Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[AnthonyG]

Might be along next Saturday, weather dependent, but definitely for August 21/22nd.

The Mazda requires some Kurusting and rustproofing so a chance to use those shallow ramps will be welcome. 

I also need* more Vauxhall brochures in my life 😜.

[hairnet]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:59 PM, Yoss said:

God no! Nothing beats the sound of a Triumph straight six with a nice exhaust. Nothing. 

ask @trigger about the 2000 with the tvr v8 in it at the lotus day we did if he has a video

[chaseracer]

Racing at Mallory next Sunday, but 21st/22nd is GO.

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, AnthonyG said:

Might be along next Saturday, weather dependent, but definitely for August 21/22nd.

The Mazda requires some Kurusting and rustproofing so a chance to use those shallow ramps will be welcome. 

I also need* more Vauxhall brochures in my life 😜.

Plenty of car ramps at FoD for you to use.

I have a Vauxhall van full of Vauxhall brochures, come this way sir!

[Ghosty]

Tentatively in as I *think* I'm off that weekend. 

[Yoss]

3 hours ago, hairnet said:

ask @trigger about the 2000 with the tvr v8 in it at the lotus day we did if he has a video

Allow me to give you some context if I may. 

I used to do a lot of Club Triumph long distance events with my 1300TC. One, which unfortunately they don't run anymore, was the Historic Counties Run. You set off about 6 o'clock Saturday evening and finish at 9 Sunday morning. You get a point for every county visited on a given list by means of a photo of a county boundary sign or something else that can only be in that county. Additionally you are given a list of specific places for which you will earn an extra point for each. There are too many counties and places on the list to do all of them so it's up to you to decide which, plotting your route on the fly. This means each crew may do a completely different route but all meet up at the end. You lose a point for every five minutes late you are at the finish. There's usually about 20 to 30 cars on these runs, all Triumphs and obviously a fair few will be straight sixes, most have been at least mildly breathed on with big exhausts, wheels, lowered, spotlights etc, like this... 

So one year we're hacking round the Peak District looking for various caves. We've just come away from Treak Cliff Cavern at about 02.30 on a Sunday. Photo to prove it, that's another point in the book... 

And we're off to the next place on the list. Passing through the small town of Castleton we notice an open and well lit public convenience in the car park. These are few and far between and my co driver wanted a fag anyway so we pulled in to the car park for a short break. 

And there in the distance was this sound. A haunting howl somewhere up on the Snake Pass. Only quiet to start with but getting slowly louder. A Triumph straight six being used in anger. We sat there for more than five minutes listening. It would sometimes die away and then suddenly come back louder as it came down the hill. We're sitting in a car park in a deserted small town centre and it's really quite eerie. Obviously as it comes down to our level the noise doesn't carry so well so it goes quiet for a couple of minutes until - bang - there it is, a GT6 glides surprisingly quietly through the town (they do stress about speed limits in towns, the club need a permit for the event and the relevant police forces are notified) and then as  it goes out the other side you hear it open up again and the howl is back. We left at that point before they come back and get past us. That sound will stay with me forever. 

Even sitting in a motorway services, hearing a Triumph straight six fly by gives you a warm feeling inside. And yet at idle they are so smooth they're almost silent. No V8 can do that. V8's burble, straight sixes howl but are smoother at the same time. They might not be as loud as a TVR V8 but it's a far superior noise. Quality not quantity. 

I stand by my original statement. 

[wuvvum]

A few years back a mate of mine had an early 1600cc Vitesse.  That was interesting as it was a straight 6 but was so tiny and underpowered that it needed to be regularly caned to keep up on fast roads or get past tractors etc.  And yes, it did sound rather wonderful.

[Six-cylinder]

40 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Allow me to give you some context if I may. 

I used to do a lot of Club Triumph long distance events with my 1300TC. One, which unfortunately they don't run anymore, was the Historic Counties Run. You set off about 6 o'clock Saturday evening and finish at 9 Sunday morning. You get a point for every county visited on a given list by means of a photo of a county boundary sign or something else that can only be in that county. Additionally you are given a list of specific places for which you will earn an extra point for each. There are too many counties and places on the list to do all of them so it's up to you to decide which, plotting your route on the fly. This means each crew may do a completely different route but all meet up at the end. You lose a point for every five minutes late you are at the finish. There's usually about 20 to 30 cars on these runs, all Triumphs and obviously a fair few will be straight sixes, most have been at least mildly breathed on with big exhausts, wheels, lowered, spotlights etc, like this... 

So one year we're hacking round the Peak District looking for various caves. We've just come away from Treak Cliff Cavern at about 02.30 on a Sunday. Photo to prove it, that's another point in the book... 

And we're off to the next place on the list. Passing through the small town of Castleton we notice an open and well lit public convenience in the car park. These are few and far between and my co driver wanted a fag anyway so we pulled in to the car park for a short break. 

And there in the distance was this sound. A haunting howl somewhere up on the Snake Pass. Only quiet to start with but getting slowly louder. A Triumph straight six being used in anger. We sat there for more than five minutes listening. It would sometimes die away and then suddenly come back louder as it came down the hill. We're sitting in a car park in a deserted small town centre and it's really quite eerie. Obviously as it comes down to our level the noise doesn't carry so well so it goes quiet for a couple of minutes until - bang - there it is, a GT6 glides surprisingly quietly through the town (they do stress about speed limits in towns, the club need a permit for the event and the relevant police forces are notified) and then as  it goes out the other side you hear it open up again and the howl is back. We left at that point before they come back and get past us. That sound will stay with me forever. 

Even sitting in a motorway services, hearing a Triumph straight six fly by gives you a warm feeling inside. And yet at idle they are so smooth they're almost silent. No V8 can do that. V8's burble, straight sixes howl but are smoother at the same time. They might not be as loud as a TVR V8 but it's a far superior noise. Quality not quantity. 

I stand by my original statement. 

Back in Oct 2018 I went to Turweston Airfield to cheer on my friend Rob Pearce in his GT6 who has done it many times.

The Police car chase was fun.

I was driving my Vitesse to get there.

I love how the straight six Triumph sounds and my Vitesse has a non standard twin rear box set up.

For me 1st place for a road car goes to a 1st gen Camaro I was on the same rally with 30 years ago, that deep sound that makes you chest plates vibrate yet so crisp it revved out like a 16v 4 pot, I so wanted that engine.

[Six-cylinder]

7 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

A few years back a mate of mine had an early 1600cc Vitesse.  That was interesting as it was a straight 6 but was so tiny and underpowered that it needed to be regularly caned to keep up on fast roads or get past tractors etc.  And yes, it did sound rather wonderful.

70 bhp but it never felt that much.

This was my 1600cc Vitesse.

[brownnova]

21/22nd in the diary. Will be there. Looking forward to it already! 

[Yoss]

 

If I was to buy another Triumph (that would be as well as, not in place of, my 1300TC) I think it would be a Vitesse saloon. I'd love a GT6, it is essentially the smallest possible body wrapped around the straight six engine, but prices have gone silly now. And where Vittesses are concerned you get a lot more for your money with a saloon over a convertible. And anyway I think the saloon looks better. Mr Michelotti put a lot of work into making the roof look like the rest of the car, whereas the convertible roof just looks like most other convertible roofs of the era. Mind you, a Vitesse estate would really tempt me. 

My last Round Britain Run was 2016 and they are the only run I have pictures of on this phone. This is Lands End on the Sunday morning. There are, I think, 18 or 19 six cylinders in this picture, I tried counting four times and got different answers every time. Also a fair few V8's and fours as well. 

Plus obligatory pez station shot number 1. Skiach services, Alness. 

And obligatory pez station shot number 2. Tebay, M6. 

 

 

Also 21st of August looks like my long weekend so put me down for a probably. 

[dozeydustman]

21/22 august look good for me to visit at the moment but will confirm nearer the time

[Six-cylinder]

58 minutes ago, Yoss said:

 

If I was to buy another Triumph (that would be as well as, not in place of, my 1300TC) I think it would be a Vitesse saloon. I'd love a GT6, it is essentially the smallest possible body wrapped around the straight six engine, but prices have gone silly now. And where Vittesses are concerned you get a lot more for your money with a saloon over a convertible. And anyway I think the saloon looks better. Mr Michelotti put a lot of work into making the roof look like the rest of the car, whereas the convertible roof just looks like most other convertible roofs of the era. Mind you, a Vitesse estate would really tempt me. 

So far since 1977 I have had 3 convertible and 4 saloons Vitesses, my current one is a MK2 convertible I have owned for the last 16 years. 

The closest I have got to a Triumph 1300 saloon is a Toledo 2 door project car.

[Yoss]

The 1300 has very little in common with the Toledo, certainly far less than the outer bodywork would suggest. Perhaps I'll dig it out for the 21st, it's not been out in a while. 

[MrDuke]

I should be around for both dates, depending on whether I remember to buy a tent before the August w/e.

[Snake Charmer]

My first car was a Toledo, shared with a friend who broke the rear axle doing burnouts. White roof and the rest was red oxide, a trademark of a friends Stepfather who would weld cars up and sell them cheap with an Mot. Then he discovered Hammerite could be sprayed.  🙈

[Six-cylinder]

My driving instructor had a L reg white Toledo 4 door in 1976. This was my motivation for wanting mine.

My second car in 1977 was a Vitesse 2.0 MK1 saloon. I have had them almost continually except for a while when I bought my 1st house in 1982. Up to 1983 they were daily cars and I had 4. At one stage I worked in London and I ended up doing 40k miles in a Vitesse. When I got my next Vitesse in 1986 it was a leisure car and I had a company car by then.

This was my first Vitesse I bought for leisure and I had it resprayed.

[Snake Charmer]

A friends Father had a GT6 and I always admired it as a kid, I looked at the prices and considered one as a daily about a year ago.

[Six-cylinder]

27 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

A friends Father had a GT6 and I always admired it as a kid, I looked at the prices and considered one as a daily about a year ago.

I owned a GT6 once, it had been though a shop window. I Hasten to add not my doing I just bought it for spares.

[Snake Charmer]

34 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I owned a GT6 once, it had been though a shop window. I Hasten to add not my doing I just bought it for spares.

Was it a Pet Shop? Looks like an angry snarling Rottweiler! 

[Six-cylinder]

You wait ages for a white Mercedes to come onto your drive then 2 turn up together! @Peter C @Zelandeth

[LightBulbFun]

17 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

You wait ages for a white Mercedes to come onto your drive then 2 turn up together! @Peter C @Zelandeth

funny that

as theres a Beige Mercedes W123 Estate (complete with matching wheel trims ) that iv seen twice now on my driving lessons

curiously once while we where arriving at wanstead, and then today when we where just leaving home

am I being stalked by it or something! remains to be seen if I see it again for a 3rd time next lesson...

[Noel Tidybeard]

i imagine a vitesse estate would be quite a thing

[wuvvum]

I'm going to try and combine the August weekend with a visit to my parents, given that the FOD is almost exactly at the half way point 'twixt mine and theirs.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

11 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

i imagine a vitesse estate would be quite a thing

Obviously very easy to create, due to the Meccano nature of small Triumphs , but some were actually sold by Triumph, albeit not from Coventry . A few were created at the London Service and Parts depot in Park Royal, so we’re known as Park Royal Vitesse Estates.

This is allegedly a genuine Park Royal. But as it would be so easy to recreate, who knows?

[Zelandeth]

5 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

You wait ages for a white Mercedes to come onto your drive then 2 turn up together! @Peter C @Zelandeth

The obvious question though, if you had to pick one to take home, which would it be?

[Andyrew]

You do have to wonder how the germans got the styling just right? not once but twice!

The earlier models classic shapes and the later car giving a nod to those highlights and iconic styling. 

Add to that comfort, and an air of class.

Stunning. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mercs look alright aswell.

[Six-cylinder]

8 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

The obvious question though, if you had to pick one to take home, which would it be?

I would like a bigger engine but have always resisted the urge to upgrade because I have liked the blue estate car so much from day one 7 years ago. Looking at the outstanding 200E manual I would stick with what I have partly because mine is Auto and in spite of the stunning condition of @Peter C. My 200TE wants to visit Peter for a wash and brush up.

I think the tougher question would be if I could pick between your W123 230TE and my 200TE. I am just not sure what I would do, yours is a more stylish car with a bigger engine and mine a bit more modern for daily use and an old friend????????????

[Six-cylinder]

8 hours ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

Obviously very easy to create, due to the Meccano nature of small Triumphs , but some were actually sold by Triumph, albeit not from Coventry . A few were created at the London Service and Parts depot in Park Royal, so we’re known as Park Royal Vitesse Estates.

This is allegedly a genuine Park Royal. But as it would be so easy to recreate, who knows?

I have friends locally who have a Vitesse Estate which is probably not a Park Royal car, but who knows the conversion was done a long time ago.

[Six-cylinder]

6 hours ago, Andyrew said:

You do have to wonder how the germans got the styling just right? not once but twice!

The earlier models classic shapes and the later car giving a nod to those highlights and iconic styling. 

Add to that comfort, and an air of class.

Stunning. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mercs look alright aswell.

It was a surprise to me how much I have liked this car. A random purchase because it was there and I wanted to give it a try has been a big success.