Triumph Spitfire (1980)
for sale
Price: US $3,995.00
Price: US $3,995.00
Here is a 1980 Triumph Spitfire
1500. I am the second owner having now owned it for close to five years. Also
included is a parts car, same year, same color. I have the titles for both. The
good car has less than 30, 000 original miles (barely, because I keep adding a
few more for short trips around). Details below. Please ask me any questions
you have and I will do my best to answer them within a day.
The Good:
Main Car:
It runs, handles well, shifts cleanly. I put it a new starter. Local British car repair
shop got it “road ready” at the beginning of the summer, replacing brakes, doing a complete check-up and $2k worth of stuff (I have the details somewhere, but basically a
tune-up, brakes, and check-up since I hadn’t driven it in around 2 years).
There is no rust. The mechanic was very surprised and stated that he hadn’t
seen a rust-free body in years. It has been garage kept and only wet while
being washed. Original paint. Most things are original except the carb, which
was replaced by previous owner (see pics). I love this car, but I don’t spend
time with it like I want to (more details below on that).
Parts Car:
The parts
car doesn’t run. The parts car wasn’t kept as nice by the previous owner having
been stored outside. So most of the interior was trash. I kept everything I
thought was of value, and most of the engine is still in place, although I
would be very suspect of it. Why am I listing this as a “good”? Because my
intention was to take the best parts of both cars and combine into one. Didn’t
get that far, but I have gone through the labor of removing and keeping all of
those parts, which are all included in the listing. There are more parts than I
can list or take pictures of, but complete and good bonnet, doors, trunk, etc.
This car was stored under a tarp in my driveway, a sore spot with my wife.
The not as good:
Something
is pulling from the battery. I have disconnected the after-market radio which
was definitely pulling on it very quickly, but since then, there is a slow
pull. Also, the driver seat has a rip and the driver’s seat belt connection is
banged up. Probably can be fixed, but haven’t had a chance to spend time on it.
Also, looks like the previous owner put a battery in that was too big and it
shorted across the hood. So there is a little discoloration on that portion of
the hood.
Why am I selling it?
I have had
a lot of fun with it, but realistically am not going to be able to spend the
time I want with it for the next 5 years or so, until my girls go off to
college. As much as it pains me, I would rather the spit go to someone who is
going to enjoy it versus having it sit in my garage (and driveway for the parts
car). So I figure, I will give someone a chance to drive it and own it, and
will look for another one in 5 years.
Of note:
This car
is 35 years old. If you are looking for a pristine car, this ain’t it.
It needs work on the interior, probably a new coat of paint eventually (although I like that it is original) and some other
stuff that goes along with a very original 35 year old car. Having said that, it is a ton of fun. Something about driving a large go-kart like car is a
blast. While I have driven it up to 70 mph, personally, I like
driving it on the back roads at 35-40 around curves, etc. Really gets a sense
of driving that way.
Also, final bid wins you both cars and all Triumph parts in my garage. If you don’t
want the parts car or parts, that ok by me, but the final price doesn’t change.
You should factor in the shipping price for one working and one non-working
car, and I will pack the parts into both for transport. I used to sell (a lot)
on eBay and so I know how to package things up for safe delivery. There are
tons of extra parts. Not only the parts that I removed from the parts car, but
also, the previous owner of the working car had good intentions as well, which
he did not act on. Stuff like a new manifold, new wooden panels for the dash, new dash cover, and other items.
I included pictures of the parts car as the last few pictures. If you are wondering where the parts are, they are in boxes on shelves in the garage. I did not have the space within eBay to include all of the pictures I took. Also, tags are not included.
The
working car really needs to go to a home for someone who can take a diamond in
the rough and take it the rest of the way. I just don’t have the time. Maybe I
will buy it back from you in 5 years. J
update: 2015-09-08
Condition: | Used | Year: | 1980 |
Number of Cylinders: | 4 | Make: | Triumph |
Transmission: | Manual | Model: | Spitfire |
Body Type: | Convertible | Mileage: | 29,307 |
Warranty: | Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty | Exterior Color: | Orange |
Vehicle Title: | Clear | Interior Color: | Black |
For Sale By: | Private Seller |