THE STORY SO FAR
In august 2005 i decided i wanted to give up my limo and wedding car business and spend more time with my kids. In sept 06 i did just that. I wanted something different to drive around in and i also wanted something i could have some fun with my children as well. Damon is aged nine and Josh is six so they have really been brought up on a diet of new cars and quite posh ones at that. I have had wedding cars since 1988 and limos since 1999 so both of my boys think that riding around in a limo is normal. I wanted somethinmg different and i wanted my kids to experience some of the cars that i had driven when i was younger. Doubt if they will ever get the chance to drive something like that by the time they have grown up. I had a vitesse 1600 convertible when i was 18 so i decided that i would buy one and do it up with them so they could see what it was like making an old car look like new again. So i purchased one of the first convertible Vitesses that was built and remains on the road. Born in june 1962 and registered in june 1962 698YPH is a 1600 vitesse convertible with red interior( originally black) and signal red coachwork with sebring white flash down the side. According to the paper work it is probably only one of seven surviving from the first 1000 vitesses including saloons, built. It appears to be very solid having stripped the paint back to bare metal there is only a very small amount of rust in one door. The floor pans look like they have been replaced at some time leaving this a very solid car. Because i like my cars to lok different i have decided to give it a twin pack red and white paint job with lots of laquer. Claret carpets with a red and white interior and a set of minilite wheels
Having had a good look around the car i have decided that i need the following parts.
Before i go any further i must tell you that i am a single dad and have both my boys with me all the time. They are both really into cars and like to help me in their own way.
An update on the history of my car. It is chassis no 504 and remains one of the oldest surviving Vitesses. I have been put very firmly in my place by Dick Plummidge of the triumph register who infoms me that since the e-mail that was written ( a copy of which i hgave amongst the histroy of the cars) another Vittesse has been found that is older than mine . That means there are now 5 known to the register. This could also mean that there are another 20 or so that are still around and nort known to the register. Of the five one is in europe and was more of a kit one is in the states and is not thought to be that genuine and two others are in this country one thought to be very genuine. These are of course Vitesses including saloons and i do not know how many of them are Convertible Vitesses. Suffice it to say my car is still one of the oldest surviving vitesses and by the time i have finished with it i bet there will be even less that ware in every day use which i intend mine to be.
