This trick always gets me within one degree if not exact. With the distributer in place, rotate the distributer until the number one fires using a inline spark tester or screwdriver to block. If timing is supposed to be 10BTDC set the timing mark at crank to 10BTDC instead of TDC. I have a quick tip to set timing after distributer is removed or without a timing light. You can set No.1 rocker gap, for example, when a pointer fitted in the oil hole of No.8 is at its lowest point, and so on.

I find that pushing a 6' straight length of stiff wire into the rocker's oil hole can act as a pointer, exaggerating the movement of the rocker. When setting the tappets it can be difficult to determine when a rocker is at its lowest point. To view this listing on ClassicCars.Tips and Tricks for working on your Triumph Spitfire or any These early Spits have all but disappeared, and this might be one of the last affordable British roadsters out there.

The car also has extensive service records, according to the listing.įrom the pictures, this looks like a solid driver and would make a great first-time classic British roadster, especially at the asking price of $7,300. The Mooresville, North Carolina, dealer advertising this Spitfire on gives a nice history of the Spitfire, and states that the car includes numerous spares, including the original SU carburetors, original wheels and hubcaps, gaskets, a clutch tool and other miscellaneous parts. This one represents the last generation of the original-body cars. It is easy to find a later Mk4 or 1500 Spitfire, but locating one of the earlier cars has become more difficult. If you doubt that, consider that from 1962 until the end of production in 1980, Triumph sold a total of 314,372 Spitfires. With a body by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Spitfire was a swoopy and exciting-looking car, and it offered exactly what people were looking for in an affordable sports car. The Spitfire was introduced in 1962 as an affordable sports-car alternative to compete with the Austin Healey Sprite and MG Midget. The Triumph retains the original Spitfire styling cues 3, which offers the classic British sports-car experience on a budget. The Pick of the Day is a 1970 Triumph Spitfire Mk. One vintage British sports car that is still attainable whatever your budget is the Triumph Spitfire.

But many people do not have that much to spare for a classic car. Compared with the classic car market as a whole, that might not seem like a lot of money. A Jaguar E-type roadster, even a Series 2 driver-level car, can cost more than $70,000, and a Triumph TR4 or MGA can cost more than $30,000. In the world we live in now, classic British sports cars have become less and less affordable. The 1970 Triumph Spitfire represents an affordable way into the classic British sports-car experience

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