Alex

Quoted from mikew

Mind you Tim's big saloon has got to get further than his GT6 did on the last RBRR 😀

Quoted from mikew

Tim, we would NEVER take the mickey 😀

Don't even ask what needs doing to our entry......
Soft top needs fitting, front end needs stripping as vertical links need inspecting and new wheel bearings minimum..... Halogen headlights and relays need fitting, few wiring issues....
Hole in floorpan very near accelerator ... Seats need mounts sorting and fitting.
Head needs retorquing and oil change and anti freeze....gearbox oil level and diff level......
Think that's it...........

One of the jobs we need to address for the rbrr is fitting a hood .....the frame seems ok.
It has an almost as new hood fitted but so badly it's a joke!
Does anyone know where I might find some fitting instructions?
I may just refit this one and ignore all the rivet holes that will be in the wrong places 😉

I'm liking that John!
Looking forward to a new build thread......please don't go to fast though as it makes me feel inferior 😀

Just waiting for something else to kick us in the backside........
Rbrr vitesse is running again!
Head gasket went,head skimmed and also needed new valves. New gasket fitted then found the heater system full of gooey antifreeze.......new heater valve fitted.....rear Union on inlet manifold corroded so badly on one pipe Nick decided to buy a new one, unbolting it the banjo bolt snapped fortunately a quick chat on the phone with Richard Brake and I knew how to try and get the snapped bit out( pushed a bolt into the hole and welded it all the way round, then simply unbolted it)......Nick ordered a new one......today the next door neighboured fell off his ladder and landed on Nicks vitesse cracking paint on the rear wing.
I went round after work today to see the damage and the new parts had arrived......so all fitted and run up to temperature. All seems good as couldn't do this before, mot booked for Saturday so fingers crossed we are getting somewhere with it now.......unfortunately life keeps getting in the way so progress hasn't been as fast as ideal.
We still need to fit a softtop just in case... Check diff and gearbox levels, grease rear trunnions, strip front links and hubs oh and the radiator overflow bottle needs locating somewhere does anyone have a picture of where it goes?

Then we need to get some miles on it and retourqued the head!

Sounds a bit like what can happen in the big saloons when the clutch fluid gets hot......

Quoted from npanne

Vitesse and late Herald, and all GT6 used the same (part # 305592-305593)
Early Herald's used a different part number (303590) - although I'm not sure what the difference was
All Spits used 305746-305747 with the different engine mounting position

I thought herald were different to vitesse?

Ignore everyone else, triumphs should be white!

Or cream!

Nick
The pits aren't that deep,maybe 1/2 a mm......
I think My mates going to take it to be checked for flatness tomorrow by a machine shop. Hopefully they'll have an idea what we should do......we are leaning towards replacement though.

Thanks
Alex

Quoted from glang

Ive never seen anything that could explain its appearance and the only ideas Ive got are:
have the valves been changed at some time and this one is different some how,
theres a crack between that cylinder and the next or the gasket has leaked there and its affected the valve,
water has leaked in via the head gasket and affected the valve....
Does the old gasket give any clues?

The piston tops all look like new.
Carbon build up is split 3 and 3 so probably mixture related.......

Yes 3rd valve from the top, it looks like what you see on steel when it's gone rusty.
As to how the mixture has been I can't really answer that, although there's every possibility the front carb was leaner than the rear.
This engine is all balanced and the head has had much work done including unleaded seats and gas flowed with a fast road cam.
I was under the impression these engine were highly likely to blow head gaskets even in standard form hence my question.......

thanks
Alex

Looking for some advice.....
Got a mk1 engine in a vitesse that's head gasket failed.
On inspection it appears the studs were loose so hopefully we just need to replace, refit and then re torque at various interval afterwards to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Can anyone tell me the best option for a headgasket on a mk1 engine also where we can get one please?
Do they do a payen one?.....is this even a good idea?
This car is doing the Rbrr so need to get it right.

Also I wonder if anyone can tell me what's happened to the valve in the following picture,it's the only thing we can see wrong other than the fact the copper gasket was still shiny where it hadn't been compressed at the front of the head ( heads going to be checked for straightness too).

Car of choice this year is a vitesse convertible.mk1 2.0
Unfortunately we have encountered a problem which we believe is the headgasket.
It boiled over and when revving it you find curdled oil on the dipstick.
Nothing to obvious otherwise other than you can also see a wet patch between the head and block that bubbles when revving.
This engines had an awful lot of work done to it in the past its all balanced and the heads been worked so Chris witor is of the opinion it's all down to the skinny head studs.
Anyone any suggestions that don't involve pulling the engine out and dismantling it?

We then need to get a hood fitted and weld up a couple of holes although only minor,fit new seats, re bush the front and see what falls off.........
Anyone got any views on the canleys swing Spring kit for it?.....worthwhile?

Has to be said the marshals on the Rbrr are so important. Not only for keeping track and signing road books but many are also so good for boosting moral.
Greatest respect should be paid for those that stand in the rain and/or in the middle of the night. Without marshals the event just couldn't take place.
We all really do appreciate the efforts so anyone able to volunteer,thank you!

......oh n cakes really help 😉

Good work Lloyd!

Quoted from Jonny-Jimbo

Might find one at Stoneleigh??

Quoted from vitessesteve

Thats odd a few years ago I bought some bits of Spitfire from them.  Suspension towers, door and boot lid from memory for a college project..

Quoted from John Bonnett

Would you like me to check on the condition of the rear three quarter on my GT6 shell Alex?

Thanks Steve, just tried but no joy.
He said the only time they have things like that is from abandoned restorations.
Rang paddocks and with a steelcraft wing it's £365!
Fitchetts is even more......and obviously so is rimmers.

Does anyone know a cheap source of panels for a 1500 spitfire?
I need a r/h rear wing and inner arch and a B post.
Used would be ok too ......

Are you sure they're not locking themselves each time you close the door?

Are you sure they're not locking themselves each time you close the door?