlet plenum would keep the original balance of the spit, and a 105 1.4 would be a perfect starting point, but as JC says, there may be problems with the chasis rails and the gearbox.... it's all moot (for me) anyway as it's a project for someone with more time, money and space then I have at the mo... beaker aside...
(I get the feeling the MGF will keep me occupied plenty for the forseeable future, and i have enough half finished projects to keep me going for a while.

[JC.]

Martin, wouldn't upset me but it may upset Phil! Im not sure he will speak to you again. :lol2:
Besides, when I build up my monster engine over the summer I am aiming for around 160bhp. Once I can afford stage 2 heads that should go up to around 190bhp.
Occasionally you see Janspeed twin turbo systems crop up on ebay and there is a supercharger kit by sprintex... :clap:
I'll settle for a P6 V8 with good oil pressure in the short term though! :woohoo:

-JC

P.S If you want to wind Phill up... when you get back, we can unscrew the main walnut panel off my dash, lay it over yours and take a photo to send him! hehe! :D:D:D

[Captain Slow]

when i had the red 1500, i always fancied the idea of a sprint engine in the spit...

that one looks the donuts tho...

Do it. That is the car that IMO they should have made!

Well, that and a 32v Stag with Sprint heads.