Spitfire

Spitfire

From Page 3

At under 1,800 pounds, you would not want to take on larger vehicle in a collision. And looking up at the tires on a semi as it passes you on 1-95 can be unnerving — you hope that he remembers you’re back there, because he probably can’t see you.

But the small size does offer some advantages.

You get great fuel economy, and if you become involved in making heavy repairs, the mechanical components and body parts are much lighter and easy to handle than most other cars.

The Spitfire, even in its last version, with a number of added safety features and emissions controls, was still relatively simple.

Today’s cars are much “smarter,” using an on-board computer to control major engine functions and other operations. Even changing the oil takes specialized knowledge in some cases, and that’s better left to the experts.

With these older cars, diagnosing problems is much easier, and that’s why it’s still fun to work on them.

The search begins

My search began in the dead of last winter.

Cold weather is when most people are preparing their collectible cars for the spring and summer shows and rally events. It’s also a good time to find deals.