Home-Built 400-HP 1500-LBS Triumph Spitfire Is Quite Literally True to Its Name

Those more in the know regarding UK's automotive scenery could add a lot of names to that list, among which, the Triumph Spitfire. Launched in the early '60s, the two-seater followed the classic recipe of offsetting a rather feeble engine by keeping the weight down and focusing on driving dynamics instead - helped in no small part by its front-engine, rear-wheel-drive architecture.

It wasn't an expensive car, to begin with, and since it didn't come anywhere close to reaching cult status like other models from that era, it means getting one on the cheap is still very much possible, especially on home turf. And especially when it looks like the one Nick bought.

It's not clear whether Nick started this project after lockdown had started or it caught him midway through but being confined at home definitely helped get things done more quickly. On the other hand, there's the flip side that every part he needed, he had to order off e-Bay. And, to make matters worse, to say Nick was on a budget would be an understatement.

He bought the engine and gearbox combo for 75 GBP ($100), the chassis for 25, the body (or what was left of it) for 250, the doors for 20, the hood for 10, and, get this, the two seats for just one sterling pound. Add those up and you'll get 381 GBP (just over $500), delivery included.

If you think that sounds way too good to be true, then you probably know how quickly these things can turn into veritable money pits. Nick's Spitfire turned out the be no exception as it required a new gearbox, an almost complete engine build, and a new and bigger turbo (he initially planned to keep the stock one from the 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbo Volkswagen unit). Give this clip a watch, though, and you'll come out the other end convinced that whatever he ended up pouring into his project, it was well worth it.

It definitely seems like the kind of car built for the child inside you, and the way Nick and Jamie, the host of the YT channel, giggle all the way through, leaves no doubts to be had over the car's insane fun factor. Take this for example: you don't often get to see the engine twisting and twirling, but that may not only be down to the fact the powerplant is usually tucked away under a solid metal hood and not sitting inside the cabin, straight behind the two seats – it might also have a little something to do with how sturdy the mountings on Nick's improvised build are.

The dashboard is made from the wood of a tree in Nick's garden – "a proper home-made car," he says. Well, the Mazda MX-5 Miata seats were re-upholstered using the leather from an old couch (really old, by the looks of it), so, yeah, Nick might be on to something here. At this point, I wouldn't really be surprised if the gear shifter was made out of a soup scooper.

Sadly, we don't get to see the Spitfire doing what it says on the box (spitting fire), but Nick vows by it and, since he seems to be such a gentleman, his word is all the proof I need. Besides, you can hear a cacophony of cackles throughout the short drive (small fuel tank, what can you do?), so it's not that hard to imagine the fumes catching fire at some point.

You can tell the owner is a little bit nervous once he swaps places with Jamie - and it's not that hard to understand why. On the one hand, he's letting somebody else drive what must definitely feel like "his baby", but at the same time, they're going quite fast on a single carriageway with two lanes in a car that weighs just a fraction over 1,500 lbs (685 kg, more exactly), has no active safety features (ABS, traction or stability control), and has the same crashworthiness as rarefied air. What's there to be anxious about, right? However, it's the good, adrenaline-inducing kind of anxiety I wouldn't say no to either.