Augusta special

[DavidLaver]

Don - I was wondering if the green on my headlight was the same as the green on the John Charles - those lights came from you some time back and wasn't it you that restored that car?   

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For the back I've a pair of "pork pies", Lucas ST38 in black with I think the correct bulbs to do the tail, stop, and indicators.   Could be either one each side of a rectangular number plate or above a square number plate one side and a GB plate the other as Morris Parry has.

http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/prod/ST38.html

[Running Board]

My car originally seems to have had small Lucas sidelamps (only one remained!) identical to those that James has just fitted to YS, also to those on the Alperton press photo.  However, having only one, I looked for replacements and, failing to find any, have used those "period" ex-WD types (don't know the manufacturer) which are identical to those on the late-pattern wing you provided for James. 

My Carellos are not as old as those on the link you provided: I'll try to get a better photo for you, but suffice it to say for the time being that they are almost exactly the same shape/profile/construction as the Bosch lamps, but are in between the Augusta 180mm and Astura 200mm sizes! 

My Belna has torpedo headlamps (I think Marchal) with heavily domed lenses, similar to those used on the Citroen Traction 11CV.  All this goes to show what a great local input was put into these old cars both in the UK and in France. 

Both the Bosch (180mm Augusta and 200mm Artena/Astura) and the Carello (Ardita) lights give superb lighting patterns when fitted with the intended lamps or even with halogen replacements.  All that matters is the filament positions with respect to the reflector.  At this time, when these manufacturers were using twin-filament dipping lamps, Joe Lucas (King of The Road - sorry - Prince of Darkness) was still fiddling about with single filaments and a dipping reflector for the nearside light, the offside one turning off completely on dip! 

If I were you David, I would hook up each of your lamps to a battery in turn and try them against a brick wall at 10 to 20ft just to see what sort of patterns result, then decide.  As Don hinted, anything is really acceptable in terms of appearance.  Its the light output wot matters!  Whatever you use, it will be your personal choice and will form part of the history of the car (which is one reason why I have no intention of changing USK's Carellos for Bosch). 

[johnturner]

I agree with Morris. I think we get too excited about what is supposed to be original (and I am as bad as anybody) and forget that when these cars were new there was a discretion available to owners which just doesn't exist in the way cars are built now.  So people cheerfully ordered and fitted different lamps, wheels and whatnots and these became a part of the particular car's identity.  I feel a bit guilty about undoing all the work that John Hinchliffe did on Christine's car to return iit not so much to original as to the state in which we parted with it twenty five years ago. 

[DavidLaver]

Its fun to ponder the options - and an education to know what the cars had from new, and why, and what they've had over the years, and why.

The rear lamps I have will go on the car.  I bought them for another project but they look right enough and I won't be alone using them.  However its still of interest to know the various rear light stories.

David

[DavidLaver]

...as for Morris's point sometimes lights are more for looking at than with...   

Again horses for courses, and its rare I'm on a road that isn't street lit.  Living in SE13 its quite a drive to even find an unlit back road.   However I'd not drive a car without indicators having come SOOO close to being rear-ended in the Austin waiting to turn right.   About the first job I did on the Aurelia was door mirrors and some high level indicators and brake lights in the back window.   

The tripod Lucas lights are growing on me.  The design must be 60 years old.  These days just a simple round light like on the MG Midget is unusual and old fashioned, and I'm told being able to change a bulb without 250quid to the dealer is very old-school as well.

David

[DavidLaver]

Call it testing, call it inspiration, call it a bit of fun. 

David

[rogerelias]

WHOAA. SPOOKY IT'LL NEVER FLY

[DavidLaver]

Took a couple of days elapsed as it it typically only lifted a single layer of paint.  The stuff is safe on aluminium, water based, and other than a bleach pretty mild stuff.

There's a bit of corrosion on the bonnet but nothing that a bit of wet and dry wouldn't fix.  Next step with it is to get the trims and the dome stud things off to strip the paint below and scrub the corrosion.   

David

[DavidLaver]

A pic of it all done and some links.

David

http://www.paint-stripper.co.uk/
http://www.paint-stripper.co.uk/graphics/sara-animation.swf

[DavidLaver]

With such long evenings I was able to go back and forth with easing oils and various sockets and spanners and pull the first couple of bits off the firewall.

Fingers on buzzers - and I want full and complete answers - what are these items?   

David

[fay66]

Took a couple of days elapsed as it it typically only lifted a single layer of paint.  The stuff is safe on aluminium, water based, and other than a bleach pretty mild stuff.

There's a bit of corrosion on the bonnet but nothing that a bit of wet and dry wouldn't fix.  Next step with it is to get the trims and the dome stud things off to strip the paint below and scrub the corrosion.   

David

No doubt the lady of the house is wondering "where the heck did I put my Marigolds"

First object in the quiz seems to be a brake fluid resevoir going by the colour of the remains of the fluid, unless you have hydraulic shockers, as for the other item? WTF?

Looks satisfying work and coming along nicely.

Brian
8227

[DavidLaver]

The first item IS the brake fluid reservoir.  The top of lid had rusted and fell to bits trying to unscrew it.  The threaded bit is still in position above a thick washer. 

I'm not sure what the other item is myself.  I've got a guess somewhat based on where it was but no more clues at this point or I'll spoil the game for the others.

Its archeology at this point - the last time I was stripping bits I found a bizzarely routed control cable that turned out to be the mechanical drive from the fuel sender in the rear mounted tank forwards and round and under the dash to the clock.   There's all sorts of holes and fittings to identify, and a 90pct complete peddle mechanism to extract and restore.   All good fun.  Have also given the chassis a first tickle with a random orbit sander, another task for the "little and often" approach.

The bonnet now opening easily is enabling this work.  If I've got a little time of an evening its not a wrestling match to have a peep, spray some oil, have a ponder, fish out some spanners and sockets to try.  Of course the fluid reservoir didn't have the same size bolts left and right.

Something else with the bonnet is that the acoustic has changed - it sounds completely different to open and close and the louvres are musical to wipe down.  It also makes me ponder keeping James' wing colour, alloy bonnet, and a dark blue fabric body.   

David

[DavidLaver]

Another "spot" from the photo is the credit card sized hotel loyalty card - it was memory lane digging out the big wallet with all of those and the airmiles and airport lounge cards.  A previous life...  Mentioned this to a friend who is now applying for every credit card he gets sent to build up a supply for paint stripping. 

Some delaminate rather easily - anyone experiance of "good" and "bad" credit cards?   Am remembering a thread on cola for rust eating / thread easing, was it supermarket own brand diet that won that test?   My little sister knows the best price-performance on beer for slug traps.

David

[sparehead3]

*Tesco value bitter - 99p for four cans !

[ncundy]

Any slug that could drink four cans of that would get my vote!

Looks like fun David: Alka Seltzer is another way of getting rid of rust I believe.