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something a bit different! (Alvis TA14 Pickup)
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 1:38 pm    Post subject: something a bit different! (Alvis TA14 Pickup) Reply with quote

hello everyone, not been on the forum since last year due to a hell of a lot of work done to the Alvis.......

here's the story....

August 2013,the Hebden bridge car show finished and the wife and I decided on re-painting the Alvis......on stripping the rear of the car, we found a LOT of rot. The rear inner arches and wood frame were dropping in bits and a decision had to be made on what to do with it......

I decided to remove the whole body to see how bad it really was, when it came to lifting it off the chassis the whole thing gave way and we was left with a pile of rust and rotten wood. Nothing could be saved except the front doors, outer wings and the bonnet.
so my efforts over the last few years were a complete waste of time.

The scrap chap took the old body away for me leaving me with a good Alvis chassis and running gear, 4 wings, 2 front doors and a bonnet!.

so a body had to be sorted....

a trip to the local steel yard and the wifes purse £400 lighter, a lot of days and nights in the workshop and on the drive....and we've ended up with this so far, it still needs finishing off.

not to everyone's taste so 'purists' look away now.....








comments welcome
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1127
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Jason,

A crying shame after all the incredible work you put into it. I bet you were in tears when you accessed the rot and had to have it all carted away. However, the finished ute looks rather nice and at least you know that the running gear is OK!

The work you did in the past was not wasted. Think of the experience you gained and the fun you had restoring it! And now you still have the benefit of the mechanical components.

Keith
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i wouldn't say tears keith, I was more annoyed with myself, I should of assessed it a bit better during the restoration before. as you say its been good experience and a sharp learning curve!

thanks for the comments, i'm sure that it will get a lot more attention as a pick up / ute
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D4B



Joined: 28 Dec 2010
Posts: 2083
Location: Hampshire UK

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing ~ like it ~ but HOW did you achieve it? well done too
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D4B wrote:
Amazing ~ like it ~ but HOW did you achieve it? well done too


thanks....with great difficulty Laughing it took some doing and I wouldn't recommend building a car body to anyone.

did I forget to mention that I am an engineer by trade? Laughing

thanks for the comments
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, good save but what a shame about the original body! Have you seen the thread running about my old Somerset, that has gone on to a new life as a pickup?

Good to have you back here, any photos of the build work required?

RJ

PS I might move this into the "Your Cars" section if that's ok.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For recent members, here's Jason's original thread regarding the rescue of the Alvis a few years back.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6029

RJ
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
Wow, good save but what a shame about the original body! Have you seen the thread running about my old Somerset, that has gone on to a new life as a pickup?

Good to have you back here, any photos of the build work required?

RJ

PS I might move this into the "Your Cars" section if that's ok.



thanks rick, have you got a link to your somerset thread? I haven't got many photos of the build but i'll see what i can find.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
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PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jason wrote:
Rick wrote:
Wow, good save but what a shame about the original body! Have you seen the thread running about my old Somerset, that has gone on to a new life as a pickup?

Good to have you back here, any photos of the build work required?

RJ

PS I might move this into the "Your Cars" section if that's ok.



thanks rick, have you got a link to your somerset thread? I haven't got many photos of the build but i'll see what i can find.


I sold the A40 years ago, and didn't hear any more about it until the poster of this thread got in touch (in the Austin section):

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15420

RJ
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cheers rick, he's done a good job of it, although he only had to build the rear part.
with mine, I started making the door frames so that the original doors fit, opened and closed. then moved on to the frame work for the windscreen and the battery compartment (under the bonnet). once all the framework (1"x 1" box section with a 2mm wall thickness) was done and put together it was 'just' a case of panel cutting and shaping, then seam welding.....which I even bought a new welder for!

I ended up using eight 2m x 1m x 1.2mm mild steel sheets by the time I'd done the cab and the rear tub.

i'll get some more photos posted as the work continues, jobs to do are....

paint to polish on near side
sign write near side
door handles to fit
door cards to make for interior
bulb to get and fit for one of the headlights (ones blown)

oh and I've got a 45 gallon drum in my workshop, my plan is to cut it in half lengthways, fit a wood frame inside, then fit hinges and a seal.
then paint it up like a vintage oil drum and put it in the back to store the jack, wheel brace and other tools.
I'll get some pics of that when I get round to it!
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Jason, sorry about the alvis, it must have been heart breaking after all that work but I approve what you've done!!
Great way to save what was left of it!!!
The pickup transformation looks great!!
When you have some time please put some pics up of the work you've been doing on it!!
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

there will be a large update coming soon.....
just need to get the project finished (hopefully today) as she's booked in for the Hebden bridge car show next weekend.

so as I say, I'll get a large update posted later this week Wink
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
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Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

so here we go a rather large update and the story of the build......

the cars rear arches were completely rotten and the wood frame was totally shot as can be seen in the next 2 photos...





the back end is the wrong way round as I couldn't lift it on my own so just shuffled it round till we could get a scrap man to take it away.

the new cab body and pick up body was built in my workshop whilst the chassis and running gear sat on the drive under a tarpaulin.

I've no pictures of the construction as time was of the essence the Hebden bridge vintage weekend was 8 months away at this point and they send invites out to people who have been before.....if you miss one, I've heard they don't invite you anymore. so 8 months to go and we had a chassis and running gear in good condition, a pick up truck body completed needing painting and a half finished cab body.

so I got the cab body finished and then got some mates up to marry the 2 bodies to the chassis......





when we got the truck assembled, i decided to sign write it with my company details (as in the photos above) but since had a rethink and decided against it.....

the chrome work wasn't the best so, taking the idea off ford with there model A, decided to paint it satin black...

this is the finished product.....













not to everyone's taste but I love it....... Razz

she hasn't run since August 2013, on Sunday, I put the key in the ignition, primed the fuel pump (electric), pushed the start button...........and......vrooommm she burst into life.....Awesome.....so a quick trip out for a test drive and she's running like a dream

Laughing Laughing Laughing
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well took the truck to the Hebden bridge car show yesterday....it's going again today....it received a load of attention, at one point there was about 50 people stood round her

I only got one negative comment all day and that was that I shouldn't of painted the chrome work black.

one bloke said it looked like a miniture american tractor unit, with its long bonnet, small cab and long back

photos to follow later in the week.

also penman was there yesterday so had a good chat with him.
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Jason



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 623
Location: Todmorden, Lancs.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well there could be an engine rebuild in the pipeline for the Alvis.....on returning home from Hebden bridge yesterday evening, the engine was loosing quite a lot of oil.
the oil looks to be coming from the engine push rod covers and the crankcase breather pipe, so I'm guessing that the piston rings could be shot and its getting 'blow by' and pressurising the crankcase.

The engine has not had any work since I got the car after 35 years in a garage, just an oil change and new spark plugs.

so I think the time has come to strip and rebuild it....i'll make a start when I'm back off holiday in a few weeks time.

updates will be added with photos once I've started Wink
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