• By Badgranny
• Posted 21st July, 2015

A Triumphant Rebuild of a Classic British Sports Car

Bad Granny Manufacturing Specialist Jason Reece shocked his team when he showed his nostalgic side and undertook the mammoth task of rebuilding a beloved family car that was nothing more than a dilapidated shell.

 

The car, a 1974 Triumph Spitfire, had been in Jason’s family for over a quarter of a century—and had been sitting in a garage for most of that time collecting dirt, rat droppings and even a roaming snail or two. But Jason knew he could achieve his vision, saying, “It used to belong to my grandmother, and I’ve known it my entire life. I wanted to bring it back from the dead.”

 

Even with his go-getting attitude, Jason had to admit that resurrecting the old British banger would be no easy feat. The car looked more like scrap metal than a restoration project, with a completely rotten floor, unusable parts and not a chance of actually driving. Sourcing the all-English parts for the car was a particularly daunting obstacle, as they aren’t available in Trinidad.

 

 

First, and most importantly, Jason managed to source the necessary English parts from a supplier in the US. The car was then completely stripped and disassembled; any salvageable parts were cleaned and repainted, or rebuilt where possible. The chassis was straightened and powder-coated, and all of the car’s body panels and electronics were replaced. Jason then fitted the car with a sleek new interior, from the seats to the dashboard and steering. Finally, after extensive labour and with a little luck, Jason and his team were able to reassemble and paint the car—the Reece family’s 1974 Triumph Spitfire was reborn at last.

 

The final result was nothing short of astounding. Jason had taken a hunk of junk and transformed it into an elegant, fully functional convertible sports car fit for a Bond movie. With crisp lines, a gleamingpaintjob, and a flawless interior, the Triumph restoration was, well... a triumph!

 

For Jason, the most gratifying part of the rebuild was the look on his father’s face when he saw the restored car for the first time, because after all, that’s whatvintage sports cars are all about: getting jaws to drop, making hearts race, and doing it all with inimitable classic style.