One For Classic Car Fans.....

[raleighnut]

I quite like the Herald. They weren't brilliant cars, not at all advanced and quite orthodox, but I can remember when they were everywhere.

Same chassis/suspension as the Vitesse, GT6, and Spitfire*. Beggars to start in a morning due to the carb being located just above the exhaust manifold so it boiled off the fuel in the floatbowl (kettling) and with a mechanical fuel pump it took ages to fill it up again so the engine could start.

* I think they had stronger springs certainly at the front but the same set-up.

 

[gbb]

Grand old thing, 1966 I think S Class. Must have been a hell of a lot of car in its day..

 

[Profpointy]

Same chassis/suspension as the Vitesse, GT6, and Spitfire*. Beggars to start in a morning due to the carb being located just above the exhaust manifold so it boiled off the fuel in the floatbowl (kettling) and with a mechanical fuel pump it took ages to fill it up again so the engine could start.

* I think they had stronger springs certainly at the front but the same set-up.

My Vitesse always started with no bother at all. Granted it chronically overheated, which I never managed to resolve, but no trouble starting it. Great fun to drive and I suspect the Herald version would have been nearly as nice and perhaps a bit safer being less overpowered

 

[Ian H]

Same chassis/suspension as the Vitesse, GT6, and Spitfire*. Beggars to start in a morning due to the carb being located just above the exhaust manifold so it boiled off the fuel in the floatbowl (kettling) and with a mechanical fuel pump it took ages to fill it up again so the engine could start.

* I think they had stronger springs certainly at the front but the same set-up.

The Bond Equipes were based on Herald or Vitesse chassis. Possibly a few other specials as well.

I read somewhere that the separate chassis was because Triumph couldn't afford the tooling for a monocoque body.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

View attachment 787357

Grand old thing, 1966 I think S Class. Must have been a hell of a lot of car in its day..

Some interesting info attached to this old auction listing:

https://www.hangar136.com/vehicle/mercedes-benz-280-se-coupe-w111/

 

[raleighnut]

My Vitesse always started with no bother at all. Granted it chronically overheated, which I never managed to resolve, but no trouble starting it. Great fun to drive and I suspect the Herald version would have been nearly as nice and perhaps a bit safer being less overpowered

The carbs on the Vitesse/GT6 were set further out so didn't get as hot when you stopped, the overheating could be cured with a Kenlowe electric fan kit which also liberated a bit more power as the engine didn't have to drag that big fan around.

 

[Profpointy]

The carbs on the Vitesse/GT6 were set further out so didn't get as hot when you stopped, the overheating could be cured with a Kenlowe electric fan kit which also liberated a bit more power as the engine didn't have to drag that big fan around.

The other "improvement" (on the 6 cylinder) was to cut off the lug between the exhaust manifold and the carb. Supposedly this helped performance when hot and / or reduced the issue you mentioned.

Re: kenlow fans, I think you'd have needed two big ones to solve the overheating. Mine tended to boil over as soon as you stopped

 

[tyred]

I quite like the Herald. They weren't brilliant cars, not at all advanced and quite orthodox, but I can remember when they were everywhere.

I think they might have been one of the very first card to have a collapsible steering column, which is obviously a good thing if you prang it.

I like them too. Neat styling. Michelloti also styled the cab for the Scammall Routeman lorry.

 

[raleighnut]

I think they might have been one of the very first card to have a collapsible steering column, which is obviously a good thing if you prang it.

Especially when you think seatbelts were not mandatory for front seat occupants before 1983 and very few people wore them in the 70's despite Jimmy Saville urging us to do so.

 

[Reynard]

And of course, a Herald can be turned into a yacht. Just don't ask James May to sail it, though...

 

[Profpointy]

And of course, a Herald can be turned into a yacht. Just don't ask James May to sail it, though...

There is the Amphicar, a genuine amphibious car based on the Herald. The Triumph Sporting Six Club, which I joined in my Vitesse days, catered for the six models: Herald, Vitesse, Spitfire, GT6, Bond Equip and the Amphicar. Only seen the one in the wild and to be fair it was driving up out of the the Thames after a swim near Marlow or Maidenhead. The pictures are off the internet and presumably not the one I saw

 

[Reynard]

There is the Amphicar, a genuine amphibious car based on the Herald. The Triumph Sporting Six Club, which I joined in my Vitesse days, catered for the six models: Herald, Vitesse, Spitfire, GT6, Bond Equip and the Amphicar. Only seen the one in the wild and to be fair it was driving up out of the the Thames after a swim near Marlow or Maidenhead. The pictures are off the internet and presumably not the one I saw

View attachment 787429

View attachment 787430

I knew about the Amphicars, but didn't realise they were based on the Herald. Every day is a school day!

 

[Way-Out-West]

As a kid, I was amazed by the sight of an Amphicar gliding down a slipway and splashing straight into the sea. The sea was choppy, and the ‘vessel’ seemed to sit precariously low in the water.
I bet it succumbed to rust shortly after.

 

[Ian H]

I read somewhere that numerous lubrication points had to be attended to after every maritime adventure.

 

[Profpointy]

I knew about the Amphicars, but didn't realise they were based on the Herald. Every day is a school day!

Having read a bit more, I'm not sure much more than the engine was off off the Herald, and even that was in the back rather than the front ! I may have misremembered how much Herald was in the car