project 1980 Austin Princess

[phil_lihp]

Top work and 12/10 for putting so much effort in, it'll all be worth it. I confess to not being a big fan of the Princess in general, but those alloys really transform it, looking forward to seeing the results!

[vulgalour]

20130117-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130117-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130117-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

Stupid winter being all wintry, it's putting the brakes on me getting stuff organised with these two. Happily, both cars are being super reliable and aren't bothered by sub-zero temperatures apparently. I don't like having the Princess out in all weathers, particularly at this time of year and especially with unfinished bodywork, I was hoping to have a few more days before the snow closed in on me. We're predicted to have up to 10" of snow over the weekend, but I'll believe that when I see it.

For now, I'm keeping things ticking over with the Princess, there's little else I can do for the time being. I desperately want to get her in for an MoT and back to being on the road so if/when the Maestro does sell I shan't be completely stranded. While the weather is like it is, there's absolutely nothing I can do on either car aside from adding a bit more antifreeze to the Princess just in case (I'm not 100% sure what's in the system) and that's annoying.

I miss my garage, but a new garage (very basic weather shelter/glorified car port affair) is going to hopefully be a project for Dad and I later this year since the concrete driveway desperately needs remedial work after nearly 30 years of regular use

[face]

Respect.

 

Going to look great on those Lotus alloys too.

[Cheggers]

I love the way the Princess has that slightly squinty "fuck me, it's cold" face on

[vulgalour]

We got more snow. This gave me more work (I REALLY miss my garage) because I don't like several inches of snow sitting on top of the Princess. It's not massively evident in the following pictures, but when the snow was removed you could watch the Princess slowly lift herself up another inch or so, was quite a peculiar thing to see.

20130121-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130121-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130121-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130121-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130121-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130121-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

There was no point even trying to get the Princess to move from where she is, drive is too steep and there's far more snow than I can be arsed to move on the floor.

[keef]

I've created a Flickr Group for the Princess, if you or anyone else cares to add photos to it. :-

 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/austinprincess/

[vulgalour]

@Keef: I should get on with updating the Wedgister soon, I've got a few more to add and find out the details of in my archive.

 

Today, the ephemera I bought from eBay arrived. The paperwork is for a 1981 2.0 HL (Gone is NKY348X, 1981-1992) but there's some bits that are of use to me, like the instructions for the radio (I should now be able to re-pre-set the radio stations!) and some bits that are of interest to me, like the Leycare stuff.

 

 

 

 

[pervypaul]

You ever thought about vinyl wrapping the princess when its straight? It's pretty easy to get the hang of and I can get you it reasonably cheap, you dont live that far from me, Im only in Clowne

[vulgalour]

I don't think a wrap would be the correct way to go with this one, there's too much to fix under the existing paint for me to feel comfortable applying a vinyl wrap on top. For now, I'm still planning to go the purple celly paint route, either resprayed by a pro (which I've priced up) or done by hand by myself over the summer (which I've also priced up and is very cheap, just very time intensive). Always good to hear ideas though, a time or two with my projects it's been something outside the box of my own head that's provided a better solution for me.

[beko1987]

Top scans! Complete with bloke with dodgy 70's porn star tache!

[cobblers]

TBH if you just want it a plain colour, it's actually probably quicker and easier just to paint it, the only downside is having to mask up. Vinyl wrap leaves a pretty crap finish in anything other than matt textures, it scratches too easily when being applied. Even fairly new gloss wrap looks like a car that has spend ten years doing laps of a carwash

[pervypaul]

Yeah if its got a few issued under the current paint that need sorting probably better to take the time and get it painted up. I fell lucky with the mk1 ibiza as its very solid and all original.

 

Theres a couple of nice purple wraps out, matt and gloss, just thought it might have been a cheapish temp measure untill you get time to get paint. Have to pop over 1 day and have a look at the princess, long time since Ive seen one, also got a soft spot for maestros, after my dad having a moonraker blue mg back in the day.

 

A few matt samples

[Des]

 

 

Noicely stanced Sherpa coupe, awesum rattin / slammage, wot rimz it rollin bro?

[RichardMoss]

The AA men are wearing their berets back to front! Very poor show by the 4th emergency service (as they like to call themselves)

 

The badge should be over the left eye with the beret material swept over to the right. See here: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... -1-4086776

[vulgalour]

^Well, that's something I've learned that I didn't know.
___

First of all, big fat thanks go to Mike D (over on Retro Rides) for being the enabler to this update for it is he that provided, for a reasonable quantity of currency, the content of this particular update.

Early in the build I wanted something different for the wheels, as much as I adore the original steels with trims, because I knew there was something I could do on this front that would really suit the car and bring it closer to the concepts. That something was Lotus Turbine alloys and I've been hunting for a good set that was available while I had money in my pocket unsuccessfully for a while now until Mike D offered his set at precisely the right moment.

One trip out to Lincoln in the Maestro to collect them on Saturday followed by visiting a good mechanic friend so he could mock my choice of vehicles (surprisingly, he was magnanimous about the Maestro) made for a pretty good weekend. Better yet, I got back before the sun had set so pictures could happen.

Boot jam-packed full of win. One of the rear door handles on the Maestro snapped on Saturday and that, in my mind, seals the fate of the car becoming a car-van now. Logic, I has it.
20130127-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

I knew the PCD was the same, but I suspected that was the only thing that would be correct between the Princess and the Lotus. I'd made use of www.willtheyfit.comto find out what the likely dimensions would be and all seemed to be good. So, off with the old.
20130127-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

On with the new... ah.
20130127-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

As you can see, the holes line up with the bolts nicely, but it is not a snug fit. I'm guessing I need a combination of all, or some of the following to make it correct: spigot rings, sleeve nuts, longer bolts.

However, for the purposes of photographs it would have been rude not to mock up one side and check fit and clearances.

DISCLAIMER: I will not be running the car even one inch with the wheels fitted in this way, I suggest you don't either.

20130127-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130127-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130127-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130127-07 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20130127-08 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

Delighted doesn't even come close to telling you how I feel about the way these look. Arch mods are not needed, perhaps a little bit more sidewall would be marginally better as the 205/60 Dunlops that are on (I've got to properly check these, they're borderline usable) are not my first choice of size.

But I mean really. It doesn't get much better than this for me.

20130127-09 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
20130127-10 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

New on the right, old on the left.
20130127-11 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

Yes, that'll do I think. Just got to refurb them with a bit of elbow grease and satin paint, obtain the relevant fitting parts and we're good to go.

[Shep Shepherd]

British Leyland Special Tuning should have offered those wheels as a 'tuning' option for the Princess when it was current. They look so right on the car

[vulgalour]

I need to do more research to find out, it's new territory for me. I know the PCD is identical, and the alloy clears all the important mechanical stuff as well as seating square on the hubs, but beyond that I need to read up a bit. I'm wondering if I need some suitable spigot rings to bring the centre bore of the alloy down and some sleeve nuts to locate them properly on the bolts.

[oman5]

that looks amazing. they really suit it.

[Wilko220]

I almost always favour originality - but they look absolutely class.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

That looks abouty 500 times better than I was expecting, maybe even 1000 times. It looks great!

[Station]

Are your wheel studs imperial thread or metric? I have a complete set of gen-u-wine Lotus nuts in imperial for these very wheels that locate the them properly.

I used tapered nuts with a spigot ring and have been fine after over 7000 miles.

[vulgalour]

I think, from doing some internetting, that I'm on 7/16" thread bolts. I've not measured for spigot rings yet because [insert excuse here] but I will. I shall have to read up on how to measure bolts to be extra sure, but I'm guessing it'll be an imperial size UNF thread.

[Station]

Buy early Lotus wheel nuts then, they are sleeved and fit snuggly in the ports, no need for spigot ring.

[Angrydicky]

Very nice! Please put it back to beige though

[garethj]

Those wheels look fantastic, I was going to get some when I had my Ginetta, I reckon they look really good on wedge shaped cars and the Princess is right in there.

 

Don't label me a HATERZ here, but if the car was just a touch lower....

[phil_lihp]

That looks absolutely spot on, they'd have sold a lot more if those wheels were an original fit option. And yes, just a little teensy bit lower would set them off nicely, probably easily done wilth hydragas too

[vulgalour]

More research and internet comments reveals that, for the nature of my driving - ie, like a grandad - sleeve nuts will be perfectly fine without spigot rings with these particular wheels.

 

As for the colour, the wheel choice and anything else I plan to do you can blame any of the Harris Mann concepts I've found online for that. Those concepts have just highlighted to me how and why the Princess didn't appeal more than it could have. Take an interesting and challenging body style and apply fussy wheels, and dated trim options and you're never going to grab the very people that the car was designed for. The car, when looked at alongside the initial concepts, seems confused, as though BL didn't have the courage of their convictions about the styling and wanted to tone it down to make it more acceptible to the middle classes when really, they should have been making a version for the younger and more dynamic generation of up and coming yuppies... or something.

 

So that's what I'm doing, I'm creating a Princess as I hope Harris Mann would have liked it to have been done and in a way that won't compromise too much the good points of the car aesthetically. These wheels have been a good choice, so far I hear no negative cries about them, so we can only hope any other decisions I make are equally well liked. Unfortunately, that does mean the beige has to go and at the moment I'm likely going Aconite, though I also fancy silver pearl (not a DIY job) and a number of other interesting colour choices that are suitable for a 70s design and should bring out the best elements of the design while still looking factory.

[Morgan84]

I think with the Lotus wheels and the purple paintwork,that will look a very nice car,with 'period' modiforcation/accesory styling. I would keep with BL colours if possible,as it keeps the originality there,plus a non metallic is easier to blend in if any future paintwork was required. I have weird taste though,and would probably paint her purple with a gold pinstripe and paint the wheels gold as well !

 

I'm sure the wheels will polish and laquer up nicely with some wire wool and rubbing compound

[trigger]

Those Lotus alloys look great!

[Wilko220]

 

So that's what I'm doing, I'm creating a Princess as I hope Harris Mann would have liked it to have been done and in a way that won't compromise too much the good points of the car aesthetically.

 

Harris Mann is still alive, isn't he? Have you thought about trying to track him down and write to him with some info about what you're trying to achieve? I'm sure he'd be very interested and well chuffed.

Can't help with any contact details or anything but I wouldn't have thought it would take too much research.