Heres What It Takes To Make A Profit On A Non Running Triumph Spitfire. Learning from past experiences is how we grow as individuals. So, How you may ask, did I end up with yet another Triumph Spitfire Well, lets just say that this time around, I wasnt looking to explore the values of classic British car ownership. This time I was hunting for a profit. It was one of those scorching hot May afternoons when the air conditioning might as well just giveRead more Read. Some of you may remember the write up from a while back where I talked about buying the quintessential British roadster. It was a tale about what it was like to own and live with one of these not so modern vehicles. I learned the hard way about what classic British motoring really meant. Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' title='Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' />Dont worry, I havent had a sudden change of heart. The beauty of these old roadsters lies in their mechanical simplicity. Armed with not much more than a run of the mill set of tools and a smidge of mechanical aptitude, a car like the Spitfire can be made mechanically new again without too much financial outlay. That makes it a wonderful candidate for a revitalization project. Im going to show you how to turn an old Spitfire into a tidy profit by performing some straightforward, beginner level repairs. Tucsons Independent British Car Repair Shop Do you HAVE a mechanic Falconworks Quality Land Rover, Jaguar British Car Garage. S Palo Verde Road. Target Acquired. If you want to grab a great price on one of these unique cars, you cant simply wait around for the buy of a lifetime. That perfect alignment of space and time rarely occurs. Instead, you must be on the lookout for one with the doesnt run factor present. This means a car that is cosmetically nice, but, obviously, doesnt run under its own power. When this factor is present, a prized machine is now not much more than a large fancy paperweight. The seller of such a vehicle usually just wants it out of their garage. As a mechanically savvy buyer, this is a prime situation. I was on my lunch break, doing my typical Craigslist cruising, when a particular listing caught my eye. Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' title='Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' />Priced at a reasonable 3,3. Triumph Spitfire in British Racing Green. Has there ever been a better color for a car like this to wearIn my opinion, no. I clicked the ad. All the right words were present. These were the same words that undoubtedly had turned most potential buyers away. The words may have been the very reason the listing had already lasted a week. For me, the words only drew me in closer. Doesnt run, might need fuel pump, I dont know, need gone. No rust. Sometimes, the fewer the words, the more enticing it all becomes. Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' title='Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' />I called the seller and later that night I was on my way to check the car out. Making A Deal. The car was huddled away in a cramped two car garage. It was stablemates with a large 6. Lincoln. It looked like the Triumph hadnt moved in over a year. After talking it over with the seller, he said the car used to run great. After parking it for a while, he said it wouldnt start back up. I saw that the Spitfire had been fitted with an aftermarket electronic fuel pump, which when switched on, was loud and didnt seem to be doing much of anything. I had a strong feeling that this aftermarket part was the no start culprit. Independent Automotive Repair Shop Lease to Own Excellent opportunity for experienced auto mechanic Financing available Includes Real Estate. This AAAApproved shop. Show you are a trustworthy professional with Car Repair WordPress Themes. GarageFly is an online community that helps ease the anxiety associated with all types of automotive repair by providing the consumer with authoritative and conflict. Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' title='Auto Repair Shop Software Mechanic Garage For Sale' />Walking around the car, I could tell the paint was original and it was indeed free of rust. The odometer only showed 5. I checked the crankshaft for excessive end float, which is a must do if youre interested in buying one of these machines. I had the seller push depress the clutch pedal while I observed the harmonic balancer at the front of the engine. There was no perceivable movement at all, which pointed to a solid engine. The interior was in good shape and the car wore some replica Minilitewheels. It all came together to form a handsome looking roadster that appeared to be a great buy. Learning from past experiences is how we grow as individuals. So, How you may ask, did I end up with yet another Triumph Spitfire Well, lets just say that. Actron CP 9575 auto scanner OBD II features a crisp LCD display for easy visibility Simple command inputs give you diagnostic control Trilingual format triples. Two enterprising auto dealers in Florida managed to piss off residents across the state this week by parking their entire inventories inside parking garages opened. I knew I wanted it, but I also knew I wouldnt be driving it home. This Triumph wasnt a ten minute fix away from being road ready. With that bargaining chip at the ready, I made the seller an offer. After the seller stewed the prospect over for a while, we were able to shake hands. I came away from the deal with a genuine looking 2,8. Spitfire. Of course, the car didnt run. So I immediately had to call up a towing company and get the car hauled away for another 6. Not too shabby. PURCHASE COST 2. With the car plopped down in the garage, it was time to start diagnosing the no start issue and see how deep the rabbit hole went. Torrent Adobe Lightroom 6 Upgrade Mac. Engine Repairs Maintenance. Goal number one with this car was to get it started. The engine would turn over, all of the lights worked, and that electric fuel pump would just hum away. The only thing missing was the internal combustion of this little gasoline engine. Even though there was plenty of gas in the tank, it seemed like the engine wasnt getting any fuel. Fuel System Repair. COST 5. 1. 8. 4DIY LEVEL Beginner. SPECIAL TOOLS None. I removed the fuel line that went directly into the carburetor and dropped it into a jar. The idea here was to check for fuel flow when the fuel pump was turned on. This would give me a good idea of the fuel pumps health. With the key switched to the ON position, and the electric fuel pump clacking away, I shot a glance at the jar that should have been filling with gasoline. There wasnt a drop to be seen. With that simple test complete, I let out sigh of relief. Here was the problem, and it was going to be a cheap and easy fix. With a new mechanical fuel pump, ten feet of new rubber fuel hose, and a new fuel filter in hand, I went to work. The new fuel pump was quick to install with only two nuts securing it to the side of the engine block. Using the old fuel hose as a template, I cut the new rubber hose to length. After routing the new fuel hose throughout the engine bay, it was time to try out this new fuel pump. I turned the key to ON and let the engine crank for a few seconds. After what seemed like an eternity, the fuel system was fully primed and the engine sprung to life. Im not pulling your leg here, it literally started right up. The old fuel pump was the root cause of the no start issue. Cooling System Maintenance. COST 9. 1. 1. 7 DIY LEVEL Beginner. SPECIAL TOOLS None. The cooling system on this car was in a sorry state to say the least. The coolant itself had the rusty brownish green color which is the hallmark of neglect. The water pump also had a small leak and the upper radiator hose was cracked. I wouldnt put much trust in this system keeping things cool. I started in by removing all of the old coolant from the radiator and the engine block. Unlike modern cooling systems, this car wasnt fitted with coolant drain plug on the radiator. The only way to get the old liquid out of the system is to carefully remove the bottom radiator hose in a futile attempt to reduce the impending coolant geyser from opening up. This sort of job is almost always messy, and as to be expected, the garage floor was soon covered in old coolant. No matter how hard you try to contain it, it still results in a mess thats just how coolant draining tends to go. With the system drained and all of the coolant hoses removed, I could remove the radiator from the car. After close inspection, the all metal radiator appeared to be in good shape. It needed a coat of paint and there was no better time than now to give it a quick lick of gloss black. Next up was to replace the old and leaky water pump. Held on with only three nuts and sealed with a paper gasket, removing the old pump was a breeze. With the new pump mounted up, the small coolant leak would be a thing of the past.