Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 13, 2024 5:55:35 GMT
Our late member joined the club in the 1960's owning various Jowetts in his lifetime, it also became clear through various documents that came to light whilst packing the literature that his father had also owned Jowetts since the early 1930's. The house belonging to his parents before being passed down to him - he'd lived there all his life. Sadly in later years the house had become neglected but he was known for being outgoing, polite and attended numerous events that peaked his interests annually - many of these being club / classic car / steam rallies & transport festivals. Due to the state of the property he wasn't the type to invite guests to the household. I had contacted our club secretary for the East Anglian section and advised of the solicitors instruction & my agreement for dealing with the car / parts which he agreed was the best possible outcome - he also advised that I should check the loft area of the property. Apparently he had heard that several larger parts could possibly be stored there.
After finding some ladders and a few short electrical extension leads to connect the power to 2 bulb holders in the loft rafters I could take a look
Covered in dust but unmistakable Jowett parts
Javelin wings & doors, some loose small parts
A full set of vintage Jowett wings, vintage radiators are pretty rare and there were 2 of them along with a vintage under dashboard mounted fuel tank
A Jupiter windscreen frame, vintage seat spring back & base, vintage wheels & several new tyres (which would be useless / scrap due to the age of rubber) - Clearly I would have to arrange a second visit to empty the loft & remove the items off site
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 14, 2024 9:24:37 GMT
So that's the loft area to be cleared at a later date
What's in the garage sized shed adjacent to the Nissan Micra then
Another DIY alarm system
Then lots of shelving - We had to remove things off the floor to physically gain access into the shed
Said shelving is packed full of car parts / smaller parts / tins full of smaller parts
A good number of vintage tin trunks packed full of yet more car parts
A reasonable amount of them being again boxed new old stock Jowett parts
There's one corner of household DIY stuff that's obviously not car parts - Again I'll have to add this to the revisit list to sort through & separate accordingly into Jowett / Morris / Other / Autojumble
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 14, 2024 9:27:22 GMT
And what prey might be in the corrugated tin roofed tomb shed adjacent to the white garage type shed - This had no access door or opening to it, we had to hacksaw through the rusty roofing bolts holding the tin roof on - This tomb had been around for a good number of years
Its just a hoard of mixed used Jowett spares, vintage & post war, some Jupiter panels & lots of other stuff including axles / mechanical drivetrain etc - we only removed one of the roofing sheets to gain some idea of what was in there but its packed from one end to the other - The tomb measures 2m x 5m & probably houses well over a ton of parts - The spiders appeared to like it - Another one on the revisit, sort, empty & remove list.
2 former coal bunkers either side of the rear door of the property
Former because they haven't stored coal for decades instead they have been converted to Jowett parts / component repositories - In the right hand one a good number of Javelin / Jupiter gearboxes / crankcases / bellhousings plus other spares
The left hand one houses vintage & pre-war drive train / front axles / road springs etc - Collectively there's a few tons of parts to sort & remove and I've not done yet - more to come in future posts
speechless. goood on you for it - or you need help. (and not just physical help)
He certainly does an enormous amount of work for the club and could probably use more help. The mileage he covers on club business would be too much for many people.
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 15, 2024 6:53:34 GMT
He certainly does an enormous amount of work for the club and could probably use more help. The mileage he covers on club business would be too much for many people.
I was only just mentioning yesterday to toomanyprojects that I'm way too useful for my own good and that I need to start attending club meetings either in my Javelin or a Toyota Yaris and tell the club that I've sold my Range Rover & trailer
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 15, 2024 7:17:25 GMT
Given what we've found so far with the inventive repurposing of areas for the storage of parts - what do you think is in the old riveted & galvanised steel water storage tanks that have had lids bolted on to them - no prizes for guessing correctly now And how about the dustbins with wired on lids - Yes those too are filled to the brim with Jowett parts and will be salvaged on a return trip - Currently thinking that it will take a minimum of 2 maybe 3 return trips with the trailer to gather everything together / load & recover it back to my barn prior to it heading North to Jowett Car Spares.
Talking to the Jowett Car Spares team I learn that the current tool box & contents that they work with is dire - This they rely upon for stripping units & parts - they are also now at the stage where the actually recondition a number of lines in house
Hence I have gone through the donated tools and made up 2 sets of Whitworth / BSF & BA spanners - open end / ring / combination
The spares team are just reorganising the work bench area and given the donation of the tools & equipment we will name the work bench area in memory of our late member - I'm now currently scouring the diary for availability / planning for the next trip out to Essex to recover the next load
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 23, 2024 6:07:28 GMT
My return load from Devon after delivering the Bradford was various parts of a long deceased Bradford that Trevor had broken for spares - this had been hidden by undergrowth for some 40 years before it was extracted & stripped for spares
This lot will be consolidated with the parts that I'm currently recovering from Essex before it all gets transported up to Yorkshire to the clubs spares department
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 26, 2024 7:27:13 GMT
Wednesday of this week was the subject of the second visit to Essex to remove another load of Jowett spares
Loft first - The parts were distributed all over the loft area which was only part boarded hence much care was required balancing on the joists to avoid putting my foot through any of the ceilings
Once I had the parts in the immediate area of the loft hatch opening down on to the landing I could then transfer other parts across to the opening - This I had to do in relays - likewise with the transfer from the landing down the stairs and to the rear garden / drive
Unbelievable amount of parts up there which included a pair of vintage chassis rails
New old stock Javelin panels along with several Jupiter wings plus a pair of Jupiter doors
It took over 4 hours to empty the loft area
The full set of Javelin glass being the last parts to recover from the loft
Happy to get back out into the fresh air - I was covered in dust and my eyes full grit / dust / rust
Next was the garage sized shed
Lots to go at - each tin / container / shelf needs checking
Is it Jowett - if so it was stacked outside - If it was Morris then it was transferred into the garage alongside the Morris Minor - If was neither it was stacked back on the shelves
The former ammunition boxes were filled with various used mechanical Jowett parts but has I removed the boxes more were were discovered
Hidden behind the bench were another load of them
In fact the bench had been built over the top of the boxes - I had to dismantle the bench in order to remove the boxes
12 boxes in total over which he had fabricated a galvanised sheet steel lid over each layer - But what's in the boxes ? Much more to come yet
Dear Lord, I imagine we're all guilty of having kept things "just in case", but that's another level - looks like you could equip a garage from the spares he saved. As always, good on you Chris for taking time out of your own busy schedule to sort through things - I hope the club's at least covering you for fuel and a Greggs sausage roll or two!?
Also, being a nosy type, I looked up the Micra - that's got to be in pretty good condition considering how little use it got. Steve
Dear Lord, I imagine we're all guilty of having kept things "just in case", but that's another level - looks like you could equip a garage from the spares he saved. As always, good on you Chris for taking time out of your own busy schedule to sort through things - I hope the club's at least covering you for fuel and a Greggs sausage roll or two!?
Also, being a nosy type, I looked up the Micra - that's got to be in pretty good condition considering how little use it got. Steve
I've ignored the Micra to date assuming it would be scrapped - but with such little mileage its probably worth saving - It would make a good little daily on the cusp of being collectable - I'll chat to the solicitor when I next see him
The club will cover my fuel costs but my time is free and its probably going to stretch into double figures in the amount of days its likely to take by the time all of it arrives at the clubs spares HQ in Bradford
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 27, 2024 12:38:38 GMT
In the 3 layers of ammunition boxes then
Its all new old stock
Each box is fairly heavy
Everything from crown wheel & pinion sets to door window regulators
The solicitor returned at 16:30 to lock up by which time I had extracted a full load and placed it to the garden - I had hoped to have everything out of the lockable buildings on this visit but in a few words 'No Chance'
Laid up against the shed wall and behind all the racking is a vintage chassis
I will need to empty all the shelves in front of it - then dismantle the racking to remove the chassis but will be well worth the effort on the next visit
This heavy filing drawer
Was packed to the brim with new old stock bearings
Time to get the trailer loaded then
What I would call a 'Squeaky Bum' load - nothing worse than loose panels transported on a open trailer but many years of experience plays a part here
It took a good few hours to get loaded and everything strapped down - I didn't arrive home until after 22:00 hours
Alongside every inch of space within the Range Rover was used
This afternoon will the first chance I get to offload it at the barn - I'd better get going
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 28, 2024 7:24:22 GMT
Offloaded yesterday afternoon at the barn - here everything will be stored & consolidated - a few of the boxes are half full whilst others are overfull so a little redistribution amongst them helps when it comes to stacking then reloading - just a few of the new old stock Javelin items appearing are a pair of B posts, cabin air channels, steel dashboard panel
New conrods for vintage engines - something that we have never had in stock - looking at the various labels the father & son team travelled far & wide to hunt out the new old stock from former Jowett dealers
Everything is pretty well preserved in oil
Now all stacked & stored in the barn
And I've made some more space for future loads although I have a feeling its nowhere near enough space
Some real treasure being unearthed here, thank god its being sorted through by someone who understands the value of it all and not a house clearance type.
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 29, 2024 6:07:38 GMT
Some special tooling has also been unearthed in the collection - several of these which is the Jowett specific hub / brake drum puller - Its double ended for the front & rear drums - front are internal thread the rears external - Our spares department also runs the tool library which loans out special tools to members - these will be added to the library
Flexible propshaft couplings for vintage Jowetts - one of 2 boxes of 5 that have come to light alongside a handful of loose ones again all new old stock
Original metal parts tags - I've cleaned a couple up - they had a card back to enable the receiving name & address to be written
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 29, 2024 6:18:40 GMT
Also exhumed from the loft was this original dealer Jowett Javelin lightbox - its double sided - probably unique in that I have never seen another and no other members are aware of one - Its the early Javelin logo too - the car was launched in 1947 hence its at least 75 years old
It's something that could most certainly be used for club displays but it requires restoration
Fortunately the hanging bolts which retain the lid came free with little effort after the threads were wire brushed and given a squirt of plus gas
Old wiring removed
Then the difficult job of removing the reverse printed glass - it's actually 2 sheets one clear that's reverse printed and a second of opaque white glass behind it - They had been set in to rebate flanges with a linseed oil putty when new which after 75 years had set rock hard - It took several hours to work around the edge of the glass and break the seal / bond between the glass and frame prior to them being carefully removed
Once cleaned up and the glass placed back together with my handlamp placed behind for temporary illumination - There's some loss on the green backing but I'm reluctant to start messing with it - if I was to paint in the damaged area it would more than likely show as a shadow like it does now - don't know at present - I'll give it some further thought - possibly try a small trial area then go from there
With the glass safely wrapped & stored elsewhere I removed / cleaned out the rubbish from inside the box
A few of the flanges that have rusted out will require fabrication & welding in
And the lowest part of the box is rust perforated due to water standing / pooling and having no drain point - this I'll fabricate a repair section for
Access door for changing the bulbs is still with the box but requires the piano hinge replacing - Looks like the box was originally green but I quite like the maroon colour that its received at a later date
Next stop is my shot blasters to get it back to bare / clean metal
Post by grumpynorthener on Apr 30, 2024 6:50:38 GMT
Has you are probably aware it never stops still at Grumpy Towers
The lane that serves the 5 properties that we are on has taken a proper battering over winter
Myself and my neighbour Phil normally hire in the plant and sort it ourselves but we are both way too busy to get involved so we contracted the job out to Howard and he brought his own kit in
20 ton of road plainings along with 2 tons of 25mm gravel dressing
They cracked on yesterday and relaid the lane as required adding a camber to the first 25 metres to allow the run off to drain to the ditch / French drain
Much better
Fresh gravel laid & rolled to the front apron
And any excess material was utilised to fill the potholes in the layby opposite the chapel