NV 2803 - 1933 McEvoy Special

[halbe]

True, but you and the rest of the VMR know..........

Halbe

[Ian Grace]

Good point! I look at it this way - if I hadn't done an obscene amount of research, and then even more to hunt down the original engine 20 miles away, then the car would probably have been a total loss to the old car world, so I think I'm in credit with the car at this point!

It's different with some specials - there are two well-known original Semi-sports that have been turned into out-and-out trials specials, and I find it difficult to agree with this, but the owner should be the final arbiter of what he does with his cars - and at least they aren't languising in a thousand pieces any more, like so many Minors, and they are giving their owner and others a great deal of pleasure. In one case, the car retained its original body, and I advertised it extensively, but nobody wanted it! Same as the Willats fabric saloon - I had the owner bring that all the way from Lincolnshire to the 2003 Prescott and have been pushing it ever since - but STILL no taker! (Although I do have someone looking at it shortly, so fingers crossed.)

Incidentally, yet more research has shown that there is the remains of another McEvoy with a long and fascinating trials history in the Wantage area. This is car campaigned by the late Morgan Marshal pre war. The owner may be persuaded to let it go. It desperately needs soneone to go and seek it out. I have the owner's details and have spoken to him over the 'phone. Anyone interested?

[Ian Grace]

I wasn't planning to fit a Hardy Spicer prop shaft on this car - until this morning when I was re-reading some McEvoy notes sent to me many moons ago by Bev Hicks. In 1962, Bev, who had just-founded the Morris Register, was a keen researcher and visited Michael McEvoy at his home - Ivor House, in Ivor, Bucks.

He came away with all sorts of valuable data including some notes on the Minor tuning that McEvoy offered. At the foot of this is the following:

"We particularly recommend Hardy Spicer Propeller Shafts as, owing to the rather low axle ratio and two fabric discs on the propeller shaft, whip is liable to set in at speeds over 64 m.p.h."

So there we are - decision made, as the Model 70 is good for 70 m.p.h., so I suspect that McEvoy would have taken his own advice and so fitted all his Model 70's.

What I need to know is the length of shaft needed - to accommodate a 4-speed crash box. If anyone has this box in their car, could they measure the distance between spider faces for me? I know that the prop shafts will be splined, but I need to get close. Thanks.

One other part of Bev's notes is of interest - that of colour schemes offered. This car has its original green upholstery so that means there are two possibilities for its original scheme - gray body and wings with green upholstery and wheels or black body with green wings, wheels and upholstery. I rather fancy the latter.

[Highlander]

Ian, The April Calendar has a McEvoy Special in Red and Black. What about two tone Green and Black? Black top and Green bottom? Black wings and wheels. Just freturned from North Aberdeenshire - 620miles door to door. Left last Sunday and got home last night. Did not see one old car!!!! I find it sad. Last Sunday was drive a vintage car day and I thought I would see something. Coming home yesterday we left Longside at 5.15am and would have beaten our long time record but 5 miles before the M25 on the M40 we stopped in a jam for over one hour, never moved an inch, then started up and in minutes were at 70mph again all the way home!! Never knew what happened. I got in at 5pm, still not bad. Two drivers. Petrol is dear!!!¬!! Highlander.

[Ian Grace]

Alister,

That's not a bad idea. The calendar car is Jim Peacop's and certainly looks the business.

I'm sitting here printing off 250 outside rear covers (one at a time ) showing this picture of Sarah Gibson's McEvoy in Spain. These McEvoys do look very sporty for a Minor. And this one looks very ... red!

[Highlander]

Ian, a quick reply!!! What does the rear end of a McEvoy special look like? Is it boat tailed? Slab Tank? Thinking of two tone colours and seeing the Spanish car you could run a half inch, half round strip in line with the side bonnet hinge to the top of the door to break the two halves up. I cannot see what you could do at the back as I dont know what it looks like. Two of my alvis' had nice pen nibbing from a point at the front centre of the bonnet to the outside of the windscreen - this look good on a large car but on a small car??? Off to have a double. Highlander.

[Ian Grace]

Alister,

Here's the rear end - with optional twin spares that were available from McEvoy for trials work. To fit these, you have to remove the (rather ugly, in my opinion) rear valence which was designed to house just a single spare. Compare this photo with the image of NV at the top of this thread.

[Highlander]

Super photographs. I now see the rear end and there is no natural break for two tone colour. The body must be one colour. Wings could be black. I have looked at the callender McEvoy again - is the black just on the bonnet and scuttle? It is up to the owner what he does. Not always easy. Can you scan on your computer, say the two pictures you have published here and then change the colours? This is what Greame Jenner did (portraits) Highlander.

[Ian Grace]

Morning Alister.

Yes, these are super pics - I must say that I think the Mac looks handsome from any angle!

Here's the rear end of YD:

[Ian Grace]

The original Northamptonshire registration record shows that the car was gray and green. The first owner was Percy Roy Warwick Cossins, Polwell Lane, Barton Seagrave which is a southern suburb of Kettering.

[Sam Christie]

Ian, I am most impressed at reading the details from the original Northamptonshire registration record. I know this has been touched on before but I failed to get anywhere with GJ 9151. Given that one knows the registration number,make model and chassis number how exactly does one access the early detail of name and address of first owner and colour scheme?

[Ian Grace]

Sam,

I use a very useful little book - "How to trace the History of Your Car' by Philip Riden. In it there is a section called 'Where to find the Records' and it lists all the archives offices and record offices, etc. where original registration data is known to be archived. This can be correlated with an earlier section that traces index marks to localities (and this can also be found in the Members' Area of the VMR website - look for the '2-Letter Index Marks' link).

In your case, GJ is a London regsitration, and the book suggests London Motropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB. Tel. 0171/332/3820 Fax 0171/833/9136.

Good luck!

If anyone else would like their information from this book, just let me know.

[Sam Christie]

Thanks Ian.Sadly London Metropolitan Archives ( 0207 332 3280 ) say they have lost everything except 1916 - 1919. A blank unfortunately.

[Ian Grace]

That's a shame. I wonder how many records were destroyed in London during the Blitz.

[Ian Grace]

The McEvoy was finally delivered from Ipswich to Colnbrook today, where it will be joined by KR 5670 tomorrow. This is the first time the car has left this workshop since 1957.