HMC P4 Progress

[HMC]

Culture shock with going shopping in the quattroporte today. Period criticisms of the single clutch f1 shift feel misplaced, from the reference point of spending a few days dancing with my feet to deal with a crash ‘box, with 1/10th of the power, admittedly.

By comparison ive just boarded a rocket ship; both equally enjoyable in their own way.

[lesapandre]

Be like HMC! (only slightly later). These two early 1930's gems are currently on the Bay of Eee.

Austin - 

Morris rival - 

Both requre a modicum of tinkering and repair but both appear a very good base it looks for a viable road car.

The Austin needs more work - however it has a bigger 1.7 litre six under its elegant bonnet - so will make a good driving car. Its also pre-streamlining when Austin moved away from a chrome radiator so retains a fantastic early 'traditional' appearance like HMC's car.

And here is Sir Herbert himself - painted  circa 1908 - I'm sure he'd approve.

[lesapandre]

[HMC]

Pottering in the p4. I think ive fixed the tank leak, and ive fitted a few blanking grommets id ordered (roof where an aerial used to be, assorted holes where the valance behind the bumper used to have fogs, etc)

The brakes are dragging a bit, yet to decide if use will help, or if i need to look and actually do something. Stopping power is good, and its had a new servo- something these often have bother with. Ive also been feeding the leather which was a bit dry.

Leather dry but improving. More than can be said for Tavistock’s weather!

[Zelandeth]

That really is a gorgous looking car.

[HMC]

Currently watching Radio On

@lesapandre

[bangernomics]

Bloody hero. Carry on.

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 18/04/2025 at 15:58, HMC said:

for Tavistock’s weather!

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It's the Bank Holiday weekend - Tavistock shops have a year's worth of cagoules and umbrellas to flog - support your  local shops.
Stiff Upper Lip and drive that Rover (it has grommets and wipers after all - has it got a demister/heater - was that standard on the Poor Man's Rolls Royce?)

[bigstraight6]

Lovely, bonus points for being a Devon registered car.

[HMC]

Steady improvements with use.  The warm missfire (quite bad with cylinders progressively being lost) is sorted. I dislike the OEM ” acorn” type leads with bakelite bits on these so used a push fit set of leads and dizzy cap supplied for the series landrovers that came with this 2.6/6 also, before they went large with the stage 1 V8.

Leads, coil and cap changed and the warm missfire is no more. Im not sure what was the culpit as the push fit and screw fit stuff isnt interchangable in stages, so had to do the lot. After an extended test proved this, the overdrive started working too. Great!

[N Dentressangle]

Really nice.

And all the better for being single colour - prefer it to the two-tone these usually seem to come in.

The crappy acorn type HT leads were one of the first things I changed on the P6. Way too much potential for issues, unless they're brand new and properly made.

[Noel Tidybeard]

what a slendid shade of blue & +1 to the lack of 2tone

[bigstraight6]

  On 24/04/2025 at 17:52, N Dentressangle said:

Really nice.

And all the better for being single colour - prefer it to the two-tone these usually seem to come in.

The crappy acorn type HT leads were one of the first things I changed on the P6. Way too much potential for issues, unless they're brand new and properly made.

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That was one of the first things I replaced on my Zodiac 23 years ago, that and the crappy points to electronic ignition and the same parts are still on the same car working well..

[Surface Rust]

  On 24/04/2025 at 17:04, HMC said:

Steady improvements with use.  The warm missfire (quite bad with cylinders progressively being lost) is sorted. I dislike the OEM ” acorn” type leads with bakelite bits on these so used a push fit set of leads and dizzy cap supplied for the series landrovers that came with this 2.6/6 also, before they went large with the stage 1 V8.

Leads, coil and cap changed and the warm missfire is no more. Im not sure what was the culpit as the push fit and screw fit stuff isnt interchangable in stages, so had to do the lot. After an extended test proved this, the overdrive started working too. Great!

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I removed the bakelite plug caps on mine when I found they were intermittently shorting out through micro racks in the Bakelite. I assume age and temperature cycles had destroyed them. It instantly solved the random misfires I had been having. I can only assume you have been having similar problems.

[jonathan_dyane]

Mine were knackered too, I just replaced the caps with generic ones but rather wish I'd thought to go the LR route because that's left me with the stupid acorns at the dizzy cap

[wuvvum]

  On 17/04/2025 at 17:37, HMC said:

Culture shock with going shopping in the quattroporte today. Period criticisms of the single clutch f1 shift feel misplaced, from the reference point of spending a few days dancing with my feet to deal with a crash ‘box, with 1/10th of the power, admittedly.

By comparison ive just boarded a rocket ship; both equally enjoyable in their own way.

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I'd be more concerned by the two ne'er-do-wells in hoodies hanging around your car.  Obviously up to no good.

[wuvvum]

  On 13/04/2025 at 11:51, HMC said:

Arrivé a le Maison

 

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I showed this post to my dad when I was down visiting the folks over Easter.  He's not really a car person at all, but he immediately said "ooh, that's an Austin 12, like Gumdrop".  Must have recognised it from when he had to read the books to me over and over again 40-odd years ago...

[High Jetter]

  On 25/04/2025 at 12:39, wuvvum said:

I'd be more concerned by the two ne'er-do-wells in hoodies hanging around your car.  Obviously up to no good.

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I bet they'd been promised sixpence each if the wheels were still on it when he came back from lunch the pub! 😀

[HMC]

  On 24/04/2025 at 19:58, bigstraight6 said:

That was one of the first things I replaced on my Zodiac 23 years ago, that and the crappy points to electronic ignition and the same parts are still on the same car working well..

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Ive gone your route as well, I fitted a powerspark electronic ignition this morning, tweaked the mixture and timing and its running better than ever…

[Bear]

  On 25/04/2025 at 12:39, wuvvum said:

I'd be more concerned by the two ne'er-do-wells in hoodies hanging around your car.  Obviously up to no good.

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CRUSTY JUGGLERS.

[TrabbieRonnie]

  On 26/04/2025 at 10:23, HMC said:

Ive gone your route as well, I fitted a powerspark electronic ignition this morning, tweaked the mixture and timing and its running better than ever…

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That is beautiful, I too like the colour, and am jealous of your chrome/shiny paint/lack of rust!

Good to hear about the Powerspark ignition, I wonder if I'll end up going down that route in the end.

My plug leads were from Wadhams, they have normal push-on ends at the plugs (which I much prefer), but still the wee acorns at the dizzy (a proper formed connector inside though, not the splayed out wires/wee disc combo).

They made a good difference for me too, and I think I've figured out the mixture and idle speed adjustment.  

Anyway, I'm rattling... lovely motor, well done 👍.

 

[HMC]

Had a P4 ftp. Progressive power loss and then standstill. The engine was still idling. Luckily i had a spanner on board (beside myself) so i could tighten the loose nuts in the accelerator shaft linkage.

I also added a breather hose  where the tank had been hurriedly installed without in previous ownership.

P4 and a distant (sort of) descendant, earlier.