25-01-2019, 10:22 PM
Hello All,
My son Peter has recently got me going on Instagram, and that sudden burst of IT activity has prompted me to update you on progress with my car.
I gave in to the inevitable and due to my height had to move the drivers position rearwards, just so I could get into the car, for the same reason, I have also repositioned the hand brake to the left hand side of the cockpit.
I am down to the last few 'big' jobs before the car will be ready to run. I have just beaten out the driver side rear spring fairing, which was a bit of a practice run for making the more complex passenger one; more complex because it is wider and has an integral bulge to accommodate the passengers hip. In my quest to emulate the original bodywork, I am sticking to my original plan to planish these panels rather than roll them smooth between the anvils of an English Wheel.
Tomorrow we are collecting the newly completed radiator, which is quite a work of art with its staircase of cooling fins maintaining parallel airflow while having a 45 degree front. I will fit it to the car in the next few days leaving me with the last really major job of varnishing the rear of the wood frame and covering it in Irish linen.
I have nearly all of the bits and pieces to finish the car, however, I do need a period Smiths temperature gauge, but after 10 years of looking I have never seen one, accept in the period cockpit picture of Slippery at Brooklands in 1926. So if anyone has one to sell or knows of one.....
I also need the deep Austin scripted alloy bearing caps for the rear wheels. I have seen the replica ones for sale but would really like originals. I may cobble some together by welding up some front ones!
I am missing one vital component for the car, which is been made for me (fingers crossed) by a silent and uncommunicative supplier, namely the rev. counter drive, which on Slippery was taken from the magneto drive. Bizarrely, without this I cannot finalise the aero screen fit as the drive cable pierces the scuttle just behind the screen and fits into the back of the rev.counter. I dare not procure a cable without knowing the fitment at the engine end....... so I am nervous about getting it even slightly wrong and messing up my scuttle!
To summarise; the car is nearly ready to run, I am anticipating a lot of teething problems, most especially with clearances of the suspension and all thous fairings, allowing for this I will not paint the car until she is fully settled in.
I hope you enjoy my attached pictures, please remember that the cars body panels are lightly fastened together at the moment while I sort all the fit and finish, oh, and that scruffy steering wheel is my works shop one!
Regardes, Mark.
My son Peter has recently got me going on Instagram, and that sudden burst of IT activity has prompted me to update you on progress with my car.
I gave in to the inevitable and due to my height had to move the drivers position rearwards, just so I could get into the car, for the same reason, I have also repositioned the hand brake to the left hand side of the cockpit.
I am down to the last few 'big' jobs before the car will be ready to run. I have just beaten out the driver side rear spring fairing, which was a bit of a practice run for making the more complex passenger one; more complex because it is wider and has an integral bulge to accommodate the passengers hip. In my quest to emulate the original bodywork, I am sticking to my original plan to planish these panels rather than roll them smooth between the anvils of an English Wheel.
Tomorrow we are collecting the newly completed radiator, which is quite a work of art with its staircase of cooling fins maintaining parallel airflow while having a 45 degree front. I will fit it to the car in the next few days leaving me with the last really major job of varnishing the rear of the wood frame and covering it in Irish linen.
I have nearly all of the bits and pieces to finish the car, however, I do need a period Smiths temperature gauge, but after 10 years of looking I have never seen one, accept in the period cockpit picture of Slippery at Brooklands in 1926. So if anyone has one to sell or knows of one.....
I also need the deep Austin scripted alloy bearing caps for the rear wheels. I have seen the replica ones for sale but would really like originals. I may cobble some together by welding up some front ones!
I am missing one vital component for the car, which is been made for me (fingers crossed) by a silent and uncommunicative supplier, namely the rev. counter drive, which on Slippery was taken from the magneto drive. Bizarrely, without this I cannot finalise the aero screen fit as the drive cable pierces the scuttle just behind the screen and fits into the back of the rev.counter. I dare not procure a cable without knowing the fitment at the engine end....... so I am nervous about getting it even slightly wrong and messing up my scuttle!
To summarise; the car is nearly ready to run, I am anticipating a lot of teething problems, most especially with clearances of the suspension and all thous fairings, allowing for this I will not paint the car until she is fully settled in.
I hope you enjoy my attached pictures, please remember that the cars body panels are lightly fastened together at the moment while I sort all the fit and finish, oh, and that scruffy steering wheel is my works shop one!
Regardes, Mark.