Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Radioman · Joined: 13 Dec 2020 Posts: 1

Hi Rick

I am avidly following this series of videos - there's something indefinably exciting about getting something going after decades of unuse. A bit like Snow White and love's first kiss !

If you had still been struggling to start her I would have suggested running the ignition coil off a separate 12V battery, to make sure it got full whack even with the starter battery flagging. Also, the old books used to recommend pouring boiling water over an old towel, squeezing it out and laying it on the inlet manifold. Idea was to vapourise any liquid petrol. Mind you, petrol in those days was more paraffin like and sluggish to evaporate in cold weather. I expect an electric heat gun would work as well.

A bit off topic - I watched "The Dig" on Netflix, where Edith Pretty is chauffered around in a limousine with those big headlights and trumpet horns. Couldn't decide on the make (not a Talbot !) but very much the same "I'm Important" look.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 6549 Location: Edinburgh

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 21719 Location: UK

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 21719 Location: UK

In a bid to try running the engine for longer, I've spent time recently on the cooling system, in particular removing the many hardened old rubber hoses and the thermostat assembly, as mentioned before. This and more is covered in today's YT upload, hopefully soon I'll be in a position to have it running for longer and try the gears.

https://youtu.be/5pMNae7fO-s

RJ
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Rick (OCC Admin)
Various 1920s-1960s - Austin, Morris, Commer, Dodge etc.

Rootes75 · Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:09 pm Post subject:

Really interesting watchingvthe videos Rick, keep them coming.

I have taken some of our Hillman 80 running with the bonnet up so I will post a link to it.
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1937 Ford 7w
1937 Hillman 80
1946 ERF C.I.5
1947 Hillman Minx
1955 Hillman Minx Mk8
1950 Commer R541

petelang · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 311 Location: Nottingham

Good to see continued progress Rick.
In my coolant I have added Morris oils "Ankersol" corrosion inhibitor. It makes it go a vivid fluorescent green colour which is very useful for finding any weeps but it seems to do whats intended too and inhibits development of corrosion, as found when I had to drain down for a job a year or two later.
I did as you said, initially a lesser volume of antifreeze until it was clearly watertight and then increased it to near 50%..
Glad to see that big old thermostat still works after so long. Good old British engineering for those who always knock what we used to make.
8 wonder if the average BMW stat would still operate after 50 years?
Peter
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Daimler Fifteen 1934
Armstrong Siddeley 15 Long 1933
Daimler V8 250 196
Daimler DS420 's x 2

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 21719 Location: UK

I fired up the Talbot again today for another quick test, the PC was out of bounds thanks to home-schooling (and the laptop throwing a wobbler when we tried to use MS Teams on it for online lessons) so it made sense to have a little tinker outside.

The thermostat opened as it should but the top hose, while it doesn't appear to leak, doesn't have the strength to deal with hot coolant passing through it, so I'm working on an alternative to it right now.

Small steps, small steps ...

RJ
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Rick (OCC Admin)
Various 1920s-1960s - Austin, Morris, Commer, Dodge etc.

Peter_L · Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:28 pm Post subject:

MVPeters · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 756 Location: Northern MA, USA

Rick

Do you have a 2" diameter spring, about 18" long, in your spring box'o'bits?
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Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 Mini Cooper 'S'

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 21719 Location: UK

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 21719 Location: UK

Hi all,

Last weekend I managed to spend a lot of time working on the Talbot. It was reluctant to fire up, which was something of a surprise given how readily it had started at my previous attempt only a week or two earlier. It turned out that the old points were so worn that they struggled to fully close ever.

I also came up with an improvised solution to the top hose issue, which finally enabled me to fully fill up the cooling system and check for leaks etc elsewhere, including the radiator.

The main driver in all this though was to see if the gears would actually select, and the clutch work as intended, so that the car could be driven under its own power for the first time in 45 years. That was an exciting day.

I uploaded a new vid today covering all of this latest excitement.

https://youtu.be/fAKD7lQnkko

RJ
_________________
Rick (OCC Admin)
Various 1920s-1960s - Austin, Morris, Commer, Dodge etc.

kevin2306 · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2021 7:23 pm Post subject:

Fantastic progress Rick, I look forward to seeing this around the shows in the future.

Kev