Vitesse chassis - is a Mark 2 different to the Mark1?

[bfashbolt]

Can anyone tell me if it is normal for my Vitesse to feel very heavy when steering at parking or low speed? It is a substantially restored model and I believe the suspension is new.

[Colin Lindsay]

It will certainly feel heavier than a modern - no power steering - and especially at low speeds, but things like wider wheels and tyres or a smaller steering wheel will also contribute.

[Pete Lewis]

 

first     whats the significance of your mk1 mk2 chassis question???  there is no difference that affects steering effort  

the problem is the weight of the 6 cyl , and if the cars been rebuilt has it had a 4 cyl rack fitted  thats a quick way to make it heavy

what tyre pressures do you use modern tyres need more than the old tryes so you can add 4 to 6 psi above the book pressures is quite normal

what size tyres are fitted  ??? and what diameter steering wheel is fitted all have a poor effect on steering loads 

Pete

[bfashbolt]

Not related to steering issue, just a general 'are they the same' question as I am considering an offer of another chassis in better condition than mine.

[johny]

One fairly major difference is related to the rear suspension as here the MK1 and 2 had quite different designs....

[bfashbolt]

Thanks Jonny, just that I'm not sure the owner of the chassis understands that? Just needed to be sure. So it is the rotoflex rear end that is different in the Mark 2 then.

Much appreciated,

Barry

[johny]

Correct, there's extra pivot points for additional wishbones and mountings for lever arm dampers rather than the telescopics of the MK1....

[Clive]

Not forgetting the mk2 had the handbrake guides on the tub, all non  roto cars have the guides on the chassis.

[Nick Jones]

You could use a Mk1 chassis on a mk 2. As a bare minimum you’d need to add the brackets for the rear lower wishbones, and a couple of tabs for brake line junction fittings, which is fairly straightforward. The bracketry for the lever arm dampers is much more involved and I’d suggest converting to telescopic dampers instead as they also work better.

The Mk1 handbrake guides can be left in place unused but tidier to cut the off.

Chassis swap is a lot of work. You old one would need to be in a poor state in the main rails to justify the effort.

Nick

[bfashbolt]

Hi all, thanks for your comments, I'll try and explain what appears to be quite a big job. When I bought my Vitesse last Autumn I was extremely fortunate in buying a basically sound example at auction (Mathewsons). On getting the car it was immediately apparent that the doors were difficult to open and shut, especially the passenger side. The car was difficult to start and the clutch was not at its best. I am lucky enough to have found a very experienced classic car mechanic and I asked him to have a look at things for me. He showed me the chassis had been welded in a few places, not the best job but basically OK. The body had been rebuilt and the scuttle section was angled slightly backwards making the doors a tight fit at the upper end, basically instead of a vertically parallel door opening it tapers in slightly as you go up.

So while he had my Vitesse during lockdown he rebuilt the carbs, sorted out a dodgy clutch slave and had a good look at the chassis. I bought some minilite style wheels and tyres which helped the steering/handling (old tyres had 'hardened/perished' during storage before I bought it) . He said he can dismantle and re-assemble the body and if I wanted he could rebuild around a better chassis he knew of. So, looking to the future I have agreed to the rebuild on an un-welded chassis which he will either powder coat or galvanise. The chassis owner also made an offer of an overdrive gearbox so the mechanic will fit that together with ancillary parts during the rebuild.

So in order to get a better body build/fit on a better chassis I thought it worthwhile, the doors were catching in a couple of places and causing wear back to the metal so something had to be done. Meanwhile it is getting more use, starts much better, handles better and looks much better on the mini lite style wheels! I'm doing more with my Triumph as the club recommend

[Colin Lindsay]

36 minutes ago, bfashbolt said:

The body had been rebuilt and the scuttle section was angled slightly backwards making the doors a tight fit at the upper end, basically instead of a vertically parallel door opening it tapers in slightly as you go up.

 

Provided the chassis has not been welded incorrectly then that just needs a shim or two on the rear tub body mountings; as a test, loosen the two tub mountings on that side and the two on the bulkhead and put a jack underneath, gently jack it up slightly and watch the door gap. It will widen at the top. Once you get it to a good proportion then insert shims.