Nick Jones Posted March 27, 2021 Author Share Posted March 27, 2021 No, we are currently on the subject of how the trunnionless conversion changes the leverage factors by moving the suspension pivot (but not the steering pivot) outboard by about 40mm, thus significantly reducing the effective rates for both springs and dampers. Should probably start a new thread as it has potential to be a biggish subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escadrille Ecosse Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 31 minutes ago, JohnD said: Apologies, Nick,but this is a long thread! Does "Turret mods" refer to BiTurbos moveable trunnions? I'd say that wishbone shims are a MUCH easier mod to move the trunnion in or out! John This mod John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Ah! Thank you! No experience, so I'll stay stchumm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteStupps Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 On 3/27/2021 at 10:43 AM, Nick Jones said: Should probably start a new thread as it has potential to be a biggish subject. It's an interesting one for sure, as the question about whether to go trunnionless or not comes up regularly. I read up as much as I could about it last year and the average user reviews definitely seem positive - mostly brief and including the immortal phrase "fit and forget". Nick your qualms and some of older threads on this forum swayed me to stick with the standard set-up though. And money of course...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escadrille Ecosse Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Have to say that I don't think there's a lot wrong with the Triumph version if looked after. I did almost 200,000 miles in the 6 cylinder Spitfire without issues. Even the top hat bushes last quite a while if properly sealed and greased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted March 28, 2021 Author Share Posted March 28, 2021 15 minutes ago, Escadrille Ecosse said: Have to say that I don't think there's a lot wrong with the Triumph version if looked after. I did almost 200,000 miles in the 6 cylinder Spitfire without issues. Even the top hat bushes last quite a while if properly sealed and greased. Agreed. I was short a pair as the ones that came with the GT6 were horribly pitted and having done a deal with Mike for a trunnionless pair some time before I’d been sitting on them (and the fence) for while as I never liked the the look of the lower attachment method (to be fair it has been fine). The irony is that if I’d just stuck them on the GT6 I’d probably never have noticed this issue! The Vitesse ones, now GT6, have been with me since ‘88. The brasses have been changed a couple of times and I do oil them fairly frequently. Modern MoT men don’t seem to know how to check them properly so don’t assume they’re good just because fresh MoT..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escadrille Ecosse Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 4 minutes ago, Nick Jones said: Agreed. I was short a pair as the ones that came with the GT6 were horribly pitted and having done a deal with Mike for a trunnionless pair some time before I’d been sitting on them (and the fence) for while as I never liked the the look of the lower attachment method (to be fair it has been fine). The irony is that if I’d just stuck them on the GT6 I’d probably never have noticed this issue! The Vitesse ones, now GT6, have been with me since ‘88. The brasses have been changed a couple of times and I do oil them fairly frequently. Modern MoT men don’t seem to know how to check them properly so don’t assume they’re good just because fresh MoT..... Sounds like a perfectly sensible argument that. But quire right about modern MOT men. The young boys always struggle with the fly off handbrake on the Spitfire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 Track day coming up so time for a bit of fettling. Tappet check (can't remember when I last did them) revealed the inlets still to be bob-on@ at slightly tight 15 thou (book says 14) but exhausts mostly to be on the tight side. 12 - 14 when they should be 16. Now sorted. Inserts or not it seems there is still a little recession happening. Also fished out the injectors and gave them a ride on my new cleaner/tester. Actually all pretty good spray patterns and within 5% on volume to begin with and a little better now. Plugs look pretty even too. Air filter looks like it needs a wash....... Will check suspension and brakes later in the week and tweak the tracking a little. Front tyres say a touch too much toe-out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escadrille Ecosse Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 Exciting stuff. That's the fun type of checking things over. Engine sounds good. I've noticed the same with tappet clearances on the exhausts even with the inserts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 10 hours ago, Escadrille Ecosse said: I've noticed the same with tappet clearances on the exhausts even with the inserts. It’s fair enough really - it’s done quite a bit of long distance work at speed..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 The old beast has had a fairly exciting day...... Around 100 on-track miles at Castle Coombe in conditions varying between bone dry and monsoonal. One of my sessions was red flagged due to part of the tracking being under water. Nothing fell off and there were no tantrums. We did get a couple of cases of “is it a 2.5”, which I always consider a win.... Giving the tyres a workout In good company more good company and Mr Carruthers’ gorgeous Mk1 2000 PIe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escadrille Ecosse Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Excellent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 Looking good Nick. Obviously well sorted and buttoned up, a track day will find the slightest weakness/fault very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 19, 2021 Author Share Posted May 19, 2021 2 hours ago, Mark said: a track day will find the slightest weakness/fault very quickly. Yeah.... as Clive sagely observed yesterday, any track day you can drive home from is a success Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 Track days should be implemented in Germany as well. Looks good the Vitesse in Full motion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteStupps Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 Looking good Nick, hopefully i'll be ready to do a track day sometime next year! Do many people have roll bars hidden under their rag-tops? Wondering what the popular consensus is for that sort of protection on track days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 19, 2021 Author Share Posted May 19, 2021 1 minute ago, PeteStupps said: Do many people have roll bars hidden under their rag-tops? I don’t..... it does slightly temper my behaviour.... probably not as much as it should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zetecspit Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 2 hours ago, PeteStupps said: Looking good Nick, hopefully i'll be ready to do a track day sometime next year! Do many people have roll bars hidden under their rag-tops? Wondering what the popular consensus is for that sort of protection on track days. I like a roll bar, but I have a t shirt somewhere about rolling a spitfire. So it was a condition from the boss that there is one fitted. But there is little, if any, kit that you need over and above a road car (helmet of course) My hot tips are good oil, good tyres, good brake pads. And a well maintained car. That's about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 19, 2021 Author Share Posted May 19, 2021 I rolled a Herald once..... though a saloon version. No roll bar, but no glass broken, though the windscreen didn’t fit well afterwards. Was a fairly gentle one as rolls go though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteStupps Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 Thanks Clive I think I remember reading about your roll a while ago, on the CT forum I think. I realise it would be sensible to have a bar. But no substitute for the other essentials you mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escadrille Ecosse Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Nick Jones said: I rolled a Herald once..... though a saloon version. No roll bar, but no glass broken, though the windscreen didn’t fit well afterwards. Was a fairly gentle one as rolls go though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahebron Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 2 hours ago, Nick Jones said: I rolled a Herald once..... though a saloon version. No roll bar, but no glass broken, though the windscreen didn’t fit well afterwards. Was a fairly gentle one as rolls go though. Inverted my Land Rover 110 County once. It is amazing how much person can fit through those sliding windows and how quickly. Trashed the windscreen in the inversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 I would like to fit a roll bar to the Vitesse, but difficult in a convertible if you ever want to carry passengers in the back. Possible I suppose with a removable rear diagonal. Needs to be narrower than ideal to miss the storage compartment, and to my eyes don't look that good with the roof down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerguzzi Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 Hello All I have a roll bar for sale ifanyone wants it? Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 Despite Nick's survival, unhurt from a Herald roll-over, I don't believe that the saloon roof has much strength, and the windscreen surround alone almost none at all. Forget my race obsession - when my son's first car was a Spitfire, he could not drive it, even on the road, until we fitted a roll-over bar. He never 'used' the bar, but I was vastly reassured. JOhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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