Monday 1 October 2012
There were three in the bed...
If anyone is interested in rescuing Dolly then please get in touch. She'll be moved down to Somerset near Taunton before long where she will be taking audiences. Alas, with the new Morris on the scene something has to give and sadly it is Dolly.
Sunday 5 August 2012
Sunday 29 July 2012
From worse to worser.
I had a disastrous trip down to the garage to book Molly's MOT the other day and returned with this!
It's a 1968 Morris 1000 four-door. One lady owner from new. It's be sat in the back of the garage pictured for the last six years but had been used as an everyday vehicle as recent as 2002 I beleive.
It's a 1968 Morris 1000 four-door. One lady owner from new. It's be sat in the back of the garage pictured for the last six years but had been used as an everyday vehicle as recent as 2002 I beleive.
Tick tock goes the MOT clock...
Well, I'd made some progress with Molly and got her driverside door back on. Rather than using wood this time, as per Martin Walter coach builders, I went for what I hope to be a more lasting solution and made some plates up of of 3mm mild steel. These were drilled for the hinges and had their nuts welded int position so I can really do up the mounting screws tight without fiddling around with spanners in small sapces.
I then welded large bracing sections that I cut serrated sections into to grab the glassfibre when it was laid.
I then glassed in some more wood between the plates replacing the original door frame. The plates were bolted to these and the whole lot was glassed over with thick matting and Polyester resin.
All fixings are stainless and of larger size than original.
That door won't be going anywhere for a while!
One down, two to go.
The glass issue was sorted very easily by a local company in Taunton called Roman Glass. They were incredibly helpful and in the time I'd gone to get money from the cash machine they had made a prefect replica of the original out of 6.4mm laminated glass inc hole and cut outs. The chap charged me £10.
The aluminum strip at the back edge of the sliding window didn't fit with it's original gauge gasket so I have refitted it with a smear of silicone.
The fixing screws for the bottom section of window frame were long passed serviceable and had to be drilled out. I found a 4mm nut held itself captive between the aluminum channel so I used these with CS stainless screws to reassemble.
The second MOT is tomorrow!
I then welded large bracing sections that I cut serrated sections into to grab the glassfibre when it was laid.
I then glassed in some more wood between the plates replacing the original door frame. The plates were bolted to these and the whole lot was glassed over with thick matting and Polyester resin.
All fixings are stainless and of larger size than original.
That door won't be going anywhere for a while!
One down, two to go.
The glass issue was sorted very easily by a local company in Taunton called Roman Glass. They were incredibly helpful and in the time I'd gone to get money from the cash machine they had made a prefect replica of the original out of 6.4mm laminated glass inc hole and cut outs. The chap charged me £10.
The aluminum strip at the back edge of the sliding window didn't fit with it's original gauge gasket so I have refitted it with a smear of silicone.
The fixing screws for the bottom section of window frame were long passed serviceable and had to be drilled out. I found a 4mm nut held itself captive between the aluminum channel so I used these with CS stainless screws to reassemble.
The second MOT is tomorrow!
Friday 13 July 2012
From bad to worse
Both Rach and I have been away for the majority of the year so sadly Molly has been somewhat neglected. I got back last week to find her with a seized clutch and cover in crap from the tree overhead.
She is booked in to make an appearance at a retro festival this August so once again I find myself rushing to get her ship shape for her MOT on the 24th of July.
Here's the link to the festival;
http://www.retrofestival.co.uk/ - Come and say hello if you spot us!
Nothing much has changed since last year other than we had another problem with the driver's door (falling off!) after someone tried to swing on it. The last repair was seemingly not up to the rigors of modern life so I'll have to have a rethink.
I didn't get off to the best start however, after tripping over my dog and dropping the door;
Sunday 29 January 2012
Smart girls go Debonair!!
Molly and her contemporaries (Series 1 Debonairs) proudly drove out of the Bedford factory 48 years ago... and counting! Long live the Debonairs!
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