Early Javelin Restoration

[Keith Clements]

Horn now working. Installed brake switch connection and tested.

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Indicators now all working although rear ones just hanging on the bumper. Front light had been incorrectly wired, someone had put insulation tape around a bullet connector rather than pushing the bullets fully in! Various self tappers of the wrong length cut off so they do not tear hands. Gauzes installed on fresh air inlets.
All electrics apart from interior light complete.

So relaxed with a Whitney Neill and Fevertree G&T whilst I picked beetroot, runner beans, cabbage, courgette and carrots from the garden for dinner. Such fresh crisp veg really makes a difference and the taste of those carrots...

[Keith Clements]

Today started with trying to find the quarter light rubbers. Three serviceable ones will be cleaned up.
Then I exerted myself carrying the seats down from the conservatory to the garage.

I suspected the hole drilled for the cut-out was in the wrong place and sure enough it was so had to be moved.

The lower plates for the seat were secured with some small wood screws although the one on the driver's side is obscured by the chassis and has to be held in with fingers whilst the bolts are lined up.

Then the seat was centralised and bolted down and the rear runners secured with some very special screws I found in an ancient cache from my dad's cabinet that must be 50 years old.




Then I made up some brackets to fit the rear indicators and Swiss sign.

Trialling the positioning of the number plate.

Finally started the car and drove it backwards and forwards in the garage. Some adjustment needed to slow running and brakes.

[k. rogers]

I just can't wait to see this car - It's going to be the best Javelin in existance!

[p.p.]

iam very proud and also happy....a stunning "Rhowina" a big THANK YOU go's to Keith, Cris, and all helping hands from the Jowett Club in the past 41/2 years of labour...... for me always when iam in Kingslangly a steep learnig curve with all the errors from me...and Keith has to get it done correctly .....looking forwards to Goodwood to drive my girl.....with lot's of emotion!!!

[Keith Clements]

After readjusting the throttle after getting rid of the play in the operating arm, I tackled sorting out the pile of trim and the thousands of fastenings required to fix it. I collected together various bits of metal work still looking for a home. Anyone know what they might be?
I think 'h' goes on top of the steering column U bolt.
I have two of 'i'
I suspect 'j' is a bodge of the rad air deflector.
'f' and 'c' are L shaped
'a', 'b' and 'k' have captive nuts


Then proceeded to fix the fresh air flaps and clips . Looks easy but took me two hours. I finally settled on No 8 self tappers and 2 BA screws.


Then all the wooden bits which are just like a jigsaw which confusingly some had been labelled for the wrong side! you know I said the indicators were finished. WRONG. They had to come out because the wires had been incorrectly installed because the wood cover needs the wire passing through it and the wire needs to come OUT of the lower hole. Not like this -

or this which is the correct hole but needs to go through the wood first before connecting to trafficator.

but like this

[Srenner]

Part "G" fits around the base of the steering column/shifter column and holds a seal of some sort to keep dirt and water out. Small leg to top, long leg to wheel well.

"C" anf "F" Could be the supports for the textured hardboard in the boot? Are they handed?

Agreed "J" looks like bent air deflector.

"A", "B", "E", "I" ,"K" ring no bells

"D" is the puzzler. Where is there a round shape that needed clearance? I assume that it is a bracket or support of some kind.

[Keith Clements]

Started fitting the wooden strips that are use to fix the headlining and door trims. Eventually found the correct wood screws but was short a few so supplemented from stock. Various lengths and sizes were used , mainly 4mm x 15mm but some were 20mm and the ones along the back window3.5mm x 15mm.
The rear section was repaired with Gorilla glue.

A new block was fabricated for the bottom of the C post.

The Quarter window is in two sections.

The B post is in 3 sections.

The head interior light.

The A post needed a bit of shortening as the square rope was an inch too long, but worse the wires were the wrong side of the pillar and have to be rethreaded. Not so easy on the driver's side.

[Keith Clements]

Thanks Scott. I suspect D is over the prop shaft somewhere. Perhaps a straightener for the boot floor. Not on the priority list to investigate though.

[Keith Clements]

Having rerouted the wiring loom through the A post correctly and reconnected and checked the working of the components, I proceeded to sort the trim, inspect and clean. Some of the A post, B post and C post panels had marks on them , some being paint so whatever the sugar soap did not shift paint stripper was tried.

The carpets , including that on the bottom of the door panels, were cleaned with carpet cleaner using the wet vacuum cleaner and vigorous brushing.

[Keith Clements]

So after some sorting of clips to fix the door panels for Chris, I started the car and drove it out of the garage.
The brakes were not good. I suspect the front ones are not working at all and only one of the rear ones. Also petrol was pouring out of the offside carb. So first I added a washer, then changed the needle valve for a brand new one plus another float. Petrol then dripped out of both carbs so I suspect the pressure relief valve in the pump is not working. Something I have not investigated before. Any ideas out there?
Oh also there was a water leak around the water pump hose.
So now giving up for the day and will sit in the sunshine with some of the IPA gathered in my visit to Suffolk.

[Keith Clements]

So a bit of research ...click on the thumbnail and expand in your browser to read clearly

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Suggests that it may have the wrong diaphragm spring. So I may do a pressure test tomorrow and check it is less than 2 psi which is about 40 inches of petrol

[Keith Clements]

Fixed the fuel pump issue by changing it for one in stock. No leaks.

However, up on the hoist I wanted to test the prop and rear wheel balance.
Horrible imbalance, so a few shakes showed play in the flange behind the mid-ship bearing and play in the modified splined rear shaft.
Removed the rear shaft to find the bolt holding the flange was not actually doing that. So removed and put bigger , stronger washer and fan washer on it. Now no play. Ran up to 75mph with rear prop disconnected and only some vibration at 35 mph. Acceptable for now.

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Reconnected rear prop and really noisy vibration. So waiting to see if Bill Lock can get a replacement with CV joints. I will also try rotating the shaft on the splines. THE YOKES NEED TO BE PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER which may give you two positions to assemble, but may not.

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This afternoon will tackle the brakes. Rear brakes have a little grip when the handbrake is applied but virtually no grip when foot brake applied. So will attempt to get the mechanical rear brakes working and then tackle the hydraulic front.

[Keith Clements]

The propshaft is not too bad now having aligned the yokes, but there is still wear so a standby new shaft is recommended. There is vibration but I think that is the wheels. Will take off tomorrow to prove. I also had to grind some metal out of the UJ housings as they fouled on full droop of the suspension and made a horrible noise.

The brakes are also fixed. They had not been properly adjusted. The whole linkage system was dismantled after figuring out what the problems were, which were many. The bottom stop link must have its clevis pin at the back when the master cylinder is in its rest position which is when it has a little play in the front pin where it attaches to the brake pedal. This is allow the piston to fully retract and return fluid to the reservoir. So the yoke on the end of the MC was screwed in about 4mm after releasing the lock nut. The brake pedal return spring and clutch pedal return spring were missing so these were found or made from stock. A spring was also put on the rear cable. The hand brake was also badly adjusted.

Once the MC was set up, the brake cable needs to be adjusted so its clevis pin is fully forward when on the back stop. 10mm of extra thread had to be threaded onto the brake rod to achieve this as the adjuster at the back was fully tightened up. Then the handbrake was adjusted by turning the block that goes into the slip link after releasing its lock nut.

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This is wrong.

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This is correct.

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[Keith Clements]

The water pump was leaning at a formidable angle and threatening to hit the rad, so I made up a support attached to the distributor base.
Removed its stud and fitted a longer stud. The water pump screws were changed for slightly longer ones.


Also fitted the number plate holders and made a bracket below the rear bumper to hold one. Also shortened the exhaust so it does not attack shins.

[Keith Clements]

The missing piece of wood for the offside A post was marked out on a piece of marine ply and my ancient woodworking tools put into use.

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Spent some time talking to Bill Lock who was at the prop shaft fabricators helping design the new prop shafts with Constant Velocity joints to replace the Layrubs. The existing propshaft had already been modified in NZ to use a sliding spline and two Hardy Spicer universal joints. But its spline is worn. So it did not need the adapter plates at each end. I measured the length of the prop shaft at full droop and horizontal between the 10.5mm thick plates which were 535mm and 547mm respectively. I could not measure the length at full bump as this would have required compressing the springs with some straps. Hope to collect the made up prop on Friday. I will also be taking Jupiter prop as a pattern so the conversion can be offered for Jup, late and early Jav .