BEFORE: The horrible specimen of
motorcar I started with...
what was I thinking?!

SPITFIRE MKIV Restoration- an ongoing saga. Read the updated section

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Hey, it looked good on the outside, but I have learned that beauty is often only skin deep. Rust and dents can go right to the bone...this is one such story.

Thinking "I'll just take the head off for a little peek" is how the restoration of my 1971 Mk IV Spitfire started. The bores had a distinct lip on them, so it was out with the engine for a recondition. "Hmmm...the rest of the engine bay looks a bit tatty - it would be a shame not to tidy that up seeing as the engine is out." "Now what about the rest of the body?"............. Well, that was three years ago now.

I purchased 71 SPIT after returning to New Zealand from Australia and enjoyed three essentially trouble-free years of using it as my everyday car. During this time I replaced most of the interior (dash, seats, door panels, carpet, steering wheel etc) and fitted a new stereo, hood, clutch, reg no. and starter motor - but I always had in my mind the idea that one day I would treat the car to a full rebuild. As it happened that day arrived sooner than anticipated.... mainly thanks to my morbid curiosity about the state of the head.

Once out the engine was given a full rebuild, the only modifications made being to fit hardened valve seats, a duplex timing chain, and a full (rather than half) crankshaft thrust washer. A new rocker shaft and rockers were fitted, as these were found to be very worn - I may yet fit a remote oil feed to avoid a recurrence of the problem. The engine now sits on my bench nicely painted, with a freshly chromed rocker cover and air filter awaiting return of the rest of the car from the paint shop. Roll on that day.

Could have still pulled out at this
stage...duh!

Too late to pull out now!