Triumph Spitfire

Pudels

Hi,

I am in the middle of my Triumph Spitfire 1500 restoration.
Just start stripping whole car and noticed that the rolling chassis is in really bad shape.

Do you know by any chance where in Ireland I can buy a solid chassis ??

Thanks ,
Adam

unfit2006

Adam,

Croppy Boy might have a spare chassis. Send him a pm.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057197258

Pudels

I will post him thanks a milllll

carchaeologist

Your car would have to carry the registration number of the new chassis then, if all was to be kept above board.

Pudels

But as far as I am aware there is no chassis .

kev1.3s

Spitfire has a separate chassis, are you not looking for one?

Pudels

Yes indeed I am looking for a chassis.

swarlb

carchaeologist wrote: »

Your car would have to carry the registration number of the new chassis then, if all was to be kept above board.

Would it really matter that much if it didn't ?

Pudels

It is really hard to find the chassis number.
I don't even know does it exist.
I will find out once will find someone who will sell me a new chassis

unfit2006

The Spitfire's "Chassis number" (vin number, I suppose) is stamped on the plate that is affixed to left-hand side the bodytub. You can see it quite clearly when you open up the bonnet. That is the number that is entered on the taxbook.

The number stamped on the little tab affixed to the left outrigger on the chassis is a commission number and would appear to bear no relevance to the vin number. It seems to have been used as a part identification number during the manufacturing process.

If you purchase a secondhand chassis, it will not have the cars vin number stamped on it. It may still have the commission tab affixed ( if the outrigger has not been replaced).

Hard to know whether the actual VIN plate relating to the car should follow the chassis or stay with the tub in such a case.

Pudels

Oh ok , so now I know the location .
Thanks for that .
All what I need now is the new chassis
Regards,
Adam

kev1.3s

I don't see a problem changing the chassis and retaining the reg, how many landrovers have had replacement chassis? Not to mention tvr's Morgans lotus's ect ect.

John Larkin

kev1.3s wrote: »

I don't see a problem changing the chassis and retaining the reg, how many landrovers have had replacement chassis? Not to mention tvr's Morgans lotus's ect ect.

The structural entity in the Lotus Elite (Type 14), in the Elan variations (Types 26, 36, 45 and 50) and in the Europe/Europa variations (Types 46, 47, 54, 65, and 74) was the body tub, and the car's identity/VIN applied to and remained with the body tub. The Type 14 was a pure GRP monocoque, with the steel subframe in the Elans and Europas being used to spread engine and suspension loads evenly into the body tub to avoid problems that had been encountered with the Type 14. The steel component commonly referred to as the chassis in the Elan and Europa models was designated as a subframe by Lotus and was was regarded as a service item to be changed out when cracked, bent or corroded.

Elans and Europas retain their original identity with the original body tub, regardless of the steel subframes being a replacement.

kev1.3s

Well fair enough, but then in essence the fact that the chassis plate is on the tub and not the chassis/subframe allows them to get off on a technicality. If I had a 49 lights behind grill series 1 landrover that I've pulled out of a ditch to restore and I had to buy a brand new chassis would people here expect me to register it as a new vehicle?

John Larkin

kev1.3s wrote: »

Well fair enough, but then in essence the fact that the chassis plate is on the tub and not the chassis/subframe allows them to get off on a technicality. If I had a 49 lights behind grill series 1 landrover that I've pulled out of a ditch to restore and I had to buy a brand new chassis would people here expect me to register it as a new vehicle?

Land Rover assign the VIN to the chassis because that is the structural entity, so a replacement chassis means re-registration in Ireland. It does not necessarily mean re-registration in the UK because they use a scoring system based on how many of the original vehicle components are retained when the chassis is renewed. Personally I think that the UK scoring system makes sense, and that it should be adopted here. The present system creates a situation where a vehicle that is old enough to qualify for VinVet road tax and NCT exemption suddenly finds itself registered as new, has to pay VRT, modern road tax, do the NCT and meet test standards that it was not designed for, all because the owner wanted to keep it safe by replacing one defective component. It does not make sense to have to re-register a vehicle as new when 90-93% is re-used.

kev1.3s

I'm aware of the differences between Ireland and the uk and I also think it's rediculous that if you change a chassis you have to re reg, I doubt anyone would unless they are playing the system and putting a pre 1980 landrover chassis under a discovery which is a loop hole that system has created and far more sinister.
What I really wanted to know us how many people here would expect someone who had a rare early land rover or spitfire re-reg it if he swapped out the chassis?

John Larkin

kev1.3s wrote: »

I'm aware of the differences between Ireland and the uk and I also think it's rediculous that if you change a chassis you have to re reg, I doubt anyone would unless they are playing the system and putting a pre 1980 landrover chassis under a discovery which is a loop hole that system has created and far more sinister.
What I really wanted to know us how many people here would expect someone who had a rare early land rover or spitfire re-reg it if he swapped out the chassis?

I think it would make an interesting test case in court if somebody was charged with failing to register a new chassis in an old vehicle if the owner could show that the change was solely for the purpose of making the vehicle safe, particularly if it was clear that there was no intention of evading tax. It's the type of case that the State could lose on the basis of the legislation being unfair and unreasonable.

swarlb

I think yez are losing the run of yourselves with all this chassis/legality nonsense. In THIS case its a Triumph Spitfire with a rotten chassis. All he needs to do is locate a replacement from a suitable donor car, Spitfire, Hearld, whatever....
Fix it up, drive her on...
Phil Hogan and Leo Varadkar will sleep easy.....

Pudels

Thanks swarlb
Still looking by the way :P

swarlb

Pudels wrote: »

Thanks swarlb
Still looking by the way :P

I sent you a PM regarding a chassis.

stackerman

Try contacting the TCOC (Triumph Classic owners Club) via web site www.tcoc.ie or facebook

Lots of lads who know their stuff and where/from whom to source related parts.
Really nice bunch of lads

corktina

as usual we handle things like a replacement chassis in a half-assed way. It would be perfectly simple if we had followed the UK method , as in a lot of things. I sometimes think someone in power does this deliberately so we are seen to be non-British.

OP .your biggest problem in Ireland will be getting someone to sell you something. In my experience Irish enthusiasts are dreadful hoarders.

bbsrs

Nearly every thread in the forum ends up in a pedantic knit picking interpretation of technicalities that bear no relevance to the actual op. The guy needs a chassiss simples .

SpitfireIV

unfit2006 wrote: »

Adam,

Croppy Boy might have a spare chassis. Send him a pm.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057197258

Hi Adam, I do indeed have two Spitfires which have now been combined to make one decent one, it also means I have two chassis, however, at the moment one of the chassis is being used on a rotisserie to rebuild the body tub on while the other can be stripped down, cleaned and rebuilt.

It will mean I will have a spare chassis at the end of the project but, when that will be and which chassis I'll be using exactly I simply dont know. The chassis I hoped to use (orange one pictured in my thread) is possibly off a MkIII (has an FC prefix), shouldnt be an issue dropping a MkIV tub on top (it has the hinge boxes for the bonnet) but, I dont know until I do it, I may end up using the chassis that the tub is being built on!

Either way, neither of the chassis match the VIN number on the log, its a Triumph for heaven sake, like Trigs brush, its had 10 new tubs and 12 new chassis, but its still the same car :D

Pudels

Still looking !!!!

endacl

http://www.triumphspitfire.nl/graveyard.html