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21 Jan 2012 - Donor de-construction

Well this was the day to start taking the donor car apart. It had to be today, because I had put the bonnet and roof on ebay and they were ending tomorrow!

At this stage, it is all quite straight-forward, just taking everything off and sorting out what I need to keep and what else will go on ebay. The aim was to try and raise enough money on selling the bits so I could cover the cost of the Sammio Spyder kit.

What I was amazed at was the ease at which everything came apart. I have been so lucky with this car, it is a solid car to start with, so hopefully I can spend time and effort on the build, rather than trying to repair or replace the basic chassis and bulkhead.

I have done a complete strip down and rebuild of a 13/60 Herald a couple of years ago and you can see how that went on www.heraldrestoration.co.uk, so I am familiar with the Triumph Herald/Vitesse layout and how it is all put together. The doors, sills, and bonnet are in excellent condition, as is the rear tub, so I will be satisfied that I am doing someone a favour in helping them keep their own Triumph Herald or Vitesse on the road for a few more years. Many kit car builders will agree that it is often false economy to go for a really cheap and sorry-looking donor vehicle, and you are advised to go for the best you can afford.

Engine-wise, the car is a runner, with 6 months left on the MOT - that would be great to drive it down the road stripped out and present the Policeman with a current MOT. Probably not a good idea though! The straight Six cylinder runs lovely and the gearbox has the covetted overdrive, so I am really looking forward to seeing how it goes in the Sammio Spyder, as the body will be about half the weight.

Everything that was taken off was bagged and labelled (learnt over many years of hunting for the right nuts and bolts), and the bits that were going on ebay were stored in the garage or taken into the dining room for photographing and listing. Yes, my wife has been very tollerant up to this point, but I am under no illusion though that it will last!

The rear tub came off after I remembered to take off the handbrake cable from the pivot point underneath the rear seat, and surprisingly, even the tub was rust-free, so that was destined for ebay as well. The dash board and wiring also came out, and during the course of a weekend, it was all stripped down and ready for cutting.....