GFL

Richard Yes, only had it around 16 months but love the Exhaust note🙂 Not much room in the Engine Bay though!

Great driving up that way, here's one of me and the Mrs descending Winnats Pass on a recent Classic car run?

That's a great Youtube link🙂 Peter certainly knows is stuff with the Metal working and makes it look so easy, I remember watching the Vitesse he did on Youtube? I met him several years ago at the Stafford TSSC Event when he always entered (And usually won something) with his lovely White Vitesse MK2 Convertible? I'm glad to hear your thinking of Putting the Ro-style trims back on the car, they look great in my opinion

That's a very good price? I thought the Rebuild kits were around that price alone! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GIRLING-MK2b-Brake-Booster-Servo-Repair-Seals-Kit-Mk2b-MkIIb-/142116964500

if you can refurbish it yourself then go for it I would say, keeps the car looking original?🙂

I had an Original Powerstop Mk2b Girling Servo re-conditioned during the rebuild of my Vitesse in around 2006, I can't remember the exact costs but nearly £300 I reckon way back then? I was at a recent Classic car show at Gaydon and a Classic car Brake & Hydraulics supplier local to me called Dave Kingerley sells reconditioned original Girling Servo's, but your talking £500+ these days for one🤔 If your not a stickler for originality I would go for one of the Lockheed version that are readily available and far cheaper, I've got one on my current Classic (2.3 to 1 Boost ratio I think) and it works fine? If you buy new off one off one of the well known suppliers, you should get at least a Years guarantee too😉

The open and closed lengths of the Shocks are important when using the Chassis mount brackets with the Roto-flex type Suspension. I used Koni 80-1717 Adjustable Shocks on my Vitesse which have an open length of 296mm Eye to Eye and a closed length of 218mm. They worked well and I never experienced any bottoming out, although modifications are needed to to the top and bottom bushes, as they are actually designed for the Front of an Early Mini but certainly work well on the Rear of a Vitesse. Gary

I had a complete interior re-trim/rebuild kit off Canley Classics for the Shadow Blue Interior of my MK2 Vitesse Convertible, this being one of the Newton Commercial kits. It was excellent quality, after stripping down and having the seat frames blasted and painted, my Brother-in-law rebuilt the front & rear seats and made an excellent job. I also fitted early MGF Seats later, again re-trim kits were purchased off Newtons and once again an excellent result. I managed to find someone local to me to fit the MGF Seat Covers at a reasonable cost Here's a couple of Photo's of the Originals and the MGF upgrade

The size should be stamped on the Wheel, not sure off the exact position but it should be 3.5D or 4.5J? Alternatively measure the width in between the rim edges, it should be around 3.5 Inches for an original Vitesse 6 or Herald Rim or 4.5 Inches for the Later 2 Litre Vitesse Herald Estate Rim.

I thought so too? This is a quote from Wikipedia which states the 2 Litre Vitesse models got the 4.5J Rims? I believe all the Herald Estates had 4.5J rims and these were utilized on the 1963 Monte Carlo Rally Vitesse's? Vitesse 2-Litre[edit] A 1967 Cactus Green Triumph Vitesse 2-Litre convertible (although fitted with mock alloy wheel trims only introduced on the Mk2. The original 2 litre had hubcaps) In September 1966 Triumph upgraded the engine to 1998 cc, in line with the new Triumph GT6 coupé, and relaunched the car as the Vitesse 2-Litre. Power was increased to 95 bhp (71 kW), endowing the new car with a claimed 0–60 mph time of just under 12 s, and lifting top speed to 104 mph. (The 2-Litre was advertised by Triumph as "The Two Seater Beater"). The performance increase was welcome, but it highlighted the deficiencies of the rear suspension. Other detail modifications for the 2-litre, included a stronger clutch, all synchromesh gearbox, larger front brakes (still without a servo), and a stronger differential with a slightly higher 3.89:1 ratio. Wider & stronger 4.5-inch wheel rims were fitted, but radial-ply tyres were still optional, at extra cost. There was a satin silver anodised aluminium-alloy cowling above the new reversing light, and badges on the side of the bonnet and in the centre of the grille read 2 litre. The Vitesse boot badge was retained as italic script but lost the 6 of the earlier model - replacing that with the rectangular 2 litre badge and with a chrome strip underlining the Vitesse badge. Cars with overdrive had a separate badge on the cowling above the number plate/reversing light. Inside the car, the seats were greatly improved, with softer (more plush) covering and a better back-rest shape which slightly improved rear-seat knee-room. A new leather-covered three-spoke steering wheel was also added.

The original fixing method was Spire clips on the sill and then Posi-drive self tapping screws through the double skinned tread plate into the spire clips and also a couple of screws through the lower front bulkhead into the sill spire clips. A number of bracing pieces along the bottom of the sill (5 or 6 I think) fixed with similar spire clips onto the side rails of the chassis and again pozi-drive screws Regards Gary

The Spitfire MkIV and GT6 had 4.5J (4.5" Wide) Oval hole style Rims, earlier 1500 Spitfire also had 4.5J (I Think?), however the very late 1500 Spitfires had 5J (5" Wide rims) 5.5J (5.5" Wide) Oval Hole type Dunlop wheels were also available as an Option I believe? Similar style wheels were also fitted on some of the lower classes of Formula series racing cars of the late 70's and early 80's The Later Dolomites 1500SE and the last ones made (1979/80/81) also had 5J size Oval wheels, but not sure if the offset was the same as the Spitfire ones though? Regards Gary

I don't think any bushing was ever fitted originally! They are notorious for wearing out, letting air in and upsetting the ability to get a low tick over speed. I had some exchange re-conditioned CD150s Carbs off Andrew Turner the Carburetor specialist and I believe he does fit proper Phosphor bronze type Bushes when he fits the new Spindles? Regards

Alex I supplied them with the original dash and door capping's. I can't remember the exact costs but it was around £250 including the Door Capping's and one of the matching accessory mounts (See photo) which they can do for fitting a radio and two additional 2" Gauges? It was about 15 Years ago so expect costs to have gone up! Regards

I got my original Dash & Door Cappings re-veneered & re-lacquered in the original type American Walnut by Chapman & Cliff based near Crewe? They have an excellent reputation and are Ex Rolls Royce guys, they can do what ever veneer you prefer. Gary

If you have the Original HC Reference Vitesse Engine it should be non-recess with flat top pistons?

I've searched my Photo's and found the one below, looks like I used two shouldered bolts per side with my bracket?

As DanMi suggests a phone call to the club should resolve it? Some of the Damper Brackets from alternative suppliers are also slotted on the top (The bracket shown in my photo has an elongated hole for the Body to Chassis mounting bolt) this is so you don't need to completely remove the body mounting to Chassis bolts, you can loosen the bolt and tap the bracket into place? I can't remember when I fitted mine if all the bolts are the larger shouldered type TBH, I suppose if the bracket is fixing to the the Original Damper mounting on the Chassis then it should be shouldered too?

Ian The top mounting for the Telescopic Damper (Shock Absorber) is a shouldered bolt The Chassis mounting Bracket kit should come with standard Bolts, spacers, flat washers and Nyloc nuts as per the Photo's courtesy of the Rimmers website Regards

Dave If you have the later 2 Litre Vitesse with the seperate expansion bottle connected to the top of the Radiator filler cap I always found with mine it was best to fill the radiator and then keep the Expansion bottle half full. My understanding is the water expands and contracts according to Temperature and pressure. When the pressure builds the cap should release it and you will get expansion of a slight amount of water into the expansion bottle, as it cools/contracts the water is sucked back into the radiator keeping a consistent level. Is the spring loaded part of the radiator cap working Ok on your car?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-TRIUMPH-DOLOMITE-SPRINT-OVERDRIVE-SPARES-RESTORATION-STOOD-28-YEARS/254191143748?hash=item3b2ef90b44:g:pWYAAOSwF1hcqOUd Could this win the award for the most rotten Dolomite Sprint ever?!! I've never see one so bad. Gary

Another thing to watch with clearance is the top Hose Jubilee clip onto the Thermostat housing and Radiator, these can catch the bonnet if not positioned correctly as I know from past experience!!😖

The Later Vitesses should have a bolt at the front as per the Parts Diagram below from Canley Classics I must admit though that both my previous Vitesses had studs at the front, although one was fitted with a Triumph 2000 Engine were clearance isn't so crucial. Regards Gary

I remember this car being listed on E-Bay several years ago. It must be the earliest Herald to survive, yes?

The original N.O.S. Metalastik ones do turn up at Auto-jumbles occasionally still and there is no doubt they last far longer than the reproduction ones, although some repros are better than others. I was lucky enough to pick a pair up from James Paddock at a reasonable price in the original Unipart boxes during the rear suspension rebuild of my Mk2 Vitesse, but then again that was 15 years ago now! 🤔