66 LHD 'Doctors Car' restoration begins

[MT]

Yes Mike, I had the corner weights - one of the few bits from the front bumper that were in excellent condition!

I have decided not to refit them to start with at least and see what the handling is like. This car is not likely to see a racetrack (apart from the spectator carpark) or much spirited driving in my tenure (the 2.4E will be for that) so as long as it handles reasonably I'll do without humping round another 30kg or so of ballast. As I said, more of a Continental Tourer - and how indulgent and extravagant is that!

Easier to fit, rather than remove, I also thought.

..... and as you say, the 'before' and 'after' pics are soooo good for the motivation.

[MT]

It's all coming together nicely Mick - glad you sorted the brake problem.

Yes, but still not sure what caused the other cylinder to behave the way it did. When I get the car finished I'll pull it apart and do some detailed tests and measurements, as it's really bugging me. I cannot abide unsolved mysteries posed by inanimate objects!
If for no other reason I need to know whether I have a good spare or more scrap metal!

Mick

[MT]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times .......

.... but can anyone identify this load of stuff filling up the boot of my car. I think I've seen something like it but it was a long time ago in a a galaxy far. far away...



Apparently it's a thing called an "Engine", and it used to look like this



But after several weeks of frustration and getting the car as far completed as i could



I had to resort to helping around the house, and in the garden, and in cleaning lots of rusty old bolts. But EVENTUALLY the engine was finished, collected and after discussion with Tony Outridge, who has helped, advised and run around like a mad thing, I decided it was prudent to take the engine to Neil Bainbridge in Westcott ( BS Motorsport, although after spending a long long day with the man in my view he should call it No BS Motorsport). The engine had been sat for 34 years, three cylinders were filled with water, we had replaced all the pistons and barrels with s/h, and all the cylinder heads with NOS from Elevenparts (100€ each), but it still seemed a good idea to see what we had before fitting to the car where diagnosis and repair is so much more complex.



So I collected the engine on Friday and arrived at Mr. B's at 7:30am sharp on Sat am. Spent the day as the apprentice and learnt more than I have in a long time....

Anyway first we check the dizzy on his magic roundabout..



Fitted with Pertronix 1866. We can now inform Pertronix their quality control needs some attention....3 of the 6 triggers are bang on, but 3 are between 1 and 2 degrees off the ideal triggers. Not a big problem, but it will have an effect.
Then we check the compressions - all good (180-185) apart from no 5 (155). Good enough to keep going, but need to keep an eye..
Then onto the dyno and off we go (after a couple of oil leaks - union in the wrong way around, not something I would have known). The first time this engine (what's left of it!) has run in 35 years!



Run for 4 hours to run it in, on a series of pre-planned cycles, a bit of lunch, a chat with Mike Moore who rents a room there according to Neil, a look around Neil's place, a trip to the local petrol station for more juice, and then off we go on the brain-numbing 7000rpm power runs. All 10 of them. We change the idle jets, we change the advance, we tweak the progression jets, we fit my leads and filters, we test two cdi boxes...... and we end up with 145bhp @ 6700 and 123.3 ft.lb @ 5400. It's a stock rebuild with PMO's (pronounced as perfection where carbs are concerned by Mr. B), SSI's and a sports exhaust where design is 130bhp @ 6100 and 128 ft.ib @ 4200.

But more importantly to me - no oil leaks, superb steady and good oil pressure, very low blow by all though the range, very steady Lambda and torque curves, and great pick up from low revs without hesitation. Dizzy will need its springs and weights checked as the advance starts too early so tick over is expected to be lumpy..... BUT it didn't disintegrate into a frenzy of flying metallic elements and wasted cash during the 7000 rpm tests either. In fact we ended up with a lovely gold sports exhaust



So back home by 1:30am the following morning. Long day, and not cheap .....but great outcome

And then with two great assistants, and lots of hydraulics, into the car with the engine today

Just a bit of tinkering and electrical hook up tomorrow. MoT Tuesday with luck ...... but because it needs UK registration and a new age related plate malheureusement ce n'est pas possible to take it to CLM. So I and Mrs T will be there, but watch out for a Landrover Discovery, not a lovely 911 that now has its arse where it should be ... closer to the ground



Still perhaps a bit high front and rear, but I'll let the suspension settle a bit before doing too much adjustment. Looks level at least.

[johnM]

Fantastic, just fantastic.

Well done, looking at the before and after pics you wouldn’t believe it’s the same car.

Kind Regards

[Mike]

well done Mick and good to meet you yesterday. Glad to hear the results from the dyno, you must be well chuffed!

[jtparr]

Great news Mick that the engines now in...hope to see it in the flesh end of the week.....
Regards
Jonathan

[MT]

Thanks John,

Looking forward to seeing you and Mrs JohnM at CLM, and picking over your car in some detail....
Disappointed not to be bringing another Light Ivory resto to the event, but I just ran out of time. Lesson for me is to do more myself...

Mick

[Darren65]

Many congratulations Mick, an absolutely superb achievement.....

....and a fantastic thread.

Cheers,

[MT]

Thanks all.....but the story has another twist , and might have another one (or three!) before it's done I fear.

Electrical hook-up went well - many good diagrams to retrofit Petronix and cdi to a swb on 911s. Houston gave the go ahead for main engine start ...... and nothing. Pretty clear there's a spark but not enough fuel getting to the carbs. I had bought a couple of 'Faux-Bendix' pumps



but it seems they have the same questionable ancestry as the famous 'Brazilian' silver cdi coils. One was completely dead and the other chugged away, but couldn't produce any output flow/pressure. Lifting the outlet hose up 6ft (longest I had), equivalent to about 2 psi, stopped flow virtually completely. Houston reconvened the Apollo 13 problem solving squad and out came the 48 year old original Bendix. A bit of cleaning of the funny internal filter in thinner, and cleaning up the unions, and did a little bench test and away she went, a-chugging and a-pumping like a new one. Put it in the car



...... and away she went as well



Faux Bendix being 'Returned to Sender', and new Facet Silver top ordered. (Do I need to fit a pressure regulator as well?)

Adjusted the clutch a bit, and off down the drive. Back into the garage where she'll stay now until I get back from CLM, then Mot, finish trimming, back to the bodyshop for a polish, fit the side trim and the bling ...... and by then the sun will be shining, the sky blue, and there's a pub in the South Downs I fancy taking herself for lunch....I might even pay!

.... but then there might be another twist...

[neilbardsley]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times .......

.... but can anyone identify this load of stuff filling up the boot of my car. I think I've seen something like it but it was a long time ago in a a galaxy far. far away...



Apparently it's a thing called an "Engine", and it used to look like this



But after several weeks of frustration and getting the car as far completed as i could



Nice car and house. Good to meet you at CLM

I had to resort to helping around the house, and in the garden, and in cleaning lots of rusty old bolts. But EVENTUALLY the engine was finished, collected and after discussion with Tony Outridge, who has helped, advised and run around like a mad thing, I decided it was prudent to take the engine to Neil Bainbridge in Westcott ( BS Motorsport, although after spending a long long day with the man in my view he should call it No BS Motorsport). The engine had been sat for 34 years, three cylinders were filled with water, we had replaced all the pistons and barrels with s/h, and all the cylinder heads with NOS from Elevenparts (100€ each), but it still seemed a good idea to see what we had before fitting to the car where diagnosis and repair is so much more complex.



So I collected the engine on Friday and arrived at Mr. B's at 7:30am sharp on Sat am. Spent the day as the apprentice and learnt more than I have in a long time....

Anyway first we check the dizzy on his magic roundabout..



Fitted with Pertronix 1866. We can now inform Pertronix their quality control needs some attention....3 of the 6 triggers are bang on, but 3 are between 1 and 2 degrees off the ideal triggers. Not a big problem, but it will have an effect.
Then we check the compressions - all good (180-185) apart from no 5 (155). Good enough to keep going, but need to keep an eye..
Then onto the dyno and off we go (after a couple of oil leaks - union in the wrong way around, not something I would have known). The first time this engine (what's left of it!) has run in 35 years!



Run for 4 hours to run it in, on a series of pre-planned cycles, a bit of lunch, a chat with Mike Moore who rents a room there according to Neil, a look around Neil's place, a trip to the local petrol station for more juice, and then off we go on the brain-numbing 7000rpm power runs. All 10 of them. We change the idle jets, we change the advance, we tweak the progression jets, we fit my leads and filters, we test two cdi boxes...... and we end up with 145bhp @ 6700 and 123.3 ft.lb @ 5400. It's a stock rebuild with PMO's (pronounced as perfection where carbs are concerned by Mr. B), SSI's and a sports exhaust where design is 130bhp @ 6100 and 128 ft.ib @ 4200.

But more importantly to me - no oil leaks, superb steady and good oil pressure, very low blow by all though the range, very steady Lambda and torque curves, and great pick up from low revs without hesitation. Dizzy will need its springs and weights checked as the advance starts too early so tick over is expected to be lumpy..... BUT it didn't disintegrate into a frenzy of flying metallic elements and wasted cash during the 7000 rpm tests either. In fact we ended up with a lovely gold sports exhaust



So back home by 1:30am the following morning. Long day, and not cheap .....but great outcome

And then with two great assistants, and lots of hydraulics, into the car with the engine today

Just a bit of tinkering and electrical hook up tomorrow. MoT Tuesday with luck ...... but because it needs UK registration and a new age related plate malheureusement ce n'est pas possible to take it to CLM. So I and Mrs T will be there, but watch out for a Landrover Discovery, not a lovely 911 that now has its arse where it should be ... closer to the ground



Still perhaps a bit high front and rear, but I'll let the suspension settle a bit before doing too much adjustment. Looks level at least.

[MT]

And you Neil,

..... took me a while to spot your comment in amongst my pictures. Also tracked down your thread and your 356 looks really beautiful - I know red is 'soooooo last century darling', but it's still one of my favourite colours for a sports car. My TR4A was originally Wishy-Washy Wedgwood Blue, then very poorly resprayed Royal Blue, but after I'd restored it from a rusting wreck it just cried out for good old Triumph Signal Red.



You will also note the 66 S2a in the background of the photo. Not enough for your 6 (or is it 8!!) kids, but excellent for lugging stuff about.

Hope our paths cross again.
Mick

[neilbardsley]

And you Neil,

..... took me a while to spot your comment in amongst my pictures. Also tracked down your thread and your 356 looks really beautiful - I know red is 'soooooo last century darling', but it's still one of my favourite colours for a sports car. My TR4A was originally Wishy-Washy Wedgwood Blue, then very poorly resprayed Royal Blue, but after I'd restored it from a rusting wreck it just cried out for good old Triumph Signal Red.



You will also note the 66 S2a in the background of the photo. Not enough for your 6 (or is it 8!!) kids, but excellent for lugging stuff about.

Hope our paths cross again.
Mick

Lovely cars! I must admit I most want the house! Now could we have it within biking distance of the office please for 1/20 of the price!

Yes 8 kids too many.

[MT]

MoT passed today - only hiccup was I couldn't get the washer pump to work, despite having checked it on the bench before fitting, but the inspector was so keen to talk about the car and its history and how I'd restored it etc etc, he said he trusted me to fix it tomorrow, and gave me my prized certificate anyway. Top bloke! " After all that work mate, I can't see a washer pump holding you back for more than a few minutes".

Car got wet and covered in sh*t going to/from the garage though.....

DVLA tomorrow and the quest for UK registration and an age-related plate......

Getting there.

[Gary71]

[jtparr]

Great news Mick, look forward to seeing the old girl at Heddingham...?
Regards
Jonathan