Sold 1981 Austin Princess - [expletives removed]

[vulgalour]

I'd like to copy-pasta your updates to the other build threads this car has if that's okay?

 

One thing I forgot to mention is to check the crosstube mounting brackets.  If you get any banging from the rear it's likely that they're past their best.  You can get new ones, they may be the same as Allegro items, but what happens is that the rubber starts to unbond from the metal of the bracket and the axle can then move about a bit too much.  It can also cause you to have a bit of negative camber.

[mat_the_cat]

Brilliantly told, I'm still giggling!

[philibusmo]

I'd like to copy-pasta your updates to the other build threads this car has if that's okay?

 

One thing I forgot to mention is to check the crosstube mounting brackets.  If you get any banging from the rear it's likely that they're past their best.  You can get new ones, they may be the same as Allegro items, but what happens is that the rubber starts to unbond from the metal of the bracket and the axle can then move about a bit too much.  It can also cause you to have a bit of negative camber.

Go for it. I'm not sure where else you have build threads for this car but as long as you mark it 'words of PhilibusMo from the brown and beige forum' or something then that's all good.

 

 

@Mouseflakes, believe me I am still welding. I have set the past 2 evenings welding up the rear arches on the Supra, but I think everyone would be far to bored of my welding antics to make it worth posting by this point.

[twosmoke300]

Jesus wept , what an ordeal. I was I was that keen .

 

I suppose working on cars for a living has made me not so keen to work on them.

 

Best of luck getting her on the road and hope their arent too many more surprises

[Parky]

Superb write up. Anyone else see the potential of an Autoshite book of Kollecshun Kapers?

[mrbenn]

Facinating yet harrowing!

[Wilko220]

A stupendous collection and the most entertaining write-up I've read in a long time.

[dollywobbler]

Just wonderfully epic. A shame it didn't end more pleasantly, but your status as Autoshiter Extreme is utterly proven. 

[cort16]

No one can score you down points for effort that's for sure.

[trigger]

Excellent read, I still think your crazy though!

[philibusmo]

Yesterday I left you with the Princess having arrived on the back of a trailer behind a Frontera in the dark. Once deposited by Red5 it got pushed into the corner to sit with all the other knackered old heaps while I formulated a plan for its resurrection.

 

 

This didn’t take very long at all as after fixing the Fiesta on Saturday I popped down to my local motor factors who had a head gasket set sat on the shelf for it. RESULT!

 

Sunday Phil_lihp appeared in a horrible modern Kia to assist with the head gasket change. First job was to remove the spider who had migrated to the front passenger side. He was picked up in a cloth and chucked in the hedge – no harm came to any animals during this escapade*.

 

 

After whipping off the head and finding that the inlet and exhaust manifolds were only just held on finger tight we discovered that there weren’t any obvious signs of where it had blown. It was odd as this had gasket was almost new, having been changed recently by Vulgalour. On further investigation we found that some small segments of the original head gasket were still clinging to the block and head while disguising themselves exceedingly well.

 

After carefully scraping these remains off the new head gasket was put in place, followed by the head and the head bolts tightened to 35 lb ft of torque as specified in the Haynes book of lies. The ancillaries were all then attached and the timing belt put back on in the correct place before firing it up.

 

 

It worked, which was very pleasing. No bubbles in the expansion tank and a healthy sounding engine. Big smiles were abundant until it was noticed that water was now seeming out between the block and the head – but this was quickly fixed by nipping the bolts down to 60 lb ft of torque which was meant to be done once the engine was hot according to the HBOL.

 

That was followed by an oil change and a couple of cooling system flushes had occurred along the way. It was then timed up by ear and seems to now be in rude health.

 

 

All that needs doing now for the MOT is to fix the blow in the exhaust and clean up the indicator stalk which is a bit dodgy and can cause the left indicators to stick on without blinking. I now also have a new creature in it – a suitably shabby looking nodding dog.

 

 

The thanks today go to Phil_lihp for lending a hand in faffing about with this old crock – your assistance has once again been exceedingly useful. Additional thanks, which I may have forgot to mention yesterday go to Vulgalour’s/Chompy_Snake’s Dad who was super useful in allowing us use of his hosepipe for the cooling system flush, soldering up the radiator very skilfully and running me around during my quest for an alternator. Can one of you two please pass my thanks on to him please. Finally to Chompy_Snake, I’m sorry but I appear to have accidentally stolen your hammer as I found it in the back of the Princess, I’ll send it back to you as soon as possible.

[vulgalour]

Do you know, we did tighten the fannymold bolts as they were very, very loose.  I'm wondering if they undid themselves somehow.  We also spent an age cleaning the head and block face until no more stuff would clean off, seems we must have missed a bit somewhere.

[phil_lihp]

Glad I could help, I'm not sure I was actually much use but it was a good learning exercise and Phil's family are a very nice bunch of folk who provided cups of tea and food all day.  A ride in a Renault Avantime was an unexpected addition to the day.

 

The Princess is - well, what can I say - exactly as pretty as it looks in the photos.  The only thing you can't really see is the remarkable texture of the paint on the front wings which is comparable to pebbledash and the interior which smells of the 1970s and exhaust fumes.  It must be said though that the engine, underneath the roar of the holed exhaust, seems to be in perfect health.  I still think you should wrap it in a 70s wallpaper pattern.

[Parky]

I have the theme tune to "Man about the House" which I believe should be compulsory listening for wedge owners. That and Terry and June of course.

 

Agree on the seventies style wrap - here is some comic inspiration:

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Great work going on here. Keep it up!!!!

[phil_lihp]

I was pondering the question we were discussing on Sunday tonight (instead of revising for an exam, oops), namely what other cars had the 2.0 'O' series and it's actually quite a few, not just the Princess, Ital and Ambassador.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_O-Series_engine

 

It is Wikipedia of course so may be as reliable a guide as the HBOL's head bolt torque settings but might be helpful for sourcing spare bits.

 

Turns out that the O-series, when converted to run on diesel, becomes the infamous Perkins Prima,

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Superb write up. Anyone else see the potential of an Autoshite book of Kollecshun Kapers?

 

It would need to be called "MY STRUGGLE". 

[philibusmo]

I was pondering the question we were discussing on Sunday tonight (instead of revising for an exam, oops), namely what other cars had the 2.0 'O' series and it's actually quite a few, not just the Princess, Ital and Ambassador.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_O-Series_engine

 

It is Wikipedia of course so may be as reliable a guide as the HBOL's head bolt torque settings but might be helpful for sourcing spare bits.

 

Turns out that the O-series, when converted to run on diesel, becomes the infamous Perkins Prima,

What intrigues me further is that the O Series became the M Series, which then became the T Series.

 

The T Series in its turbo charged form pumps out 180-200BHP.

 

I wonder how different the T series is on the outside compared to the O series, or if it would even almost drop straight in to make a super mega fast Princess? This may well require further investigation.

[cort16]

I know on the sd1 the t series fits on the o series engine mounts so I wonder if it's the same on fwd cars?

[phil_lihp]

What intrigues me further is that the O Series became the M Series, which then became the T Series.

 

The T Series in its turbo charged form pumps out 180-200BHP.

 

I wonder how different the T series is on the outside compared to the O series, or if it would even almost drop straight in to make a super mega fast Princess? This may well require further investigation.

 

No, it does not.  It positively begs further investigation.  There's no shortage of 220 turbo lumps knocking around.  Get it done!  The amount of oil the average T-Series spews from every pore and seal will help to keep the chassis protected from corrosion for years too.

 

Actually, I might as well dig myself further into a hole and admit that if it were me, a Prima diesel lump, also being a theoretically close match, would be my first choice.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

When the o series was fitted in the Montego the inlet & exhaust manifolds had changed sides, so if you fitted an M or T series on the princess box you'd have the big curvy inlet manifold poking up through the front of the bonnet

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I think the best engine transplant for a princess would be a 2.0 kv6 and PG1 box

[phil_lihp]

I believe a 2.5i KV6 was mentioned, now that would be a scary, nose-heavy, evil-handling beast

[philibusmo]

I think if you tried to chuck any more than the standard BHP through the original box or drive shafts then it wouldn't take long before you were waiting for the AA. It all feels like each component is 'just good enough' to withstand all the other components and any mods would kersplode it.

 

I'm still tempter by the T series as I'm sure the issues wouldn't be insurmountable and it has many more brake horse powers than the KV6 but will admit that it would be easier to plumb somethig in with the gearbox of the left, inlet on the back and exhaust on the front. I think the Honda Vtec out of the Civic Type R has this set up.

 

But hang on, this car doesn't even have an MOT yet! I think we really are getting a bit ahead of ourselves.

 

*EDIT: thinking about it, that thing about the vtec and which side the gearbox is on, I think I might have just made it up.

[vulgalour]

It's okay, people have tried to fit different engines to the Princess and ALWAYS had the same problem: gearbox.  The engine bay isn't as wide as you'd expect and it's certainly not very long, it's also suprisingly shallow.  This means that most conventional engines foul something serious somewhere.

 

Here is an example: http://www.leylandprincess.co.uk/Modifying.htm

 

Maestro engine...

 

....photoshopped Rover T series engine.

[mat_the_cat]

Given that this Princess has recently had two head gaskets, I'd say that's a not-so-hidden sign that it needs a K series fitting in there...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

That width issue is why I reckon a KV6 would be better. Plus they reckon the 2.0 is supa smooth which is what its all about innit.

[Honey Badger]

Given that this Princess has recently had two head gaskets, I'd say that's a not-so-hidden sign that it needs a K series fitting in there...

1.8 VVC K series I reckon, if ever an engine type didn't suit a car that would be it.

 

Would an L series fit?

[Inspector Morose]

I'm sure that the Rover V8 fits onto the Princess gearbox. IIRC there was a mental FWD mini clubman with a V8 using the Princess box.

[mat_the_cat]

/\ I remember that one too!