1953 Jowett Jupiter - Ho So Nearly Finished

Hope to continue with progress reports when, subject to Covid restrictions, I can help Chris to take over some of the re-fitting.  Herewith a trial post as haven't done forums before!
RTD111 has been a running mechanical restoration before Chris took on the tricky bit - the body re-build, which has had to be more extensive than either of us initially thought!
And what a job Chris has done!
The running gear has been overhauled over my 22 years of ownership.  But for some additional items which Chris had to dismantle I have taken the opportunity to do some upgrading.
For example: The top steering column bush was - as many cars of the era - a wrapped felt bush which dries and wears over years to give slop in the steering column against the outer tube.   The challenge is that the bush sits in between shoulders on the shaft, and fits into an unmachined outer tube. 
To avoid any re-machining my solution was a single split bearing turned out of oil filled Nylon (Oilon), heated in boiling water to soften it to clip it over the shaft.  Then wrapped with 'One-Strap' (double sided Velcro) with sufficient wraps to give a firm fit in the tube. 



When I bought the car in 1997 I had the same excessive play problem with the steering rack and original pin bearing UJ that Chris has with the green Jupiter Recommisioning.  Back then I re-built and modifed the rack to give better pinion adjustment and made an adaptor to fit a modern widely used and still available needle roller bearing UJ (19mm x 48 spline fitting).  It remains completely free of play after 22 years.

Also the column gear change has been re-built and upgraded for me by a fellow Club member.  The Jupiter originals can fatigue and snap, so the preferred option is to take a Jowett Javelin unit which is stronger but functionally indentical, and modify it lengthwise to fit the Jupiter.

It's a rather clever compact design which uses a spiral groove ball bearing to translate the across the gate up/down movement of the gear lever to a radial swing arm connected to the gearbox