1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

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Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

I have now had a chance to get to know Maddie a little bit and a plan has evolved to overhaul the car before shipping it to Eng;land in the spring. I have driven it about ten miles in a series of short trips up the lane and I'm getting used to driving her. When climbing the hill and pulling hard in third, I'm seeing about 20 psi oil pressure, which may well be correct. I have a couple of spare gauges, but haven't tried one yet. However, this and the general state of things under the bonnet had persuaded be to do a front end overhaul over the winter, to include a complete engine overhaul, a thorough sort of the firewall (currently quite scruffy and painted green!), front axle/steering service and probably repainting the front wings, one of which ha some peeling paint. The bonnet doesn't quite fit correctly, so hopefully I'll be able to sort that too.

While the engine and gearbox are out, I'm going to fit a replacement Hardy Spicer prop shaft which I obtained from Clive Hamilton-Gould a while back for the McEvoy. The car is going to be doing a considerable mileage in England, and this mod might make long distance journeys a little smoother.

While checking under the car, I noticed that the running board chassis outriggers have been cut off. In their place are stepped brackets bolted to the chassis which lower the running boards a good two inches from their original height, possible done to make the car look a little taller than it actually is. However, the rear ends of the front wings have been re-worked to meet up level with the running boards. The boards are also much shorter than the standard minor units and the front wing has been extended back to accommodate. I'm sure that this won't be the last secret that the car gives up!

Note also that the car has the flat dummy honeycomb radiator grille fitted to early 1934 season Minors.

The picture below shows the car without the front bumper, which I am not convinced was fitted by Maddox. It was manufactured by the British Bumper Company and is extremely heavy and not really suitable for a Minor. I removed it to get at the chassis number to support the registration recovery application and I think I will leave it off. Does anyone have a standard Minor front number plate support bracket, or one I can borrow to have copied?

Image
maddpuk
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:24 pm
Location: Dunfermline, Scotland

Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by maddpuk »

Ian. Fantastic to have discovered this thread. I had 'on file' the B&W picture of EN 5810 (shown above), but wasn't aware the vehicle still existed. Even better to learn that you plan to return the car to England. Archie Maddox was my Grandfather, who sadly died relatively young in 1944. To-date, I've come across one other Maddox-bodied car, that being a 1929 RR 20hp, registration EW 6234 - EW being a Huntingdon registration if I'm not mistaken.
I look forward to reading more, and will continue trying to uncover what I can.
Cheers,
Paul Maddox
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

Hi Paul, and welcome to the forum which I am very pleased you found. History of the Maddox organization is very thin on the ground so it is especially good to make contact with you. I have contacted you separately by e-mail. Hopefully we can meet at Prescott in July.

Ian
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

Outstanding news on the Maddox. I was planning to ship it to England in time for our Summer Rally this year, but there's so little time in the spring with Prescott planning and mowing to do anything much else!

The biggest issue was that when I ran it last year, although it sounded sweet, the oil pressure struggled to get to 5 or 10 psi! I want the car to be in first class running condition before it ships, as I don't want my friend Peter Balding, who will be looking after it and running it, to have any major problems. So an engine rebuild was in prospect this winter. The last thing I want is to have it run a big end as soon as it gets any miles on it in England.

As of this morning, with Prescott next weekend, I have just about got everything in place so pulled the Maddox out of its winter hibernation. I thought I'd check the easiest things first. So I eased the instrument panel out and connected a spare oil gauge, fired it up and got 90 psi straight away! One engine rebuild saved!

Other than the oil pressure issue, the rest of the work is really cosmetics and a chassis lube and brake overhaul, plus tidy up the electrics. The brakes are weak. I have asked Ian Harris to bring a set of hydraulic seals to Prescott for me and this autumn, I'll work my way around the four hubs, doing the brakes, seals, lube, etc.

I'll aim to ship it about May next year.
maddpuk
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:24 pm
Location: Dunfermline, Scotland

Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by maddpuk »

Hi Ian,
That is great news. A nice reminder to always check the basics, before assuming the worst!
Hopefully this post will include 3 photos - 2 are old Ads from The Autocar magazine, and 1 is a collection of Letterheads I collected some years ago.
Best regards,
Paul
Collection of Letterheads
Collection of Letterheads
IMG_2655.JPG (280.07 KiB) Viewed 7486 times
1926 The Autocar Ad
1926 The Autocar Ad
IMG_2654.JPG (425.91 KiB) Viewed 7486 times
IMG_2653a.jpg
IMG_2653a.jpg (331.58 KiB) Viewed 7486 times
maddpuk
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:24 pm
Location: Dunfermline, Scotland

Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by maddpuk »

Archie & Maddox car badges now also located ...
Attachments
Maddox Car Badge.JPG
Maddox Car Badge.JPG (640.7 KiB) Viewed 7471 times
Archie Maddox Car Badge.JPG
Archie Maddox Car Badge.JPG (540.12 KiB) Viewed 7471 times
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

These are very interesting. The badge on my car (see previous page, 24th March 2017) is identical to the green badge, but enameled in blue. I wonder what the green/blue colour coding signified?

At Prescott I collected a full set of hydraulic brake seals from Ian Harris to overhaul the brakes this autumn. With oil pressure now recovered (faulty gauge replaced), the plan is definitely so ship the car back to England in time for next year's Summer Rally weekend.
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

A bit more progress to report on the Maddox servicing in preparation for shipping back to England next spring.

The brakes were about 10% efficient and obviously needed a complete overhaul. I have just removed the front cylinders and the master cylinder - the rear cylinders will come out this afternoon. I'm also removing the three flexible hoses.

Ian Harris is supplying all five new cylinders, the three hoses and also doing me an exchange on the eight brake shoes, so the system should be back to 100% efficiency soon.

I did obtain a full set of brake cylinder seals from Ian at Prescott, with a view to overhauling the cylinders myself, but, after talking to him this morning, he reported:

"I refuse to have these [slave cylinders] sleeved as I think the casting is too thin to take the reduction. I do have new cylinders at £55 that are a comparable price with sleeving, etc. but (I believe) are safer. Attempts to sleeve the master cylinder have been made but mostly I understand them to have been a disaster."

So all new cylinders it is.

I did notice when I jacked up the front of the car that the wheels resisted rotation, due to the brake shoes binding somewhat on the drums. This might account for some of the apparent lack of pulling power up our hill when I road tested it.

While I have the hubs, etc. off to do the brakes, I'm de-greasing, cleaning and re-greasing everything in sight. The car has obviously done a considerable mileage at some point (probably in England) as it is covered in road dirt and gobs of old, black, hardened grease everywhere. However, when I began to wash the dirt off the undersides of the front wings, they are painted bright orange! Or perhaps it is some sort of 1960's underseal of some sort? It is difficult to tell.

All of the shackle pins, kingpins and bearings seem fine.

Anyway, after the brakes are in, then next most pressing task must be the wiring, which looks grim, although most of it seems to work. However, there is no charging and the fuel gauge seems to read empty, no matter how much fuel I put in it. I must get the charging sorted, and it would be very useful to have the fuel gauge working, because the fuel tank pipe on the Maddox, is a twisted affair that cannot be dipped like the scuttle tanks.

I am going to fit the Hardy Spicer prop shaft that I got from Clive Hamilton-Gould a couple of years ago that was allocated to the McEvoy, but that was before I bought the Maddox.

As for other work, it will be chiefly be down to the engine - sump off and cleaned out for starters, plus fresh oil in the engine, gearbox and back axle. I will probably remove the head and give it a full top end overhaul. I'll see how I feel when the time comes. I might also send the carb. over to SU for overhaul this winter.

The clutch seems perfectly sound and the good thing is the bodywork is all perfectly solid, but it will need a set of new floor boards made from 1/2" Birch ply to replace the Heath Robinson ones currently in there.
simonh
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by simonh »

Tyres.

Longstone tyres have a special offer on 5 off 400x18 3 block tyres + tubes + rim tapes £400.00 + VAT

Tyres are 682mm OD Width 97mm !
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

That's perfect - I'll order up a set and have them delivered to Tarlton for fitting in the spring.
simonh
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by simonh »

SU pump. Check out ebay No 142926003929. MG moved the pump from under the bonnet [LP pump] to down by the tank [HP pump]during production of the TF to get over the problem of fuel vaporisation. Should you consider doing that with rear tank [SV] models.
I am seriously considering doing that with the Jensen.
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

Hi Simon,

Thanks for the eBay link - looks sound enough for overhaul. I'll keep an eye on it!

Interesting re the fuel pump location.
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

Productive weekend. All of the brakes are now out and new parts ordered from Ian Harris:

Master cylinder
Slave cylinders
Hoses
Hub felt seals and gaskets
Brake light switch
Pair of rear hub bearings
Set of axle seals

Plus I am sending him my shoes for re-lining.

That little lot should get the car a lot closer to being road sorted and ready to ship to England next summer.

I also need to replace the front right copper brake pipe. Stupidly, I undid the fitting before loosening the pipe nut so the pipe twisted and buckled.

While the brakes are out, I'm taking the opportunity to clean up the backplates, etc., and also strip and re-paint the brake drums.
Ian Grace
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Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by Ian Grace »

Where does the time go?! I can't believe I removed the backed back in 2018 and did noting on the car last year.

But at last we have some dry, warm weather and I've managed to dig the Maddox out of hibernation.

The first job, completed today, was to remove the copper hydraulic brake pipe to the right front wheel which I stupidly managed to twist and buckle when I was removing the flexible hose to the wheel. The pipe runs from a union close to the master cylinder, forward to a second union on the chassis which takes the flexible pipe. It is about two feet long.

Now I have it off, I can confirm the threads of the unions each end and have a new pipe made up. Next up will be to fit the new master cylinder, the four slave cylinders, the three flexible hoses, the new handbrake cables, etc. to complete the brake overhaul. I have had the shoes relined already, so virtually the entire brake system will be new.

While I was under the car, I noticed that the speedo cable, where it screws into the gearbox, is damaged, so I'll be taking a look at that - probably just needs a new cable.

The other biggish job is replacing the front floorboards to original design.

Once the car is soundly running, it is going to be shipped back to Paul Maddox, the grandson of Archie Maddox who lives in Dunfirmline, Scotland. Paul actually entered the car into Pre-War Prescott 2021 today. It will be super to see the car repatriated and also in the hands of a Maddox.
maddpuk
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:24 pm
Location: Dunfermline, Scotland

Re: 1933 Maddox Fixed head Coupe EN 5810

Post by maddpuk »

Great update, Ian. Thank goodness for better weather - improving here too.
Are there many possible variations on the brake unions' dimensions? Presumably Imperial, then are there different thread options (dia. & pitch)?
That's before getting onto the type of flaring required?
Any photos of these works as you go along?
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