project 1980 Austin Princess

[vulgalour]

You will perhaps be unsurprised to learn I already have said items fitted to the doors.

[Jon]

This post offers no helpful advice but I thought it worthy of entry, after I found it whilst leafing through my photobucket account:

 

 

VULGA ARCH NEMESIS!

[drum]

Job list

- repair accident damage

- sort suspension

- swap interior

- rebuild engine

- crochet seat covers

 

..hang on a minute....???

 

Lovin' your work VA. I might not understand it, but I'm loving all the same.

[Junkman]

Giffertasticness could be amplified into knighthood candidacy with one of these:

 

[vulgalour]

I'll make a square one for a tissue box.  Ideally one of those really heavy tissues boxes that will kill someone in an emergency braking situation.

[beko1987]

You could crochet your own snow socks, windscreen frost protector, wing mirror gloves, that would be gr9!

 

Could market the autoshite winter care* kit!

[anonymous user]

I'll make a square one for a tissue box.  Ideally one of those really heavy tissues boxes that will kill someone in an emergency braking situation.

 

Many years ago our next door neighbour (a health and safety advisor) had a large dressing taped over the back of his head to cover the large wound made by his metal-boxed first-aid kit which flew off the parcel shelf in such circumstances. He was not pleased that we found it funny.

[vulgalour]

Delicious irony.

[vulgalour]

I think I'm a wedge magnet.  Fellow shiter Dugong chanced upon a red Princess on a truck when going the wrong way and stopped off to find out what the score was.  Turns out it was being stripped for banger racing after failing to find a buyer for the car or the parts for the past 18 months and much of it was now in a skip.  I got a phone call to ask if there was anything I wanted for free, which of course I did because free is my favourite price.  A little later I received some pictures of what was saved but I couldn't get over before the skip was taken away so I daresay there were a few nicknacks that would have been useful that I missed out on.

 

I will not enter any sort of debate about banger racers, ethics and morals.  The one I met was a thoroughly decent bloke, interested in helping me keep mine going and trying to prevent the car from going round the track, the fact he kept hold of it for so long before doing anything with it says that much.  Also, the car itself was in a poor way, it looks pretty good in the pictures but it was actually a work of Isopon art with rust in quite a few structural locations.  Trust me, I know about these things, I would not have tried to save this one.

 

Anyway, the car in question was a T reg HL with a 1.7 O series engine in it.  Unfortunately the engine and running gear had to stay put for it to be raced, but if the spheres survive - and there's a chance they will - then I can take those, likewise the head from the engine and the exhaust downpipe which would be quite useful to me.  Princess parts are still worthless, presumably because there's such low demand, so every opportunity I have to scoop up some bits of trim and oily bits I do take but with my limited funds it can be very difficult.  I'm also more than happy to move anything I don't need on at reasonable prices, or trade them for stuff my cars need, I'm not in this for profit I'm in this for keeping them going as best we can.

 

You can see the rot in the rear door and the rear arch, it was quite advanced in both panels and while the sill had received numerous repairs, the rot was heading towards the axle fairly rapidly.

 

Rust was so bad on the bumper that I couldn't remove them at all.  Wing was full of filler that was very finely crafted, but cracked and splitting all over the place.

 

Front door this side was the only good one and even then the inner skin was rotting out on the same corner that's fallen off on my car.  I would have liked to save this door but I didn't really have the resources on my own to strip the door on the car I'd driven over in, rebuild the good stuff on the banger's door and refit it to my car, it's at least a two person job and pretty involved.  Likewise the bonnet, which is really good, I didn't have the means to get it back and get the bonnet from the HLS over to swap them, because of the damage to the front of my car I need to adjust the bonnet catch to make any bonnet fit and fitting/removing Princess bonnets is a two man job due to the massive size of them.

 

You can see here where the lower wing has rotted out quite extensively, the rot went all the way up to the bumper mount.  That rear axle is in superb condition, it'll be a shame if that gets trashed on the circuit but there's literally nothing I can do about it as I can't provide a crappy axle to put on this car for them and it's a fairly involved job to swap them round.

 

If I can get my old Ambassador steering wheel over to him, I can take the Princess wheel that's fitted.  The leather needs a small bit of stitching, but it's in better shape than the wheel in the HLS so would be worth getting.  I also snagged quite a bit of random wiring and plugs from in here, there was a surprisingly large amount of useful little bits that will help sort the dashboards out in both the cars I own.

 

Items rescued from the skip now, starting with this which I forgot to pick up, so I'll have to go back for that and a cuppa or something.

 

 

The dash is in a bad way at a first glance, but all the bits I need are there.  I'll strip the whole thing down and throw the bulkier bits away but it's netted me more spare plugs, switches, trims and an all important telltale so I can get that sidelight modification done to my own dash.  The spare clocks are useful to have and there are a few unique fixing items that will help restore the HLS dash fixings properly.

 

My one of these switches, which is for the heated rear screen, recently cracked across the toggle so it was opportune one was available in the skip.

 

Rare blanking plate for the fog light switch, the car didn't have any fog lights fitted and pre-dates the legal requirement for them.

 

One of my seatbelt stalks is frayed, so these are very handy.  I did forget to remove the associated belt, but the tongue looks similar if not the same to the ones already in my car anyway so I should be okay.

 

There was quite a substantial haul of stuff from this car even though it appeared to have very little left.  I missed out on the matching rear seat back and what might have been better door cards.  I also missed out on the front and rear screen seals, window scrapers, headlining (for taking a pattern) and sun visors but a lot of that is stuff I want rather than need.

 

1 stainless sill trim and seal

1 door latch (the only one I managed to remove, will return at some point for the rest)

1 gutter trim

2 boot rams and correct boot light trigger

2 good wiper arms

1 complete tool kit including never-before-seen wheel chock

1 rear wing aerial (manual) and extension

4 wheel trims with logos intact

2 NOS brake discs

3 number plates - 2 pressed metal, 1 raised digits

2 complete rear light clusters and interior covers

1 very good boot mat

2 seatbelt stalks

2 indicator-sidelight units

2 side repeaters

2 under bonnet fresh air vent grilles

1 black Tex door mirror

1 fuzzy lined glovebox

4 halogen headlights, direct swap for sealed beams

1 repair sill, almost complete

1 handbrake gaiter

1 original wooden radio blanking plate

1 almost complete dashboard, all the bits needed for current repairs

1 NOS Unipart fan belt

1 sealed beam headlight (untested)

2 boot badges, two-pin version

1 enamel bonnet badge

1 battery securing strap in perfect condition

Veng brand gold thick-and-thin vinyl coachstripe

1 handbrake warning light wire - useful, the one on the HLS is broken

1 carb float, full of water or petrol or something so probably fubarred.

2 NOS door hinge pins

1 NOS Lucas contact breaker points still shrink wrapped in packet

2 courtesy light switches

1 boot interior light

1 relay, unknown type and condition

4 used spark plugs, reasonable condition

2 wire clips, possibly for brake calipers

 

The most satisfying thing is that I now have a contact with a decent old car enthusiast who has said he'll be in touch if he finds out about any other Princesses that are going to be raced so that I can get the word out and salvage parts or save the cars which to me is worth its weight in gold.  I may also have a new contact for getting my artwork out to a wider audience so all in all this one chance event has lead to what might be quite a few good things.  Today was about 130 miles on about £25 of fuel, something I could only afford due to a belated christmas gift arriving the same day I got the tip off about the car and all of the above cost me nothing but time, effort and a long drive in a car I love across some really pleasant countryside.  Life could be a lot worse.

[Partridge]

You are a legend!

[keef]

Well done sir!

 

I'd be interested in the drivers seat cover if you are going back or a largish chunk from the rear seat so I can repair Kevin's front(s). I should be able to pop them in the washing machine to clean them up a bit first.

[vulgalour]

The seat won't be available until after the race, has to stay in apparently, so it'll be a bit of a state.  It's also badly worn on the bolster and looks close to tearing.  I'm guessing you need the mink colour interior, because I've got spare whatever-the-other-brown is called I can pass your way that's clean and in reasonable condition.

[keef]

It looks like the seat in this are the same colour as mine. Not sure what it is called. Looks beige to me. Surprised they have to use the seats that are in the car. I thought they fitted high back buckets for more safety.

 

Is the passenger seat cover just as poor, or does that have to stay in as well?

 

If you have some material I could try repairs with that would be great. would give Gary something to bring back when he drops your bits off.

[theorganist]

Hi I would be possibly be interested in any spares going which you don't need as I became a Wedge owner for the first time yesterday!

[Lankytim]

I really want a princess now. Thanks!

[Angrydicky]

Nice haul! The banger racer seems like an unusually top bloke for letting you have that stuff for free, in my experience buying stuff from racers usually involves lots of "make me an offer" and high prices, with lots of the most useful bits (like rot free panels) they refuse to sell as they need them for smashing up.

 

I'd like to know exactly where he had it advertised for a year, as I never saw it.

[MikeKnight]

I enjoyed the rare picture of Princesses mating in the wild.

[overrun]

Your finger nails are far too clean.

[keef]

in my experience buying stuff from racers usually involves lots of "make me an offer" and high prices,

That's a shame.

 

Nothing but good experiences here. Petrol tank on my Six was off a limo destined for the track and one of them just sent me a speedo pinion for the Maxi F.O.C.

[keef]

I became a Wedge owner for the first time yesterday!

Congratulations.

 

I hope you are going to start a thread, so we can see your new baby.

[dugong]

Your finger nails are far too clean.

That's because they're mine. 

[vulgalour]

@Keef:  Your seats are definitely beige, which is a match for the HLS seats I removed which I still have awaiting their fate.  Mink is slightly pinky-brown and looks very different to beige when side by side but the other seats had gone by the time I got to the car anyway.  I can either strip the seats down that I have and send the fabric with Gary, or you can take them whole, I'm guessing the fronts are a straight swap.

 

@theorganist:  have a rummage through your new wedge - and post lots of pictures! - and see what's missing and I'll let you know if I can help with anything.  I need to properly catalogue what I've actually got because apart from what I collected yesterday I don't actually know what there is in my modest stores.

[keef]

I can either strip the seats down that I have and send the fabric with Gary, or you can take them whole,

 

Thanks for that.

 

Up to Gary really. Depends on if he has the space and if he will transport seats for me.

[theorganist]

Congratulations.

 

I hope you are going to start a thread, so we can see your new baby.

I will when I take delivery of it, which will be in the next few weeks

[vulgalour]

Does that make the Princess the new Autoshite BX now?

[theorganist]

@Keef:  Your seats are definitely beige, which is a match for the HLS seats I removed which I still have awaiting their fate.  Mink is slightly pinky-brown and looks very different to beige when side by side but the other seats had gone by the time I got to the car anyway.  I can either strip the seats down that I have and send the fabric with Gary, or you can take them whole, I'm guessing the fronts are a straight swap.

 

@theorganist:  have a rummage through your new wedge - and post lots of pictures! - and see what's missing and I'll let you know if I can help with anything.  I need to properly catalogue what I've actually got because apart from what I collected yesterday I don't actually know what there is in my modest stores.

 

Hey will do thanks. Am not actually in possession of it at the moment but should hopefully have it in a couple of weeks.

 

Will get loads of photo's don't worry about that.

[vulgalour]

Made an attempt to do work on the car since it's not too windy or cold today and is nice and sunny. Didn't get very far, unfortunately, due a wretched head cold. I tried out the halogen headlights that were liberated from the banger car and unless they provide a better type of light when driving, the light they did put out was decidedly underwhelming compared to the sealed beam units. I'm wondering if I can put a better halogen bulb in as at the moment they're on the gigantic golf ball jobbies which others have said aren't always up to much.

 

In other news, I decided to take out the boot mat and replace it with the better one from the banger car. The boot mat in this car is good enough for the other Princess and it makes sense to give myself a little upgrade. This also gave me a chance to see if I could find how water is getting into the boot and I think I've found the culprits.

 

When I bought the car 2 years ago I noticed the boot corners were a little surface rusty but hadn't gone through. I left well alone after giving it all a clean because it didn't look advanced enough to be an issue. Now, unfortunately, there's a hole.

 

Nothing structural is attached here and I can't do anything about it today. It is a really awkward spot to get to from inside or outside so I expect it won't be that cheap to have put right. This is a common rot area because muck gets thrown up from underneath. I'm going to have to give the other side a good prod too because you can bet that's going the same way now.

 

 

 

The dampness on the boot mat confirmed water is getting in through this bit but it wasn't spreading far enough to be getting anywhere else. Luckily, it had recently rained and while I was poking around in the boot I got dripped on.

 

I knew about this putty, but I hadn't bothered unpicking it. Looks like there's a leaking seam letting the water in at the back of the boot. I'll clean up the putty and reseal this seam with something better suited to the job. I'm sure they all do that, sir.

 

The spare wheel well also gets a bit of water in it, but that could be from the other boot leaks. I pumped up the spare as it had gone a bit flat and put the new boot mat in. It looks more presentable in there at least. Also swapped in the better fuel filler neck cover which gave me a chance to check the back of the wing this side, but there's no sign of any corrosion at all, which was reassuring.

 

 

Buying a welder is more cost effective at this point so I might do some remedial non-welding work to slow the rust down so I can put the cash aside for that instead of paying someone to do the work for me. I can weld, and while I have got a welder a stick machine is not really ideal for this sort of work. Joy of joys, because of where it is I'm going to have to partially strip the interior again so I don't set the seats on fire.

[oldford]

The Golf ball shaped bulbs are normal Tungsten ones rated at 45/50 Watts, which would have been original specification on cars where Halogens were the best available.  My old Cortina Crusader had Tungstens as standard which I changed to Halogens.  I not sure whether Halogen bulbs will fit the Tungsten bulb holder.

[Morgan84]

Sounds like when the warmer weather arrives you will be brushing down the underside and applying rust protection; still not too bad at all considering her age, so keep up the good work

 

Not been on the beige pages for a while now so out of touch a bit, but are you still colour changing the old lady for purple ? You are a good inspiration to not just looking at a problem, but getting stuck into it and resolving it

[M'coli]

You used to be able to get tungsten-to-halogen conversion bulbs as conventional H4 halogens have a different shaped holder.