Web Forum for Singer Cars

Thanks Peter and Brian. All done now including new copper pipes to the pump and when I tried her she started up straight away for a short trip up and down the drive. I will leave her over night to check for leaks. I didn't have enough petrol in the house (only about 4 litres) to get the gauge to register but the needle is in the right place at the bottom. I'll get more fuel this afternoon and put it in tomorrow assuming the system is leak-free. We have dry weather forecast for the next couple of days so I should be able to get some running-in miles under her belt.

I couldn't resist - after a couple of hours there were no drips so I put 5 litres more fuel in the tank and the gauge moved up. So it looks like a good result!

My coupe lacks the proper mascot and although I was offered one it was too expensive so I thought I would just drive her without one. I had a brief email conversation with David Howell in Australia a while ago via a Singer club magazine who wanted help identifying his own coupe. This turned out to be a Nine just like mine and in lovely condition. He didn't have a mascot either but out of the blue he sent me a further email saying he had found two of them and was sending me one as a gift. Wow what a nice gesture! I attach a picture of his car and the mascot which hopefully is on its way!

years ago I had one of those, I also gave it away to another Singer owner as I didn't what it went to, now I know.

Mascot fitted yesterday! I had to leave the foundation from the old unsuitable mascot in place as it was bolted through the surround but I don't think this is an issue. The old mascot by the way was of some Greek god that stood up like a spike just ready to injure a pedestrian if ever I was unlucky enough to meet one close up.

Looks fantastic Colin, well done!!

I took ELA for a nice run today as part of her running-in. Advice from a piston ring engineer on the T Type forum is to drive your car at this stage generally as you mean to drive her later but just to limit the top revs to 75% and vary the engine speed as much as possible. Apparently you need load on the engine to bed the rings in and babying it along tends to glaze the bores. I find this a convincing argument so I am following this advice. Good oil pressure and other indicators but she is very noisy in common with other pre-war cars I have been in, and the coupe body keeps it all in the car. Has anyone had any luck with noise insulation or do I follow the Series Land Rover advice and wear ear plugs?

Nice picture of ELA with a friend's 1939 MG TB. Both models were only in production for a very short time with the MG being curtailed by the war and the Singer Coupe by the introduction of yet further models!

https://youtu.be/De1hz__kbuM

Nice to be able to see it again

Ha Ha! Yes and a nice memory for me being on the telly!

Just a question on the clutch connecting rod from the pedal to the lever: mine is a bit of a botch up having nuts providing the connection to the actuating lever on the bell housing. The lever has what looks like half round depressions so I assume that the nuts should be replaced by some special connectors that would rotate within those depressions. Does anyone know what those look like or perhaps has some spares? I have looked in the Hardwick catalogue with no luck. I'll post a picture tomorrow but its currently raining here so I prefer not to venture out to the shed at the moment!

Second question: the gear change was a bit tight on Friday when I took her out shopping (this was why I was looking at the clutch). I drained the oil as it has been there for several years and saw that it had a bit of a bronze bloom on the surface in the container (no lumps of metal). Is this a sigh of a developing problem? I understand there are bronze bushes that can deteriorate related to second and third gears. I was using T90 previously but on reading Ian Blackburn's advice I replaced it with 20w/50 Rye Oils bronze-friendly stuff (I didn't have any T90).

Hi Colin...I have two Bantam gearboxes in stock. One is @1935 and one @1936...I think!

Take some photos of yours and I'll see what I can match it with. I can also dig them out and take a couple of photos for you also, if that will help.

Cheers,
Phillip

Thanks Phillip that would be very helpful. Here is a shot of the linkage (without the return spring) plus a more general view of the gearbox when I installed the rebuilt engine.

Hi Colin,

Great photos - thanks. I have one gearbox identical to yours!

Here's the first one. It has an alloy case and was set up for a LHD Bantam export model:


Here's the one like yours. It has the cast iron case and the saddle type rear mount:


Here's a close-up of the clutch mechanism:


This box came complete and looks usable.

Let me know how I can help with what I have...

Cheers,
Phillip

The photograph was what I needed Phillip thanks. It clearly shows that I have the right basic components but that I need a compression spring on the pedal side and a radiused nut or similar on the clutch side. If we didn't have the Atlantic between us I would love to come over and have a look!