Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[Zelandeth]

Seems unlikely that the hub needs to be removed to get the shoes on - though they may indeed by a royal swine.  Seem to recall swearing at the shoes on the back of the Corsa when I had to change them.

 

Hub dismantling instructions, Page 71 of the manual...

 

 

If it was just a case of "remove this clip then everything comes apart" it might have been reasonable...looks more involved though.

 

Removal of the body would indeed be a pain, but in terms of the longer game might not be a bad idea, certainly would aid in checking for and resolving any rust issues that might be lurking...

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I would just cut out as much of the original pipe as possible and run a new line in a more convenient route.

 

Have done this plenty of times and provided it's secured properly (every 300mm from memory?) It'll be MOT safe....

 

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

[dollywobbler]

Haven't got time for much tinkering today, but did have time to get a battery and test lamp on the spares car and confirm the ignition timing is ok. It's advanced rather than retarded. 

 

 

That said, I was having difficulty getting a good connection through the points, but have at least confirmed that the seized distributor is not a big problem here. I suspect robbing the new set of points off the other one wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

May try and get it running at the weekend, but it needs the carburettor from the other one.

 

In brake news, can't quite face the garage today but I'm sending both the old and the new master cylinder to Angry Dicky so he can decipher exactly what size the old one is and either send the correct one off the shelf, or rebuild the original unit.

[Tickman]

I really enjoyed the latest video, it shows exactly how 'fixing' stuff turns out in the real world.

I'm glad it is not just me that has those days/weeks

[cpjitservices]

I really enjoyed the latest video, it shows exactly how 'fixing' stuff turns out in the real world.

I'm glad it is not just me that has those days/weeks

Ditto. Its amazing how a simple job can turn into arseache. 

[dollywobbler]

Yup, I'm keeping it real alright. I don't hide my fails. 

[Bobthebeard]

Yup, I'm keeping it real alright. I don't hide my fails.

 

Summer weather will help... Automotive fails are common at this time of year.

[Zelandeth]

Will be really interesting to see how differently the parts car runs with the timing set right.

 

How does the recorded mileage compare between the two?

 

Have to admit to a certain degree of body condition envy with regards to that spares car!

 

Your experiences here very much remind me of the love-hate relationship I've always had with my Saab.  Virtually every job I do on the thing winds up taking at least five times longer than they should do and result in me taking the whole car to pieces.

[dollywobbler]

Parts car hasn't even made it to 12,000 miles, compared to 28,000 on the Invacar. I had someone potentially interested in the spares car, but they've decided against it. We'll see what's left once I'm finished...

[MorrisItalSLX]

Dollywobbler! Dollywobbler! Dollywobbler!

I have made a discovery!

There is an invacar in Australia!

 

 

It’s at Charlie’s Auto museum in Arthur’s Seat, Victoria.

I visited there about 2 years ago and was just reminiscing this visit when I remembered seeing an invacar-esque car behind a bond bug, and some internet research has proven it to be true!

 

 

These are photos shamelessly stolen from trip advisor as mine are even worse.

It’s a fantastic museum, by far the best I’ve been to, something for everyone’s taste and Charlie is a lovely bloke.

 

http://charliesautomuseum.com.au/

[dollywobbler]

Brilliant. Have had a chap comment on one of my videos because he owns one in America too. Amazing how they've found their way around the world.

[Zelandeth]

Parts car hasn't even made it to 12,000 miles, compared to 28,000 on the Invacar. I had someone potentially interested in the spares car, but they've decided against it. We'll see what's left once I'm finished...

 

While I very much doubt that I'm even close to the head of the queue, it goes without saying that once you're done raiding it for spares I'll likely have a significant interest in your spares vehicle (along I imagine with both half the forum and half your YouTube audience) given my inbound project.

 

Really interesting to see that one's made it as far afield as Australia - have to wonder what the story behind that is.  Anyone recognise exactly which model variant it is from the photo?  Wheel arch profile is throwing me...

[dollywobbler]

Model 67 I think, which has the model 70 body but no arches, and Villiers engine.

[Ghosty]

How is that Aussie Invacar on an H prefix?

[dollywobbler]

I thought it looked more like an 8...

[uk_senator]

Some observations.

1. You should have spent a few hours to degrease/steam clean/jetwash the entire car (inside & out, including boot) before starting the project, to make it nicer & easier to work on (its easy to miss critical things when they're covered in an inch of 40yo oily dirt), after all, it was drenched in the years it was standing & couldn't have done any more damage than was already done. Its not too late to do it now.

2. Some Fiats (I understand it shares its axle with?) have cut-outs on the back of the wheel flange, you rotate the flange & cut-out sections aid shoe/spring removal (not all have this, but certainly worth checking on yours).

3. I use parachute cord with a wooden file handle to pull the shoe springs back (if they are too tight to do with a screwdriver/pliers/crowbar), pushing the spring hook in with either a small flathead, long nosed pliers, & occasionally Chaka Demus & Pliers. A second person pulling the cord helps, but warn them it might jump off so they don't go tumbling backwards if it does.

 

Keep it up!

[djim]

Sorry if it has been mentioned before but there is a convertible AC Invacar on display in the Bentley Motor Museum in East Sussex. I've got a picture I think, I'll try and figure out how to post it on here. 

[mk2_craig]

How is that Aussie Invacar on an H prefix?

Ringer job using ID from a later Reliant to sneak it out the country?

[djim]

 

From Bentley Motor museum. Looks pretty well kept. 

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Fellow brake fiddling hater here - although they look* mechanically basic enough and should* be fairly doable they always always lead to bleeding, crying and contribute more to mental issues in any country than is correctly attributed....... you sir, have my sympathies.

 

I'd join the ever lengthening queue for the spares inva' when it becomes avaialble - as I'll be over close* to your place to collect a CF hauler it would be rude not to have the correct shite on the back to return with.......

 

What's the latest on the dizzy caper(s)?

[dollywobbler]

Latest is I'm over 250 miles away from the car. I do have more brake pipe and some connectors though.

[jonny69]

^ Productive drive then?

[dollywobbler]

^ Productive drive then?

 

Yes, but Invacar is several items down the list of why I went.

[dollywobbler]

Oh this is good. Angry Dicky informs me that I'd just failed to remove the plastic plug before trying to fit the old pushrod to the new master cylinder. Anyone would think I don't have a clue what I'm doing...

[dollywobbler]

EXCITING DISTRACTION DOT COM.

[Supernaut]

YAY!

[320touring]

#legit

[SiC]

What is the type of vehicle and other data given by DVLA?

[dozeydustman]

Be interesting to see if it still has a 10-litre engine capacity

[dollywobbler]

Still 9999cc, disabled tax, tricycle. So, I'll have to send my lovely new logbook back to DVLA again at some point. I think I need an MOT before I can change the tax class though? I've never owned a car with disabled tax class before.