Paul Amey Posted July 30, 2021 Report Share Posted July 30, 2021 Has anyone on here any experience of fitting a GT6 poly gearbox tunnel cover to a Vitesse? I am told the gear lever hole needs enlarging at the rear to make it fit. So this will leave a gap at the front. Is it a big gap? and is it easy to modify the hole? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted July 30, 2021 Report Share Posted July 30, 2021 Yes it can be done; just mark where the gearlever needs to go, cut so as to allow full movement, then cover the exposed original hole with a curved plate of metal or even strong plastic held on by self-tappers. I've had a few like that in my time. It's not a huge hole so easily covered up. Some owners make a very nice plate with a rubber insert for the gearlever that looks very professional, but covers the whole rear area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Amey Posted July 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2021 Thanks Colin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil C Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 Can I continue this older thread please? I am looking to acquire a gearbox tunnel for my Vitesse Mk2 restoration. I am somewhat confused as some suppliers list one and claims it fits GT6, Vitesse and herald. Others list one suitable for the GT6/Vitesse and another for the Herald. Others (Club Shop incl) list one for the GT6 and one for the Herald but no mention of the Vitesse. Paul, I see you fitted a modified GT6 to your Vitesse. Is this accepted way to go or is there a source for the Vitesse? Ideally I would prefer a Poly one rather than fibreglass. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 Phil, GT6/Vitesse/Herald is just wrong. Moss list a GT6/Vitesse cover, I got my GT6 cover from the Club Shop and it had a Moss sticker on it, so I think Moss are the primary source of plastic covers. I'd give them a ring. Or Angie at the club shop. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 james paddock list as GT6 /Vitesse 709862SAP at £90 +v etc. pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 Pretty sure the only difference between the GT6, Vitesse and Herald covers is the position of the gearstick hole. I modified mine to fit the Herald before anyone sold a Herald ABS one. Can’t remember which of the 6 cyl cars it was supposed to fit though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 I think it's to do with the position of the gear lever? Heralds are further forward than GT6 so the hole for the lever is in a different area. Josef just beat me to it but I was looking for pics! GT6 left, Herald right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 Looks that way. Logically, the shape of the front ought to be completely different but, as Colin recently observed on his restoration thread, the bulkhead was commonized when the Vitesse was launched, and the gearbox cover thus also got a common mould. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted May 17, 2022 Report Share Posted May 17, 2022 Is a Spitfire cover then the same as an early Herald one? That would explain the presence of the redundant, inaccessible coin tray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted May 18, 2022 Report Share Posted May 18, 2022 12 hours ago, Josef said: Is a Spitfire cover then the same as an early Herald one? That would explain the presence of the redundant, inaccessible coin tray. Same as Herald but NOT early Herald, as I found out recently; (that's early as in pre-1962/3 or thereabouts.) The shape of the bulkhead was changed to become common to both Herald and Vitesse so the outline of the tunnel cover at the bulkhead end became the same across the range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted May 18, 2022 Report Share Posted May 18, 2022 The Mk 1 chassis (early) Herald uses the same tunnel as the Spitfire. The usual Herald on the Mk 2 'Star' chassis is not the same as a Spitfire C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted May 18, 2022 Report Share Posted May 18, 2022 6 hours ago, Casper said: The Mk 1 chassis (early) Herald uses the same tunnel as the Spitfire. So: can you still get the Spitfire versions? It would have saved me a lot of bother had I known they were available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted May 18, 2022 Report Share Posted May 18, 2022 39 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said: So: can you still get the Spitfire versions? It would have saved me a lot of bother had I known they were available. Yep both ABS and fibreglass. Just looked on Canleys actually and they list the fibreglass version as being Spitfire and Herald pre 63. So I guess there may be some slight difference, probably the gearstick position again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil C Posted May 19, 2022 Report Share Posted May 19, 2022 Thanks all for your input. I have been assured that the GT6 and Mk2 Vitesse share the same gearbox cover and on that basis one has been ordered. I will confirm this to be so (or not) once received and offered up to the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 19, 2022 Report Share Posted May 19, 2022 (edited) Phil, Consider cutting an access hole for gear box oil top ups and lining the interior of the tunnel with SilientCoat insulation. And DON'T buy the fitting kit, it's a rip off! Doug Edited May 21, 2022 by dougbgt6 I confused Phil with Paul 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil C Posted May 21, 2022 Report Share Posted May 21, 2022 Received new cover and despite being assured by the vendor it is common to both GT6 and Vitesse.....it isn't. As per Doug's cover it is branded as Moss although not bought from them. When I position the cover to suit the gear lever it is around 1" short of the bulkhead and marginally short of the tub as shown in photos below. Fettling required 🙄 On 19/05/2022 at 14:55, dougbgt6 said: Consider cutting an access hole for gear box oil top ups and lining the interior of the tunnel with SilientCoat insulation. And DON'T buy the fitting kit, it's a rip off! Yes, Yes and I didn't. Ta Gap to bulkhead. Gap to Tub 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted May 21, 2022 Report Share Posted May 21, 2022 That is a dreadful fit. I would return it for the correct model. Don't know about fettling, it will need expanding foam and heaven knows what to sort out those gaps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 21, 2022 Report Share Posted May 21, 2022 Rimmers dont list that plastic cover for the Vitesse only for GT6 with a note: 'Modification required if fitting to Triumph Herald / Vitesse due to the position of the gear lever aperture.' 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil C Posted May 23, 2022 Report Share Posted May 23, 2022 Agreed. Its not great but I don't think there is one available specifically for the Vitesse (my original question🤔) Only option is to make this one fit 🤠 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted May 23, 2022 Report Share Posted May 23, 2022 When many of us are trying to make our original covers fit better, with fewer holes, more insulation, access covers etc, to see this with huge gaps, well, it's appalling. Better to get a secondhand one that at least fits and refurbish it. There are a couple of us either doing it (pause for laughter from regular contributors reading my attempts) or have done it very successfully. Might as well spend the time refurbing something rather than carving up something that is nowhere near in the first place. You also have to consider the fit of the carpets that will go over the top. Just a few thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 23, 2022 Report Share Posted May 23, 2022 3 hours ago, Phil C said: Agreed. Its not great but I don't think there is one available specifically for the Vitesse (my original question🤔) Only option is to make this one fit 🤠 The fibreglass one comes without a gearlever hole so you have to cut one to suit GT6 or Vitesse but I dont know what the rest of the fit is like.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigolf Posted May 23, 2022 Report Share Posted May 23, 2022 45 minutes ago, johny said: The fibreglass one comes without a gearlever hole so you have to cut one to suit GT6 or Vitesse but I dont know what the rest of the fit is like.... I bought a fibreglass one from Canley Classics years ago. Even though it needed a bit of fettling, it was a damn sight better fit than that! Gav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 23, 2022 Report Share Posted May 23, 2022 well I think the plastic one only needs the hole extending for a Vitesse which is exactly what Rimmers say needs doing. It makes you wonder though why they dont make them like the fibreglass ones with no hole.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griffipaul Posted May 23, 2022 Report Share Posted May 23, 2022 The club cover was listed as suitable for both gt6 and vitesse till I bought mine a while back and complained that it did not fit. This is the same item as sold by Moss. to get it to fit I cut the raised flanges off the sides as they were way deeper than the seal height . The lever hole needs repositioning by cutting the aperature area offset by half the error and turning it round and aralditing in see attached photos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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