1952 Austin A40 Sports GD3 - the work begins!
↑While the car will need
major paint work, it also needs various other things done, which are being
done on the run. It is lovely to see it emerge from the workshop (especially
on sunny days!) for various 'test' runs!
↑The electricals were a
complete dog's breakfast, but a lot of tracing, tagging, and finally removal
of unnecessary wiring (above pic) got things headed in the right direction.
A constantly blowing fuse that wiped out most accessories was finally traced
to a chafed brake light wire at the back of the car.
↑A perished
and broken exhaust hanger was the culprit with an annoying exhaust rattle.
Easy fix in the workshop.
Other work done at the outset included;
-
Petrol tank sender unit was leaking badly and seized. Removed, fixed, new gasket made and refitted.
-
Fuel was incredibly stale, and has been flushed through several times to get rid of the worst deposits. A fuel filter fitted to stop loose deposits causing problems at the carburettors.
-
Alternator removed due to very loose pulley. Everything checked, but no damage, so properly reassembled, and refitted. Belt now tensions properly.
-
Handbrake mechanism wouldn't adjust, so all removed, properly assemble, lubricated and refitted.
-
Car was incredibly difficult to start, and ran very badly. Main problem turned out to be the coil to distributor HT lead, which had gone almost open circuit. Replacing this, and properly balancing the twin SUs (both were running much too lean, and the left carburettor opened well before the right), fixed the problem!
-
Non-functioning tachometer, heater fan, windscreen wipers, fog lights all made to work.
-
Central steering wheel control for horn and direction indicators was anchored in the correct position and tightened. Direction indicators now self-cancel perfectly
-
Radiator, heater and engine given a really thorough flush. A lot of gunk gone, and coolant all flowing nicely!
-
Charging, high beam and indicator warning lights reallocated to correct lens colours.
-
I am increasingly unsure whether the car is, in fact, a 1950 GD2, or a slightly later GD3. Many modifications during previous restorations, as well as many parts substituted by newer replacements (with later date stamps) have made it difficult to determine the car's age with any accuracy. So today, Dec 5 2022, I finall relented, and sent off a $100AUD payment to the British Motor Museum to get a Heritage Certificate for the car, based on its chassis and engine numbers.
↑Two days later it was
a joy to ask Patricia out for a brief drive in the Sports. We both had
smiles from ear to ear!
↑Still plenty to do,
including brakes and the huge job of stripping off the red paint which is
flaking off, and properly repainting the car, but overall this is a lovely
gem.
↑The paint is simply
falling off! Obviously a mismatch between the primers and the topcoats
during a restoration all those years ago.
↑Brake slave
cylinders were all leaking, so were honed and given new seals and boots.
Back axle seals were also done, as the linings were well soaked in oil and
brake fluid! Despite the brake linings being almost unworn, they were
totally ruined with the absorption of oil and fluid,so were sent off for
relining.
↑Interestingly, there
are two types of wheel nuts on the car. Both brass. I assume some are from a
different period.
↑I felt a bit foolish when
I carefully measured across the flats of the rear axle bearing retaining
nuts and ordered a special socket, only to find I'd wasted my money as I
hadn't noticed the nut was octagonal, not hexagonal.
↑So, I improvised.
New seal now safely in place.