Vitesse Hood Fitting - Seals & Trim

[Phil C]

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.

 

 

 

 

[Gary Flinn]

2 hours ago, Phil C said:

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. - Yes, this is how mine was done.

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

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? - This should just press into and be a tight fit within the U shaped channel, the U Section on your rubber is designed to overlap the top of the protruding section on your Windscreen Header rail.

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? - There is a finisher, it is Black Plastic and shaped to over lap the edge of hood as it wraps around the Header Rail. It is fixed at each end on the underside with a small self tapping screw, as far as I'm aware these are no longer available. (The clips below is for the the top of Door Quarter Light 'A' Post Seal each side).

5. Should the header rail inside face be trimmed? Currently I have just painted it black but it might look good covered in vinyl?? - It should be trimmed in a black grained vinyl type material for later cars after 1968, a Light grey colour for earlier cars. 

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? - That looks the correct type of seal, again it is a press fit into the Aluminium channel sections cut to suit for each of the 3 sections per side (Try warming in hot water or gently with a Hair Dryer before fitting).  

Any recommendations as to a better source of any of the seals mentioned above? - I tried an alternative 'P' section type seal off Seals Direct (I think) but the window used to drag, so I would stick with that shape.

 

Mant thanks in advance of any help offered.

 

 

 

 

Hi Phil

Happy New Year to you too, I have answered your queries adjacent each item in BOLD

Hope you get it all sorted

Gary

[Gary Flinn]

Phil

Below is a link thanks to Canley Classic showing the Hood Frame and all the fittings for the Herald 13/60 which is exactly the same as the Vitesse, Canley's list the finisher (63) and one of the End Clips (64) NLA, surprisingly one of the End clips Right Hand side (64) is in stock!

https://www.canleyclassics.com/?catalogue=triumph-herald-13/60&diagram=triumph-herald-13/60-convertible-hood 

PS - Here's a photo of my Old Vitesse a year after its full restoration, if you zoom in you can make out the PVC Finisher and Stainless end clips

Regards 

Gary

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, Phil C said:

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 🤞

 

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?

Your drawing of the hood looks correct to me; never fitted one but have taken a few apart! Fabric goes over the large curved front rail, the long flat one screws in from underneath to hold it in place and the seal just glues into the bottom. there's no lip, it just sticks in place with adhesive - I've no idea if that was always the way but there are two profiles of seal about today; one which is equally curved, and one that is offset. It just depends on who supplies.

There are chrome finishers on either end of the hood rail, one on each corner; I can't find a supplier at the moment. Yours (pictured) are for the tops of the screen pillars and cover the end of the door seal. These are the hood finishers:

As for seals, I go to James Paddock; good service and quick despatch, but even they only list the two finishers you have, not the two missing ones. My 13/60 hood has been trimmed on the inside with what looks like black vinyl; not a great job but it does hide the header rail. 

[Phil C]

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!

[Phil C]

2 hours ago, Gary Flinn said:

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

Very nice 😎

[NonMember]

29 minutes ago, Phil C said:

I love the jet assisted GT6 - very Dan Dare!

[Phil C]

Also available for the Herald 😊