VG 3260

[Ian Grace]

I believe that the thin wooden strips were used to adjust the body on the chassis. Unlike our wonderful body-on chassis body rebuilds (!), factory bodies were jig-built separately, so it was inevitable that small adjustments had to be made to line up the scuttle, get the doors to slam nicely, etc. I surmise this from experience of taking a lot of bodies off chassis and finding all manner of long strip - some wedge shaped, between the body and chassis - just like you have found on your car Halbe.

I suspect that there was one man or a small team of men at Cowley whose sole job it would have been to set bodies on chassis, and they also probably kept their 'black art' closely to themselves to make themselves indispensable!

[Highlander]

Seeing the strip of wood between chassis and body - we used to use piano felt - can this still be supplied?, and is it still used? If you are reading this Mike C from Norfolk, thanks for the cheque. If I have a lesson in Kite flying can I give you a lesson on the Highland Fling?!!!! Highlander.

[mike houston]

Thanks to all correspondents for all the information supplied. Now I know why I found a thin strip of wood under the rear section of the body on both sides. I have kept them in case I need them again, (and following the principle of throwing away nothing during a rebuild!) They were incidentally lightly tacked in place. I am gradually working out my ash requirements and carefully noting and phographing how each joint is constructed, and the dimensions of everything. Only when I am satisfied that I have left nothing to chance will I start deconstructing the frame in order to use each piece as a template. I think Ronald's idea of using stainless steel screws seems a logical one, although I have read somewhere that the old frame makers would lick each screw before inserting them into a pilot screw! The idea seems to be that (a) this would ease them in and (b) it would speed up rust to help hold them in place! I think I will pass on that! Incidentally I am thinking of beefing the frame up in one or two areas where it appears to be inherently weak. For instance the hinge upright (B post) has cracked on one side and could I think do with an extra half inch on it's rear facing side. Obviously this will affect other dimensions and will need to be accounted for. I'll assess whether this is viable in other areas.

Ian, when I do go to Terry's I will take some pictures and post them. I'm afraid I couldn't help you on the transport front, and I guess you are in the UK now. I hope you were able to sort something out and will enjoy your stay. Unfortunately the weather seems to have taken a turn for the worse, and I'm just off to Cornwall for ten days!

Regards to All,
Mike.

[Ronald]

Mike, when you do get to the point of screwing it together, be sure as previously stated to make sure you don;t force the screws too much, ash splits easily, plus, it's wise to dip them in waxoyl first, this will aid there progress into the wood no end........

[mike houston]

Well I see that two months have flown by since I last posted, but I think that the attached photo should sum up progress. I am basically producing what amounts to a collection of frame parts, made from ash and ply where appropriate, which has been very time consuming. However I am not too far away from being able to start screwing it together. Before doing so the chassis will once again be placed on axle stands and then trued up level. While that is going on I will have the wheels attended to and powder coated. One saving grace is that the old frame parts have been (just about) good enough to use as patterns. The rear main cross piece has been saved, which is good because the body number is stamped on it, and I should be able to use the under sill pieces, (which are made of pine). This is just as well because they have an awkward compound curve on them which would be difficult to replicate. Anyway the work goes on, and what keeps me going is the thought of it returning to the road after some 40 years.
Regards to all,
Mike.

[Ian Grace]

Excellent work Mike. You are right about the under sills being pine - Morris and other high volume coachbuilders used pine (what they called white wood) in a number of non load-bearing locations in order to save weight (and cost) over ash. Keep up the good work.

[cammy]

Hi Mike, Looking good. Any chance of a picture of your rear end if you understand what I mean. i'e' the bits going over the rear axle.

Cheers
C

[mike houston]

Especially for Cammy, some pictures of the rear! I should point out that this is early days and there is much fettling and finessing to be done. In particular a thin section needs to be added across the rear board to act as a closing piece for the removable lid over the rear axle. I have extended the riser blocks to the position you see in order to support the rear section uprights for which I will need to fashion some support brackets, along the lines shown by a previous contributor. The stage I have now reached is very fiddly, with every adjustment you make in one place having an effect somewhere else! Thus I am slowing it down and taking time to get it right, hoping that is possible!
Tomorrow I am going down the road to Crowborough, East Sussex, to see Len Booth whose 30 saloon was built in the same week as mine and is 20 chassis numbers away from mine! I am hoping to draw some inspiration from a chap who has had his car for over 20 years, and who also owns an early Morris 8. I'll let you know how I get on.
Regards to all,
Mike.

[Toby]

Mike, this is proving inspirational as I ponder the bodywork on the 4 seater tourer, pondering whether to do it or seek help! Mine has the saloon back end with tourer front end and is clad in steel which I want to reuse, your problem with action in one area resulting in change elsewhere is exactly the problem I envisage by trying to fit a new frame to preformed panels!The problem I face is to asses what needs doing I have to strip the tin but once I do that I lose my pattern. Will be interested in hearing more of your experiments in coachwork.

[mike houston]

I thought that to give me a break from woodwork I would make a start on rebuilding the wheels. The car is on axle stands, trued up level, wheels off so I thought it would make a change. Before taking the wheels apart I've carefully measured the rear offset, and I'll take an average (unless anyone can supply the factory spec?) for the rebuilding of them. First wheel came apart, no problem. The second one felt odd from the start, and after parting a few outer spokes I could see why. The outer hub had detached from the inner! (see pictures). On reflection I am not overly surprised, after all someone all those years ago thought that a strengthening band ought to go around the base where they join, and eighty year old hubs are bound to have suffered. But the surface of the break is corroded which makes me think it's been like this for some time. How many other hubs could be out there held together by spokes? Is there a safety issue here? I don't know the answers but I do know that I am going to check the remaining hubs very carefully before reusing them. I guess the simplest way is to hang each one up, strike it and hope for a clear ring. I suppose the ultimate would be to have them crack tested. Anyway I have already sent an e-mail to Toby, hoping that he might have a spare hub. I suppose that it might be possible to have it welded, but I think the replacement route might be best. Has anyone else had this problem? I suggest you all go and have a close inspection of your hubs!!!Regards to all,Mike.

[halbe]

Hello Mike,

I will certainly check my hubs for cracks !!!!!
Excellent warning for all of us.

Regards
Halbe

[Highlander]

An easy job to weld b ut why did it happen in the first place??? I have never, ever heard of this happening before. Highlander.

[Ian Grace]

I have heard of the weld breaking before - but chiefly on cars that get abused on driving tests and trials. The early Wolseley wheels are identical to ours, but have seamless one-piece hubs, so these are always well worth looking out for.

[Ronald]

unsurprisingly, MT runs a complete set of wolsely hubs for exactly this reason............... never had one break yet!! and dad usedto really push the car....... we have had plenty of spokes break of late, especially over modern traffic calming systems,... you know, you go over the edge of the hump, in order to make it more comfortable, but all it does is stress the wheels that don;t go over the hump as the car tilts towards them..... ho hum.....

[mike houston]

I've just realised how long ago it was since I last posted. Where does the time go? However unfortunately not too much of that time has been spent on VG, so not a lot of progress to report. It took a total of seven wheels plus one hub, (from Toby at Beaulieu), to produce the five best serviceable wheels you can see in the pictures. The dismantling is best done with bolt croppers, but without one I used a hacksaw and three blades! The rims and hubs were then blasted and one of the hubs welded up. One wheel, with a messy looking welded hub was retained as a pattern, one broken hub is being used as a pattern for the truing jig, and one rim can't be used without repair, (again see picture). The spokes were supplied by Tony Margel, (The Spokesman), and I have laced them up and roughly trued them. They will now be finally trued and tightened on a jig, and then powder-coated. I was in two minds whether to use new rims, but the expense and the 'patina' of the old rims swayed me. Time will tell if it was the right decision! Incidentally although all the hubs look identical, there are differences. Two of them have a Patent number cast into them, 316.362, which I can't see on the others. The MG hub (from Toby) also seems minutely different, and rings slightly differently. Surely it's metal composition couldn't be different?
The only other job I am currently engaged on is overhauling the instruments and panel. I was wondering how I could get the lettering in white on the panel, but with the paint off I can see the words and letters are actually indented into the metal surface. Has anyone done this refurbishment, or is it a job for a professional? The switchgear has been sonically (?) cleaned prior to reassembly, and the guages overhauled by Vintage Restorations here in Tunbridge Wells. Incidentally they cannot now repair 'our' speedometers, and it appears that the only people who now can are Richfield Speedograph of Nottingham.
Anyway enough for now, I really must get on with the wood frame. More pictures when there is progress!
Regards to All, Mike.