Newbie saying hello

[Straightsix]

Hi

    I have just registered and thought i'd say hello. We moved to Hastings from Staines 12 months ago. I've had several classic cars in the past and now having settled in, l fancy something different.

I have the idea of getting a Triumph Vitesse so thought this would be a good place to start and gain some useful knowledge browsing the forum.

Thanks for now Steve. 

[Paul H]

Welcome to the forum . There’s lots of knowledge here just for the asking . TSSC website has Cars for sale 

https://www.tssc.org.uk/tssc/classifieds_cfs.asp

Paul 

[Qu1ckn1ck]

Hi and welcome Steve.

Nick

[Jeffds1360]

Hello Steve and welcome.

I'm far away in the North East but my 13/60 cv may be available quite soon due to my medical condition deterioration

much lighter and easier to drive than the vit. ???

[Pete Lewis]

3 hours ago, Jeffds1360 said:

easier to drive than the vit.

not easier  but you have to weigh up the classic sound of the triumph 6 with the added weight of the ground anchor 

the vit should have a lower rack ratio to help with parking effort ,  

have  a look   at the club classified  ( and must plug Rays Burlington  )

Pete

[NonMember]

4 hours ago, Jeffds1360 said:

easier to drive than the vit

Easier to park, maybe. But on the open road the steering is nice and light on either and the Vitesse needs much less effort with the gearbox.

[Paul H]

1 minute ago, NonMember said:

Easier to park, maybe. But on the open road the steering is nice and light on either and the Vitesse needs much less effort with the gearbox.

And if the budget allows go for an overdrive box makes for easier cruising 

Paul 

[Straightsix]

Thanks for your welcome and replies.

My preference is a mk2 Vitesse with O/D and rather not have a convertible 'but' early days.

I have ordered myself a buyers guide and would rather buy a car from a club enthusiast with it's known history, and hoping for an honest seller.

Unfortunately i haven't the budget for a concours example but hope to get something as best l can. I have a couple of motorbikes i could sell if l see something interesting.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Welcome Steve; something will no doubt come up through the Club although you could cheat, like I have, and drive a Herald with a Vitesse bonnet. Looks good but more room to work around the engine.

Don't worry about concours; I had a show-winner of a GT6 that was no fun at all. I was always paranoid about where I parked it or of getting stonechips on runs. A good, reliable solid driver that looks nice is more enjoyable.

[Iain T]

Steve welcome to the forum. The guys here are very knowledgeable and will give real hands on help with all Triumph matters.....plus anything else!

I agree concourse cars can be a pain. I took over two years to achieve a concours E Type and sold it 6 months later. Two frightened to take it out the garage. Sold it and bought a good useable TR3A and loved it. 

I have a Mk2 Vitesse saloon, the roof keeps most of the rain out but gets a bit toasty in the summer. Saloon would still be my choice

Iain 

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

A good, reliable solid driver that looks nice is more enjoyable.

I'll second that! Given the choice between polish the car or drive it I pick drive it, they are great fun to drive - be it vitesse or humble Herald.

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

drive a Herald with a Vitesse bonnet.

Irish tune up?

[NonMember]

10 minutes ago, Iain T said:

Two frightened to take it out the garage.

It doesn't even have to be concours for that. The previous but one owner of my Vitesse had spent so much on the restoration that he didn't dare drive it and it sat in the garage for a couple of years before he sold it to the partner of the chap who'd done most of the work, for a quarter of the restoration cost. She then drove it as her daily transport for eight years, parked on the road as they didn't even have a driveway, which probably explains why it was very much a GRSD when I bought it from her.

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, Chris A said:

Irish tune up?

If you imbibe enough local beverage, any Herald assumes four headlamps... then you just have to choose which of the four lanes you want to drive home on.

[Iain T]

12 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

If you imbibe enough local beverage

So that's what you cook in your garage! If I remember correctly when covid started and everyone bathed in sanitiser there was a good thread on the forum about home brewed alcohol. This forum is so useful and informative..... 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

I was actually trying to make my own fuel, but accidentally licked my fingers...

[Paul H]

2 hours ago, Iain T said:

Steve welcome to the forum. The guys here are very knowledgeable and will give real hands on help with all Triumph matters.....plus anything else!

I agree concourse cars can be a pain. I took over two years to achieve a concours E Type and sold it 6 months later. Two frightened to take it out the garage. Sold it and bought a good useable TR3A and loved it. 

I have a Mk2 Vitesse saloon, the roof keeps most of the rain out but gets a bit toasty in the summer. Saloon would still be my choice

Iain 

With a sunroof you get the best of both worlds

Paul 

[Iain T]

1 minute ago, Paul H said:

With a sunroof you get the best of both worlds

Paul, I would love to fit a sunroof! Does anyone make them (that doesn't leak) to fit a Vitesse? 

[Steve P]

Hi Steve-from another Steve,

I have lived in Egham (5 minutes from Staines) for 25 years and we are now looking to move South as well.

I have a Vitesse and a Herald, steering is fine if a little heavy when parking as was said, can`t beat a Straight 6 with Overdrive in my view , although i really like the feel of my 1500 Herald with overdrive.

If i had to have only one, probably the Vitesse,  only because i have owned it since 1985.

Steve

[Paul H]

3 minutes ago, Iain T said:

Paul, I would love to fit a sunroof! Does anyone make them (that doesn't leak) to fit a Vitesse? 

Mine doesn’t leak , though just replacing the vinyl roof lining and headlining . The original was starting to crack at the rear edges. Did a trial fit today and all ok . Hope to have it completed soon .  They come up on EBay regularly sometimes going for silly money , depends on condition, the size you want is 34” x 34” . If you want to pursue the idea let me know as I’m also restoring and fitting one for my son who has an MGB GT 

Paul

[Iain T]

2 minutes ago, Paul H said:

If you want to pursue the idea let me know as I’m also restoring and fitting one for my son who has an MGB GT 

Thanks will do! 

StraightSix Steve, an example of how we all help and work together. You've come to the right forum! 

Iain 

[Chris A]

26 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I was actually trying to make my own fuel, but accidentally licked my fingers...

With the current price of petrol I would advise you to start again and this time don't lick you fingers . .

[Colin Lindsay]

55 minutes ago, Chris A said:

With the current price of petrol I would advise you to start again and this time don't lick you fingers . .

I washed a starter bendix in petrol last night and was thinking: the petrol cost more than a replacement starter would have....

Apologies to Steve the OP - thread drift is almost a certainty round here but bear with us, we get back to the point eventually.

[Chris A]

58 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

we get back to the point eventually.

Emphasis on eventually. The detours are sometimes well worth it, I hasten to add.

[Josef]

7 hours ago, Straightsix said:

Thanks for your welcome and replies.

My preference is a mk2 Vitesse with O/D and rather not have a convertible 'but' early days.

I have ordered myself a buyers guide and would rather buy a car from a club enthusiast with it's known history, and hoping for an honest seller.

Unfortunately i haven't the budget for a concours example but hope to get something as best l can. I have a couple of motorbikes i could sell if l see something interesting.

 

Welcome aboard Steve. Even if you do buy from a club member, make sure you still do your checks thoroughly. My Spitfire looked great if tired, had been owned by the same person for 20 years, never been out in the rain in that time. Turns out it was a bodged shed and really hadn’t been roadworthy in those 20 years. I have no doubt the seller was completely honest with me, they’d never attempted to scrape off the filler, underseal and other stuff that was hiding the true state of the bodywork! 

[Chris A]

To get thread back on track. You need to ask yourself what you want from the car. Do you want something that needs lots of work, something that needs a little tidying up, or something you only have to do the routine maintenance on?

Then there is the question of use. Do you need/want performance or just to be able to enjoy a pleasant drive at moderate speeds.

I have a 13/60 which has no problem keeping up with traffic, and overtaking - ok so acceleration isn't breath taking. I get an enormous amount of pleasure from it, happily cruises at 90/100 kph. Will even do 130 if I let it!