heraldcoupe
-
Posts
20 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Events
Posts posted by heraldcoupe
-
-
There are a couple of issues at play.
Firstly, are your clips wide enough to accomodate the thickness of the doorskin and the flange of the weatherstrip? Don't rely on simple coloration, the green finish is simply a preservative finish, many different sizes are produced in the green finish usually associated with the correct clips.
Secondly, have your doors been re-skinned? If so, the return flange which the seal locates onto is often deeper than on the original panels. Result is that you need a deeper clip than the original or the weatherstrip will at best be located by only the very tip of the clip, it needs to be driven fully home to work as intended.
The job can be unpleasant even with all the right parts, with the wrong parts it's likely to be a complete nightmare.
Cheers,
Bill.
-
Thanks Bill - it was YOUR lip seal that I had purchased, in fact more than once so ended up with quite a length for my two early Heralds. I diverted an excess piece and used it on the tailgate where it worked a treat! I found it great stuff as it allows the tailgate to lock in place, it just drops in with a click and no force required and the seal is merely to provide the rainproofing and draughtproofing.
Hah!
I've seen it ruck under in tight corners, which is how it often leaks. But if it works for you ...
As you say, the regular bubble profile sold by so many won't compress so it holds the door up off the aperture; you can go for the thinner rubber version which compresses better but always seems on the point of collapse even when new. It's hard to decide by mail-order; I've bought more off the roll at shows where i can handle it and see the profile / quality at first hand.
I'll still be getting to ocasional shows in one guise or another, make sure you have a look at my low profile seal when you get a chance. There are quite a lot of them in circulation fitted to GT6s, you'll find a few of them at most Triumph shows if you're nosy enough...
Cheers,
Bill.
-
Don't use any kind of bubble or rolled seal, it only traps air. Use a flat or flap seal of this sort of profile:
The regular bubble profiles are too large and won't compress sufficiently, trapped air or not. There is a perforated seal which I've supplied for other applications, it expels the air but won't collapse sufficiently in the GT6 application.
The original GT6 Seal was of course a bubble type, a strangely complex profile formed with a double contact area in a 'B' profile. This is no longer available, however the low-profile bubble section I've been selling for the past 8 years has been well received by those who've used it. It was extensively tested in 2009 and has been popular ever since. The single lip type has been subject to a lot of negative feedback, though Colin has evidently found it adequate in his case. It is a cheap profile to buy - look for Herald/Spitfire/GT6 bulkhead seal as this is what many specialists offer in this application.
Cheers,
Bill.
-
Can you post of a full side-on image of the car? This will show us the height relationship between the rear shell, door, bulkhead and bonnet. I suspect a poorly executed chassis rebuild, but the root cause could be in one of several different areas,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
1
-
-
But I still think it's posed, from other Triumph history.
Quite possibly, or probably.
While a BMIHT search will provide the date any given car left the factory, time of day is going to be pretty much impossible to test.
I try and satisfy myself that the highest commission number should be the last one to begin the production process. I'm sure that even them there will be some anomalies, but at least the commission plate will be the last of it's kind ever made...
Cheers,
Bill.
-
The "last Herald comes off the production line"?
When there is another, right behind it?
The car behind the Herald is a GT6,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
All that you've suggested is straightforward enough. The Saloon bulkhead will need minor mods to the header rail to meet Convertible spec. plus the post-1970 windscreen wiper setup is differentl;y spaced, so the swap would be obvious to anyone who knew Triumphs fairly well. It's quite a common swap, but I'm personally reluctant to leave telltale signs of 'bitsa' restorations. Similarly, the late bulkhead will have three air intake panels, the earlier one will have only two.
Reading between the lines, I guess you're proposing to leave the Vitesse bonnet on the Vitess chassis, with the bulkhead swapped from the Herald. There should be on issues with alignment in this respect.
Fitting the 1965 body to the 1971 chassis would be more problematic due to changes to the body mountings around 1966. If you wanted to do this I can provide more detail, cutting and welding of the shell is necessary,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
How well do your doors fit? Do they kick out at the lower back edge?
This would indicate bodytub spread as the shell opens up across the B-posts, closure across the boot aperture is a further symptom of the same problem,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
1
-
-
There was a special gearbox which I understand was unique to the South African market, a 4-synchro version of the regular 3-rail, 3-synchro box. Not to be confused with the Spitfire MkIV gearbox which shared little with the 3-synchro type.
John Kipping acquired original spares stock for these gearboxes, which allowed him to produce 4-synchro versions on exchange for 3-synchro boxes.
Cheers,
Bill.
-
Why spawn of the devil? They were fitted by Triumph to early heralds as standard.
Those fitted as original equipment to early Heralds were dowelled to the rack, providing very positive location. The Mk2 aftermarket mounts rely only on friction, with some being poorly dimensioned and cracking when clamped to the rack. If you have a good set then they will remain good, but there are plenty of reported failures.
Cheers,
Bill.
-
I've tried the UJ on my Herald and it fouls on the suspension upright.
What's general experience?
Throughout production, there were two interchangeable designs of pinion gear for the steering rack. One of these is approximately 1" taller than the other and makes clearance between the joint and the suspension tower rather close. When it does foul, it's most often the upper nyloc nut which makes contact rather than the coupling itself, the problem can usually (but not always) be overcome by fitting a low profile nut in place of the standard full height nut.
The taller steering pinion became more popular in the 1970s, it's very rare to find one on an original Herald or Vitesse, even though both part numbers are listed in the respective parts catalogues. With so many reconditioned exchange steering racks being in circulation, in addition to the cheap aftermarket racks which are now available, clearance issues are likely to become more common.
While the joint is usually marketed as an upgrade, one of the underlying reasons for it's popularity is the shocking quality of current reproductions of the original type.
Cheers,
Bill.
-
Early cars including all standard 948s and very early 1200s had the 2-bulb lights with peaked lenses. These were changed in very early 1200 production to the smaller single-bulb type. The 2-bulb lamps reappeared in early 1965. Be aware that throughout the period when small lamps were regular fitment, the larger units were being used in certain overseas markets, including some where a large lamp with single bulb was fitted. This meant that bonnets with both size apertures were rolling down the production lines simultaneously, with some large-lamps still finding their way into UK production.
From the large lamp's wholesale reintroduction in 1965, the peaked lens continued in use until 1969/70, when the smooth lens was introduced. It wasn't only the lens which changed though, the earlier lamps the peaked lens have a backplate incorporating a metal divider between the two bulbs. Those with the smooth lens lack this divider, the lower profile of this lens prevents it's inclusion.
Cheers,
Bill.
-
As originally supplied, the seals were joined at the top rear corner, each end bevelled to 45 degrees. The original seals were reinforced with a right-angled piece of steel inserted in either end of the locating 'u' section to hold it all together.
Sealing here relies on a close fit, be sure that the surfaces meet properly and use a rubber adhesive if available,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
As I have a vested interest, I'll chip in. For those who don't know me, I run Rarebits and supply these seals.
The lip profile is correct for all Herald 1200 & 13/60, Vitesse, GT6 and Spitfires. There are subtle differences in the exact profile as multiple suppliers to Standard-Triumph were being used concurrently, but the bubble profile is never correct.
Furflex finishers are correct for Mk3 GT6 and MkIV/1500 Spitfires. Herald 1200, 13/60, Vitesse and earlier Spitfire & GT6 all had a woven fabric finisher from the factory.The Rarebits seal is a good match for one of the OE lip profiles, however it is plain rubber. The original fabric finisher can be supplied for those who are sufficiently masochistic to put themselves through bonding it to the seal. Similarly, it seems the Furflex fabric is also available, however I've never handled it as no customer has ever asked...
Not relevant to the car in question, but to complete the information offered, Herald 948s are a special case with most using seals unlike any used elsewhere in the Triumph range. There were several designs, all presumably less successful than the lip types which superceded them,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
1
-
-
I use Evostik Timebond.
It's a good idea to clean the rubber using Isopropyl Alcohol or similar to ensure there's no residue to prevent adhesion,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
The clips which hold the 13/60 & Vitesse front trim are unique in that application, at least as far as our cars are concerned. They were completely unavailable for years, though they are now back in production,
Cheers,
Bill.
-
There were many, many detail differences according to when the vehicle was produced, but the column mounting remained unchanged throughout,
Cheers,
Bill.
spitfire iv window weather strips.
in Bodywork & Fittings
Posted
You really shouldn't have to though. The clips should be broadly parallel from top to bottom when in situ. If you have to open them out at the top then they will still be too narrow at the base,
Not really, there may be a degree of angling backwards, but the lip should not be far off vertical.
Cheers,
Bill.