I’ve bought dads old car

[Hamish]

1 hour ago, john.r.davies said:

Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect!

Henry V is too high brow for here John 

 

[Hamish]

Update time. Not a lot of actual progress but info on what the Vscc will accept at least.

i have just received back my “new” distributor from the Doctor and its lovely. The donor one I found and bought was less than optimal as a usable rebuild option but had some v useful bits.

Then there was a question if it was possible due to the rarity of the drive cog and me wanting to save the existing dizzy with the luminition system in it.

According to DD apparently there were about 100 Alvis 4.3 made  and about 30 left so these drive cogs are rare. I enquired at Red Triangle the Alvis spares people and yes they could help - £311 delivered - just for the drive cog.

but of course the DD tracked one down for much less than a ton. And whilst there is some wear on the drive face it should see me out. Massive thank you to the DD FOR BEING THERE TO HELP US ALL OUT.

 

 

I have then had some good news on the shock absorber front and eligibility with the Vscc.

VSCC will accept Armstrong levers like my front DAS 10’S 

But not adjustable ( that of course mine are) thus my next step is to get 2 pairs of the DAS 10’S - big healers used them I think?

hopefully I can do a deal with a refurb supplier and let them have my earlier girling shocks the 2xP6 and the 4xP5’s ( these are much wider that the Armstrong so will have difficulty fitting them)

I could de-valve my front pair but like the dizzy I had in mind some quick changes between road going and VSCC eligible set up.( which may just stay as the eligible set up) as the DD said his dizzy will be reliable which is true.

 

I now have a direction of travel to work to. When time allows due to work,family elderly/ill parental issues allow.

work I should be able to cope with too :-

fit the points dizzy and remove the electronic gubbins, disguise the alternator, get and fit some DAS 10 shocks (the rear will need some heavy duty mounting plates). remove the roll bar.buy and fit new cross ply tyres 🫣 sell the very good radials.

i will also at some point get it rolling roaded for optimum set up and see how many horses the Mongolian de-tune (reduction in compression with a plate between crank case and block) stole.

and may be get eligible 🤞

Edited March 10 by Hamish

[stuart]

Martin is always good at coming up with the goods despite the rarity. Always recommend him and its surprising how many cars Ive seen where owners have spent a fortune on restoration and ignored the dizzy as it was working before!

Stuart.

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

I think DAS10 is the shock body size used on TR4A-6 rear.

As you say, AH slug and super slug rears plus MGB rears.

The tooling from Armstrong at Beverly to die cast the bodies was rescued I believe, and is still in UK.

[stuart]

2 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

The tooling from Armstrong at Beverly to die cast the bodies was rescued I believe, and is still in UK.

If so how come the only ones available new now are made in Australia?

Stuart.

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

53 minutes ago, stuart said:

If so how come the only ones available new now are made in Australia?

Stuart.

The tools are stored but not being run in UK?

Edited March 11 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[stuart]

32 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

The tools are stored but not being run in UK?

Presumably as like I said theres no new ones available apart from Australian made and they arent re-conditionable.

Stuart.

[Hamish]

Sometimes eBay comes up with the right goods at the right price as it used to. 
 

I was on the verge of buying a set of 4 19” blockley tyres to be VSCC compliant for about £1200. 

when a set of 5 vintage Alvis  (jelly mould fitment) 20” wheels appeared WITH blockley tyres like new fitted.  For £1000. 
deal done. 🥰 🤩

thought the tyres may have been a little narrow but measuring them today they are the same tread width as the radials on it.

and the wheels are in great condition but a shiny grey. I can live with that. 
 

I landed on a bargain from a really nice fellow Alvis owner. 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Result!

Wear your brown trousers first time you go driving adventurously.   Be Prepared.   The entire car will feel different.  

Are 20” diameter the same as you had previously fitted?   

Edited April 14 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[Hamish]

40 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

Result!

Wear your brown trousers first time you go driving adventurously.   Be Prepared.   The entire car will feel different.  

Are 20” diameter the same as you had previously fitted?   

19” are on it now

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

48 minutes ago, Hamish said:

19” are on it now

More top speed less acceleration then if the tyres are also a larger rolling diameter.

[MilesA]

The car gods are shining on you Hamish. Should be 'interesting' driving.

Excuse my ignorance but what are the 3 items attached to the inside rim of at least a couple of the wheels? 

Miles

[Hamish]

20 minutes ago, MilesA said:

The car gods are shining on you Hamish. Should be 'interesting' driving.

Excuse my ignorance but what are the 3 items attached to the inside rim of at least a couple of the wheels? 

Miles

Hi miles. 
no worries at all mate. 
they are kidney shaped “containers” bolted to the wheel rims. They take wheel weights to balance the wheels. 
these weights have springs to stop them moving and creating tinkling noise when the wheels are rotating. 
Not all the wheels have them so I’ll pair the ones that do on the same axle. 
apparently these are quite rare. 
I think the likes of lagonda used round versions of the same idea.  Like the blue wheel. 

[MilesA]

Thanks Hamish.

Assumed that they were weights related but my (limited!) knowledge of car stuff doesn't go back beyond the 1950's. They look like an even better deal now!

Miles

[Hamish]

I have painted the alternator black to help disguise it as the VSCC wanted. 
I confess to not tightening the belt enough and it threw and lost the belt on a drive to see the TR REDRose group on drive it day. 
all the lads helped to replace it. They had nothing else to do as they drive reliable triumphs. 

don’t expect you to watch all the video but this is the Alvis on the new wheels and tyres  on a drive out. I think they need balancing though. 

 

Edited April 30 by Hamish

[stillp]

That's a lot more sedated than most of your videos Hamish! When are we going to see  the Alvis at Shelsley?

Pete

[Hamish]

17 minutes ago, stillp said:

That's a lot more sedated than most of your videos Hamish! When are we going to see  the Alvis at Shelsley?

Pete

it’s an old and sedate car. It’s 50 years older than when dad first bought it. !!!
 

Be surprised if it’s this year to be honest as I still need to get the car sorted for VSCC eligibility 

 

I could go outside the VSCC route with just any event but I feel due to its history it should come back on track with VSCC 

[stillp]

Yes, I agree. Perhaps a VSCC track event?

Pete

[MilesA]

Not sure I am feeling the ‘reliability of Triumphs’ at present but the video was a pleasant distraction. Sounds very good and looks to be an easier drive than I anticipated. Steering in particular looks quite light or have you been visiting the gym recently?

Miles

[Hamish]

55 minutes ago, MilesA said:

Not sure I am feeling the ‘reliability of Triumphs’ at present but the video was a pleasant distraction. Sounds very good and looks to be an easier drive than I anticipated. Steering in particular looks quite light or have you been visiting the gym recently?

Miles

Thanks Miles

it is a nice car to drive lots of torque which I’m not really used to. The steering is very manageable with a good steering box, big steering wheel and it’s not over tyred.  Need to check their balance though I think. 
No gym work for me !!!

[Hamish]

The hopefully VSCC eligible disguised alternator 😉

 

[stillp]

😀

[john.r.davies]

Hamish,

What is the device between that and the distributor, seen in a previous pic?    Looks like a dynamo!

I fear that the VSCC will need less than Nelson's eye  to not see this ship alternator.  Have you considered a "Dynamator"?   EG:  https://www.powerlite-units.com/dynalite-alternator-conversions.html

[Hamish]

28 minutes ago, john.r.davies said:

Hamish,

What is the device between that and the distributor, seen in a previous pic?    Looks like a dynamo!

I fear that the VSCC will need less than Nelson's eye  to not see this ship alternator.  Have you considered a "Dynamator"?   EG:  https://www.powerlite-units.com/dynalite-alternator-conversions.html

Hi John

you are correct the device is a dynamo but it doesn’t work they are over £1000 +Vat to replace with a Dynator type as it also drives the water pump.

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/p/alvis-speed-25?srsltid=AfmBOortBfn1oba_9PbPDe0h3PDvcsMB7-rxBJTBP530V2uXdj5E4i8uzE8

 the car is now neg earth and set up for the alternator. The VSCC allow the use of the alternator but they need to be disguised so you don’t see the “ghastly” thing obvious under the bonnet.🙄

electric fans are ok even if obvious 

 

[john.r.davies]

Sherlock Holmes said that "The art of disguise is knowing how to hide in plain sight", but this is a disguise so cunning that it is worthy of Baldrick.

And motorsport is dangerous expensive, but at that price it's exorbitant!

Just open the bonnet for the nice scrutineer man, and lean, casually, into it, resting your hand on the - Ahem! - 'dynamo'.   It'll be fine.

John