Anything and everything Vitesse.

Hi,
I'm thinking of buying a convertible vitesse to compliment my GT6. I know that on many cars you have to avoid DIY conversions to convertibles. Convertibles usually have extra strengthening to allow for the loss of the roof. However, is this the case with the Vitesse? Does a convertible Vitesse have any extra strengthening to the chassis or body? If so where?

Is this a way of detecting a genuine convertible as opose to a converted saloon?

thanks for your help,

Mike

Structural modifications?? It has 2 extra catches on the doors to stop them flying open on the fast corners.

As for detecting the fakes, not easy if a convertible tub has been used. You may be able to spot a rear deck transplant, look at the bottom of the hood well surround supports as it wil have been welded to the floor, behind the rear seat back.

Most people will have used a convertible V5 to make it a genuine convertible, but look for CV rather than DL on the chassis plate.

As Bill Davies has mentioned in the past, there are more drop-top Mk2 Vitesses in existance every year........ Usually red or white......

Colin

Colin's covered most areas, a well executed conversion is very hard to spot. It's worth checking the top of the windscreen frame. Look for signs where the roof mounting brackets for a saloon might have been removed. The convertible also has a capping over the seam between front and back panels of the windscreen frame. Though little more than an inverted 'U' channel, this is unavailable as a new part and is rarely fitted on conversions where a saloon bulkhead has been modified. On the other hand, the whole bulkhead or just the top of the screen frame may have been transplanted.....
If the conversion has been carried out with full attention to detail, whilst using the appropriate V5, I would not be too concerned. The interchangeable nature of major Vitesse/Herald body components means few restoration projects end up using all major sections of the same car. Quality and attention to detail is more important (IMHO), unless of course you're a complete originality nut - in that case different rules apply and you will spot anomalies that even the seller isn't aware of....
Cheers,
Bill.

Hi,
thanks for these replies - that's useful.

No I'm not an origonality freek, just concerned that a converted saloon might sag in the middle because its roof has been cut off!

If I understand correctly there is no difference structurally. Therefore what's to stop me saving a couple of grand and buying a saloon and unbolting the roof myself?

How easy is it to fit a hood to saloon less roof?

Now you have strayed into what everybody thinks the difference is.....

There is no difference structurally, but there is a difference bodily, the rear tubs are different as a convertible has a folding roof that has to go somewhere, so it has a hood well and a smaller back seat.

There used to be a company called Tristan that made a bolt on folding roof and frame for a slaoon. Very rare now.

You can unbolt a saloon roof for a bit of fresh air, and get wet when it rains. And the door may fly open on fast corners.....

You may also not be insured.......

Colin

Michael,
I took the roof off my old race Vitesse and put on a coupe roof, to please the 750MC (it's a long story). After a while, the rear tub did begin to sag. My solution was to put a ratchet cargo belt around the body, tighten it up and weld small extensions from the roll cage to the rear tub. This worked permanently, but I don't suppose it would unless you had a full roll cage, or fitted a tension strut from the roll overbar to the windscreen surround, just as Tristan did.

John

Section : Advice for Buyers / New Owners

Structural difference between convertibles & saloons?

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Structural difference between convertibles & saloons?

Structural difference between convertibles & saloons?

Structural difference between convertibles & saloons?

Structural difference between convertibles & saloons?

Structural difference between convertibles & saloons?