Vintage Minor Register

A spring update!

Today I've been working on the ignition system and mixture and I think I now have it running as well as it can, bearing in mind it has the original cam and compression ratio. I'm test running it around the lanes in this beautiful spring sunshine!

I'm ignoring the oil pressure!

I think I might have sufficient confidence in it to take it to The Fountain meet next Sunday.

Well I didn't take it to The Fountain - I took the fabric saloon instead - but I am getting quite a few jobs done. I am taking the front bumper to Castle Plating in Dudley on Friday. I have the bumper irons at the blacksmith for re-shaping and the addition of a couple of number plate brackets and I have a new pressed steel number plate from Paul Beck which I have primed and painting and I'm taking it to a traditional signwriter in Rednal on Friday to be lettered. I have already had the blacksmith make a new badge bar to original pattern and fitted it with a VMR badge, and I have done the same for the fabric saloon VG 2007.

I have also applied new Lucas Difusa decals to the RB47 headlamp glasses (available from British Only Austria, www.vintage-motorcycle.com.) Every little job helps.

In parallel, I'm preparing for a trip to Paul Rogers in Norfolk to deliver an engine block and crank for white metaling, crank grinding, boring, new studs, etc. I'm using as a core a very good spare block I have and the rest from the '29 engine I picked up at Prescott last autumn. The plan is to swap this engine in to the car and then work on the original once it is out of the car. The reason for this swap is twofold. First, the current, original engine was rebuilt back in the seventies by John Peckham and the oil pressure is now very poor. And secondly, the current engine has its original Minor cam and compression ratio. I'll fit a 12/12 cam and up the comp. to M Type spec. (3.000" between gasket faces). That should bring some much-needed performance enhancement, and eventually I'll rebuild the original engine to the same spec.

Good morning of work this morning.

I finally got the ignition timing dead right and I also replaced the SV carburetter bowl with the correct flat-topped type. It remains to be seen if I have any fuel vapourization issues! When I took the SV bowl off, I found the small bronze filter almost completely clogged. This couldn't have helped the fuel flow.

I then took it for a test run around the lanes, and the performance is transformed. It is a little down on power compared to my fabric saloon on the same test run, but that is to be expected as the fabric saloon engine is up to M Type spec. - compression ratio and 12/12 cam.

Also, I received the number plates back from Andy Field, the signwriter, and they look fantastic. I have fitted the rear one, together with the restored TF 201A tail lamp but I'm waiting for the local blacksmith, Peter Crownshaw, to make me a couple of new front number plate brackets to the original pattern.

I'll post a couple of photos here once I have the front number plate on.

Incidentally, I downloaded the correct Lutz Headline font (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/fo ... hp?tid=827)for early number plates onto my laptop and printed out the number - WE 6554 in 3.5" digits for him, but he didn't need them. I asked if he had done number plates like this before - he told me he has done thousands! His skill is incredible - he does a lot of canal boats, traction engines, etc. I would highly recommend him. And I will have him signwrite number plates for all of my cars.

http://signwritingshropshire.co.uk/