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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 3, 2013 19:41:20 GMT
Ady and I went to Coventry this morning, to meet Mark and collect a new project. NickRS came over to join the fun, and great fun it was indeed....... Due to health problems and a change of circumstances, Mark's 'Crab has been laid up for the best part of ten years. He decided it needed to go to a new loving home before it deteriorated completely. That'll be me then.  The car had been living under a sheet in the back lane behind Mark's house. Mark cut the greenery away and managed to get three tyres inflated. Fortunately I took the spare from Eugenie with us to replace the one where the side wall had rotted through. One rear brake was seized on and required adjustment with a substantial Land Rover screwdriver (That's a copper faced mallet......  ) and then she was rolling. No brakes, mind. We took it in turns to push or steer the 350 yards up to the road, before running her down the street to the trailer.  Start point.  Off down the lane.  And up here.   Not exactly clean and tidy, but about to hit tarmac for the first time in about ten years.  Ready to drag on.  Strapped down ready to go.  My mate Ady - everybody else kept disappearing when I got the camera out......  She's behind you........! Anyway, she's tucked away in the garage now. I'll add some more pictures of my initial assessment in a bit. Many thanks to Mark for the car and limitless supply of tea; Ady for the use of his Transit and Nick for coming over and literally lending a hand. Chris. |
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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 3, 2013 20:05:43 GMT
So here we are in the comfort and warmth of my garage. Turfed the gang of teenagers infesting my living room out to push her in - you'd think the world was ending; but they did it.  Engine bay.  Down the off-side.  Work required here: O/S rear door bottom, sill end and bottom of wheel arch.   N/S rear arch - looks horribly familiar. The corner has gone underneath as well.  Why is this tyre holding air?  Two scabby bits - trailing edge and bottom of front N/S wing.  Bubbles on top of rear wing.  Little look inside - drivers seat has a split.   Leading edge of bonnet is going to need some attention.  Last taxed in............ An initial poke around highlights the bodywork problems shown above. I need to get her up in the air for a proper look at the underside, but the floors look good from the inside, so fingers crossed. Major plus points are that the car appears to be complete bar the clock, which may well be in the various boxes in the car. Engine is free, clutch is free and the interior is quite nice apart from the headlining. There are currently no brakes. The car was taken off the road due to master cylinder failure. Given the length of time which has passed, this may need more than just re-sealing. Immediate plans are to give it a proper wash, empty and sort the contents included with the car, then see if she'll run. Ady is going to bring down the biggest axle stands in the world and the biggest trolley jack in the world over the next few days and then I'll do an inspection underneath. I suspect that I'll be starting with the bodywork. Chris. |
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Post by Nick RS on Nov 3, 2013 21:23:37 GMT
A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday, and nice to meet the former owner too. Chris, Here's your target  Nick |
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Post by tommydp on Nov 3, 2013 22:55:06 GMT
Great Chris! Another one saved! Looking forward to following the progress!
Some fresh petrol, check for a spark, and I'm sure it will fire up at once. My white one did, after standing 25 yrs.
Good luck!
Regards, Tommy
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Post by dave1800 on Nov 4, 2013 0:33:13 GMT
I see that when I suggested a separate "Rust" thread you decided to take the idea to heart! It looks as though it will keep you busy for a while. I will be watching progress with interest.
David
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Post by indianajones on Nov 4, 2013 8:58:26 GMT
Will be keeping my eye on this one (yes, I'm still here!) -Andrew |
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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 5, 2013 0:29:11 GMT
Cheers chaps. Yes, I suspect that we're into a practical demonstration of rust removal. She's nothing like as bad as Eugenie, and looking at Paul and AndrewA's threads we might be in for a sensory overload on the rust front over the next couple of months. Jones - glad you're still here and hope everything is going to plan. Couple of bits from this evening. Only had half an hour or so, so emptied stuff out of the car in order to see what there was. Not been through it all properly yet, but took pics of a couple more areas likely to be of interest.  "THAT TYRE" let go like a gunshot. It's had all day and last night to do that. Why wait until I'm supping a pot of tea and thinking about what to do and then do it? Fortunately I'd supped most of it.  N/S under the headlamp. Not good. The bit I was looking at under the indicator/sidelight appears to be a dead insect. Maybe.  Top of the N/S wing. This is going to be............. interesting.  Valance ain't looking clever. I don't think it's too bad, really. Chris. |
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Post by dave1800 on Nov 5, 2013 0:35:48 GMT
Amazing the tyre going off like that, maybe it's a form of protest for being disturbed from a long sleep. It certainly looks as though your winter evenings are already planned!
David
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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 5, 2013 1:03:55 GMT
Yes. 50th anniversary next year - there's going to be some sort of celebration, so that might be a good target to aim for.
I've hit the first stumbling block; Maxi arch sections don't seem to be about anymore, so might have some interesting fabrication to do for that rear wheel arch. I think I'll start there as it looks the most complicated bit of repair.
Chris.
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Post by Nick RS on Nov 5, 2013 18:17:51 GMT
Yeah, but think about it from the point of view of the car. You're born a Brummie and are brought up and live in Brum and Coventry all your life. After years of loyal service you bed down for a nice long snooze in the garden. Then you wake up all of a sudden and find that you've been kidnapped and smuggled over the border into Yorkshire!
Actually I think it's on your side as that tyre stayed up when it was needed.
I'll follow the arch with interest as that is the place where my car is at its crustiest
Nick
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Post by dave1800 on Nov 6, 2013 1:07:05 GMT
Actually that's my life story too. Should I have exploded when I was forced to live work in Yorkshire? . In fact I enjoyed it. David Yeah, but think about it from the point of view of the car. You're born a Brummie and are brought up and live in Brum and Coventry all your life. After years of loyal service you bed down for a nice long snooze in the garden. Then you wake up all of a sudden and find that you've been kidnapped and smuggled over the border into Yorkshire! Actually I think it's on your side as that tyre stayed up when it was needed. I'll follow the arch with interest as that is the place where my car is at its crustiest Nick |
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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 6, 2013 13:00:44 GMT
Bostin, Yorkshire is.
Changed the tyres at college before lunch. The one that went bang had an inner tube in it. Unsupported by the non-existant side wall, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.
Chris.
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Post by ahctog1 on Nov 6, 2013 20:48:11 GMT
I think we should all head for Garve next year! The ravine 18/85 I have is not that far from there!
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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 8, 2013 10:10:35 GMT
Ahctog1 is off on one....... Had a cancellation this morning, so later start means that I've been poking through the great wodge of paper work which has come with the car. Lots of receipts, old tax discs and stuff. This rather caught my eye, though.    Original Passport to Service booklet; tells us the supplying dealer and who did early service work. Nice. Chris. |
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Post by Penguin45 on Nov 8, 2013 21:57:51 GMT
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) and then she was rolling. No brakes, mind. We took it in turns to push or steer the 350 yards up to the road, before running her down the street to the trailer.
