HMC austin 12/4 BON VOYAGE Monsieur

[DodgeRover]

On 23/03/2025 at 13:11, Matty said:

That's my thoughts. Twin SU B and od box. Uprated suspension but standard ride height. Wider steels and hub caps. 

I'll not lie I'm pretty turned on right now 😂

There's a supercharged one being built on the build restore modify forum - was on retro rides previously.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, DodgeRover said:

There's a supercharged one being built on the build restore modify forum - was on retro rides previously.

Bit beyond me. I can nail an engine together. The further maths of calculating the required to put forced induction on an old lump, the compression ratios needed to avoid any explosion etc is beyond the pay grade of a mere mechanical fitter 🤣

[DodgeRover]

13 minutes ago, Matty said:

Bit beyond me. I can nail an engine together. The further maths of calculating the required to put forced induction on an old lump, the compression ratios needed to avoid any explosion etc is beyond the pay grade of a mere mechanical fitter 🤣

It's a tough old lump, bolt bits on and fix when it breaks.

[Matty]

7 minutes ago, DodgeRover said:

It's a tough old lump, bolt bits on and fix when it breaks.

True. Already doing that with an A series.

[dave j]

Were you out in the Maserati in Plymouth today? If so I saw you by woolwell roundabout! I was in the Audi coupe. 

[HMC]

8 hours ago, dave j said:

Were you out in the Maserati in Plymouth today? If so I saw you by woolwell roundabout! I was in the Audi coupe. 

Yes that was me!

[barefoot]

Starting handle tips: I was taught that you should shuffle the thing around until it's engaged, and then give it a really hefty pull up. Apparently you should never push it down, lest it backfire and smack you in the mouth. It's all a long time ago and there's the merest possibility that I could be completely wrong.

[DSdriver]

23 hours ago, HMC said:

2 weeks to go untill we go to france in the austin 12/4. Taking it up to exmoor for the VSCC trial was a pretty good shakedown (in all senses!) and the 12/4 did good. As the (only?) book on the subject agrees….

But occasionally the starter misbehaved, and theres been a noticable coolant leak. Herbert Austin would not approve.

To investigate the former, i had a look….

The terminal to the starter was bent and partly pressing onto the body of the starter, and the terminal was a bit corroded.  I took it to bits, cleaned and straightened the (brass?) connector and made sure it wasnt touching on the body of it. (photo after)

Interesting the handbrake is very strong,

presumably because the linkage is as simple as can be. It looks like theres a weep from the drain tap. 

Meanwhile the water leak is from a seal where the shaft goes in the drive the water pump. Apparently TADDS to a degree even when new. Ive decided to ive with the slight weep for now.

Road test showed the starter cranks better and reliably. Ive got a handle too (but need to practice) plus french gravity, and children to push if necessary 😂

I decided to go and extend the test route to a local wine merchants to celebrate.

 

 

 

Your car has "Flintstone Mode" 😃

[lesapandre]

2 hours ago, barefoot said:

Starting handle tips: I was taught that you should shuffle the thing around until it's engaged, and then give it a really hefty pull up. Apparently you should never push it down, lest it backfire and smack you in the mouth. It's all a long time ago and there's the merest possibility that I could be completely wrong.

And mind your thumbs. There is a technique. It will be online somewhere.

[HMC]

Well the italian 4 door has been behaving impeccably. The air con is also nice and cold which I really noticed for the first time today.

When bought it was, for an 19 year old car, in excellent cosmetic condition; as you might expect with 43k on the clock. 

Sadly street parking has taken its toll.  a kerbed  NSF wheel (its quite  wide so you need to get it right by the kerb to fit into the roadside parking) my bad. 

The front bumper has been grazed (not my bad - a fellow parker) in the last few days. Inevitable really. Im not too disheartened as its par for the course essentially. Its for using and not being too precious over IMO.

ill just roll with the “unrestored” (at what point does “scruffy” become that?) maserati vibe

[Schaefft]

At least this should really polish out mostly.

[HMC]

Decided to take the Austin to university today. As its school half term with the lighter traffic the journey took less time than last week, when I did it in the quattroporte. 

[HMC]

Went for an evening drive later..

 

 

 

[lesapandre]

Matching rival Oxford 1928 - currently for sale on Ebay. £3,500 atm.

[HMC]

Although the a60 was Reliable and nice to drive, i didnt really gell with it. You can guess the rest…..

A deal presented itself with (another!) p4 . Previous p4s have either rotten, or with knackered paint, or both. However, this one was from a deceased estate where it had just had a full respray… and then left partly disassembled.  I liked it still had its original registration number (westcountry FTW)

Its since had a new tank, pump, brake servo, new brakes and various other p4 go to items. And then put back together and checked over but not properly de snagged or returned to full use.

Thats where i come in. So my mission is to desnag, and use. 

Theres something a bit amiss on the spark front at times, a leak from the fuel tank to pump pick up pipe gasket, and it wants fur flex seals on the doors, and using!

Its a 62. Technically with the least bad power to weight ratio of p4s as its one of the last alloy panelled ones, but with the later Westlake breathed upon engine. As “sporty” as these got!

 

[Wibble]

1 minute ago, HMC said:

Although the a60 was Reliable and nice to drive, i didnt really gell with it. You can guess the rest…..

A deal presented itself with (another!) p4 . Previous p4s have either rotten, or with knackered paint, or both. However, this one was from a deceased estate where it had just had a full respray… and then left partly disassembled. 

Its since had a new tank, pump, brake servo, new brakes and various other p4 go to items. And then put back together and checked over but not properly de snagged or returned to full use.

So my mission is to desnag, and use. 

Theres something a bit amiss on the spark front at times, a leak from the fuel tank to pump pick up pipe gasket, and it wants fur flex seals on the doors, and using!

Its a 62. Technically with the least bad power to weight ratio of p4s as its one of the last alloy panelled ones, but with the later Westlake breathed upon engine. As “sporty” as these got!

 

That looks fantastic! Looking forward to hearing more.

[wuvvum]

Exceptional!

[Peter C]

I would love to give that interior a sniff.

[wuvvum]

P4 interiors always seem to smell the same, no matter the condition of the car.  P6s are the same, although the smell is different.

[2flags]

That looks lovely. The previous owner has done a smashing job on the respray! Proper wafting barge!

[Zelandeth]

Ohoh...please for the love of god don't let me see when you eventually come to sell it.  If my last one had been a bit less rough I could have seen me keeping it a lot longer...

Love that colour too which wouldn't help the self restraint!

[adw1977]

That is a beautiful P4.

[hairnet]

13 hours ago, Peter C said:

I would love to give that interior a shag.

 

[N Dentressangle]

Looks nice. David would approve

[HMC]

Decided to take the 12 for a trip to the pub, in anticipation of the trip to france, tomorrow 🇫🇷 

And to my favoured curry restaurant, where the owner and the head waiter were keen to get behind the wheel….

Side valve just kicked in yo!

[HMC]

Im still awaiting more bits of history from the estate of the deceased former owner. Ive had a few pics, which show it passed the “patina” stage some years ago, and went right through the other side, hence the need for a complete restoration that it received…

 

 

Im assuming the hole in the roof is responsible for the entire interior being new!

[Peter C]

15 minutes ago, HMC said:

Decided to take the 12 for a trip to the pub

 

[HMC]

Grease points greased. Steering box oiled. Tank tanked. Destination: Plymouth ferry terminal (later today)

[lesapandre]

3 hours ago, HMC said:

Grease points greased. Steering box oiled. Tank tanked. Destination: Plymouth ferry terminal (later today)

It's going to be a case of...

OU LA LA

and...

CAN CAN

you make it?

Bon Voyage!

[This is the best guide book by the way]

[lesapandre]

And watch out what you bring back - whole range of foodstuffs have UK gov personal import bans from this weekend because of foot and mouth disease.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/12/travellers-arriving-in-great-britain-import-ban-eu-meat-and-dairy