project 1951 Lanchester LD10 - Trim Install and Woodworm Treating

[vulgalour]

Well... that escalated quickly.

Thank you to Autoshite for once again being the enablers that you are.  Now, which one of you horrible lot wants to buy my BX to make up for what you made me do?

[LightBulbFun]

2 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Well... that escalated quickly.

Thank you to Autoshite for once again being the enablers that you are.  Now, which one of you horrible lot wants to buy my BX to make up for what you made me do?

oh fuck yeah! properly looking forward to seeing how this progresses 

hopefully a bit better then Richard Hammond's one did!

very cool that you where able to get it  

[barrett]

Correct coachwork, excellent number plate, perfect condition. Well played. I'd be interested to know if these are as dreadful as I think they probably are

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Wow that looks mega!!!

[vulgalour]

I shall let you know.  I've never driven a pre-selector or a car with rod operated drum brakes before.  I imagine it will be a combination of charming and slightly terrifying.  Conservation of the current appearance is the goal.  We got it to run and idle with just fresh fuel, and aside from a broken flexi on the exhaust (which looks to be the newest thing on the car), it seemed quite happy.  All the electrical things work, including the semaphors, and it doesn't seem to have ever had anything modernised.  No modifications will be occuring.

Going to be a steep learning curve this one.  Despite appearances, it seems to be very solid indeed.  Tiny bit of rust in the superficial outer sills, and a little hole on the passenger side rear inner arch is the only corrosion of note.  Wooden frame seems very solid, doors don't sag, nothing feels flimsy.  Floor is in surprisingly good shape, which is more than can be said for the tyres which look like they're about as old as the car.  Quite comfortable too, which is always a bonus.  Front passenger wing is probably a replacement, it doesn't quite match everything else, and that's okay.

[Kringle]

22 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

semaphors

*semaPHWOARS! Top buyage Mister, glued to the screen for updates.

[sloth]

DO NOT PAINT!!!!

 

 

[Tickman]

Fantastic purchase there.

[Jim Bell]

That's a fine looking conveyance. Well done indeed. 

[Asimo]

Congratulations.  Proper ration-book era car, for motoring, not driving.

Have a contemporary road-test.

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1947/11/the-lanchester-ten-saloon

 

[captain_70s]

YES.

I recall a buyer's guide for these in PC about adecade ago saying they were regarded as quite smooth for their time.

I can't imagine parts supply is up to much though!

[eddyramrod]

Excellent!

One of the first cars I drove for Classic Car Buyer's "Tried and Tested" section was one of these, in roadster form.  Considering the first preselector I'd ever driven was about half an hour earlier (a Daimler from the same garage) I think your estimate of "charming but terrifying" is just about right!  It won't get you anywhere very fast, but it should be very comfy while doing it.  I was going to say DNP but I see that's already the plan, good for you!

I wish you luck with it :)

[beko1987]

Oh that's beautiful! Can imagine you and Mike pottering around doing your Sunday chores in the Lanchester! 

Not tempted to keep the bx and transplant it's running gear and suspension into the Lanchester? Be a fun* little* winter project... 

[lesapandre]

Over £900 new in 1947 was an eye-watering amount - average house price was about £1,800.  Car tax was high and it was a sellers market following the war.

Beautifully made little car - but an Austin Devon A40 for example did about the same thing at a lot less money. The buyers for this kind of small 'luxe car was pretty small group - which was a pity. 

Lanchester and eventually the parent Daimler thus ran into trouble as other manufacturers geared up with these newer post-war models at a lot less money or better performance. 

So Lanchester joined Jowett, Singer, Lea Francis and others being gone by the mid-50's ( Singer only survived as a badge in the Rootes Group). And even Daimler eventually got into difficulties and were taken over by Jaguar.

Very nice car - the pre-select is not so frightening - I had a pre-war Lanchester.  Good to see it has survived - survival rate on these does not seem too bad - which would partly be explained by the quality of the build. There is a keen owners club. About 3000 made of both body types.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Good man! As I alluded to in the other thread, if you really wanted it, letting it slip through your fingers would have been something you'd have eternally kicked yourself about. Congrats on grabbing the bull by both horns and some. This is the very car your practice on coachpainting has been waiting for!

What's the story then? Tinternet tells me she's been enjoying a deep sleep since 84...

[cobblers]

Holy moly, he's gone and done it! 

What a cracking thing, it looks absolutely great. I look forward to reading more about it!

[dollywobbler]

Gosh this place is delivering this week. Excellent!

[dave j]

Wow! That's brilliant, can't wait to see the progress on this one

[phil_lihp]

Well I wasn't expecting that.  Well done, it'll be interesting to watch this one unfold.

[blackboilersuit]

Most of the time impulse buying can be avoided by telling yourself there'll always be another. This is one of those rare times when you just know that there'll never be another one like this that you get the chance to buy. Well done for having the courage to follow your automotive dreams.

Fine old vehicles like this don't have owners merely custodians and I look forward immensely to seeing this fine old thing blossom during your stewardship.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

5 hours ago, sloth said:

DO NOT PAINT!!!!

It would go well in an Agatha Christie dramatisation. 

[wuvvum]

You absolute winner!

I found the pre-selector 'box on my Conquest Century surprisingly easy to master - and 100x easier than buggering about with a crash 'box.  Rod brakes could be interesting though - my only experience of those was on the Austin 10 and they weren't great...

[spartacus]

That looks perfect Vulg, what a great purchase, you are a Winnah!

Looking forward to one of your detailed threads documenting every aspect of it's repair and upkeep.

[Saabnut]

Great to see another older, more quirky car join this parish. I have had pre-select vehicles and would certainly have another. Once you are used to it, it is probably the smoothest of changes, which is why many camera cars for early day TV etc always had a Wilson Pre-Select box. Rod brakes are fine, they just need setting up properly and regular adjustment as the linings wear, usually half a turn on a butterfly nut near the brake pedal. My Morris Cowley and my Royces all have rod/drum brakes and all are fine, though the '34 Royce fitted with overdrive weighs 2.5 tonnes and can cruise at 70mph so that does feel a little* underbraked at times. At least there are no hydraulic seals to leak or cylinders to seize, just stay on top of the greasing schedule.

[LightBulbFun]

never realised this was a pre selector thats very cool,  just like an RT bus  

Im curious what it would count as for a driving test/licence, an Automatic or a manual?  LOL

[320touring]

Oh my! Well bought sir:)

Can't wait to see what you do with it - hope you enjoy it!

[St.Jude]

This is just crying out for a Rover K-Series engine in it. 

Sod it. Go for a Rover KV6 instead.

No no no no, ROVER V8!!!!

Make it the car it should've been!!!!

[jonny69]

I had rod and cable brakes on my Ford Pop. Amazing equalising mechanism designed by people who could still design things. They equalised front to back under the brake pedal, individually left to right under each axle, then up and down between the shoes in each drum. Yours might be more basic but they’ll be fine.

Learn how they work and how to adjust them properly and just keep them in check. 

[Amishtat]

Very impressive that you got it, about time someone bought something interesting at last. Driving a pre-select is easy, it's all the things you'd usually do but in a different order. After five minutes of driving you wonder why more manufacturers didn't fit them. 

[Amishtat]

19 minutes ago, sgtberbatov said:

This is just crying out for a Rover K-Series engine in it. 

Sod it. Go for a Rover KV6 instead.

No no no no, ROVER V8!!!!

Make it the car it should've been!!!!

No.. Daimler 2.5..