project 1951 Lanchester LD10 - Jigsaw Puzzle

[lesapandre]

The wiring for the headlight- it's not one of those crazy single-dip systems?

https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5978&sid=c17e61ae1f15b799dab252bbbbdaf3bb

[vulgalour]

@Remspoor all the cardboard (or whatever they actually are, I'm not sure) boards salvaged happily so it turned out okay in the end.

@lesapandre it's a double filament bulb dim/dip in both headlights rather than anything exciting like a single-dip or mechanical dip on a single filament bulb.

[loserone]

Just had this thrust in my face by marketplace.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/712366136149860/permalink/1290344635018671/?sale_post_id=1290344635018671 

[HMC]

Y THO?

[vulgalour]

Good news!  A solution to the cause of the sale has presented itself and this car is no longer for sale.  What a relief.

Apologies if you wanted to buy it.

[Dobloseven]

A gratuitous LD10 pic or two. This car and vulgalours are responsible for me joining AS. Andy round the corner, aquired it from someone who realised he'd never finish it and got it into this condition over a good few years. Probably started from a similar position to yours though. Thought he'd get it on the road fairly easily, but ended up a complete restoration. Can't quite forgive him for changing the colour from black, but it does look good. Just completed a coast to coast run in it. His LA10 isn't such a happy tale. Big end failure resulted in it being recovered and it sits waiting attention. It did do a run to the Netherlands a few years back, though. 

[vulgalour]

Lanchester video time again.  Taking a look at the lights and what's wrong with them.

 

[Remspoor]

I just finishing watching this. Frustrating but you are methodical and all ended up well.

Great work.  I have some questions.

Are you going to add a relay on the headlamp circuit? The old wiring and switches  are not made for the load that H4 bulbs  have.

How do you adjust the head lamp aim? I assume by moving the pod around. Is that correct?

Where are the indicators at the rear?

Have you tried the brakes with the lights lit? Sometimes on of the circuits in use means the other one will dim.

The bullet may have been that the earth for the number plate may at one time been longer.

What is the spanner in the boot? Why has  it got extra cuts at the tips of the jaws, as it it was used on a lager nut.

Top tip: Keep a note of any changes to the wiring in a sketch and keep it in the manual for future reference.

 

[Six-cylinder]

On 9/19/2023 at 4:46 PM, vulgalour said:

Lanchester video time again.  Taking a look at the lights and what's wrong with them.

 

How do you adjust the headlight aim on the Lanchester?

[vulgalour]

To answer the questions:

Headlight relay - I should add one.  I haven't added one.  I did recently acquire some better headlight connectors so I can certainly improve things up front.

Indicators - at the rear it will be a pair of high level ones mounted on the parcel shelf so they're visible through the rear screen at eye level, along with a high level brake light.

Function - I haven't tried the brake lights with the lights lit yet.  We still need to get the brakes adjusted properly because although we now have a functional switch, something is out of adjustment preventing mechanical engagement.

Spanner - It's a mahoosive spanner a neighbour gave us.  We have no idea what it was for or from, entirely possible it's for heavier machinery than we're ever likely to work on.

Wiring Changes - There isn't actually any changes to the harness bought, just the physical routing of the wiring.  That said, we will be making a wiring diagram to suit the car once we've figured it all out.

Headlight Aim - the headlight has a threaded stem through which the wiring passes.  This slots into a socket that also serves as one of the front wing supports.  A nut is wound on to the threaded stem to secure the headlight.  To aim, slacken the nut, move the whole headlight to the position required, and tighten the nut.  There's a ball and cup socket arrangement incorporated into the wing bracket and the headlight bowl itself.  This nut slackening off is also why you often see elderly stuff with droopy headlights at shows, it's not the most convenient system to adjust and most of these sorts of vehicles don't get much night driving.

[vulgalour]

Video time again.

Let's get a rear wing off to deal with some rust because the woodworm treatment means we sort of have to inspect the wooden frame for the rear wheel arch just in case...

[Vantman]

@vulgalour Any Lanchester updates and will you be coming to this years meet at the Flower Farm?

[666jjp]

I believe he has moved back up north.

 

 

[vulgalour]

Yeah... things got wibbly.

The very short version is Pat and I broke up and I moved back up north.

The longer version is that Pat and I were grown ups and realised we needed to make some changes, and I got very lucky along the way.  I'm not going to go into details because privates lives are just that, but suffice to say that Pat and I have remained friends and intend to continue doing so, our lives just took a different route this year.  It's sad, but we're being grown ups about it.  Luckily, just as this was happening a good friend of mine was planning his wedding and looking for a tenant since he'd be moving out of his house into a new one and since we both like each other, the rent was in budget, and the area is one I liked it ended up taking one of the biggest stresses out of the whole thing.

I'm now set up in North Lincolnshire, where one side of my family is from, so it's almost like going home.

The Lanchester has also been very fortunate.  Ownership is still shared with Pat and I and the car is staying in Kent with Pat.  One reason for this is that Pat is very attached to the car and really is enthusiastic about it even though you won't see that so much through the reporting on the project since that's been me on the face of it.  Progress will certainly continue with the car, especially after he accidentally found out a friend is into pre-war and just post-war cars with a speciality in wiring.  I'll be visiting Pat as and when funds and time allows both as a friend and to help with things like welding and putting the car together.  We discussed this at length and that's why the car briefly went up for sale and was then withdrawn once a solution was realised.

Even had I wanted to and Pat was willing to let the Lanchester go I simply don't have the means to look after it so this way is much better.  I'm down to just the Princess and I have access to the sorts of resources and people in Lincolnshire that I didn't in Kent so hopefully we'll see some meaningful progress on that too this year.

Videos will continue too.  I've got a backlog of footage to edit and upload which I'll be doing over the course of this year.  With all of the above happening, and selling the Maestro, my schedule with videos got upended somewhat.

I'm not sure when the next video will happen.  I've had to take two weeks off work for the house move, and the move itself has financially crippled me on top of that, so it's taking a little while to get my head back in the right space for it all.  I shall keep you all posted as and when I can but I doubt any progress will be made on the Lanchester until at least the summer of this year, hopefully the existing footage will fill in the gap between now and then.  We shall just have to wait and see what Fate has in store.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, vulgalour said:

.  We shall just have to wait and see what the future has in store.

EFA. Hope you're OK

[Dobloseven]

Genuinely hope everything works out for you.I always enjoy your postings.As I've mentioned before,your Lanchester is responsible for my discovering the delights of Autoshite,and the rest is history,as they say.Good luck, fella.

[Rocket88]

Welcome to flat earth country…..

[Angrydicky]

Where abouts in Lincolnshire are you? I’m approx midway between Boston and Horncastle. Ruffgeezer is local too.

[vulgalour]

@Angrydicky Sunny Scunny.

[vulgalour]

We are back on the Lanchester videos again, hurrah!  This time, taking a look at that rear corner and seeing what to do about it.

 

[vulgalour]

Let's weld right next to some antique wood.  That sounds like a great idea.

 

[vulgalour]

Another video, finally, on the Lanchester.

 

As I post this I'm not well, I can't tell you exactly what with as I'm waiting for answers from the GP.  There is footage of the work undertaken on the Lanchester last year that still needs editing and posting and I will get it all done eventually.  I haven't seen the car since moving north in March, but it is safe with Pat.  Updates will appear, sporadically, and one day I hope to get back on this project properly.

I get moments of clarity, like this, where I can do some work, some updates.  I'm hoping it's something straightforward like stress and I just need to reorganise my life a little, maybe take some time off from everything.  For now I am in limbo while I wait for answers from a doctor.  I wish I had happier news for you.

[vulgalour]

If you've seen my other posts elsewhere you know the health issue is suspected ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I'm awaiting a referral for an appointment which won't be until at least mid-February.  In the meantime I'm doing what I can do, some days are easier than others.  The worst part right now is being unable to shift the exhaustion, and it doesn't help that I can't really make the time to rest because of everything that's going on at the moment.  We'll get through it, I'm slowly getting better, and that's what I'm focusing on.

Anyway, back in time we shall go to when I was doing more woodworm treating and reassembly of the Lanchester.

 

[lesapandre]

Are you coming to International Shitefest France in the summer? Be nice to meet you and it is a relaxed venue chez @Saabnut for a  break. 

[vulgalour]

I'm not, I'll still be recovering financially and otherwise from the house move at that point.  Also my passport expired quite a few years ago since I've only been abroad once in 1995ish and never needed the passport since.

[Angrydicky]

13 hours ago, vulgalour said:

I'm not, I'll still be recovering financially and otherwise from the house move at that point.  Also my passport expired quite a few years ago since I've only been abroad once in 1995ish and never needed the passport since.

Where are you moving to?

[vulgalour]

I'll reveal all once it's happened.  There's a lot of stuff for me to get sorted between now and then, there's still a chance things could go wrong so I'm being a bit superstitious and keeping it mostly under one of my many hats for the time being.

[vulgalour]

Fresh Lanchester video, short one this time.  After treating the woodworm and repairing the panels, it's time to put the boot back together again.

 

[Datsuncog]

That's just reminded me, apparently the Ulster Transport Museum has recently acquired/ retrieved from storage a Barker-bodied LD10:

Looks fairly decent.

Information totem is a little harsh, perhaps:

"Even in the 1950s, it had a reputation as a car for old ladies."

[vulgalour]

Honestly, it does have Little Old Lady vibes as a car.  Do you think they'd notice if I quickly nipped in with my angle grinder and liberated their sills?