Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Keith D
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 1132 Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 2:57 am Post subject: |
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The Wolseley 1500 was locally built in Australia, but the most popular and cheaper versions using the same bodyshell was the Austin Lancer and Morris Major. There were many sold and there are a few still on the roads and seen at old car events.
Keith _________________ 1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution |
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Churchill Johnson
Joined: 11 Jan 2011 Posts: 359 Location: Rayleigh Essex
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:01 am Post subject: |
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During my national service days in Germany i looked after a Riley 1.5 for a qaranc sister, it was still newish and she complained the engine did not seem to have the power it once has so i went out with four of us to do a road test ,30-50-70-90-mph in the gears maybe the speddo was a little optimistic but at the time i thought this was very good and even a Opel Rekord did not exceed that top speed. |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:43 am Post subject: |
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Have taken the seats out and given them a good clean down, and am turning my attention to the door cards. These have been remade at some time, but the colour has faded to a strange pale violet colour when they were originally red. One of the rear armrest/door pulls has obviously split and someone has had a rather clumsy attempt at re-covering, but the end result is poor. I have managed to find a spare, albeit in the wrong colour. If nothing turns up in red, I will have a bash with some vinyl dye. I am also missing the inset ashtrays from the front door cards. The replacements were obviously remade without these. I have no use for ashtrays, personally, but may hunt some down for the sake of completeness.
I have some new carpets on order and will leave the seats out until these are fitted. Hopefully they will turn up in the next week or so. I will probably call the restoration phase to a temporary halt then, subject to any mechanical issues that turn up when I start driving, get some use out of it, and then return to the refurb when winter comes . _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV
Last edited by norustplease on Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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The glove box doors have at some time been sanded down too vigorously and the veneer has disappeared in patches, mainly around the edge of the doors. I have ordered some burr walnut veneer, and will be refinishing the doors. Has anyone any tips for doing this? _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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The front seats of the Wolseley are hinged as if the car was a two door. I wondered if this was normal, and have found out that only the Mk 3 had fully fastened down front seats. Odd. Faced with the prospect of being tipped forwards through the windscreen in the event of a shunt, I have therefore fitted seatbelts, which, given the need to drill and reinforce the floor locally is a good point at which to find out exactly how much metal there is down there.
Fortunately I had the original maker's instructions as to how and where to drill floor, transmission tunnel and B pillar and suitably reinforce and things look solid.
The seats also rattle and feel loose on their runners, although there appears no danger of ending up on the floor. I need to contrive some way of taking up the slack without compromising the fore and aft adjustment. This has been done temporarily with a couple of small wooden wedges, but this is obviously a rustic solution and I could do with something a little more scientific longer term.
I am still awaiting new carpets and am trying to negotiate a set of replacement door cards from someone who is changing the interior colour of his car. _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1586 Location: Le Mans
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:26 am Post subject: |
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I came across this in a 1961 Autocar. The Riley, but basically the same
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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Have given up on the door cards, the original seller doesn't seem to be that keen to sell now. However, I have found some more via the Wolseley Register, which will hopefully turn up in the next week or so.
In the meantime I have fitted seatbelts and tidied up a few other bits of the interior and then been for a run. Nothing major, about eight miles or so, but far enough to pinpoint a few rattles, most coming from the boot and back doors, where the window glasses seem to rattle on an uneven surface, so I will probably need to try and fit some new channels. Something to be investigated when I remove the door cards again.
Otherwise a pleasant drive, sprightly performance, 50 lbs oil pressure at 40 mph, even when fully warmed through, good positive steering and brakes and a good view out, a contrast to the Volvo and Light 15, both of which have a dreadful rear view and large rear pillars which make reversing in tight spaces quite awkward. And comfortable, in fact the Wolseley feels a much larger car on the inside than it actually is. _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV
Last edited by norustplease on Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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A quick update. The door cards arrived from the Wolseley register and as expected, the actual base board was fairly shot on most of them, so I carefully unpicked the vinyl and padding from the backing and cut some new cards from 3mm board.
The vinyl was light grey, which would have been at odds with the rest of the red interior, so out with the vinyl dye again and a few coats to turn them red. Most of the clips had been rusty and snapped, so a supply of new was bought from Bresco and the cards refitted. I had also found on Ebay a couple of the recessed ashtrays that fit in the front doors, so they have been fitted also, (not that I will need an ashtray, but they do complete the look of the car interior).
Carpets also turned up and I spent several days fitting them, starting out by cleaning the floor and painting a couple of very lightly surface rusted areas in the driver's footwell with POR. The result is very attractive, and the car interior now begins to look more 'authentic, apart from the seatbelts that is, but I prize my face more than authenticity.
Finally, I re-veneered the glovebox doors and refitted them. Appearance is much improved but the central surround to the instrument panel really now needs doing with the same veneer to match properly. Another job for later in the winter, although it is good enough for the moment.
For now the Wolseley is quite presentable as a usable day to day car, and will be out and about for as long as the weather holds, and I can give the Volvo a rest. _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV
Last edited by norustplease on Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:41 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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I did find, iwhen removing some trim that the car has had cream side panels, at some time _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV
Last edited by norustplease on Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6354 Location: Derby
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 12:10 am Post subject: |
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You must be feeling pretty pleased with the progress. I think it makes such a difference when you start with a sound car to begin with. I don't remember seeing a two tone 1500 before - even when they were current - so perhaps it was a rare option?
I notice you fitted seat belts. What have you done to enable the seats to be adjustable yet eliminate the hinge issue (which I think was a strange anomaly with the earlier cars)?
Did you try and match the colour of the belts to the interior... or have you gone for black? Either would go well in your car! |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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The seats tilt, but are on a sliding frame which adjusts fore and aft. To lock the seats down, I will have to probably compromise on the adjustment, but since I am generally the only driver, this should not be a problem. the passenger seat can be locked into a midway position.
Seatbelts are black. I toyed with the idea of red, but decided that that might be too much.
I must admit that most of the 1500's that I remember from my youth were all one colour, but looking on Google images, there seem to be plenty of two tone examples around. How common an option it was, I am unsure. _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6354 Location: Derby
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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On my car the wooden seat bases are mounted on
adjustable runners with threaded fixings but the runners themselves are not fixed to the floor save for a couple of hinged brackets that are screwed into the plywood at the front. !!!
This is what I mean about poor design. There is nothing to prevent the occupants being catapulted forward in the event of a head on collision.
I shall be drilling some holes in the runners and bolting them to the floor for safety. The seats should still be adjustable but will obviously be more difficult to remove. |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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Minor restoration and service work continues.
All I need is to get some heat going in the garage so that I can progress the rest.
I just need to stop my wife opening the door and letting in the cold outdoor air, just as I have built up the warmth in the garage! _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV
Last edited by norustplease on Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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badhuis
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 1392 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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Ray White wrote: | There is nothing to prevent the occupants being catapulted forward in the event of a head on collision. |
This was still the case in my 1969 Triumph Herald. I imported this car in 1988 from Belgium. One of the requisites for getting a Dutch registation was that I had to make a construction which would lock the seat. I made very simple brackets for both seats which would hook into the seat rail. Car had no seatbelts and this was NOT a requisite! _________________ a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 782 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:44 am Post subject: |
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A couple of nice mild days here in Lancs have meant that I have been able to progress some work.
A setback, however, on Saturday evening was a sudden blackout of the garage electrics. I wasn't even using any power tools!!
Odd thing is that the garage fuses haven't blown and the consumer unit in the house hasn't tripped either. The garage fuse board is quite ancient, but the house consumer unit was replaced only a few years ago. So garage electrics are currently run off an extension lead from the kitchen until I can get an electrician to come and investigate. I am dreading a cable fault outside which would mean digging up the drive! _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV
Last edited by norustplease on Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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