Web Forum for Singer Cars

Good news for all pre-warrioers out there who may be going 'crackers'!

After a lot of rumors about new blocks and heads being produced for the Nine and 1.5 engines by the Gibson Brothers, they have now officially broken cover.

Their current wares include...

Blocks...
A brand new Nine block suitable for the counterbalanced crank ( eight bolt rear main bearing required ) but will also take the bent wire crank with the right rear main bearing for this block. These are machined and modified to correct weaknesses in the original design. Price 3,500 pounds sterling

Heads
New heads to 'Speed' spec. These will fit all the blocks but are correct for the alloy water outlet design 1933 to 1935. Priced at 2,000 pounds sterling, including valves and guides. If you have a 36 / 37 style 'Bantam' style head, the rad inlet will not line up with the earlier alloy outlet version without modifocation.

New heads for the cross-flow 1.5 six are also available, as well as heads for the HRG / Singer 12 engine.

Rumours are that the Gibsons have also undertaken a Nine engine cast in aluminum. Evidence shows that this is what the factory had intended to do with the TT cars if the racing department had not been closed down.

Full racing engines can be built up to order POA.

For full details contact John or Wayne at gbracing@live.co.uk or gbr1racing@hotmail.com. They are also listing on eBay.co.uk.

Between the Gibson Brothers and Dave Hardwick of the SOC, Pre-Warrioers are well taken care of!

Cheers,
Phillip

WOW 15 years after I started looking for a block and one year after I finally found a uncracked one, they make these when I no longer need them

Ok, time to pull the spridget motor and put in a real LM motor ? nope, but nice to know I have that option.

I just have to repost...this is the best news I have heard in a very long time regarding these usually cracked motors. It really did take me all those years to find a uncracked block and this really could push me back into Singer power knowing that blocks are available if I broke my good one. Awfully pricey but if you want to drive your car like I do, worth every penny. Still need a crank but wow this is great news.

I hope they will do a 1.5 block too, that would be a no question purchase RIGHT NOW !

I have to agree. It certainly makes them more viable drivers, especially with the fixes that the Gibsons have built in. Although pricey, keep in mind the escalating values of the pre war cars. They are becoming worth their weight in gold.

By the way, Mike, if you listened to a Sprite powered Singer, versus the Singer powered Singer, you would have no difficulty making up your mind. The power difference may also scare you. I had the pleasure of driving at the Calabogie Motor Sports Park in October. While everyone was having a leisurely 40 mph tour, I was white knuckling it on the off camber turns.

Mikey,

Happy New Year!

FYI, I believe a batch of six cylinder blocks were made in Germany a while back. 6 was the number I heard.

There's no doubt a fully-built 'all new' engine would cost a lot..probably as much as much- or more than- the whole car, but the idea of being able to drive a pre-war Singer 'on-the-limit' as intended would be really something.
6,000rpm? Pah! Bring it on!

I can only imagine what a 'race-ready' motor costs! But the Gibsons don't spare the rod with the racing B37 ( I've actually had the honour of seeing and touching it live and it is superb!) and I hear they've blown it up at least once.

The lads have also produced an all-syncro gearbox using what I think are BMC innards, as well as cast iron finned drums, albeit all at a price!

And an all-alloy Nine engine??? Very, very cool!

Now let's see if we can get them to develop a cross-flow head for the Nine!

Peter McKercher wrote:By the way, Mike, if you listened to a Sprite powered Singer, versus the Singer powered Singer, you would have no difficulty making up your mind. The power difference may also scare you. I had the pleasure of driving at the Calabogie Motor Sports Park in October. While everyone was having a leisurely 40 mph tour, I was white knuckling it on the off camber turns.

Peter, which way would I have no difficulty ? keeping the Spridget motor or going to a Singer motor, I assumed you meant I would prefer a Singer motor until I read the last part abou the speed.

Prewar motoring has small, magnificent pleasures

Mike,

Don't worry...I've driven Jim Keniston's BMC A series engined '33 Nine Sports in anger and it sounded pretty much the same as my LM. I've also driven in it at 80mph on the M25. Yes...80mph with the speedo hard against the stop. Then bits started falling off.

I'd like to qualify it as 'white knuckle', but I didn't really have anything to hold onto bar the dash or windshield post, so I couldn't tell.

Still laughing at that trip. Had a large dark ale in the pub at the end of the run and my hair looked like I'd stuck my fingers in a light socket. OK, some would say it always looks like that! Jim likes to drive hard and fast!

While I was in the UK recently I had a chance to chat with a gentleman who is running a full Gibson engine in his '36 LM.

According to his experiences so far, he is very pleased. It is putting out @ 60HP on 10:1 compression and is fitted with the first of the new Gibson alloy cylinder heads. Head bolts get tightened to 60 lbs/ft with no worries! I was told that 'racing' engines can put out as much as 90HP.

60HP would be a joy in my '36 LM. A whopping improvement from the 38 or so it puts out now!!!

I was told the cost was in the region of £8,000.00 ( approx. 12,666.98 USD or 12,938.08 CAD )

Very cool!!!

Does someone know if the Gibson Bros are still on business. I tried to email them but it came back with "adress unknown". Maybe they simply have a new adress ?

Yes, as far as I know they are. I have a friend who is currently having an engine built so they are still doing the work, albeit slowly, in conjunction with the regular day-to-day engineering.

Good. Would you have their contcts ? The previously mentionned emails
dońt seem to work.

John Gibson can be contacted via:

Archers Garage Ltd
Classic Car Specialists,
Unit 5, Hainge Road,
Oldbury,
B692PD, UK

Phone
01215 204766

Fax
01215 204766

e-mail:
archerclassiccars@supanet.x ( replace the x with .com - done to avoid spammers )

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Phillip

Thanks a lot.