The AA inspection of my Spitfire that I commissioned before I bought it made interesting reading.
Here are the details:
Summary Report
- Unsatisfactory
- Not suitable for purchase. Vehicle has significant deficiencies which are judged to be impractical or uneconomic to repair to a satisfactory standard.
Inspection findings
- Bodywork, understructure, and interior
- Essential items: The vehicle is in a very poor condition
- Advisable items: Vehicles interior is very worn. Seats torn. Door seals worn & split. Carpets poor fit etc.
- Comments: None
- Cooling System
- Essential items: Radiator corroded evidence of a water leak. From top of radiator. Anti freeze level too low.
- Advisable items: None
- Comments: None
- Fuel System
- Essential items: None
- Advisable items: Fuel lines showing signs of surface corrosion
- Comments: Fuel gauge appears to operate reading just under ½ a tank. (Note from Andy: I had warned him the gauge did not work – it was actually stuck at half full.)
- Engine
- Essential items: Excessive oil leak visible around engine. (See road test.)
- Advisable items: None
- Comments: None
- Electrical system
- Essential items: Battery insecure. Temperature gauge not operating.
- Advisable items: None
- Comments: None
- Voltages at battery: Nominal 12.5, Starting 9.7, Charging 13.4
- Steering and suspension
- Essential items: None
- Advisable items: All suspension showing signs of surface corrosion.
- Comments: None
- Transmission
- Essential items: Gearbox oil leak. Rear differential unit leaking. Clutch requires checking and adjustment (rides high)
- Advisable items: None
- Comments: None
- Braking system
- Essential items: Front brake discs are corroded and thin. Brake pipes showing signs of surface corrosion clean & inspect.
- Advisable items: Front flexi hoses showing signs of ageing
- Comments: None
- Wheels and tyres
- Comments: All tyres are remould tyres!
- Road test
- Essential items: Rattle from engine on acceleration and smell of burning oil. Requires inspection.
- Advisable items: General rattles from vehicle.
- Conditions: Speeds up to 60mph, open roads, damp.
Notes
- Body work
- The body is in poor condition overall having had some repairs carried out to the floor areas bonnet lower sections.
Areas of rust and corrosion are as follows.- Right hand & left hand doors paint flaking and rotten.
- Bonnet repaired off colour rust showing holes showing on underside of bonnet.
- Front lower panel paint flaking and rusting.
- RH & LH rear arches paint flaking and corrosion.
- Floor sections corroded RH repaired from underside.
- Hole in bulkhead RH side from corrosion.
- Rear inner wheel arches corroded and holed.
- Boot area corroded.
- Drivers door very poor fit.
- RH & LH sills replaced now with surface corrosion.
- Chassis has been repaired in places and covered in underseal.
- RH front out rigger bent.
- Roof / soft top is split cannot fit roof because handles are missing and press studs are missing.
- Exhaust system showing signs of ageing and is rubbing on chassis section.
That was £190 I wouldn’t see again – and not very well spent, either. Still, at least AA membership came with it, and I needed that quickly enough.