invacar LightBulbFun's Invacar & general ramble thread, index on page 1, survivors lists on Pages 24/134 & AdgeCutler's Invacar Mk12 Restoration from Page 186 onwards, still harping on...

[Marshall2810]

Just seen this on Bangers and Cash and thought of you @LightBulbFun. You've probably already seen it but sold for £1200 which sounds like a barg. 

 

 

 

[AdgeCutler]

After a little routine maintenance and general roadworthyness checks yesterday (in which I discovered a loose engine mount), it was decided to go for a little Cotswold bimble. As always the little Brian put a smile on my face and of many we passed.

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 22/04/2024 at 19:55, Snake Charmer said:

Just to stop them getting airborne if the train reaches the magic 82mph? 

that's why they were loaded facing backwards😉

[chadders]

34 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

that's why they were loaded facing backwards😉

Wasn't there a car that was more aerodynamic from the back?

[brandersnatch]

11 minutes ago, chadders said:

Wasn't there a car that was more aerodynamic from the back?

Austin Allegro. Allegedly. 

[chadders]

 

2 minutes ago, brandersnatch said:

Austin Allegro. Allegedly. 

https://www.carscoops.com/2023/01/a-1940s-jaguar-mark-v-is-significantly-more-aerodynamic-going-backwards-but-its-not-alone/

"To prove the point, the YouTube channel SuperfastMatt decided to look at a Jaguar Mark V in aerodynamic simulation software."

"The thing is, though, that the Jaguar Mark V isn’t alone. In addition to the Austin Allegro, the Porsche 928, and pretty much any other car you’ve heard being accused of this, the design requirements of most vehicles simply give the back end of a car an advantage."

[brandersnatch]

7 minutes ago, chadders said:

 

https://www.carscoops.com/2023/01/a-1940s-jaguar-mark-v-is-significantly-more-aerodynamic-going-backwards-but-its-not-alone/

"To prove the point, the YouTube channel SuperfastMatt decided to look at a Jaguar Mark V in aerodynamic simulation software."

"The thing is, though, that the Jaguar Mark V isn’t alone. In addition to the Austin Allegro, the Porsche 928, and pretty much any other car you’ve heard being accused of this, the design requirements of most vehicles simply give the back end of a car an advantage."

I guess your Type 2 would equally aerodynamic backwards as forwards. 

[chadders]

17 minutes ago, brandersnatch said:

I guess your Type 2 would equally aerodynamic backwards as forwards. 

Probably but I wouldn't be able to see where I was going due to the smoke would I?

[brandersnatch]

5 minutes ago, chadders said:

Probably but I wouldn't be able to see where I was going due to the smoke would I?

Good point. 

[LightBulbFun]

in REV news, she gets a long overdue service!  all oils finally changed, which I am most relieved to hear about, its something thats been bothering my since the day I got her, probably over 20 years since she last had any sort of actual service, and especially  with the gearbox and diff I did not know what the levels looked like, but its all been taken care of now  (the break fluid was done while she was at Red5's)

engine oil strainer was cleaned

and the inside of REV's gearbox

and the gearbox and diff oil was properly changed! 

Quote

And I thought oil changes on modern cars was a pain in the arse !!
 
The engine oil & filter was straightforward enough but the strainer was a bit more challenging because the gasket destroyed itself on removal so I had to make a new one.  The diff oil went smoothly once I found the filler plug.  Then there was the box oil.  There is no drain plug for the box so I had to get into the lid and take that off and then syphon out the oil before cleaning out the casing.  Never done that before in my life. 

I have asked about what came out, since as above I have no idea when REV was actually last properly/fully serviced thus I am morbidly curious to know what came out  

[LightBulbFun]

Oh theres a Glitch in the Matrix!

(funnily enough I once managed this myself a couple years ago now, I still think about it and wonder if at some point its going to cause the forum software to throw a wobbly LOL)

[Saabnut]

Some more pictures to keep Dez happy, taken this afternoon. Doors now slide with one finger!

 

[egg]

'scuse my ignorance - but what's the thing I've circled in the gearbox pls?

[LightBulbFun]

13 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

Some more pictures to keep Dez happy, taken this afternoon. Doors now slide with one finger!

after how he described the ordeal of the doors 

1 hour ago, Saabnut said:

and went to see my friend Duncan

I am relieved he still considers you a friend! 

although I there, should be a fresh set of door seals in the spares stash I sent up with REV, if you really want to put things to the test  I hear @dollywobbler enjoys* fitting those

 

 

thank you for the additional pictures always nice to see current pictures of REV! glad to see she is indeed back on all 3 wheels  

[Vimesy]

58 minutes ago, egg said:

'scuse my ignorance - but what's the thing I've circled in the gearbox pls?

Looks like a rag - used to clean up the inside of the gearbox....

[beko1987]

Doors now slide with one finger! 

That's taking the authentic ownership experience too far now isn't it? 🤔 When do you loose the others Dez? 

[High Jetter]

45 minutes ago, Vimesy said:

Looks like a rag - used to clean up the inside of the gearbox....

Smoll bit of rag tho. The end looks very frayed...

[Dobloseven]

13 hours ago, egg said:

'scuse my ignorance - but what's the thing I've circled in the gearbox pls?

A nylon sock to quieten the gears for an authentic 70s motoring experience?

[st185cs]

20 hours ago, beko1987 said:

Doors now slide with one finger! 

That's taking the authentic ownership experience too far now isn't it? 🤔 When do you loose the others Dez? 

Over restored if you ask me 😂😂😂

[LightBulbFun]

On 03/05/2024 at 19:47, egg said:

'scuse my ignorance - but what's the thing I've circled in the gearbox pls?

I am not sure tbh! I was kinda wondering that myself, its not shown in any of the workshop manual pictures! 

 

 

as an aside to this tho, I had a chuckle and realised this thread has its very own

Quote

Haynes: As described in Chapter 7...
Translation: That'll teach you not to read through before you start, now you are looking at scarey photos of the inside of a gearbox.

moment, for anyone who dares to skip ahead

 

 

(the quote is from here, well worth a read for those already not aware  http://messybeast.com/dragonqueen/real-haynes.htm )

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 04/05/2024 at 18:08, st185cs said:

Over restored if you ask me 😂😂😂

not if you only got one finger! 🤣

[egg]

9 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

(the quote is from here, well worth a read for those already not aware  http://messybeast.com/dragonqueen/real-haynes.htm )

this is 100% true!

Haynes: See illustration for details
Translation: None of the illustrations notes will match the pictured exploded, numbered parts. The unit illustrated is from a previous or variant model. The actual location of the unit is never given.

[Mr Pastry]

8 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

(the quote is from here, well worth a read for those already not aware  http://messybeast.com/dragonqueen/real-haynes.htm )

Certain Haynes manuals used to have a blurb on the back cover which said something like:

"We will show you clever ways of doing difficult jobs without using the manufacturer's special tools." 

Turn to a difficult job, and they tell you to go to the main dealer and ask nicely if you can borrow the special tool.  Yeah, OK.

Did anybody ever do this and live to tell the tale?

 

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, egg said:

this is 100% true!

Haynes: See illustration for details
Translation: None of the illustrations notes will match the pictured exploded, numbered parts. The unit illustrated is from a previous or variant model. The actual location of the unit is never given.

tbf not even the Model 70 Workshop manual is perfect, the most amusing one is,

so you have just serviced the gearbox and want to make sure the tension on the main triplex drive chain is correct

Oh....

(bottom right on page 58 for anyone playing along at home)

this has been bothering me since @dollywobbler said in one of his TWC videos that the tensioner was wound to maximum, (time stamped to 39:00)

I thought to myself surely that cant be right or good for it?! so I went looking to see how its actually done and uhh yeah so much for that! 

for the what very specific autoshite thing keeps you up at night thread: how *does* one tension the triplex chain on a Model 70?

 

(also that thing about pouring the last half a pint down the chain case is that just for if you have had the chain case apart, or is that required for every time you change the diff oil?)

[Snake Charmer]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

(also that thing about pouring the last half a pint down the chain case is that just for if you have had the chain case apart, or is that required for every time you change the diff oil?)

I read through that section in the manual, as it follows rebuilding and reassembly the unit would be dry apart from any lube used and would benefit from oil on the chain and upper bearing that would be fed by splash off the chain rotation.  I see no need to perform that procedure at a service unless the vehicle has stood a long time but would not hurt if you did.

[Remspoor]

9 hours ago, Mr Pastry said:

Certain Haynes manuals used to have a blurb on the back cover which said something like:

"We will show you clever ways of doing difficult jobs without using the manufacturer's special tools." 

Turn to a difficult job, and they tell you to go to the main dealer and ask nicely if you can borrow the special tool.  Yeah, OK.

Did anybody ever do this and live to tell the tale?

 

The Haynes covering the Austin Westminster is a copy word for word of the BMC dealer manual. The images different.

[LightBulbFun]

in other Invalid Car news, it seems all the Model 67's are coming out of the woodwork! which is really exciting because, very few AC Model 67's are known to survive (only about 12 or so)

 

first there is these 2 (or at least 1 Model 67, I have not yet been able to confirm if the car on its side is also a 67 or a 70)

I do have the postcode for where these are at, but sadly I have no other details other then that, but hopefully I can get them rescued one way or another!

 

the condition of it is very curious, like the wheels are rusty and the windows have all fallen out, but the bodywork is remarkably intact and clean, and the chrome around the rear lights is still shiny even, very odd!

I almost wonder if they where only relatively recently turfed into the open like this?

 

and then just now, this has come to light, still very early days in chasing it up, but its very interesting to see

 

 

and then finally to finish it all off, randomly on eBay has appeared, a singular rear shock absorber for the Model 57/67 Acedes!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156196216188

Random much! I wonder what the story is with that, and how you end up with a singular one of an item normally done in pairs!

 

 

 

but all in all very exciting to see these cars come to light I am really hopeful they can be rescued and go to a good home  

[LightBulbFun]

On 27/04/2024 at 21:18, Zelandeth said:

I *think* I may have a spare handle.  Though no idea what state it's in.  If it was one of the stash that came with KPL, probably no better than what you've already got.

did you have any luck finding it?  

 

I got an update on the door handle situation, its really quite strange how its broken like that, because I only ever used the door locks once, just to verify they worked when I got REV and that was that

Quote

I stripped the other door handle again & dismantled it.  The pin on the end of the barrel that does the actual locking had broken off & jammed in the mechanism.  This leaves you with 3 choices.
 
1. I re-assemble it so it doesn’t lock.
 
2. I re-assemble it in the locked position.  The door would still be openable from the inside.
 
3. You get another handle or barrel & key.

ideally i'd like to go for 3, so I am just wondering if you found the door handle or not? I mean I know I can get one from here

https://www.morrisminorspareparts.com/products/rear-door-handle-afa543

but I rather support the Autoshite cause where I can  

 

if you cant find it or its too much a faff not the end of the world, but just thought i'd double check! again I much rather chuck £howevermuchitisyouwantforit, your way first and foremost  

[Zelandeth]

I've had a decent dig around and certainly can't see it.  Thinking about it, I remember one being missing when I got TPA, so I may well have sent it on with KPL having nicked one of the ones from there when I was making one good set of doors out of two. 

In other "you've probably seen this already but seemed relevant to you" news, you seen this over on Lamptech?  I never even knew that technology had been refined into something that looked outwardly near identical to a modern fluorescent tube, and had assumed it fizzled out in the 30s when MA/MB style mercury lamps basically rendered the Cooper-Hewitt design obsolete. 

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

I've had a decent dig around and certainly can't see it.  Thinking about it, I remember one being missing when I got TPA, so I may well have sent it on with KPL having nicked one of the ones from there when I was making one good set of doors out of two. 

In other "you've probably seen this already but seemed relevant to you" news, you seen this over on Lamptech?  I never even knew that technology had been refined into something that looked outwardly near identical to a modern fluorescent tube, and had assumed it fizzled out in the 30s when MA/MB style mercury lamps basically rendered the Cooper-Hewitt design obsolete. 

No problems thanks for checking  

 

indeed I have seen that! but I am glad to hear im not the only one who checks James's website on a daily basis for fresh updates  

 

James actually also did an upload of it to LG if you want see the discussion I have had with him about that tube! its a tube type I have long been aware of its, as its quite the Legendary tube on LG, along with the T17 tube, and Bayonet capped tube, I remember the RF tube being talked about for many years and then 10-15 years ago, the excitement of when the first tubes where found, and then eventually someone found a complete fixture!

and of course me being me, I also have spent many hours reading the old catalogs on James's website so was aware of them through that as well, but the technical details on them where scant, I knew that they where basically a mercury arc rectifier with a fluorescent coating, hence the name RF Rectifying fluorescent 

but it was one of those tubes that I was really pleased to see James get and do a technical writeup on because its one I had many questions about, and in-fact still do, as you can see by the long old comment I have left on James's upload on LG  

 

 

someone did actually find, (not on LG sadly), a NOS Cooper-hewitt lamp and fixture, which was really awesome to see! a Cooper-hewitt lamp is one of those legendary lamps I would love to own,  both for the historical importance, but also the very novel design of a liquid electrode

 

(you can read about the type here http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/M6 Cooper Hewitt.htm)

 

 

speaking of early fluorescent tubes! funnily enough I acquired this beauty just the other day

something I was really looking forward to getting, because what one might not realise is this particular tube, is a very early fluorescent tube, dating to 1939-1940, making it my oldest fluorescent tube in the collection

 

but sadly much to my dismay (and the collector who had hand delivered it to me to trade it for a couple special fluorescent tubes I have that he wanted), when we went to test it,  to strike in my usual 15W T8 fixture, fearing the worse from the symptoms it was displaying, so I quickly put it on the test bench on a special "start ya bastard" ballast I have that I use for saving/reviving sickly fluorescent tubes 

and yeah, as pretty as it looks in the photo, its not supposed to be that colour! that pinky-orange, is Nitrogen contamination, indicative of an air leak...

 

that will be why it didn't want to work on its normal control gear, sometimes with contaminated tubes like this if you can get them going you can leave them running and they will burn off the contaminants and come around again, and this one has done that to a degree

in that as one can see I was able to get it running in a normal fixture, but its far from healthy, if one looks at the blue multimeter the value of "103V" is its the voltage drop across the tube, this *should be* 56V for an F15T8, but as one can see its almost double that! and even after leaving it running for some time

the tube voltage was still almost double what it should be, in general while the tube voltage has been falling, which is a good sign that the contaminations are being gettered away, its happening very slowly...

it remains to be seen if this tube will make a full recovery or not, I am pleased to report that after a couple days of sitting, it did strike up in its regular fixture, but the arc voltage is still way too high

 

 

one really strange phenomena thats happened with this tube in all this, is something is consuming the phosphor in the tube! cause the ends to go clear, not even James has seen this happen! and its left us all scratching our head as to whats going on! 

gives a good view of the very early style bowed electrodes tho

it was not like this when I got it! theres some theories about the brown staining being Mercuric oxide formation from the air leak, and this forming a conductive layer which the discharge has then impinged on and thus sputtering away the phosphor coating, but again no ones quite sure for sure

 

this contaminated tube has certainly provided a very interesting study, (its the first contaminated tube I have had since acquiring some special test gear so I was able to monitor it in detail I have not been able to achive before now) its just a shame the contamainted tube had to be such an antique tube! 

 

for point of reference of the age of the tube above,, here are 2 slightly later fluorescent tubes in my collection that I acquired many years ago these are my oldest white coloured fluorescent tubes 

dating to Q1 1943 for the top tube and Q2 1945 for the bottom tube, note the brass plated steel end caps due brass being required for the war effort

 

and how the 1939-1940 predates that switch with its non magnetic, nickel plated brass caps instead

and also the lack of a formal date code, the overscores and underscores you see on the 2 tubes together, are the date code, and the earliest tubes did not have this, the very earliest GE-Mazda fluorescent tubes of 1938-1939 had whats known as vertical etches, where the etch was turned 90 degrees, I sadly do not have one of those in the collection I would love to get one, but they be very very rare, along with the RF tube above, they where considered the stuff of legend for many years, it was only in the last 10-12 or so years known examples have come to light, in the later half of 1939, they switched to the horizontal etch as seen above, and then in 1941 a formal date code was introduced as well as a switch to regular brass end caps, so thats how I am able to date the Blue tube to 1939-1940