Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Doz]

Further to my introduction post here, I thought it was about time to try and start a proper thread about the project.

In that post I stupidly said "it's not as bad as it looks" - I really should have known better! Every step forward is accompanied by at least two steps back, and some of the bodges I'm coming across are enough to make your hair curl. The wiring for example is hilarous - a mixture of original, fairly sane replacement, loudspeaker cable and even a kettle lead!

Not having a garage, I'm having to try and work on the car in-situ which meant weatherproofing the rather rickety barn in which it has sat for the last however-many years and putting down a board floor over the bare earth on which the car has been sitting. That was a couple of days I won't forget in a hurry, pushing the car uphill with four flat tyres through a door with only an inch of clearance either side was not an experience I wish to repeat. All far from ideal, but beggars can't be choosers...

Anyway, things I've achieved so far: cleaned up and blown away the dust and cobwebs; removed the bench seat and cleaned and treated the leather to stop any further deterioration; treated woodwork for worm; removed bonnet, dynamo, radiator and surround, cylinder head, manifold, valves (see below); removed and refurbished the distributor (DK4A removed from my spare engine, rather than the DJ4A from the original engine); stripped and cleaned the carb (Zenith 26VA, awaiting a replacement throttle shaft); replaced a missing core plug in the block.

Naively I thought the engine was just stuck, like they do after a while, but today I've had to admit to myself that it's properly seized. Sickening really, as the bores look like new and have no discernable wear, but despite sitting for nearly a month with a selection of penetrating oils in the bores the crank won't budge one bit. I've removed all but two valves, the two remaining are up on the cam and I can't get at the pins to remove them but they are free to move. Putting two and two together (the stuck engine, the missing core plug, and the almost totally blocked bottom coolant elbow - which was stuffed with a huge wodge of insulating and masking tapes in an apparent effort to seal the rotted out aluminium) I'm pretty convinced that the last time it ran it must have brewed up badly.

The upshot of this is that the 'spare' engine (slightly newer, turning freely but with some fairly apparent bore wear) which was to be used for parts may make it's way into the car. I need to think about this for a bit as rebuilding two engines is not something I want to get lumbered with at the moment.

More details as and when, in the meantime here's a few pics from when we uncovered the car in the barn:

[Rick]

That's a great looking car, is it Austin bodied or done by an outside coachbuilder?

For anyone who didn't see the other pic that Doz posted, here it is:



RJ
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[Doz]

I don't know the answer to that one Rick, although I suspect an outside coachbuilder as I've not seen one quite the same before. The 'suicide' doors seem unusual, and the back end around the spare wheel is a little different to the pictures of other 2-seaters I can find - the spare wheel sits in a carrier with the number plate and lights below and behind, more like the saloon. There's a photo of the rear below, but it's not for the faint hearted as the rear of the car has got damp over the last couple of years. I'm not sure about the seats either - it has a bench rather than two individual seats but I don't know whether that's unusual, perhaps someone could enlighten me?

[Rick]

My two-seat Minor (1932) has a bench seat in it, it was sold as a £100 car back in the day and was the cheapest Minor in the range, so perhaps one bench was cheaper to knock together than two bucket seats.

RJ
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[mikeC]

That certainly doesn't look like a standard Austin body to me. The windscreen frame doesn't look Austin, and I don't think the suicide doors and sloping A-pillar came from Longbridge... May we have photos of the rear/complete car?

[Doz]

[norustplease]

Is it a Colwyn?

[img][/img]

[Doz]

I'm no expert but I don't think the Colwyn was introduced until later in 1934, and was a 4-seater. This particular car also has many 'older' features like the chrome rad, twin bladed bumpers etc. and is definitely a 2-seater. I was interested to notice though that the Colwyn had the suicide doors - I'd not noticed that before.
EDIT: I've just discovered that the Colwyn was in fact launched in 1933. It still isn't one though!

[norustplease]

Yes, it is earlier than that. Looking back at your original photo I can see that it doesn't have the cowled post 1934 radiator. The only factory ten that would fit that description would be the 2 seat tourer, which is a chrome radiator job and has a dickey seat in the boot.

I understand that quite a few tens were supplied without the main body, for completion by coachbuilders or even some of the larger garages, who produced them to order. You may have one of those.
Have a look at this special by Flewitt:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/austin7nut/5354621427/

[Rick]

Most of the photos in my own 10/4's thread have vanished bar one. I'd assumed that Doz's car would have had the same screen as my '34, it would appear not though.



RJ
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[Doz]

Norustplease - this car is very similar to the factory 2-seat tourer with the dickey seat, but there are quite a few fairly subtle differences - I really must try and get the car out of the barn and get some better photos. I think you're probably right that the body was either built or completed outside the factory.
I've only just noticed by looking at your photo Rick there's a big difference with the door windows - on many of the soft-tops the door frames appear to go right around the window, ie the window is enclosed on all sides by the door. It's difficult to see from my poor photos but on my car the frame only extends up the leading edge of the window, the top and rear of the window is only enclosed by the hood frame.
I have splashed out and sent in an application to the Austin Ten Drivers Club so hopefully armed with some better photos, between this forum and them we may be better able to identify it.

[Rick]

Mine is the 10/4 four-seat Cabriolet, which yes has the enclosed frame all the way around the side (wind-up) door windows. The hood can be rolled back over the front seat occupants, while the rear seat remains covered, or else the entire roof can be folded back in the usual way.

The general style of the body on yours has more similarities with my '32 Minor two-seater, and similar cars.

RJ
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[norustplease]

[Doz]

Just so as you know I've not forgotten to update this thread...! Progress is slow - the workplace doesn't make for easy access, and life/kids/etc have a nasty habit of getting in the way of meaningful work as I'm sure you're all familiar with. With any luck I'll be able to do more during the better weather by wheeling the old dear outside - once I've levelled the area enough to be able to wheel it back again afterwards without crippling us all anyway.

I've done a few bits and pieces: refurbished the dynamo with new insulation on the internal wiring, skimmed the commutator, fitted new brushes and bearings; I've removed the nearside front wing as I need to get at the fitch panels (I think that's what they're called) both sides as they're cracked and need welding; I've removed the nearside front damper and the remains of the rubber bushes, stripped it and cleaned the caked-on grease and muck from the friction discs. This leads me to question 1 - logic says these should be reassembled dry but there seemed to be a lot of old grease on the wooden discs? I've not done one of these before, can someone tell me how to proceed?

The engine is still stuck solid, and as there is absolutely no perceptible movement when attempting to turn via a very long spanner on the starter dog I'm thinking there's more to this than stuck pistons - especially as it's now sat for more than four months with it's bores half-full of Plusgas. I'd still rather try and use this engine rather than the sloppy spare one so there's nothing for it, the engine has to come out for investigation. Question 1: I know the accepted method for taking the engine out of the early cars is to lower it and take it out from underneath. This will be difficult for me - is it possible to hoist it out from the top given that the radiator etc are no longer in the way?

Any advice gratefully received!

[norustplease]

You should be okay, once the radiator and cowl are replaced. I'd strip off as much as possible, to lighten it and remove the bulk.
You may find it easier to remove (and replace) with the gearbox still attached. Take off the gear lever and cover plate carefully, making sure that there aren't any selector springs to fly around. Detach the propshaft and rear mounting and then lower the box on a trolley jack so that you can lift the front of the engine with your hoist or crane and pull it out at an angle.
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1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
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