[Dashboard Re-Veneer]

Yes. I used cellulose because it allows a you to apply a number of coats quickly.

[Fitting Body Mouldings/Trim]

I am about to start fitting the body mouldings/trim to my Vitesse restoration which can provide instant gratification (if it goes well) or misery (if you scratch your shiny new paint!).

It looks like a straightforward job but is there any specific issues I should be aware of?

Particular concerns include;

1. Having fitted new door skins I have to drill holes for the trim rivets - I was thinking masking tape and a string line from front/rear wings but this could go horribly wrong.

2. The short trim to the rear of the filler cap - how does this attach as its is too narrow to use the same rivets?

3. The holes for the bonnet centre trim are much larger than the rest. Is there a reason? My new clips have much smaller holes and I may have to fix with a washer on the rear side?

Any other experience to pass on would be most welcome.

Thanks

Car shown pre-scratched before trim fitting!!

 

 

[Best size steering wheel for a GT6]

On 16/02/2023 at 22:23, owensparrow said:

Anyone got any experience with the TSCC shop offerings?

These are made to order for the club and seem very good value. Unfortunately the guy who makes them is not well (heart attack🙁) and so they are currently unavailable. I believe he is ok so they may become available again at some point.

[Air extraction, spraying celly]

2 hours ago, Paul H said:

After a spraying session did you leave the blower on for a while ?

Only for a few minutes, being a small space it soon cleared.

[Air extraction, spraying celly]

On 14/02/2023 at 18:05, Paul H said:

1 . should the blower intake be floor level or spray level . To me the latter makes sense .

2 my exhaust will be opposite to the intake . Is this best position ? 
Thanks 

Sorry Paul, been away for a few days and just seen this.

I would start by saying I'm no expert in these matters so can only say what I did and any problems I encountered.

1. I assume you mean where it enters the booth? Mine was at floor level but I was concerned this might blow any floor dust/debris into the air. In the end I didn't have a problem but I did get Henry hoovering up the floor regularly. A higher level might remove this risk.

2. Opposite ends is good as it ensures max air displacement. However I directed the incoming blast away from the main spraying area as I didn't want it interfering with the spraying, so it was 90 degrees to the exhaust.  You can see my inlet/outlet alignment in the initial picture I posted.

I did find the initial inflow quite fierce so extended the hose length and had it turn through 180 degrees which seemed to slow it down a little. You will just have to see how yours behaves and adjust as necessary.

Hope this is useful.

Phil

 

[Vitesse Mk2 floats 150CD]

11 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

is that a necessity with your unsinkable floats

Probably not but it just seemed better that they didn't touch and it was simple to do at the time.

It would appear the latest floats have hinges much narrower than the locating lugs on the carb body I guess to suit other versions?

[Vitesse Mk2 floats 150CD]

15 hours ago, johny said:

Out of interest what was wrong with the old floats

One did have a small leak. It still worked but I could hear it swishing around inside. But as you identified these are now unsinkable!🤔

……wasn’t the Titanic also dubbed “unsinkable “? 

[Vitesse Mk2 floats 150CD]

Now installed the correct way up.

I did use a number of washers on the hinge pin to stop the sideways movement as the inside of the float could rub against the jet housing. Might not be a problem but I thought better if it doesn't.

I also cut off the redundant tab as the tip of it caught on float bowl.

[Vitesse Mk2 floats 150CD]

20 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

the twin arm float can be fitted upside down 

 

19 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

Yes, upside down is easy to do and looks OK, but will cause disaster

 

14 hours ago, NonMember said:

The problem you are having with the new floats is, I suspect, that you've fitted it upside down.

 

14 hours ago, johny said:

How about trying the new floats the other way up? 

 

14 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

i would turn it over and to get the height.bend the contact arm

Slightly embarrassed for being such a plonker! 🤓

All sorted now.

Thanks again

[Vitesse Mk2 floats 150CD]

Thanks all for your comments.

4 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

Carburetors — Buckeye Triumphs

Pete, thanks for that link, very useful. However my carbs are not like that shown and looking at all the pictures available from suppliers/parts book etc the floats do look as per my new ones.

So I began to think may be my carbs are not the correct ones. This is mine with the old float installed and with the new one. In the latter case it is difficult to set the float height without some major bending.

 

 

The parts drawing for 1600 carbs on Canleys website looks as per my original float. so I'm thinking may be my carbs are off a 1600 Vitesse.

May be I have a 1600 engine too!!

 

[Vitesse Mk2 floats 150CD]

Afternoon all

Anyone replaced their floats on 150CD carbs recently?

I have just received a pair from a well known supplier and find significant differences with the ones being replaced.

I have been assured these are the correct ones, and indeed with some manipulations I can probably get them to work. 
 

Main differences are;

1. Width of hinge is narrower on the replacement which allows sideways movement. I can address this by shimming with 3mm flat washers.

2. The kink within the originals hinge arm which allows the float to sit horizontal is missing on the replacements. This more tricky as the arm to activate the valve needs to be square to it.

Any experience with this?

thanks in advance 

Phil 

 

 

 

[Removing Hub Caps correctly.]

 

43 minutes ago, NonMember said:

There are three lugs on the wheel, which hold the nave plate, and are slightly raised from the rest of the circle. That difference is what you have to work with (you operate the removal tool, whether Colin's one or the OE lever, just to one side of one of the lugs).

Thanks, that makes sense. I don't have any original tool but from google photos I am guessing the OE tool is the cranked lever? Probably not difficult to make something up.

[Removing Hub Caps correctly.]

It is a Mk2 but not being a fan of the Rostyle trims I am going old school and using simple chrome hub caps.

Colin - that gizmo might work but I have yet to fix a hubcap in place so not sure what kind of gap will be available to get any purchase on? I don't want to fix one on until I have a suitable plan to get it off again!

 

[Removing Hub Caps correctly.]

Morning all,

Having just had my Vitesse wheels refurbished I'm wondering what the correct method is to remove hub caps without damaging the paint?

I see a number of "special" tools online but what is the best option.

Thanks 

[Air extraction, spraying celly]

23 hours ago, Paul H said:

explosion risk

😳😳 didn’t really think about this!

I remember as a teenager spraying various motorbikes in a single garage with no extraction, the old compressor cutting in and out and an electric heater on full to keep things dry!

I survived 🤓

[Air extraction, spraying celly]

2 hours ago, Paul H said:

Can your air mover safely be used for extraction as well as pressurising . 

I can't see why it wouldn't work pulling air out.

2 hours ago, Paul H said:

HVLP gun currently set at 28psi

I think you are bound to get a lot more overspray working at these higher pressures but agree experience will also have an impact.

I used a Fuji Mini Mite which provides a constant 9.5 psi so paint wastage was very much minimised. I think this type of sprayer was developed for the furniture/kitchen trade, ie to be used indoors with water based paints, where overspray needed to be kept to an absolute minimum. A mate sprayed his Healey with one, got great results and recommended it to me. 

[Air extraction, spraying celly]

Hi Paul,

I had very little overspray/misting but probably because I used a HVLP turbine spray system set at 9psi rather than anything to do with the air system. Not used one before but would recommend them over a compressor system as they are a lot quieter (probably more of a concern re neighbours?) and there is no need to worry about condensation in the air flow.

One issue I had to be very careful with was the air entry point into the booth where the air flow was at its maximum. It had to be directed away from the spraying area and also keeping the floor clean to avoid the air flow picking up dust within the booth. An extraction setup would be better but I decided ensuring air is only brought in through the filters would be too difficult (for me).

Inevitably there is a smell outside and it would depend how close your neighbours are as to whether it would be a problem. My neighbours are 250m away so not for me but I would say the current Mrs C didn't complain (and she like to comment on noise/smells coming out of my garage) so it can't have been that bad!

Hope this helps

Phil

 

[Vitesse Hood Fitting - Seals & Trim]

Also available for the Herald 😊

 

[A bit of bling]

Noted 😳

[Vitesse Hood Fitting - Seals & Trim]

2 hours ago, Gary Flinn said:

PS - Here's a photo of my Old Vitesse a year after its full restoration

Very nice 😎

[Vitesse Hood Fitting - Seals & Trim]

Thanks both, all very useful information.

After a little search and I find do have the correct chrome finishers. Just need to work out there if there is an accepted substitute for the edge finisher.

Not fitted a hood before but keen to give it a go!

[Vitesse Hood Fitting - Seals & Trim]

Firstly a Happy New Year to all!

Hope a good time was had by all.

My NY resolution is, as it was last year, to get my Vitesse on the road this year. Not achieved in 2022 but much closer now 🤞

Currently planning hood fitting and found the relevant pages of my sold as "Complete" Parts Manual are missing 😩. My car came with a bare hood frame and no header rail so I have nothing to go on at the moment.

I have sourced most parts and have assumed the following order of events, although any advice would be very welcome!

1. Hood fabric to stretch over the header and around into the underside channel.

2. The weather seal retaining channel will then be fitted over the hood material with self tappers.

3. I have bought a new weather seal as shown below. I must admit I did expect it to have locating ridges to fit into the retaining channel. As it is simply square does this just glue into the retaining channel or is the seal shape incorrect?

4. I also believe there should be some kind of finisher along the front leading edge but I can't find any supplier listing such a thing. I was given the following clips (below)  with the header rail and told they fix the ends of said finisher. Any advice as to where I can get/make such a trim/seal?

5. Should the header rail inside face be trimmed? Currently I have just painted it black but it might look good covered in vinyl??

Finally, the seal I have bought for the side windows (fits in the aluminium channels around the side windows) feels too rigid, especially at the tight radius around the upper rear edge of the window. Section shown below. Does this look correct? 

Any recommendations as to a better source of any of the seals mentioned above?

 

Mant thanks in advance of any help offered.

 

 

 

 

[A bit of bling]

I'll see you.......

 

.....and raise you 5 newly powder coated wheels!! (just picked up this morning 😊)

Love a bit of "Bling Poker" 😎

 

 

 

[Vitesse Mk2 Emissions Valve.]

16 hours ago, johny said:

3 turns from the top of jet being level with the bridge ie just touching the underside of the air piston? 

I did.

13 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

on the rocker cover repplacement just what sort of filler cap and vent is fitted  

compared to the original ??

Its the standard alloy cover and cap available from most suppliers and the cap has a single hole through the centre. Unfortunately I can't find the original to compare....its somewhere 🙄

I was just wanting to check the increase in engine speed thing with the cap removed was normal before adjusting the mixture etc. I will now weaken the mixture and see how I get on.

Thanks All

[Vitesse Mk2 Emissions Valve.]

I have re-checked float level which was ok and the choke is definitely not sticking on. I guess I was surprised how rich it was running with the jets turned down the recommended 3 rotations.