Austin A70 Hampshire

[mercrocker]

There's something quite noble about it in my opinion....

[cuntbuster]

Is that a Hampshire on the back?

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[Hooli]

On a Bedford I think?

[panhard65]

That is an old Ford truck. One for the CBW thread as VOSA would do their nut if they saw that.

[angrydicky]

It’s a Hereford. The model after the Hampshire.
The other cars are an Austin 16, A30 countryman (possibly a real one as the side windows look correct) and a Ford Popular.
I’ve been very busy on mine and I’ve made some great progress during my week off. Update to follow.

[angrydicky]

Another productive few days on LOB the Hampshire.
Having fitted the body, I started by connecting up the engine, gearbox, and clutch. Then fitted the radiator support bracket, radiator and hoses.
Then fitted the steering box, wheel and gear lever and shaft.
Connected the petrol tank for the first time since I refurbished it. When it was running last summer it was from a gravity feed from a lawnmower tank.
Fitted a decent new battery, as the borrowed one wasn’t up to the job of turning this big engine over.
Having got oil pressure on the gauge, I tried to start it.
No spark. Fortunately this was traced, reasonably quickly, to the condenser wire shorting on the baseplate.
With that corrected, great news, the engine starts on the button and sounds great.
Bolted the drivers seat in, and took it for a quick spin up the drive and back. It felt really good, and the brakes stopped it perfectly. Very pleased with my expensive refurbished steering wheel which feels much nicer to hold than the disintegrated original. However, I could only engage two gears.
Put it back on the ramp, attempted to adjust the cable and the outer sheath parted company with the threaded end. On inspection it’s been repaired before, and looks very rusty. So I’m now on the lookout for a new or good secondhand selector cable. If I can’t find one I’ll try to repair the original. Graham Potts (secondhand Austin Counties spares guru) would certainly have one, the only problem is that he’s buggered off to New Zealand for three months!
Also had a rocker cover oil leak, so I’ve packed the studs out with a couple of washers each to get an extra ‘nip’ on it.
The fuel line was leaking from two joints but a quick nip up with the spanners thankfully seems to have solved it.
Same with the bottom hose which was leaking where it goes onto the water pump.
Also, I repaired the bottom of the o/s/f inner wing as the mounting flange had rotted away, and I was unable to bolt the valance to it.
Fitted one of the original tax discs which came with the car, into a nos Nottingham dealer tax disc holder I got from eBay, as a nod to the town it spent most of its life in.
Hopefully I can get the front end assembled next weekend.
I’m quite pleased as I’ve completed everything I set out to do this week, despite the cold weather.
Ordered a few more bits from AH Spares and another bag of correct 1/4” BSF nuts to fit the front valance.
There is starting to be light at the end of the tunnel with this one.

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[59Impala]

On a Bedford I think?

It's a Ford D-Series of the type introduced in 1965 to replace the Thames Trader.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Are you still doing it blue?

I can't help but think a decent brush/roller non drip gloss paint job in black would be the way to go. A weekend spent sanding it down etc.

LOB should be black.

[angrydicky]

Yeah, it’s going to stay blue I’m afraid. I’m intending to get it on the road as it is then get my mate at work to paint it in a year or twos time.
I do like black on these, but the blue is more unusual. I’ve also got the matching blue interior. Also changed the colour on the V5.

[brandersnatch]

Great progress. I really enjoy reading about this car.