iandq

why not replace the cut down leaf springs with a custom version of a ladder bar ? the lower bar to attach under the axle can be straight, and the top bar can attach to the top of the axle and angle down to meet the lower bar near the front pivot / mounting. the whole axle will arc about the front mounting so pinion angle will be a compromise. use a 4 bar style axle bracket for the axle fixing with rose joints / poly bush ends threaded into the rods for adjustment. alternatively, can you just fit full leaf springs back on ? with your coilovers, even stock springs will be enough to stop the axle rotating backwards as the torque is applied. cheers, Ian.

probably not enough pinion bearing pre load now, try tightening it a little more, it takes a lot of force to crush the sleeve, so if you use a normal ratchet or t bar you are unlikely to over tighten it. if it was me, I would nip it up a little at a time and see if the whine goes away. I would say no more than 1/2 a flat at a time, worth a go, after all your time is free ! cheers, Ian.

it might be a call for help, perhaps they are modern slaves and hope someone will call the old bill...

I had a blue pre aeroflow mk1 Cortina in the 80's 526fxt, bought it off ron harris, and sold it back to him later. I spent years trying to find it, all I knew was it's now red and 2 litre, and then one evening as if by magic I found a vid of it on youtube doing a run at north weald !. I've still got no idea who owns it but nice to see it again after all these years.

I watched last nights just to see the twin cam Anglia, but I won't bother again, the guy's just too full on for me !

such a shame some people consider destroying cars that are already rare, as entertainment.

fit and align the bonnet to the scuttle first and keep it on whilst everything else is welded, and keep checking as you go, if something doesn't fit, make it fit before you weld, work carefully and logically and you'll get a good result. all the best !

the booster won't switch the motor on, the micro switch on the controls will do that, that is because you don't want a situation where the fan could be switched on without the flaps open. the fan will normally run through the resistor, and the boost switch effectively by passes it ( bridges it ) to give full ( boost ) speed. does that seem correct ? I expect the motor earths via it's casing. cheers, ian

all done !

try andy robinson, of robinson race cars, he did some for me years ago, lovely job and re hardened afterwards. he was in the Basingstoke area, and I think still is. cheers, ian.

i remember top gear when it was a serious motoring consumer show, clarkson, hammond and may resurected it and made it what we all know and liked, it's finished now, best to just forget it and remember the good times. i won't watch it, i don't like evans, and loud americans even less.

i did one just like it for my anglia, i copied a dec'61 one as my anglia was first reg'd june '61, but you could buy 4, 6 or 12 months tax back then so there is a choice of dates .

sadly this is getting normal now, I have actually had people tell me 'that's what bumpers are for' I never leave my Anglia anywhere like car parks, people have no respect for other peoples property these days. hope you get it sorted mate, cheers, ian.

what condition is the wire in that operates the solenoid ? it could be breaking down , also the ignition switch itself could be packing up, the 'start' position contacts may be worn out. connect a voltmeter between the solenoid actuation terminal and the ignition switch feed, operate the starter and if you see a voltage reading on the meter this represents what you are loosing due to resistance. I hope this makes sense to you and helps you out, cheers, ian.

like it or not I hold the organisers responsible for this, like the Granada one the other year, how many of those were stolen beforehand?

I've never been a fan of lacquered alloy, unless it's painted of course. shiny ( polished ) alloy is best left open for regular autosol / t cutting, if you are regular enough, just a wipe will keep them nice. cheers, ian

I would remove the engine, and whilst out do the gasket, front and rear seals, clean the sump out and replace the clutch if it's looking worn, 1/2 a days work with a hired or borrowed engine hoist. merry Christmas, ian.

i fancy that if the suns out !

hi tony, turner engineering in lingfield are very good, they specialise in land rover but i expect they would do your ford as well, there is also srs engineering in sutton, it was known as sutton rebore service when i worked there. with regards to your post in the engine room, any of these people will be able to measure your bores and give you the actual bore size you have, and whether it needs a bore or will respond to a hone. i took mine out to 83.5 with forged accralites to give a true 1700 cc. cheers, ian.

I would say if your wheels aren't running true, then you have possibly found your problem. do they centre on the hub spigot ok? are the cones where the nuts seat in good condition. has someone replaced the studs or re drilled the hubs ? just a few more things to check ( like you need a bigger list ! ) cheers, ian

doesn't look deep enough for granny or Cortina, mk3 capri maybe?

I read an article in practical classics last month about the dvla writing to owners of historic vehicles telling them the car must be inspected to preserve it's historic status. it is to do with mainly bl / mg's etc for which you can buy new 'heritage' body shells, also cars which have had engine changes etc. the letter states that the vehicle cannot be sold or it's reg transferred until this inspection has taken place. there doesn't seem to be any set criteria for these letters to be sent out, so any owner of a historic vehicle, especially modified ones where the details have been disclosed to dvla could get one. I suspect that this is in response to people acquiring v5's or vehicles that have been dormant for years and putting them on the road with so many new parts fitted, and the dvla are questioning the 'historic' nature of the vehicle in question. check it out for yourselves it sounds a bit worrying to me!

I don't agree that people are getting high and mighty, personally I like a bit of action, but if it's going to jeopardise a meet then I would rather have the meet go on than have a bit of tyre smoke. the local authorities and the fuzz will not get involved with organising or supervising events, why? because they don't have to ( if they did there would be all sorts of duty of care issues anyway ) it's easier for them to just ban events if they get troublesome. so like people have already said, we need to police this ourselves to preserve our activities. a couple of months ago at a local meet ( boxhill, surrey ) there was a guy in a bike engine mk2 escort, he spent most of the morning driving around near the event burning up one wheel, it got annoying after a while, it wasn't impressive, a bit pathetic really, the people at the food outlet were getting annoyed, and this is what we don't need. I am not the fun police, just keep it sensible........

the same thing is happening at the ace cafe, they have been warned they will be closed down if unsociable activity with vehicles continues, i used to go to loads of cruises when i was young, but one by one they were outlawed because mainly boy racers were turning up and doing stupid things. now just as car meets are getting popular again the same thing is happening. how stupid can people be?

started out with a Granada coupe, yes a 3 litre at 17! I could only afford to run it for a few months so swapped it for a mk5 Cortina that was only a few years old, swapped that for a mk3 2000e Cortina, smashed it badly ( but repaired it ), sold it on and bought a mk1 1200 deluxe ( 526 fxt ) off ron harris and put a 1700 pre crossflow in it that ron helped me out with parts for, got bored after a year,sold it back to ron minus engine,( that went to someone else for an Anglia ), then it was a series of mk1 and 2 granadas, then jags, then range rovers, then 5 years ago I got a hunger for old fords again so bought a rusted out Anglia for £400 and rebuilt the shell and turned it into the Anglia I have today, which for those who haven't seen it is like brand new,re painted all over including underneath, 1700 pre crossflow, type 9, re trimmed, discs all round with servo, etc etc. it's a keeper, my boys will have it eventually, I would like a mk1 Cortina 2 door, but im into vw's as well, and sadly have no spare space these days!