Gary Flinn

Hugh Roberts was involved with the TSSC way back in the 80's & 90's. The Dolphin Grey Vitesse Mk1 Convertible in the Club Museum was restored by him in the Late 80's early 90's and was a Autoglym Concours finalist and winner back then? I can honestly say it is probably one of the best & most Originally restored Vitesse's in the World! Howard Jones Mk2 Convertible from the same period is a close second though. I've admired Hugh's Vitesse on numerous occasions at thr Club HQ. He also used to help out at SW Classics down in Devon who had a good reputation for restoring Triumphs and did the Practical Classic Vitesse & TR6 Resorations. I believe he retired abroad somewhere?

I've been watching the values with interest over the past few months as I'm thinking of selling mine? Recently on E-Bay a fully professionally restored 2 Litre was up for £20k and I've seen a couple of nice Mk2's for sale around the £10K mark, which is around Dealer price values for nice ones. I've got mine agreed Value insured for £13K and hope to get someone near this figure when I decide to sell it. When you factor in the costs of Labour alone, to fully restore a basket case one could easily exceed £20K with the Parts to be added on top! When I restored mine back in 2002 I ended up spending over £13K on Parts and the Respray, this doesn't take into account all my time, I must have spent near on 2,000 Man hours over a four and a half year period! I'm hoping to get a TR5 or TR250, the values of those two model really have gone up dramatically recently You only have to look at Escorts, Capri's and Mini's to see the small Chassis Triumph's are bargains in comparison.

Henry The Open & Closed lengths of the Dampers are the important bit, can you find out via Garth or GAZ what this is? I know by listening to several posts on Club Triumph that the standard Koni 80-1389 Dampers recommended for the standard Swing Axle Herald/Vitesse suspension are not suitable for Rotoflex suspension. Hope you get it sorted. Regards Gary

Henry Just had a look on the Canley Classics site and you should have a bumpstop part number 150583 fitted each side, presumably on the inner wheelarch. If you do have these fitted, you could try putting a blob of white grease on the bumpstop and see if it gets transfered to the relevant part of the spring on full travel, if it doesn't then it will confirm the Dampers are bottoming before giving you full suspension travel, so they must be the wrong closed length I've had no end of trouble with my Vitesse because of a weak Reproduction spring which was far to soft, I've refurbished an original, good condition spring and seem to have solved the bottoming out with my Vitesse, although I haven't had four people in the Car yet?

Henry I have done a similar conversion on my Vitesse Mk2 but using Koni 80-1717 Telescopic Dampers (See Koni Rear Damper Thread in this section). These dampers are orginal fitment for the front of Classsic Mini's, but I have been advised by several people on Club Triumph that they are the correct open (296mm) and closed (218mm) lengths to suit the Rotoflex suspension. I have yet to travel with two people in the back (4 in Total) to see if the suspension bottoms, but with only two people in the car, no problems On the Mk2 Vitesse there is a Suspension Bumpstop for the spring eye to hit each side on the Wheelarch, not sure if you should have these on the Rotoflex GT6 though? It certainly sounds like the suspension is bottoming on the internal Damper stops? Do you know what the open and closed length is on the GAZ Dampers?

Richard The Carbs where rebuilt by Andrew Turner, I've only done around 11,500 mile in the car so they are fine still? I never have any trouble starting when warm and the car runs great with correct plug colur and good MPG. The choke cable inner & Outer was cleaned and oiled during the rebuild and still operate smoothly, it's all set up as per the workshop manual and securely clamped. If I prime the Fuel pump after leaving the car for a while it will start eventually on choke, but it never bursts into life, I have to let it get going without touching the throttle then coax it along with a few blips of the accelerator pedal I've learnt to live with it, I'm about ready for a new Battery too, so that won't be helping when it's cold? I've had someone make me a very decent offer on the car so may be selling in the near future Been after a TR5 or A TR250 for a while now, so watch this space!

I knew someone would know! I've seen a Griffin Engine in the local Industrial Museum. A guy I know used to have a Lancaster Merlin engine in his Garage!! He lived near a factory that used to Scrap them after the war and recyle the Aluminium/Etc, don't know what happened to it though? There's also a guy who goes round the local carnivals in Derbyshire who starts up and runs a Merlin Engine on a stand out of a Scorpian Tank I believe, it sounds awsome with no silencers and is only in a mild state of tune, with no Supercharger, still knocks out 850 Bhp though

The Original Spitfire had a two blade fan!, most had the 3 blade type during the war, but the later Griffin engined versions had 4 Blade I think?

I have similar problems starting my Vitesse if it's left for more than 3 weeks or so, especially this time of year Like Pete states priming the Pump lever helps (If you have the standard Fuel pump?) The oil light normally goes out on my car after cranking for ten seconds or so, but I have a Spin on conversion oil filter on mine? I find the Choke mechanism on the CD150S Carbs to be very Hit & Miss I must try and start mine this weekend, not been out in it since the New Year run

Went to our local meet on Tuesday (Derwent Valley Area), it sounds like we're heading for Last of the Summer Wine country, Holmfirth in South Yorkshire for drive it day in April? What have all you area's got planned?

When the Rotoflex couplings normally fail the rubber starts to perish, crack, split and pull away from the bonded metal sections? If this isn't happening chances are they should be Ok? The only way to check the spring is to remove and make sure the dimensions are as previoulsy stated, if its an original spring it should have the part number stamped on the top leaf as stated above. I've recently swopped the repro spring on my Vitesse for a refurbished original and it was well worth the effort The Car sits and rides far better! you will need a Spring lifting tool to remove it though, refer to the workshop manual for the best procedure.

Anything been resolved yet with Tex on the Wiper Blades?

It could be a Mk1 2 Litre Vitesse Spring or a Herald Saloon one? You need to remove it and check the dimensions eye to eye and also from the floor to the underside of the bottom leaf and check against the data above. I wouldn't recommend running the car with the incorrect spring, you may ruin the Rotoflex couplings!

Agree with Kevin A MK2 Vitesse Engine should be between HC50001HE up to around HC58200HE for the engine number for a Uk Car? I think the abreviation LE was used at the end for Low Compression (Used for certain Export countries)

Quite a few differences, Head, Cam, Inlet Manifold, Exhaust, Etc and not easy to fit the MK2 Head with the larger studs? If the Vitesse is a Mk1 2 Litre with the original engine and it's OK then leave it. The Mk2 engine is slightly more powerfull and Revy but not dramatically so? The Mk1 Engine is smoother than the Mk2.

Yes this is very common I'm afraid, it's leaking on the oilway that feeds the Rockers from the Camshaft Scroll? I have heard of people machine/drilling a small recess in the block around the oilway for a Rubber 'O' ring to prevent leaks. I tried a smear of blue Hylomar around the oil way when rebuilding my Vitesse Engine but it didn't work, although the leak is only very slight.

Finally fitted the Refurbished rear spring at the weekend, well worth all the effort the ride is far better Next job some decent wiper blades?

Pete I wasn't sure on the Bolts, thanks for clarifying. I did have a 1600 Gear Box once, had it stripped down by a mate and the Layshaft Cluster and a few other useable gears sent out to a guy in the USA, don't know if he ever used the partson his car though

I would still suggest you get a proper Mk2 Spring, you may find the Rotoflex couplings will be damaged and fail? Replacing them is a full strip down and not a 5 minute job!

Do you have the earlier Vitesse '6' Gearbox? If so and you want the reversing light to work you will need to swap over the Reversing light switch and bracket fixed to the remote change fixing bolts (The Vitesse '6' didin't have reversing lights as standard?), it should swop over ok though? I'm not sure on this, but you may also have to swop over the rear drive Flange for the connection to the prop if it's an early 1962-1966 Box, the Vitesse '6' may have 5/16" UNF Bolts instead of the 2 Litre's 3/8" UNF Bolts. As stated by Pete, the 1600 Box is not as strong as the later 2 Litre Gearbox (The 2 Litre box isn't renowed for its strength either!!)

The Spring lifting tool is only required with the Rotoflex type rear suspension, funnily enough I was using one to replace the Rear Spring on my Mk2 Vitesse on Saturday!

Any spare ones Mark?

A refurbished rear spring! Finally fitted it yesterday after 8 months of waiting!! Well worth it though, the ride is much improved with the Koni Rear Dampers no doubt helping too? Next job to try and find some decent Wiper Blades that clear the screen properly?