1977 Princess 1.8 HL

[vulgalour]

The jack is actually a pretty good design, quite a lot more stable than you might expect in use.  However, the bearings have a habit of failing in both the handles and the jacks after a few uses unless they're in tip top condition (yours actually look quite good).  Those do look like original plates, I've got a set off another Princess of similar vintage and it seems that pressed style was only around for a couple of years in the late 70s.  Arch and tool storage grot is pretty standard, in fact less bad than usual, so you've done well there too.  Nice work on that parcel shelf, it does look a lot better than what was there before.

[phil_lihp]

I've still yet to find any really serious rot, I think the worst bits are the front valance and the bottom rear corner of the driver's rear wheelarch plus the passenger rear door.  There's minor holes here and there but all in all I've been very lucky. 

2 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Nice work on that parcel shelf

You may not say that if you saw it in person, it looks like I cut it out with an angry crocodile but as with everything on this car it looks acceptable from 10 feet away and I can't see it from the driver's seat.

[vulgalour]

Ah, I see you were a student at Goody Nuff Polytechnic too.

[phil_lihp]

I started it up for the first time in a week earlier and was surprised when it ran for a few seconds, died and refused to restart.  A quick inspection under the bonnet showed a fuel filter containing a lot of brown sludge and not much else...hmmm, how long ago did I put £20 in it?  Quite a few weeks ago and it's done 65 miles plus a lot of idling since then.  The fuel gauge doesn't work but shoving the car around a bit let me confirm there was at least a bit of petrol still slopping around in the tank.

I went and filled up my jerry can, put a new fuel filter on it and turned the ignition on but the fuel pump stopped after a few seconds and the filter was empty.  At this point I decided to get seriously technical and selected a very specific long handled screwdriver with which to give the fuel pump some encouraging taps.  Still nothing, but I felt I was on the right track by hitting things with a screwdriver handle so applied the same treatment to the carb float bowl, which caused a sudden flurry of action from the pump and a surge of grotty brown fuel into the filter.  It then started and ran fine.

All this means one thing is clear...the fuel tank is going to have to come out for cleaning, but in the mean time I'll keep it topped up and replace the filter regularly.  Looks like my nicely cleaned and rebuilt carb will have muck in the float bowl again too despite the filter, so that's going to need attention.

Anyway, all this is academic because the really exciting bit happens tomorrow.  The Kennedys are arriving at 9AM and I have the day off work.  Watch this space.

[phil_lihp]

It has begun.

[danthecapriman]

Can’t wait to see how it looks afterwards. Good luck!

[Amishtat]

Bet you can't wait for that first drive once it's riding as it should. 

[phil_lihp]

Sit rep: some bolts on the rear cooperated but passenger side is seized solid so the radius arm is coming off and being replaced with a spare they've got in their LDV.

They work fast!

[phil_lihp]

One seized passenger side radius arm.  Hopefully the drivers side is better but they have brought replacements for both.

[phil_lihp]

Passenger rear is finished.  Drivers rear is not seized which is good news.  Less good is that it is full of a nasty concoction which appears to be mostly LHM.  Someone from the 80s messed up!  He said it's very common, they're flushing it through to get rid of it.

[phil_lihp]

Drivers side rebuilt with a rebuilt sphere and all back together.  Half way there!

[phil_lihp]

Front not going so well... one of the pipes is rotten and snapped off.  He's trying to sort a fix but it's not a common failure and you can't get the pipes.  

[somewhatfoolish]

Is the LDV they're in a proper son-of-Sherpa one or the flimsy tin things they were replaced with? I R excite. Sadface for the broken pipe though. 

[vulgalour]

That split pipe is exactly what mine did, except it looks like you've actually got some material to work with to get a joiner in there.  Fingers crossed for you here!

[phil_lihp]

It's a 2002 Convoy, looks tidy enough but then I suppose it should!

[phil_lihp]

There's some serious hot torch action going on at the moment, fingers crossed.

[phil_lihp]

When he pulled out the drivers side displacer the last jolt caused an eruption of nasty LHM/Hydragas fluid mix to vomit out of the pipe under the bonnet.  Sadly this means all the displacers are probably ruined, I do however have 4 freshly rebuilt ones.

Looks like he's saved the pipe, exciting!

[phil_lihp]

I found a receipt in the car for pumping up the suspension in 1991, the year before it was parked up.  I've a good mind to ring them up to complain!

[phil_lihp]

We're nearly there, the final pumping is occuring and all the wheels are back on.

[barrett]

genuinely excited...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

DAMN I properly want to drive this now, I bet its friggin amazing for floating down the road in. The thought of it is causing my own 'displacer' to repressurise uncontrollably under the desk

[phil_lihp]

It's done!

It's also now raining on a biblical scale, that started as the last wheel hit the ground so they timed that well.

Once this passes it needs a test drive to settle it down and any adjustments can be made to the ride height.

Happy days!

[phil_lihp]

7 minutes ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

DAMN I properly want to drive this now, I bet its friggin amazing for floating down the road in. The thought of it is causing my own 'displacer' to repressurise uncontrollably under the desk

You're more than welcome to have a go in her, pardon the phrase.

[Asimo]

Wow, don't people who know what they are doing work fast!

[phil_lihp]

Second test drive completed, still having all the rain ever but they've finished, left for home and she's looking much better.

Ride and handling now vastly improved, needs a proper test when I can see where I'm going and the roads aren't a foot deep in flood water though.

[phil_lihp]

Teaser shot...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

what a looker. Major league WOOD

[RobT]

Looks ace Phil.  I didn't know they were mobile, I always thought you had to take the car to them.

[phil_lihp]

On 4/6/2020 at 4:14 PM, Mr_Bo11ox said:

Yeah thats them. They travel round the country in a LDV Convoy van sorting out folks' leaky hydro problems! Defo worth a follow on FB.

It was foretold!

[phil_lihp]

I'm really glad they did, it wasn't entirely straightforward and took them twice as long as it would have if all had gone well (not allowing for the half hour spent standing in the garage watching several billion gallons of water descend on Barnstaple).