Automatic Vitesse?

[dougbgt6]

Three of us at East Berks last night!    However, the return of a newbie from last month, he's in a wheel chair and wants a Triumph. Last month he was keen on a GT6 but he's now settled on a Vitesse as more practical. He has a Range Rover and the clutch is operated by a device built from a windscreen wiper motor. We had a discussion on Triumph automatics and hand controlled clutch and accelerator equipment. The question is, is there an automatic option for the vitesse? He likes the 1600, if that makes difference.

[JohnD]

Old issues of Courier talk about fitting a Borg-Warner autobox to Vitesses.

If you have the Archive CDs...

Or, ask the Club HQ.

 

John

[Casper]

TomL will no doubt advise.  he is a regular on this forum:

 

http://forum.tssc.org.uk/index.php?/topic/747-automatic-in-a-vittese/

 

C.

[Clive]

No off the shelf/factory option.

The handful of converted cars had their chassis chopped about to accomodate the BW35 gearbox (I think they were35's) However, Ithink the 65 is slimmer and may fit without mods? Use a torque converteroff a 2000, plus the 65 offthe same car, it might just work. Even the prop may fit??

 

I am no expert, and am relying on a hazy memory and conversations from long ago.Tom knows about all this stuff I believe, so get in touch if you can, and do some research as well. 

[Pete Lewis]

On many makes the flywheel spigot is often dedicated to take the spigot on the flexiplate

 

At worst may need a crank from a 2000 auto. Hopefully not.

flywheel would have to be drilled to take the flexiplate

so mk1 2ltr and 1600 are similar flywheel and crank spigots

 

pete

[Waynebaby]

I have a feeling that I've seen a GT6 converted to an auto gearbox by Jigsaw racing, so they may be able to advise.

 

Wayne

[juppy]

A beeter box is the 4 speed Jag box, which I know can and has been fittted to a Stag, so as the gearboxes and BW auto boxes are similar between Stags and big saloons it should also be possible to fit the Jag box.

 

http://socforum.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-99.html

[Colin Lindsay]

 the clutch is operated by a device built from a windscreen wiper motor. 

 

You mean... it's in, it's out, it's in, it's out?

Sorry... couldn't resist it.

I remember back in the day discussing automatic Spitfires after finding an automatic Dolomite in a scrapyard, but it was the modifications required to the chassis that scuppered that idea. 

I also had severe difficulty with type 35 and type 65 boxes in a Reliant Scimitar so have no great love of either. 

[dave.vitesse]

The lack of space due to the chassis was always the problem with any automatic option or the use of the stronger Vanguard/TR gearbox when the 2 litre engine was fitted. Lack of product planning, who knows. An automatic Herald should have been in the Sales peoples thoughts as there was a Standard 8/10 Easydrive. Maybe the Sales figures had been to low on the Standard?

Dave 

[Pete Lewis]

Easydrive was a  smiths consortium electro magnetic auto mainly used in Rootes products 

 

it never worked that well , My dad had a test minx , fired it up one day and it went straight out the garage ............

............the brick wall end !!!!!

 

the metalic particles  had a tendency to solidify when parked up.

 

as for 35 vs 65  we had a pre production 2 ton Commer Walkthru On test and up airport hill the engine was flat out (as best a 4.203 perky could do) and the van was stalled , big cloud of oil fumes and a big bang

well then they tried the 65 which handled the torque a little better, later life in 50series Bus the 65 blew to bits 

the Allison was its savior  for a while .... here endeth

 

Pete

[Steve C]

Always thought myself that a small engine + auto box = gutless, and I am an auto fan, but preferably with at least two litres in front of it. Auto Minis and the like were for grannies.  Standrive was a developmental blind alley, and anyone with one today is going to struggle for parts, as they were never popular in period.

 

Speaking of developmental blind alleys, what about the Commer TS3 "knocker". Now that was an interesting bit of kit, and what a racket!

 

Regards

 

Steve

[Herald948]

The lack of space due to the chassis was always the problem with any automatic option or the use of the stronger Vanguard/TR gearbox when the 2 litre engine was fitted. Lack of product planning, who knows. An automatic Herald should have been in the Sales peoples thoughts as there was a Standard 8/10 Easydrive. Maybe the Sales figures had been to low on the Standard?

Dave 

Ah yes, the immortal (and apparently somewhat troublesome) "Standrive" -- a very cool idea that apparently wasn't quite completely developed. Interestingly, it was mentioned in some US-oriented manuals for the Triumph 10 as "Triumatic," but I've never seen nor heard of a Triumph 10 in North America with that gearbox. Of course, the gearbox was the same, as all the 'trickery' was in clutch actuation, so physical space was not a factor as it was with the narrow main rail chassis spacing on the Herald-based cars. Even the TR3 lost a significant amount of footroom when attempts were made to stuff in the BW35 box for possible US sales!

 

Cool thing was that the Standrive / Triumatic could be paired with a Laycock overdrive, giving one -- in a sense -- a seven-speed automatic gearbox!

[Pete Lewis]

Steve rhe TS3 was a hard act to follow there were 4 TS4 saved from chrysler scrapping them

one is now restored and running in NewZealand

I may start a post on these amazing engines I often meet up with their design engineer who is over 90 now

 

you need to get the Commer Story by Geof Carverhill Im in there a good few times

pete

[TomL]

Hi Doug,

 

As Caspar and others have said, I do indeed run an automatic Vitesse.  You mentioned that the member in question is interested in a 1600; I'm not sure that is a great idea, and I would suggest a 2-litre or 2.5 would be a better bet, particularly as both were available as an automatic when fitted in the big saloons. There is an obvious power-advantage too.  I originally ran my car with a Borg Warner 35 but these, although smooth, are a bit antiquated by today's standards and I would suggest (as others have said) to go down the route of the ZF 4hp 22 box, as fitted to a number of models but popularly known as the Jaguar 'box.  This is a 4-speed, where 4th is an overdrive and there is also torque-converter lock-up that kicks in at about 50mph, effectively giving you a 5th gear.

 

The biggest mods to the car will be to the chassis and floorpans, so not a job for the feint-hearted!

 

Happy to share any knowledge if the guy is serious.

 

Tom

[dougbgt6]

Thanks Tom, East Berks Christmas do at Sweeny Todd's tomorrow, so I'll print this lot off and  pass it on. Hopefully he'll log on himself and make contact.

[TomL]