Author Topic: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable  (Read 11201 times)

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #25 on: February 05, 2022, 14:29:39 »
@ Michael - I haven't decided yet, it will depend a bit on how it drives . I had one (an MK III) when I was 19, then a year later I sold it to get an MK IV and enjoyed both a lot, but that's so long ago that I am not sure I will enjoy driving it around town in LA as much as 'back then'.

@ BobH - I have always wanted to own a TR6 and came close a few times. Maybe I will find one to restore in the coming years.
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

BobH

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #26 on: February 05, 2022, 15:43:09 »
I'm not sure i could get in and out of a Spitfire now without a hoist
February 1965 230SL Automatic
UK delivered RHD
Papyrus white, blue hard top & hub caps
Blue soft top
Blue leather

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #27 on: February 05, 2022, 17:45:12 »
Haha! They are so low to the ground that, seated in the driver's seat, I was able to touch the ground with my arm over the door.

Meanwhile, in other news:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-volkswagen-411/
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Garry

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #28 on: February 06, 2022, 20:38:50 »
Some incentive, was at a car show today. Looked pristine.
Garry Marks
Melbourne/ Kyneton, Brisbane. Australia
1969 MB 280SL 5 speed RHD SOLD.
1965 MB 230SL Auto RHD Lt Blue 334G, Top 350H, 213 Leather, Tourist Delivery.
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Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #29 on: February 07, 2022, 03:41:03 »
Very nice Garry!

Just starting to paint mine, changing from taxi-yellow to midnight blue. One more coat and done for the evening. Tomorrow the hood and the body. The second picture is of the hood in primer, that I applied last night.

Kampala helped out hugely yesterday afternoon in the painting preparations - thanks again!
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #30 on: February 10, 2022, 02:44:46 »
.... and just finished painting the hood + body. It came out great, getting better and better at a dead-flat finish straight out of the gun (as they say):

Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

mdsalemi

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #31 on: February 10, 2022, 20:31:32 »
Guess I'm not familiar with the structure of a Spitfire...the windshield frame is removable? Bolted in place?
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
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Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #32 on: February 10, 2022, 23:27:06 »
Yes, windshield frame unbolts from the body, it's secured by a long pin on each side with a nut to secure it, then there are three more bolts along the bottom inside edge.
There is a stout rubber seal between the two parts that, on this car, had perished, so I had to remove the screen to be able to replace that. Handy for painting also!
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Pinder

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #33 on: February 24, 2022, 00:40:48 »
Really impressive. Love the fact you paint it yourself. any tips you can share on keep dust off the paint?  What paints have you  had best results with. I love the paint process myself. 
1970 280 SL Light Ivory DB 670. 4 Speed manual shift no AC Limited Slip Diff.

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #34 on: February 24, 2022, 03:40:49 »
Yes I very much enjoy the paint process myself now, although it's still tricky to lay down the paint 'just right' meaning no runs but also no orange peel - the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle with factors like temperature, humidity, distance from the surface, speed of movement, amount of overlap, and of course how thin the paint is (how much reducer), the speed of the hardener, the inlet psi, how big a fan you dial in, the amount of paint vis-a-vis the amount of air, all go into this magic formula. But professionals have the same difficulties I have noticed and they too can't always get it right and will have to colorsand and polish like I have to on some areas - no big deal, just make sure to put on at least 3 coats, I do 4. The paint is very cheap, at around $230 a gallon + a quart of hardener.

As for dust, I found that my DIY booth, that I built up as per the photos that I posted here and in my other 'I did it again' threads every time with fresh 'walls' from 4 mil plastic sheeting, wall to wall and including the floor, coupled with careful wiping down just before spraying, with grease  wax remover but then of course also carefully wiping with a good tack cloth, would result in having maybe 4-10 specs of dust in the entire surface. I bought a de-nibbing tool from Festool to then take care of those (as well as any runs), it's pure carbide and scrapes the nibs right out. Bit of polish afterwards and voila.

For my booth I also used professional grade intake and exhaust filters. Less than $100 for quite a surface of each and I am sure that was also instrumental in keeping dust out of the booth, with my 36 inch mega-fan moving a good amount of air through the booth during spraying to carry away the overspray.

As for the paint, for each of the 4 cars I painted over the past year I bought gallon-kits from TCP Global in San Diego. Single stage urethane to match more closely the original paints on sixties/seventies cars, rather than the base/clear used nowadays on vehicles. If you get one of their many standard colors, they ship very quickly and it comes well-packaged. Low VOC for California, 'regular' for most other states I imagine, not sure if there is a difference in quality/durability etc but I am really happy with the paint quality.

I will certainly build a (more permanent) paintbooth in our place in France as well, looking forward to many more of these complete restorations in my not-too-distant retirement future there. I have found the work involved in rust repairs, welding, grinding and then all the work to prepare for and actually paint old cars oddly satisfying and fun, particularly now that I know I can get it to really top-notch quality. Shops regularly charge $10-15K for paint jobs and I know I can match that for $500 a piece, it's just fun!
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Pinder

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #35 on: February 25, 2022, 01:15:02 »
Cees thank you for sharing. I find it fascinating. you have a lot of skill and and its one area a lot of people may shy away from but its proof that you can do an awesome paint finish in a personal space.  i some times cut corners to save time but generally pay the price in the end and have to redo things.   Ive painted approx 5 cars in total and can share the following experience.

1. the Single stage top coat I also got from TCP Global (the Restoration shop brand 2 stage paint AU. they can mix it to MB colors and ship to your door).
2. I did single stage with hardener to work with than base coat clear but for non metallic even if you have issues with dust , can be wet sanded down and polishes very well.
3. For most primers (epoxy , high build I just order from eastwood online and now they also opened a store in my town only 15 mins away so they are a good local source for that)
4. Ive been using Maguires 105 and 205 for polish and it works well but its the only system ive used so cant compare.
5. I use a full face mask from 3M with the high quality filters and it does not fog up. It works very well.

you are right about temperature , humidity, fan width ,  pressure etc and closing down the paint flow etc. so many variables to adjust for depeding on situation.  Gun and tip size.

« Last Edit: February 25, 2022, 01:20:20 by Pinder »
1970 280 SL Light Ivory DB 670. 4 Speed manual shift no AC Limited Slip Diff.

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #36 on: April 28, 2022, 16:21:44 »
The Spitfire is almost done. Just have to replace u-joint in the rear and attach the front of the soft-top. Came out really nice, and it also drives quite well. I did a LOT of work to this car:

Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Mike Hughes

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #37 on: April 28, 2022, 16:43:24 »
Amazing metamorphosis, now have fun with it!  ;^)
- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
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Cees Klumper

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Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Bonnyboy

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #39 on: May 18, 2022, 23:23:55 »
That looks like a bit of a deal.  Sweet car.  The Spitfire has to be one of the most smiles per mile of any car I have driven.    Way more fun than my MGB.

That overdrive transmission must be worth at least $750 for someone to put on their shelf even if they never use it.

Now time to find a cheap BMW 2002 with the round tail lights.  Get back into the German way of doing things.   

Good luck on the sale.

Ian
69 280SL
65 F-100
73 CB750K
75 MGB
78 FLH
82 CB750SC
94 FLHTCU
08 NPS50

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #40 on: May 19, 2022, 03:04:14 »
Thanks Ian, it really is a great deal. One like it sold a few weeks ago on BAT for over $35K:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-triumph-spitfire-5/

That one was perfectly restored, like I have done with my Lancia Fulvia. I just want it to go to a good home and will always feel good about having 'brought it back from the brink'.
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Tom

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #41 on: May 19, 2022, 11:54:21 »
Cees,

I had a 1978 Spitfire in college with the 5-speed overdrive button in the gear shift.  White with a houndstooth tan interior and a split tonneau cover.  Attached is a picture with us by the car (I had hair back then).  Great memories but had to sell to free up the equity to buy our first house.

My recent addition is a 1988 110 Land Rover pickup truck with 33k miles.  Loving it but feeling every bump in the road.  Everyone should own a pickup truck once in their life.

Hope you are well.

Best,

Tom
1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic
1971 280sl Beach Driver

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #42 on: May 19, 2022, 12:02:02 »
Thanks Tom, for sharing. You even wore the Dutch national color orange! Nice Spitfire, just like my best friend's at the time, a white MK4 with that overdrive button.
You and I both 'traded up' to same-period Pagodas since then, but the Spitfire keeps a special place in my memories. Thoroughly enjoyed driving it around again yesterday, as I was taking pictures for the ad. Several people coming to see it today.
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #43 on: May 28, 2022, 04:47:30 »
The Spitfire was sold today, to an energetic young lady with a desire to learn to work on these older cars and a 'Triumph-experienced support network family' behind her, so I am very happy the car is going to a good new home.
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II

AndrewB

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #44 on: May 29, 2022, 12:30:52 »
Well done, it has been a treat to see all the progress updates on the VW Variant, Triumph Spitfire and Lancia Fulvia. Thanks for sharing
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mmizesko

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #45 on: May 29, 2022, 23:18:28 »
I learned to drive a stick on a 68 Spitfire.  Ground a pound of metal .
1970 280SL 291H Dark Olive

Cees Klumper

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Re: I did it again: added a 1968 Triumph Spitfire MK3 to the stable
« Reply #46 on: May 29, 2022, 23:57:13 »
Maybe nobody told you 1st gear is not synchronized, until the MK IV ...

I feel really good about having saved one from almost certain extinction. It was a couple hundred hours beyond economical to resurrect, now it's ready for another 50 years. Got a lot of thumbs up and 'cool car' comments in just the couple spins I took around the block to field test it.
Cees Klumper
1969 Mercedes 280 SL automatic
1968 Ford Mustang 302 V8
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe 1600
1962 FIAT 1500S OSCA convertible
1972 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3
1983 Porsche 944 2.5
1990 Ford Bronco II