Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[WAC_Paul]

I thought it was about time I signed up and started using this forum - I recognise a lot of the names already. I should explain that I am the group co-ordinator, Avon contact and the A35 saloon registrar for the Austin A30 A35 Owners Club.

My love of A35's started when I was very young. I remember being taken to school in one owned by a friends mum when I was about 9. She got a new car, a Vauxhall Viva estate, and I never saw the Austin again. Then when I was 16 I was starting to look for a project car so I would have something to drive when I was 17. I helped my friend cut his grans lawn one day and when we got the mower out of her garage there was the Austin. I thought it had been scrapped years earlier but my friend said his mum wouldnt part with it but she had just come to the conclusion she would have to let it go now and they were in the process of getting a scrap man to take it away. I said I wanted as a project car and his mum was delighted the car was to be saved. To cut a long story short the car returned to the road for a year but really was rough, dents and rust on every panel so it was eventually scrapped but only after I found WAC, the point of this thread.

WAC was in Nailsea, where I live just south of Bristol, and I had seen it there for years, untouched and unloved. When I got the first Austin I joined the owners club and while still 16 went on a trip to Lacock with them. There on a street was a four door A30 in reasonable condition for £60 - minus engine and interior but solid. I was very tempted but decided to knock on the door of the cottage where WAC was first.

The owners told me the history, originally bought by her 3 aunties WAC had been handed down to her on their death and she had tried to learn to drive but gave up some 12 years previously. I told them about the A30 but also asked them if WAC was for sale. They thought about it for a few days and decided that although £60 was very cheap they wanted the car to go to someone who had a real passion for the car and not just run it into the ground. So on August 23rd 1984 I became WAC's 3rd official keeper but the first one out of the family.

as found in 1984



I was also given the original bill of sale and warranty certificate.


A bit like Richards thread on his car Nobby WAC didn't take much to put back on the road. I used WAC as an every day car for the next 11 years with a few mods along the way. By 1997 he was looking the best he ever had, I rebuilt the bottom end of the engine, fitted A40 mk2 8" drums, an alternator, a new rear spring, an su and new king pins. That was all completed in the October but by the November the master cylinder had blown about its third new seal set that year so I knew a new cylinder was required. Back then re sleeving was in its infancy and NOS cylinders were very rare and very very expensive so as I had a modern by then WAC got laid up. This was only meant to be a temporary measure but as these things sometimes do it became a bit of a long term one. 13 years long!

In 2010 a friend of mine phoned me, we had been friends through the club for many years and she was in the same boat as me as her A35 hadn't been on the road for about the same amount of time. She told me the clubs national rally was at Frampton on Severn and that we were going - she didn't give me much choice but to be honest it was just the kick up the backside I needed. We turned up at the rally and I saw so many friends I had only had occasional contact with during my 12 years away from the club that you could say it re enthused me.

The next week WAC was dragged out from the rented garage and plans were made. At first for a full rebuild but I was later persuaded to do a rolling rebuild. After a slow start I really bit the bullet in early 2011 and WAC returned to the road on June 30th last year. A new floor pan and some other remedial welding was required, petrol tank out and flushed with new lines, brakes overhauled and improved with a new servo, master cylinder finally replaced and only £70 from the clubs excellent spares scheme, wiring needed some attention etc etc but we got there.

I forgot to mention that in 2006 when WAC was stored in the first rented lock up he was sold/stolen without my knowledge. Basically I rented the garage from the council but the guy who owned the flat the garage had belonged to decided he wanted it back so just broke in even though he wasn't paying for it - I was! He then sold WAC and the new "owner" then tried get it running and realised there were no brake lights (failed master cylinder and no fluid remember) so decided to re wire the lights - and very unsympathetically. Instead of routing the wire through the original channel he just ripped the top of the back seat to get to the channel. what a muppet! Then they resorted to towing the car away - and luckily for me decided up a steep hill was best. Obviously this was highly illegal as the car hadn't been on the road for many years and had no hope of an MOT at that time. The good news is that on the way up the steep hill the tow rope snapped so they abandoned the car, late at night, in a hedge. The better news is that is also my route to work at 5.30AM in the morning. You can imagine my shock when I see this nice A35 left on the side of the road only for it to dawn on me it was MY NICE A35! I quickly got to work - arranged the day off and immediately reported the car stolen to the police. The rest of the day was spent making statements, getting the car recovered, sorting it out with the council for a new more secure garage etc etc. But at least WAC was saved and back where he belonged.

So just to bring this up to date I'm back where I belong - in the best club there is and driving my trusty A35 as much as I can. They really do get under your skin and I could never part with him. Mechanically sound I now intend to move onto the body work and interior. I'm glad I went down the rolling resto road as if it was the other I may have given up by now and driving them is so much fun.

heres WAC now.




Sorry its been such a long thread but there was quite a lot of history to get through. A few more updates along the way I'm sure

Paul

PS the friend I mentioned has just got hers back on the road too - the purple one at the recent National rally for those that went

[mistericeman]

Nice Austin and nice story ....makes me hanker for another (me and an Ex of mine had rather a nice late 1098 (Av8) van with windows,and a two door saloon that i got part way through fitting midget disks/1275 spridget too ....as well as saving a a30 van that i passed on to a good home.
Many happy evening welding and replacing kingpin bushes ...(still got the stepped broach somewhere )

Happy memories of a national rally near to Ironbridge too ..

thanks for the memories

[Rick]

Welcome to the forum, great post - hopefully it'll attract some more A30/A35 owners over here. My wife ran an A30 for several years, and I've rescued a couple of A35s over the years.

Rick
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[WAC_Paul]

thanks for the welcomes

pleased to say WAC passed his MOT last Monday with a clean bill of health and not even any advisories.

[Rick]

Good news!

I think the four-door A30s/A35s have the edge in looks over the two-door versions.

R
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[62rebel]

i'm gobsmacked by the tax rate.... woof.

amazing set of fortunate and unfortunate events culminating in the plus column.... wonderful story and charming car.
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nothing is ever so far gone as to be unsalvageable. see this bolt?.....

[richardlw]

Nice car. Reminds me of my friend's. a few years ago he picked up 4 of these and assembled one whole car from them.



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[WAC_Paul]

Thanks for all the replies - Richard - you have a PM

Things are moving on a pace now for WAC. He is booked in for a full respray in October and a new interior, wiring room and lots of chrome is ordered. Can't wait to get stuck in!

[Rick]

[richardlw]

BTW, those bumpers are home made. He cut tubing lengthwise, then made cuts and bends in the ends, welded, sanded, and had them chromed.
_________________
Richard's Cars - NEW **
Motor oil for Flat Tappet Engines
Transmission oil

[Rick]

[richardlw]

[Rick]

By gum, how bad were the A35 pickups?

R
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
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[richardlw]

If I had known him at the time, I probably would have found a way to save at least one more.
_________________
Richard's Cars - NEW **
Motor oil for Flat Tappet Engines
Transmission oil

[Rick]