Coworker is unloading Triumph Spitfire. Should I buy it?

Co worker who is about to retire and ride off to Florida. He told me he has a “Rust free for a British sports car” sitting in his garage that ran when parked 5ish years ago. Has a hard top with a bad window and a newer soft top. 

He wants $500 to see it gone.  Should I buy it? I know flat nothin about these cars and any market. I’d likely get it roadworthy and sell in the spring. 

If it is rust free for a British car - and not in the sense that the rust has been replaced by old newspaper and bondo - then it's likely to be worth looking at for $500.

Why are we even talking about this? Yes and yes! Just on the nostalgia value alone, take It!

Yes 

of course 

there shouldn’t even be a thread asking his question, rather there should be a build thread about it already 

The hard top is almost worth it by itself - you should buy.

A Spitfire is something I've kind of always wanted, and likely always will.  But I will never find a rust-free one for 500 bucks.  Buy the dang thing!

$500?  Use this word - YES

$YES.00

No way this group is going to talk you out of it! Sounds like a great opportunity and those cars are lots of fun.

But understand that after sitting for five years, it will probably need work on the brake hydraulics, fuel system, etc. 

Thanks all for the responses. You make it easy to contemplate buying a car. 

If I get it roadworthy, what’s one of these worth in “fair” condition? 

Triumph you say? 

Pittsburgh you say?  

My response....  https://www.pvgp.org/events/historics/

Pittsburgh Historic races, and one of the first pics was a guy in a yellow Spitfire.  

In reply to Scottah :

Not much more than you’ll have in it.  ( depending on your skills ) but it’s a fun car to own and selling it in the spring you might actually make a little money.  

Now that’s all depending on your skills, both in mechanical and ability to properly clean and detail the car. Along with your marketing skills. Some people know how to make a pigs ear shine like a new penny and then sell it for top money. Others have trouble selling a $10.00 bill for much more than $5.00.  

In reply to frenchyd :

I agree with Frenchy. At worst you'll break even. I've always wanted a Spitfire but it's been an on and off again thing. When you're done with it you and I can talk (wife would love that.)

People will spend over 20k to restore one, but wont pay 5k to buy a good driver. That is the reality of the Brit car world.

If the tub is solid and as mentioned not buggered up to appear solid, then you cant really go wrong. Brit cars are fun to fix mechanically since they are simple. Even the much maligned wiring is a piece of cake when compared to todays electro-digital disasters when they go wrong. Clue...buy a 12 circuit Hot Rod harness for like $80 not a brit resto harness.

Oh my gosh... BUY IT.

I always wanted a Spit and then upgrade it with a reliable powertrain, like a 1ZZ Toyota

DO IT!

Dave said:

The hard top is almost worth it by itself - you should buy.

The attaching hardware especially makes it worthwhile.  However, a lot depends on what the "window problem" is.  The rear glass may be unobtanium.  I know the window seal is, although there are workarounds.        

Scottah said:

Thanks all for the responses. You make it easy to contemplate buying a car. 

If I get it roadworthy, what’s one of these worth in “fair” condition? 

I'd say something like $2k for roadworthy but non-perfect one.

NOHOME said:

People will spend over 20k to restore one, but wont pay 5k to buy a good driver. That is the reality of the Brit car world.

Quoted for truth.  Several years ago I added up the receipts for all the parts and supplies I had bought for my MkI and it was over $8800 then.  And its not finished.   I did all of the work on the car except for the machine work on the engine.        

Curtis said:

Oh my gosh... BUY IT.

I always wanted a Spit and then upgrade it with a reliable powertrain, like a 1ZZ Toyota

1ZZ or 1JZ?

white_fly said:

Curtis said:

Oh my gosh... BUY IT.

I always wanted a Spit and then upgrade it with a reliable powertrain, like a 1ZZ Toyota

1ZZ or 1JZ?

Or 1UZ? Or 1GZ?

spitfirebill said:

NOHOME said:

People will spend over 20k to restore one, but wont pay 5k to buy a good driver. That is the reality of the Brit car world.

Quoted for truth.  Several years ago I added up the receipts for all the parts and supplies I had bought for my MkI and it was over $8800 then.  And its not finished.   I did all of the work on the car except for the machine work on the engine.        

Just for fun and at the risk of derailing the OPs thread. Few cars I have done the tin for that went all-out $$ wise.

Before:

After

Before

After

Before

After

Brit cars are a bit like dogs in that you don't see the need to pay much for one, but once they are Yours, you tend to do whatever is needed to keep them alive.

Pete

Curtis said:

Oh my gosh... BUY IT.

I always wanted a Spit and then upgrade it with a reliable powertrain, like a 1ZZ Toyota

Or a Mazda rotary!  Turbocharged!

The phrase used was, "Rust free for a British sports car."  That might be like asking the opinion of how rusty a car is of a Texan and then someone from Michigan.  The two answers will be very, very different.

Curtis said:

Oh my gosh... BUY IT.

I always wanted a Spit and then upgrade it with a reliable powertrain, like a 1ZZ Toyota

I have a 2zz just waiting to be robbed out of a Vibe GT and Monkeywrench sells all the bolt on Lotus speed parts.