Phil McConnell's 1974 Spitfire with 350 Chevy V8
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XVIII Issue I, December 2010Owner: Phil McConnell
BritishV8 UserID: Spitfire 350
City: Swanton Ohio
Model: 1974 Triumph Spitfire
Engine: 1994 Chevrolet 350cid V8
Conversion performed by: owner
| Engine: | 1994 Chevy 350, Gen1 2-bolt iron block. Air Flow Research Eliminator 180 aluminum cylinder heads.
Comp Cams Magnum 280H camshaft. Crane Hi-Intensity lifters. Summit Racing pushrods.
Summit Racing aluminum 1.6:1 roller rockers. Edelbrock Torker II intake manifold.
Quick Fuel Technologies SS780 carburetor. Adjustable fuel pressure regulator.
K&N 9" "Xstream" air filter, in a
custom fabricated cold air box. MSD Digital E-curve distributor, MSD Blaster SS
coil, and MSD Super Conductor spark plug wires. Valvoline VR-1 20W50 oil. |
| Cooling: | Griffin aluminum racing radiator. Summit Racing aluminum fan shroud. Hayden 16" electric fan.
160° high flow thermostat. Modified water pump. |
| Exhaust: | Hooker Super Comp full length headers, with 1-7/8" primaries and 3-1/2" collectors.
Summit 2-1/2" X-pipe. Cherry Bomb 2-1/2" turbo mufflers. |
| Transmission: | Borg Warner T-56 6 speed (from a 1995 Camaro) with 0.5:1 overdrive. Royal Purple ATF.
Center Force dual friction clutch. 1995 Camaro master cylinder. Custom driveshaft. |
| Frame: | owner designed and fabricated from 3"x1.5", 0.188" wall mild steel box tubing.
(Very rigid.) At the front of the frame, approximately two feet of 1994 'Vette
frame is spliced on to provide mounting features for the Corvette suspension
cross-member. The wheel base is 90 inches. |
| Rear End: | 1994 Corvette (C-4) Dana 36 with 3.07:1 gears and limited slip differential. Royal Purple lube. |
| Front Susp: | 1994 Corvette (C-4) soft ride system. Power steering.
Spitfire steering column connected to Corvette steering shaft. |
| Rear Susp: | 1994 Corvette (C-4) soft ride system. |
| Brakes: | 1994 Corvette (C-4) system (with power brakes but without ABS).
Crager drilled/slotted cryogenically treated rotors.
EBC "Yellow Stuff" pads. 1983 Camaro master cylinder. |
| Wheels/Tires: | 1985 Corvette "Fan Blade" wheels (front 16x8.5, rear 16x9.5).
Sumitomo HTR-Z tires (front 245/45/16, rear 255/50/16). |
| Body: | 1974 Spitfire bodyshell with owner fabricated steel fender flares, aluminum
rocker panel covers, custom floorboards and transmission tunnel.
GT6+ hood with 1979 Pontiac Trans Am hood scoop. |
| Interior: | 1978 Spitfire dashboard. Miata seats. Center arm rest made from
a B&M Mega-Shifter housing, with a Caterpillar road grader arm pad.
Fully carpeted interior and trunk. Aftermarket cruise control. |
| Electrical: | Spitfire wiring harness. GM alternator. Battery is mounted in front
of the rear axle, passenger side. Panasonic AM/FM/CD. Fusion speakers. |
| Instruments: | VDO programmable speedometer. VDO tachometer. Sun Pro water temperature,
oil pressure, and vacuum gauges. Edelbrock LED air/fuel ratio meter. Stock fuel gage. |
| Weight: | 2550 lbs. 50.5% front / 49.5% rear. |
| Racing Class: | SCCA Solo II E-Modified. |
| Completed: | July 1996. Driven ~36,000 miles, as of BritishV8 2010. |
| Comments: | The ride is super smooth and cornering is excellent. The acceleration and braking
are fantastic and very controllable.
The car was originally built using a 1983 Camaro donor car, which provided a 305ci engine and a 700R4 automatic transmission. In the never ending quest for more power and more fun, the engine and transmission were replaced with a 350 and a T56 6-speed in 1997. In 2008 the stock cylinder heads were replaced with AFR aluminum heads. The new heads required more flow, so in early 2009 the Edelbrock Performer intake manifold and Carter 600 AFB carburetor were replaced with an Edelbrock Torker II and a Quick Fuel SS780 respectively. The manifold is port matched to the cylinder heads. The AFR exhaust ports were too big for the 1-5/8" primaries on the block hugger headers, so the headers and side pipes were replaced with full length 1-7/8 primary headers and a 2-1/2" exhaust system with an X pipe and turbo mufflers. The only catastrophic failure encountered in the fourteen years that this car has been on the road, is the ring and pinion. I have twice broken 3.75:1 ring and pinions. I am currently running my backup stock 3.07 differential while I search for a Dana 44. |
How It Was Done
In the beginning, there were hand-made frame rails (shown being fitted to the 1994 'Vette rear-end.)
Tired 1983 Camaro engine and 700R4 transmission in background with complete Corvette front-end.
Frame completed. 305 and 700R4 mounted. 350 retrofitted after a year of use.
A T56 transmission was retrofitted 6 months after that.
Dad's little helpers and styling consultants. They picked the color!
(Ford's ultraviolet clearcoat.)
Frame painted. Engine, transmission, and all suspension mounted.
Five months after beginning the project, the car was driven around the block in this configuration.
A four-wheel alignment was done at this point to ensure the flares would look right when finished.
Beginning the flares, using 3/8" steel brake tubing.
After the skeleton of the flares was done, cardboard templates were made.
The fender flares are 100% (hand-rolled and welded) steel.
Flares spot-welded in place (all joints were then welded 100% and ground smooth.)
The front bumper didn't make the final cut.
Engine Installation
1994 Chevrolet 350cid V8 (generation one iron-block with two bolt mains.)
Quick Fuel Technologies SS780 carburetor, mounted inside a custom fabricated cold air box.
Power steering pump.
K&N 9" "Xstream" air filter.
MSD digital E-curve distributor.
1983 Chevrolet Camaro brake master cylinder and power brake booster.
Griffin aluminum crossflow radiator.
Coolant filler neck and pressure cap.
Hayden 16" electric fan, mounted to a Summit Racing aluminum fan shroud.
Delco-Remy distributor.
MSD Blaster SS ignition coil.
Adjustable fuel pressure regulator.
Hooker Super Comp full length headers, with 1-7/8" primaries and 3-1/2" collectors.
Air Flow Research Eliminator 180 aluminum cylinder heads.
Dual Cherry Bomb 2-1/2" turbo mufflers.
Front Suspension
1994 Corvette (C4) "soft ride" front suspension, complete with power steering.
1994 Corvette 4-pot aluminum brake calipers squeeze Crager drilled/slotted cryogenically treated rotors.
Approximately two feet of Corvette frame is spliced on to provide mounting features for the suspension.
Corvette steering shaft.
Rear Suspension
1994 Corvette (C4) independent rear suspension.
Transverse leaf spring.
Dana 36 rear end with 3.07:1 gears and limited slip differential.
Interior
1978 Triumph Spitfire dashboard.
VDO programmable electronic speedometer and tachometer.
Mazda Miata seats.
Center arm rest made from a B&M Mega-Shifter housing, with a Caterpillar road grader arm pad.
B&M gear shifter.
Plenty of foot room.
Edelbrock LED air/fuel ratio meter.
Fully carpeted trunk.
Really big fender flares!
Exterior
1974 Triumph Spitfire body. Note: the air scoop really works!
(Phil had to re-jet the carb after installing it.)
GT6+ hood with 1979 Pontiac Trans Am hood scoop.
The underside of Phil's modified front clip...
Aluminum covers on the rear fenders help minimize stone damage.
"M" for Giovanni Michelotti (1921-1980)
The distinctive Triumph Spitfire door latch.
Owner fabricated all-steel fender flares.
Aluminum rocker panel covers.
Triumph Spitfires came with chrome bumpers right up through the 1978 model year.
One Wild '74
Fuel filler cap.
Spitfire, by McConnell
1985 Corvette "Fan Blade" wheels (front 16x8.5, rear 16x9.5).
Sumitomo HTR-Z tires (front 245/45/16, rear 255/50/16).
