dave.vitesse

My basic interpretation of the Data Protection Act 2018 is it states that the data be held and controlled in a secure manner. This includes controlling the issue of data. e.g. What’s the person asking for data going to use it for and how does this effect people contained within the data. This could mean carrying out a search for all previous owner of the car and checking they are happy for their details to be passed on. As this could involve many man-hours it has a cost implication. Employing extra staff, training, subject to audit and certification would be the result. It’s very doubtful if un-paid volunteers carrying the work out at home would meet the control and security requirements. This is why the Reg sec's and the DVLA don't provide this information anymore. Martyn, Your's may well now be one of the last Vitesse 6 produced. But not the oldest as we do still have a number of 1962 and 1963 Vitesse. Dave.

Some 45 years ago I fitted Britax child car seats into the Toledo we had at the time. There are lower fixing points, fixed nuts in the body, behind the rear seat and one on the parcel shelve. I added a fourth with a thick plate to carry the load. The same will be true for all the Dolomite range. The Vitesse doesn't have any fixing for rear belts or child seats. As already said the Herald/Vitesse convertible would be a problem fixing a child seat. Dave

Are there any marks inside the cover due to contact with the rockers. Dave

As interest the sliding spline was introduced to stop the loading of the input bearing of the diff due to the movement of the engine and gearbox. It probably made assembly easier as well. Dave

Yes, that's their origin. Dave

Not sure if we have covered this, well in with my big feet anyway. The function of the dashpot is to stop the piston vibrating and to delay it rise. By delaying its rise it momentarily enriches the mixture so it acts like an accelerator pump. Thin oil will cause the piston to rise quicker than thick oil. As said winter may call for a thinner oil due to the lower temperatures. However, in the winter generally you need a richer mixture anyway so hence only one type used to be specified. I can remember a Minx, the car, I had in the 1960's where the Solex carb had a winter and summer setting for the accelerator pump. The winter setting gave bigger squirt of fuel. On the SU or Stromberg it's automatic. I can remember the economy drivers putting in the thinness oil they could find! Dave

Picture 1 undo to centralise jet. Picture 2 Jet height/mixture adjustment. Dave

Out of the 2 Litre models the breakdown is as follows - 2 Litre (Mk1) Saloon 7,745. Convertible 4,193. 2 Litre Mk2 Saloon 5,212 Convertibles 2,802. These figures are always approx. I have a 2 Litre Mk2 Saloon with a sunroof. Dave

Only very late 1600 and 2 Litre models had 4.5" Rims. The most 1600's had 3.5" rims. Dave

The Vitesse jets are not biased, only the late GT6 Mk3. Dave

Multi grade came in and we started using it. Full stop. Car nuts were all buying the 20/50 green stuff, including me back in the 1960's. Dave

Try Canley Classics for a used manifold, but Richard's suggestion re a drill should shift the stuff. Use some water as well. Dave

Burlen Ltd 01722 412500 are the main source of Stromberg parts and kits. The kits come with new float valve, but if yours are working OK then you may not need to replace them. The 'O' sealing rings, jets, may need replacing due to age. The plastic pipe is original and is used to connect the second carb to the choke box on the first carb. The plastic pipe should now be replaced with a rubber type. Dave

Yes I thought you would like the stretched holes. I think a new bolt is required there. As you say most part company and then require a bolt welding to the remaining section in the manifold. As we both know you have to use plenty of heat and oil this producing lots of smoke, plus much muttering, to get the thing out. When fitting a new bolt I used plumbers mate or copper slip to reduce the corrosion. The plumbers mate appears to work. Dave

So how does it work. Extracts from an article I did a few years ago. Dave The hot water is passed through the inlet manifold to the heater valve. As with the earlier models, without the heated inlet manifold, the return from the heater feeds back to the water pump housing through the return pipe. The water flow is not at first obvious as all the heater connections are via a three way adaptor bolted to the inlet manifold. Inside the adaptor itself there a two of holes. The largest hole, Picture 1, is to feed the heater and small hole, Picture 2, is a bypass when the heater is turned off. The heater return is connected to the return pipe, Picture 3. The heat through the manifold is reduced when the heater is turned off. This makes sense as less heat is require in the summer and this is when the heater would be turned off. Picture 4 shows the banjo bolt with the water outlet holes used to feed the holes.

The inlet manifold on the Vitesse is partly heated by the hot water from the engine. If you can't unblock the manifold this will reduce the heat in the manifold and will weaken the mixture. It's more noticeable during the warm-up period. I would use a combinations of water and a piece of stiff wire to shift the muck. Try a hose with some pressure one end and wire and water the other. Do not try to undo the large bolt as this will break off leaving the rest of it in the manifold. Dave

Normally it all back-up along the pipe, the main cause is a block on the heater end. Try blanking off all but one of the pipes at the heater end. Then feed water in the one remaining pipe, heater end, whilst using the stiff wire the thermostat end. Dave

No, I took the picture about 10 years ago. The Mk2 had the smaller spacer. At a guess between 3/4" and 1" The Mk1/1600 the middle one. Dave

It may be the water heated inlet manifold blocked as this feeds the heater. Do not try to undo the large nut at the heater end of the manifold as it will break off. Clean out it's ports with a piece of stiff wire, plus flush through with water Dave

Clutch and Brake cleaner is also good at getting crap out of locks. Dave

SU oil is available from Burlen Ltd 01722 412500 Dave

As said the handbrake cable guide mounted on the tub, plus damper stops mounted on the inner rear wheel arch. Dave

One item often removed during work is the shower curtain. This is fixed to the base for the window channel. basically where the glass fits onto the winding mechanism and hangs down between the door card and the inner part of the door. It deflects the water away from the door card towards the drain holes. Dave

For Info - Tim Woodthorpe provide an article in this months Courier, April, on converting the Herald/Vitesse single speed wipers to two speed. Dave

The finish was directly on to steel hence it didn't last. Dave