Every cloud...... British Vita

[Pete]

It is a shame, would have even been nice to see a Vita celebration at Shelsley but just couldn't get the cars. Still talking to Oulton about doing something there but sometimes it just isn't do-able..

[Leadfoot1]

Wonderfully car, can’t wait to see it finished.

[Nevsmini]

Love the resto tread. Cracking project Trevor. Have you thought about what spec engine you will build for her? Have you located a bag tank?

[trevorhp]

Love the resto tread. Cracking project Trevor. Have you thought about what spec engine you will build for her? Have you located a bag tank?

Sorry for the very delayed response....
thanks for the kind words.
I have the original Block and Gearbox courtesy of Will Dick and a brand new original crankshaft with new rods.
I intend to build the engine as a 999cc, Weslake cast iron 8-port, TJ fuel injected time warp motor.
I know it will not be easy or very strong once built but, hey-ho!!, I suspect it will not see much action

HDK443E however, well that's another matter, I have all the bits to do the same motor as KDK but it would be nice to use it in anger. (Pete told me, very early on, to fit a billet crank and forged pistons etc. etc. to all of them :lol.............: sound advice I suspect.

The third shell I have, well that's altogether another matter too .........looks exactly the same as the other two, but I have no provenance, just a commission number, as the original reg no. was lost when it was shipped to France and then again to Spain where I got it from.
There appears to be no way to obtain the reg no. so cannot be traced.
Looks like an AppK build is on the cards for this one
BTW not managed to locate a bag tank so far but ATL say they will make one to fit the same space as a RH mini tank £££££

[trevorhp]

Well 2019 has dawned and now the weather is cold and miserable its back to the workshop for some Mini Therapy.
I am needing a bit more advice re: rust prevention fillers and paint finishes....

Alex and I have very successfully used Hydrate 80 almost exclusively to treat the surface rust on KDK however I still am unsure of how to proceed with fillers and finishing paint.

We need to overpaint the Hydrate 80 and plan to use 2K primer which Bilt hamber say is ok as they indicate 'finish with the paint system of your choice' in their literature.
The problem is,I don't know if we can use modern lightweight filler over the Hydrate 80? there is not much required as there is very little in the way of repairs, fortunately.

in the past I have always used filler directly on to bare metal but it sometimes fails if there is any rust left behind after preparation, which in this case is inevitably the case.

Any shared experience and advice is most welcome and will be gratefully received.
Trevor

[Pete]

Any more news on KDK Trevor?

If you don't blink you can spot both Vita cars in this clip from the Nurburgring in '68, plus two mechanics in Vita overalls. Simon Goodliff's lovely Mrs was sporting an original pair of these at Goodwood in April!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHCSLxw6K1s

[mk1]

Why don't commentators use phrases like "Merry Mechanical Mob" anymore?

[Pete]

New pic of HDK 443E at Aspern near Vienna in early 1969 just before it was sold to Herve Leguellec. Vita mechanic Nobby Clark attending to the car, qualified 5th and quickest Mini by Harry Ratcliffe before he was punted off by an Alfa.

[Pete]

It was the last race I think Vita entered a Mini in BSCC or ETCC and it’s the car at the back in this photo. Whizzo was already racing KDK 320F as a privateer in the BSCC in ‘69 which just leaves the mystery of what happened to KDK 319F.

[mk1]

Now that is a mystery I'd love to be able to solve.

[surfblue63]

Aspern early laps. Ratcliffe lasted until lap 4. It was damaged suspension that put him out, caused by an Autodelta Alfa.

Aspern 1969.JPG

If you want to see more pictures from this event, sadly no more of the Vita car, then click on the link

https://www.technischesmuseum.at/motors ... cleid/2380

[Costafortune]

Now that is a mystery I'd love to be able to solve.

I wonder.............

[surfblue63]

John Handley at Aspern in 1968. Car entered as 970S. Looks like a bit of plate changing as it's clearly a Mk1.

Aspern 1968.JPG

[Pete]

Looks like a bit of plate changing as it's clearly a Mk1.

Aspern 1968.JPG

They were all Mk1s Stu.

[trevorhp]

Now that is a mystery I'd love to be able to solve.

Mark et al

I do have a bare third and obviously Vita 'prepared' shell which I bought 3 or 4 years ago(after obtaining a second or was it third mortgage) from an English guy in Spain named Pinion, he contacted me directly after seeing my Vita cars on this forum (which at the time massively increased the price of the shell of course) it was a bit of an expensive gamble, but it's a Mk 1 Morris Cooper S shell anyway.

I have no UK registration identity but did have a commission plate and a body number, from which I have obtained a Heritage certificate.

It was supplied to Appleyards in Leeds on 21st march 1967 and was originally Tartan Red with a Black Roof.
It had a heater, an oil cooler and an extra fuel tank.

But of course it is impossible to find out the original registration number from DVLA with these alone.
I do have a Spanish document but it arrived in Spain via France originally so it's back history long gone I'm afraid
Any suggestions/opinions on how to trace the Original UK registration number from the very limited information I have would be very gratefully received

Trevor
ps
Update on KDK 320F ....No progress....... as Alex my son, who thankfully is intent on helping me, is very work busy and in the process of buying a house.
However HDK 443E now has an essential new floor on the way and I alone am making progress here, as Alex is not interested in what he refers to as 'the spare car'

[trevorhp]

Well I have been contacted by a student at University of Central Lancashire who is trying to establish a project to trace 'lost' cars using Local Authority records via an algorithm that filters their accessible files, apparently available under the freedom of information regs.
I dont really understand the science etc behind this, but will keep you all posted.

[mk1]

Wow!

That sounds complicated!

[trevorhp]

Ok so that did not go well....
Apparently not all Local Authority records are digital ( I did think that was likely) also, worse, some paper records were microfiched in the early 80’s however the microfiches have degraded and are deemed unsuitable for digitising: most of the paper records could have subsequently been destroyed.
He doesn’t know how common a problem this is but it sounds like another DVLA database disaster when zillions of records were lost ‘forever’,
Some more recent stuff may be retrieved if it has been digitally stored.
Other than that it down to trawling through any paperwork or microfiche records manually if the registering authority is known.
More updates as I receive them but I doubt he will get very much further, shame as it seemed like a possible route.
Any thoughts or alternatives welcome.

[mk1]

That's a shame.

But the Council records have been a bit fragmentary for a long time. Some are great, some are non existent. Just another example as to how these new fangled computers are not all they are cracked up to be

[Pete]

Picture of Whizzo in KDK 320F