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And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 8:56 pm
by kevh
Todays question(s)
The dash in my 1935 12 needs sorting, the centre metal section where the gauges sit needs re-chroming & painting which is simple enough, the wood dash itself has at some time been replaced with stained plywood which looks poor, the shape is good so I can use it as a template to make one from hardwood, has anyone done this and if so which wood did you use?
I have managed to remove almost everything and labelled all the wires and connections to make reassembly easier, the only thing still in place is the freewheel control which I am struggling to see how this comes off, does it need to be disconnected at the gearbox end and fed backwards or is there an easier way?
Also the steering wheel needs attention, the coating (bakelite?) is disintegrating, is there a wheel from another model which fits or do I need to have the original refurbished?
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 9:07 am
by TonyG
Kevin,
Sounds like you are tackling your car with some enthusiasm! In my experience, anything you need to get done elsewhere needs to be identified early and packed off to them or you will be waiting on it further down the road. Depending on the condition, your steering wheel could be one such item. You can buy leather rim covers that may resolve the problem or there are steering wheel refurbishment companies out there. A chat with Mike Couldry at Meteor may bear fruit if he has one for your car. My Tourer wheel was the four spoke metal type with steel spokes and an aluminium rim. It was very poor and would have cost many £100s to dismantle and restore. I had it blast cleaned to remove rust and Bakelite from rim then powder coated black. It looks good, in keeping with the car and cost £50. If yours is regular three spoke the construction will be different. However, for localised damage, you may be able to rub down poor areas and fill with P40 fibreglass filler, finish and repaint. Worth a go before sending to a specialist I’d have thought!
Regarding the dashboard; the freewheel cable is easily disconnected on the drivers side top of gearbox. It threads through from the front with a cable clamp/nipple at the rear. You will need to remove the carpet and rubber tunnel cover to do this. Assuming you have one, take care of the rubber cover as they get brittle with age. Once undone the freewheel knob can be withdrawn from the dash.
The dash itself was originally made of plywood, stained and, in the case of mine, varnished to a gloss finish. I used to have a Morgan with a walnut dash which, I believe, is often used. It will be much more costly though and take time to get done. Similarly, chrome around the centre instrument section will need to be sent away if it is really bad. I was lucky and able to repaint mine with the black, leaving the edge looking ok, if not perfect.
Tony.
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 1:02 pm
by kevh
Tony
After being stuck in the office all day it is very theraputic to get into the garage in the evenings, I am sure I won't need to ask so many questions and things will hopefully become a little more obvious once I get the workshop manual.
That is exactly what I am doing, removing anything which needs to done by others.
The front seats are out, I was given a name of a local guy who can refurbish and he has offered to remake the rotten bases and fully recover in either PVC or leather for an acceptable sum, the ones which came with the car are PVC, is that the original material?
I contacted Meteor and they do an exchange wheel for around £250, might just do that.
The tunnel on mine is steel, sounds like a replacement, with a small removeable plate at the bulkhead end, it is very difficult to get over to see down it but is that where the connection will be?
From what you say the plywood dash could be the original then, maybe sanded down to remove the 47 layers of varnish it may look ok, but I am sure a hardwood one would look a million times better.
Kev
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 7:15 pm
by TonyG
Kev,
All sounds good. The seats would have been leather I’m sure but pvc can look ok. Are you re trimming all the interior? If so, I’d suggest you consider the seat colour carefully, rather than just going with the original. Most 12s I’ve seen are black with brown interiors. Nice to have something more cheerful if you have the opportunity. Your choice, but just a thought.
The freewheel cable connection is to the side and just behind the gear stick so I think you will need to remove the tunnel cover to gain access. I’m assuming your car would have had a rubber cover but maybe the steel one was original on the Saloon?
Good idea with the steering wheel. Mike has a treasure trove of parts and well worth a visit to him in Nottingham. He makes rubber tunnel covers but your steel one might be more robust.
A nice new dash would look great with the re trim. The glove box apertures may need re lining with fabric. Makes it look much better and I found suitable material at a remnant shop and fixed with spray adhesive while everything was in bits.
Tony.
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:06 am
by kevh
I have cut a new dash out of hardwood faced ply, I was advised solid hardwood may be prone to distorting, just need to get it stained and varnished, not sure whether to stain it the same colour as the trims above the dash and the trims to the doors which are a dark mahogany colour or to have it contrasting.
I have also repainted the instrument cluster in satin black, that should look good when reassembled, the instrument faces are not brilliant but they will be ok for now.
I removed the carpets and tunnel cover to get to disconnect the freewheel, only to find the cable laying loose on the floor! just hope it was not disconnected due to a problem with it.
The seats were a racing green colour, as is the rest of the interior, which looks good with the green & black paintwork so I intend to keep the same colour.
The two front seats were just about held together by the pvc covering and when I removed this the literally fell apart, the rear seat upright is also suffering from severe woodworm so I have some major work ahead of me to remake most of the seating.
I had a look today at removing the steering wheel but struggled to see how it comes off, the manual says to unscrew the horn but that doesn't seem to want to move, any advice on this would be appreciated, I am sure it is simple when you know.
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:47 am
by TonyG
Hi Kev,
Green and black is a nice combination and will look great once you get it tidied up. Good luck with the seats and I hope my earlier posts on that are of some use! Re the dash, I’d go darker to avoid it looking orange, but it’s a matter of choice. I stained mine and coated with about half a dozen layers of yacht varnish, flatting off between, to give a thick gloss finish.
Steering wheel is clamped to the column by a nut and bolt on the bottom of the wheel boss that clamps it around the shaft. You need to remove the bolt I think as it locates into a shaft recess. However, you cannot pull the wheel off until the horn and advance/retard unit is dismantled and removed as it is attached to a tube that runs through the centre of the column. This tube, not only carries the horn and headlamp dip wiring, is used to operate the ignition timing adjustment. If you look at the bottom of the steering box you will see the wires coming out and the mechanism of rods etc joining the tube to the distributor; always assuming that all this is still in place.
The horn button has a gnurled outer edge to aid unscrewing. Once removed, I think (sorry, writing this all from memory) there are two countersunk screws that hold the button to the advance/retard section. Once undone it should be possible to disconnect the wires. Through the aperture you should be able to access the small brass nut that clamps the adv/ret section to the tube. Once undone and this bit removed, you can pull off the wheel. If it is tight you may need a puller to ease it off.
It may be possible to remove the horn/advance assembly complete with tube if the mechanism, wires and seal section are removed from the bottom of the steering box. If you are replacing the wiring anyway, you can chop the cables to make it easier. Drawing new wires through the tube is easy enough once you get to the reassembly stage and, since the turning makes them vulnerable to damage anyway, a good idea to replace them.
I hope that helps.
Tony.
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 9:11 am
by TonyG
Kev,
Just looked at the horn button on my Tourer. If it is hard to unscrew you could put tape round to protect it and try turning with water pump pliers. Tricky as you don’t want to crack or chip the Bakelite. Maybe a bit of heat from a hair dryer? Don’t know what else to suggest. Take care, good luck with that bit!
Tony.
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 9:53 am
by kevh
Thanks Tony,
I suspected the horn did screw off but when you apply a certain amount of pressure and nothing moves a voice in the back of your head whispers " you're going to break that" and you start to have doubts, I will have another go this evening.
Your posts regarding the seats were very helpfull, I just find it a daunting task to remake the seats, if I had retired and had more time maybe but running a business means I only get the evenings and bits of the weekends.
While in a restaurant on Sunday evening I noticed their upholstered chairs had curved backs and with a little reshaping the carcass would have been a very close match, the Mrs stopped me asking if they had any old ones, I may have to sneak back!
Re: And todays question is.......(drum roll)
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 3:00 pm
by TonyG
Kev,
Re seats, I had the same thought when I was doing mine. Maybe worth a wander round some charity shops or even Ikea to see if there is anything with the right sort of curve available. Mine had the added complication of needing to tip forward, which made this option more complex. You may find something suitable for fixed back seats though.
Tony.