Here’s a question that has crossed my mind many times while in the workshop, but I have never come up with a completely satisfactory answer one way or the other.
So you are in the workshop restoring your car. You have two similar components to select from – one which came off your car and the other – the same part – which is in your spares pile. The spare item is in better condition than the part that came off your car when you dismantled it. Which part should you fit – the better part, or the part which came off your car?
Of course, it will depend on what the part is. If it is the cylinder block, then it would obviously be better to fit the numbered original, provided that is was serviceable. But what about the bellhousing? Or the conrods? Or the front axle beam? Or a stub axle? Or a wheel?
Having had my Semi-sports apart for so many years, I honestly couldn’t tell you which parts came off it and which parts I have replaced, in most cases. I know that after scouring the world for parts, the car is now quite highly original – in terms of specification, but it is almost certainly contains a lot less of the original car than it did when I acquired it. Should I have made a more of an effort to restore the car as it was and only replace parts which were unserviceable – even if I had less worn parts to replace the original parts with? Should I have kept some sort of record of what was replaced? Have I compromised originality? And how do I know that the parts fitted to the car when I acquired it were the same parts fitted when the car left the factory? What does the team think?
Use of original parts?
Moderators: Ian Grace, Will Grace
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chris lambert
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Originality
Ian,
This is similar to Trigger debating the originality of his broom with Del Boy in Only fools and horses or perhaps a better analogy would be after dental work are your teeth still your own? I guess cars start losing their originality when the first set of tyres are replaced and continues throughout their life as parts wear out or get damaged beyond repair in accidents etc.
If parts are replaced on a like for like basis, or even with a longer lasting part to the same pattern then in my book the car retains its originality. When a car was first designed, the designer prepared a set of drawings, and I guess it's these drawings, the blueprint, which hold the DNA of the cars originality.
I dont believe that when a spare part was manufactured has any bearing on originality the only qualifying question being 'does it match the original design ?' I am also perfectly happy with replacements parts being manufactured from materials which have a longer life when in use. e.g. improved alloys etc.
I would imagine that most of todays roadgoing Minors don't fit my idea of originality. A lot have had 12/12 cams, some have 4 speed boxes others run with a non original ratio differential etc. I don't have a problem with any of this as at least the cars are being used and these mods help in todays road conditions. Certainly those who have fitted hydraulic brakes can stop a lot quicker than those with cables.
My cars fall into this category, but I have retained the original bits to pass on when I sell and hopefully this will enable the new owner to return them close to the original specification, if that is what he wants to do.
Chris
This is similar to Trigger debating the originality of his broom with Del Boy in Only fools and horses or perhaps a better analogy would be after dental work are your teeth still your own? I guess cars start losing their originality when the first set of tyres are replaced and continues throughout their life as parts wear out or get damaged beyond repair in accidents etc.
If parts are replaced on a like for like basis, or even with a longer lasting part to the same pattern then in my book the car retains its originality. When a car was first designed, the designer prepared a set of drawings, and I guess it's these drawings, the blueprint, which hold the DNA of the cars originality.
I dont believe that when a spare part was manufactured has any bearing on originality the only qualifying question being 'does it match the original design ?' I am also perfectly happy with replacements parts being manufactured from materials which have a longer life when in use. e.g. improved alloys etc.
I would imagine that most of todays roadgoing Minors don't fit my idea of originality. A lot have had 12/12 cams, some have 4 speed boxes others run with a non original ratio differential etc. I don't have a problem with any of this as at least the cars are being used and these mods help in todays road conditions. Certainly those who have fitted hydraulic brakes can stop a lot quicker than those with cables.
My cars fall into this category, but I have retained the original bits to pass on when I sell and hopefully this will enable the new owner to return them close to the original specification, if that is what he wants to do.
Chris
This is a difficult one particularly as the cars are all so old now.
I try to keep the original specification, certainly the basic "blue print" to try to keep the character of the original car.
DF's engine is a replacement, the original kept running bigends, with a suggestion that the crankshaft was bent.
The bodywork is the original type but a replacement as the original body was removed in the very late 1930's - mid 1940's so that is could be converted to a van. The body came from another Minor that presumably now no longer exists, and put on DF in 1968 when a good deal of much needed restoration work was undertaken.
In my ownership I have remade the insides of the distributor as the original pattern contacts are no longer available (so I use a more modern set from a D45 distributor) and I can see the time coming where distributor cap supply runs out.
I had to replace the carburettor as well, I could not get the bits to sort the bottom feed float chamber so now its on a later top fed unit but still the original choke size.
I am sure the engine will have a 12/12 cam as the originals are all worn and not available, I think also a few modern seals will atempt to keep the oil in rather than on the road!
Like Chris I have kept all the parts I have removed and I am sure the carburettor at least can be sorted by Burlen, but rather than the car sit in a non-running state I would rather see all options explored to keep them on the road and in use. These cars are after all built properly, very little plastic and no electronics, so they are very fixable - I'd like to see a 5 series BMW in 75 years!
Cheers
Jeremy
I try to keep the original specification, certainly the basic "blue print" to try to keep the character of the original car.
DF's engine is a replacement, the original kept running bigends, with a suggestion that the crankshaft was bent.
The bodywork is the original type but a replacement as the original body was removed in the very late 1930's - mid 1940's so that is could be converted to a van. The body came from another Minor that presumably now no longer exists, and put on DF in 1968 when a good deal of much needed restoration work was undertaken.
In my ownership I have remade the insides of the distributor as the original pattern contacts are no longer available (so I use a more modern set from a D45 distributor) and I can see the time coming where distributor cap supply runs out.
I had to replace the carburettor as well, I could not get the bits to sort the bottom feed float chamber so now its on a later top fed unit but still the original choke size.
I am sure the engine will have a 12/12 cam as the originals are all worn and not available, I think also a few modern seals will atempt to keep the oil in rather than on the road!
Like Chris I have kept all the parts I have removed and I am sure the carburettor at least can be sorted by Burlen, but rather than the car sit in a non-running state I would rather see all options explored to keep them on the road and in use. These cars are after all built properly, very little plastic and no electronics, so they are very fixable - I'd like to see a 5 series BMW in 75 years!
Cheers
Jeremy