Three Speed Thread - Traction Avant vs Fiat 500 - call it a draw?

[Three Speed]

It was suggested I should start a thread. Your wish is my command.  Today was supposed to be Drive It Day so if it could be driven, I drove it (only round the block) and the one that couldn’t (the Herald) was at least dragged out of the garage.

For some time, the editor of Floating Power ( the Traction Owners Club magazine) has been running a “What’s in your garage?” feature. I’ve been wanting to send a photo of everything together on the drive but I’ve never managed to arrange it. Today was that day. Ther weather was perfect. Everything started on the button ( I had preloaded the Chrysler with EasyStart) and I used the DS, which has a tow ball, to pull the Herald into the daylight for the first time in 12 years.

The Herald was my uncle’s. He was quite keen on gadgets and this car is fully loaded including Avon Safety wheels. But I had taken them off a while back to clean them up - I must get round to it sometime and fit some new tyres. It was on its original 4J wheels but had a flat tyre so today I swapped the wheels for some 5.5Js that had been on my Vitesse.

I also changed the wheels on the Chrysler. It came with Magnum style wheels and radials when I got it. One tyre was a bit soft and when I parked it on the kerb it got a lot softer. The Magnums are not a great fit and now was the time to fit the set of “standard” wheels I’ve had for a while. They came with oldish but unused white wall cross plies which look a lot better. I need to decide what tyres to run long term on this now.

Here’s the picture of the whole fleet and you can also have a quick look under the Herald’s bonnet.

All the cars are filthy, especially the Herald which did get a wipe over after the photo. 

More to follow...

[eddyramrod]

Long term tyres on the Chrysler?  If you are prepared to go to radials, see if you can find some Cooper Lifeliners.  I've had them on several of my American cars and even on a Jag (well ok, Daimler).  I find them a jolly good tyre.

Lovely fleet btw!

[rusty_vw_man]

What a great fleet.

It’s threads like these that always get me looking at big Yank barges, which moves seemlessly into American pickups which is normally when the wife appears and asks what I’m doing, and no, you’re not having one of those. 

[jumpingjehovahs]

What a fleet! Stunning


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kowalski]

That's a great collection and almost a great looking driveway but I can't help but feel two more cars would slot in there easily enough.  Wasted space!

[Skizzer]

Best

driveway

photo

ever.

 

(Although Six Cylinder runs it close.)

[GBJ]

What's the engine in the Herald?

Strange to see twin Strombergs instead of SUs.

[Three Speed]

Thanks for all your kind comments. I’m glad you like my collection of tat. Not everyone does. When I got the Herald out of the garage on Sunday I heard my neighbour ask her husband “where did that one come from?” and not in a good way. I think I’d be in big trouble if I reached Six Cylinder’s level. Not that my wife would let me. I’m at the limit.
Thankyou @eddyramrod for your advice on tyres. I have a set of Coker tyres on the other wheels. They’ve been fine and have 3/4 inch white stripes. The reason for taking them off is partly because 2 of them are over 10 years old and the others are nearly 20 but mainly because the Magnum wheels interfere with the drums. I rather like the look of the cross plies with the wide white wall but I’m a bit wary of driving far on them. My last engagement with cross plies was many years ago. My Mk2 Spitfire came on a dodgy set of banded wheels with 185 radials and the the original wheels with cross plies. The wide wheels rubbed on the body so I put the cross plies in for the MOT and left them in for a few weeks. I remember a couple of “exit road backwards “ moments less than fondly.

I will run the Chrysler on the cross plies for a while and see if the brake judder is diminished.   If it is there’s a set of Magnum wheels going spare soon.

@GBJ the Herald engine is the original 1296cc one. As you say you would normally see SUs lifted off a Mk3 Spitfire. I found a set in a scrappy and put them on my first Herald.  But this Herald was my uncle’s. He had it from almost new and was not one to visit scrapyards. He was an engineer for Zenith Carburettors - hence the Strombergs. I don’t know why Triumph used SUs on the Spitfires. Soon I’ll put together a guided tour of all the extras he added.

Meanwhile the next job is the brakes on the Traction. As far as I know the pipes are original. The linings have done a lot of miles and the handbrake is not very effective so something must be done. 

[High Jetter]

Much envy, esp for the DS & Herald. Fantastic that you have history on the latter, did your Uncle buy it new?

[Three Speed]

Thanks @High Jetter

I believe my uncle bought the car when it was about 6 months old. It’s a steering lock model so one of the last. 

[barrett]

Brilliant stuff Chris, thanks for sharing. Just remembered I owe you an email btw.

I must be one of the only people in the world that LOVES Avon Safety Wheels. I wanted to put a set on my Bond Equipe, but could never find one. The car never moved under its own power anyway so it's a moot point. If/when I get an actual working Equipe I'll definitely get a set of Avons for it.

[eddyramrod]

2 hours ago, Three Speed said:

Thanks for all your kind comments. I’m glad you like my collection of tat. Not everyone does. When I got the Herald out of the garage on Sunday I heard my neighbour ask her husband “where did that one come from?” and not in a good way. I think I’d be in big trouble if I reached Six Cylinder’s level. Not that my wife would let me. I’m at the limit.
Thankyou @eddyramrod for your advice on tyres. I have a set of Coker tyres on the other wheels. They’ve been fine and have 3/4 inch white stripes. The reason for taking them off is partly because 2 of them are over 10 years old and the others are nearly 20 but mainly because the Magnum wheels interfere with the drums. I rather like the look of the cross plies with the wide white wall but I’m a bit wary of driving far on them. My last engagement with cross plies was many years ago. My Mk2 Spitfire came on a dodgy set of banded wheels with 185 radials and the the original wheels with cross plies. The wide wheels rubbed on the body so I put the cross plies in for the MOT and left them in for a few weeks. I remember a couple of “exit road backwards “ moments less than fondly.

I will run the Chrysler on the cross plies for a while and see if the brake judder is diminished.   If it is there’s a set of Magnum wheels going spare soon.

@GBJ the Herald engine is the original 1296cc one. As you say you would normally see SUs lifted off a Mk3 Spitfire. I found a set in a scrappy and put them on my first Herald.  But this Herald was my uncle’s. He had it from almost new and was not one to visit scrapyards. He was an engineer for Zenith Carburettors - hence the Strombergs. I don’t know why Triumph used SUs on the Spitfires. Soon I’ll put together a guided tour of all the extras he added.

Meanwhile the next job is the brakes on the Traction. As far as I know the pipes are original. The linings have done a lot of miles and the handbrake is not very effective so something must be done. 

How can anybody not like that collection???  I sure as hell do!  Whereabouts are you?  Would it be practical to get your Chrysler and my Cadillac together sometime, when we're allowed?  I'd also love to get up close on that Herald, because my L plates were on a Herald and I have an enduring soft spot for them.

[Three Speed]

@eddyramrod  I’m in Horsham, West Sussex and would be pleased to introduce your Caddy to my Chrysler and the Herald too! 

[eddyramrod]

Thank you!

Unfortunately I'm way up in the Lake District.  I would have been relatively close to you if our 9.50 holiday had gone ahead (Chichester) but it isn't happening now.  Sadly I wouldn't have been able to bring the Cadillac because on the same trip two years ago it let me down badly, eventually stranding us on the way home, and now MrsR won't go anywhere in it, at all.  The story is in my thread which you can find on here somewhere.

Even without my Cadillac round me, I'd still enjoy a visit in the future though!

[spartacus]

Is there a thread for the Traction, Mrs Spart was cooing over one the other day, I need to keep her interest up!

That is a fine fleet by anybody's standards.

[Three Speed]

Thankyou.

I guess this thread will cover the fleet. As it happens we should have been taking the Traction to the Lake District at the end of June for the TOC national rally which is now pushed out to June 2021.  We were also there in June last year. We took the Traction to the Citroen Centenary event in Coventry and came back the long way round via Ambleside. Here’s are 2 sideways pictures of it crossing a lake. I have to take the bumper off soon to replace the things it is mounted on as they are rotten. So I will find a more elegant way to mount the indicators - probably.

[Three Speed]

Had a crack at the traction’s brakes today. I started at the back because the handbrake has been underperforming. Jacking up the rear near side and turning the hub revealed it would spin forwards fine but was not willing to go backwards. So I was not that surprised when I took the drum off and the one of the linings dropped out. I was definitely surprised when the other one followed it. Both linings had come unbonded for some reason. I had one come unstuck once before but that, I thought, was due to a leaking cylinder. No leaks here though. Happily the drum was undamaged. I had bought new linings so I riveted them on. More reliable than bonding I think. Riveting is not easy though and takes a few practice goes. The linings are more fragile than you might think. Ask me how I know. Luckily I had some spares - although I can’t remember why. 

Got there in the end. There’s a special tool for centralising the brakes before you can refit the drum because the pivot point doesn’t float on the backplate .   
You can get a conversion to a floating setup but I don’t see the need as you only have to set them once.
This was also an opportunity to freshen up the grease in the wheel bearings.

I got one corner done today. I’ll have a go at the rest next weekend.

apologies for jaunty photo angles.

[Three Speed]

Thanks @Vantman.

I do have these manuals but appreciate the offer. I even have the aluminium foils that were used to print them. If you are looking to move it on I can offer it in the TOC. However these manuals do come up fairly often and don’t get a lot of interest.

When I got my Traction in the last century a colleague also had one. Manuals then seemed quite rare and I spent a happy afternoon photocopying his manual. Probably on the same copier he had used to make it. Now they’re all downloadable.
Thanks

[danthecapriman]

Great fleet you’ve got! The Chrysler is absolutely gorgeous though, big yanks are for life’s winners!

[Asimo]

[Three Speed]

That’s better! Thank you!

[Three Speed]

Small update. I did the other rear corner of the brakes yesterday. Quite tough getting the drum off as one of the cylinder pistons had stuck. Both linings were still glued in place. I chiselled them off and riveted the new ones on. Easier than last week - quite possibly because I used rivets that I’d had for ages rather than the new ones that came with the linings. Either that or I have become more skilled during the week. I freed off the piston and it didn’t immediately leak - but I expect that will change so I’ve ordered a new one. The outer bearing didn’t look too great so I’ve ordered a pair of those too. The outer race looked a bit rough and I suspect poor lubrication. The grease had separated into oil and solid - unlike the other side which was still proper grease. 
I put it all back together for the time being. The brakes work fine now including the handbrake which is nice. I’ll replace the bearings and the wheel cylinder when they arrive along with the brake pipes. Really not looking forward to that. 

[Three Speed]

My offside rear indicator is not working and is no longer responding to a thump. If you’ve ever wondered what is inside the “iconic” trumpets that house the indicator the answer is, as you can see, not much. 
I haven’t opened the bulb holder up but I believe there is no spring other than the rubber itself. How very french. So as the rubber is split it springeth not. £13 each for new ones.

[Three Speed]

We were I was out and about in the DS today, having replaced the rear indicator bulb holders and cleaned the mud and bugs out of the lenses. Since I changed the starter motor it seems it no longer blows a cloud of soot out of the exhaust every time it starts up. I used to leave an embarrassing skid mark on the ground but no longer. I don’t know what made the difference but it’s very welcome. To change the starter I just removed the air filter and the exhaust manifold (and an engine mount and moved the steering column) but they went back the same as before. The new motor spins the engine over faster than before – would that make the difference? It wasn’t difficult to start before – as long as the starter actually turned that is. If this is a permanent fix, I can now back up closer to the white garage doors without painting the bottom black.

I also replaced the front spheres. I went for “comfort” spec. Good choice.

[hairnet]

you are six cyl but with a cooler american car

 

[Three Speed]

I have no Maserati though ?

[hairnet]

meh italian cortina

[Three Speed]

I made an essential trip in the DS the other evening to test my eyesight and pick up a curry. My eyesight was good enough to spot that the ignition light was coming on when it shouldn't. 

A little investigation revealed that my era of car has a Paris Rhone alternator with a separate regulator. A replacement alternator costs about 300 pounds or so and I couldn't find a regulator listed. I don't have sophisticated test gear but thought some investigation would be needed before shelling out for a new alternator which I might not even need. So I thought my first move would be to look at the regulator - maybe it just needed its points cleaning. 

Not easy to get at of course but thankfully only held on by one screw. There are supposed to be two but getting to the second needs the heater fan to be removed. It appears that the last person to do this didn't bother fitting the second one. When the thing came out I assumed it was the original as it was not pretty at all. It looked like it had been at the bottom of the seas so I was expecting to find some fairly  crusty points inside. Not so - all solid state. This was a relatively recent replacement. Clearly water had got in but there was nothing obvious untoward inside so I cleaned up the top and made a new paper gasket and pop riveted it back together. I gave the top a coat of black Hammerite and put it back in the car. Amazing - it seems to work fine now! I suspect the difference is that it now has a better earth connection. Either that or Hammerite has magical powers. 

[Three Speed]

I mentioned my old Vitesse in another thread and was asked to show a picture of it. I got it from a friend in the '90s. He had bought it from a friend of a friend of mine. It had been in a shunt, having been squashed between a bus and a bollard. We swapped the rear body tub for a less squashed but more rusty one. When I got it I had the rear wings and doorskins replaced and had it sprayed in gunmetal which was the original colour of the original car. This was all around 1993. I fitted the hood myself (which its why it's a bit wonky) and all was well. I must have sold my 1966 Triumph 2000 to make way for it  and it was my daily driver for a few years. We took it on a very wet Practical Classics Treasure Hunt in France once. Despite arriving late because we missed the ferry we won.  It's a 2 Litre Mk1 which means it has the swing axle rear suspension and not quite as much power as the Mk2. Lovely smooth engine though. I do have an overdrive gearbox for it but never got around to fitting it. These pictures were taken just before I sold it to my brother last year. I wasn't using it much and it was just sitting in a lock up festering. My bro didn't like the wheels so it now has Mk4 Spitfire rims and these 5.5Js are now on my Herald.  He says it drives better on the thinner tyres. I don't seem to have any photos to hand with the roof down but that is the way to drive them.

[808 Estate]

On 5/17/2020 at 3:28 PM, Three Speed said:

My offside rear indicator is not working and is no longer responding to a thump. If you’ve ever wondered what is inside the “iconic” trumpets that house the indicator the answer is, as you can see, not much. 
I haven’t opened the bulb holder up but I believe there is no spring other than the rubber itself. How very french. So as the rubber is split it springeth not. £13 each for new ones.

Nothing worse than a split rubber.

Especially when you're deep into a bit of French trumpet.