Delta's Twentea-Twentea Break

[Peter Mallett]

Didn't Duncan Hamilton start off in a mews?

[zefarelly]

Many did Peter . . . . iuntil the early mid 90's there were still loads of garages in Brightoin, Hove and even Shoreham all in old Mews garages/workshops. £1m+ houses now even round here.

THere were garages and workshops under the railway arches in Shoreham as well, all closed up now as the redevelopment of surrounding land into flats has forced their closure.

[Gerard C]

Less fun mode, a old bloke has just been said he won't use his right arm anymore. The guy is thick skinned, he's now applying a special driving licence and bought a daily accordingly to his new situation.
Buuuut he still wants to use his Capri MK3 2.3 S. First thing to consider its a LHD, many things keep your right hand busy on usual. The car will be receive an auto gearbox which is obvious but after that… We just contacted Kempf technologies and are waiting for the answer.
Does anyone has some experience of this kind of troubles and could you please point me in the right direction? Reports, website, club, specialists any help will be considered. Thanks.

[delta]

Talking of old garages me and MG Dave went along to Bristol Cars now defunct factory to collect a guillotine I bought from the closing down Auction. All very sad but I am overjoyed to have piece of this history now installed into Delta HQ..
Couple of pictures.

[delta]

Sorry about above. Here is MG Dave posing with my just purchased Guillotine.

[Alan Morgan]

Guillotine or folder?

[delta]

We bought the guillotine. One of my biggest regrets was lending out the folder you and Bill gave me . Never saw it again..

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Less fun mode, a old bloke has just been said he won't use his right arm anymore. The guy is thick skinned, he's now applying a special driving licence and bought a daily accordingly to his new situation.
Buuuut he still wants to use his Capri MK3 2.3 S. First thing to consider its a LHD, many things keep your right hand busy on usual. The car will be receive an auto gearbox which is obvious but after that… We just contacted Kempf technologies and are waiting for the answer.
Does anyone has some experience of this kind of troubles and could you please point me in the right direction? Reports, website, club, specialists any help will be considered. Thanks.

There are several specialists producing adaptions for disabled people, Gerard, including those involved with motorsports often associated with injured ex military personnel.
I dont know who those specialists are, I am afraid and maybe others here do, but might be worth contacting “Mission Motorsport” or “Team Brit” In the U.K. to ask them.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by andy97

There are several specialists producing adaptions for disabled people, Gerard, including those involved with motorsports often associated with injured ex military personnel.
I dont know who those specialists are, I am afraid and maybe others here do, but might be worth contacting “Mission Motorsport” or “Team Brit” In the U.K. to ask them.

talk to (ex-Major) Jim Cameron at Mission Motorsport.

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

Many did Peter . . . . iuntil the early mid 90's there were still loads of garages in Brightoin, Hove and even Shoreham all in old Mews garages/workshops. £1m+ houses now even round here.

THere were garages and workshops under the railway arches in Shoreham as well, all closed up now as the redevelopment of surrounding land into flats has forced their closure.

When I was born (1937) my father had the Burrell Arms Garage in the mews attached to the pub of the same name right opposite the Shoreham railway station.
He ran the local taxis and airport "limousine service" from there as well.
Was a very good business servicing the KLM flights into Shoreham connecting to the Brighton-London express and looking after the theatre people who were living in the then fashionable bungalows at Shoreham beach. The army commandeered the place after Dunkirk and the lease agreement expired so it wasn't available after the war. Dad spent the rest of the war fixing Black Lysanders wherever they got bent around the UK.

Duncan Hamilton also gets a mention in another post. He was a frequent visitor to our place in Felpham later in the war when he was in the Fleet Air Arm. Our place became a "Wrenery" for some of the HMS Peregrine photo school and attracted some very interesting characters.


Showing my age!

[Gerard C]

Thank you Andy, very much appreciated.
Thanks David, will try with this name.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Oldtony

When I was born (1937) my father had the Burrell Arms Garage in the mews attached to the pub of the same name right opposite the Shoreham railway station.
He ran the local taxis and airport "limousine service" from there as well.
Was a very good business servicing the KLM flights into Shoreham connecting to the Brighton-London express and looking after the theatre people who were living in the then fashionable bungalows at Shoreham beach. The army commandeered the place after Dunkirk and the lease agreement expired so it wasn't available after the war. Dad spent the rest of the war fixing Black Lysanders wherever they got bent around the UK.

Duncan Hamilton also gets a mention in another post. He was a frequent visitor to our place in Felpham later in the war when he was in the Fleet Air Arm. Our place became a "Wrenery" for some of the HMS Peregrine photo school and attracted some very interesting characters.


Showing my age!

Wow. The Burrels Hotel/pub was very run down down, and got redeveloped ( flats above) and is now an pizza place. The Garage is still there, now called Perkins & Robins, I know Matt the owner, he MOT's our cars, the taxi rank is still there as well. I wouldn't say the redevelopment has improved the aesthetic.

[Oldtony]

Hi zefarelly,
Thanks for the pics and potted history.
Have driven past it a couple of times when I've been back in the UK visiting relatives. On the first occasion a few years back it was looking pretty tired as you describe.
Of automotive note the taxis dad used to run were pretty ordinary Morris 12s, black with a cream stripe down the side to make them a bit distinctive.
The limo's consisted of a 38 Buick sedan, a Lanchester and an absolutely magnificent 35 Packard Coupe de Ville, closed rear seats with chauffeur out in the open. He sold it for 30bob in 1941. Would be worth a fortune now.
The Buick was his "Queen Mary trailer" tug and the Lanchester was his transport through out the war. He was working for Westland Aviation and spent most of the war on the road repairing or recovering bent aircraft. The trailer was used to deliver or return major assemblies.

The Lanchester had a pr-selector box and I managed to put it through the back or the garage at Felpham aged 6! Gave me a lifelong hostility to any form of automatic box until I finally weakened and bought a Golf with a DSG box a few years back.

[delta]

Many of you on here have been following this saga of the misfire on my March 79B Atlantic. Today I set off at 5am to Llandow with new set of carbs fitted to the car.Well, she went like a rocket,my friend who lent me the Webbers jetted them to what he thought I should be running.The car has never gone so well. In fact it went so blooming fast a con-rod decided to part company.I had no warning at all and I had just checked the gauges and oil pressure was showing 80psi.
O well never mind I shall enjoy the long winter nights rebuilding her and come back out guns blazing in 2021.

[justracing]

Ouch! I was really hoping for a happy ending to this saga, looks as though we'll all have to wait a bit longer!

[Peter Mallett]

Sorry to read that Iain.

[grantp]

That looks like a serious let-go Iain.

Jetted for 12,000 revs?

Might a failing piston/rings/rod be the ultimate source of the misfire? Must be about the only things you have not changed.

I would assume the misfire could cause the failure but is the other way also possible without an almost instant failure? It seems odd (to me) that you have been able to run with the misfire for so long and no other signs of impending problems - like dodgy oil pressure.

[E.B]

Ouch! Oh well, that gives you one for the winter projects thread Iain. Look forward to a happy ending in your spring. Onwards and upwards.

[Robyn Slater]

Originally Posted by delta

Many of you on here have been following this saga of the misfire on my March 79B Atlantic. Today I set off at 5am to Llandow with new set of carbs fitted to the car.Well, she went like a rocket,my friend who lent me the Webbers jetted them to what he thought I should be running.The car has never gone so well. In fact it went so blooming fast a con-rod decided to part company.I had no warning at all and I had just checked the gauges and oil pressure was showing 80psi.
O well never mind I shall enjoy the long winter nights rebuilding her and come back out guns blazing in 2021.

Attachment 64117

They always go their best before they explode.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Robyn Slater

They always go their best before they explode.

I knew someone would say that . . . . I've been racking up the miles on a few of my Lambrettas this summer, 50 miles commute each day, one of them is purring particularly well ( fingers on clutch at all times)

I have the bottom end of a TC engine in the scrap bin which did exactly the same Iain . . . no warning, all steel and good as new, did a big end and sheared the heads off the rod bolts. deaf driver who doeasn't read gauges is the only feedback I have.

[Gerard C]

Sorry for your engine Iain, not nice to be seen. Last time I had misfire the cost was one head, two pistons and twelve valves…*At least you know the carbs must be changed. Good winter job.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by delta

Many of you on here have been following this saga of the misfire on my March 79B Atlantic. Today I set off at 5am to Llandow with new set of carbs fitted to the car.Well, she went like a rocket,my friend who lent me the Webbers jetted them to what he thought I should be running.The car has never gone so well. In fact it went so blooming fast a con-rod decided to part company.I had no warning at all and I had just checked the gauges and oil pressure was showing 80psi.
O well never mind I shall enjoy the long winter nights rebuilding her and come back out guns blazing in 2021.

Attachment 64117

It is possible that the missfire was caused by a fuel problem , & therefore a weak mixture could have cooked / partially siezed 1 piston leading to the failure . Or , more likely , the missfire put extra strain on the con rods which led to putting a " leg out of bed " when it was running up to full power again .

[delta]

Went in early and took car apart. Will do the same tomorrow and pull engine to bits. Just before I left tonight I took the plugs out and no 3 is fine. Fingers crossed the head might be ok.

[GORDON STREETER]

It will be interesting to see the big end bearing (or what's left of it) ? I had an oil pipe fracture in a race and I immediately switched the engine off as the oil light came on. After repairing it and checking everything including 80psi oil pressure when hot I went out for the next meeting. The engine behaved and I qualified up the front, however in the race it slung a rod and destroyed most of it except the flywheel and head !

[grantp]

I stumbled across a rather nice video with scenes shot in Italian villages in 1973.

No social distancing very evident. H&S constraints largely absent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y8G9t0aJ60

I wondered if it might be suitably entertaining for some of the other threads around here but decided that just under 5 mins makes it about right for the Tea Break.

A little before I had been watching some of the in-car feed from one of the Motul sponsored cars at Le Mans. The 1973 film makes for an interesting comparison for how things have changed in the past (almost) 50 years.