RayHutch

All good advice. The battery that I have in at the moment is 35Ah 330 CCA and it just seems too small for the job. After starting the car, the voltmeter shows a heavy drain, it goes back up after driving for a while but I'd like a battery with a bit more in reserve.

Mine has the regular starter but I might go high torque in the future. Rimmer does the Dynamic Silver Ah45 CCA 375 - any experience / other recommendations?

Thanks for the advice, off to find a bike shop :-))

Out for a drive and my accelerator cable snapped. I guess it must have been wearing thin over time. Is it a straight Rimmer replacement or are there more heavy duty ones to be had? Thanks

Thanks Richard, I just got the last one !

Is this the right Granville coolant ? There seems to be a couple of options

Thanks to all, really appreciate your advice.

Which antifreeze should be used on a 1969 Vitesse? A recent hose failure caused a loss of coolant and I topped up with water (a lot). Also, I’m in a hard water area, is it ok to use tap water?

Had the overdrive checked and the problem was lack of oil. It’s been topped up and now works a treat !

Had the rear suspension checked out, the problem was identified as broken Rotoflex donuts, the shocks were actually fine. All changed and ride much better now.

Hi Dave, they tune every other type of carb, don't know why they specifically exclude Strombergs. Is there a definitive guide on the interweb on how to tweak them?

I eventually got through to Novatech - they don’t tune Strombergs :-((

Coming to the conclusion that marginal improvement is not worth the effort and cost. Might try and find a local rolling road though ;-)) Thanks for all your comments and suggestions !

Thanks Clive, it's a MK2.

Thanks John, Carbs were tuned without a rolling road. Wasn't sure of the value given that there was no ECU to map. Valves were also checked. We tried a sports coil but it appeared to have little effect. It has electronic ignition but I'm not sure which brand. It also has a nice stainless steel exhaust. Air filters are the metal pancake type. I'll check on the manifold tomorrow. Don't understand your comment about CR 9.5 to 11. I fitted verniers to a K series in the past and that helped a lot - not sure how this applies to this set up. Friends went for a lightened flywheel but that made tickover erratic.

My Vitesse 2L engine has about 10,000 miles on it since a rebuild. I’m not sure what cams were fitted or what was done as it was 2 owners ago and the history file doesn’t have the details. I’ve recently had reconditioned Strombergs fitted and they’ve been professionally tuned. It goes well and sounds great - my question is, what is a cost effective way to get extra horsepower? I’m not looking for silly boy-racer stuff just a subtle bit extra. I know a bit about achieving this from a K Series but have no experience of the straight six. Looking forward to constructive comments.

I went with Autosol and toothbrushes. Not a bad result but the supposed dirt looks to be where the paint finish was wearing through. Looks like I need to re-coat them.

My painted wires need a really good clean. I’ve used a wire wheel brush with car shampoo but they need a bit more elbow grease. It’s only dirt (not rust) - what’s the best way to get them back to their best ? Thanks

My Vitesse-based car had a D to J type overdrive conversion way back in 2001 and was standing for at least 4 years before I acquired it last year. The switches have been renewed but not the solenoid. The overdrive doesn't activate when switched on. Is the solenoid the likely cause of the fault or is there a chance that the overdrive will free itself up in a few hundred miles after being left unused for so long? Not eager to drop the engine etc.

Thanks Gary, good information. Just got to wait now for someone to have a look at them or is this a simple, home fix?

I've found out today that the top (3?) leaves were taken out when the 1 inch block was fitted. Ian F - who supplies alternative leaf springs? I've called Rimmer but they don't offer any. Clive - where are you based?

I had a conversation with Dave at Spitfire Graveyard and he advised the following: "No that's not a GT6 modification and GT6 shock absorbers will not fit. Its the kit that's used nowadays and is a good thing. You just want a pair of Spitfire shock absorbers instead." I hope he's right ! I (hopefully) have attached a photo of the stripped chassis in which the set up can be seen.

Interesting, Spax were not recommended. Personal choice I suppose.

Nick, what are the preferred make of classic mini shocks? Is it easy to remove leaf springs or is there an aftermarket softer option available?

Thanks Nick, that could be a spine-saver !