Just needs a bit of a tidy up and onto the other pillar which is a lot worse.

Only one way to cure it and that is to cut it out and replace it with some new metal.

Windscreen Frame

Then onto the windscreen frame. A real pain in the ass, more rust that I hadn't expected. As soon as you put a grinder and rotary wire brush to what looked like a bit of surface rust this happens.

New metal welded in and ground off.

Rot cut out.

Front bulkhead repairs

Still working on the front tub and still finding rot.

This is on the back of the bulkhead, below the parcel shelf. This has rotted through form where the heater mounts on the front of the bulkhead and where all the crap gets in through the fresh air intake mesh. It gets trapped holds all the rain and finally rots through. The front side was a bit fiddlely to repair, but this bit was straight forward.  

A lot of rot was cut out and replaced with new metal. I measured the positions of the brackets before they were removed, so for now I will just tack them in position, until I am happy  that the holes line up with the side rails.

Front tub mounting brackets

Started on the front tub. I've got all new mounting brackets, but first I have to cut out all the rot. It is bad on both sides. The main problem is that every thing in this area is shaped and not just flat plates. It's important to keep measuring and do one side at a time so you have something to refer to. Also as you start chopping lumps out you can easily lose your way. It has got to be solid and accurate because this will have a big effect on how the doors hang, and ultimately open and close.   

The chassis is finally primmed. Apart from replacing the side rails the chassis is very sound and original, and because of this I have a good reference for the positioning of the body mounting brackets on the front and rear tubs. After placing the chassis on blocks I positioned the front and rear tubs using the chassis as a jig, and then tac welded the mounting brackets in place. 

Although the wishbone brackets were in good condition I have replaced them with the Canley ones with extra positions for lowering the rear of the car. A better option than using spacers under the rear spring. 

And after hours and hours back to bare metal with new side rails fitted. If I did it again I would get it sandblasted.

This is the rear section a bit of surface rust but very solid and a nice metalic ring to it when tapped. I did make enquires about getting it blasted but quotes of 170 pounds, plus delivering and collecting I thought I would do it the hard way paint striper, scrapper. angle grinder and wire wheel. 

Replacement Chassis

Apart fom not welding the outriggers properly he had gone mad with the welder and plated up all around the the chassis where the diff  and leaver arms mount. It would be to much work to cut all the plates off and I would never know how bad the rot was or wasn't and it would always be on my mind. I intend to uprate this vitesse and take it out on the occasional track day so the structural integrity is paramount. I started to look around. A rebuilt one from the trade I was lead to believe would cost anything from 900 pounds plus, which was a non starter. Good unmolested chassis are very rare especially vitesse rotoflex chassis. 1360 ones come along on the odd occasion but all the chassis tend to rot in the same place, where the diff mounts.  I ended up buying all new outriggers and side rails in anticipation and finally a decent 1360 chassis was won on e-bay. I new there would be a lot of work in cutting all the rotoflex mounts and brackets off the old chassis to convert the 1360 to vitesse mk2 spec but I didn't have a choice. Before I got  a chance to start a correct spec chassis appeared on e-bay so after a few e-mails to make sure it was sound and that there was no evidence of crash damage I felt confident the seller new exactly what I was after and by his answers new what he was talking about. I was wining the auction at 50 pound, but with a few seconds left as usual there was a flurry of bids. I was going to win this regardless and was very happy with a 100 pound winning bid. Collected the chassis the next day. You never know until you see with your own eyes what you've bought, and I was very pleased. All original outriggers that had never been replaced and no welding anywhere. The side rails were a bit rusty and although useable I intended on replacing these as this area has to be solid if you ever want to get the doors to open and close properly.

Chassis Horrors

Once the rear tub was off everything was revealed including the rear leaf spring sandwich plate. I've seen a couple of others snapped like this. Checked yours lately?

Triumph Vitesse Mk2

Seems to be a lack of Triumph Vitesse restoration and modifications being posted on the net so thought I would share my on going restoration with everybody. I have owned and worked on triumphs since the age of 17 and now at 44 nothings changed. I own a Vitesse Mk2, Gt6 Mk2 and two Mk3 spits. None of them pristine all needing work of one kind or another, I must be mad, but I just enjoy playing around on cars. I bought this Vitesse, one previous owner since 1971 with 63000 miles from new three years ago with the intention of doing the bare minimum to make it road worthy, but problems started after trying to get the rusted doors to close properly. I intended on re-skining the doors which i did straight away but trying to get them to hang straight revealed that the old gent I had bought the car off had made his own tread plate replacements at some point which were the wrong shape and welded to high so the doors were never going to fit. Removal of these revealed side rails that were only welded on from the underside. I knew this old boy had done his best to keep the car on the road when I originally went to pick up the car. I had bought it over the phone, after seeing a few pics that were e-mailed to me so I knew I was taking a chance when I drove the 300 miles to collect it. At this point i could have just welded up the side rails fitted new tread plates got the car on the road and just used it. But once up on stands and a good look at the chassis revealed that all outriggers had been replaced at some point but again only welded on the underside . The rear outriggers where the trailing arms mount could be heaved up and down whilst laying on my back, pushing down on the rear wing would open an close the door gap. So resined myself to start a chassis off rebuild and have it done in a few months! Well having other distractions like work, keeping a van and motor bike going family life and the other cars has slowed thing down a bit, but am going to try my best to get it back on the road by late summer everything crossed.