For those interested in old cars.

[PatB]

7 hours ago, Captain Cuttle said:

I think changing a bypass hose on a mini came close, difficult enough with the convoluted ones, impossible if not.

Allegedly, the trick with those (never tried it meself) was/is to put a bolt or threaded rod through the new hose, use nut(s) to compress the hose longitudinally to a length that will fit between the stubs, and stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then take the bolt out and put the hose in place whilst still frozen. As it thaws out it returns to uncompressed length and pushes itself onto the stubs. I'm not sure how the reinforcing fibres stand up to such abuse though. 

[PatB]

6 hours ago, peanuts said:

yes or very very similar from a P5b

Much more likely to be from an MGB, as the stud patterns match. I'd assume Rostyles on a Westie to be from the Rover, though, as both had a 5-stud pattern IIRC. 

[pH]

1 hour ago, PatB said:

Allegedly, the trick with those (never tried it meself) was/is to put a bolt or threaded rod through the new hose, use nut(s) to compress the hose longitudinally to a length that will fit between the stubs, and stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then take the bolt out and put the hose in place whilst still frozen. As it thaws out it returns to uncompressed length and pushes itself onto the stubs. I'm not sure how the reinforcing fibres stand up to such abuse though. 

I heard of that method, too. Never saw it done, though.

[alastairq]

10 hours ago, Captain Cuttle said:

240 or 340

240 according to its engine size....

[boxbrownie]

6 hours ago, PatB said:

Allegedly, the trick with those (never tried it meself) was/is to put a bolt or threaded rod through the new hose, use nut(s) to compress the hose longitudinally to a length that will fit between the stubs, and stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then take the bolt out and put the hose in place whilst still frozen. As it thaws out it returns to uncompressed length and pushes itself onto the stubs. I'm not sure how the reinforcing fibres stand up to such abuse though. 

We were shown by a ST bod (this was back in 1970 odd) to fold the hose in half and on the bend end clamp with a jubilee clip then you can put the ends in about the right place with the stubs and slowly undo the clip, most of the time it worked but often it just made you swear a lot!

[PatB]

Just now, boxbrownie said:

We were shown by a ST bod (this was back in 1970 odd) to fold the hose in half and on the bend end clamp with a jubilee clip then you can put the ends in about the right place with the stubs and slowly undo the clip, most of the time it worked but often it just made you swear a lot!

Now you remind me I'd heard of that one too. Possibly even seen it demonstrated on TV, back when programmes sometimes imparted useful information. It got filed away at the back of my mental archive, though, as I've never had a close involvement with anything A-Series powered, and the B-Series didn't have it. 

[boxbrownie]

8 minutes ago, PatB said:

Now you remind me I'd heard of that one too. Possibly even seen it demonstrated on TV, back when programmes sometimes imparted useful information. It got filed away at the back of my mental archive, though, as I've never had a close involvement with anything A-Series powered, and the B-Series didn't have it. 

Luckily on the racers we just blocked the stubs up and restricted full closure of the thermostat (or didn’t even put a thermostat in but that could sometimes be the wrong move).

[alastairq]

Back  in the day, a thermostat housing bodge was to replace the thermostat with a piece of triangular tin with 3 holes drilled through it. 

The holes permitted a restricted flow. I don't suppose owners of tuned A-series motors bothered about 'warming up' or 'driving off instantly with perfect performance,' like modern drivers do today?

 

In recent times, I proffered advice to a 'new' owner of a DAihatsu 4Trak which has an old-school big dizesel engine,  a starting procedure which guaranteed [almost] starting and running.

When I 'advised' that once the engine had fired and started one sat for a minute or two waiting for the manifold to warm up, the whitish smoke to clear, etc, and not revving the engine at all during this period....before driving off, the response was, ''Oh, I can't be bothered with all that pfaff, life must have been tedious in the old days''.....[Or, words to that effect? I'm trying to retain a semblance of politeness on RMweb!]

Was I wrong to suggest he flogged the 4trak and bought himself a Hyundry Tucson instead?

Oh well, it would have been his money he would be spending having someone replace the turbo when the bearings rattled dry...Should I have cared??

Perhaps not?

Perhaps I should have kept my council and just ignored the suffering borne out of ignorance, by the modern generations?

[PatB]

As I recall, back in the early 80s, you could buy thermostat substitute restrictor plates for the more common 'stat sizes. Basically just a big washer, I think. 

[Rugd1022]

Just a heads up for the Midlands Italian Car Day at Gaydon on 21st August.... 

 

https://www.aroc-uk.com/eastmids/mitcar.html

[Rugd1022]

Random Saturday afternoon photo alert - this Citroen SM project just popped up on ebay (it's in Spain if you're feeling brave) and picking out this particular photo reminded me just how forward thinking Citroen were in the '50s and '60s, the DS and SM were both way ahead of their time in so many ways....

 

 

 

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

Random Saturday afternoon photo alert - this Citroen SM project just popped up on ebay (it's in Spain if you're feeling brave) and picking out this particular photo reminded me just how forward thinking Citroen were in the '50s and '60s, the DS and SM were both way ahead of their time in so many ways....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, being in Spain, do you have a link please, beggared if I can find it.

 

Mike.

[Captain Cuttle]

23 hours ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Yes, even the stillborn CD range was to have a ioe twin engine. I think it would have been underpowered for a vehicle the size of a Ford Consul.

The prototype i owned in the eighties was an estate car CD 10 (JKU 945) and the only survivor in this country.  Now unfortunately in the hands of a recluse unlikely to ever be seen again.

They produced a car, a pickup truck an estate car and ten Pilot run estate car/vans. These were never sold but several were shipped to New Zealand in 1954 after Jowett ceased as a manufacturer.

This was CD3, the feeling was that it would be ideal for export to Australia/New Zealand. Kept as a runabout at Jowett Engineering Howden Clough till early sixties was eventually dumped there and like most of the prototypes fitted with Javelin engine and gearbox.

When JE closed in 1963 remaining cars were scrapped or left, this was trailered away to be restored in Scotland by a well known Jowett collector George Mitchell. He had a field full of Javelins, Jupiters and Bradfords but for the CD tragedy struck. He dismantled it and sent the chassis to be repaired and painted but forgot about it, eventually went back and found company gone and chassis cut up. Remains dumped and passed onto another Jowett enthusiast who was restoring a Jupiter. He fell ill and passed away, the remains were not recognised by the sons and all were scrapped in the 1980s

[johnlambert]

I visited the British Motor Museum at Gaydon today, it was the first Jaguar Breakfast Club of the year.  The Jaguar meet is usually the first Saturday of the month but this is the first time they've been able to meet this year.  I arrived at lunch time so most cars were leaving but I got a few photos.

 

A Daimler Double Six coupé.

 

Jaguar 420

 

Jaguar E-type 4.2

 

The main reason for my visit was to have a go in this Austin 7, a 1934 car that's been rebodied as a roadster.  In terms of the year it was made, this is the second oldest car I've driven (the oldest being a 1914 Ford Model T), however I think this is technically older now than the Ford was when I drove that.  The drive was on a short circuit laid out with cones on part of the museum car park, with tight turns and a slalom section.  There wasn't much opportunity for speed but the Austin felt much livelier than I expected, darting forward in response to the throttle, like a puppy who's just heard someone open a tin of dog food in another room.  The brakes also worked far better than their tiny size would suggest.  The brakes and the clutch both needed a firm push; I'd heard that Austin 7 clutches are either in or out and this was exactly as advertised, but I never stalled.  You'd have to be very skilled to change gear smoothly and there's a bit of a knack to finding your way around the gearbox, but it tolerates ham-fisted treatment and when you get a gearchange right it feels like magic.

 

In short; I loved it!

[Captain Cuttle]

Remains before being scrapped plus photo of G Mitchells field somewhere in Kinross.

[PatB]

2 hours ago, johnlambert said:

I visited the British Motor Museum at Gaydon today, it was the first Jaguar Breakfast Club of the year.  The Jaguar meet is usually the first Saturday of the month but this is the first time they've been able to meet this year.  I arrived at lunch time so most cars were leaving but I got a few photos.

 

A Daimler Double Six coupé.

 

Jaguar 420

 

Jaguar E-type 4.2

 

The main reason for my visit was to have a go in this Austin 7, a 1934 car that's been rebodied as a roadster.  In terms of the year it was made, this is the second oldest car I've driven (the oldest being a 1914 Ford Model T), however I think this is technically older now than the Ford was when I drove that.  The drive was on a short circuit laid out with cones on part of the museum car park, with tight turns and a slalom section.  There wasn't much opportunity for speed but the Austin felt much livelier than I expected, darting forward in response to the throttle, like a puppy who's just heard someone open a tin of dog food in another room.  The brakes also worked far better than their tiny size would suggest.  The brakes and the clutch both needed a firm push; I'd heard that Austin 7 clutches are either in or out and this was exactly as advertised, but I never stalled.  You'd have to be very skilled to change gear smoothly and there's a bit of a knack to finding your way around the gearbox, but it tolerates ham-fisted treatment and when you get a gearchange right it feels like magic.

 

In short; I loved it!

Nice. 

 

The thing with Austin 7s is that, although there's not much power, there's also not much weight (I've seen weighbridge verified claims of 7-8cwt for 2 seat specials), and they're so small there's a pretty direct connection between you and everything else. The result is that they feel very nippy, even if the paper numbers suggest otherwise. 

 

Besides, depending on what's in the engine, you might have anything up to 25+bhp in there (back when I was interested, 30+ was the realm of serious racers and advanced students of the dark arts of supercharging), which is early Minor or even A30 territory, with much less to haul around, and nobody really complains about those. 

[MrWolf]

9 hours ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Remains before being scrapped plus photo of G Mitchells field somewhere in Kinross.

 

I expect most of those have rotted into the ground by now.

[Rugd1022]

17 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Well, being in Spain, do you have a link please, beggared if I can find it.

 

Mike.

 

Here you go Mike....

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124733528736?hash=item1d0ab29aa0:g:vKYAAOSwj2pgpinm

[alastairq]

10 hours ago, PatB said:

The thing with Austin 7s is that, although there's not much power, there's also not much weight

 My Dellow is similar in it's driving behavior.

Dellows were originally based on Austin Seven chassis, but with Ford sidevalve engines and running gear.

Once into production, using the 'rocket bodies' for chassis members, the Austin Seven chassis dimensions were retained.

https://www.dellowregister.co.uk/dellow-myths

 

{These rocket bodies were from overproduction following WW2, and normally housed the rocket motors. They were superseded quite soon after the end of WW2, but I believe were still used in the Korean War?  Made from Chrome-moly steel of the finest quality, it was how Dellow got around steel rationing that prevailed in British industry at that time!]

 

Anyhow, Dellows weighed in at around 400 kilos in their boots [including a 15 gallon fuel tank!]...with 65-70% of their weight over the rear wheels.

I can only describe my Dellow's driving characteristics as ''immediate!''

Not 'fast' in  today's sense, but 'quick', especially in the way it responds....steering, pickup, braking, etc. No gentility associated with Mazda MX5s for example? Or, interior space!  The gearlever is  on the passenger side, so the passenger might have to hodge over to their left a bit? it zooms around in a demented manner, noisy [not just exhaust, but back axle, drive line, gearbox, etc, plus rattles..the doors rattle [catch wear]...the windscreen shakes horribly, the interior mirror always points somewhere else, regardless.....water comes in, mostly in an upwards direction.....[puddles can be dodged.......not avoided, dodged, for that is how 'immediate' the steering is].....Most of the driving is done in top gear anyway [benefits of a sidevalve engine, lots of torque, and a 3 speed gearbox!]...

 

I try to use the Dellow as much as is feasible. It's quite compact, very narrow, tough as old boots [can take to rufty tufty grass verges with impunity]....I'm now wearing the engine out a bit since it is quite difficult to drive the car with any of the sense of gentility associated with 70 year old motorcars...I expect the only reason why I haven't picked up speeding points in it, is down to the original, black & silver number plates being apparently unreadable using ANPR.....so the local fuzz have told me!  

Anyway, like a lightweight 2 seater Seven, great fun to drive...largely because it is so different from modern cars...

 

[alastairq]

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26808/lot/122/

 

This Jagwar XK150 was flogged at auction above for £90,000!!!

Jeez!

 

There is a lot of money floating around out there with nowt better to do!!!

 

Which doesn't bode at all well for the ordinary old banger enthusiast one bit!

 

[Oldddudders]

9 minutes ago, alastairq said:

"Should polish out!"

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

"Should polish out!"

 

The reason T Cut was invented!

 

Mike.

[alastairq]

40 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

The reason T Cut was invented!

 

Mike.

 I wonder how much several hundred gallons of T-cut will cost?   'Twould be a shame if the poor sod polishing it in, got tennis elbow half way through?

 

[alastairq]

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26808/lot/139/

 

Same auction, more my cuppa tea, and more in my price range for a running working car.... I love these Model Ys [but prefer the earlier short rad versions]

 

Only 5600 pensionquids too....and a far better bet for use than that Jagwar?

 

[Metr0Land]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

The reason T Cut was invented!

 

Mike.

 

 

...and Isopon