Mark B

Frustrating. Follow all the options to end up where you started twenty minuites earlier, or finally the phone rings at the relevant extension then it cuts off after waiting for ten minutes. Made a call yesterday, and was told there was a forty minuites wait to speak to an adviser, I think they hope you are so deflated that you won't bother, it worked.

Reminds me of when I took out RAC membership in the 80's. Nice new blue and silver grill badge. Out on a drive I notice the temps rising and pulled onto a garage forecourt. Lots of hissing and large puddle of water under the rad. Then I realised I should have cut down the log threaded stud on the new grill badge, as on closing the bonnet it had speared through the radiator. Rad is suprisingly close to the front grill and underside of the bonnet. Refilled with water enough to get home, no RAC needed.

Yup, the Vitesse convertible is as floppy as a wet lettuce. I rebuilt my Vitesse several years ago, started with an excellent solid chassis. I reinforced and boxed in all the outriggers, added extra support where the outriggers join the main rails. I added additional supports to the boot floor from the boot outriggers as were fitted to the earlier Heralds. I used all solid aluminium spacers, no rubber anywhere. The complete restoration was finished a few years ago, and the car feels more solid than previously. But still, if jacked up on the side rail/rear outrigger corner you can see the door gap open slightly at the top. I've looked a loads of cars at shows when trying to stiffen the Vitesse up, and out of curiosity asked the owners to press down on the end of the rear wing on a Vitesse/ Herald convetible's on each occassion the door gap opened slightly at the top, to their surprise. I keep the doors closed when jacking the car up. I did all the panel alignment with the car on its wheels on a flat surface.

A loud exhaust can make you feel like the car is being thrashed, especially at higher speeds on the motorway. A quieter exhaust can transform the driving experience. Assuming the engine is in good condition, no big end knocking or rattling, mixture is correct, no pinking, overheating, you could check that you are getting full throttle. Press the accelerator and make sure the butterflies are opening fully. Needs to be adjusted and set correctly, so you don't damage the carbs. Check carpet isn't getting in the way of accelerator pedal.

Owned the Sykes Pickervant version for probably 30 years. Used a few times on Vitesse and Spitfire skins with perfect results. Replaced a Spitfire skin a few weeks ago after not using the tool for years, and managed to cause a couple of tiny dents along the bottom edge when I rushed it and used a bit to much force. Take you time to gradually fold the edge over, not like me. I use the wide pad on the face of the skin but also used a thick strip of card a little longer than the pad to help distribute the force to the skin.

Same Machine Mart folding hoist as I bought probably 20 years ago. Removed Vitesse, Spitfire engines with ease. Most recently used, single handed, to lift a Spitfire tub up 4' onto some tressals. Very usefull, folds up nicely so reasonably easy to move around and store.

The sudden jolt sound like the shocks are bottoming out, fully compressed, before full droop. In the past I have marked the shock whilst off the car, fully compressed and fully extended with a marker. When fitted you can then get a good idea of how much travel you have. Need to also test with a passenger and luggage, a little extra weight can make a big difference to the amount of shock travel available.

My Vitesse mk2 , one previous owner, had an original ribbed rubber boot floor covering, fixed in place with poppers. Couple of other Vitesse's I have owned had remnants and tatters of the rubber Matt left. All Vitesse's and probably Heralds have the male popper screwed to the boot floor for this purpose. I made a couple of exact copies with almost identical ribbed rubber, as my original, minus the original smooth border. The original had started to disintegrate. Don't know if carpet was ever an option, but I would guess not.

I have to put a cloth over each quarter light otherwise the ends of the chrome finishing strip that fits above the rear window digs into the quarter light windows. This happens when the header rail is flush with the rear deck, and cover fitted. Probably due to the repro hood fitted. I had the original hood fitted but needed to be replaced as it had shrunk. Where the top, sides and back window of the repro soft top join they overlap, causing a ridge, so the chrome strip stands proud where crosses the joins, and follows the curve of the frame. The original soft top fitted had butt joins so no ridge. Also short at the sides along the rear wings, as it appears most are from what I have seen.

I've used ramps and similar extension pieces as pictured for many years, mainly with my Vitesse but also my gt6 and mk1 mx5. The extension pieces help to pin the ramps down as you start to climb, and ive not had a ramp skate away on approach as I've had with just ramps on their own. My mx5 is very low and the the extension lifts it just enough to miss the front valance. I always make sure I am fully on both ramps up to the stop, with both tyres centralised on the ramps. Hand brake on, in gear if iam not going to run the engine and rear wheels chocked. I wedge a block of wood behind the front wheels through the ramps also. I then rock the car side to side to make sure the ramps are seated with no movement. I have a high lift low entry jack and numerous stands, but sometimes, if I just want a quick visual check, it's quicker and easier with the ramps. If I was going to do major work where I was heaving and pull on things I would use 4 stands, plus timber blocks on ramps placed under the car to add additional support for the stands, and if the worst was to happen the car is dropping nowhere. You can never be to safe.

Ouch! I had a thin cutting disc shatter once, thankfully unscathed, so it can happen to anyone. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hi all Replacing the sills, rear wings etc. on the Spitfire. What is the consensus on door to rear wing gap? Original gaps were pretty tight, less than a 1/4 inch, and tighter at the bottom rear curve following the sill. Car still has all it's original panels, along with lots of rust, so things have clearly moved since it left the factory. Thanks

As above really, but fuel starvation, weak fuel pump, blocked fuel filter, springs to mind.

Thanks for all the info and replies. Iam about to order a new cap and leads, so wanted clarification, as I have a spare Delco I could have fitted to the Vitesse with new cap and leads but ill stick with the Lucas.

Numbers are 41305 B then 08-71, presumably the date stamp, pretty sure it's original to the car, only covered 63000 miles. Only questioned it as I read that the Delco was fitted to later vitesse engines, which I now think is not the case.

Hi all My Vitesse is a late 71 steering lock model, with one previous recorded keeper. It has a Lucas 41305 fitted. Read somewhere the late Vitesse had a Delco distributor fitted. Can anyone confirm which distributor would have been originally fitted. Thanks

Trying to remember, it was a year or so ago, think there was very little deviation on the rears staying more or les on 0 going forward, but a larger deviation going in reverse. I only measured it in the reverse direction as I had to pull the car out of the lock-up, the flatest surface I could find, and was curious. I will add that the Trakrite I have was given to me, and is very old and very well used, but i still get the feeling the tow changes at the rear wheels when reversed. Vitesse drives well and there is no unusuall tyre wear, front or rear (1000 miles). Got side lined replacing the doughnuts on my Gt6. I will have another look at this though, and double check and record the readings.

As far as Iam aware 13.60 and Vitesse are the same. I recall differences on some early tanks where the sender unit is held in by several screws, but this may have only been on the narrow Herald tank.

I recently acquired a Trackrite. I had set the front and read tracking with tape measure and string on my mk2 Vitesse, and the car drives and handles well. I gave the Trackrite a try on the rears, backing the car over the gauge gives different readings from rolling the car forward. So assume there is a lot of twist and flex in the rotoflex doughnuts and trailing arm bushes. I can imagine the rear wheels being at all sorts of strange angles on the road.

In my experience, if the pedal firms up when you pump it, it would usually indicate there is still air in the system. I would bleed them the old fashion way, with the help of an assistant. I use a bleed pipe in a jar of fluid, but lock off the bleed nipple before the assistant lifts off of the floor for the up stroke. I always thought there is a chance air could be sucked in around the thread of the nipple.

Inadvertently, adds a nice sheen to your complection 😁. That's until I clean my glasses, complexions more like worn saddle bags. Things look much better without glasses, especially the car.

Yep, agree. That's been my experience also. Think My Gt6 mk2 has faired better being parked out on the road for the past 18 years in all weathers, with occasional use, summer winter rain and snow, than if I had kept it in a garage. Occasional dusting of WD40 has helped. Important to keep things moving and warmed up, same thing goes for my aging body.

On my tablet using chrome and Imac using firefox, I've always gone top right hand drop down, Activity, All activity, to show the latest post, wasn't aware of any other way.

I've made a couple of 631 manifolds, all equal length primaries. One for the Vitesse and another for the gt6 with the addition of anti-reversion chambers. Both sand bent. Very little space to play with, but no clearance issues. The first was made for the Vitesse engine moved back to the bulk head so wont fit with the engine in the standard position. Will work with SU's and PI. The second manifold I made more recently, (Last photo) with anti-reversion chambers on each primary, fits the GT6 with the engine in the original position. Going to make another in the future, now I have a TIG, for neater welds. Lots of work and head scratching. Vitesse is a standard engine, sprint carbs on a 2.5 long manifold. Does go very well and picks up quickly. Experimented with the scavenging effect of the 631 blowing compressed air down one primary and sucked in a ball of tissue into the other primary, spitting out of the merge collector at great speed, I feel sure a 631 makes a big difference to performance, but that's just a feeling, needs to go on a rolling road.

Don't know if you a are using an original live lead from the battery to the solinoid, seen two types one clearly a larger diameter than the other. Only after occassional problems spinning over, I paired back the insulation on four original leads, and found they all had badly corroded along the length, covered in green corrosion. Replacd with new cable, problem solved. I have problems starting my Gt6 from cold, if unused for a couple of weeks, everything replaced and adjusted I've put it down to a tired worn engine. A little squirt of easy start always works, and saves caning the battery. Maybe worth carrying a can for emergencies.