MadaboutKitcars

Lucky you didn't knock the Blue Steel off its shackles...



See [URL="https://motor-car.net/british/item/19601-sherpley"]Sherpley[/URL] for details


If I go for it, I believe it's possible that an impassioned plea that it's a re-body rather than a Kit Car could fall on sympathetic DVLA ears. It would then be an S or T suffix eligible for black plates. Worth a try.

Regards, Mick

As it's on the donor car's V5 it would require SVA, so not a contender for my next project.

It's the size and road presence of the Sherpa project that appeal to me. Apart from three Dutton Sierras, my multitude of so-say Kit Cars have all been dinky two seaters: been there, done that, time to move on. I can always cut a hole in the back wall of the cave for the dumb irons if the length proves problematic...

Regards, Mick

Reason Prevails!


After ten days of deliberation and discussion I decided yesterday to not bid. I ran the surveyor's tape over the cave and realised that, due to its width, I would only be able to work on a quarter of it at a time, unless it was wheeled right out onto my daughter's lawn, not a popular option. I also realised that, to turn it around for various necessary cave only fettling operations, that it would need to be pushed right out into the road due to its size. On balance I feel that I made the correct decision. Looking at the bidding history I would have won it with my envisaged last seconds £2,110.


I don't think so, being registered and having been on the road IMO it was a good two grand's worth.

Regards, Mick

Brake Saga (cont.)

A few weeks ago, when the weather permitted, I attempted to bleed the brakes once again, having re-made the metal pipes between the rear wheel cylinders and flexi pipes, using my Eezibleed. Once again, my flares proved leaky rubbish. I had bought the flaring kit after reading a few reviews which included words like 'acceptable'. Well, buy cheap, pay twice . This latest bleeding misadventure also revealed a leaking master cylinder. Disheartened, I abandoned work: I considered torching the annoying beast but I had no ammunition for my Very Pistol (geddit?).

A fresh burst of enthusiasm (from nowhere) last week saw me visiting Canley Classics' website and ordering said pipes. Now, those of you with long memories will recall my utter dissatisfaction with this firm when I ordered the Woodruff Key for the crankshaft pulley when I fitted new timing gear to the Vitesse engine in my A352. Reasoning that everyone deserves a second chance I came up trumps with delivery by return! This was also the case with the new master cylinder, which proved a doddle to fit, despite the severely limited access. Rubbish photo' alert, its the brake cylinder far side.



I fitted the new metal pipes using the old ones as guides to achieve the correct convolutions, bending them around a plug socket clamped in the vice to prevent kinking.

Right, thinks I, dig out the Eezibleed and I'll be driving it the same afternoon. Nope. The new master cylinder has a slightly different reservoir diameter and cap thread which none of the Eezibleed caps fits. Aaaaaaargh! Ah, but then I espy a universal cap is mentioned in the Eezibleed blurb for just such an eventuality. Bingo . Log on to Ebay and find that amongst the reviews for said cap there is not one over two stars out of five, with plenty of negative comments. Aaaaaaaaarg again! However, amongst the 'also searched for' suggestions was this which I thought worth a punt after reading the mainly positive reviews.



Undeterred by the less than PC description (one person, surely?) I purchased same which, again, came by return..... Yesterday I pitched in again and, joy of joy, it did what it said on the box. I now, at long long last, have a pedal. All that remains to do is, apart from minor cosmetics, to get the engine to run a little better and I can pluck up the courage to venture out on the road, doubtless with my son following armed with the towing bar. Pessimist, moi?

Regards, Mick

Carb. Woes Over - Hopefully

After my many attempts, including yesterday's and today's, to get my 28/36 DCD Weber to perform satisfactorily, I bit the bullet and gave up on it. I knew that other twin choke downdraught Webers had the same footprint and would bolt straight on to my manifold, so I dived into the web for a couple of hours and decided on a 32/36 DGV. Ever helpful eBay offered me a brand spanking new one for 220 notes - done! It's due to arrive Friday so with a fair wind she should be on her maiden voyage on Saturday to Castle Combe Lotus Day The forecast is good, unlike last year's monsoon.

Misplaced optimism is a possibility, but I hearken back to my first Dutton Phaeton, newly completed from scratch in '86, for which I booked a work's lunchtime MOT in Bristol whilst living near Stroud. She broke down twice on the way, failed on seven (non life threatening) counts, and got back in good order.

Regards, Mick

Will she ever be finished?



Well, my optimism was misplaced. Once the spanking new Weber was sitting happily on the manifold, I realised that I'd not only need a new aircleaner, as the DCD one wouldn't fit without surgery, but also the throttle and choke cable attachments would need modifying as well as the fuel supply run. Back to the keyboard: new air cleaner and a brass right angled union for the fuel hose purchased. I swapped the throttle quadrant from the DCD, and by carefully bending the outer choke cable clamp bracket, improved the run in a way that meant major bonnet surgery in that area could be avoided.



As there was no provision for crankcase fumes to be fed into the induction tract, I decided to run a hose from the outlet on the rocker box to a catch tank. An old 1litre Castrol oil can lent itself to this so I made an open topped ally box to hold it, which I tech screwed to the bulkhead.



I'd noticed that there was an oil leak from the fuel pump which didn't respond to tightening of the mounting studs, so I ordered a new one which arrived yesterday. Before fitting I thought I'd check the tightness of the six screws which hold the top on and two were loose! I attached the new air cleaner (lucky I had a supply of M5 nuts and washers, you'd think for £80 they'd chuck them in!) and offered up the bonnet. I felt tip marked the areas requiring surgery and set to with the jigsaw. Some dressing with a rat tail file was also needed to clear the vacuum pipe attachment and the choke outer.



Before at last firing her up, two weeks later than anticipated, I checked the water level in the radiator and realised I'd forgotten to make provision for the overflow. A search of my 'might come in useful' store unearthed a plastic Asda 700gm peanut butter jar and a Youngs Bitter beer kit tin to hold it. I M6 bolted the tin through its base to the frame behind the grille (with a penny washer to spread the load) and used my newly acquired stepped drill bit to cut the hole in the plastic jar's lid. I found a bit of 6mm hose, clipped it to the overflow stub and cut it to a length that would let it suck the overflow back. Job done, very fiddly but satisfying .



No further predictions!

Regards, Mick

So far, so good...


...as the guy said passing each window having jumped off a skyscraper.

Yes, smooth as silk, thankyou. I need a road test but have to wait for the access between the houses to be clear. This should be Monday, unless both my daughter and her partner are out tomorrow.

Regards, Mick

What next? Uphill all the way...

Yesterday I started her up and had a very short drive in the garden in front of the cave. After a couple of minutes the engine began to die and wouldn't respond to coarse throttle movement before stopping. Off with the bonnet, check electrical connections. Ouch! The coil is really hot. Remove same to test, it's leaking its oil. I can't remember where or when I bought it, but it certainly appears a budget item. Once again: buy cheap, pay twice .

My local independent motor factors, two minutes walk away, can get most things same day if I'm on his doorstep as he opens, so this latest hurdle may be cleared later.

Regards, Mick

No. My reconstituted wiring loom is old school. My motor factor guy could only get one for lunchtime today, so yesterday evening, once it was a bit cooler, I dug out my multimeter and made double treble certain that my wiring wasn't at fault. I goggled 'Overheating Coil' and found many comments regarding the poor quality of modern replacements. I thought I might borrow the one from my son's Midas, but it looked so manky I didn't bother.

Regards, Mick

New Coil. New Home.

Following my last post, I fitted the new coil and everything seemed hunky dory. Right, I'll drive her to the spot vacated by the dear departed A352. I didn't quite get the sweep around my daughter's planters right, so had to back up a little. I couldn't get reverse. On the three rail Spitfire gearbox, it's next to first and the lever has to be depressed (as I suddenly was) to engage it. I could hear a slight clunk from my end of the linkage so, after pushing her back into the cave, I decided to remove the ally side of the tunnel to investigate.



I just about managed to remove its fixings without recourse to footwell contortions, took it off, released the remote rod from the base of the gear lever - super fiddly through the puny hole - and realised my Harry Houdini credentials would have to be renewed to release the gearbox end.



This doesn't get any easier as the years pass, especially extraction, but I got the rod out. I could see the silvery scratches at the driver end where it was touching, so I disced off that area of the tube sleeve which Moss used to extend the rod, tidied it up with a flap wheel, and refitted it at the gearbox end. However, access at the lever end was too tight so I cut a 4" hole in the GRP side of the tunnel and completed that part of the job. Reverse now available!

Clearance between the brake pedal and the ally side was barely sufficient for my clutch foot so, using the scuff marks as a guide, I chopped a lozenge shaped hole in the ally, bent the edges back, and fabricated a sort of reverse power bulge about ½" deep which I riveted in place. Even that created a delay as the spring in my 30+ year old riveter let go half way through the job. I was on Machine Mart's doorstep at opening time the next morning for a replacement. Reinstating the tunnel side was even fiddlier and more contorting than the gear rod had been, but, once it was in place, clutch pedal depressing proved easier . That saga was completed yesterday.

This morning I wheeled her out into the sunshine for a soapy bath and hose down, fired her up and had a quick drive ending so:



What my first car themed event will be I know not, what with the Covid uncertainty, but at least I can now use her for Asda trips etc .

Regards, Mick

They're never really finished...

Thanks for kind words chaps, they're much appreciated . It's certainly been a bit of a marathon over the almost four and a half years since this was taken.



There are still jobs to do: re-covering the seat squabs and making a tonneau cover. If I had the time again I would line the visible cockpit areas with ally before riddling it with rivets and chopping holes everywhere - I'll probably make do with rattle can stonechip to hide the green.

I see that the Stoneleigh show has been confirmed for 28/29 August. The Gloucester Retro Festival clashes on the Saturday so, weather permitting, I'll attend on the Sunday.

What, if anything, next? I check Kit Cars and Replicas newly listed on Ebay daily, but there's rarely anything that blows my skirt up. A neglected barn find Bugatti evocation (not VW based!!!) or Sherpley might surface, who knows?

Regards, Mick

First Real Outing

Yesterday's sortie in the Monaco, its first, was to the Gloucester Goes Retro day all of 1.3 miles from home. Each of the the four compass point roads which meet in the normally pedestrianised centre showcases cars from a different decade, so my Alfa Romeo F1 car was in with its 50s sisters.



Kick off was at 0800 under grey skies which gradually brightened as the crowds arrived. I was asked a couple of times in which year I had competed in the Mille Miglia, but managed to keep a straight face when replying honestly. Once again, as with the A352, I was busy lifting small children in and out of the cockpit for photocalls and fielding umpteen questions. I received many compliments on my creation and there was not a little surprise at its humble underpinnings. A cracking, if tiring, day out which ended at 1800.

Regards, Mick

Uphill all the way...

My very short drive to and from the retro festival highlighted a couple of problems. Firstly, and easily sorted, was an oil leak from the top end of the braided SS hose which runs from the adaptor in the oil pressure light/gauge tapping in the block up to the rear of the cylinder head, its purpose being to prevent the rear rockers being starved. Despite having also fitted one to the A352, and being a proper squirrel, I couldn't find either of the blanking plugs. Canley Classics to the rescue!

The second problem relates to the rather vague remote gear linkage, the driver end of which is mounted to the body so is not in sync with engine/gearbox movement. This makes changes from 2nd to 3rd and back very hit and miss. I considered replicating the A352 solution of joining two butchered Triumph remotes with aluminium channel but this was a non starter due to the limited clearance. Sitting in the beast yesterday evening pondering the problem, I decided to fabricate a Ferrari style gate, so this morning I've ordered a small sheet of 3mm aluminium. Time will tell.

Regards, Mick

Dizzy Decision

In conversation at the Gloucester Retro Festival with the gentleman from whom I bought my 'Coventry Climax'engine I mentioned the suspicions I have regarding the new condensers I fitted to both the A352 and the Monaco. Despite their being supplied in authentic looking Lucas boxes they just look shoddy, and on the A352 lasted only the proverbial five minutes. Anyway, he told me that they are indeed inferior quality items and pointed me at The Distributor Doctor. After absorbing the info. on the home page and a telephone chat I decided to go the whole hog and send mine off for complete refurbishment. This takes about three weeks if (as I did) one opts to have ones own rebuilt, rather than exchanged. If you read the blurb you will know that he has both the condensers and rotors built locally to his own specification, he also supplies a new cap as a matter of course as he maintains that commercially available replacements aren't well enough fitting. Will this be money well spent? Again, time will tell.

Regards, Mick

Dizzy Doctor Delivers

Yesterday, having stumped up the necessary on Friday, my rebuilt distributor arrived by special delivery. It's been fitted with new bearings, O ring, points, condenser, rotor arm, cap, retaining clips and vacuum unit, all top quality. I'm particularly impressed by the new cap which needs careful alignment to be replaced, unlike its predecessor which, by comparison, more or less flopped into position. Included was the pictured graph showing the degree of advance at each thousand revs. Spot on!



Whilst it was away I'd made sure that the engine was at TDC with both no.1 cylinder valves closed so correct refitting was straightforward. Unfortunately, at that juncture, rain stopped play before I could try it out .

Regards, Mick.

Drool.



Drool indeed...

Regards, Mick

Judging by the year it's probably on an R Type chassis. There's a guy in Belgium who buys them and turns them into 'Le Mans' copies. Could well be one of his?

'D' evocation methinks with that 'screen'.

Regards, Mick

I bought this P1 in late 1990 for only £80, as the owner had enthusiastically T-Boned a Chevette at the end of his road. I cut off the 1" box tubular front suspension bay, took it to my welder, and had a new one made for £120. A special builder friend welded it back on for pocket money . I used it for six months and sold it to a club member for £600. He found he couldn't fit in it so I bought it back for the same money, used it some more and passed it on again. Fast forward 30 odd years and it's appeared, fully restored, on Ebay. A nice little sportster, just as long as you're skinny!

Regards, Mick

Before even making a card template, I carefully measured the throw of the lever in both planes and in all gears. It was apparent that a funky Ferrari style gate wouldn't be possible, so my dream of a highly polished one with a couple of dummy slots for that six-speed look quickly evaporated .

I went cardboard assisted design as usual, offering up the template whilst selecting all gears - I was reasonably happy that it was there or thereabouts and cut my ally sheet accordingly, with the gate slightly undersized for relieving as necessary. After six or seven trial fittings with judicious filing of edges and ovalising mounting holes in between it finally worked . I'll fit the tunnel end with a tech screw for now and cut it down to a nicer shape and put an M5 Rivnut in the tunnel when time and enthusiasm permit, tidying off with a gaiter from my seat cover fabric.



Regards, Mick

Good shout!

Back in '68 my sister's then boyfriend bought an up-and-running Super Two, a kit which used that Hamblin Cadet bodyshell. It was the cheapest on the market at £99:0:0, although the floor was an extra!





It prompted me to buy my Lotus VI from the girl next door's boyfriend for £100 and spark a lifelong interest in kit cars. In the 80s, around the time I was building my first Dutton Phaeton, I joined the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club and tried to track down a Super Two, but without success. When the Monaco burst on the scene at £499 circa '86 I immediately sent for the brochure (a pound coin taped to card and an SAE were needed IIRC) and began a 30 year dream...

I've seen a good few Super Twos over the years at the Specials Day held at the Cotswold Wildlife Park each August, and have many photo's taken there, although this evocative period one is my favourite.



There are a couple of FB groups which cater for nostalgia freaks such as myself: '50s/60s Special builders' and 'Homebuilt Cars from scratch or kits', both absolute mines of information!

Season's Greetings

Mick