Project Alf's Ageing Autos

[DodgyBastard]

PICS PICS PICS!

[Taff]

that is a lovely truck.

 

My galaxie had a million little niggles with it, boot catch didn't, lights worked in the wrong order, stuck linkages.

seized engine. A year of fiddling and a crate of WD40 and she runs like a dream.

 

Ref the wiring, I'm guessing a Moggy Minor loom would have enough circuits for you, and would only need the rear light circuits lengthening to suit? Cheap and easily available.

 

Nothing quite like that first roar of sound out of the motor, is there?

[John F]

I usually reserve a special kind of scorn for american cars and their owners, but apart from a slightly gimpish expression due to the massive radiator grille, that old van looks OK.

[brickwall]

You'll need to get some dungarees and a pig to cart around in the back.

 

[cort1977]

You've definitely done the right thing there, that will have so much presence on UK roads.

 

Watching one of those stupid shows a while ago (gas monkey garage?) and they clear coated over the whole body of something with similar patina.  Looked OK.

[tooSavvy]

Nahh.... go the WHOLE HOGG....

 

 

.... just bloody ENJOY it, M8

 

TS

[babydriver]

Steering wheels on the wrong side. but quite nice to look at.

[babydriver]

1977 Mazda proceed is the way forward.

[alf892]

Got home from work on friday and couldn't wait to play with this. When it was delivered I got it running but the carb was pissing out fuel so decided that would be a good place to start...

 

Gave it a good clean and took it apart

 

Main jet and throttle pump. I freed off the float but could not find where the throttle pump should squirt.The good thing is with old stufflike this is that it is made to be fixed so every internal passage way has a bung you can remove to clean the guts. Bungs removed and all jets cleaned out. eventually I found the throttle pump vavles and blew them out so now we had a squirt..

 

So reassemblbed carb and tested.

 

Fuel everwhere...so strip again. Found float full of petrol so it it didn't float. Found it had two pinhole so I enlarged these

And cut a bit off shim steel to size.....I fixed this on with some Plastic Padding fuel tank repair goop. I didn't fancy trying to solder it as it would probably have fell in half....

 

I adjusted the float height agnat's to compensate for the extra weight and reasemble again. Bingo..no leaks.

 

So carb refitted and fired up. Fooikng great. It runs a treat with good oil pressure. It did get very warm quite quick but I think this is because the exhaust got squashed during unloading so all the gas has to pass thru a totally flat piece.

 

It needed turning around so I gave it a quick go up the road first and then parked it up.

 

I plan to make an exhaust up from a bend and a length of straight pipe but that will have to wait till next weekend. I will also order a new float as it needs to be reliable.

 

Have a couple of interior shots to finish.....

And that luvverly straight six...

[danthecapriman]

That is a lovely looking truck. Great work getting it going so far too. That big old 6 looks great, nothing but simple old engineering and nothing really to go wrong or break either.

 

It's a bit annoying they managed to damage the exhaust during the shipping though! Mine picked up two scratches the same way!

 

What's it like to drive?

[alf892]

Well I couldn't go far as it got hot. Lovely smooth engine though and gearbox sounds nice.

It was also pissing down and I was wet from working on it so this steamed the windows up. And no wipers. And it is not registered. And the tyres are very fucked. And the clutch pedal sticks.

 

Apart from that it drives nice.....only got to third up our road.

 

Can't wait to get the niggles fixed so I can have a proper go but finances mean it will have be a bit gradual.....but I will be properly on the road in the spring. Or when it is ready and we get a nice day........

 

Job for tonight is fill out he dvla forms to register it.

 

Also need to order some headlights and an alternator

 

Had a look at the wiring......I still plan to wire it as I think the suggested looms will be too short in quite a few places. It doesn't need that many wires anyway.

[tooSavvy]

... that 6er shouts 'Vx Cresta scaffolding pipe manifolds'.... Kool As 

 

 

TS

[Skizzer]

 

"You're not in Kansas any more, Dorothy.."

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Really like this. Do the neighbours approve?

[alf892]

One or two of the neighbours have chatted about it. Nobody has moaned about it to my face.........and if they do I would have some fun with them

 

I actually managed to get off my arse this weekend and do some work on this.

At the end of last year I made up the new exhaust and fitted a rebuild kit to the carb and then it got too bleeding cold to bugger about outside.

I did strip the brakes enough to find all cylinders were buggered though.....oh and some helpful soul had binned the handbrake linkage from inside the drum. Looks fine doesn’t it?

 

 

Bit gutted at no linkage.........then took cylinder off for a clean.

 

Gave it a good going over with my cylinder hone........

 

Better but still about knacked.

New set of cylinders ordered with new linings. Original hub seals were felt so I ordered lip seals on size.......97p each!

I had a real lucky find before Christmas when a guy who is hot rodding one let me have the brake linkage and drag/track rods for about £60. Best offer up to then was £300 for just the brake linkage. He also gave me a new master cylinder..........

......which turned out to be a different size. Master cylinders seem to be bloody hard to get and when it did find one it was over $150.

So by last week I had assemble all the hydraulic bits required and I decided to just clean up the pedal to master linkage. Not so easy............while it did move I found both small clevis pins were seized into the yokes..................

 

And the main relay arm pivot was seized into the relay arm so the easiest way to get it off was in one lump.

The great thing about this old truck is you can hit things very hard and not hurt it.

 

So a lot of heavy hammering and plenty of emery/file work and we actually have forward progress.

 

 

Took this and retired for beer.

 

Sunday tomorrow and the plan is to do the steering and get the engine and box bolted in straight after it got ‘dislodged’ on the journey.

[Taff]

Don't know about you Alf, but I have found d that the engineering on the Galaxie (& this holds true of other yanks over the years) and I don't recall stripping or shearing a bolt on them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[alf892]

Yes found that most bolts can be undone with patience......have snapped a couple but you could tell from looking at them. I don't know if this is Yank specific as have found this on most older stuff....just better quality metal used I think.

[Junkman]

Everything was nicer and better in the good old days.

[danthecapriman]

Nice job so far.

What happened to the engine and box? Did it get damaged on the way over?

 

When I did a few repairs to my Mercury last year I found you can beast the hell out of these old yanks with no ill effects at all! The beating I gave the alternator to get the mounting bolt free! Anything else something would have broken.

The only down side with them is everything is big and heavy!

[alf892]

Nice job so far.

What happened to the engine and box? Did it get damaged on the way over?

When I did a few repairs to my Mercury last year I found you can beast the hell out of these old yanks with no ill effects at all! The beating I gave the alternator to get the mounting bolt free! Anything else something would have broken.

The only down side with them is everything is big and heavy!

I would bet cash that the n/ s wheel was dropped off a loading ramp somewhere.........and given the marks were cleanish I think I was done in UK.

 

Damage to (rotten) running board, rotten exhaust totally squashed and engine/box pushed over as gearbox mounts were buggered. The guy who imported it gave me £100 and I think that was fair enough.

 

Would have been very nasty if it was in good nick though.

[danthecapriman]

I would bet cash that the n/ s wheel was dropped off a loading ramp somewhere.........and given the marks were cleanish I think I was done in UK.

Damage to (rotten) running board, rotten exhaust totally squashed and engine/box pushed over as gearbox mounts were buggered. The guy who imported it gave me £100 and I think that was fair enough.

Would have been very nasty if it was in good nick though.

Bastards!

Mine took a pounding on its way over too, got a very deep scratch down one door and a dent and scratch on the front panel. Both down to bare metal, no rusting though so I bet it got done at this end aswell. Really annoying, especially given the costs involved.

When I asked about it everyone just denied all knowledge and basically I was told to get stuffed!

 

Do you have much work to do before it's on the road?

[alf892]

Yes......I had a bit of a job convincing the guy but I had good pics before it left. I stayed very reasonable and offered him a choice between me chasing him for full and complete repairs or make me an offer based on a contribution to the cost of parts to repair.

 

Once the brakes and steering are done I just need to wire it up and fit a seat.

Hopefully.

 

I found an alernator buried under my bench.......I had forgot that when I converted Miss al's Corsa to PAS I had to change it.....so it will be getting a prper GM part!

 

So onto Sunday and getting the steering apart.......track rod ends are very old schoool and come apart.

 

And contain these cups

 

which act on this ball

 

Sadly at this point I discovered my balls had gone egg shaped. Never a pleasant discovery.

 

So yet more parts ordered. Set of balls that can be bolted in as oposed to pressed and riveted. I know pressed and rivted worked fine but I would have to pay someone to do it......at bolted ones are the same price.

 

I mentioned before that I got a spare drag link.......mine had been welded and was bent and given the choice I'd rather not drive around on something so critical repaired by someone i have never met. Especially if he was the twat that did the brakes.......

 

At this point I packed up and spent a couple of happy hours wire brushing loads of bits and pieces for paint.

[danthecapriman]

Nice. That drag link looks a bit past it! I don't think I've ever seen ball joints like that either, looks like they were serviceable instead of throwing away the whole thing and changing it.

[alf892]

They are good but you do have to watch the casing as if not kept well adjusted the shank of the ball will wear the casing of the joint and if bad they can get bounced out.

 

I only know this from working on fork lifts though.......

[alf892]

No real progress to report on this one..........I had a couple of brake/clutch pedal bushes and a new shaft made so now loads of bits waiting for reassembly. I don't want to start that until I have all the parts here though. Big problem is still the little yokes that link the h/brake cables to the drop arms. And the fact I need wheels and tyres. Oh...........and I've got no money.

 

So with spring coming this old girl was fired up.

 

 

Every year I take the drums off for a quick dust out and adjust. Operation is by rod so no nasty hydraulics. Braking is bloody good though thanks to the lining area/size.

 

Also gave it a check over and lube. Everything is very solid but in a very working condition

 

Then found a small water leak at a water gallery on the rear of the head.......small water leak turned big very quick as plate is ally and very rotten.

 

New one should be here by the weekend............just as the sun goes away.

 

 

 

 

 

[danthecapriman]

There's always something gone tits up after winter and you get some nice days, you want to go for a drive but end up fixing stuff instead!

 

That Rover is a gorgeous car though. It looks spotless aswell.

[alf892]

Thanks Dan......I've always liked the lines and have never got bored of just looking at it.

 

New plate arrived yesterday so fitted it today.....

 

Old and new

 

That little bit on the right is a switch that operates a choke warning light. When I took the plate off I was hoping to repair with some epoxy. Once off it was pretty obvious it fkd beyond araldite. The ally had just gone to powder so amazing it didn't leak more really. Mind you can't really complain as it was most likely the original plate so hasn't done bad.

 

Lovely day so gave it a long road test around some country roads. It is a lovely way to travel.....just so lazy. It has a freewheel so once you have pulled away you change gear by just easing off the throttle and moving the stick and easing back on the throttle. It won't tolerate being rushed.

[alf892]

Time for a quick update on my truck. I was just looking at the dates of some of these pics and realised what a lazy twat I am........

 

So late last year I fitted the new master cylinder and linkages which I had freed off. The brake and clutch pedals bushes were buggered as was the shaft they turn on. Bushes are available in the states but not the shaft so I got the engineering shop next door to work to make some up. Next up was to fit nice new cylinders and bleed it up.

 

Thats the brakes close to finished.......I can't fit the linings until the steering arms are back on and I work out how to attach the handbrake cables.

 

I had a lucky find on E bay and got some steel wheels from a bloke who was hot rodding one. Badly.

 

Fast forward to last weekend and I took the wheels over to a mates garage to get the tyres off. I got a set of tyres for Christmas but need to get the wheels cleaned up before fitting.

 

I have also spent some time cleaning and painting steering bits.....

 

And treating the steering arms to new balls..

 

This is the bolt in type which I bought a set of only to find that the track link ones really needed the press in type or they hit the axle and tyre. Luckily they are onlt about £20 a pair. Riveting them in destroyed my paint though......

New cup fitted to track rod..

 

These have no shit cover so I cut some bits of inner tube just to try and protect things a bit

 

And then fitted to truck....

 

I did have a go at sandblasting the wheels with a little portable set but they really need a proper grit blast so I dropped them off this morning......not worth buggering about when it is only 15 quid a wheel for blasting and priming.

 

That was it.....only a few hours but my most productive weekend for a while and it has reawoken my mojo so hopefully more updates before too long.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Only just spotted this thread!

 

Lovely truck

 

Nice to see one not lowered for a change

[Angrydicky]

How have I not seen this thread before? That truck is immense, I love it, and as Tom says, so nice to see one that hasn't had the usual pissing about with. Looks to have great 'patina' as well.

 

The Rover is seriously fit too, of course!