New Project

[ColinB]

Engine loaded and ready to transport tomorrow. This went far more smoothly than the lift out of the chassis. I will be securing it with rope before setting off as I don't want it joining me in the front seat if I have to brake hard!

[telco.2]

Well done Colin; that's a fair old lump!!!

[cdk84]

Hi Collin,

I've 'been away' for a bit but happily have returned to see yet again more progress.

Wanted to say how sad I am about the disposition of the engine. Your wife (of course) is correct: it, meaning the engine, should be done up properly, and I'm glad you have someone in whom you have confidence.

There's nothing quite like completing a project and driving out the very first time with niggling worries in the back of your mind as to whether you will return from the sortie on the hook, or worse. This way you can have far greater peace of mind and with the amount of time you've expended, it's money well spent, to boot.

Hope nothing else jumps up to bite you.

Keep at it, man: you're getting there and saving a wonderful Singer in the process!

Thank you again for the on-going inspiration. Can't wait to crack open the champagne.

Very Best and Happy New Year,

David

[ColinB]

Good to hear from you David. I must admit my morale took a bit of a dip when I realised the engine had problems, but taking it off to specialists is the best thing and I will use the time on other things. I have been lucky enough to obtain an industrial sewing machine from a local contact so I will practice on some scrap leather before trying my hand at restoring the original seats. I need to bite the bullet on the chrome and the wheels which I hope are the only remaining big expenses so I may also just get those under way too.

[ColinB]

Engine is with L A Whitmore in deepest Norfolk. I had a good old sweep up today which is really therapeutic so I feel re-energised to get on with the body etc. I knocked the chassis paint about a bit taking the engine out so I will touch that up as, with the engine mounts out of the way, I expect it to be far less difficult to put it back when (hopefully) it has been sorted out.

Whitmores will ring me when they have had a look at the engine and worked out what needs to be done. They do a lot of Series Land Rover engines and I'm not sure how busy they are at present, but there is so much to do to the body and seats that I'm not in a hurry.

[ColinB]

This is a corner of Whitmore's shop. I called it a shed and I was corrected - its a museum! They do very good work here and most of the staff have been there for many years which is always a good sign.

[ColinB]

Some good news from Whitmores - they tell me the pistons aren't tight and they think the problem is all about cooling. The man I spoke to has a very broad Norfolk accent and I couldn't"t get everything he was saying so I have asked him to do nothing until I get back over there to discuss things face to face. I am now sure that drilling out the head or block so the waterways on the driver's side match up will solve the problem. My friend didn't seem to get that on the phone, hence my trip. It is actually no hardship to drive through Norfolk as it is a beautiful county and I take side roads wherever I can.

In the meantime I am stripping the rest of the body and feeling rathe optimistic!

[mikeyr]

wait what ? you British guys have problems understanding other British guys ? ok, now I feel better, its not just me and your funny accent

[ColinB]

Ha Ha - all too true Mike. I went back this morning and went through the issues with them (using sign language where necessary!).

The engine had been completely dismantled and one chap was working on the crank and big ends as they had felt a slight stiffness at one point when they turned it over. One ring was broken which they will replace but fortunately the pistons and bores are in good shape. The block and head are both nice and flat and we agreed the holes that need to be drilled to allow the waterways to match up. The other job that they will do is to make a better repair to the block than the one it came with.

So I'm feeling very happy altogether as, although I have no idea what the bill will be, I will definitely end up with a working engine.

[ColinB]

I have more or less stripped the body. There are just a few stubborn patches left which I will work on individually. I think the car has had several resprays as I found cream paint underneath what I though was the original pale blue on the lower section which had itself been over-sprayed with a darker blue. This gives me food for thought as I really like the idea of blue-black and cream for the car. In the meantime I'll finish the strip and ring Craftmaster to see if its OK to apply their etch primer in cold conditions. Nothing like Canada but it has been down to -4 centigrade here and the barn isn't heated.

[ColinB]

Apparently I can't apply paint below 10 degrees Centigrade so that is out for a while.

Still on bodywork I am thinking about the shoulders of the roof where the grammar schools boys clearly did a lot of damage in the 1970s. I think I will try and gently knock or push out what I can and then use filler to smooth it over as I'm sure these dents will show under the fabric.

Just for interest I attach a pcture and sketch of how the fabric is finished along the long endge of the roof - ~I gleaned this from fragments that came away with the gutters when I removed them. Piping is tacked to the roof to the line of the gutter and then the Rexine is cut to fit inside the piping. The gutter is finally nailed on flush with the lower edge of the piping. This makes quite a tidy finish and presumably allows for a bit of give and take in the trimming of the Rexine.

[Phillip]

Hey Coiin,

-18C today with snow, so certainly no painting going on here for quite some time to come! May probably..lol!

Thanks for the insight on the Rexine roof installation. Finding scraps of the original design was a real bonus. It helps me with the Senior too as my roof had a California makeover using Model A Ford 'Willow weave' rubberised roofing. This has shrunk and hardened with the west coast sun and is going to have to be replaced. I'm sure the design on Senior and Six are probably more or less the same as there are many parts that look very similar.

The Six is coming along wonderfully and so satisfying to see something like this being saved.

Cheers,
Phillip

[ColinB]

I'm sure the Six and Senior will be very similar Phillip. The detail with the piping doesn't extend across the rear of the body and the Rexine was cut flush with the half-round aluminium section that runs from gutter to gutter above the rear window.

[Phillip]

Thanks Colin,

Yes, that sounds the same at the Senior. The half round alloy strip was missing on my car, but I picked up a length at Beaulieu a couple of years ago. Looks like a bit of a bitch to curve at each end, but otherwise a straightforward installation. Having lots of photos of Colin Borley's Senior has certainly helped as well!

[ColinB]

Fortunately I can re-use mine. I had to lever it off as the screws had welded themselves to the aluminium but I have found in the past that if you are careful the rusted screws will pop out of the body without distorting the aluminium section too much. Its far better than trying to drill out steel screws in aluminium as the drill tends to prefer drilling the softer metal!