Clive
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Posts posted by Clive
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6 hours ago, owensparrow said:
What is the optimum size steering wheel for a GT6 (mk3)? I struggle to get my 6' 3" frame into the seat with a standard wheel, but the steering is already heavy with the 5.5J wheels the last owner fitted. Also, wood rimmed wheels look good but are they comfortable and practical for spirited driving?
I'd be grateful for your thoughts.
Owen
I am keen on 13" wheels, although 14" is a bit easier. The original size feels stupidly large.
Now, steering weight. As others have pointed out, tyre pressure needs to be checked, and indeed varied but remember grip is far more important than steering weight.
Lastly, most people have forgotten that you need to be moving when turning the steering wheel. Todays power steering is there because of crazy caster angles needed for split brakes. But a side effect is that it feels ok to turn the wheel when stationary. But for cars without PAS that is a big no-no.
I would look at a decent leather wheel, motalita, momo etc. Avoid any unknown brands, even mountney are not what they were having heard of more than one breakage.
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One on car and classic, recently restored. Black paintwork.
If it really is good the 16K pricetag is not stupid. An unrestored one in similar condition would be worth more.
The very best ones out there would be well into the 20s IF they ever appear for sale.
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If the joints are good, I would replace the boots.
Reasoning is simple. The replacement boots are usually OK. The boots fitted to new joints are rubbish and fail in a short time.
If you really want new joints, change the boots before fitting. Sigh.
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Thanks for the replies.
The car will et used regularly, so that isn't an issue.
Poor bluetooth is a concern.
I may just fit the radio/CD player from the old car, and get one of those bluetooth transmitters which my daughter reckons are very good.
Incidently, they are still available for under £15. Amusingly one of the traders had a show special at Stoneleigh. £50. Worth a punt though for them. Years ago, speedy spares had some lovely looking individual speakers, Very 1960s style, chrome grille etc. I bought a boxful at £2 each, sold at leatherhead for a fiver a pop. Thats when £3 easily bought a pint. Happy days.
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Any reviews on these? I see they have connections so I can use a power amp if they are a bit quiet.
What I want to know is does teh radio actually work OK, bluetooth connect and how do you access music on a SD card? (as in is it random, in order or is there a menu)
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5 minutes ago, micmak said:
Wow, they look so perfect. I gotta get a set of MX5 seats. I have been looking, but they are quite rare, and it seems to be even more rare to get the type with the removable headrests. Most seem to be the high-back type.
Is that an additional bracket/guide for the seatbelt? The seatbelts seem to be awkward to use. I know the car was designed before seatbelts came along, but surely there is a tidier way to control them instead of being a contortionist reaching back there to grab them!
No, earlier cars had the seat belt fitting on teh B post, later cars on the rear arch (stronger I expect)
A solution is a loop attached to via teh headrest fixings, a local did it with a length of leather belt, though versions are sold on the bay of fleas. I would make them, using both headrest supports so they don't flop about.
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16 hours ago, johny said:
Thats my take on it and I think sometimes starter motors get painted with the same brush as some owners have poor cranking from the original unit so change to a high torque geared version while others have no difficulties at all. In both of these cases the problem is likely to be down to brushes, shorted windings or poor connections...
I would suggest there is a problem nowdays, in that the original stuff is getting worn, and parts to repair are often poor quality. As to teh repro stuff being lobbed out of factories, it is often appauling. And now, the high torque stuff sold to thee classic car market is cheap copies of the denso originals. Gi=uess what will be happening? Or maybe not as people don't use their cars as much. But I would rather a used denso unit over a new copy or rebuild one.
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Possible.
Only real way to tell is to substitute a known good coil, which is where borring one off a friends car is helpful. I have done that by simply cable tying it in place for the test (ie when the other one is suspected of failing, just swap the connections over)
As a thought, you do have a 12V non ballasted coil, 3ohms resistance?
Other potential failures are rotor arms if less that about 12 years old, and indeed points, condensors and caps of a similar age.
Really it is a matter of elimination.
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A smear of blue hylomar is your best bet. Or wellseal, but that is tricker stuff to use. Not a silicon type of sealant, too thick.
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How many amps does the dynamo produce? thought they were about 24A?
Each headlight bulb will draw a smidge under 5A, so 20A on full beam. Not much left if a heater is on, but should still be OK as main beam is rarely on more than 50% of even a night drive. Plenty have done the RBRR in the last 56 years on dynamos (less so now, most are converted)
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I tend to swap teh seats side to side, so the bolster wear is less of an issue. It does mean the adjusters are on teh inside, but that is no biggy.
On my Dolomite, I welded plates to the edges of the runners (3mm flat bar, 50mm wide) so I coukld put the setas in my preferred position without extra floor holes. When I tackle the MX5 seats it may require a slightly different approach, but not sure until I try. Also hampered by the fact one daughter is only 5' tall, so height may need tweaking.
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9 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:
French onions, red and white stripes, what's not to like?
Doug
Is that a recent pic of Pete?
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1 hour ago, gt6j said:
I was wondering about the uj as it looks really tired (but not sure if that means no good! 😄)
It had bit of play and both bushes were well gone. Was considering replacing uj with one from rimmers and possibly the lower shaft at same time both look quite corroded at the uj.
The lower column is decent steel, so if you don't like teh appearance, pop it out, a quick rub down and repaint.It will outlast any repro part (if they are even made)
The solid UJs are a lottery. I have had brand new ones that had excessive play at first use. The best I have found is the cast T2000 joint from Chris Witor, but I have also used the superpro polybush kit.
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1 hour ago, micmak said:
How much could I reasonably expect to get for the MGFs?
Dublin may be different. UK they seem to get £200 +/_ depending on condition. Plain black will be a very popular choice.
Ebay is the way to value such stuff
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Wrong, wegewood blue with a white stripe including light srrounds is the best combo on a vitesse. So much so that is teh colour scheme I painted mine. The one I have coming is plain white, and as I am only custodian, it will stay that way. It does have red seats though...
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You can check the wiring up to the steering column quite easily. The wire is purple/black, so pulling the bullet out of the joiner under the column, and try earthing that is a simple test. You will know if the issue is before or after the column
You can then stuff a wire down the pencil hole of the steering boss, and earth that. And then onto teh UJ etc at the bottom of the column. The earth from the rack to the chassis is often (usually?) missing, same for the wire over the UJ thingy.
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33 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:
Bu it's grey! Who on Earth want's a grey Triumph?
Doug
Very classy I reckon.
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I keep thinking we ought to operate a sweepstake. £1 a pop, nearest guess takes 75%, rest to a nominated charity.
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Yes, MX5 seats are the obvious solution. And they come in different flavours. I have a set of red leather MX5 seats to pop into the Vitesse that I am looking after when it arrives, which have removable headrests. And yes, the car is white with red interior.
Your MGF seats should fetch good money so pay for good black MX5 seats (both MX5 and MGF seats are very comfy)
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I just use a rubber jack pad on my trolly jack (which are just ice hockey pucks) But a bit of wood will work, almost anything at least 4" square or bigger. Placed under the sump and lift away. Not sure a scissor jack is ideal.
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the old version of the adaptor was supplied with a selection of O rings of different thicknesses so the inner and outer could be chosen to account for any machining discrepency. If somebody has used too thick an inner seal (or teh other way round) that may be the source of the issue.
You need to remove the adaptor and have a look.
Later versions have a "floating" inner section which is spring loaded.
New seal sets should be available from Mocal (who make them) or indeed the usual suppliers. Or measure the O rings and try a bearing supplier/ebay
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If using aerosols a couple of cans should easily do it. Maybe one, it goes a long way as only a thin coat is required.
You really need to get the metal nice and warm so the dynax has a chance to flow before being chilled, warmer the better.
Don't forget you will need a lance, some sellers include it, others don't.
If using a compressor, a litre should do it. At 90psi I can puff it in at one end, and see the vapour coming out the length of the chassis, but I still do it from the other end to get a more even coverage.
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Recycling won't be a problem. If you can sell a catalytic converter and small plalces can extract the valuable metals, the same will apply to batteries. It just a metter of time until enough batteries need recycling. And it will be less effort than the mining as the concentration is much higher than diggin ore from the ground.
The problem with synthetic fuels is always teh energy required to make them. On earth, we have the solar powered carbon cycle which supports all life.
ie water + air turns into sugar and powered by the sun (photosynthesis) producing oxygen as a handy by product.
The EXACT opposite is combustion/respiration, sugars and other carbon based molecules combining with oxygen and releases energy, CO2 and H20.
the problem is caused because nature has been tucking a small quantity of those carbon based molecules for 100s of millions of years, and we are suddenly burning it about a million times faster than it was stored away. The planet simply can't cope.
We need a reliable and concentrated source of non carbon energy. Solar sort of works, and I do wonder if sunny deserts and so on will be utilised as solar farms and export electricity (supertankers become super-batteries?) but I still think tidal is a better idea, especially for the UK as it is 100% reliable and predictable.
All while waiting for fusion.
And then being all electric will be sensible.
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29 minutes ago, raygeorge said:
Dear Peter
I am struggling to find Fitchetts.
Can you suggest any others who might supply a new tank?
With Best Wishes
Ray
They are best contacted by phone. Huge supplier/manufacturer of Triumph stuff, but quite old fashioned.
Vitesse Convertible Mk2 Overdrive Wanted
in General
Posted
Looks right to me, but lighting and monitors can make a huge difference.
Yes, the gaps on the black one are a bit out now I have zoomed in. Would need a good look to see how easy it woukd be to adjust, or if a fundamental issue.