One Owner from New Triumphs

[Gary Flinn]

As a lot of you will know I've been on the lookout for an original low mileage/low ownership Vitesse for quite a few months now.

Does anyone know of any club cars that have been owned by the same person from new?

It must be a long shot with even the later Spitfires and Dolomites being 40+ years old now

I would love to find an original, one owner low mileage car but I'm beginning to think there aren't any left these days.

Regards

Gary 

Edited March 20 by Gary Flinn

[dougbgt6]

The Blue Vitesse in my group picture below is currently for sale, John's bought a Stag and the Vitesse has to go. Ad should be in the Courier, whenever it arrives. Not sure if it's one owner, but it's been well looked after. John earns money from fettling other people's Triumphs.

Doug

Edited March 20 by dougbgt6

[Gary Flinn]

23 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

The Blue Vitesse in my group picture below is currently for sale, John's bought a Stag and the Vitesse has to go. Ad should be in the Courier, whenever it arrives. Not sure if it's one owner, but it's been well looked after. John earns money from fettling other people's Triumphs.

Doug

Doug

I have seen that one listed, it looks very nice but I've set my heart on a Mk2 Convertible, preferably with Over-drive.

I can remember chatting to a guy at the Stafford TSSC Show several years ago and he'd owned his White MK2 Convertible since 1974, a guy called Gordon Stokes from Birmingham also attended Stafford a couple of times and he'd owned his lovely 1965 Signal Red Vitesse 6 from new, but that was sold via a dealer a few years ago now.

I did view a 3 owner car earlier this year with 47K miles genuine miles on the clock, but this had too many Mechanical issues for me although I did make what I though was a realistic offer for it which was refused.

Gary    

[AndyTV8]

40 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

The Blue Vitesse in my group picture below is currently for sale, John's bought a Stag and the Vitesse has to go. Ad should be in the Courier, whenever it arrives. Not sure if it's one owner, but it's been well looked after. John earns money from fettling other people's Triumphs.

Doug

It is in the TSSC website classified ads now, it looks very good and I’m sure it will find a great new home - I just noticed where it is located, we will be moving nearby in May so nice to know there may be some fellow Triumph-sightings in the local area, I’ll keep my ears listening out for the familiar Burble  

……… Andy 

[johny]

On 20/03/2024 at 12:42, Gary Flinn said:

As a lot of you will know I've been on the lookout for an original low mileage/low ownership Vitesse for quite a few months now.

Does anyone know of any club cars that have been owned by the same person from new?

It must be a long shot with even the later Spitfires and Dolomites being 40+ years old now

I would love to find an original, one owner low mileage car but I'm beginning to think there aren't any left these days.

Regards

Gary 

Hi Gary, doesnt fit your specifications exactly but theres one on ebay now that must be good enough - certainly expensive enough!

[Gary Flinn]

27 minutes ago, johny said:

Hi Gary, doesnt fit your specifications exactly but theres one on ebay now that must be good enough - certainly expensive enough!

Hi Jonny

Yes, I presume you mean the Damson car?

I've been in touch with the owner via messenger who I have had correspondence with in the past on the Vitesse Facebook group, I will call him tonight to discuss.

The asking price is out my remit though so unless there's some movement I won't be viewing it.

I actually went and viewed the other one listed on E-Bay (White Mk2 Convertible) yesterday as it's quite local to me.

This had been subjected to a Chassis up rebuild and a lot of expenditure, it only needed the Hood frame fitting, a new hood and a few other minor jobs to finish it, however I was put off by the panel fit and the lack of over-drive.

There seems to be a lot of Heralds/Vitesse's that need the doors slamming to shut properly, and I'm sure its not just incorrect profile door seals.

The interior (Ox-blood colour with White Piping) wasn't my cup of tea either.

More cars seem to be appearing for sale now it's spring so I'm hopeful of getting one soon.

Regards

Gary       

[johny]

Yes doors do need quite a lot of patience and time to set up well even going to bending the lip of the body shell where the seal fits to ensure theres the right amount of contact along all the aperture so that a piece of card will slide with the same resistance all the way round😲

Good luck.

[Peter Truman]

5 hours ago, Gary Flinn said:

 

There seems to be a lot of Heralds/Vitesse's that need the doors slamming to shut properly, and I'm sure its not just incorrect profile door seals.

Regards

Gary       

Herald/Vitesse door slamming can just be the wedge slider at the bottom of the A post door catch being seized a good clean and making sure it slides as you shut the door makes for finger push door closing. There again it could be more serious but the slider is an easy fix!! . 

[Gary Flinn]

12 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Herald/Vitesse door slamming can just be the wedge slider at the bottom of the A post door catch being seized a good clean and making sure it slides as you shut the door makes for finger push door closing. There again it could be more serious but the slider is an easy fix!! . 

Peter

Yes, a lot of the door catches and anti-burst catches get seized as well as worn, which isn't going to help.

I spent an age adjusting the doors and bonnet for a good fit and also easy closing on my old Vitesse, I managed to source some decent catches off a low mileage 13/60 Herald Saloon and with the correct 'J' Section door seals and unseizing of the Anti-burst catches, they shut well.

I'm sure that when the cars were new slamming wasn't required, but 50+ years on things are bound to have worn and the bubble type seals don't help matters.

Gary 

[Peter Truman]

A club member here had an early 60's Herald  Coupe (Aus CKD by AMI) and he had to slam the doors, at a "tweak it day" I fixed the anti burst wedges, realigned the doors and hey presto the door shut with min action, not quite Jag like, but close!

The daughters Mk2 Spit has a closed circular section door rubber not the closed cell type, and that affects the door closure, I need to replace it with a small C section flap pinchweld, but there's only one supplier here and he only sells it in 50 mts rolls $+$+$, at a max the Spit and Vitesse would use 12mts!! I have thought about cutting longways along the bottom the closed circular type and trimming the flap length to create a small C section to see if that helps/works

 

 

  

[johny]

On 22/04/2024 at 17:31, Gary Flinn said:

Hi Jonny

Yes, I presume you mean the Damson car?

I've been in touch with the owner via messenger who I have had correspondence with in the past on the Vitesse Facebook group, I will call him tonight to discuss.

The asking price is out my remit though so unless there's some movement I won't be viewing it.

Regards

Gary       

It doesnt look like it was a factory fitted overdrive model and this will show in its commission number. Have to check if its been fitted with the correct boot badge and operating switch which arent apparent in the photos. Door gaps still dont look perfect - thats being picky but really I think youre looking for perfection and any less gives leverage on the price...

[Gary Flinn]

16 minutes ago, johny said:

It doesnt look like it was a factory fitted overdrive model and this will show in its commission number. Have to check if its been fitted with the correct boot badge and operating switch which arent apparent in the photos. Door gaps still dont look perfect - thats being picky but really I think youre looking for perfection and any less gives leverage on the price...

Johny

You are correct, the Over-drive was retro fitted recently I think, I don't know if the owners also retro fitted an Over-drive badge after the photo's where taken?

He told me he's fitted the standard Cowl switch, a relay and the additional wiring loom via a separate fused circuit.

You never know with these cars till you actually view them close up in the Metal, I think the only near perfect Vitesse is the one in the TSSC Museum, so I don't expect it to be perfect.

I certainly can't afford the asking price, I was hoping to get a really decent car for around the £12K mark, this seems to be over an above that, it's just a matter how much the owner is going to compromise on the price and how much I'm willing to go up?

I've been looking for 10 months now, as you probably know and it's starting to get a bit tiresome to say the least, there's a lot of mis described cars and one mans perfect is another mans average as I've been finding out over the past year or so.

I'll keep you posted on what I find, I'm taking my good friend John with me who's forgotten more about these cars than I will ever know, I'll take is opinion on board, he's got a very good eye.

I'll try and not go all goggled Eyed when I see it😁

Gary 

[Gary Flinn]

No chance to go goggle eyed, the car was sold before I got chance to view it?

Damn!!

😔