Late start this evening but things went very well. Before Chris arrived I managed to fix the garage door, fit the petrol pressure regulator, fix the boot catch by putting a 22 mm copper pipe over the tee and over the locating dog so now it cannot drop out, and fixed thge bonnet struts. The latter was done first by bending the locating eyes on the bonnet to align the holes in the inner tube with the plunger hole. This was done on both sides and was enough for the nearside. But the offside need further surgery. First the plunger was filed cylindrical to 'sharpen' it. Then a punch of the right diameter was driven in to push the spring away from the hole aperture. This allowed the plunger to enter the tube more. This locked the mechanism but it was still unstable. This was because the brass bush was worn so a judicius wack with two hammers closed it up. I also sealed up the 4 covers on the A post and fitted the offside locating cone.
I was on a roll when Chris arrived. He continued flatting, cutting and T-cutting the bonnet. I fitted the windscreen wipers but found one of the new ones had a crossthreaded fixing, so the rally spare was employed.
Then tackled the trim on the doors . Both sides just by the striker plates were tight preventing the door from closing. One hit with a large hammer and a block of wood adjusted the angle of the flange, so the doors now close. Jack had arrived and continued assembling the grills. I helped him fit them and so did Chris as the front apertures needed some adjustment. Jack helped with the fitting of the boot seal as it was a long piece of contact adhesive!
The SA had some attention, some vacuuming and Chris sealed the windscreen. I tested the fit of new luggage Jen has bought.
Great SC rebuild.......
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Forumadmin
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Last edited by Forumadmin on Thu May 27, 2010 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Jack
- Posts: 1113
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:49 am
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Another long night tonight, Keith and Chris already had been in the garage for some time by the time I arrived at 8:30.
Keith made a lot of progress this afternoon, finishing a number of jobs that nobody was looking forward to, and reducing the number of jobs on the list significantly. He'll give you the full rundown I'm sure, and to be honest I can't remember everything.
The seal for the boot went on, and the fit is great - the boot lock was modified by Keith before I arrived, and is now doing the job just how it should. Hopefully it seals nicely as the weather is looking just a little bit dodgy now, raining a fair old bit as I drove home tonight.
My main job for the evening was to get the front grilles fitted, the main centre grille is in place as you will have seen from previous photos, the bottom ones needed to go on to get the front end looking right. After a bit of tweaking and a little bit of swearing, the grilles have gone on. Having been rechromed they are sparkling just nicely, and luckily the spacers I made up were just about the right length for everything to be nice and snug with no rattles and the angles look ok.
Finally got them fitted and cleaned up, took a bit longer than expected but there's not much left to finish off before the big drive up.
I've got to go to Birmingham tomorrow night and then on to Sheffield Friday so it's the last work I'll be able to do on the car, hopefully the guys will be ok with the last couple of jobs before the drive up.
See you all at the rally, I for one will be having at least one or two drinks and a couple of significant lie-ins to catch up on the last couple of weeks!!!
Jack.
Keith made a lot of progress this afternoon, finishing a number of jobs that nobody was looking forward to, and reducing the number of jobs on the list significantly. He'll give you the full rundown I'm sure, and to be honest I can't remember everything.
The seal for the boot went on, and the fit is great - the boot lock was modified by Keith before I arrived, and is now doing the job just how it should. Hopefully it seals nicely as the weather is looking just a little bit dodgy now, raining a fair old bit as I drove home tonight.
My main job for the evening was to get the front grilles fitted, the main centre grille is in place as you will have seen from previous photos, the bottom ones needed to go on to get the front end looking right. After a bit of tweaking and a little bit of swearing, the grilles have gone on. Having been rechromed they are sparkling just nicely, and luckily the spacers I made up were just about the right length for everything to be nice and snug with no rattles and the angles look ok.
Finally got them fitted and cleaned up, took a bit longer than expected but there's not much left to finish off before the big drive up.
I've got to go to Birmingham tomorrow night and then on to Sheffield Friday so it's the last work I'll be able to do on the car, hopefully the guys will be ok with the last couple of jobs before the drive up.
See you all at the rally, I for one will be having at least one or two drinks and a couple of significant lie-ins to catch up on the last couple of weeks!!!
Jack.
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Chris Spencer
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:45 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Jowett Restoration Specialist
- Given Name: Chris
- Location: Hampshire. UK
It is all bit of a blur now, what with Jowett talk down I have not been able to update - I managed to to put several hours in on Wednesday evening - more polishing of the bonnet - I have only managed to get the bonnet and the OSF wing done - the rest shall have to wait until we get back from the rally. Still for a gun finish it looks very good but I am well aware of the imperfections.
On a further sad note my attempt to get one of my own (non Jowett classics) to the rally has failed - in essence I have just run out of time - the new master cylinder on my Rover has proved to be a real pain and in the end I have sent the old one to be bored, sleaved and a new piston made. So I shall be travelling in convoy of Keith's SA & Amy's SC in our modern and providing back up / additional transport as required for the team.
More news to follow over the next few days as we catch up on the sleep deprivation.
On a further sad note my attempt to get one of my own (non Jowett classics) to the rally has failed - in essence I have just run out of time - the new master cylinder on my Rover has proved to be a real pain and in the end I have sent the old one to be bored, sleaved and a new piston made. So I shall be travelling in convoy of Keith's SA & Amy's SC in our modern and providing back up / additional transport as required for the team.
More news to follow over the next few days as we catch up on the sleep deprivation.
37 Jowett 8 HP - In many parts
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
-
Chris Spencer
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:45 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Jowett Restoration Specialist
- Given Name: Chris
- Location: Hampshire. UK
It is all bit of a blur now, what with Jowett talk down I have not been able to update - I managed to to put several hours in on Wednesday evening - more polishing of the bonnet - I have only managed to get the bonnet and the OSF wing done - the rest shall have to wait until we get back from the rally. Still for a gun finish it looks very good but I am well aware of the imperfections.
On a further sad note my attempt to get one of my own (non Jowett classics) to the rally has failed - in essence I have just run out of time - the new master cylinder on my Rover has proved to be a real pain and in the end I have sent the old one to be bored, sleaved and a new piston made. So I shall be travelling in convoy of Keith's SA & Amy's SC in our modern and providing back up / additional transport as required for the team.
More news to follow over the next few days as we catch up on the sleep deprivation.
On a further sad note my attempt to get one of my own (non Jowett classics) to the rally has failed - in essence I have just run out of time - the new master cylinder on my Rover has proved to be a real pain and in the end I have sent the old one to be bored, sleaved and a new piston made. So I shall be travelling in convoy of Keith's SA & Amy's SC in our modern and providing back up / additional transport as required for the team.
More news to follow over the next few days as we catch up on the sleep deprivation.
37 Jowett 8 HP - In many parts
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
-
Jack
- Posts: 1113
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:49 am
- Location: Herts
Would We Make It - The Centenary Rally in Wakefield May 2010
Well, this was about as close as things get.
Late on Thursday night there was an issue I wasn't aware of when I left on Friday, on getting out of the garage there was a problem with the steering. Some investigation later a nut on the end of the steering rack was identified as the problem, and after a bit of tweaking and fixing the steering was back and sorted, and thread lock applied
Major failure fixed, and we were on for the ride to Wakefield. Yay!
Friday morning I call the guys, Keith is going to take the first shift driving so he could feel the car and make sure it was performing properly - the motorway isn't a great time to have a big problem, but the team and visitors were on their way, albeit leaving a little later than noon as planned due to work on the steering rack in the morning and getting everybody together.
At 2pm I ring Amy to see where they've got to, and to start making plans to leave the office and get to Wakefield from Sheffield where I was working - an easy 25 minute drive.
When I phoned Amy it was pretty obvious they were on the side of the road somewhere, and that things were not good. She then explained that there had been a problem with the brakes, but it shouldn't be the end of the world and they'd be moving again soon. Keith and I had stripped and rebuilt the back brakes on both sides in the last week so we were confident things were ok, but evidently not. A later text from Amy (perhaps she didn't want to say it in front of the guys) in response to my question about how bad it really was, just said "Catastrophic Failure, no brakes at all" - ah. Not so good.
Amy and Chris raced back to Kings Langley, luckily they were only 16 miles from home, and grabbed every brake part they could get their hands on, and headed back to the scene. Further updates followed, and after a couple of hours of works Robin and Jen were sent ahead to have dinner and to get the beer in for when the team were back on the road.
Some time later a phone call to Amy sounded much more like being in a moving car, which she was, and they were on their way. Further discussion in the hotel later established most likely cause to be the brakes rubbing, probably due to the worn taper we identified in the week, and causing excessive heat to boil the brake fluid. Problem solved with lots of changing of parts and effort from just about everybody.
I had arrived early in Wakefield to check in and get the bags in the rooms that I had. Luckily the bar was open, and after getting the OK from further down the M1 I was cleared as ok to have a drink and wouldn't need to go out and help. Discounted beer at the hotel and a very hot afternoon meant good times and I met a number of members and had a wander around the carpark which was quickly filling up with dozens of Jowetts.
Jen, Robin and Barbara arrive for dinner just in time, and just as I am finishing my main course the rest of the guys arrive, seeing them arrive was a moment many of us thought could never happen at various stages over the last 3 months, and I'm sure many were pretty surprised to see the car get through its first real drive since it left the garage, a distance of over 160 miles up the motorway.
We all had a few drinks and the relief on the faces of many were clear. Dinner was helpfully arranged by the hotel downstairs in their restaurant, and a few glasses of wine and G&Ts were enjoyed. At this point me and Amy decided to let the guys have their reward - gifts for Keith, Chris and Drummond for their help over the last few months. Lots of happy faces and more drinks
Saturday morning we are on for the scenic run. Unfortunately the SC has a flat battery, suspected loose fanbelt not turning the dynamo as well as it should have been, which was tightened on Saturday morning, and after a boost she started no problem. A short run to Morrisons for discount petrol unfortunately went through a lot of traffic and roadworks, so the battery didn't really get a chance to charge. At the petrol station another boost was required, and decision made to take the car back to the hotel instead of risking a long run and breaking down a long way from home. In retrospect I think we would have been fine, but caution was sensible.
We convoyed with Lucy, Andy, Joe, Patrick, Keith, Jen, Chris and Sharon, with me and Amy in the Subaru taking the lead and navigating. Frankly, everybody else had a roof of some sort, so we were rather glad to be in a nice dry heated Subaru instead of the roofless cold and wet Jupiter. A nice run to Hope and back despite the weather, and everybody seemed to be in better spirits than after the run to the petrol station in the rain. I think a bit of lunch helped with hangovers and a good route for driving the cars on the open road meant lots of tired but happy people at the end of the day.
On Saturday night it was decided to charge the battery, which meant me taking off my carefully crafted panel covering the battery box and removing it, after a bit of discussion Ib came forward with a charger, unfortunately it had a european plug on it. I went off to find an adaptor at 10pm after dinner, unfortunately searching the north of England didn't turn up the adaptor I needed. After some discussion Ib then contacted another Dane, Mogens, and we had an adaptor. Battery was charged overnight.
On Sunday the car started very quickly, with a fully charged battery and tightened fanbelt things seemed to be working much more smoothly. We took a relaxed route to Canon Hall for the display day thingy, and it was great to drive onto the field to various waves and nods from club members and the public.
I was aware of a few of the awards that the club has for various cars and members, but didn't realise there was one which people would be voting for on the day. The People's Award is a simple "vote for your favourite" type award, where club members have one flag to put in front of the car they are glad is on the field or somehow has connected with them somehow.
Well, when I left for lunch there was a flag or two in front of the car. I was really pleased that at least a couple of people had been following our story and understood the sacrifice and effort involved in getting our little SC onto that field that day. Minor miracle I think just about covers it, and it was nice to know that our internetting hasn't been a completely self-indulgent activity and that others were out there reading.
As I walked around the field after lunch I saw a few cars I really liked, and having been given my flag placed it in front of a car I was really impressed by. I don't know enough about Jowetts to tell you why, but something about it impressed me and it was a little bit different. I found out some time later that the car actually won the Special Body Concours, Car of the Show (or something, my memory getting a little hazy by that time of the night!) and was owned by my now best friend in the world and weekend saver Mogens - without his adaptor we'd have been parked in the hotel carpark I think!
Anyhow, I return to our car to meet some more members, and to go and take some photos of as many SCs as I could find - the members I met and spoke to were very open, friendly and happy to have their cars photographed, hopefully our research will help with completing our project and finishing off the little jobs on the list for the summer.
Then I went back to the car. There were flags. Lots of flags. Announcements were made for members to collect their flags so that they could vote, and a few others were seen wandering the field looking for where to place their votes. It seems that good news had travelled fast over the last few months and even over the weekend with several members asking about the car, and lots of people talking to me, Amy, Keith and Chris like old friends having read of our exploits on the internet.
In the background is Keith's SA with its freshly painted and skillfully rebuilt windscreen. Chris' talents once again hidden until a job needed doing, and suddenly we discover he is an expert in yet another area!
The time came and we heard a call for people to gather for the announcement of the People's Award. Well, we only went and ruddy won! There were better cars, there were more special and interesting cars, but I think we got a vote from each of the people who helped with the car (must have been 20 different members who at some stage or other over the last 9 months have been called upon for advice, assistance, or even at times just for moral support) and a few others who knew our story from the internet. It was actually a pretty emotional moment for all of us, and it is great to see that a project we didn't know if we could complete in time, with a woman at the helm, was honoured with the big boomerang with its chain of winners hanging below. Photos to follow, once we get them uploaded, if you've not seen the award you'll know what I mean.
I won't bore you with the details of various discussions with various people, but lots of friendly and open owners answered a lot of questions, we shared stories, and I think most of us got rather sunburned.
Jim Miller of the USA in baseball cap at the front of the car talking to another club member.
Next up was the next major milestone - my first Jupiter driving lesson. Having never driven a Jowett, and I think the oldest vehicle I've ever driven was a 1970s Land Rover, it was time for me to learn how this weird gear change works, and learn to drive the thing. We spent long enough building it, so I guess after Amy had driven it to the site, it was only fair. Luckily, we had a ruddy huge field to start the driving lesson in, so a little pootle around the end of the field meant I could get used to changing up and down, even if the bumps made for an interesting ride! I managed to get the car home successfully, but in my overly cautious approach to getting home (largely because the stories of brake failure from Friday were still ringing in my ears) I managed to get overtaken by a Pre-War. Well done that driver, he must have been doing 45mph to my 35mph, and in the sunshine it was great to be part of a Jowett convoy. There was merciless pisstaking from the group later that evening, Amy was kind enough not to say anything and could tell I was concentrating rather hard.
On Sunday evening we had the formal dinner, which I'm sure many others will cover, but at the end of it were the awards. We had already got ours, so were very happy to enjoy others collecting trophies and awards, and have a few relaxing drinks. Then a bit of a surprise, we realised we were being talked about. Paul Beaumont said some very nice things about the project, and invited Amy to collect another award, the Horace Grimley award, at the end of the evening. I'm sure we'll have photos in the Joweteer and on the website, and it was obvious that this particular award meant a lot to Keith and we were all honoured again for the clubs interest and recognition of what has been happening over the last few months.
Anyway, time for a very long bath, and an early start to get back to work tomorrow and to tell everyone at work what has happened for the last 3 days. I'll bet they are bored of it by 9:10am, but that won't stop me talking about it all day
A few photos of other cars to follow, the back row of early cars was ideal for a shot of car with the house in the background, will upload these and link to them once done.
Jack.
Well, this was about as close as things get.
Late on Thursday night there was an issue I wasn't aware of when I left on Friday, on getting out of the garage there was a problem with the steering. Some investigation later a nut on the end of the steering rack was identified as the problem, and after a bit of tweaking and fixing the steering was back and sorted, and thread lock applied
Major failure fixed, and we were on for the ride to Wakefield. Yay!
Friday morning I call the guys, Keith is going to take the first shift driving so he could feel the car and make sure it was performing properly - the motorway isn't a great time to have a big problem, but the team and visitors were on their way, albeit leaving a little later than noon as planned due to work on the steering rack in the morning and getting everybody together.
At 2pm I ring Amy to see where they've got to, and to start making plans to leave the office and get to Wakefield from Sheffield where I was working - an easy 25 minute drive.
When I phoned Amy it was pretty obvious they were on the side of the road somewhere, and that things were not good. She then explained that there had been a problem with the brakes, but it shouldn't be the end of the world and they'd be moving again soon. Keith and I had stripped and rebuilt the back brakes on both sides in the last week so we were confident things were ok, but evidently not. A later text from Amy (perhaps she didn't want to say it in front of the guys) in response to my question about how bad it really was, just said "Catastrophic Failure, no brakes at all" - ah. Not so good.
Amy and Chris raced back to Kings Langley, luckily they were only 16 miles from home, and grabbed every brake part they could get their hands on, and headed back to the scene. Further updates followed, and after a couple of hours of works Robin and Jen were sent ahead to have dinner and to get the beer in for when the team were back on the road.
Some time later a phone call to Amy sounded much more like being in a moving car, which she was, and they were on their way. Further discussion in the hotel later established most likely cause to be the brakes rubbing, probably due to the worn taper we identified in the week, and causing excessive heat to boil the brake fluid. Problem solved with lots of changing of parts and effort from just about everybody.
I had arrived early in Wakefield to check in and get the bags in the rooms that I had. Luckily the bar was open, and after getting the OK from further down the M1 I was cleared as ok to have a drink and wouldn't need to go out and help. Discounted beer at the hotel and a very hot afternoon meant good times and I met a number of members and had a wander around the carpark which was quickly filling up with dozens of Jowetts.
Jen, Robin and Barbara arrive for dinner just in time, and just as I am finishing my main course the rest of the guys arrive, seeing them arrive was a moment many of us thought could never happen at various stages over the last 3 months, and I'm sure many were pretty surprised to see the car get through its first real drive since it left the garage, a distance of over 160 miles up the motorway.
We all had a few drinks and the relief on the faces of many were clear. Dinner was helpfully arranged by the hotel downstairs in their restaurant, and a few glasses of wine and G&Ts were enjoyed. At this point me and Amy decided to let the guys have their reward - gifts for Keith, Chris and Drummond for their help over the last few months. Lots of happy faces and more drinks
Saturday morning we are on for the scenic run. Unfortunately the SC has a flat battery, suspected loose fanbelt not turning the dynamo as well as it should have been, which was tightened on Saturday morning, and after a boost she started no problem. A short run to Morrisons for discount petrol unfortunately went through a lot of traffic and roadworks, so the battery didn't really get a chance to charge. At the petrol station another boost was required, and decision made to take the car back to the hotel instead of risking a long run and breaking down a long way from home. In retrospect I think we would have been fine, but caution was sensible.
We convoyed with Lucy, Andy, Joe, Patrick, Keith, Jen, Chris and Sharon, with me and Amy in the Subaru taking the lead and navigating. Frankly, everybody else had a roof of some sort, so we were rather glad to be in a nice dry heated Subaru instead of the roofless cold and wet Jupiter. A nice run to Hope and back despite the weather, and everybody seemed to be in better spirits than after the run to the petrol station in the rain. I think a bit of lunch helped with hangovers and a good route for driving the cars on the open road meant lots of tired but happy people at the end of the day.
On Saturday night it was decided to charge the battery, which meant me taking off my carefully crafted panel covering the battery box and removing it, after a bit of discussion Ib came forward with a charger, unfortunately it had a european plug on it. I went off to find an adaptor at 10pm after dinner, unfortunately searching the north of England didn't turn up the adaptor I needed. After some discussion Ib then contacted another Dane, Mogens, and we had an adaptor. Battery was charged overnight.
On Sunday the car started very quickly, with a fully charged battery and tightened fanbelt things seemed to be working much more smoothly. We took a relaxed route to Canon Hall for the display day thingy, and it was great to drive onto the field to various waves and nods from club members and the public.
I was aware of a few of the awards that the club has for various cars and members, but didn't realise there was one which people would be voting for on the day. The People's Award is a simple "vote for your favourite" type award, where club members have one flag to put in front of the car they are glad is on the field or somehow has connected with them somehow.
Well, when I left for lunch there was a flag or two in front of the car. I was really pleased that at least a couple of people had been following our story and understood the sacrifice and effort involved in getting our little SC onto that field that day. Minor miracle I think just about covers it, and it was nice to know that our internetting hasn't been a completely self-indulgent activity and that others were out there reading.
As I walked around the field after lunch I saw a few cars I really liked, and having been given my flag placed it in front of a car I was really impressed by. I don't know enough about Jowetts to tell you why, but something about it impressed me and it was a little bit different. I found out some time later that the car actually won the Special Body Concours, Car of the Show (or something, my memory getting a little hazy by that time of the night!) and was owned by my now best friend in the world and weekend saver Mogens - without his adaptor we'd have been parked in the hotel carpark I think!
Anyhow, I return to our car to meet some more members, and to go and take some photos of as many SCs as I could find - the members I met and spoke to were very open, friendly and happy to have their cars photographed, hopefully our research will help with completing our project and finishing off the little jobs on the list for the summer.
Then I went back to the car. There were flags. Lots of flags. Announcements were made for members to collect their flags so that they could vote, and a few others were seen wandering the field looking for where to place their votes. It seems that good news had travelled fast over the last few months and even over the weekend with several members asking about the car, and lots of people talking to me, Amy, Keith and Chris like old friends having read of our exploits on the internet.
In the background is Keith's SA with its freshly painted and skillfully rebuilt windscreen. Chris' talents once again hidden until a job needed doing, and suddenly we discover he is an expert in yet another area!
The time came and we heard a call for people to gather for the announcement of the People's Award. Well, we only went and ruddy won! There were better cars, there were more special and interesting cars, but I think we got a vote from each of the people who helped with the car (must have been 20 different members who at some stage or other over the last 9 months have been called upon for advice, assistance, or even at times just for moral support) and a few others who knew our story from the internet. It was actually a pretty emotional moment for all of us, and it is great to see that a project we didn't know if we could complete in time, with a woman at the helm, was honoured with the big boomerang with its chain of winners hanging below. Photos to follow, once we get them uploaded, if you've not seen the award you'll know what I mean.
I won't bore you with the details of various discussions with various people, but lots of friendly and open owners answered a lot of questions, we shared stories, and I think most of us got rather sunburned.
Jim Miller of the USA in baseball cap at the front of the car talking to another club member.
Next up was the next major milestone - my first Jupiter driving lesson. Having never driven a Jowett, and I think the oldest vehicle I've ever driven was a 1970s Land Rover, it was time for me to learn how this weird gear change works, and learn to drive the thing. We spent long enough building it, so I guess after Amy had driven it to the site, it was only fair. Luckily, we had a ruddy huge field to start the driving lesson in, so a little pootle around the end of the field meant I could get used to changing up and down, even if the bumps made for an interesting ride! I managed to get the car home successfully, but in my overly cautious approach to getting home (largely because the stories of brake failure from Friday were still ringing in my ears) I managed to get overtaken by a Pre-War. Well done that driver, he must have been doing 45mph to my 35mph, and in the sunshine it was great to be part of a Jowett convoy. There was merciless pisstaking from the group later that evening, Amy was kind enough not to say anything and could tell I was concentrating rather hard.
On Sunday evening we had the formal dinner, which I'm sure many others will cover, but at the end of it were the awards. We had already got ours, so were very happy to enjoy others collecting trophies and awards, and have a few relaxing drinks. Then a bit of a surprise, we realised we were being talked about. Paul Beaumont said some very nice things about the project, and invited Amy to collect another award, the Horace Grimley award, at the end of the evening. I'm sure we'll have photos in the Joweteer and on the website, and it was obvious that this particular award meant a lot to Keith and we were all honoured again for the clubs interest and recognition of what has been happening over the last few months.
Anyway, time for a very long bath, and an early start to get back to work tomorrow and to tell everyone at work what has happened for the last 3 days. I'll bet they are bored of it by 9:10am, but that won't stop me talking about it all day
A few photos of other cars to follow, the back row of early cars was ideal for a shot of car with the house in the background, will upload these and link to them once done.
Jack.
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Amy
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:36 pm
- Your interest in the forum: 1954 SC Jupiter, TTD 88
- Given Name: Amy
- Location: Herts
Well, Jack has given his take on the Rally weekend, here it is from a very proud Jupiter owner / driver / restorer's point of view.
The wheels keep on turning?
Firstly, Jack's description of the steering issue doesn't really cover quite what happened... I'm sure dad will be along when he's back from the Jupitour to fill you in on the technical points, but as I understand it, the story goes a little something like this:
Various international members had arrived; Robin and Barbara on Wednesday, Jim and Scott on Thursday. All had been pressed into action in the SC stable, and when I spoke to dad on Thursday afternoon he passed me over to Jim who was busily fitting the rear bumper (the US contingent brought over various bits of chrome for the car).
Having finished the chrome, it was time to get the SC out of the garage and move it up to the house. At which point, dad, who was driving the car, mentioned that it didn't feel like much was happening when he turned the steering wheel... I think the night's investigations ended at about 1am on Thursday night / Friday morning, Scott and Jim having put in 10 hours on the car, and having not slept for quite some time.
I arrived at 10am on Friday having flown back from Plymouth to be there in good time. I went straight down to the garage (naturally), to find this:
A novel place for a steering column...
I needed to get home and unpack / repack, and was promised that when I returned I would once more have steering in the car. Once we had all assembled, and the cars were ready (Josephine (the SA) was a bit reluctant to start), we set off for Wakefield. Dad was to drive the SC for the first 50 miles or so, with me in the SA. Robin and Barbara took mum in their hire car, and Chris and Sharon followed up the rear in their modern car, the Rover having come out in sympathy with the Jowetts and thrown up a master cylinder problem.
Stop that car! (or not...)
All was good, dad in the lead in Napoleon and Jim and I admired it as we followed. Then, as we were coming up to a roundabout on the A41 dad suddenly swerved off to the left, the rear wheels obviously locked up. We all pulled over to find out what was wrong - dad had apparently gone to try the brakes just before the roundabout, and had absolutely nothing when he tried the footbrake. The handbrake had then been deployed...
There was a lot of smoke coming off the rear nearside drum and it was obviously incredibly hot. Some investigation later, and Chris and I dashed back to the house for supplies for the car. Sharon was deployed to get supplies for the people, as we hadn't had lunch and it was looking like we weren't going to get any soon. Scott was in my overalls and under the car when we got back, and he and dad got things fixed pretty quickly once we returned with the tools and spares needed.
Our next casualty was Sharon, who managed to rip her trousers on the crash barrier:
So, once more underway, after a couple of hours by the roadside, and fingers crossed for an uneventful remainder of the journey.
A much-awaited arrival
I kept behind dad, who drove the SC in case of any further problems, which gave me lots of time to admire our handiwork, particularly with the sun glinting off the chrome, which looked stunning. Chris deployed some great tactical driving to ensure that we had lots of road space, and bore down on any Mercs / BMWs who drove in stereotypically poor style. We swapped drivers a junction before the hotel, so that I could drive my car to the rally venue, phoning ahead so that they knew to expect us, and we drove into a car park jammed full of Jowetts of all eras, and a small greeting committee comprised of mum, Jack and various others, cheering us in.
We soon settled down to some well-earned drinks and dinner, somewhat fortunately saving our wallets from spending at the auction which was by this time underway upstairs (well, almost... dad had left mum bidding on various bits). Jack has mentioned some presents we'd arranged for our staunchest helpers; dad and Drummond were both presented with a framed page of stamps showing a Jupiter (luckily, in red, which both theirs are!) from the Vanuatu Auto 100 selection of the world's 100 best cars. Also featuring in the line up was a certain model of Rover, which was presented to Chris, along with an original sales brochure for a Jowett 8. Small tokens of appreciation from us for all their hard work.
The scenic run on Saturday was very much as Jack said - slightly disappointing that the SC wasn't behaving, but as we had become really rather wet and cold on the way to get fuel, I wasn't as sorry as I might have been to swap into the Subaru and see the sights from an automatic with reclining seats and very effective heater... although there was one point where I was left running after the car, down a hill, with a Jupiter (driven by Andy Cox, our President's son-in-law) chasing me and hooting its horn.
Cannon Hall
Sunday arrived and the clouds had miraculously disappeared, leaving a gorgeous day with enough sunshine to please the crowds, but sufficient wind to keep it a very pleasant temperature. We were directed onto the field and parked next to David Mason's SC, which gave us ample opportunity to see what we needed to do to get the car to its finished state, and just how fine it can look when it is.
I spent a large chunk of the day by the SC, talking to people about the car, and our restoration saga; news of our efforts seemed to have travelled! There was much admiration of Scott Renner's aluminium radiator, particularly by some of the Australian members. Jack, Chris and Sharon have taken umpteen pictures of other SCs to make sure we get the detailing right on the finish - things like the shelf behind the seat, finishing of hoods, etc were of particular interest. I spoke to several people who had been involved in the SC refit in the early 1980s, and it was great to see their reactions to the car.
To see so many cars on display at Cannon Hall was really quite inspiring, and they looked wonderful all spread out in front of such a magnificent building.
Team SC's mascots were also enjoying the sunshine:
By the time we returned from lunch, there was a small collection of People's Award flags in front of the SC, and a slow but steady stream of people came during the afternoon to add their vote; it was with immense pleasure and not a little bit of pride that I (with Jack, who'd been trying to have a sneaky snooze in the Jupiter) collected the award, which is about to be hung in our flat. Thank you to all who voted
L plates, please!
Jack hadn't at this stage had a chance to drive the Jupiter, although Lucy and I had explained the gear positioning at dinner the previous night, shattering his illusion that it was all a dark art, and rather just a familiar gearbox outlay, just turned around a bit. So, a few circles around the bumpy grass later, and we were queuing to leave Canon Hall with Jack at the wheel (and me utterly ignoring the advice in the Backseat Driver's handbook which had been left in the car earlier in the day (for those who didn't see a copy, inside it says quite succinctly: "Shut up!").
We advanced cautiously but smoothly, with me not bothering to conceal a laugh as we were overtaken by a pre-war. Jack will live it down. One day...
A great honour
And so to the dinner. Given I'd been so used to seeing various of Team SC in their overalls over the past few months, it was nice to see us all in our finery. Our boomerang was displayed on the table and presented a good opportunity for various table members to try and knock it into peoples' dinners... The awards followed, with some very fine cars honoured in the concourse, as well as recognition of achievements in other fields such as Ib's ice racing. Then to the Horace Grimley award, and it became clear that Paul Beaumont may be talking about something quite close to home and our ears pricked up rather. It was a great honour for the team to be chosen for the award - and utterly unexpected. The presentation speech was very touching, and after collecting the award I returned to some rather emotional faces on our table.
Home, Napoleon!
Sunday night ended up as is traditional, as quite a late night. We emerged on Monday morning to find dad under the SA, fixing an oil seal and re-mantling the water pump. When he was sure the SA was ok, we got underway - this time, I was driving the SC alone, with our team mascots for company. Jack led in the Subaru, and Chris employed more tactical driving at the back of the convoy. We made it home in good time, with Napoleon behaving himself the whole way, starting on the first push of the button and sounding wonderful. I've a theory that he only misbehaves when dad is around, and is merely showing that he wasn't happy to be locked in a garage in thousands of bits for the best part of 30 years, and is at his happiest when being driven
It couldn't have been done without all of the people that helped us on our way, so thank you yet again.
Amy.
The wheels keep on turning?
Firstly, Jack's description of the steering issue doesn't really cover quite what happened... I'm sure dad will be along when he's back from the Jupitour to fill you in on the technical points, but as I understand it, the story goes a little something like this:
Various international members had arrived; Robin and Barbara on Wednesday, Jim and Scott on Thursday. All had been pressed into action in the SC stable, and when I spoke to dad on Thursday afternoon he passed me over to Jim who was busily fitting the rear bumper (the US contingent brought over various bits of chrome for the car).
Having finished the chrome, it was time to get the SC out of the garage and move it up to the house. At which point, dad, who was driving the car, mentioned that it didn't feel like much was happening when he turned the steering wheel... I think the night's investigations ended at about 1am on Thursday night / Friday morning, Scott and Jim having put in 10 hours on the car, and having not slept for quite some time.
I arrived at 10am on Friday having flown back from Plymouth to be there in good time. I went straight down to the garage (naturally), to find this:
A novel place for a steering column...
I needed to get home and unpack / repack, and was promised that when I returned I would once more have steering in the car. Once we had all assembled, and the cars were ready (Josephine (the SA) was a bit reluctant to start), we set off for Wakefield. Dad was to drive the SC for the first 50 miles or so, with me in the SA. Robin and Barbara took mum in their hire car, and Chris and Sharon followed up the rear in their modern car, the Rover having come out in sympathy with the Jowetts and thrown up a master cylinder problem.
Stop that car! (or not...)
All was good, dad in the lead in Napoleon and Jim and I admired it as we followed. Then, as we were coming up to a roundabout on the A41 dad suddenly swerved off to the left, the rear wheels obviously locked up. We all pulled over to find out what was wrong - dad had apparently gone to try the brakes just before the roundabout, and had absolutely nothing when he tried the footbrake. The handbrake had then been deployed...
There was a lot of smoke coming off the rear nearside drum and it was obviously incredibly hot. Some investigation later, and Chris and I dashed back to the house for supplies for the car. Sharon was deployed to get supplies for the people, as we hadn't had lunch and it was looking like we weren't going to get any soon. Scott was in my overalls and under the car when we got back, and he and dad got things fixed pretty quickly once we returned with the tools and spares needed.
Our next casualty was Sharon, who managed to rip her trousers on the crash barrier:
So, once more underway, after a couple of hours by the roadside, and fingers crossed for an uneventful remainder of the journey.
A much-awaited arrival
I kept behind dad, who drove the SC in case of any further problems, which gave me lots of time to admire our handiwork, particularly with the sun glinting off the chrome, which looked stunning. Chris deployed some great tactical driving to ensure that we had lots of road space, and bore down on any Mercs / BMWs who drove in stereotypically poor style. We swapped drivers a junction before the hotel, so that I could drive my car to the rally venue, phoning ahead so that they knew to expect us, and we drove into a car park jammed full of Jowetts of all eras, and a small greeting committee comprised of mum, Jack and various others, cheering us in.
We soon settled down to some well-earned drinks and dinner, somewhat fortunately saving our wallets from spending at the auction which was by this time underway upstairs (well, almost... dad had left mum bidding on various bits). Jack has mentioned some presents we'd arranged for our staunchest helpers; dad and Drummond were both presented with a framed page of stamps showing a Jupiter (luckily, in red, which both theirs are!) from the Vanuatu Auto 100 selection of the world's 100 best cars. Also featuring in the line up was a certain model of Rover, which was presented to Chris, along with an original sales brochure for a Jowett 8. Small tokens of appreciation from us for all their hard work.
The scenic run on Saturday was very much as Jack said - slightly disappointing that the SC wasn't behaving, but as we had become really rather wet and cold on the way to get fuel, I wasn't as sorry as I might have been to swap into the Subaru and see the sights from an automatic with reclining seats and very effective heater... although there was one point where I was left running after the car, down a hill, with a Jupiter (driven by Andy Cox, our President's son-in-law) chasing me and hooting its horn.
Cannon Hall
Sunday arrived and the clouds had miraculously disappeared, leaving a gorgeous day with enough sunshine to please the crowds, but sufficient wind to keep it a very pleasant temperature. We were directed onto the field and parked next to David Mason's SC, which gave us ample opportunity to see what we needed to do to get the car to its finished state, and just how fine it can look when it is.
I spent a large chunk of the day by the SC, talking to people about the car, and our restoration saga; news of our efforts seemed to have travelled! There was much admiration of Scott Renner's aluminium radiator, particularly by some of the Australian members. Jack, Chris and Sharon have taken umpteen pictures of other SCs to make sure we get the detailing right on the finish - things like the shelf behind the seat, finishing of hoods, etc were of particular interest. I spoke to several people who had been involved in the SC refit in the early 1980s, and it was great to see their reactions to the car.
To see so many cars on display at Cannon Hall was really quite inspiring, and they looked wonderful all spread out in front of such a magnificent building.
Team SC's mascots were also enjoying the sunshine:
By the time we returned from lunch, there was a small collection of People's Award flags in front of the SC, and a slow but steady stream of people came during the afternoon to add their vote; it was with immense pleasure and not a little bit of pride that I (with Jack, who'd been trying to have a sneaky snooze in the Jupiter) collected the award, which is about to be hung in our flat. Thank you to all who voted
L plates, please! Jack hadn't at this stage had a chance to drive the Jupiter, although Lucy and I had explained the gear positioning at dinner the previous night, shattering his illusion that it was all a dark art, and rather just a familiar gearbox outlay, just turned around a bit. So, a few circles around the bumpy grass later, and we were queuing to leave Canon Hall with Jack at the wheel (and me utterly ignoring the advice in the Backseat Driver's handbook which had been left in the car earlier in the day (for those who didn't see a copy, inside it says quite succinctly: "Shut up!").
We advanced cautiously but smoothly, with me not bothering to conceal a laugh as we were overtaken by a pre-war. Jack will live it down. One day...
A great honour
And so to the dinner. Given I'd been so used to seeing various of Team SC in their overalls over the past few months, it was nice to see us all in our finery. Our boomerang was displayed on the table and presented a good opportunity for various table members to try and knock it into peoples' dinners... The awards followed, with some very fine cars honoured in the concourse, as well as recognition of achievements in other fields such as Ib's ice racing. Then to the Horace Grimley award, and it became clear that Paul Beaumont may be talking about something quite close to home and our ears pricked up rather. It was a great honour for the team to be chosen for the award - and utterly unexpected. The presentation speech was very touching, and after collecting the award I returned to some rather emotional faces on our table.
Home, Napoleon!
Sunday night ended up as is traditional, as quite a late night. We emerged on Monday morning to find dad under the SA, fixing an oil seal and re-mantling the water pump. When he was sure the SA was ok, we got underway - this time, I was driving the SC alone, with our team mascots for company. Jack led in the Subaru, and Chris employed more tactical driving at the back of the convoy. We made it home in good time, with Napoleon behaving himself the whole way, starting on the first push of the button and sounding wonderful. I've a theory that he only misbehaves when dad is around, and is merely showing that he wasn't happy to be locked in a garage in thousands of bits for the best part of 30 years, and is at his happiest when being driven
It couldn't have been done without all of the people that helped us on our way, so thank you yet again.
Amy.
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Tony Fearn
- Posts: 1743
- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:33 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Early pre-wars. Owner of 1933 'Flying Fox' 'Sarah Jane, and 1934 Short saloon 'Mary Ellen'.
- Given Name: Anthony
- Location: Clayton le Moors, Lancashire, the Premier County in the British Isles!!
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Chris Spencer
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:45 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Jowett Restoration Specialist
- Given Name: Chris
- Location: Hampshire. UK
Not much more I can add really - we had a great time at Wakefield and the awards were very much unexpected - especially on what is a uncompleted car.
So what for the future ?? - well it does not end here - there is still quite a bit to sort and to get to the standard that we are willing to accept. The paint needs another 40 hours or so of my attention to reach the level that I will walk away and stop fussing over it.
Side windows require fitting to the doors, some rechoming is required, the main job is the trim and the hood - hopefully - Sharon - my other half who is a costumier to many a famous actor / actress will help out here.
Some mechanical odds still need sorting but we now have a little time on our hands. We intend to have a small break before recommencing at a one night a week basis with one Saturday a month also taken into account to ensure we keep the project moving.
None of what we have acheived so far would have been possible without the support of many other members and in some cases non members. So I would like to thank Jen for always keeping us fed, my lovely and ever tollerant wife Sharon - and all of you on Jowett talk for your constant support.
To crown all of this I have logged on this evening to find that the SC blog has had in excess of 5,000 hits and over 200 posts. I write after spending a long day at work and arrive home still well and knackered after the Team SC events of the last few weeks.
Next challenge please !!
So what for the future ?? - well it does not end here - there is still quite a bit to sort and to get to the standard that we are willing to accept. The paint needs another 40 hours or so of my attention to reach the level that I will walk away and stop fussing over it.
Side windows require fitting to the doors, some rechoming is required, the main job is the trim and the hood - hopefully - Sharon - my other half who is a costumier to many a famous actor / actress will help out here.
Some mechanical odds still need sorting but we now have a little time on our hands. We intend to have a small break before recommencing at a one night a week basis with one Saturday a month also taken into account to ensure we keep the project moving.
None of what we have acheived so far would have been possible without the support of many other members and in some cases non members. So I would like to thank Jen for always keeping us fed, my lovely and ever tollerant wife Sharon - and all of you on Jowett talk for your constant support.
To crown all of this I have logged on this evening to find that the SC blog has had in excess of 5,000 hits and over 200 posts. I write after spending a long day at work and arrive home still well and knackered after the Team SC events of the last few weeks.
Next challenge please !!
37 Jowett 8 HP - In many parts
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
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Chris Spencer
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:45 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Jowett Restoration Specialist
- Given Name: Chris
- Location: Hampshire. UK
Just a quick one to thank Amy & Jack for the kind gifts in recognition of the work - just looked at the 8 HP sales brochure which is the one I was missing - it has all the information I was missing about the spec on the car - PERFECT - Thanks again.
37 Jowett 8 HP - In many parts
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project
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Jack
- Posts: 1113
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:49 am
- Location: Herts
Well folks, we've had a couple of weeks off while Keith has been swanning around Scotland, hopefully we will get back to it next week once everyone is back.
I have received some photos of the car in the garage from Richard Keil, taken in 1987. Working on uploading these at the moment so that you can all see the project about half way complete
Update - got them uploaded
Interesting to note a Sinclair C5 in the top photo, and a Javelin in the bottom one - that isn't Keith's regular Javelin that many of you will have seen around, that is possibly the next project for us. Everything is there it seems, but that will be rather a lot of work as well.
Also interesting to note Amy's bike in the top photo, she would have been about 8 or 9 years old when this photo was taken, and the retro Elf oil can next to the car
Big thanks to Richard for providing these, the quality of the images is superb, especially given that they were taken in a dark garage and presumably on a film camera.
On the other old car front, I spent this week working on the Capri, managed to fix the thermostat housing issue with some new gaskets and some re-engineering of both the engine and my knuckles, and new radiator arrived so Amy can get that fitted and refill the system before Keith gets home with the Jupiter, as the Capri is currently parked in his space in the garage!
Jack.
I have received some photos of the car in the garage from Richard Keil, taken in 1987. Working on uploading these at the moment so that you can all see the project about half way complete
Update - got them uploaded
Interesting to note a Sinclair C5 in the top photo, and a Javelin in the bottom one - that isn't Keith's regular Javelin that many of you will have seen around, that is possibly the next project for us. Everything is there it seems, but that will be rather a lot of work as well.
Also interesting to note Amy's bike in the top photo, she would have been about 8 or 9 years old when this photo was taken, and the retro Elf oil can next to the car
Big thanks to Richard for providing these, the quality of the images is superb, especially given that they were taken in a dark garage and presumably on a film camera.
On the other old car front, I spent this week working on the Capri, managed to fix the thermostat housing issue with some new gaskets and some re-engineering of both the engine and my knuckles, and new radiator arrived so Amy can get that fitted and refill the system before Keith gets home with the Jupiter, as the Capri is currently parked in his space in the garage!
Jack.
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Forumadmin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 20648
- Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:18 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Not a lot!
- Given Name: Forum
Since I have been otherwise engaged since the Thursday before Wakefield I have not devoted much time to updating you on this topic. But pictures have now been downloaded so I will fill in a few gaps.
James fixing the rear bumper, or is he asleep?
Scott and Robin fixing the bonnet catches.
Amy, Scott and Jack for some reason laughing about the state of the steering 6 hours before we are due to arrive in Wakefield. Were they trying to convert it to left hand drive? The problem was the nut that holds the UJ boss onto the pinion shaft had come loose due to the high torque on the steering needed to extracate the car from the garage. On this version of the Jowett build there are no pins or lock tabs to hold the locking nut. Very dangerous! In view of time, James' 280lbs of leverage on an 18inch socket wrench with lock washer and Loctite was thought to be adequate.
I have no picture of the skid marks at the roundabout in Aylesbury; but can assure you I am greateful to my sixth sense in Jowett driving of testing my brakes. This may be due to years of use of competition linings where you need to get the brakes hot to make them work effectively. Anyhow the cause of the failure is worringly common. I would recommend all Jav/Jup owners to fit a return spring on the piston rod of the master cylinder. If it does not fully return, the fluid cannot return via the small blead hole.
A warning symptom is if you need more travel to apply brakes. Be careful to adjust for quarter of an inch of clearance with piston FULLY retracted and make sure it always retracts fully. The cylinder must be able to rotate on rear mounting.
The team with Boomerang Trophy that you kindly provided your voting flag . Thank you.
James fixing the rear bumper, or is he asleep?
Scott and Robin fixing the bonnet catches.
Amy, Scott and Jack for some reason laughing about the state of the steering 6 hours before we are due to arrive in Wakefield. Were they trying to convert it to left hand drive? The problem was the nut that holds the UJ boss onto the pinion shaft had come loose due to the high torque on the steering needed to extracate the car from the garage. On this version of the Jowett build there are no pins or lock tabs to hold the locking nut. Very dangerous! In view of time, James' 280lbs of leverage on an 18inch socket wrench with lock washer and Loctite was thought to be adequate.
I have no picture of the skid marks at the roundabout in Aylesbury; but can assure you I am greateful to my sixth sense in Jowett driving of testing my brakes. This may be due to years of use of competition linings where you need to get the brakes hot to make them work effectively. Anyhow the cause of the failure is worringly common. I would recommend all Jav/Jup owners to fit a return spring on the piston rod of the master cylinder. If it does not fully return, the fluid cannot return via the small blead hole.
A warning symptom is if you need more travel to apply brakes. Be careful to adjust for quarter of an inch of clearance with piston FULLY retracted and make sure it always retracts fully. The cylinder must be able to rotate on rear mounting.
The team with Boomerang Trophy that you kindly provided your voting flag . Thank you.
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Jack
- Posts: 1113
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:49 am
- Location: Herts
Well, the team is back from various trips swanning around Scotland, Plymouth, having a few days off, and work begins again.
Immediate discussion was creating a list of all the jobs that needed doing. We broke it down into 4 lists: SC, SA, Javelin and Capri. I don't think anybody else is bothered much about the Capri, but I've put a list up so I don't forget things. Luckily the list is fairly short.
First job for me was to replace the grub screw on the rear light, on the way to Wakefield somebody heard a tinkle and it wasn't there when we got there. Bit of threadlock this time for both sides, and all is secure again. One thing off the list already.
Next up was the hood frame. It became very clear over the Wakefield weekend that having some kind of hood would be beneficial when it rains, so this is fairly important. We retrieved the frame that was on top of the Javelin for storage, and it seemed to be in remarkably good condition. The metal was in good shape, no significant rust or damage, the wood wasn't rotten if a bit untidy, the only piece really needing replacement was the front edge which had split a bit from the nails to attach the front edge of the hood.
Keith and Chris then seemed to have a bag of goodies, which included replacement batons for the upright and horizontal wooden sections. These should look very good when carefully sanded and varnished.
Test fitting ensued, and it seems that things are pretty much exactly as they should be - though we do need to check a couple of things from the rally photos of others SC hoods. It is certainly a functional frame.
The webbing will need replacing, and the wood changed for the new pieces, the metal stripping and repainting, but nothing we can't handle.
Next planned date will be Sunday, so if anyone is free and wants to come over and play with cars you're very welcome. Not so much heavy work now, mostly finishing things off and dealing with a couple of minor things we'd discovered during the rally weekend.
Jack.
Immediate discussion was creating a list of all the jobs that needed doing. We broke it down into 4 lists: SC, SA, Javelin and Capri. I don't think anybody else is bothered much about the Capri, but I've put a list up so I don't forget things. Luckily the list is fairly short.
First job for me was to replace the grub screw on the rear light, on the way to Wakefield somebody heard a tinkle and it wasn't there when we got there. Bit of threadlock this time for both sides, and all is secure again. One thing off the list already.
Next up was the hood frame. It became very clear over the Wakefield weekend that having some kind of hood would be beneficial when it rains, so this is fairly important. We retrieved the frame that was on top of the Javelin for storage, and it seemed to be in remarkably good condition. The metal was in good shape, no significant rust or damage, the wood wasn't rotten if a bit untidy, the only piece really needing replacement was the front edge which had split a bit from the nails to attach the front edge of the hood.
Keith and Chris then seemed to have a bag of goodies, which included replacement batons for the upright and horizontal wooden sections. These should look very good when carefully sanded and varnished.
Test fitting ensued, and it seems that things are pretty much exactly as they should be - though we do need to check a couple of things from the rally photos of others SC hoods. It is certainly a functional frame.
The webbing will need replacing, and the wood changed for the new pieces, the metal stripping and repainting, but nothing we can't handle.
Next planned date will be Sunday, so if anyone is free and wants to come over and play with cars you're very welcome. Not so much heavy work now, mostly finishing things off and dealing with a couple of minor things we'd discovered during the rally weekend.
Jack.
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Jack
- Posts: 1113
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:49 am
- Location: Herts
Re: Great SC rebuild.......
Another evening in the garage, and work in progress to ensure the car is ready to go for the run on Saturday, we will be at the Paul Finn Rally if anyone is around and wants to see a whole lot of vintage and classic cars taking to the road: http://www.ben.org.uk/events/lynwood-fe ... inn-rally/
First job was sorting the intermittent indicator issue - they seemed to be working around 70% of the time, but occasionally would stop without any notice. The connector on the back of the flasher unit had come out of the crimp (probably due to our last minute dash for the MOT) so this was recrimped and indicators tested, all working again. Hopefully this will continue to function as it should.
Next job was to firmly secure and seal the rear shelf, which whilst functional was not finished for Wakefield, and as a result was flapping a bit at high speed. We are likely to be driving at a reasonable speed to get to the rally on Saturday, so this was rather important, plus with plans to get the hood fitted this needed to be done before we went too far with things. A couple more supports are going in to ensure it is strong enough for potentially heavy loads to be put on there (you can easily fit two small suitcases on the shelf) and the evil rivet gun came out of hiding to secure these. Luckily no nasty injuries at the hands of the machine, and one support is now fitted. Further supports to go on Thursday night so that I can get a few more fixings around the outside of the shelf and a couple in the centre support.
Also on my list for the next couple of weeks is to get the holes sorted for the infamous battery box and access flap for the fuel tank, however these are not essential for the drive this weekend so will be put on the back burner for the moment.
Keith continued with work on the Javelin, which with a bit of fettling and testing seemed to be running much more smoothly than before, and plans are afoot for a test drive soon to check things out.
Jack.
First job was sorting the intermittent indicator issue - they seemed to be working around 70% of the time, but occasionally would stop without any notice. The connector on the back of the flasher unit had come out of the crimp (probably due to our last minute dash for the MOT) so this was recrimped and indicators tested, all working again. Hopefully this will continue to function as it should.
Next job was to firmly secure and seal the rear shelf, which whilst functional was not finished for Wakefield, and as a result was flapping a bit at high speed. We are likely to be driving at a reasonable speed to get to the rally on Saturday, so this was rather important, plus with plans to get the hood fitted this needed to be done before we went too far with things. A couple more supports are going in to ensure it is strong enough for potentially heavy loads to be put on there (you can easily fit two small suitcases on the shelf) and the evil rivet gun came out of hiding to secure these. Luckily no nasty injuries at the hands of the machine, and one support is now fitted. Further supports to go on Thursday night so that I can get a few more fixings around the outside of the shelf and a couple in the centre support.
Also on my list for the next couple of weeks is to get the holes sorted for the infamous battery box and access flap for the fuel tank, however these are not essential for the drive this weekend so will be put on the back burner for the moment.
Keith continued with work on the Javelin, which with a bit of fettling and testing seemed to be running much more smoothly than before, and plans are afoot for a test drive soon to check things out.
Jack.
-
Jack
- Posts: 1113
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:49 am
- Location: Herts
Re: Great SC rebuild.......
Another short evening on the car in preparation for the rally tomorrow.
Amy spent a good old while polishing her bumps and curves, the bonnet and front wings have now been T-cutted and given two coats of wax. The finish is impressive, and it seems that Chris was right about just about anything polishing out. As the biggest panel, the rest of the car should be a breeze by comparison, and over the next few weeks we will get the rest of the car polished up and looking good.
I had to finish of securing the rear shelf, I didn't make the progress I'd have liked to this week, but the worrying wobble experienced on the way back from Wakefield must now be eliminated - there are about a dozen fittings holding the panel in place now we've had time to do it properly. Over the next few weeks while everyone is polishing furiously I will sort the rear shroud that sits in front of the hood when stowed, and finally put saw to panel to cut the holes for the battery box lid and the fuel tank access hatch.
Final check was the indicators, which are turning on but not flashing, frustratingly. I think the flasher unit has failed, so we will have a go at swapping that out for a lower power unit when we get the chance - not sure if there is enough power going through it to make it flash as it should.
The hood frame has been removed for the rally tomorrow, some discussion ongoing about the one piece we are missing - a fairly complex bar where the fit is critical to getting the hood to fit upright properly and stow away flat at the back. Chris is in charge of this, and seems to know what he is doing.
Photos to follow from the rally tomorrow, sounds like there should be a fair few Jowetts to represent us along with something like 100+ other classics.
Jack.
Amy spent a good old while polishing her bumps and curves, the bonnet and front wings have now been T-cutted and given two coats of wax. The finish is impressive, and it seems that Chris was right about just about anything polishing out. As the biggest panel, the rest of the car should be a breeze by comparison, and over the next few weeks we will get the rest of the car polished up and looking good.
I had to finish of securing the rear shelf, I didn't make the progress I'd have liked to this week, but the worrying wobble experienced on the way back from Wakefield must now be eliminated - there are about a dozen fittings holding the panel in place now we've had time to do it properly. Over the next few weeks while everyone is polishing furiously I will sort the rear shroud that sits in front of the hood when stowed, and finally put saw to panel to cut the holes for the battery box lid and the fuel tank access hatch.
Final check was the indicators, which are turning on but not flashing, frustratingly. I think the flasher unit has failed, so we will have a go at swapping that out for a lower power unit when we get the chance - not sure if there is enough power going through it to make it flash as it should.
The hood frame has been removed for the rally tomorrow, some discussion ongoing about the one piece we are missing - a fairly complex bar where the fit is critical to getting the hood to fit upright properly and stow away flat at the back. Chris is in charge of this, and seems to know what he is doing.
Photos to follow from the rally tomorrow, sounds like there should be a fair few Jowetts to represent us along with something like 100+ other classics.
Jack.
-
Chris Spencer
- Posts: 1937
- Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:45 pm
- Your interest in the forum: Jowett Restoration Specialist
- Given Name: Chris
- Location: Hampshire. UK
Re: Great SC rebuild.......
The regrouping after the rally is now starting to gain momentum, I fabricrated a couple pieces of steel bar that were missing from the hood frame (these return the front rail of the hood to the stowed position) - we did not have any pattern to follow so I just made them up to fit - WRONG - this placed the front rail outside of the stowage area when folded down. Kieth went and got the laptop with an image taken at Wakefield of the return stay in the hood to find that it turns up at one end in order to leaver the front rail forward into the stowage area. Hope is that Kieth is arranging to loan a frame from another SC so that we have patterns.
Keith had new oak timbers cut for the hood frame many years ago so we already have these apart from the two peices that fit the top rail which he thinks he used on the SA so new ones shall have to be cut from pattern.
Both the SA & SC are off to a show on Saturday so myself & Amy polished the bonnet / font wings, the nearside wing was still dislaying the gun finish so I flatted that that back and cut it back with compound and T cut while Amy T cutted the bonnet and removed the flies from the run to the National & back. Before leaving we waxed the three polished panels - they looked very good under artifical light so should look great outside in natural light.
I shall let Kieth & Jack update you with there tasks although there is a move to get Keith's Javelin tidy - the bodywork is starting to look a little tierd on the edges so we shall be undertaking this in the near future as the car is due at a Goodwood display in August. I hope to put a step by step guide together for the legacy progect so watch out for this if you planning or would like to undertake some of your own bodywork.
Keith had new oak timbers cut for the hood frame many years ago so we already have these apart from the two peices that fit the top rail which he thinks he used on the SA so new ones shall have to be cut from pattern.
Both the SA & SC are off to a show on Saturday so myself & Amy polished the bonnet / font wings, the nearside wing was still dislaying the gun finish so I flatted that that back and cut it back with compound and T cut while Amy T cutted the bonnet and removed the flies from the run to the National & back. Before leaving we waxed the three polished panels - they looked very good under artifical light so should look great outside in natural light.
I shall let Kieth & Jack update you with there tasks although there is a move to get Keith's Javelin tidy - the bodywork is starting to look a little tierd on the edges so we shall be undertaking this in the near future as the car is due at a Goodwood display in August. I hope to put a step by step guide together for the legacy progect so watch out for this if you planning or would like to undertake some of your own bodywork.
37 Jowett 8 HP - In many parts
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52 Javelin Std Sports project
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52 Javelin Std 'Taxi Livery'
52 Javelin Std Patina project
52 Javelin Std Sports project
52 Jupiter SA - Original car - full restoration project