oldcar

Dear Dr Data You have hit the nail on the head! The Lagonda spoils me so that any other car looks inferior. I have agreed ti wait for a couple of weeks before I start pulling it apart just in case someone actuallwould like to buy it. If someone comes along with the money no harm is done. If it does not sell then I can start by taking the saloon body off and cutting the required 12 inches out of the chassis. I have already decided that I will save the roof and door skins to use on the new two seater body. The bigest problem is leaving it for the two weeks outside our front door where I see it every time I go out, perhaps two or three times per day. Bj

Members FOR SALE 1945 Lea Francis 4 Door saloon. Ideal basis for a Sports Special/Replica Connaught. 14 hp Motor requires attention. 42,500 Genuine miles, has been in store for approx 27 years. Car in Melbourne Australia, Folio of detail photographs on request. Genuine offers only. Email to B Jacobson twooldlags@ gmail.com Bernie Jacobson

FOR SALE 1945 Lea Francis 4 Door saloon. Ideal basis for a Sports Special/Replica Connaught. 14 hp Motor requires attention. 42,500 Genuine miles, has been in store for approx 27 years. Car in Melbourne Australia, Folio of detail photographs on request. Genuine offers only. Email to B Jacobson twooldlags@ gmail.com Bernie Jacobson

GoodMorning Dr D, Last things first, we are probably several hundred miles from the area effected by the Mouse Plague, Regarding the Lea Francis, I cannot blame anyone but myself for this disaster. It only reminds me just how stupid I am becoming in my "old age". Firstly I should not have bought it at all, then to buy it without going to look at it, This I cannot explain, But I have it now and I think that if I try to sell it "as is" I will get nothing for it. It would appear that the only thing that I can do is to reduce it to a "Chassis" and then after shortening the chassis build an open two seater body similar to the one on my Lagonda Rapier. In doing this I can make use of some of the panels. AND have some chance of recouping some of my money! Either that or simply call it a day and scrap the lot. That and make a solemn vow not to buy any more "project cars!" Bernie j.

Hello Pilgrim65 As with a number of other Britishcar manufacturers Lea Francis started out at the turn of the Centurary making Bicycles amd then a little later Motorcycles. When you come to look closely at the LeaFs any similarity to Rileys is purely superficial. The main shared feature is that the both have two camshafts BUT with the LeaF these are high up in the block with VERY short pushrods while the Riley's cams are low down in the block with long pushrods. They are both water cooled with the radiator at the front of the car but that is about where the similarity ends. Oh yes, they were both made in England from the early 1920s and finished production in the 50s. Rileys have a diamond shaped "Badge" while LeaFs have a round one.

Having now had a much closer look at the LeaF, I am afraid that all my good intentions have been blown away. Most of the timber frame is either rotten or missing, There is much more damage to the mudguards and panels than was first obvious. This is leading up to the inevitable, The LeaF is destined to become another short(ened) chassis sports two seater. This means some additional time will be needed before it becomes a roadable car again. First thing will be to remove the saloon body. Don't go away just yet. Bernie j.

I look at it as a potential long distance all weather touring car. It has an all aluminium body so there is no rust problem. Too many people have all ready destroyed Lea Francis sedans to make "boy-racers" so they are becoming rare, not that there was an over-supply of Lea Francis cars either way. It is too easy to simply knock the body off then give up. One front mudguard (fender) needs a dent knocked out but generally the body is in good condition. A new "paint job" will make a huge difference. It will need some new upholstery too. A change away from Black and Beige will make a huge difference. If I need some open air motoring I will always have the Lagonda Rapier, Bj,

In case you are wondering, I am still working to arrange delivery of the LeaF. This is a little difficult as we have had a series of Lock Downs and Lock Outs due to the dreaded Co-vid virus here in Victoria Australia. Bernie j.

Hello Dr D. I am aware of the possible problems with the timber body frame and that is something that will govern my thinking. Having said that the one thing in favour of its preservation is that the car has been locked up in it's "shed" and out of the weather for over 27 years. All should be revealed in the next week or two. To answer your other question The Lea Francis was a conventional "Bored" block. It has twin "High" cams with short push-rods similar in principle to the Riley engine but with the cams much higher in the block. This will have to wait until I have the engine "at home" and out of the car. Going back to the body IF at all possible I would prefer to retain the original all aluminium body. Only time will tell. The one thing against the Drop Head Coupe idea is that after looking at the photographs of the car, note the body is in the "Pre-war" style. Compare the treatment of the rear section on the two cars in this photo. "My car" is the one closer to the camera. It has now had a wash since it came out of storage. Bernie j. Bernie j.

I am still waiting on the Lea Francis' owner to contact me to tell me that my bank has finally completed the transfer of my money into his account. Naturally being a "long" weekend (with a holiday Monday) this will take a little longer. It all seems so un-necessary with the whole place, almost, shut down due to the "dreaded" Co-vid virus causing chaos everywhere you look. Oh well! there is not much I can do other than sit quietly and wait for life pass on by. My garage is almost empty just waiting for the last of the Singer to be collected (the chassis and rear axle assembly). This is scheduled to be collected tomorrow (Monday) so I should at least have time to sweep the floor before the LeaF arrives. With so much to be done on this next car, I may have to work out a "program of works"

Meanwhile I continue to be distracted by other lesser cars, the Citroen mentioned above has not passed the vital test and so languishes in it's owners garage. Meanwhile I have been distracted again, this time by a 1940s Lea Francis. At least this one passes all the suitability tests. First it is very British and while not being a twin over head cam motor it comes close in that it has twin hight cams with very short push-rods. Very similar to a Riley. This is not by chance the Rileys designer then went on to be enployed by Lea Francis, so no doubt, he at the very least, took a mental picture of the Riley's engine with him. This will require a total restoration so there will be more than enough for a "thread" of its own Bj.

Looking at the above photographs I cannot help wondering, How many of the people reading this would be prepared to even contemplate restoring this car? Even more so considering the motor has some major damage to the cylinder block. Only time will tell, Golly, I don't even have the car home yet! Bj.

The more I think about the less inclined I am to start cutting up what, after all, is a very original 1940's car. All this is a bit premature, I will not have it home until some time in the coming week. Depending on the actual condition, my thinking is that an original four door sedan is becoming rarer and more valuable than a "special". Only time will tell. If people keep cutting up cars to build "specials" the time will come when there are no more "original cars" to be found. There was a time when I would not think twice about this, perhaps it has something to do with my age. I was born in 1936 which may have something to do with my change in thinking. Bernie J.

Hello Chris I just hope that I do not disappoint you, The attached modified photograph will show you where my thinking is going. My first task is to get the car home. Bj.

It was indeed a long time ago and our memories have a habit of playing tricks on us. We have to learn to turn them off and get back to the present. Bj.

Hello Digger914 As with a lot of British car manufacturers Lea Francis started out making Bicycles and graduated to cars quite early. They have never been a High Volume producer concentrating or quality over numbers. Even right up to the 1950s this still applied. The Design Engineer at Leaf had been with Riley up to the 1940s. The "Twin Cam" Lea F engine is a development of the his Riley motors. Good Morning Dr Data, Hang in there, one way or another it should be interesting. I really do not like the thought of destroying an original, if somewhat down at heel, car to build a Special. I will just have to wait until I can get the car home and can assess what needs to be done. The Original "Coach built" saloon body is all aluminium panels over a timber frame. It will depend on how far the timber frame has gone and whether it can be recovered. And if the interior trim can be recovered rather than replaced. If it is just the stitching on the seats gone or if it is ripped to a point where it cannot be repaired. I would hate to be considered a Vandal, destroying a restorable car! There may be a third option converting the original four dood saloon body into a 2 door Drop Head Coupe, I can see how to do it in my head, just how practical will be obvious until I have the car at home. Again I will not know until I have the car in my garage and can see if that could be done. It would still mean lifting the body off the chassis, there is always a danger that it would fall apart in the process. The Photograph, below, gives an outline of a 4 seat coupe. This one is a Ranalah DHC on a Rapier Chassis. Just how much would be involved in converting a Lea F saloon body requires some serious thought. It would involve lifting the body off very carefully, removing the rear doors and extending the front doors. This would then have to go back onto a chassis, shortened by 12 inches. Again this is pure conjecture until I have the car at home. By the time rear is shortened 12 inches, most of the rear doors will have almost disappeared. We will just have to wait and see. None the less it is something to think about. There are a lot of "if's". Right now we are talking about Lea F's not Ifs. Bj.

It would appear that I have stunned you all into silence ! How many of the people reading this have even heard of a Lea Francis? This company has been in existance since the early 1900s. At first as with many British car manufacturers they were building bicycles, moving into motor car manufacturing in the years "between the wars".

The world has done a full circle and now I am in the middle of arranging to purchase the 1946 Lea Francis Project. This will become to basis for a rebuild based a car that I was loaned for the York Around the Houses event sponsored by the Motor Museum at York in Western Australia. This was a Connaught two seater racing car based on a Lea Francis chassis. My first task will be to arrange to have donner Lea Francis delivered to our home where I can start by stripping the remains of a "coach-built" saloon removed and 12 inches cut out of the chassis to bring it down to the correct "sports" length.

Every time you run the engine a little of this oil is washed off and is drawn in with the fuel and burnt. Basically its only job is to prevent the carburettor "piston" from "fluttering" with each engine revolution. Keeping the air-fuel proportions even. With a tapered needle the mixture is enrichened as the carburettor piston is lifted. As the piston is lifted the volume of air/fuel flowing into the engine is increased and the mixture enriched to compensate for this. Bj.

This is the second one mentioned above. It too is Italian leather and stays in the front (passenger side) floor of my Peugeot (405 Sri). As you can see, it comfortably holds the three metal balls and all the other necessary things. I would not be without a "handbag"......... Score pad and pen etc live in the zipper closed pocket.

Hello Bullrun, Without wanting to be rude I think that you may have the decimal point in the wrong place. While I do not have a use for it right away, it could go into my Lagonda's tool kit without looking out of place. I will give you $4.50 for it, AND pay the postage.(to Australia). If I scratch around I could probably find the one I already have, but this will save me tipping everything out of my "hand bag". I have probably talked about these (Hand-bags) before, you buy them from your local "Charity" shop for some "loose change", Being top quality Italian Leather, they do not scratch paint work, or damage interior trim, they hold just about everything that a "girl" may ever need. They do not rattle and fit into any odd corner in your car. I have one for each car, with the specific tools for that car in a place where I can find them when I need them. Look,lots of pockets for small things like this Ignition screw driver/feeler gauge. Buy one today! I have another one to carry my "Petanque" balls, pen, score pad AND a handful of peppermints, etc, etc. Bernie j.

Currently we are again in a Co-vid Lockdown so apart from e-mails and phone calls I am more or less isolated. I have made one phone call re a 1922 Citroen, a 10hp, one model Citroen I have not owned before. As the current owner/vendor does not"do emails" I am waiting to recieve his mailed photographs. As it is already "fully restored" it is outside my usual criteria for a possible purchase. I have made a tentative offer about $10,000 under the asking price, so I will not be surprised if it goes to some one with deeper pockets than mine. As it is a Citroen, a French car, I should not even be mentioned out here! Bj.

Thank you Dr D. I believe that you are correct. Bernie j.

Now with the decks finally (almost ) clear I should very soon be able to return the Lagonda to the garage. This will permit me to put the long suffering Peugeot under the carport and out of the weather. We, here in Australia, are heading into Winter, so it really does need to be under cover. I have to be very tough on myself and resist all temptation to be buying another project car. I just have to realise that at my age (almost 85) I do not need to be attempting to rescue other people's piles of junk. The Lagonda Rapier is a "super" car but even looking at the photograph above I can see one or two items that require attention. I am sure a morning spent checking it over would reveal some more. For instance it must be several years since I last checked the valve (tappet) clearances. There is a package of new "clearance shims" that is sitting in the door pocket. I ordered and received these from the Rapioer Register "Spares", two or three years ago. To check the valve clearances properly could easily fill in two or three mornings. My first task will be to find where I carefully stowed my set of "feeler gauges". Oh Dear! it really is a bugger to be growing old! I am told that this situation is only temporary. BUT we will not venture down that path! Bj.

Hello Frank Thank you for your good wishes. Every so often we all have to take time to draw breath and to take stock of where we are. This is just one of those times. Bernie j.