Thread: JayBo's 1950 80" S1 project

John

Nice find, just a couple of bits of info. The side plate engines were used up as they built the engines and there seem to be a mix of core plug and side plate engines going in right into 1950. But at 0611... yours would have been much later than any others so you are probably correct in suggesting it's an earlier engine.

The build number (as Lost landy mentioned) is the serial number stamped at the chassis manufacturing plant. The Chassis or Car number is only stamped as the vehicle is being assembled from the various components.

Be a bit careful when registering, as one of our LROC members on Historic Rego has the build number included in the rego papers. The inspector obviously didn't realise.

Originally Posted by JayBoRover

<snip> ....
The instrument dash is missing one gauge. I'm pretty sure it's an ammeter so I'll have to do some research and add it to the shopping list. I've also since been told that the dash is from a later model S1 as the oil light is the incorrect size. This is where I'll stick to my statement of going for a "faithful" restoration as opposed to a "fanatical" restoration. I can live with it.

<snip>
More a bit later.
Cheers
John B

John

Yes the missing instrument is the ammeter, there were a number of different ones which were calibrated for the particular genesaurus fitted to the vehicle.

Don't be so sure that the instrument panel is the wrong one. While there were a lot of changes to the warning lamps at the end of 1950 begining of 1951, your 1950 should have the large warning lamp with "OIL". But to be sure I'll have to be at home with my books.

In short the early 1950 had a large oil warning lamp with the word OIL in the lens, then they changed to a bakelite lamp the same as the charge and choke lamps, then they went to coloured plastic lamp holders (which melted) but had the same bezel as the previous other ones, then they returned to the bakelite ones in 1952.

Will give you the chassis numbers tonight.

Originally Posted by JayBoRover

The thermostat housing is pretty corroded at the pipe connection, but that was to be expected. Actually, it's not as bad as I would have expected for a 60 year old car so maybe it's been replaced before or otherwise it looks promising for the rest of the motor internals.

You should talk to Chazza on here, he was casting replacements for the thermostat tops a while back.

By the way the thermostat housing is the correct one for an engine number about the same as your chassis number as is the sump correct for a 1950 model.

Diana

Am I correct in reading a 5 digit engine number? or am I missing one or three numbers?

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Am I correct in reading a 5 digit engine number? or am I missing one or three numbers?

Hi Diana,
You're missing one number. The full engine number is: 865028. This is what I suspected it was from the photo and is now confirmed and clearly read from the block.

Thanks for all the information. I doubt I'll get to the point of matching the oil lens for the chassis number - especially when LRs seem to be riddled with inconsistencies in their production. However, this type of history and information is really nice to know - adds to the character of the vehicle and over time will differentiate a simple owner from an interested owner.

Thanks too for the heads up on chazza casting the thermostat housing tops. Very handy to know I suspect.

Cheers
John B

Thanks John.

#5028 makes the engine a mid-1949 engine (1949 essentially went from 863000 to 867920) just as you suspected and within the range of the mixed side plate/core plug engines.

Check your PM inbox John; I sent you a message a while ago,

Cheers Charlie

Not too much action on the S1 at the moment. I did shuffle things around a little and made some space by kinda "putting the S1 together". It was an interesting exercise where I discovered that I have two of each of the seat box top plates, three tub tail-gates (although none in great condition), two lhs door tops but no rhs door top. I haven't been through the tubs of parts to look for trimmings like rear D-lights, missing door hinge or other little things. One day. It does look nice "kinda together".

I doubt I'll get any serious time with it for a while but I do hope to make up a list of what I'm going to need to track down in parts. I have a few more things to get done on the S2A before I head back to work and unfortunately the daily runner takes precedence over the long term project.
Cheers
John B

Gosh, I didn't realise how long it had been since posting anything on the S1. No real change to anything on it other than I have relocated it from the carport into the workshop, so that might be read as promising for it's future.


The truth is that, with winter approaching, I thought it might be a good idea to start parking DeeDee (my S2a Daily Driver, hence DeeDee as a name) under cover and the carport that was sheltering the S1 is the only one tall enough.

Of course now that the S1 is in the workshop it's much more likely to get the odd bit of attention ... maybe just fleeting glimpses while I'm working on my Rally bikes.

My wife is collecting an engine hoist for me tomorrow though and I bought an engine stand today so the '49 side-plate motor might start getting some attention anyway. Can't buy these new tools and not put them to use now can we??

Ciao
John B

Only just caught up with this thread. Nice find. I wonder how you've been going over winter?