Lots been going on, working out the bugs. I remade the leaking banjo connection to the rear brake flexi - 2nd time lucky no leaks. Bled the brakes and took it out for a test drive - all good.
Whilst the engine was up to temperature, I flushed and refilled the coolant. Decided to use this Prestone stuff, if nothing else it mixes with anything, so if I get forced to do a random top up, won't be bad.
I knew the vehicle was running very rich, how rich you ask....this rich !!
I rejetted the carb, changing from 0.045" main jets to 0.039" and fitted a smaller #67 power valve.
Much better
But my ColourTune still says I'm running rich, so I've got some more jets on order, I'll do smaller increments this time, as I want to avoid running lean.
I did about 20-25 miles in last nights test drive, which is by far the longest I've driven it. I drove it along roads that were previously terrifying before doing all the adjustments to the steering and front end-geometry. Yes it is very much better. Concentration is still needed if a big bump is hit at 40mph, but to a certain extent - to be expected with a beam front axle.
Preparations for the beach run in Pendine later in the month are hopefully on schedule. One victim will be the dashboard though, I'm going to have to run the prototype. No time to remove this one, replace the insert, make good and repaint.
More important to get it running right and get some miles on it.
One thing that was bugging me was the storage chest, I'd bought it with no key. I reluctantly took out the original lock. It was held in place with an aluminium tray that was spot welded to the chest. But I managed to get it out without butchering anything of consequence.
Pulled of the cover plate, and took a look at the workings.
I couldn't find a replacement lock of the right size with keys.
So, I made a couple of 3d printed prototype keys, which kinda worked, but were in no way strong enough.
With limited machining resources, I set about making a key from a chunk of 6mm steel. First step was to drill a 3.5mm hole through the edge. With nothing more than a cordless drill available. I drilled the hole at whatever angle, and then marked up the design using the hole as the datum.
I cut the key to a working, but ugly thing first.
Took some of the excess off, and made it look key-shaped.
Not jewellry quality, but fit for purpose, and works.
I reinstalled the lock, checked everywhere for my aluminium spot welding gear, couldn't find it. Had to use pop-rivets.
A dab of black paint on the rivets at some point, and we are done.
I don't think I've got OCD, but a chest that doesn't lock pushes my buttons, so I'm glad to get this one done.
Been doing more loose ends to clear off the to-do list ready for Pendine Sands on the 22-23 June.
I hated the gearknob, it was blue and white, and didn't tell you the shift pattern. Knobs for a 3-speed are a little scarce.
So I needed an adapter, 5/16UNF on the car M10x1.25 (fine) on the knob. Easiest way for me to get this, was to buy a fine pitch bolt, and drill and tap for 5/16UNF
Cut to length (but obviously before I chamfered the end)
Yep happy with that - much better.
It is a NOS part, but there are points available if anyone else knows the origin ?
I've had to swap out the water temperature gauge, the Autometer capillary one I had, wouldn't seal in the head properly. So, I've got a temporary one which seems to work, but I had to add some wiring, as this one uses an electrical sender. I've got an Autometer electrical one on back order.
Also been trying to tidy the wiring behind the dash. Still needs a little more loom tape, but it is all I can sensibly do with the dash in place.
This is the view up from the passenger footwell.
New stuff includes a 3D printed fuse box cover, with all the right annotations, which is a bunch better than the transparent one supplied with boaty sticky labels.
There is a also a white "spar" to the left, which helps route the loom away from the cowl vent.
Last is silver panel, which is sikaflex'd on, and holds a USB charger. There are are couple of spare fittings, as the one on the other side also holds the module for the GPS speedometer.
More cruicially, I've also changed the fuel pushrod, as I thought it might have been worn, and fitted another set of jets to the carb, to get it to run leaner. But I've not had chance to do a test drive of those yet.
Ah - The lucky one - the rest of us are afflicted by the one step forward, three steps backward gene
Thanks for that, I was just doing a test drive of the new carb jets the other day...... Checking the mixture with the colourtune on the driveway, and it seems spot on now. But the starter gave up the ghost !! Pulling lots of current and not turning the engine. I put a breaker bar on the crank pulley, thinking I've siezed the engine with a lean mixture..... and panic - solid as a rock. Took the plugs out - still won't budge.
Thankfully it appears to be the starter motor itself has siezed, and not the whole engine - pheww. A new one should be with me in a day or two.
Been a bit busy with work, and not too much time for heavy duty garage work, so, time to sort the hole in the floor. The fixing for the tunnel cover have long since been lost.
Taking it onto the bench for a proper look and it seems it is battered and posses no symmetry.
Welded in a few bits, and all the original mounting holes up Added a piece of angle iron, with a plastic buffer, so the handbrake can slide against it, and not wobble around. A couple of UNC captives for the handbrake gaitor too.
I did a little filler work on it, but nothing too crazy, as I knew I was going to use this finish. Which is aerosol truck bed liner, which is great, but sometimes doesn't dry to an even finish, so a dusting of satin black over the top.
UNC allen screws go through the wooden floor into t-nuts to secure it. I don't like using wood screws for something like this, which has to come apart occasionally.
3D printed and painted a little surround for the handbrake gaitor, which I'm very happy with.
Also did a cup-holder, I'm less happy with the design of this, but as it a separate piece, I can remove it with two of the fixing bolts and try something else.
.
All told a little bit neater and no holes in the floor to freak out any passengers.
New starter turned up in less than 24 hours last week. A bit shinier than the old one, which I now see is missing the cover for the brushes. The gear mech has been redesigned too.
Access is great to things like the starter. In less than 10 minutes it was fitted.
Test drive went well. Biggest issue now is, it is a little bit fluffy off of idle. It is no problem from rest, as it is easy to bring up the revs a little. But sometimes I find myself at 1,000rpm in second, and it doesn't like it. With a non-syncro first, changing down isn't an option sometimes.
I've changed a carb setting, to try and cure the fluffy off idle running, but that didn't help. Today I dialled in more fuel pressure at the regulator, and that did - happy days.
Gave the old girl a wash and a polish to remove the garage mess from the bodywork. Found some sunshine, and snapped a piccie.
Then the racing numbers went on the side for Pendine at the weekend. I'm in the Vintage 8-cyl Closed body class.
Not much is going on with this vehicle at the moment. I need to give some priority to the Merc and the Daimler. But I did pick up a pair of relatively cheap exhaust manifolds in Sweden.
A pretty decent kit, with nuts and flanges. Shame the welds are only on the inside of the flanges, makes the flanges look messy, but I can fix that.
I will have to wait to fit those, as I think my current steering box is in the way. But I'll keep collecting parts for the exhaust build, as the current one has no joins and I don't like the way it routes in/around/through the chassis.
I still haven't taken this to a car show, but I have filled up the bed a few times, doing odd jobs. The latest was emptying out my council lockup.
Final poseur shot possibly with those wheels/tyres.
The wires are great, but the crossplies are old, and I don't like the whitewalls. Rather than just changing the tyres, I'm building up a second set - for a different look.
A set of 1940's steels are off to the powdercoaters. 4 1/2" x 16 for the rear 4" x 16 for the front and spare
I should get those back next week, then I can give the piggy bank a further battering for the tyres.
One thing I noticed at Pendine Sands, was the gauges. They really could have done with being angled to the driver a little more. So I experimented with putting and angled bezel in, to tilt the gauges 7 degrees. Did a 1/2 size print to make sure I was happy with the look.
I was indeed happy with the look, so I printed a section in full size, to check for fit.
Yep - still good. But now the black Autometer supplied gauge mounts were too long. Easy fix of printing some shorter ones - in white this time.
Happy with all of that. I've found a company that will print the latest design, whole, for a decent price. I should get the final piece back in a couple of weeks.
The final dash panel arrived today. FWIW I ordered it printed through Xometry came in about 10 days, and cost £117 - it ended up being printed in the Netherlands and shipped over.
It is printed in ASA - very similar to ABS, and it is solid, in case I wanted to move/adjust anything.
The rear is a little rough, but I told them that would be fine. That is where the support material would be, as this could not be printed flat.
But I'm very happy, a little sanding on the front and it will be perfect.
Not sure when I'm going to fit it yet, it will mean taking the vehicle off the road, whilst I bond it to the dashboard, and paint it. That will take time, so I'll probably hold off on that until later in the year. But looking forward to that stage very much.
Wheels and tyres have been dragging out for a while. But I got the wheels back from the powdercoaters, and they have done a superb job. First zinc coat after blasting was sanded back, before being zinced and powdered.
Originally on the back I had 7.00x16 crossplies. I wanted to go to radials, and a little larger. Finding the right size with the right look, was quite a challenge. I settled on these 7.50x16 because they had 100% sidewall and a nice "Vintage" tread pattern - Nanking light truck tyres.
They don't look much bigger than the crossplies, but a little makes all the difference.
The fronts were to replace 6.00x16 crossplies, and I went with 175R16 - taxi tyres made by Austone, who I'd never heard of, but again they had the look and size I was seeking. I only bought two, because I wasn't sure the spare would fit in the wheel well, being fractionally wider, but it does, so I've ordered up another tyre for the spare, and a fifth hubcab.
Fitted keenly to the car, I've now got this look, which I'm very happy with, much less fussy than the wires and whitewalls.
It doesn't show on my drive, but there should be a little more rake to the stance, as the front tyres are a little lower in overall height too.
I haven't driven it yet, so I don't know if the rears touch anywhere, but I'd like to raise the rear by an inch over the winter, as there is very little suspension travel currently.