Galvanising

[brendanm]

The paint work looks good. Amazing how a buffer can make you a good painter. The original intention was to rebuild a couple of wrecks into one respectable vehicle.
After re-skinning the rear tub and welding fatigue cracks in the capping it is a good opportunity to re gal the removed components.
Couple of questions
I spoke to a galvanising place today and they wanted the components sand blasted prior to dipping to achieve consistent result. This I can do. They quoted around $400 for all the cappings, hinges, door frames, and other fittings. Pretty much all but the front windscreen and hood sticks.

My concern was that they wanted me to drill three 8mm holes in the door frame to allow the gal to escape and not build or bubble in the door handle area. Since these doors were originally galvanised what has changed ?
Smaller components that have moving parts like the toggle clips for the seat boxes they recommended electro plating. Iwould assume this is the same for the bonnet hold down clips with the internal spring. What have other people done or do you just paint it ? I would prefer the authenticity of galvanising.

While not stricctly original I was attempting to keep it close with a few period mechanical trade offs and a view to historic rego.

[brendanm]

Couple more shots to practice my posting.

[isuzurover]

Where are you located? Price sounds very steep. You should be paying ~$1 to $1.50/kg for galvanised weight. Which should be ~$100 for all the steel bits excluding chassis and firewall. Many galvanisers jack up the price as soon as you mention car parts.

Any parts with old gal that haven't been painted over won't need blasting, their acid bath will do the job. Other parts just give them a coat of paint stripper or make youir own caustic bath for them.

I wouldn't drill any extra holes in previously galvanised parts, just get them to hang them in the right orientation.

Likewise the small bits - it sounds as if they are trying to cut down on fiddly work tying them up before dipping. It is a good idea to tie the small items yourself using fencing wire so you know they are done properly.

However i would use a different galvaniser than the one you spoke to.

[brendanm]

Progress

[brendanm]

Thanks for the quick reply. Located just outside South West Sydney. The company was located at Prestons. I saw another mob located over Sutherland way. Not sure if anyone has used them or has a recommendation.

[Landy Smurf]

funny you bring this up i have just been thinking about it today. interested in the outcome

[brendanm]

Pic heavy threads are generally a winner. Some other shots of gal fittings that I have started to put back. Does not need to be concourse though I was aiming for respoectable.

[Landy Smurf]

loving the photos.

[back_in]

Hi
I must be lucky,
have a mate who does mine for a couple of six packs, all the galv on the 49 cost me about 1 1/2 ctns of beer
their pickle should take old galv off and rust
remove any paint would be the only problem, can leave black burn like residue.
they should be able to hang it on a angle to have good run off of galv without boring new holes
I did door tops and bottoms, and windscreen etc as they were with on problems.
doing your own wiring is a good idea, make sure it is strong and tied well, if they full off they are done forever
most charge by the kg
cheers
Ian

[klonk]

I Agree with Isuzurover , spoke to a place in Perth to do klonks parts and he quoted me $1.50 per kg weight with the acid dip to remove paint and rust and was very helpfull.
Love your work.

Steve

[brendanm]

Couple more shots of trial fitting the cappings to check I got the sizing right when fabricating the tub. Should also mention that I have some items being posted from a friend in the UK that includes rivets and domed head roves (if that's what they are called). Should assist with a respectable look.

[brendanm]

The other thought I had was distortion from the Galvanising process. The fella I spoke to mentioned the welds need to be sound otherwise the heat of a 450 degree bath will separate joined metal(I don't see this as an issue) Though door frames would need to emerge free from twist or buckling.

[brendanm]

These are the parts that were recommended for electro-plating as they have moving components. What have other people done with these during a rebuild?

[dennisS1]

In The past I have pull these bits apart and just sent them with the rest.
I would have through $150 to 200 for full car worth.
Dennis

[brendanm]

Thanks Dennis
I was going to chase up a lead from a galvanising mob at Padstow today after sandblasting. It took longer than expected so it looks like tomorrow. The disassembly of these pieces does not look lke the easiest of tasks, not without heating and some hammer work. One of the threads I was reading was talking about a galvanising stick which sounds similar to tinning solder. I wonder if this is worth trying as an option.

Todays results, certainly removed all the crud and remnant paint trapped right in the corners where the wire wheels could not reach.

[isuzurover]

Thanks Dennis
I was going to chase up a lead from a galvanising mob at Padstow today after sandblasting. It took longer than expected so it looks like tomorrow. The disassembly of these pieces does not look lke the easiest of tasks, not without heating and some hammer work. One of the threads I was reading was talking about a galvanising stick which sounds similar to tinning solder. I wonder if this is worth trying as an option.

Todays results, certainly removed all the crud and remnant paint trapped right in the corners where the wire wheels could not reach.

As Dennis said I usually pulled the bits apart, then reassembled after. For most parts you simply grind the end off the pin, then install a new pin after galvanising. Some parts I galvanised with the pi then managed to free up after, but it can be hit and miss...

[Landy Smurf]

when you put them back on are you using pop rivets or original kind?

[isuzurover]

when you put them back on are you using pop rivets or original kind?

If that was directed at me(?) then in most cases I used soft stock like class 4 bolts or welding rods and peened them to look like the original.

[brendanm]

Dropped the components over to Pastow this morning. Big price difference. $120 as a minimum weight + 75 cents per kilo for the acid wash. Should be closer to, or under the $150 price range that others have indicated. He could not give any guarantee on distortion. He looked at a couple of components like the door hinge where there is an excess of orginal Gal and said the components look like they were dipped originally though it is only a guess as the process would have changed a lot in the 60 years since. Couple of days until pickup.

If the question was refitting. The intention was to use the blind rivets and solid aluminium domed head rivets as original. I have some rivets and a punch on the way. I have seen a screw thread clamp type tool used to upset the rivets. If anyone owns one or knows of one available for loan I would be happy to hear from them.

[brendanm]

Picked up the bits that went in for galvanising today. All the bits were there and no warping or distortion. $138 all up that's doorframes, hinges, all cappings, tailgate pieces and a couple of fittings. I don't think the price would alter much if more components like the windscreen surround went in as it is well under minimum weight, so it would only be 75cents per kilo extra for the acid bath.

I knew when putting them in they would do their best with tying up as they have had wire break before and the component then becomes part of the gal bath. I have enough spares that this is not debilitating just would be annoying given the welding and sand blasting that went into preparation. I was more concerned with distortion.

The coating was thicker than I thought with some inconsistencies. I touched up some of the dags with a file. The surface texture on some components was rough. I will attempt to sand down, though not through the Zinc coating to achieve a better finish. Maybe this is where a centrifugal galvaniser may be better as excess zinc is spun off the metal after dipping.

I am not convinced that I have gone about this the right way. Initially I though that painting with a cold gal would be like spray painting an asterix on a hubcap and calling it a mag wheel. Given it was originally gal I was keen to reproduce this. I will post some more photos that give a better look.

[brendanm]

Trial fit of some components

[brendanm]

One more with the badge. Sprayed black and lightly sanded to highlight the writing.

[isuzurover]

...

The coating was thicker than I thought with some inconsistencies. I touched up some of the dags with a file. The surface texture on some components was rough. I will attempt to sand down, though not through the Zinc coating to achieve a better finish. Maybe this is where a centrifugal galvaniser may be better as excess zinc is spun off the metal after dipping.

I am not convinced that I have gone about this the right way. Initially I though that painting with a cold gal would be like spray painting an asterix on a hubcap and calling it a mag wheel. Given it was originally gal I was keen to reproduce this. I will post some more photos that give a better look.

As you said the parts were originally hot dip galvanised. AFAIK they were all dipped rather than centrifuged.

Many landie restorers make the mistake of trying to restore to better than original condition. The lumps and bumps in the original gal would have corroded away before you got the car.

I have been told that (some?) series 1s were delivered with runs in the original paint!!! (don't know how true that is)

[Landy Smurf]

Wow that looks great!

[brendanm]

Had a go today with some cold gal over some of the smaller and articulating parts to get a better match with the newly re galvanised components.-Looked like undercoat.
Picked up some aluminium based paint. Looks garish though is a lot closer match and allows movement of hinges and swivel catches.
With any luck it will fade at the same rate as the zinc coatings.
Pick the hot gal dipped from the gal paint from the Aluminium paint.

[1950landy]

Next time you are using the aluminum paint mix a bit of enamel hardner in it , it is a lot more durable . I use it on the out side of my brake resvour & the brake fluid doesn't take the paint off :D

[klonk]

Looks like they did a good job, but does seem abit shiney for an old landy. I have vague recollections that the galvanising man told me to wipe it with lemon juice to speed up the aging process. I havent tried it so if you do, do it in an unseen area first. I guess you need to wash it off when you are happy with the colour.

[brendanm]

Thanks 1950landy & Klonk. Both great ideas that I am sure to try.
One of the next items was to have the rims sand blasted and powder coated. Reading posts is steering me away from powder coating and I was going to etch prime and coat with a hardener in the enamel. As I was thinking the fitting of tyres would be harsh on paintwork. I did not think about the little fittings.

I will you know how the Lemon juice works out. There is plenty of surface area on the back of the tailgate hinges. Makes sense as before the parts were dipped in zinc they were acid washed. Not sure if the acid was to bring components back to bare metal or just further clean up. The acidity of the lemon juice is probably better for your hands than Hydrochloric.

[isuzurover]

...Not sure if the acid was to bring components back to bare metal or just further clean up. ...

The acid was to remove the zinc. Parts need to be bare steel before galvanising.

Washing with vinegar or lemon juice also removes some of the zinc you just paid money to put on there. It will go dull with time of its own accord.

[1950landy]

:DThe Galvanisers put the parts into acid to strip the old galv off , the acid also acts as a flux to galvanise . when you take parts to them for regalvanising they charge double the cost of galv to strip plus the cost by weight to regalv.
I painted the bonnet latches on my 80 with alum paint with hardner the brass hooks i took back to brass & polished . The hinges on the seat box lids have a alum hinge pin so don't wegalv or the pin will melt in the dip & you will loose 1/2 of the hinge . The other reason for putong extra holes is to stop air pockets when galvanising, if you get a air pocket it won't galv where the air pocket & if you get a air pocket in a enclosed area & the wil expand & blow the piece . A piece of RHS 500mm x 25mm Sq if sealed will blow upto a ton of zinc out of the pot when it blows:o.I delt with Galvanisers for about 30 years & know a bit about galvanising & ysually if they say they need extra holes . I've seen heavy angles welded to plates with tested welds that have not had vent holes drilled just peal off the plate. :o Some times they want the holes so they can drain the zinc in a certain way , they usually hang from one corner so the zinc will run to the opposate corner & they only have the one drip to clean off . I regalvanised all the galv items on my 80 except the the bonnet latches & seat box hinges . Small items they can centrifuge but the finish will be different to the items that have been just diped & you take the risk of loosing some of them because they are not wired together & go in the centrifuge with a lot of other costomers items which they hand sort at the completion of the process. When I used to get landrover parts galv i would wire them myself & ask them to leave them on the wire & not dress them , then I cut them off the wire & dressed them my self that way i didn't loose any bits but towire them your self you need to know how to wire them so they don't touch together & hang the rite way to get a good finish. Hope this is of some help.:BigThumb:

[1950landy]

:cool:The process of galvanising is 1st Wire items 2nd Caustic tank to remove paint & clean , 3rd Water tank, 4th Acid tank to remove serface rust & mill scale, 5th Another water tank to hold ready for galv 6th quick dip into acid to flux the job , 7th Into zinc where it stays in untill the zinc comes back up to tempurature 8th Into water tank to quench. ( the quench usually has a chemical in it to prevent white rust , this chemical will give the galv a yellow tint which will fade away after being in the sun a couple of weeks) 9th Is cutting off wire & dressing usually with a air grinder or body file . The air grinder can some times take too much zinc off if they are not carefull. This is why i prefer to pick up still on the wire & un dressed so nothing gets lost & so they don't grinde through the zinc. If they have ground through the zinc you can buy zinc sticks which looks a little like solder , by heating the area you can melt zinc in then work it in with a wire brush . It takes a little practice but works well. The other way is to touch it up with cold galv then touch up with aluminum paint it is the closest I have been abel to get to the colour of calv. The reason they charge double for stripping is the zinc weakens the acid & they have to replace it sooner , They usually wont strip if they have new acid & you may have to wait longer if stripping is required :DWayne

[1950landy]

Picked up the bits that went in for galvanising today. All the bits were there and no warping or distortion. $138 all up that's doorframes, hinges, all cappings, tailgate pieces and a couple of fittings. I don't think the price would alter much if more components like the windscreen surround went in as it is well under minimum weight, so it would only be 75cents per kilo extra for the acid bath.

I knew when putting them in they would do their best with tying up as they have had wire break before and the component then becomes part of the gal bath. I have enough spares that this is not debilitating just would be annoying given the welding and sand blasting that went into preparation. I was more concerned with distortion.

The coating was thicker than I thought with some inconsistencies. I touched up some of the dags with a file. The surface texture on some components was rough. I will attempt to sand down, though not through the Zinc coating to achieve a better finish. Maybe this is where a centrifugal galvaniser may be better as excess zinc is spun off the metal after dipping.

I am not convinced that I have gone about this the right way. Initially I though that painting with a cold gal would be like spray painting an asterix on a hubcap and calling it a mag wheel. Given it was originally gal I was keen to reproduce this. I will post some more photos that give a better look.
:cool:In the old days they used to sprinkle sale on the pieces , the salt would make the zinc run better giving a smoother & thinner zinc coating . They are not allowed to use salt now because of polution ( fills the plant up with smoke) Also if they leave it in the zinc too long the zinc will build up on its self & become thicker & it also depends on the silcone content of the steel as to the finish, silcone will give dull patches in the zinc .:eek: Wayne

[brendanm]

Next installment. Galvanised door frames being reskinned. The old ones are worn through. Thanks to the Royal review thread for the ideas.

[brendanm]

Couple more images. One of the doors frames had one end out of square by about 4mm. I would have thought that these would have been jig cut and welded in a template. Will have to wait and see how the alignment looks when fitted. I also used 2mm to skin the doors as the left over sheet will be the tail gate. The original was thinner though I figured a thicker panel is less likely to dint given it is a single skin.

[1950landy]

You will need to etch prime the galv where it is going to touch the alum as you will get a reaction between the alum & galv . Wayne

[brendanm]

Thanks Wayne
Would I still need to etch prime the Gal if I etch prime and paint the panel before fitting? I like the look of the fresh Gal against the darker paint. Most doors I have seen are just all one colour, probably having a fresh coat at some time without removing or masking the frame.
My intention was to paint both sides of the door skin. The skin is already a press fit to the frame where I have bent the edges at 90 degrees, then fit to the frame. I was going to use some variant of silastic /metal adhesive to reduce any potential rattle, then tap the edges over to complete the frame and touch up any paint where required on the inside lip.
There must be many ways to go about painting and keeping the raw Gal against the paint. This way wet paint will not be sprayed near the Gal, though I had not thought of reaction between metals. Makes you think again of those aluminium finished vehicles. They must have some kind of clear coat.

[1950landy]

Thanks Wayne
Would I still need to etch prime the Gal if I etch prime and paint the panel before fitting? I like the look of the fresh Gal against the darker paint. Most doors I have seen are just all one colour, probably having a fresh coat at some time without removing or masking the frame.
My intention was to paint both sides of the door skin. The skin is already a press fit to the frame where I have bent the edges at 90 degrees, then fit to the frame. I was going to use some variant of silastic /metal adhesive to reduce any potential rattle, then tap the edges over to complete the frame and touch up any paint where required on the inside lip.
There must be many ways to go about painting and keeping the raw Gal against the paint. This way wet paint will not be sprayed near the Gal, though I had not thought of reaction between metals. Makes you think again of those aluminium finished vehicles. They must have some kind of clear coat.
The silastic should keep the two metals apart . A few years ago when our company was building marina gangways the people we were building them for left the galv pivots on the alum ramps & they reacted & etched into the alum .

[isuzurover]

On IIAs a grey mastic type material was used between the door skins and frames. When I refitted the skins to my gal IIA door frames back in 1994 I used brush on sound deadener. That was almost 20 years ago and so far so good ;)

[brendanm]

Had a go at constructing a tail gate today. It was a best guestimate using what was left of two fogged out tail gates that had pretty much collapsed. The internals frame that were spot welded to the sheet were fairly thin and ripped.To complicate the dimensions I am using 2mm sheet left over from the doors for every component. This I would expect to add to the longevity, given the fatigue of the thinner original sections.
It fit though needed to be forced over the rear latches. The sides could really do with an extra couple of mm. I measured the internal of the back though forgot to subtract the extra internal frame(4mm) . This would have made the width right. The depth needs an extra 3mm as the Gal brackets are not sitting quite right. The bottom gal strip is just rubbing on the hinge when the top Gal capping aligns.
There is enough sheet left over so I might have another crack at it tomorrow. It will be finished for a long time, so no point settling for something that could be improved. When Iam happy Iwill also add the middle upright and the tie down cleats.

[Landy Smurf]

Can I adopt you?

[brendanm]

Another attempt. Should get a chance to fit it up and adjust this afternoon.

[LowRanger]

Keep this up Brendan,and you will be able to give up your other job,and just build panels for Land Rovers for a living:D

[brendanm]

Fit somuch better. Extra 3mm in depth allows all the brackets to sit right. Extra 4mm in width allows the closing latches to slide over. All gaps a parallel.

[brendanm]

Not sure how others have done the fitting up of door skins to the frame. With the extra thickness of the skins (2mm), they are a lot more rigid. I sprayed them with colour first. Then completed folding the edges over. Sikaflex was added at this stage to the mating faces. I clamped the skin to the frame to eliminate any movement of the sheet on the front face.Where the aluminium was steched in the folding operation I scuffed the front surface and gave a top coat .

[brendanm]

To keep any overspray getting on the Gal where the door handles go I stuffed a rag in there. Seemed to work well. The tail gate got a lick of paint at the same time.

[brendanm]

Tail gate looked good until I took out the temporary bolts and replaced them with the dome head aluminium rivets in an attempt to match the top capping. In hindsight I should have looked further into spot welding as none of the peliminary testing worked well on the aluminium. I ended up countersinking the back side of the panel and roving the rivet. I then ground the excess back flush. The process knocked the head of the rivet around on the front side. To be happy with the finished result it became apparent that I would need to sand and refinish the panel. Pity to be looking at the reflection of the sander in new duco stripping it back. Worth doing though after the effort so far. Just need to wait for the rain to stop to have another crack at painting.

[brendanm]

On a happier note the cappings look good riveted on and the doors with the handle assembly in fit well. Tomorrow I hope to get a chance to fit the latch to the panel side and have a functional door.
Some of the rubbers arrived from the UK along with the rivets.

[Landy Smurf]

Great work again Brendan, I cant wait too see this one day

[klonk]

Tail gate looked good until I took out the temporary bolts and replaced them with the dome head aluminium rivets in an attempt to match the top capping. In hindsight I should have looked further into spot welding as none of the peliminary testing worked well on the aluminium. I ended up countersinking the back side of the panel and roving the rivet. I then ground the excess back flush. The process knocked the head of the rivet around on the front side. To be happy with the finished result it became apparent that I would need to sand and refinish the panel. Pity to be looking at the reflection of the sander in new duco stripping it back. Worth doing though after the effort so far. Just need to wait for the rain to stop to have another crack at painting.


I feel your pain, dont short cut now. I quite often sit the panels aside and have found it is easier 2nd time around.

looking good.

[1950landy]

The was a guy in the Brisbane Land Rover Club who made a tailgate for a *0". He made the frame out of steel RHS & then attached a sheet of alum to it. When you first looked at it was hard to tell ti wasn't origional & it wasn't untill you looked closer you realised wtat it was , but it was much stronger than the origional & good for the hard off roading he was doing.

[brendanm]

Todays efforts
Fitted the door. Not that there is much in that, though behind the door redrilled the tub to fit the bracket that the catch bolts to. Door closes well and all the gaps are parallel. Also put the rivets around the handle. Glad it is only a 2 door, not real fussed on this job- thousand hits later. All the panels line up ok.On the inside I like the contrast of the fresh galvanising against the dark green of the panel.
I placed the cab hoop in place to get an idea of how it will look. The original intention was to fit a canvas truck cab without the door tops or alternately just fold the window down with the fittings clipped to the bonet catches. Either way should be a good summer vehicle.

[brendanm]

Bit more progress.
Replaced the galvanised fittings to the tailgate. I like to refit components as soon as possible so they don't get damaged in the shed.
I put some older defender wheels on to move the car forward so I could swing the passenger door. Looks pretty stupid with 32inch tyres on 8inch rims. They are very temporary.
Got an etch coat and primer on the actual rims today. All going well colour tomorrow. I ended up going for an enamel matched to the acrylic of the panels. Bit of harder in the mix. Hopefully this should withstand the tyre levers better. Some of the rims were riveted others spot welded. I had 10 to choose from so selected the 6 that ballanced up best.

[brendanm]

Second go at the colour. First go at painting was horrible. The finish had a number of bits that were sprayed into the finish. It was my first shot at Enamel. I much prefer the Acrylic. I returned to the paint shop and picked up some paper filters. I was amazed how many solids were strained from the mix. It took about 5 minutes for the mix to go through, this was after mixing with the stirring stick for a couple of minutes. Final result is ok. Amazed how many particles had to be removed compared to the Acrylic. Then again there is so much more thinner with Acrylic. The Enamel also had some hardner in the mix.
Also put some tape across the radiator support panel. All progress.

[chazza]

The finish had a number of bits that were sprayed into the finish. It was my first shot at Enamel. I much prefer the Acrylic. I returned to the paint shop and picked up some paper filters. I was amazed how many solids were strained from the mix. It took about 5 minutes for the mix to go through, this was after mixing with the stirring stick for a couple of minutes.

Sounds to me as if they sold you some rather old stock, which had separated badly. The only time I have had to use filters, is when I chose to use some very old primer once.

I would tell them that you are not happy - if they couldn't get rid of the lumps by mixing in the shop, they should have found you something better.

Your paint job looks fantastic by the way!

Cheers Charlie

[1950landy]

Sounds to me as if they sold you some rather old stock, which had separated badly. The only time I have had to use filters, is when I chose to use some very old primer once.

I would tell them that you are not happy - if they couldn't get rid of the lumps by mixing in the shop, they should have found you something better.

Your paint job looks fantastic by the way!

Cheers Charlie
I agree , there shouldn't be any rubish in a new can of paint anless it's faulty. I like using enamel because you get a good gloss off the gun & you dont have to buff it to get a shine. Landrovers are hard to buff because it is easy to buff the paint off the rivets & you can't get the asme paint finish around the rivets as the flat panels.

[brendanm]

The gloss straight from the Enamel does look good. The acrylic is much more forgiving to a novice painter.
Thought while I had the Aluminium spray from matching the Gal I would spray the inside of the D lamps for a bit of extra reflection. The outer is just a spray can of black. Cardboard blanks the holes.
A drive shaft cobbled together from a couple I had got a coat at the same time. Between grease nipples snapped off flush to the surface and bent/ worn yolks and ceased uni's took longer than I thought.
Nothing like a drying tree in the sun.

[brendanm]

Once I 've started on the lights might as well keep going. Couple of questions. I only have one wire to retain the glass. I can use this for a template to bend a second for the other light. Is there anything special with the wire-spring steel? I can probably match the gauge.
For the front I have de-rusted and painted the cups. The inner chrome rings responded well to a steelo scourer. The gal coated rings were wire wheel brushed and cold gal. I was thinking of replacing the 7 inch Lucas sealed unit with a unit that incorporates a parker. I was going to keep the amps as close to original as possible so as not to upset the generator. The outer chrome rings have any number of layers of paint. There does not appear to be any chrome underneath (maybe military) and I have gone back to the brass in sections. I notice all the new replacements have a screw underneath not a bolt type set up to constrict the diameter. There is a chrome place not far from here that I will look into tomorrow.
This way I can use the sidelights on the guards to be the indicators with a replacement orange globe. For the back I have been looking at a UK site that has a glass Lucas indicator similar to the series vehicles with a lense though a lot less domed with a chrome ring. The flatter style complements the reflector better. My other option was to try a local auto distributor of aftermarket accessories to see if there is something local. I don't want to stray to far from original though for safety I would make some changes.

[1950landy]

Once I 've started on the lights might as well keep going. Couple of questions. I only have one wire to retain the glass. I can use this for a template to bend a second for the other light. Is there anything special with the wire-spring steel? I can probably match the gauge.
For the front I have de-rusted and painted the cups. The inner chrome rings responded well to a steelo scourer. The gal coated rings were wire wheel brushed and cold gal. I was thinking of replacing the 7 inch Lucas sealed unit with a unit that incorporates a parker. I was going to keep the amps as close to original as possible so as not to upset the generator. The outer chrome rings have any number of layers of paint. There does not appear to be any chrome underneath (maybe military) and I have gone back to the brass in sections. I notice all the new replacements have a screw underneath not a bolt type set up to constrict the diameter. There is a chrome place not far from here that I will look into tomorrow.
This way I can use the sidelights on the guards to be the indicators with a replacement orange globe. For the back I have been looking at a UK site that has a glass Lucas indicator similar to the series vehicles with a lense though a lot less domed with a chrome ring. The flatter style complements the reflector better. My other option was to try a local auto distributor of aftermarket accessories to see if there is something local. I don't want to stray to far from original though for safety I would make some changes.
I'll have a look tomorrow ,I may have a spare retaining wire you can have . If i do i dont want anything for it.

[mfc]

Looks like they did a good job, but does seem abit shiney for an old landy. I have vague recollections that the galvanising man told me to wipe it with lemon juice to speed up the aging process. I havent tried it so if you do, do it in an unseen area first. I guess you need to wash it off when you are happy with the colour.

I used lemon juice to clean my old gall( with a scourer) works well . The juice seems to leave a dull powder ish layer that you scourer off... Fairly gentle process lemon wise , as in on a few bits i left it on overnight didn't seem to deteriorate further than applying , scouring of and washing . It did blend in the worn and unweathered gal well .
Looking like a real nice car there( makes me think about painting mine )
Cheers mark

[1950landy]

I'll have a look tomorrow ,I may have a spare retaining wire you can have . If i do i dont want anything for it.

Had a look for the taillight clip today , the only one I have is broken. I have seen the glass stuck in with glass Selastic. The clip needs to be made of spring type wire.

[chazza]

A piece of high-tensile fencing wire may work, if you can find a suitable diameter; or go to a spring manufacturer and see if they have something,

Cheers Charlie

[brendanm]

Thanks very much for looking Wayne I appreciate the gesture. In fitting the one that I had it snapped in my hand. Silastic looks like a great option.
Located some new headlights today, local auto supply. Exactly what I was after, semi sealed, parker in the lense. curved front like the original Lucas $55 including globes. Fitted up well. The original ones I had were all different brands some with broken solder on the sealed beam section others with the reflective paint peeling off the glass.
The outer beezel rims fitted not so well. I wound the adjustment screw in though it was still loose. Consulted the manual to find there should be a dust exclusion felt in there. Can't remember taking one out.
On the chroming front they can be done. Quote 1 month turn around $288. Starting to think they might look very good repainted or I could polish and lacquer the brass, or order online, though they don't have an adjustment mechanism like the original just a small locating screw.

[1950landy]

You could try KB Claccic Parts (07) 45944221 . Kev may have some new or 2nd hand rims , he has been collecting Lucas parts for the last 50 years. You will need to phone him as he doeas not use a computer. He may also have tnew clips to hold the glass in your D lamps

[klonk]

If you can't find the wire clip for the tail light, you could try a toy and hobby shop and ask for some piano wire it comes in different diameters,in a meter length, and is spring steel. Used it for building model aeroplanes when Iwas a kid.

[1950landy]

I think you will need to heat where tou want to bend it or it will brake.

[chazza]

I think you will need to heat where tou want to bend it or it will brake.

It depends on the hardness. I have bought spring wire before to use in welding/work clamps, which could be cold-bent to shape.

If it is hot-bent, the finished product can be heated to dull-red and quenched in oil or water and then tempered with the torch to a suitable colour, to relieve some of the hardness,

Cheers Charlie

[klonk]

The wire up to about 1mm can be bent with a pair of pliers to 90 deg without heat but will probably break if done twice.

Cheers Steve

[isuzutoo-eh]

G'day Brendan, fantastic work so far mate!
As Klonk said, some hobby shops stock piano wire/spring steel. The shop I work at stocks piano wire in 3' lengths and many different gauges from hair thickness to can't bend it in a vice. Let me know what dia you want and i'll see if it's in stock. There's probably a shop closer than Parramatta to you though..!

[brendanm]

Had a chance to do a little more today. Exhaust on. Not a great fit out of the box. Rebent the front pipe to better meet the intermediate pipe. Looks like it sits a little low at the front. Though I am happy to have another job ticked off, means closer to going for a drive.
Also made a start on the seats. Not getting far with Exmoor trim and their NSW distributor. A local upholsterer by comparison was very helpful. We discussed types of material and came back to vinyl. So I have pretty much decided to restore what I have. His quote was in the $450 ballpark. The green vinyl was very close to the original. There is an option to go for a heavy duty vinyl, the type use in public transport (think red rattler).
I took a wire wheel in the drill to the backs that cleaned up the pressed metal. There is some rust towards the bottom and I was thinking of fibre-glassing the bottom before a coat of a cold gal or similar. The original had a horse hair or some kind of padding in it. A trip to the local foam store will be on the cards. All covered by the vinyl so no one will be any the wiser as they are sitting comfortably.

[1950landy]

Thanks very much for looking Wayne I appreciate the gesture. In fitting the one that I had it snapped in my hand. Silastic looks like a great option.
Located some new headlights today, local auto supply. Exactly what I was after, semi sealed, parker in the lense. curved front like the original Lucas $55 including globes. Fitted up well. The original ones I had were all different brands some with broken solder on the sealed beam section others with the reflective paint peeling off the glass.
The outer beezel rims fitted not so well. I wound the adjustment screw in though it was still loose. Consulted the manual to find there should be a dust exclusion felt in there. Can't remember taking one out.
On the chroming front they can be done. Quote 1 month turn around $288. Starting to think they might look very good repainted or I could polish and lacquer the brass, or order online, though they don't have an adjustment mechanism like the original just a small locating screw.
If you havn,t found the head light rims yet I will have some new ones on Wednesday . I have boughe a guy's colection of Rover & Landrover parts & there is new Chrome & brass series 1 H/L rims still in there boxes . There are 3 different types of rims & I think there is atleast 6 or more of each. :BigThumb: Probely looking for $20 each plus freight . I have found killrust rust converter is very good on service rust , kills the rust & turnes it black & seals it & can then be painted over.
Wayne

[mfc]

I've got a pair of knockoff d lights that I replaced with pork pies ... If the spring is suitable you're welcome to one ... Take a pic of the good one on a peice of graph paper n ill look
Regards mark

[1950landy]

I picked up the parts i was getting today & have to go back next week to pick up another ute load & i should have some new D lamp wire clips in the next load . It may take me a couple of weeks to go through the 200 fruit boxes of parts I PU today . Iwill let you know when i find the rims.Wayne

[brendanm]

Thanks Wayne. Sounds like a really good score.

[1950landy]

These are the L/R head light rim's I have , there are 3 chrome new ones & 1 S/H one ( looks as good as new) & 5 painted S/H ones . The D lamp clips i should have some time next week , will let you know the cost then .
Wayne

[brendanm]

That looks exactly what I was after with the chrome and the screw mechanism underneath. Let me know some details closer to postage and I can send some money your way.

[brendanm]

Thanks to Wayne for the suggestion to use rust converter. Puts my mind at ease knowing everything that can be done to stop future rusting, is being done. Once upholstered they wont be checked much until something goes wrong. On some of the lower backs there was not a lot of metal left. Given they are unseen the fibre glassing worked well and added strength. They were painted with some cold gal, then a second coat of the aluminium spray as thet is what is left over at the moment.
Heard back from the Exmoor rep the other day. The price is nearly double that of getting them professionally upholstered. Probably depends how much time you want to muck around with them. I also need to factor in foam and the $25 for the glass. I am kind of happy to know I am recovering part of history as opposed to assembling new components when there is a viable alternative that keeps character.

[1950landy]

The spray cans of aluminum colour is as near to galv colour as you will get. We used it on any galv we had to touch where the galv had been chiped in transport . We used to spray cold galv then light spray of aluninum & when the top coat was about 3/4 dry wipe it with a rag. When i was buying my 3 mam canvas tilt i got a price to make local $2000 ,Series One Shop was $800 + freight & John Craddock was 317.37 pounds with a tool roll & freight to Brisbane,which worked out at around $600 at the time:D I also then bought my door top flaps from Craddocks latter so i could match the colour of the tilt I think the cost was around $50 delivered. Looking at your restoration I keep thinking i should repaint Landy , its been 26years since the rebuild .

[brendanm]

Dropped the seats off to the upholsterer today. It has been nice to be back in my comfort zone and work with some timber. The seat bases are Dominoed Iron Bark with some exterior ply. I routered all the air holes to minimise chipping then oiled all the timber in an attempt to prolong the service life. At the bottom of the backs I cut some Huon Pine offcuts to shape, then glued and riveted in place as a substrate to take the upholstery staples. In a trial fit it all looked good.
I went for some high density foam, 4 inch on the seat and 2 inch on the back. I figured over a bump if there was more resistance to feeling the seat frames this would be a good thing. Should be ready next week.

[brendanm]

Hi Dennis
My email is doing funny things so might be just as easy to give you some images in the thread. Hope some of these are of use.

[steed]

With boring the extra holes, This may be a preventative of moisture getting trapped while immersed in hot liquid. And The original holes were smaller because the metal was new and may have had no chance of moisture to ingress.

Just a thought.

[1950landy]

:banana:I received the D lamp clips today , they cost $7 each . just need to find a box to put the rims & clips in so the clips dont get damaged & I can let you know the total cost with postage:banana: Wayne

[brendanm]

Thanks Wayne they look great. I will wait to hear from you.

[1950landy]

I have found a box & is all packed, so just need a postal address so i can calculate the postage. Wayne

[Michele]

On IIAs a grey mastic type material was used between the door skins and frames. When I refitted the skins to my gal IIA door frames back in 1994 I used brush on sound deadener. That was almost 20 years ago and so far so good ;)

I skinned a couple of extra doors in the last weeks and I'm having the frames patched up (rotten lower section); my ex boss refused to get the frames galvanized, so I hope to find someone else to do the job.

I was wondering about the mastic material, your sound deadener is a good Plan B :)

I hope you're well!

[brendanm]

Seats in and feel good with the high density foam. The rubber stops on the bases are door stops that I sectioned on the band saw. I drilled an interference hole into timber and wedged the stop, before slicing to keep my fingers out of the way of the blade. Behind the seats I used a smaller diameter stop and filed them to a taper in the drillpress to look original. They pick up the gal brackets well.

[brendanm]

Fair bit of down time. Some good progress some not so. I have been collecting a few bits mostly electrical. Thanks Wayne for the chrome rings and clips. I came across a period inicator stalk at the landrover expo and some glass Lucas lenses. As much as I did not want to put a hole in a clean panel, I do want to drive it on the road and don't want it hit by someone who does not know which direction I am heading.
Got the tyres on today. I also came across a fella who had some of the brackets that the spare wheel rests against. I cleaned them up and will gather some other pieces such as the door tops that I have rewelded and make one more visit to the galvaniser.
The not so good was a leak in one of my brake lines. I will have another attempt soon

[Landy Smurf]

That has to be one of the best if not the best going round, I cant wait to see it and pick your mind

[ashhhhh]

Looking great mate. :thumbup:

[Brad110]

What are those tyres?

Brand/ size

[brendanm]

The tyre brand is Otangi, they are out of Thailand. The size is 6.50 x 16 light truck tyre. I thought a 6.00 x 16 is standard and overdrives often get fitted. This would be a balance between the torque of a smaller diameter and the longer legs of a taller tyre without the need for extra gearing. The car will be used on bush tracks, though nothing like I would put the Defender through, so I can accept the loss of some low gearing. I don't expect the car will ever do a hard days work either towing, heavily laden or big kilometers.

[Homestar]

The tyre brand is Otangi, they are out of Thailand. The size is 6.50 x 16 light truck tyre. I thought a 6.00 x 16 is standard and overdrives often get fitted. This would be a balance between the torque of a smaller diameter and the longer legs of a taller tyre without the need for extra gearing. The car will be used on bush tracks, though nothing like I would put the Defender through, so I can accept the loss of some low gearing. I don't expect the car will ever do a hard days work either towing, heavily laden or big kilometers.

Did you import them yourself, or find them on ebay, etc? What sort of price if you don't mind me asking?:). I don't think you'll notice too much loss in the gearing with the 6.5's - they look good too.:)

[Brad110]

Thank you.

Keen to see what others run.

I have 7.50 and they are too tall. 90 kph on flat road but too tall on inclines.

I was going to try 7.00, or 215 85 16 in the new currency. I was quoted $175 for Federal Couragias with tubes.

Friends just crossed the Simpson on 205 without problems.

Let us know how the 6.5 perform when you get mobile.

Are they Radials or Rags?

[brendanm]

Pretty sure they are a rag tyre as it does not say radial on the tyre. 10 ply is printed on the side.
They came from a friend who works with a tyre company, when we were talking he said he thought he had some in one of their warehouses. At the warehouse it turned out to be 6.00 x 16 bar treads. I showed the fella there an image (taken at the expo) of the type of tyre I was thinking. The smallest was a 6.50 x 16 and located at Brisbane and I asked for a second spare. He got them posted down for me. The cost of 6 with tubes was not much more that one tyre for the defender, though I had to fit them as they are not a commercial dealer with the fitting facilities as they don't usually do retail.
One of the managers there was interested to see an image of the car when fitted up to post back to the manufacturer as they usually end up on light trucks and they had not thought of the recreational market.

[Johnno1969]

Hey there,

That is a simply beautiful vehicle! I look forward to seeing more.

Thanks for the posts.

Cheers,

John

[Homestar]

Pretty sure they are a rag tyre as it does not say radial on the tyre. 10 ply is printed on the side.
They came from a friend who works with a tyre company, when we were talking he said he thought he had some in one of their warehouses. At the warehouse it turned out to be 6.00 x 16 bar treads. I showed the fella there an image (taken at the expo) of the type of tyre I was thinking. The smallest was a 6.50 x 16 and located at Brisbane and I asked for a second spare. He got them posted down for me. The cost of 6 with tubes was not much more that one tyre for the defender, though I had to fit them as they are not a commercial dealer with the fitting facilities as they don't usually do retail.
One of the managers there was interested to see an image of the car when fitted up to post back to the manufacturer as they usually end up on light trucks and they had not thought of the recreational market.

Do they want to sell some more?:). I'm looking for a 7.00 x 16 if they have them in that size, or even a 7.50 x 16. If they want to sell some more, can you please post or PM me the details?

Cheers - Gav.:)

[klonk]

Wonderful job on the Landy, something to be proud of.
Those tyres look good, The 10plys will give a hard ride though.

Steve

PS For your headlight rubbers, check out these people in the UK. http://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/categories/vintage-car-parts-lamps-parts-and-spares-rubber-parts

[1950landy]

The guy i got the "D" lamp clips off may have the head light rubbers also, i'll give him a call tomorrow . Will have to act fast because he has sold his business & the hand over date is only a couple of weeks away. Every time you post photo's I want to pull my 80 apart again & repaint it . DAMMMM you are doing a good job, wish I wasn't doing the Mini at the moment.
Wayne

[1950landy]

The guy i got the "D" lamp clips off may have the head light rubbers also, i'll give him a call tomorrow . Will have to act fast because he has sold his business & the hand over date is only a couple of weeks away. Every time you post photo's I want to pull my 80 apart again & repaint it . DAMMMM you are doing a good job, wish I wasn't doing the Mini at the moment.
Wayne
I spoke to KB today about the seals. He said he should have them , if not he can get them. He needs to know the L/R's year , if it is a 2 or 3 adjusting screw type & if its the seals between the bucket& front panel or the dust seals, The bucket to body are approx $10 each & the dust seals are approx $17 each. but he hands over the business on Thursday then the parts won't be availsble untill the new guy shifts all yhe parts ftom Brisbane to Melbourne& works out what he has got. I so hav a couple of new bucket to body seals for a 3 adjuster type that fits Rover P4 & P5 7 would probely fit a S1. Wayne

[1950landy]

Item 7 is the dust seal & 8 bucket to body seal.
Second photo is the buclet to body seals I have which are Out side 210mm dia Inside approx 143mm dia & 4mm thick . It is actually roung wouldn't quite fit on my scanner. Wayne

[brendanm]

Hi Wayne
That sounds great if you are able to source both the bucket backing rubbers and the dust felts. Although I have tried to grind back the frayed edges of the original rubber, if you had new ones I would be happy to upgrade. There are three adjustment screws on the headlight. What I am missing altogether is the dust seals. If the prices are accurate I can send some money through on 2 rubbers, 2 dust felts and some postage. Let me know if this sounds OK.
Thanks Brendan

[Brad110]

Do they want to sell some more?:). I'm looking for a 7.00 x 16 if they have them in that size, or even a 7.50 x 16. If they want to sell some more, can you please post or PM me the details?

Cheers - Gav.:)

Me too

Brad

[1950landy]

Hi Wayne
That sounds great if you are able to source both the bucket backing rubbers and the dust felts. Although I have tried to grind back the frayed edges of the original rubber, if you had new ones I would be happy to upgrade. There are three adjustment screws on the headlight. What I am missing altogether is the dust seals. If the prices are accurate I can send some money through on 2 rubbers, 2 dust felts and some postage. Let me know if this sounds OK.
Thanks Brendan
I'll ring KB tomorrow & order them. I asked him the price today & that is the price he told me & there would be some freight. If he has them in stock i should have them by the weekend. Wayne

[brendanm]

Thanks Wayne
Originally I was after something that looks respectable. All these little touches will just make it look better.

[1950landy]

Hi Wayne
That sounds great if you are able to source both the bucket backing rubbers and the dust felts. Although I have tried to grind back the frayed edges of the original rubber, if you had new ones I would be happy to upgrade. There are three adjustment screws on the headlight. What I am missing altogether is the dust seals. If the prices are accurate I can send some money through on 2 rubbers, 2 dust felts and some postage. Let me know if this sounds OK.
Thanks Brendan
Hi Brendan, I have ordered the 4 rubber head light seals off KB & have given him your address so he will post them to you this will save you one lot of postage . He will let me know the total cost & i will send him the money & you can fix me up when you receive the parts . Wayne

[1950landy]

Hi Brendan , I would say there were a couple of H/L seals KB didn't have in stock , he is going to ring me for your address when he gets them so he can send them directly to you that will save you one lot of postage, & I will send him the money. You can fix me up after you get the parts . Wayne

[brendanm]

Glad to hear from you Wayne. After checking the post today I was strating to think I should post you up some money as I did n't want you to be out of pocket with the bits in transit.

[1950landy]

I will gice KB a call tomorrow & see how he is going with the bits. The Slows are coming this weekend to see all the parts I bought off KB . He has sod his business now & the all the Lucas parts are being moved to Victoria. I think it will be a wile before the new owner is set up to start selling. I will let you know when KB sends the parts. Wayne

[1950landy]

HI Brebdan, These are my door tops , have only put them on yhe *0" once to see how they looked. I ordered the flaps from Craddocks , was cheeper than geting them made & the colour matched the tilt i bought off them, the windows was a 2.5m x 1200 off cut i bought on ebay for $60 ( bunnings wanted same price for 1200 x 800 sheet. I had to make a new R/H top hinge because it was missing & got the rivets from Bolt Masters. in Brisbane. :D
I found enough of the seal between the door top & wind screen frame in those parts I bought to doo 2 doors , so just hace to fit them.
Wayne

[brendanm]

Gee they look good. You said that you have only had them on the once. How blustery have you found driving without them. Be good in summer. I was even starting to think maybe I should just go the full canvas tilt (in sand)rather than the truck cab. I was looking where the canvas would tie in behind the seats and in front of the spare and it really needs another hoop slightly further back so as not to crowd the seat. I was not keen to drill a hole in the Gal capping to house it. I also feel that I would be modifying the aesthetics before I even drive it.

[1950landy]

Gee they look good. You said that you have only had them on the once. How blustery have you found driving without them. Be good in summer. I was even starting to think maybe I should just go the full canvas tilt (in sand)rather than the truck cab. I was looking where the canvas would tie in behind the seats and in front of the spare and it really needs another hoop slightly further back so as not to crowd the seat. I was not keen to drill a hole in the Gal capping to house it. I also feel that I would be modifying the aesthetics before I even drive it.
Its not too cold , just wear thicker coat in winter but then doesn't get that cold in Brisbane , also i find the rain uually doesn't come in unless its blowing realy hard. I found the door tops rattle a lot. & help to make all the other noises worse . The 80" have holes in the the panel behind the seats for the footman loops already & the fume curtain hooks on ti the capping at the front of the tub. I,ve had 2 full alum full thar tops & sold them , 1 full canvas tilt untill it ripped( it was 2nd hand) & 1 alum truck cab which I sold . Alum hard tops are too noisy & slow the 80" 1595cc down too much:mad:. The cancas tilts are easier to put on & take off & don't take up much room to store. In summer I like to drive it with no top & screen down on the bonnet.:D
Wayne

[brendanm]

Thanks Wayne. Rubbers arrived and fit up well.

[brendanm]

After a long break I was inspired by a trip to Tasmania and waking up to see Wrinkle Arthur's series 1 looking back at me. The hold up was that I was a bit shy of the wiring. Following Dinty's thread made me think I could do it, with images posted of the colours on the loom aligning to the wiring diagram.
I mucked around with the carbi and got a braided line made up at Pirtek with my fittings.

[brendanm]

I had some help with the final part of the non standard wiring and the indicators now reside in the sidelight and the main headlight contains a parker light.
Finishing the wiring showed up a couple of issues that I am working through. The dynamo was full of mud wasps after sitting for so long. I linished the armature in the drill press and reinstalled it which has taken the ignition light from bright red to the dullest of glows. Still looking at the voltage regulator as the light is near undetectable as the revs rise. There was a leak in the fuel pump which was fixed by swapping the rear section with another unserviceable unit and a new gasket. The green oil light did not work initially, until I realised the oil switch was a Smiths sender for a electronic oil gauge. By fitting the standard switch it now lights on ignition and extinguishes a couple of seconds later. I will look at a temperature and oil gauge in the future.
Took it for a drive. No brakes yet as there is a leak in one of the fittings where I did a poor job of the flaring so I just stuck to the flat ground.
With the car off the stands and on the ground there is a bit of a lean. I may have got the springs on the wrong side so this may get swapped over the weekend.

[brendanm]

One other observation that raises a question. I wired the loom as a positive earth, as per the wiring diagram with the thinking that the fuel pump, dynamo, coil, starter motor and dash gauges are polarised to suit. The orange LED's that I picked up for the front indicators did not work as they are polarised for a negative earth and consequently I could not use them.
What happens if you want to fit something like a UHF or is this not a doable thing with the current setup?

[slug_burner]

If you want to instal a - ve earth device you will have to isolate the case from the vehicles body and connect a power line from the vehicle body to the device + ve supply line. A line from the device case has to be run to the vehicle - ve supply. Make sure you have a fuse on the the vehicle - ve supply to device case. I ran with a setup like this for a while on a mini, eventually I changed the polarity on the vehicle. It opened up the choice on equipment to easily install.

[JDNSW]

One other observation that raises a question. I wired the loom as a positive earth, as per the wiring diagram with the thinking that the fuel pump, dynamo, coil, starter motor and dash gauges are polarised to suit. The orange LED's that I picked up for the front indicators did not work as they are polarised for a negative earth and consequently I could not use them.
What happens if you want to fit something like a UHF or is this not a doable thing with the current setup?

Most positive earth vehicles have by now been changed to negative earth, as this is a lot easier than a complicated installation for polarity sensitive equipment such as almost any current devices. The only reason for retaining positive earth is if it is a museum piece or you are a real rivet counter.

Assuming your Series 1 has only original equipment, all that is required to change to negative earth is to swap the leads on the battery and the ammeter. The generator will be remanently magnetised in the wrong direction, but this can be reversed by momentarily connecting the battery to it after changing polarity, preferably while the engine is running. The most convenient way to do this is to manually close the cutout points, but a light jumper lead to the field terminal on the regulator will do the same. Fuel pump, starter, fuel guage (but not post-67 Series 2a/3) have no polarity preferences. Coil is the same although if it is labelled with + and - and is intended for positive earth, these need to be ignored although it will work either way - just slightly better with it the intended way.

Last time I had a glowing generator light it was the ignition switch - check for a voltage drop across it (or anywhere else in the circuit providing a reference voltage through the ignition switch, but most likely the switch itself). It is likely the switch can be cleaned or improved, and they are easy to pull apart - but be careful, there are spring loaded bits in there.

John

[brendanm]

Thanks for the information John. Once up and running I will look to convert the polarity when auxiliaries are ready to go in.
I enjoy looking at others pictures of projects especially if I can learn something out of them, so here are a couple of images of the completed engine bay I have tried to stay original as much as possible. The other is one with the windscreen up and window washed so I can see out.
I swapped the springs on the rear and I had it right the first time with the larger bow on the drives side. Given it wasn't right I figured there is nothing to loose by completing the swap. The sag on the drivers side has now increased from 40 to 65 mm.
I am starting to think some parabolics might be worth a try if I need to go down the line of new springs, I hear some good reports of them with ride comfort and articulation.
I should have added the vacuum advance was a bit of brass from a hobby shop soldered to the original fitting and a new olive from Pirtek.

[Larry]

Looking great Brendan,:clap2:
Will it be on the road for Paxina next month?? :)

[Don 130]

Beautiful work Brendan.Well done
Don.

[brendanm]

Had a good run at Paxina. Went well on the hill climb for a standard vehicle. I knew the amp meter didn't work and after posting a wanted add Wayne was able to supply me one and it works well. Thanks Wayne, it is good to quantify the dynamo doing its job.
At Paxina picked up a contact for early British parts(Sportsparts at Normanhurst. They mainly specialize in MG parts though much of their stock is interchangeable with early Landrover- Lucas lenses,D lamps, oil/temp gauges, wiper arms and blades, ignition leads, distributors, etc)
One of the last things that I was aware that I required prior to going for a rego check was the wiper arm and blade. While I was there picked up some new leads.
The other place I should give a rap that I have no vested interest in is an Auto Electrician in South Camden (Southern Districts Auto Electrician). They were able to rectify the Lucas windscreen wiper motor and sort the voltage regulator which made the Paxina weekend possible for me. They often work on older vehicles and just knew what to do. And as is often the way with people working on period vehicles their bill was embarrassingly low.

[brendanm]

The new wiper arm looked ok and had a good sweep across the screen. However the spring behind the arm put a lot of pressure on the blade and was straining the Lucas motor. The original arm has a piece of spring steel on a cam set up to put tension between the blade and the glass.
I revisited the old corroded arm and refitted the new blade complete with the rubber that locks it into place. The Lucas motor was a lot happier moving the blade. I then proceeded to clean up the rust pitting and the grim of 60 years. Under each end of the arm is brass similar to the dash instruments that had a thin chrome type of plating. Some left over cutting compound from the paint and a hit with the buffer brought it up well. Doesn't look original as it is too shinny though it is the straight style of arm and sits better in the parked position.