The 1500 was too long-stroke & was crap.

Only the 2500 six-pot was even worse. But it's an easy GT6 upgrade...

A compensator spring tames the nasty rear axle camber changes.

 

As one who's been 'there' more than a few times, I'd think long and hard about a classic...

After having owned an X1/9 before the daughters arrived, I was convinced I wanted another. So after much searching, I found an über-rare 1300 Lido in excellent condition. I had it re-sprayed (there was no rot, I just wanted a new-from-the-box car), spent a fortune on chroming and sourced hundreds of NOS parts from here, there and everywhere. The big day came; it was all put together and it sailed through the MOT.

I went for a short drive with Mrs P and when we stopped at traffic lights, we looked at each other disappointedly and decided these things are best committed to memory.

I sold the car a few months later.

Upon reflection, I would prefer to have only the happy memory of my first X1/9 rather than also having the memory of being disappointed with the second.

It'll probably be a similar situation when my Lincoln Mark IV and Honda ST50 are sorted...

 

Think there's a bit of "been there, done that" about it: I certainly didn't enjoy my 2nd X1/9 as much as the first and ditto the MX-5, in spite of the 'upgrade'. It's one reason I've not replaced the S2000.

There's a sense that one can never go home again & so I'd not get a car I'd previously owned.

It'd have to be something I wanted to try; a Citroen SM or a Ro80 or something else of genuine merit, I suppose...

 

My ideal I have to admit. I love straight sixes, I don't care if you have to do head gaskets every year or anything like that.
I used to adore my Rover SD1 2.6s - and I admit that it can be a love it\hate it car - I loved working on it, I even had the head change time down (with a spare in the garage ready) to about 34 mins fully turned round by the end. Sadly it met a fate it shouldn't have whilst in the care of my brother.
I also quite like the handling challenges of the old cars
I have to get myself a mk3 or mk4 spit sometime very soon, or a Vitesse but it will probably a spit.
When I was considering the S I passed up on a complete shell rebuilt spit with 6 conversion and sprayed in Aston metallic green. I was pursuaded out of it... I don't doubt I made the right decision as I do adore my S (engine troubles aside) but there is always this niggle too!

At least I know it has to be the Spit now. Thankyou all once again !

 

on Ebay at the moment £10,000


probably not the sort of thing your after but its a car to be used and abused. something that be great for the odd track day and do the odd road rally etc. tuned engine and a straight cut gearbox may make a Sunday cruise a bit of a chore but i can imagine Sunday cruises wearing rather thin very quickly in a run of the mill classic anyway, where as this MGB could be used to hone those driving skills by doing some track days and getting some instruction.

edit

i would have thought it cost 3 times the asking price to build and i'd be tempted myself if i sold the Datsun

 

Oh MAN! I'd love to do some rallying! I did a course at the silverstone rally school a few years ago and totally fell in love with it (came top of my class too, which didn't hurt ).

If only I had the money to keep a rally car.

Hang on I'm going into a dream world here, which is a very good time to try and get some sleep and dream sweet dreams

 

I race against this Spitfire;



Last year he took out the BDA engine he was running to replace it with.......an F20C. Very quick it is now too.

 

I had a '71 1300 Mk4 Spit for a few years, and I loved it. It was slow even by 80's standards, it didn't handle very well but it always made me smile, and as has been said here already it was a doddle to work on as in addition to the tilting front the transmission tunnel is removable too (not so good if you're going through a particularly deep puddle at speed though....).

The issues I recall from mine and others in the Triumph Sports Six Club were mainly rust based, The chassis rails rot especially at the point that the body bolts on. The other thing that springs to my mind immediately is to avoid the 1500's. The engine started out as an 850cc (or there abouts) Standard unit and was bored and stroked but never reworked, so it has a 3 main bearing crank and in 1500 guise very thin walls between the bores. this caused cooling issues as the water jacket was reduced to accommodate the bores.

The above goes back to 1988 so it may be out of date now, I know that the addition of an oil cooler did help the cooling issues and as with the Stag there may have been after market development of the engine. I'd check out the TSSC website for further info.

Actually, that's a thought, you say you want a Vitesse or Spit, what about combining them and getting a Stag?

 

Check spares availability at Rimmer Bros. - and the prices. There's yer answer!

 

Every girl needs a good shag Stag