I would disagree a bit with Kirk B. that the later Spitfires were less
desirable than the early ones. Certainly it got a bit heavier as heavier
door beams and bumpers were added. The later engines were nominally weaker
too, but not so much that you can't tune them up to good performance.
There were some improvements too. In particular, the wheels were wider
for (mid?)'97 and '80 (5 inches instead of 4-1/2), and an electric fan was
installed (which gives more net engine power though some would dispute the
wisdom of a Lucas electric fan). The '76 engine was high-compression, 9:1
instead of 7.5:1. If you are talking about biggere differences between the
different Mk numbers, note that the swing spring was added in 1971 for the
Mk IV, and the rear axle was lengthened in 1973 for the 1500.
(Hi, Kirk!)
Jim Muller
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