Augusta special

[DavidLaver]

Arrived !!

Nearly didn't...   

It was a dark and stormy night and the car died a mile short of the Welsh boarder.  Quite an adventure without much light and no wipers. Got a lift the last four miles to Clyro in time for a jar with Ron and last orders for food. In the morning it had mended itself.  What could it be?   20 miles on the same symptoms - radio goes, then wipers, instruments playing up.   Pick a spot to stop and discuss with Simon (in convoy) and just as I say "best call the RAC" it dies again.

£19.99 for a brush pack for the alternator out the back of the RAC van and we're rolling again.  Beautiful weather, fabulous views, the axles made it to Wrexham and Simon made all his stops.

David

[DavidLaver]

Some more from the trip.

[DavidLaver]

The story for that last photo is "half the suspension was perfect, half worn, turns out there was a block in the lubrication pipe that goes from the steering box down the arm along the drag link along that arm into the back plate round the pivots through the cross tube to then do all of the other side".

Alas no time to look - but it has vacuum servo split circuit cable brakes, with another complete system for the hand brake.

After sorting all that lot out building the body was more of a curtain call than a project...

David

[DavidLaver]

So I go to sort out the garage - its stuffed.  The first thing I trip over is the pair of rear wings for the Augusta ex-Andrew Tait.  "Do I really want them?  Will they fit and look ok?"  So out with some blocks of wood and some clamps and a happy half hour later I conclude that rotated forward and the first six inches cut off they'd look quite sporty.

With the wings on I think "will those Austin A40 seats be too wide or do I need to rebuild those pukka Augusta seats".   A happy half hour later I've made some basic floors and dug the seats out the loft and come to a conclusion there as well.

A week or so later and with a half hour free of an evening I print one of the photos A4 and take a tracing to doodle bodywork.  I've yet to scan my efforts but please print this one off and have a go...

As for the Augusta seats I thought they were heading for James's new project but it turns out they're too good for that and have gone to his dad.

David

[chugga boom]

as my dad has NO seats for his belna cabriolet I thought it only fair, much appreciated and was great to catch up with you both,

[Dilambdaman]

David, Keep the faith!

A couple of pictures to encourage you! The Dilambda got there and so will you.

Robin.

[DavidLaver]

My brother is due to take the top out of a tree and the car was in the way.  To move the car back I first needed to move a ton of ballast left over from the last concrete job and a pallet of cement.  That done it was a pleasure to pressure wash the drive, knock up a dolly and back she went nice as pie.  I was pleased with the design as it gives really good access for the jack.  It rolled back on the dolly but went back on the jack to straighten up.

So the car is still with me.   Andy's recent comment about "stupidity in the halcyon days of youth when everything seemed possible" rings true.  Never say never, and when time is available a lot can get done in a short period elapsed.

I also remind myself how much I like having it as a "static exhibit".

David

[DavidLaver]

My next little project is to make some chocks to replace the bricks.  Its not all that secure at the front...  The scheme is to make them single piece to go right under the tyre like "tyre shoes" (see link below).  I've got some chunky wood too rotten for much else and a big bandsaw so "a job of moments".

https://www.autopyjama.com/tireshoes-uk/?locale=en_US&gclid=COyv3Kn2mcMCFQjLtAodTE4AkA

David

[Parisien]

Even semi-naked it looks glorious, good luck!


P

[the.cern]

Well David, I missed the throwaway lineback in November 2013, 'The way to answer that is to remove the axle from the car ...' !!!! I had not realised that your project was currently sans axle. I think you will be the first to agree that the sills in the area of the front axle appear a little tired. I will let you know how I get on with mine when I get a chance to attack it.

I am hopeful that I will be able to do the B20/Gussie swap this week, but I have thought that several times before yet it is still not done!! If I can get it done in time then I will make Jim a very happy man. Show him some rusty sills, give him access to an angle grinder and then stand well back!!!

More to follow, sometime ..

                                  Andy

[DavidLaver]

On mine the "floor" of that section on the passenger side has gone completely.  The accident repair is all too apparent. 

I await your investigations with interest. 

David

[DavidLaver]

A bit of inspiration.

[DavidLaver]

The value of the forum...I was able to find photos of how I last moved it needing to move it again.

Trouble is I've been a while down memory lane...but at least I've now found the cradle and the other cradle thing for moving the other thing that had borrowed those casters.

[DavidLaver]

Zoe was inspired by a Chelsea garden to take some pictures:

https://www.gardendesignjournal.com/features/rhs-chelsea-2019-haywards-high-maintenance-garden

Had borrowed the skate wheels to move a sofa and forgot that they don't go back in the middle or the balance is wrong...  Could have moved them but it was ok going slowly on the jack.  I push a rear tyre and kick the brick along.  Maybe I'll make proper chocks for it today.

BMW on runflats (car long gone, don't recommend those tyres, thought we'd bought a car with normal tyres as it had a spare but got caught) was forever needing to be topped up so got an electric pump for it, and now have a converter to battery clips.  Handy wee thing.

[DavidLaver]

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