project 1980 Austin Princess

[vulgalour]

Things are rolling along nicely at the moment, I've ordered some more suspension fluid so I can get things pumped up when that arrives, hopefully.  In the meantime, my primary jobs are going over the new rear light units and sorting out the dashboard.  Didn't really want to be faffing about with the dashboard today, so lights it is.  They proved fairly easy to dismantle with the exception of the flimsy little folded-metal nuts that hold the chrome trim onto the red lens, one of which snapped in half.  The problem with those is getting a tool in that's skinny enough, I found my sockets only just fit in the gap.  With those removed and the units dismantled I could bag the smaller items and see what I could do about cleaning up the rest.

20171022-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

There was a lot of dirt in one of the light units.  I don't mean it was a bit grubby, I mean there was actually soil inside it.

20171022-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Still, everything came apart easily enough and I had all the components laid out so I could assess for damage and such, of which there wasn't really any to speak of.

20171022-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The screws holding the lenses to the buckets are a little strange.  They're a shouldered fixing but the shouldered section is cut with a spiral rib, rather like a screw thread.  I need another 13 of these, or something very similar.  I'll try the local fixings shop who probably have if not the identical type then something that will work as a match.  Also shown here is the one folded-metal nut that snapped on removal.

20171022-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Spent some time thoroughly scrubbing all the components before leaving them to dry.

20171022-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

One thing I did learn was that the very dirty lens isn't actually a Ford original, nor is the clear glass lens that accompanies it.  The red lens is brighter than the others and neither lens has a Ford or FOMOCO logo on them, unlike the bucket they live in.  I guess this one was replaced at some point.  The colour difference isn't really too apparent until you have it and an original lens side by side and the fit, while not perfect, is pretty good for an aftermarket item.

20171022-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20171022-08 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20171022-09 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The units are a lot brighter for a clean and look much better.  I will need to replace a few items like the larger ring gaskets which have dried out and gone brittle.

20171022-07 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I'm a bit puzzled by one item on the back of the light units which is a single black plastic T piece that as screwed onto one of the light buckets.  All four buckets have a captive bolt in the same place but only one had this plastic T piece.  I'm guessing it's some sort of wire guide since it sits right next to the wiring for the clear lens (not fitted here), but I'm not sure.

20171022-11 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20171022-10 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

 

All I need to get these working is a selection of coloured bulbs for the clear lenses (I don't want to colour the lenses as I prefer the uniformity of matching lenses), 13 fixing screws to hold the lens to the buckets, 8 new O ring gaskets (I can make those out of suitable foam or rubber) and two blanking gromits for the two missing ones (I'll use plain black ones since I won't need the outer most ones to emit any light into the boot).  Mike and I have look at the wiring and it looks like it's just a case of adding different connectors to the Ford units and plugging straight in to the existing wiring in the car.

[purplebargeken]

Those bolt/screw thingies are very weird.

[purplebargeken]

What colour vinyl is required for the parcel shelf?

[SiC]

Like you said, I bet it's a wire guide. I reckon a loom is on it and a zip tie holds it against it.

[vulgalour]

pbk: plain black.  Might do a buttoned parcel shelf, because I can.

 

SiC:  exactly my thoughts.  Not been able to find a picture of the lights in their factory location, owners seem reticent in covering really important details like this and are more concerned with shiny paint and big engines.

[PhilA]

In this instance, what are your plans for the things?

 

There might be distance/clearance to other lamp regulations but I'm pretty sure you can have fog light share space with tail light (see Ford Sierra with the newer lights where they put the brake lights in the middle, the outer lights are tail and fog).

 

Also, Osram silvered bulbs so you don't see the orange inside the lens, but it flashes orange. Perfect time for them really, most other applications they look gash.

 

Edit: The fixing screws are designed to be put into the plastic first. If you see they have a reverse thread on the steep helix, that grips PMMA well, and sticks out marginally further than the nut thread. That means you just fling the plastic in the hole and do the nuts up- you're doing it up against the thread but you have little in the way of pulling force from the torque and the coarse threads don't strip the plastic and only need one tool, the other hand just holds the lens in place.

 

Phil

[vulgalour]

Should be fine on the distance thing, the back end will look right and if I do get pulled up on it I can always stick a central fog LED under the number plate and put a second reversing light in.  Won't do that unless I'm made to though.

 

I did find some of those specific screws on eBay America (listed for Ford Thunderbird of the same year) but decided against them because they want something like $3 USD each plus $20 USD postage which is ridiculous when I can just get plain shouldered screws for far less locally.  At least I now know why they're the shape they are.

[purplebargeken]

I have probably enough black vinyl in the lock up of mystery if ya want it for the cost of a bit of postage. 

 

Just need to check on the condition.

[PhilA]

Yeah, you'll achieve the same effect by putting a screwdriver on the outside and a socket on the inside and turning one without the funny shouldered twin helix screws.

 

Get stainless ones.

 

Phil

[vulgalour]

I have probably enough black vinyl in the lock up of mystery if ya want it for the cost of a bit of postage. 

 

Just need to check on the condition.

 

I'd appreciate that   Going to have a rummage through my button jar and see if I've got enough suitable buttons in there for the job and of course I'll need to get a slab of foam.  Been ages since I've done buttoned upholstery.  I don't need a lot, it's a fairly short but wide piece.

[purplebargeken]

I have some laminate flooring underlay which is virtually perfect for the job. Let me have the dimensions

[vulgalour]

For... foam?

[purplebargeken]

Well it comes in a roll (the thin foam), just need rough dimensions so I can cut both to size for you and post it out.

[vulgalour]

The stuff I've used of that before has been quite thin and brittle a bit like polystyrene sheet, is the stuff you've got fairly flexible?  Ideally I need a good half inch of squishy foam for the buttoning so that the buttons really sink in

[purplebargeken]

Ah, the foam I have is only thin, no deep buttoning action indicated with this stuff.

 

It's more like OE thickness stuff.

[vulgalour]

Could be handy for the 1100, that's the sort of thickness I need for the door card retrim.  I'd not thought of using that sort of foam for the job.

[purplebargeken]

It'd be perfect. Mate of mine used it to retrim his lovely Toledo using alcantara (or whatever).

 

I think* it is this stuff: 302337319092

[vulgalour]

The suspension is getting to be really frustrating.

 

We've got one of the new adaptors fitted and the displacer it's fitted to flushed and filled to 100psi with fluid.  A new correct diameter pipe had been bought for the Churchill pump to sort out the lack of pumping pressure and then Mike noticed that one of the non-return valves for the pump isn't actually working properly so has scooted off to the unit to dig out some spare parts and tools to hopefully fix it.  We're right on the edge of having the car operational again and being thwarted by niggly little nuisances like this.

[Rocket88]

eFoam.co.uk   .............thoroughly recommend..............

[DodgeRover]

^^^ I will be very disappointed if that company isn't from Yorkshire!

[vulgalour]

Hooray!

20171125-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

HOORAY!

20171125-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Goodness me it got cold though!  Mike and I got the old leaking pipe off and the two new individualisers fitted relatively easily.  The front individualiser fastens directly to the displacer while the rear fastens to the end of the flexi.  We'll be making a small hole in the boot floor to feed the flexi through and capping it with an appropriate grommet so the suspension can be serviced without having to jack up the car.  I'll cover this side of things in full when we do it.

 

After removing the suspension pipe and fitting the new individualisers, we flushed the system on the passenger side with purple meths as per a user manual I found for the Churchill pump.  This evicted quite a lot of scum and debris from both displacers.  We then reinflated them individually to 400psi which set the height about where it needed to be.  It's very cold tonight so this will need to be reset I think when it's a little warmer.  After that, the driver's side was properly vacuumed to get a surprisingly large amount of air out and refilled with fresh hydragas fluid to balance with the passenger side.  We suspect there's a leak somewhere on the driver's side as it did seem to drop a couple of psi when testing the system.  This could well be the pipe given the trouble the passenger side gave me, let's hope it's not a duff displacer.

 

With the car pumped up, systems checked, lights checked, etc. I took it for a drive around the block.  A few alarming smells amounted to nothing amiss, just sprayed hydragas getting dried off the exhaust, slightly musty interior (leaking windscreen seal), and an old car being stood outside for a few months having to now dry out.  The only hiccup was the battery was a bit flat and we learned my 414 isn't strong enough to jump the Princess but Mike's Rover 75 diesel most definitely is.

 

Once I got back from the very quick test drive I stuck the wheel trims back on.

20171125-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The next job is sorting out why these bulbs are out, which is going to be easier in daylight.

20171125-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I do feel like I'm about 6' in the air when I'm driving the Princess and now the suspension has been serviced by the book with a proper Churchill pump, the ride is ridiculously smooth.  I never really got the 'magic carpet' analogy because while it was good, mine was never Citroen smooth.  Now it's quite remarkable how smooth it is, almost as though the road isn't even there.  I didn't notice any untoward handling from there being a connecting pipe one side and individualisers the other and I shan't be going very far with the car until I've built up a little confidence.  It was a joy to drive it just a few minutes after so long of it sitting grounded.  It is a very different creature to the Rover, very different indeed.

 

20171125-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

[320touring]

Excellent dude, superb to see!

[The Moog]

Total resultage.

[vulgalour]

I also absolutely remembered to put tax on it before the test drive and didn't drive on the road with the SORN still in place.

[vulgalour]

I was going to take this to the Rover R8 meet but took the R8 instead.  Not because the Princess was particularly broken, but because its battery wasn't quite full enough to crank the engine into life so the battery is now on the conditioner.  I don't think there's an earth problem or electricity leak, I just think there's not enough charge in it since I didn't have it running long enough after the jump start yesterday to really get it fully charged.

[danthecapriman]

Glad to see this is back up and running again. Good work!

[vulgalour]

Since the Princess has been idle for so long, Mike suggested that we take it to do the big shop instead of the safety of one of the Rovers.  Toolkit loaded into the boot, gloves, jump leads, AA card in my wallet, everything checked before setting off, battery tested... we were as ready as we could be.

 

Went pretty well to begin with though the windscreen fogs up quite quickly because there's still moisture in the cabin from it being stood for a while.  Fortunately the heaters are fierce enough that they can keep you warm even with your side window open all the way.  The alternator belt started squealing into the journey but it was unclear if it was a loose belt or just a wet belt so we pushed on.  The clutch feels very low now too, although the releasing bearing has stopped making noises for the first time in my ownership.  I've got a new clutch to go on, this is no big deal.  As we got nearer to town the car wasn't exactly happy, a bit chuntery when the belt was squealing, but we were nearly at the car park so we got a spot and parked up.

 

The alternator belt was quite loose.  There was plenty of charge in the battery and the unit was literally around the corner so it was no difficulty to leave the car and do the shopping first, coming back to it to trundle around to the unit.  An Audi tried to pull out on me on the roundabout and I hit the washer jets instead of the horn, got the stalks muddled.  A test of the battery to see it was indeed charging and holding charge was done, then the slack belt tightened and everything was fine.  At the unit we tested the horn, something I hadn't done, and it just makes a juddery noise at the pump so that needs unsticking. Drove back a much happier car with a boot full of shopping. 

 

Anyway, long and short of it is that it was a successful mission.

20171127-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

 

Also, now I've had the car up to 50mph I can state the suspension modification/repair is perfectly sound.  The only peculiarity is that one side is a little more rolypoly than the other, the side with the original pipe, so I shan't be going any great distance or any great speed until both sides are matching.  Oh, and the brakes are either in need of a bleed or are just terrible compared to the Rover, they need considerable effort to operate, much more than I remember.

 

So there's a few niggles to work through now but at least the car is mobile and it's easy to get to a work space out of the weather to do so.  I'm a happy chappy.

[SiC]

Its amazing how much better you feel about a car once you start using it as a car. Once I've had a car conk out on me, I loose a lot of trust in it and get concerned it will do it again. However I guess on these sorts of cars, the majority of problems that can stop a journey are rectifiable by the side of the road with a handful of tools.

[vulgalour]

Absolutely.  With the exception of the suspension, pretty much any failure I'm likely to have in the Princess can be sorted with a very basic toolkit, and has in the past.  The only problem really is having to plan ahead a lot more in modern traffic, newer cars are able to accelerate and deccelerate so much quicker than a car like this can that you really have to be paying attention all the time.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Strongly need video footage of this vehicle making progress.