For some reason, all this talk about buying spits makes me want to tell
my purchasing story.
I bought my spit last year, in October. I first saw the car about two
months earlier. It was the first spitfire I went to look at. It was a
red '70 MK3, the first MK3 I had ever seen. Before then I had only seen
"square tails". I fell in LOVE with the car. He took me for a quick
spin (wouldn't let me drive, mumbling about non-synchomesh). Then car
ran fine no excessive noise anywhere. Top and interior were in good
shape. Nearly no rust. and only about 40K on the odometer. He said
that car had been sitting for about eight years, and he had just
resurrected in that summer (and had reciepts to prove it). He was
asking $3500, but said he'd sell it to me (Knew I'd take care of it) for
$2900. I had another spit to look at, so I said I'd think about it.
Went to look at another '70 MK3, a white one. This was sitting in a
muddy field out behind a house. They were asking $1500 for it. I went
out and look around. No visible rust. Good top. Faded white paint.
Engine looked clean. The rear wheels sat at a very strange angle. Then
I sat down to start it. The only thing inside was the drivers seat,
everything else was missing. The owners mother said the rest was in the
garage, he had just refinished the seats (He had joined the navy, and
left the car home to sell). It started after a little coaxing. It also
had some funky device called an overdrive on it (I had no idea what this
was at the time, but the script on the boot looked cool...) I however
decided against the car (Not the choice I'd make today). I had never
worked on a car before, and the sight of driveshaft in the cockpit and
weird angled rear wheels garrantueed that it needed at least some work
(One of these days I'll drive out there and see if it's still in the
backyard, Sarah could use a friend...).
After deciding on the red spit (Not the factory paint, but the factory
color). I needed financing (Yes, even for $2900). As I'm young (20
years at the time) had just moved out on my own (Short time at current
residence). And had started a new job about a day earlier (No time at
current job). Not even the mafia was willing to give me a loan. I had
no cosigner, and nobody wants to use a spit as collaterial. I spent
about a month trying to gather the money, when the little red spit
appeared for sale two blocks from my house, with a $2500 price tag.
Over the next month and a halk I drove by, the price steadily dropping.
When it hit $1500 I knew I had to do ANYTHING or MY spit would by bought
by someone else. I worked up and elaborate post dated check loan
scheme, but decided to ask my father to cosign once more. Luckily he
agreed, he thought $2900 was to high to justify buying a toy, and I was
the proud owner of a '70 Spitfire MK3 (With half of the MK4 badging...).
Anyhow, I just felt like writing that, hope somebody read it through.
Andy L.
Next month, obtaining the title from a retired man in Illinois who is
unwilling to drive to the DMV to apply for a duplicate title (AKA four
months of frustration)
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