DrData

Methinks that your sense of lost energy is your subconscious telling you it is time to look for a new project 😎

Great photos. Thanks for sharing with members of the Forum. The Voison is an incredible expression of one, rather eccentric Frenchman’s vision. For my .02, the Talbot Lago is probably the most beautiful car ever built. I would gladly learn to drive a preselector gearbox should one ever come up for sale on my local Craigslist 😎

I’ve followed the Gooding Auctions for a number of years because of its availability on You Tube (which I Chromecast to the big screen). They generally have an interesting selection of high end cars, both foreign and domestic. This year was a bit disappointing as it seemed they were overloaded with “rare” Porsches. In all fairness, Inhave never been a big fan of Porsche. Gooding, like all the other auctions, fit into a specific niche. If you are very interested in muscle cars, stick with Mecum. If you like way overpriced cars sold en masse, you know who to watch. Gooding, RM and Bonham’s offer a wide variety of high end classic collectible cars. I will never be able to afford anything that crosses their auction blocks, except the occasional TC, but it is fun to watch and plan for when I win Powerball.

Watched Gooden…some interesting cars. Anyone know what happened to Charlie Ross? Replacement was good…but not Charlie.

Gooding broadcasts live on their YouTube channel. Usually have great cars and a very entertaining auctioneer. Even my wife enjoys watching.

Best wishes and a speedy recovery for Helen. From your adventures, she seems like a real gem. A glass (or two) of good red wine is my favorite heart medicine. That and two pacemakers has kept me kicking. All the best

Congrats on moving the Alvis so quickly. No doubt, you will not be able to resist another project, despite your best intentions.

Sounds like the oil leak has been a blessing in disguise, correcting some other weaknesses. I’ve been thinking about the oil issue and the latest picture of the assembled engine, which is quite beautiful, suggests something out of left field. I noticed that the vent hole on your valve cover, which would normally vent to the standard oil bath filter, is plugged. Unless you have installed a PVC valve somewhere, you may have pressure building which is forcing oil out of the lower end. A lot of folks who swap to a different air filter system put a small filter on the tube, to allow the head to breathe. Just a thought.

I would not say "not very much is happening". Sounds instead like you are off to a great start on the new body. Please continue to post pictures as you progress. Cheers!

Sounds like the Rapier is running soundly. Hope you have been out and about enjoying it. Any progress on the Alvis? We are “enjoying” our now typically hot summer weather, above 90f, so my TD has stayed nestled in the garage. It really does not seem to like hot weather, though it doesn’t overheat.

As long is there is no hail damage to any of the seams, which would allow water in, I would work a repair deal with your adjuster. The hail dents do not seem too deep and many would pop out when parked in the summer sun. I bet your adjuster would happily work out a low-ball repair rather than the hassle and paperwork involved with a total loss, salvage, title, etc.

There are a great series of videos featuring Jay Leno and Donald Osborne driving vs. cars around Newport and visiting and highlighting a particular mansion in each episode. The banter is very natural, informative and entertaining.

I hope the gearbox issue has finally been resolved and you and Helen can begin to enjoy touring, once again. I rather envy the lush view from your office windows. While we do see oak forests, we also see a great deal of very dry grasslands and scrub...fuel for wildfires here in Northern California. The "season" has started so early that now we talk of it as a year round problem. Last summer our City hired a large herd of goats to mulch down area in our neighborhood. We found out that goats do love blackberry leaves but they do not enjoy blackberry cane. So...hired someone to cut back and haul off that debris. Of course, the damn things are growing back, as usual. I am hoping for a promised cool spell the next few days so I can get the TD out of its slumber. Cheers!

Jeff, You may not have found the source of the oil leak but you did find a potentially much more serious problem. Good to get addressed now. Careful reassembly may cure the oil loss. Good luck with the rebuild. Cheers

Sweet ride!!

Congrats!

Lots of great looking cars. Must have been a fun day! Thanks for sharing

Any progress on the oil mystery?

Bernie, I greatly enjoy your discussion of the pre-selector gearbox. Given that he there is no clutch mechanism, no torque converter, it is surprising that it did not “catch on” with more auto manufacturers. We’re there reliability problems that prevented it from displacing standard three or four speed boxes? Or, was it more costly to build.

Bernie, I know I have spent more than my fair share of time undoing and redoing things…a consequence of nearly flunking shop class in junior high school. With all the time spent with your Rapier, you probably have more knowledge than any of the books in your library. As to your local newspaper, I know exactly how you feel. Our local rag decided to quit printing their own paper and contracted with a printer several hours away. We are lucky to receive a Sunday paper before 10. Because of the added time needed for printing and transportation, anything that happens after 700PM never makes the news. I hope that you Lagonda is back on the road soon. Cheers!

Not usually a badge topper. Instead it was fastened to the radiator grill or mounted on a badge bar on the front bumper

Bernie, your friends are a disappearing breed, at least here in the US. You were lucky to work with them. I hope the Lagonda gets back on the road very soon.

While a basic set of Whitworth wrenches or sockets can help (I own a 1950TD), most every nut or bolt can be handled with a good metric set. Also, with some experimentation, you can figure out which standard sizes work instead of Whitworth. These are great little cars. Easy to work on. Most parts are available from a variety of vendors,except for new brake drums. Lots of NOS parts continue to pop up. Yes, they do tend to drip a little oil, which is a consequence of the design of the engine, coupled with decades of wear. An inexpensive drip pan attached to the flywheel cover usually handles that last, little, maddening drip. would love to know how that bonnet is secured without side panels or a strap.

Jeff, A real mystery. Why should distance driven make any difference? Once oil pressure is up and stable, you have good distribution of oil through the block and head. A half cup (4 oz) is a lot to lose as the oil drains back into the sump. I probably lose, at best, an ounce or so; and that could be handled if I decide to mount a drip pan onto the flywheel housing. Could operating temp be somehow related? Keep us advised and best of luck in getting that beauty back on the road.

Jeff, A beautiful build…probably looks better than when it left the line in Oxfordshire. Regarding the oil…when you rebuilt the engine did you use the modern seal kit from a major parts supplier or did you use the original “rope” seals? When the XPAG in my 1950 TD was rebuilt, I stuck with the original type seals. I only see a few drops when the engine stops and the oil drains down the back from the head.