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Old Cars in the UK John Stringer |
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Hi, I usually come over to New Hampshire in September to visit my very good friends Barry and Carol Podmore at Alton Bay and attend the British Invasion Show at Stowe,Vermont, last year we attended the BCNH meeting at the Budweiser brewery and I must confess this was one of the highlights of my visit to the U.S.A especially as Barry received a prize for his Triumph TR250. Unfortunately this year we did not arrive early enough for the current  event, (sunning it up in Florida) very disappointing. While talking to Carol she suggested that I could perhaps write a few words on my old cars over here in the UK, I have a 1935 M.G PB which is ex Leeds police, a 1938 Morris 8, which I have re-built as a special two seater, and a 1954 Land Rover series 1 ,ex military, my partner Ann has a 1973 Triumph TR6, owned from new and with only 46,000 miles on the clock is exactly as it left the showroom no re-paint, no welding. For some time I had looked for a stable mate for my other cars and viewed around eight MG PA’s a car I fell in love with many years ago, as with all things old car none of those I looked at when compared with the price asked met with my approval, then I noticed a private ad for a PB, only 525 of these had been manufactured and although basically the same body style as the PA did have the advantage of a slightly larger engine, close ratio gear box and therefore more lively performance, and as they say, more desirable. The car was located within sight of the Humber Bridge so a visit was arranged to view, the present owner a retired oil industry engineer had bought the car in 1976 and spent over 10 years restoring it , now at seventy five years old and unfortunately suffering heart problems had resulted in him driving the car for only a hundred miles last year , adding to t  he 4400 it had done since restoration , although some faults became evident it looked a good straight motor car. A week later I re contacted him to say I would like to have another look, visited and a deal was done.Registered in October 1935, it was purchased new by Leeds City Watch Committee for use as a Police Patrol car. The Chief Constable authorising the return of the car to Abingdon for modification to full Police specification in January 1936. MG police cars , supplied by Appleyards of Leeds all seemed to have raised compression ratios and KLG 762 plugs and full police specification to include the seat relocated some 3 inches further back,(big lads these Northern bobbies) archimedean petrol gauge, oversize tyres, battery isolation switch and a fully corrected ,extra speedometer. Evidently Leeds City cars hoods were never raised and officers would wear warm, double breasted overcoats when on duty. According to an advert in the April 1937 magazine “The Sports Car” following its police service the car came up for sale with a mileage of 28,183 at a price of £145. This type of light weight car fitted with the single overhead cam shaft engine, close ration gearbox, very firm suspension ( if you drive over a ten pence piece you can tell if its heads or tails) and 12” diameter cable operated brakes had many racing successes, especially wh  en supercharged. In today’s traffic it still manages to hold it own and is very rewarding when full use of the free reving engine, gears and road holding are made.Weather equipment comprises a detachable hood with side screens which when erected provides very “snug” accommodation. Specification: 60mm bore X 83mm stroke, volume of 939c.c Carburettors: twin S.U. supplied by a 12 gallon petrol tank with 3 gallons in reserve. Gear box: 4 speed and reverse Overall length 10’-11” Overall width 4’-4” Weight 14 cwt John Stringer
Come and have a look at this old Morris say’s a friend, I am easily led, and consent to have a look. It’s a 1938 Morris series 2, been standing outside under a sheet for about 11 years. The doors close with a nice “klonk” and no drop, the back wings are rotted, the fronts only partially so and it looks virtually complete, with three green seats and one red. There is some evidence of welding and plating of the chassis. Too good to break, but not too sure about the economical possibilities of getting it back on the road, my heart rules my head (yet again) and a deal is struck with Alan who had intended to restore it but has decided to sell. We return with a trailer and pick up and soon with tyres pumped up and holding air, not bad for 10 years in a flat no air condition, the car is on board on its way “home”. A full strip down was needed and after the usual removal of seats, floor boards, wings etc it became the turn of the body to be removed from its chassis. All bolts and fixing released but no way would the body move, many years ago it had been welded to the chassis, so angle grinder was the order of the day and it was cut all along the bottom edge by the sills, still no movement so across the top, cutting the body in half, still no movement. The rear and front received the same treatment and wonders of wonders, off came the body. The chassis sagged and broke in two, completely rotten from behind the dumb irons back. The cross members, part of chassis and front dumb iron sections in good order due to oil coverage. Oh, dear, a pile of scrap, what do we do now!! Should have sold the good bits as spares but do not like letting a car die, so why not a Morris 8 Special, not many of those around. New side rails drawn up and manufactured from 3mm steel, to fabricate a new chassis, welded to front dumb irons slightly tapered outwards at the back to give the correct width for the rear spring hangers , new engine rear cross member manufactured and located to take gear box. The original 3 speed box was replaced by a 4 speed from a series “E” Morris, a remote gear change mechanism manufactured to suit. . The chassis had been made some 8” shorter so the prop shaft was cut and welded to accommodate this and the new gear box length. I then unsoldered, shortened the core and re soldered the radiator to lower the bonnet height by about 3”, the rad shell also modified to fit by cutting and welding. Rear springs re-set to allow for the lower weight and ride height. With regard to weight, I would think that the complete new body in timber and aluminium only weighs as much as, perhaps one door and two front wings, so an improvement in performance is to be expected. The final shape incorporates a pointed tail to cover the new Land Rover petrol tank, fully galvanised and the old Morris sender unit fitted straight in, just requiring a new float arm (longer). So the original petrol gauge can be retained. A new Land Rover master cylinder was also fitted to ensure adequate braking. Front bulkhead in sheet steel and fabricated square section tubular body support frames have also been constructed to go in front and behind the seating position, to add strength and safety to the light weight body. All the brakes, engine, clutch and running gear have now been rebuilt or renewed, the electrics completed with a new wiring loom made, I have used the spare 12 volt dynamo from my TR3 , which fitted with a few mods, so now have double the sparks and candle power. The aluminium body is now completed, using the normal tools of a coal hammer and a split handled screwdriver, the bonnet panel being bent on my bending rolls ( the gap between the house sewer vent pipe and adjacent drain pipe). Etch primer, high build primer and the paint have been applied, looks magnificent with more runs than the M.C.C cricket team and more orange peel than a Jaffa plantation. It’s a special, and always will be nothing more nothing less, of no real value to anyone other than me, and may bring a smile to some ones face, but are they laughing with me or at me, who cares I’ve enjoyed every minute of “the build”. |
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