dave49 Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 thoughts on this please.i currently have a 13/60 herald which is great.however,i fancy a convertible.the choice is a herald or vitesse. any advice please thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 Well, Heralds are cheaper than Vitesses. Have You somewhere sheltered to keep it? You don't want to be keeping a convertible outside! I have a GT6, it just about keeps up with the traffic, well, Fiestas. Vitesses are much the same, faster than Heralds. Why not have 2 cars? I find the allure of a convertible fleeting, a trip in my brother's Spitfire lasts me a LONG time! Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 I have a 13/60 convertible and love it. Yes a Vitesse would be quicker but I don't need that extra, although on rare occasions it could be useful. In practice I don't find I have a problem keeping up with traffic, ok so in outright acceleration it isn't the top. I have the convertible for the pleasure of driving an open top not asports car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 Heralds feel lighter to drive, vitesse is faster. Try a few, see what you think. Ultimately they are teh same car, different engine and slightly different interior (vitesse has better seats, nattier dash) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 Both exactly the same except that a Vitesse has a bigger engine and goes faster. It all depends on the image you want to project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 More room under the bonnet with a Herald should you need to get in there 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffds1360 Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 Like ChrisA I have a 13/60 cv and really enjoy the open top aspect, however, it is all sorted now and I fancy another 'project' so am looking for a vitesse cv that needs a bit fettling. I would regard that as a step forward....?? Upward....??. Problem is, what next... stag? I recomend just going for the 13/60cv or even a 1200cv, depending on how 'hands on' you are. Good luck whichever way you go. Oh p.s. I have a spare hardtop if your stuck outdoors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 I think the pros-cons of the Vitesse are: Its faster, has more engine torque, great engine sound, better interior, better looking bonnet, But has poorer handling due to weight distribution, limited engine cooling capacity and the drivetrain is overly stressed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 7, 2021 Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 1 hour ago, johny said: 1 hour ago, johny said: Its faster, has more engine torque, great engine sound, better interior, better looking bonnet, The Herald is capable of exceeding the speed limits so no point being faster. Once the engine is warm my 13/60 will pull away in 2nd and 4th is good from less than 30 to max, don't need more. In a convertible you can't here the engine sound, just the sound of the birds,wind in the trees and the compliments of people walking nearby. You are more concentrated on looking through the windscreen to notice the interior and you are sat on some of it. As for the bonnet the bit that is different isn't visible from the driver's seat. Ok, I'm biased. Yes a difficult choice, I opted for the Herald because in 1970 I learned to drive, and passed my test in one although it was a saloon not convertible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 9 hours ago, Chris A said: I opted for the Herald because in 1970 I learned to drive, and passed my test in one although it was a saloon not convertible Snap.! Courtesy of the (then) British Scool of Motoring. January 1961, Took my test in a "Sleet" Storm, Managed to keep it straight when the examiner hit the dash with his papers to indicate I should "emergency stop". After the "pass" the instructer dropped me at the bus station to go home!. It was another year before I got my first, a Ford Thames 5cwt Van, so still riding the Motorbike to work etc;. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpbarrett Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Herald 13/60 with 1500 engine and OD, very easy to keep up with traffic. Nice to drive and handles well and not too far off the Vitesse apart from the sound of the 6 cylinder engine.... Mike 1500 Herald, OD box, 3.89 diff, and EFI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 I agree about OD, it would be a useful upgrade, although never offered, I think, as an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 One thing not mentioned is the difference in appetite for petrol. First car 12/50 Herald but always wanted a Vitesse convertible, currently drive a 2L Mk1 convertible with another two in bits. Go for a Vitesse IMHO. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve P Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Well i have both a Herald 13/60 cv and a Vitesse cv,i like to tinker so the Vitesse (owned for 36 years) is now a tuned 2.5L putting out 170 ish bhp,that will keep up with most things on the road. Herald is now a 1500 with o/d and a 3:63 diff.Perfectly driveable with enough grunt. I actually find the Herald a bit easier to drive because of the lightness compared to the Vitesse. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave49 Posted August 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 thanks to all .still non the wiser lol.dont want a vitesse for the speed.just thinking about being out in the sun.shame you cant convert one.if that was the option id stick with my herald.also i note the vitesse is a bit more upmarket but ive heard many conflicting reports about reliability etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 4 minutes ago, dave49 said: just thinking about being out in the sun In that case a Herald is the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave49 Posted August 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 all the cars are reliable if you do as triumph designed they took families hundreds of holiday miles and frequent shopping and comute trips without any problems in in 18 years of classic ownership and 57 years of driving only once been recovered when a diff front mounting plate bolt unscrewed and jammed the prop there is no reason a vitesse is any better or worse than a hearld , if driven more sporty then wear and tear can take its toll .. with either model like everything after all the years , if you lookafter it will repay with a smile . advantage of a tin top is they dont fill up with rain if you fit a webasto style roof to your Herald make sure you get a front air spoiler or its a just a noisy waste of time with a lot of buffeting the wifes boufant Ha ! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 Dave, Be careful that the car you buy started life as a convertible. It's easy to take the top off and you've got a convertible! Well no you haven't, but some people do it. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 54 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: Dave, Be careful that the car you buy started life as a convertible. It's easy to take the top off and you've got a convertible! Well no you haven't, but some people do it. Doug Timely warning from Doug and yes it happens; in fact there are entire Internet threads on how to do it and why it saves you hundreds over a real convertible. Some of the cars for sale online are actually listed as being the best of both Worlds, and indeed you can find articles on it: http://www.spitfireg1.f9.co.uk/15-02-2005/conversion/hardway.htm There are all sorts of argument as to why it should or should not be done, how it makes no difference to safety etc etc. I just wouldn't do it myself but that's personal choice. Make sure the commission number (plate on the side of the front bulkhead just where the bonnet catches are) ends in CV. DL is a saloon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve P Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 3 hours ago, dave49 said: also i note the vitesse is a bit more upmarket but ive heard many conflicting reports about reliability etc. Agree with Pete about reliabilty,these cars are reliable as anything if maintained and more importantly USED. My Vitesse has only ever broken down once,a snapped driveshaft in Cornwall,that was probably due to torque from the2.5 engine,probably outside the design specs of the shaft. Similarly with the Herald,i would take it anywhere. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 I've owned a few 13.60 Heralds and more than a few Vitesse. Currently own a mk2 Vitesse convertible. I think I would prefer a tuned Herald convertible, just feels lighter and more nimble. The Vitesse does feel heavy in comparison to me. Convertibles are as floppy as a wet lettuce, in my opinion, probably more noticeable in the heavier Vitesse convertible. Saloons feel more solid in both models. Nice sounding straight six with nice torque. A tuned 13.60 would give a Vitesse a run for its money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted August 8, 2021 Report Share Posted August 8, 2021 If a hobby car go for a Vitesse, no substitute for cc's so they say, as soon as you tune a car taking it beyond manufacturers spec engine and drive train can suffer reliability issues. If you then start upgrading them, well where does it end, when you're pockets are empty?. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daverclasper Posted August 9, 2021 Report Share Posted August 9, 2021 No ones mentioned how smooth the 6 cylinder engines are?, love that myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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