1500

TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 1500 REVIEW

The last of the classic open-top Triumphs was also one of the best.

A long-running and bitterly fought automotive battle was finally drawing to a close by the end of the 1970s. For years previously, anyone looking to buy a small British open-top two-seater sports car bought either an MG Midget or a Triumph Spitfire, and die-hard fans frowned upon anyone who defected from one marque camp to the other. How ironic, then, that the final incarnations of each car should share the same 1500 engine. 

The Spitfire arguably had the last laugh, though: where the Midget latterly sprouted federal-spec plastic bumpers and a raised ride height, the Spitfire 1500 retained most of the earlier mark IV’s svelte chrome bumper good looks and would go on to last a year longer.

VITAL STATISTICS

Engine                                    1493cc/4-cyl/OHV

Power (bhp@rpm)                  71bhp@5500rpm

Torque (lb ft@rpm)                 82lb ft@3000rpm

Top speed                                101mph

0-60mph                                  13.2sec

Consumption                            28mpg

Gearbox                                    4-speed manual + opt OD

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

BODYWORK & CHASSIS
 

The main thing to bear in mind with the Spitfire is that it retains a separate chassis, so the sills are actually a key aspect of car’s structural integrity. Rusty sills, then, are not just a nuisance – they can write them off altogether. Check that the areas where the sills meet the floor are rot-free, and if possible, lift the carpets to check the state of the floor itself. Uneven panel gaps around the doors are a further clue to dangerously frilly sills – they can be indicative of a dangerously flexing body.

Elsewhere, the one-piece bonnet obviously comprises the front wings and wheelarches, and while aftermarket examples (in either steel or GRP) are readily available, they’re certainly not cheap. Blocked drain holes can also spell the end for the doors if they haven’t been routinely cleared by previous owners.

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ENGINE

The Triumph 1500 engine hasn’t received the best press over the years, mainly owning to repeated dark mutterings over fragile bottom ends (worn crankshaft and main bearings in the main), but it’s a torquey little motor that responds well to sympathetic modernisation.

Aside from all the usual checks (blue exhaust smoke, ominous rattles and clonks), try to run the car up to full operating temperature. A steadily rising temperature gauge can be symptomatic of a water pump that’s about to expire or a blocked or damaged radiator. It’s wise to replace or refurb either of these on an unrestored car, but resist the urge to fit an electric fan – expert opinion suggests that it’s better to fit a larger radiator instead.

Poor hot-starting can often be resolved by binning the points and condenser in favour of electronic ignition, too, while returning later cars’ Waxstat-type SU carbs to standard specification often improves starting and running. Make sure the carb heat-shield is in good order, too.

RUNNING GEAR

If the Spitfire has an Achilles Heel, it concerns the front suspension. Cursed with notoriously fiddly and unforgiving brass trunnions, failure to oil these on a regular basis (every 3000 miles) can have dire and potentially spectacular ultimate consequences – left unlubricated long enough, the suspension will quite literally fall apart.

The news is little better out back, where there are more trunnions to lubricate and wheel bearings that were designed to incorporate grease nipples, but apparently left the factory with them blanked over. If greasing is neglected as a result, the bearing cages will fail, with replacements costing a couple of hundred pounds a side.

  INTERIOR

If the Spitfire has an Achilles Heel, it concerns the front suspension. Cursed with notoriously fiddly and unforgiving brass trunnions, failure to oil these on a regular basis (every 3000 miles) can have dire and potentially spectacular ultimate consequences – left unlubricated long enough, the suspension will quite literally fall apart.

The news is little better out back, where there are more trunnions to lubricate and wheel bearings that were designed to incorporate grease nipples, but apparently left the factory with them blanked over. If greasing is neglected as a result, the bearing cages will fail, with replacements costing a couple of hundred pounds a side.

OUR VERDICT

It seems frankly unfathomable that Spitfires, for whatever reason, have never quite fired the imagination of people looking to invest in their first classics as much as other marques. These are handsome cars that are great fun to drive, straightforward to work on and blessed with excellent spares and specialist back-up. Factor in an active and friendly owner’s club, and the case for choosing one is clear-cut.

WOLSELEY 1500 REVIEW

The Wolseley 1500 was the upmarket small family saloon of the late 1950s and early 1960s. It’s affordable, stylish and fun...

Wolseley continue to appeal thanks to their simple engineering, high gearing and a healthy spares back-up. They also have period charm, with two-tone interiors on early cars, and the illuminated Wolseley badge on the grille. 

The 1500 combined the Morris Minor’s floorpan and suspension with a more roomy body and the 1.5-litre B-series engine. There were MkI models from 1957 to 1960; MkIIs had concealed bonnet and boot hinges, and arrow-head side trim; while the 1961-1965 MkIII had larger side grilles and rear lamps, and single-tone upholstery on the interior. 

VITAL STATISTICS

Engine                                    1489cc/4-cyl/OHV

Power (bhp@rpm)                  50bhp@4200rpm

Torque (lb ft@rpm)                 71lb ft@2600rpm

Top speed                                78mph

0-60mph                                  24.4sec

Consumption                            35mpg

Gearbox                                    4-speed manual

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

BODYWORK & CHASSIS

Look carefully for rust on inner and outer front wings, and lift the bonnet to check where they join. The front panel rusts, particularly where it joins the front wings. The bottoms of the rear wings also go, and blocked drain holes will rot the door bottoms. The rear door also goes around the wheelarch, and the wheelarch can be affected.

Underneath, check the sills and floorpan. Move on to the front chassis legs and the crossmember that supports the floor, particularly the mounting-points for the front suspension’s torsion bars. At the back of the car, it’s the rear spring mountings that are vulnerable. There’s very little that can’t be fixed, but major structural repairs are expensive.

ENGINE

The engine is simple and robust, and there are spares galore. A single SU carburettor simplifies tuning, but you usually have to fiddle with the choke while the engine warms up. The B-series may run-on even when in good condition; prolonged and persistent running-on needs proper investigation, though. Expect it to use quite a bit of oil, but really high oil consumption suggests problems. Noise from the valve gear means the clearances must be re-set – in some cases, worn shafts and bushes will have to be replaced first.

Some owners have sought better performance by uprating the engine to Riley One-Point-Five or MGA 1500 specification, which is relatively easy to achieve. Other cars have been converted with modern units such as the Marina’s 1.8-litre. In such cases, the issue is how well the conversion has been achieved. With the Marina engine fitted, uprated brakes are advisable.

RUNNING GEAR

Expect some whine from the gearbox and rear axle, though not too much, and enjoy the high-geared third. The steering should be light, direct and precise, so be wary if it feels heavy. The steering swivels and joints need greasing every 1000 miles, and wear quickly if this is not done. Dry swivel pin joints eventually seize, the pin can shear and the front wheel collapses.

The dampers are Armstrong lever-arm types, and don’t last very long. Some owners have converted to telescopics (which is quite involved), but experts say you’ll get a better result by fitting an aftermarket anti-roll bar kit – though you’ll still have to keep an eye on those dampers.

Brakes are Lockheed drums all round, and not directly interchangeable with the equivalent Riley’s bigger Girling drums. Plenty of roll on corners and axle hop over bumps are only to be expected.

  INTERIOR

The interior combines cost-saving with luxury touches, so the seats have only fore-and-aft adjustment, but wear leather upholstery (the Fleet model from 1959 had Vynide trim). On the 1957-1961 MkI and II cars, the leather is two-tone – there were several combinations, so finding good seats in the right colour from a scrapyard isn’t likely. All cars come with walnut dashboards, complete with large radio speaker in the centre, and with matching door cappings.

OUR VERDICT

If you’re looking for a loveable, affordable classic to enjoy rather than to impress the lads, a Wolseley 1500 would suit you very well. Maintenance isn’t expensive, and if you’ve bought a good one, you won’t have to spend your time scouring autojumbles and small ads for obscure parts. You’ll be able to keep a 1500 on the road easily, but if you’re missing interior trim or chromeware, you might spend a very long time hunting for replacements.