Anything and everything Spitfire.

Hi,

I'm new here after buying a spitfire a couple of weeks ago as a runabout (after selling my MGB), I now seem to have 3 complete cars as well as a rebuilt rolling chassis (I don't know how it happened).

Anyway, I was building a zetec midget, but gave up as there was no way that I could get the engine low enough/far enough back to give a satisfactory driving car.

I have a 1.8 zetec with all ancilleries, a type 9 ford 5 speed box, and a morgan alloy gearbox bellhousing as well as a concentric clutch release bearing sitting in my garage awaiting a new home.

I reckon that there will be more room in the spitfire chassis and am more than willing to fabricate stuff to get the engine in. But...has anyone else done it? anywhere that I can see a finished car?

Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
John

John,
try Clive senior,

http://www.club.triumph.org.uk/cgi-bin/blah/Blah.p...

he has got his up and running and he seems to know where else to get the right information too.

cheers Calvin.

John

Contact Sue Bayliss in Knaphill, she did it to her Spitfire several years ago. It might have been done by J Y Classics for her, but I'm not sure.

Regards
Mike

Yup, think John Yarnell did that one - was in the Spitfire comparison test Practical Classics did a few years back and was (at one time) reprinted on the Canley Classics site.

the article is still on the site, under 'in print'

Have you thought about a T5-R Volvo unit and 5 speed box - it fits nicely into a GT6 just as long as you don't want a heater matrix!!!!

I have put a 2 litre fiat twin cam in a spit with only minor modifications to the chassis and body the zetec will go in even easier as it a more compact unit.It all depend how you want to do it a lot of people opt for moving the engine back in the engine bay for a lower centre of gravity and to avoid bonnet mods.With the zetec you will have to have a new water rail (more compact at the rear) fabricated engine mounts (both avaliable from companys like retro ford) the type 9 shouldnt pose any problems just a cut shut and rebalance of the prop a concentric release bearing (burton power) means you will be able to use the standard spitfire clutch pedal assembly and slave cylinder.The seperate chassis on the spitfire makes this sort of thing quite easy to do.I mounted my engine on landrover engine mounts and had to have a bulge put into the bonnet to clear the engine the only real issues i have suffred is keeping the engine cool so i have just invested in a davis craig electric water pump (the radiator is already an uprated aly one).I hope this helps a little bit and look forward to seeing the finished product

many thanks for all of the above info, lots to reads and think about, I will enjoy driving my car as it is for a few months while I sort brakes and stuff, but I will be measuring and trying it all out on my spare chassis.

Thanks
John

Drop me a PM if you are interested in my conversion. Will be at leatherhead, stafford or sussex area meetings etc.
Not been on a rolling road yet to set up dellortos, but 0-60 in 7.02 seconds, pretty fair on a 3.63 diff. Could probably go to 3.89, but don't have one handy!
Pics here
http://www.club.triumph.org.uk/cgi-bin/blah/Blah.p...

Clive

done it last year with a 2 litre/type 9 gearbox and a cvh bellhousing everything fits and bonnet closes small mods needed but nothing to hard. running on twin 40 dellortos and rolling roaded at 130 bhp at roadwheels, goes very well making the car a lot quicker and also a lot smoother, worth the effort any questions just e mail

Section : Engine Swaps

Zetec into a spitfire?

Followups :

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?

Zetec into a spitfire?