cliff.b Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 Just arrived in a pub at Duxford to meet a friend for lunch and while waiting in the car park, an old chap came over and said he organised one of the press launches for the MK3 Spitfire. Claims they fitted them with rear suspension off a Vitesse so the motoring press wouldn't do the sort of things they did with the earlier cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 i have heard of that idea before but just what suspension did they convert to rotaflex??? and wishbones of the Mk2 which was in production at the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFL Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 3 hours ago, cliff.b said: Just arrived in a pub at Duxford to meet a friend for lunch and while waiting in the car park, an old chap came over and said he organised one of the press launches for the MK3 Spitfire. Claims they fitted them with rear suspension off a Vitesse so the motoring press wouldn't do the sort of things they did with the earlier cars. The Mk3 Spitfire was introduced January 1967 I believe, the Mk2 Vitesse October 1968 so they couldn't have been fitted with the Lower Wishbone Roto-flex type suspension? Maybe they had a de-cambered spring fitted to them for the press to use. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Truman Posted August 10, 2023 Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 Or even a camber compensator anti roll bar thingy as popular in the States Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted August 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2023 Unfortunately he was a bit short on technical details and obviously a marketing man but well aware of the issues that the motoring press had raised for the earlier cars. Anyway, it added interest to a very pleasant lunchtime with an old friend who also brought his classic along and enhanced by a couple of those other Spitfires flying overhead on a perfect sunny day. Things don't get much better than this 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted August 11, 2023 Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 Am I correct if I remember that some of the other Triumphs were 'tweaked' slightly... too early in the morning here for proper brain function and not able to check properly... but they were given enhanced performance for journalists whilst being claimed to be production standard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff.b Posted August 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 11 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: Am I correct if I remember that some of the other Triumphs were 'tweaked' slightly... too early in the morning here for proper brain function and not able to check properly... but they were given enhanced performance for journalists whilst being claimed to be production standard? As was the E-type, allegedly lol. Some say the car that was famously tested at 150mph may not have had a completely standard engine 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Truman Posted August 11, 2023 Report Share Posted August 11, 2023 Have you ever driven an E Type at speed around 130mph, coming up the M1 from London to the NE in the mid 60's no speed limit in those days the front end becomes very light as the lack of aero dynamic aids lets air under the car so the full width of the fast lane plus some was used, no air dam or chin spoiler in those days. Quite scary really, but youth said just push on! It was a 3.8 & never got near 140mph but it was a CV. I reckon dads 300SE 6.3 Merc was safer at approaching 120mph but two stops for long drinks were judicious if peak hour London traffic was anticipated and you wanted to safely get to your central London Strand destination, and back out to the M1 before refueling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 12, 2023 Report Share Posted August 12, 2023 (edited) The only time I've ever had my GT6 flat out was on the M4 when I first got it in 1978. Manual says top speed is 112mph, but my dial said 120. Now THAT was scary! These days I'm law abiding, although 60mph in the GT6 now feels like 120. Doug Edited August 12, 2023 by dougbgt6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted August 12, 2023 Report Share Posted August 12, 2023 I pushed my GT6, the Mk1, only once until the needle touched the 100mph mark, early morning on a very long straight country road en route to a show. Straight line only, no other traffic for miles, and then slowed again very quickly. That car always felt like it was doing 80 when the speedo was reading 50 anyway, so 50 was usually fast enough for me at any other time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Twitchen Posted August 12, 2023 Report Share Posted August 12, 2023 Colin, I did exactly the same thing, once, having restored the car and rebuilt the original engine nearly twenty years ago. Why, to prove I had done it right. Unfortunately, after this years Classic Le Mans trip just waiting to pull the engine and sort out what I believe to a main bearing issue! Oh well, after about 40,000 miles can't complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 12, 2023 Report Share Posted August 12, 2023 (edited) the trouble with high speeds is we are not kitted out to absorb the incoming information when the brain is tuned to 70 at 120 the catch up is vastly differently too quick did some 120 runs in my Renault 25 and you do need an empty road or as a muppet its easy to end up in disaster my old Vit6 you new when you exceeded 90 as the mirrors all folded back as early warning Pete Edited August 12, 2023 by Pete Lewis 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 12, 2023 Report Share Posted August 12, 2023 I've had my 13/60 upto an indicated 130+*, just to see what it's like. * That's kph of course 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve P Posted August 12, 2023 Report Share Posted August 12, 2023 I took my 2.5 Vitesse CV to just over 100mph once,only once.It felt like the back end wanted to come round and the front was lifting. With a tuned 2.5,o/d box and 3:27 diff I think it could easily do 120 + but not with me driving. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigolf Posted September 24, 2023 Report Share Posted September 24, 2023 Took my Vit cv to an indicated 110 mph once many, many years ago, on a very quiet straight stretch of A303 dual carriageway. The wind noise and vibration were horrendous! I shouted across to my mate, who was hitching a lift and had his head down rolling a fag,remarking on our velocity, whereby he dropped his fag in fright! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted September 24, 2023 Report Share Posted September 24, 2023 On 10/08/2023 at 23:47, cliff.b said: Unfortunately he was a bit short on technical details and obviously a marketing man but well aware of the issues that the motoring press had raised for the earlier cars. Anyway, it added interest to a very pleasant lunchtime with an old friend who also brought his classic along and enhanced by a couple of those other Spitfires flying overhead on a perfect sunny day. Things don't get much better than this 👍 As if the motoring correspondents couldn't look under the cars! A Spitfire with Rotaflex would have been bleeding obvious! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted September 24, 2023 Report Share Posted September 24, 2023 And on velocity, the Silverback did 124mph on the long straight, Dottinger Hohe, at the 'Ring. The Speedo wasn't working but the rev counter was, and I worked it out later from diff ratio and wheel rolling radius. Silverback was an experiment in aerodynamics, and I never did get around to fitting the air dam I intended for it. But it was steady as a rock. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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