Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

With the hood finished I thought I would try and tackle the side screens. Having offered them up it soon became apparent that it will take a fair bit of time fiddling about to get an acceptable fit.

I have read the fitting instructions on line but there is no getting away from the fact that these cars were built down to a price with the side screens being a rather cheap and cheerful answer to weather protection.

For example; with the hood up, closing the door will leave the top edge of the side screen on the "outside" of the hood; thus channelling any rain into the car. The solution given is for "someone with long arms" to reach out and up from within the car and tuck the top edge under the hood. .......Hmmmm.


Having decided to put that job to one side, I opted to check the wheel alignment using my "Trackrite" gauge. With the MG Midget being such a light car, this is an easy job.

It seems my off side wheel has excessive toe in.

I am happy that up to 1/2" toe in will not cause excessive tire wear; what is more important is that they are both equal.

[norustplease]

You won't use it in the rain anyway, surely.
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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1973 VW Beetle 1303L
Boring Suzuki SX Hybrid

[Ray White]

[Ray White]

Followers of this thread will recall how the new driver's door handle mechanism fell to pieces. I thought I had fixed it but the same thing has happened again.

I needed to find a way of keeping the mechanism together and on looking through my bits and pieces I came across an old copper HT lead terminal. I squashed it in the vice and cut it to length. The hole lined up with a small peg on the lock body and the copper acts as a distance piece but also keeps pressure on the lever; ensuring that it stays in position.

.


The motto of the story is "never throw anything away".

[bjacko]

1/2" seems excessive. My Morris is only 1/8".
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1938 Morris 8 Ser II Coupe Utility (Pickup)
1985 Rover SD1 VDP

[Ray White]

[Ray White]

I sometimes think the problems with this car are never ending. When I had the engine up to working temperature I noticed steam coming out of the top of the radiator; through the slats.

I can find no specific leaks but just a relatively small but noticeable quantity of water vapour coming out the front at the top of the radiator slats.

I have always eschewed the likes of Holts Radweld and Bar's Leaks but have heard good things about Kalimex K- Seal. Apparently, it works effectively but does not clog up the system...so I have ordered a bottle.!
.

[bjacko]

I have always regarded those products as requirements for old worn engines not for reconditioned engines. I didn't take any chances with my radiator. As far as I know it was not leaking when I got the car, but as a precaution I had it re-cored. They used modern core material so it gives better circulation.
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1938 Morris 8 Ser II Coupe Utility (Pickup)
1985 Rover SD1 VDP

[Ray White]

[peter scott]

[Ray White]

[bjacko]

A lot of Morris cars have castor wedges with some having the thin to the front and some having the thin end to the rear. I found the wedges on my car fitted the wrong way and changed them to the right way. I never noticed any difference when driving!
Measuring toe in is often not done correctly. It must be done against the wheel rim (NOT the tyre) on a wheel that is not buckled at four points around the wheel and the car rolled backwards and forwards, so the wheels do a minimum of one revolution, after any adjustment before rechecking as before.
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1938 Morris 8 Ser II Coupe Utility (Pickup)
1985 Rover SD1 VDP

[alastairq]

Three decades ago, when I was building up my Cannon trials car[ultimately registered for road use....sadly on a Q plate]...it had a Ford Y type front axle, with pre war Morris Minor brakes, and even, what turned out to be very early Colin Chapman steering arms[sorting the inherent Ford weakness].

At the same time, the bus company I worked for, was changing their tyre contract..[although the depot fitter was retained, simply getting new overalls!]...He was to chuck out all the old tools he used for the buses, to be replaced by the new contractor's tools....so I got a set of tracking tools for a bus...for free.....I think they were Dunlop, but not too sure...anyway, they weren't in pristine condition, but could be worked with. The actual gauge was definitely in imperial measurements...so I tried out 1/4'' toe in.....Steering was transformed [especially after my fitter pal and I borrowed the oxy to straighten the axle beam!].....I still have the bits[for both]....the two uprights, which clamped to a 10 foot long shaped pole.....!!! A spring loaded gauge on one of them.

The only problems I've had using the tool was, storage! A 10 foot pole isn't easily hidden, and I am reluctant to cut it down to size, as one never knows when one is going to need to track a double deck bus in the future??
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Ray White]

[alastairq]