> Also, while I'm thinking relatively straight, can the 1600
> Vitesse 6 (Sports
> 6) non-o/d mainshaft be replaced with the o/d mainshaft and
> d-type overdrive
> from a Spitfire Mk1 -Mk3 o/d gearbox ?
Yes, in fact we saw a demonstration at VTR this year of John Kipping doing
this exact conversion.
> Might be possible to use the Vitesse 1600 gearbox in the Spitfire4 (aka
> Mk1). I know the bellhousing must be changed to the Spitfire
> type. Anything
> else ?
The input shaft is considerably different but I forget offhand which one is
longer.
> Not sure how the Vitesse ratios will affect power, speed and fuel
> consumption of the early Spitfire. Anyone any ideas?
Fuel consumption shouldn't be an issue, since 4th gear is direct drive on
both gearboxes.
Close ratios are normally only an advantage on 'peaky' engines, those where
the power output falls off rapidly either side of the peak power point. How
that relates to Spitfire vs Vitesse, I don't know. The downside to close
ratios is that 1st gear is taller, which can hurt performance off the line
and lead to rapid clutch wear.
Randall
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