Beschreibung
Rare opportunity!
Triumph Vitesse 2 Litre Mk 2 Convertible 1970
I have owned and cherished this car for 32 years and can truthfully claim to know every nut and bolt! It was my daily driver for the first few years and I even did some light competition in the shape of sprints and hillclimbs – driving to and from the events, of course, and never having to be rescued or trailored home. A few touring holidays abroad cemented the Vitesse’s place as a member of the family.
After I got a company car the Vitesse has had a much easier life, always garaged and treated to a full body off rebuild over several years incorporating many new parts and using the services of some of the most respected specialists in the business; e. g. Stan Walters at SW Classics for bodywork, Enginuity engine, Hardy Engineering differential, Canley Classics overdrive etc.
The car is on the button and drives well but it is not concourse and probably never will be because of some interesting modifications that have defined the car's character over the years. The most visible mod from the outside is the fuel filler cap which has been repositioned from the wing to the rear deck.
On the chassis the lever arm rear shocks have been removed, along with the mounting brackets, and telescopic Konis put in their place. There are Konis at the front as well. There is a Gareth Thomas spacer under the rear spring dropping the height a half inch or so to match the lowered, up-rated, coils at the front. An additional anti-roll bar (SAH I think) is fitted at the front and I have one for the back but this is not fitted at the moment, but I remember it worked very well in the hillclimb days. Wheels are Revolution light alloys 5. 5Jx 13 inch, tyres 175/ 70 Toyos new last year.
The original Ken Riley engine was meticulously rebuilt by Enginuity just a few years ago using a new crank. Lightened and balanced, the engine revs freely and breathes through a pair of 1 3/ 4inch HS6 SUs with (fairly old) K&N filters. A Phoenix exhaust (6-3-1) manifold and twin silencers are stainless steel items (added since pics were taken). Aldon electronic ignition, top grade plug leads and NGK spark plugs help this car start first time. Jigsaw Racing set it all up and put it on the rolling road last year with the print out indicating a genuine 131 bhp. Keeping everything cool is a Wood Jeffreys electric fan. The gearbox is good and benefits from an overdrive unit rebuilt by Canley Classics operated by a gear lever switch rather than the standard column lever.
As you can see from the pix the body is excellent. With the body off the chassis Stan Walters made sure that everything is as it should be, replacing front foot wells, front lower wings, a door skin and sourcing new valances front and back. This was 15 years ago and you can see it still looks just great. Paint is Triumph White and has an excellent finish. There is a very minor blemish on the bonnet which I can only describe as a small area of paint ‘spatter’ – i. e. there are a few raised dots of paint in an area the size of 10p piece – but these are hardly noticeable and virtually impossible to photograph. And there are a couple of scrapes on the valence caused by I don't know what.
The interior has received the least attention over the years and it’s fair to say the new owner would probably want to improve things. I’ve never fitted carpets – there are some loose mats – and the dashboard could do with being stripped and re-varnished. At the time of the rebuild the soundproofing was thrown away – I like to hear the engine! – and the fibre board panel between the boot and the hood well is missing. On the plus side the original seats are very good, as are the door cards and pockets. The vinyl hood is perfect and fits well and the frame was fully refurbished when the hood was fitted by Stan Walters.
More pictures at - details above .
You can see this is a great car and I feel justified in setting a fair price. The insurance valuation is £7, 750. With new MOT to May 2013, tax to March 2013, and a 30 year history file, the car is ready to go and I’m asking just £7, 500.
