September update

Just a quick update on what we have going on in the workshop at the moment:

Work continues on the ash frame for the Alvis Speed 20SB.  We are now on the third door with one left to finish the framework before the car goes down to the body shop for its new paint work.

The machine shop is full of engines from the Austin 18/6, the heavy 12/4 and a Rover 16.  the Heavy 12/4 engine parts are due back shortly and we can start building the engine back up.

We also have a Jaguar V12 E-type which is a new purchase by an existing customer.  At the moment it is not running well so we will sort this out and give the car a service so that he can get on and use it for the last few weeks before the salt is back on the roads again.

More details on each of the projects will follow shortly....

1933 AUSTIN HEAVY 12/4

Work is continuing on the Austin Heavy 12/4.  The engine has been stripped and some parts are away for machining.  In the meantime the back axle has been stripped and rebuilt, the king pins have been stripped and refurbished, new hub bearings fitted and the brake shoes are relined and in the process of being fitted.  The chassis has been rubbed down to remove all the corrosion and is now repainted using a rust-inhibiting primer and two coats of black.



Work about to begin on the chassis



Painted in rust-inhibiting primer




Final coats have been applied




Ian and Raymond inspect the rear
axle parts prior to building it back up

 

Rear axle now refurbished





Backplate, king pin, brake shoes and
stub axle being stripped



Following refurbishment the backplate,
king pin and stub axle are built up and
await fitting of the brake shoes



AUSTINS GALORE

How often have we remarked that our work seems to go in cycles - whether it be a whole host of gearbox or engine rebuilds, or just a number of the same marque of car.  At the moment we have a bit of both!

Firstly we seem to be over-run by pre-war Austins.  We currently have an Austin Heavy 12/4 from 1933 for a major restoration, as well as a big 18hp Austin Six from 1937 having the necessary to get it roadworthy and through an MOT.  We also have a couple of Austin Sevens on the go as well.  Add to that three Austin Healeys with gearbox problems (including one belonging to a German tourist) and you can see how strange the world of co-incidence is!

The big Austin Six with bench seats on both sides in the back.
The blue tarpaulin roof has now been removed and replaced
with black Everflex as per our instructions.  The engine has been
removed and stripped ready for machining.

Austin Heavy 12/4
Work is now well underway and lots of replacement parts have
been arriving.  The engine is stripped, the suspension is being
worked on at the moment



Austin 7
The picture shows the car on casters so that we can move it
in the workshop while the back axle is being worked on.
It has now had a new crown wheel and pinion and is off
for an MOT test today following various other jobs we have
undertaken




Austin Healey gearbox
Not too many steps from this.....





.....to this.
The gearbox has now been stripped and new parts ordered



Kirkmichael Festival

Today is the annual Kirkmichael Festival so we will be open all day Saturday if you fancy seeing what we're up to at the moment.


We have a Morgan, Alvis, Austin 12/4 and Morris Convertible




as well as our own Bullnose and an Austin Six


We have also had two club visits over the previous two weeks from the Aston Martin Owners Club and the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club

1933 LAGONDA 2 Litre CONTINENTAL

CONGRATULATIONS

A Lagonda 2 Litre Continental that we help to look after has just won the Caithness & Sutherland Vintage Vehicle Club Trophy last Sunday at Thirlestane in the S.V.V.F.'s Champion of Champions.

 A well deserved win following lots of polishing since the car had just been up to Dornoch for a family wedding.

ALVIS SPEED 20SB Ash Frame

The work on the ash frame for the Speed 20 continues.  Ian has been busy making new pieces for the wheel arches by fabricating a laminated ply section.  The first arch is now complete and ready to trim to size and the second one is on the former drying

A wooden former is made

Ian starts building up the layers of ply and adhesive

Adhesive is applied all over each strip

Strips are built up one on top of another

Air bubbles are smoothed out before the next layer is built up
 and eventually the whole lot is cramped together through the holes
visible on the former and then the ends are screwed down so that it
sets in the right shape.  It is then left to dry out for several days 

Once dry the new piece is removed from the former and
will be trimmed neatly to shape before use

Ian offers up the new arch before marking it for trimming

Historic Vehicles MoT Exemption

The following article appeared on the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs' website yesterday regarding MoT tests for pre-1960 vehicles:

Historic Vehicles MoT Exemption Review

Mike Penning, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, has announced the results of the Historic Vehicles MoT Exemption Review. The DfT is in favour of exemption for pre-1960 vehicles and it is proposed this will take effect from 18 November 2012. Owners of exempted vehicles will be able to take them for a voluntary test under the new regulations.
The FBHVC’s initial response is a guarded welcome to a result that matches the wishes of the majority of respondents to the Federation’s MoT survey. We hope to get more information about the detail of the proposals from the DfT in due course, in order to make a proper assessment – particularly about passenger carrying vehicles in commercial use which we were surprised to note are also to be exempt from MoT testing.
In general historic vehicle owners are law abiding and safety conscious and are aware that they have a duty to ensure their vehicles are in a roadworthy condition and accept the exemption from MoT testing is not an excuse for poor maintenance

One of the points raised in the report was the small amount of miles covered by pre-1960 vehicles, on average.  Hopefully this will not see a move to restrict the mileage.  As we have previously said, we would urge owners to keep maintaining their cars regularly and have often picked up minor problems at a service which, if left, can develop into something much more expensive.  As the saying goes "A stitch in time".....