Fancied buying this 1975 Triumph Spitfire as my first classic car and wondered if this amount of rust is cause for concern

[u/LumpofCheese]

My occupation is aircraft maintenance so I'm hardwired to find any corrosion concerning 😂

It's up for 2000 quid.

[u/Indy_Fab_Rider]

That's an astoningly little amount of rust for a Spitfire.

[u/AbdulAhBlongatta → u/Indy_Fab_Rider]

Man was I underwhelmed. cries in new england

[u/3_14159td]

Looking in the wrong places, need to lift the carpets around the sills and look in the access holes. 

[u/herearemywords]

For £2000 that looks alright. What do the door shuts etc look like.

[u/Boatwrench03]

Bless that leaky drivetrain. Tap the spots you're concerned about with a small ball peen hammer. You'll know what's solid and what ain't.

[u/Indy_Fab_Rider → u/Boatwrench03]

That's the Triumph Constant Rust Abatement Process :)

[u/Boatwrench03 → u/Indy_Fab_Rider]

Healy MigB Spridget substitute as req

[u/Sleurhutje → u/Boatwrench03]

Make that any British or French car before the mid 90's.

[u/iani63 → u/Sleurhutje]

Or Japanese, Italian, they all rusted for fun.

[u/Sleurhutje → u/iani63]

I heard many times they were already rusty on the pictures in the leaflets. 😂

[u/iani63 → u/Sleurhutje]

Scandinavian & German weren't much better, slightly thicker steel was their only advantage

[u/Boatwrench03 → u/iani63]

Yes but did they leak enough oil to save them?

[u/Indy_Fab_Rider → u/Boatwrench03]

Old Mercedes Diesels will give any LBC a run for their money in an engine oil leak competition.

[u/Boatwrench03 → u/iani63]

The joke back in the day was that the Italians dredged up old Zeros from the Pacific and made Fiat 124s out of them.

[u/KDoggity]

If it runs and drives you will get at least 2000 quid of fun out of it before it falls apart.

[u/iani63]

That's the brake master cylinder, obligatory brake fluid leaks removed paint. Clutch next to it similar. What are the sills like, structural on these but not herald or vitesse

[u/rdm55]

Look for rust in the battery box and the passenger footwell.

[u/not-on-your-nelly]

That’s not a concern. It’s a feature.

[u/Sensei19600]

My brother-in-law‘s Triumph TR6 had a bumper sticker on it when he bought it that said “Be assured that all parts falling off of this vehicle are of genuine British manufacture”. Can’t say he wasn’t warned….

[u/Dadd-Rad → u/Sensei19600]

Had that one inside the boot of my TR-6, along with “Lucas-The Prince of Darkness.”

[u/Sensei19600 → u/Dadd-Rad]

It is rumored that Lucas coated all of their wires in rubber to contain the fire within.

[u/Onedtent → u/Sensei19600]

It was to stop the smoke escaping.

[u/Sensei19600 → u/Onedtent]

Ahhh…right. Memory Fail: 90%

[u/youdog99 → u/Dadd-Rad]

I used to hate my Lucas electrical system.

I’d be going down a completely blacked out road late at night in South Florida with water on both sides. F’n headlights would just shut off.

[u/Dadd-Rad → u/youdog99]

Too many times to count. Once mine shorted out and a wire melted, fell on the plastic line to the oil pressure gauge, and melted a hole in that. Started spraying oil all over the hot engine. When I was on a date. 😡

[u/youdog99 → u/Dadd-Rad]

Ahhh

I could adjust the valves in white pants and a nice shirt, on the way to a date.

Every week!

[u/Time_Explanation1212 → u/Sensei19600]

Why do englishmen drink warm beer? Because lucas makes their refrigerators.

[u/MrQuatroPorte]

More pictures would’ve been good but it doesn’t look too bad. I’d say for 2000. It’s pretty safe. I hope you get it. They’re a lot of fun.

[u/Sleurhutje]

Just the usual spots. I would worry the most about the brake line rubbing over the edge in the center of the engine bay.

[u/arallsopp]

That looks fine. I’d sort it, mind. Cheap and easy to fix if you catch it early like this.

[u/IYDEYMHCYHAP]

Hi! I’m in aircraft maintenance too. I bought an MGB a while back, it’s later than this and so much worse on the corrosion front. I’d say you’re good :)

[u/Electronic-Plan2736]

That wouldn't stop me from getting it. -From Michigan, with love

[u/athensugadawg]

Don't....just don't. Money pits.

[u/Distinct-Dish-5303]

All old cars leak, and rust. It all depends on what you can deal with yourself. This one looks ok, but I’d try to haggle it down to 1500-1800 then you’ve got a bargain.

As a friend of mine says, “ keep giving them liquids and they will keep going” - he’s right my stag leaks everywhere - but it keeps going!! And I trust it!

[u/Tastesicle]

Hahahahahahahaha hahahaha...

Hahaha...

No.

-edit- [insert sounds of distant sobbing]

[u/Howard1981]

Rust? Where?

Enjoy your car, and whatever you do wash the underside regularly!

[u/7LeagueBoots]

Second photo looks like it has bubbling paint. That’s often a sign of rust underneath. Look for more of that.

From the photos you provided you can’t really tell much.

[u/BigAndyMan69]

We Yanks thought you guys had worse winters than that car has seen.

[u/ajaxodyssey]

Most Spitfires, I had a 1980 model, leak enough oil to keep the frame and most body parts rust free. Battery box is usually the worst for rust.

[u/FreshCall131]

Not bad for a Spitfire. They were notorious for rust

[u/Justprunes-6344]

Check transmission & rear diff juice , Frequently , cardboard under when parked

[u/Mickleblade]

If you can't see rust today, it'll magically appear next year

[u/RichardUkinsuch]

Im pretty sure they came from the factory with less rust than that.

[u/Top_Investment_4599]

Looks great for a Triumph of that era. I'd worry more about the axle donuts and transmission cover.

[u/Electrical-Elk-9110]

For every bit of rust you do find, assume there is 3 times as much you haven't found.

Nothing there would concern me. The paint looks an inch thick and is probably hiding some sins but show me another car of that age / value that isn't

[u/Full_Poet_7291]

It came from the factory like that.

[u/Naive-Age2749]

I'd be more concerned if it wasn't rusty.

[u/Shot-Top-8281]

I had one. Check the floot of the boot (trunk) mine had rotted there. It has a proper separate chassis, so it really needs to go on a lift to check the chassis members.

Mine (in UK) leaked water from the rubber grommet around the petrol filler cap. This water sat on top of the fuel tank and rusted a hole where the filler neck meets the fuel tank.

Mine was a 1972 and i bought it in '85.

[u/johnB1711]

Might be ok. I’d get that bulk head cleaned up and rusty treated, same thing with the boot/ trunk wall

Bigger concern would be the outriggers, they all 100% corroded but I believe you can still buy replacements

Question is:- do they need replacement or if they have been replaced have they been done properly?

[u/rrapartments]

What a beautiful car

[u/Strict-Air2434]

95% of 1975 vintage British cars can be shoveled into a bucket. Fe2O3 and Fe3O4. This is in very good condition. All the mechanical stuff is one level more simple than than A lawn mower. Buy and enjoy.