This relatively inexpensive (at least for now, and the auction doesn’t have a reserve) Triumph Spitfire is for sale in beautiful Costa Mesa, California and the auction is posted here on eBay. Current bidding is $750 with no reserve.

As Josh, myself and other Barn Finds writers have explained before, Spitfires offer a very inexpensive way to get that wind in the hair traditional British roadster convertible experience. By the end of production in 1980, the car hadn’t really changed tremendously from the original Triumph offering in the early 1960s. It did gain some plushness, though, with reclining seats, a walnut (real, not plastic) dashboard and available overdrive and hardtop. This hardtop, while not being factory, still makes the car more comfortable and tight, although to be honest I’d take it off and leave it off. You can also see what this car was priced at locally, giving you an idea what the seller is looking for from the auction.

The sills look pretty good — the worst spot for Spitfire rusting is to the right here, just in front of the rear tire (this is the driver’s side).

Floors look good as well. All told, the seller has spent $2,550 on new parts for the car, ranging from a downdraft Weber conversion to new tires. Unfortunately for them, I suspect they will have trouble realizing that much out of this sale (never mind the cost of the car in the first place) as most of what they have purchased are functional items rather than cosmetic ones. It seems that few buyers recognize the intelligence of making something run before making it look pretty.

Here’s one spot you’ll need to take care of. The rear corners of the trunk lids are very vulnerable on these late Spitfires, as the factory stamped a great drainage hole on each side and then promptly filled it with a rubber plug. One of the first things I do when I purchase a late Spitfire is to pull the plugs and throw them away!

Here’s the downdraft Weber, and I can see a header behind it. While I’m not a huge fan of the sump-type manifold necessary to clear the hood, this is one of the better ones that incorporates a warming chamber below the carb to try to avoid freezing. The seller says it needs brake bleeding and a little electrical work; I’m thinking that’s pretty simple stuff for the lucky buyer to remedy. What do you think?