Tracy Howard's Profile 
Radford, VA, USA
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Posted on: The Triumph Experience
Posted at: Thursday August 13, 2009 6:24 AM
August 13, 2009
I began my Spitfire Journey with my youngest Daughter back in April. We had read an ad on a local online classified.
I had always thought a Spitfire would be a fun little car, and I had previously rebult an MGB, so off we go to the hills.
We found the forlorn little car sitting in a field, under a tree and multiple tarps.
Dirty, multiple mouse nests, and several snake skins, but the engine turned, the wheels, or three of them held air, and the rust SEEMED insignificant.
So a deal was struck, a trailer was borrowed and for $500 bucks I trailered the old girl home.
The first order of business was to get her running.
The PO had installed a "new" gas tank, and with a little tinkering and a new battery, she started.
When I finally got "Spitty" into the garage, I began the teardown. OUt came the interior which essentially fell apart in my hands. It only had one seat and sheet metal had been pop rivited to the floors.
As I dove deeper into the tear down, more and more rust was discovered. The floors were shot, the sills were shot, and the rust in the arches was hidden by copious amounts of bondo.
MAY/JUNE 09...
I wrote about the rotten floors and sills in an entry on the experience forum and received a question If I had thought about a complete TUB.
Another deal was stuck and I draged home an essentially RUST FREE tub from Scott in High Point NC.
JULY 09 , Finished removing the OLD TUB from the frame.
New TUB was sanded and painted with a BC/CC paint from duplicolor. Performance RED. Chasis was rolled out and degreased, pressure washed, degreased and wire brushed, then pressure washed again.
Aug. 09, Chasis has now been painted with Black industrial Rustoleum. Engine was cleaned and painted with high temp black.
SO NOW the major parts are just about ready to go back together.
The paint job looks OK from a few feet, but my impatince with sanding is readily aparent. BUT Thats OK, In a few short months I'll have a car that is well rust protected and the onnly one in town!
Will add pictures soon!
Next Post – PROGRESS
Thursday February 25, 2010 9:57 AM
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Comments on this journal entry –
Oct 1:
Over the last month, working slowly a little at a time, I have joined the old chasis and the new tub. Everything bolted together like a big erector set. Two good tires replaced the dry rotted back tires and the wheels have been painted with Dupli-color gunmetal wheel paint.
I've built new interior panels and have gotten the wiriung harness back in place. Just tracking down some lenses to replace the old cracked plastic.
I was able to get her started again and she moved under her own power.
Of course this revealed a sticking rear brake.
The bright red body and bonnet look really good against the black chasis. New horns replaced the old ones and now comes the fun part, putting all new rubber in and around the body. She's beginning to look like a car again!
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