REPORTS ON A 1914 HUMBERETTE RESTORATION

[Laughing Coyote]

Mike,

I have read your post several times and this news is still hard to hear.  I have no words, I don't know what to say. I too hope the doctor is incorrect and you have plenty more years ahead of you. I will be praying for you and your family my friend.

 

[Mike Macartney]

Some good news for a change. My Humberette has found a new custodian, Phil, who will complete the restoration and use the cyclecar when it is finished. I will let you know more before he collects the car next Monday.

 

These are some photos Jane took, to send to Phil, before he and his wife came to view the Humberette.

 

 

The black leather interior showing the map pocket on the door.

 

 

The body on the trolley with the dashboard mounted fuel tank on the floor.

 

 

I think I should attempt to try and get into the body for a photo before the Humberette goes. 🙂

 

 

 

 

  

[Roger Zimmermann]

Mike, I'm glad you found somebody to finish the Humberette. It must not be easy to sell such kind of vehicle.

[JV Puleo]

It's sad to see it go but you've done the right thing. Perhaps you should encourage Phil to take up where you left off and fill us in on the remainder of the restoration. You've done a bang-up job so far so he's getting a really good start.

[John S.]

Mike, I am glad that you found a buyer. Hopefully, Phil will keep posting the restoration. Mike the work on the Humberette .is very impressive. Thanks. John

[Mike Macartney]

18 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

Perhaps you should encourage Phil to take up where you left off and fill us in on the remainder of the restoration.

 

I will do my best, but Phil has said to me that he is not the sort of chap who would continue to post weekly updates. I think this is a shame, but each to there own. I have offered to post information for him if he sends me some photos.

[Mike Macartney]

To help Phil, I am going to post some photos of the parts that Jane and I have boxed up. I  will also list a few details of what has been done and what still needs doing. The photos are an aide-memoire for me.

 

I was considering fitting an electric starter motor and needed to measure the outside of the cone clutch housing in an attempt to find to find a suitable size ring gear. To date I have not found anything suitable.

 

 

I got the idea from Kevin Brookes in Australia. He sent me photos and details of the system on his Humberette.

 

Hi Mike, I've assembled all I can on my starter motor.  Unfortunately I don't know what the ring gear's off - the starter was on the car when I got it - about the only good thing they did!  It's 25mm (obviously) and has 96 teeth which could be a clue. A  lip's been turned on the clutch flywheel and the usual shrink fit applied to the ring gear.
The set-up is quite good.  The three uppermost engine bolts are removed and three about 9 1/2" replace them.  They pass at the back of the motor through 2 x 9/16' spacers and then through the 5/16' plate-steel bracket. The whole lot then sits nicely over the "clutch hole".  I've tried to trace it accurately but didn't remove the starter bolts as I didn't want to upset my Bendix etc. The starter mounts on the passenger side with the snout towards the front. I've had a couple of starters and previous one came from various Jap
vehicles but when I needed a new one, my mate traced the style to a later model being TOYOTA COROLLA , ENGINE 4K-J, SK -J PETROL. The box read RXS421 but that could be one manufacturer's idea.

Apart from a starter button on the floor, I've also tapped into the supply with a button under the bonnet on the driving side firewall.  It's great when testing, etc or even tickling the carbie, to be able to start the car while you're standing there. If, on an A4 page, the bracket prints out to size, the distance between mounting holes should be 114/115mm. 
You have to cut off some of the alloy snout around the Bendix to have the starter fit snug into the bracket.

 

Here are the photos:

 

 

 

 

 

Jane sat me down on a stool in the workshop, brought the boxes of bits to me to check the items and bags to check that they were labelled.

 

 

I don't think these 'jugs' need labelling?!?

 

 

Although the threads on the Humberette are metric the spanner sizes don't seem to be be metric. This was the only spanner I could find in my collection that would fit the nuts on the big end.

 

Getting tired now so I will post some more tomorrow.

[Mike Macartney]

Good morning, just waiting for Jane to come back from taking Darcy for a walk before we venture up to the workshop to pack up some more Humberette parts.

 

 

OK, I've eaten my breakfast - NOW I WANT A WALK!

 

 

In this box are the wooden parts that fit at the sides of the bonnet (hood). I have some more photos of these which I took ages ago.

 

 

 

 

The underside of one of these wooden boards

 

 

I don't think the bottom part is needed. When the previous owner fitted the body to the chassis he added some 'lumps of wood', between the chassis and the body, you could not call them anything else as they were just small blocks of non treated rough sawn pine. The reason I was told by his son that his father thought the rear wings (fenders) looked too high.

 

 

 

Too date I have still not worked out why this bracket is on the chassis.

 

 

 

The bonnet catches were remade by the previous owner.

 

 

I have just remembered why the white chalk marks are there. It was to show me where the position of the bracket was on the underside of the wooden part.

 

 

I think these bonnet side mounting boards need to be fitted when the body is on the chassis but before the body is finally bolted down.

 

Jane and Darcy are back now so we can go up to the workshop for more sorting out.

[Mike Macartney]

I am sorry to say that most of the following photos may only be of interest to Phil, to help with the continued restoration of the Humberette, I thought that by inserting them into my post they will be available for him to look at as and when he needed to.

 

 

 

This was measuring for the leather straps to hold the front of the hood (top) down. I never got around to actually ordering the straps. Paul Moore, as a temporary measure, stapled some strapping material to fix the top down. The photo was taken when he was making the hood (top).

 

 

Other parts in the long cardboard box are: starting handle and support brackets for the rear wings (fenders) and the starting handle which needs a proper hand grip made for it. One of the two previous 'restorers' thought a short length of copper tube would do.

 

 

The original number plates that were on the car when I got it.

 

 

These are the clamps for the 'Stepney' spare wheel.

 

 

Also in the long cardboard box are the parts for repairing one of the rear wings (fender) that has not yet been repaired at the back edge, plus a strengthening plate for the fixing bolts.

 

 

These are the parts that fit to the cylinder barrels (jugs). The carb got moved to another box - see next photo.

 

 

Magneto that came with the Humberette, all the cooling pipes, hoses etc. and carb which has not been looked at by me.

 

 

Pistons, original, and the modified Ford Zetec pistons ready to fit when barrels are bored/honed to suit.

 

 

Box of all the parts from the engine all bagged up and marked as to what they are. Photos of taking the parts off the engine are shown earlier in this post.

 

 

Correct magneto for the Humberette that I bought recently on eBay, at great expense, as they are like trying to find rocking horse droppings!

 

 

When I first saw this photo, that Jane had taken, I could not work out what the hell it was. It is the fuel tank and all the parts that go with the tank, including the oil pump and piping.

 

 

Not too much left to sort before Phil comes on Monday to collect the Humberette.

[Gary W]

Mike

I am going to miss following your work.  I've enjoyed your progress throughout.  

 

A thought about the chassis bracket......  could it be a mounting spot for the steering if the car was shipped overseas?  

 

Please keep a positive spirit.  

 

Gary

[Mike Macartney]

Thanks Gary, I will try and write some, maybe amusing answers or questions, to others posts, if I don't get to help Phil with future posts on the Humberette restoration. I thought all cars were RH drive when Britain ruled the world, before the First World War!  🙂 The same bracket is on each side of the chassis.

 

 

I can't remember what I was doing here with the bracket, possibly checking to see the diameter of the thread? It is the same on both sides. The steering rack is bolted by just one bolt to the chassis on the inside of the chassis tube.

[chistech]

Mike, did they ever side mount a Humbrette? Could those mounts help support fenders with wells? 

[Mike Macartney]

I couldn't resist posting this photo - I took it from the house, at the other end of the garden, this afternoon 😀

 

 

I am entering the 1903 Crestmobile in Bonhams auction, that they hold in London, just before the annual London to Brighton run. Malcolm Barber of Bonhams contacted me yesterday for a high resolution photo to use in the publicity for the auction. They need the photos by Tuesday! Jane cleaned the brass in the workshop yesterday, today she is washing and polishing the car so daughter Fay can take the photos this evening or tomorrow. I suppose having breathing problems can have its benefits as it gets me out of cleaning cars! 

[Mike Macartney]

7 minutes ago, chistech said:

Mike, did they ever side mount a Humberette?

 

Ted, what like a sidecar?!? 🙂

 

8 minutes ago, chistech said:

Could those mounts help support fenders with wells?

 

The front wings (fenders) have a leather side, that fits from the wing down to the body. It is possible that they were originally going to have metal sides and needed to cut the weight of the car down, so it could be classified as a cycle car? 

[chistech]

Sorry mike, I forget the different lingo used between our countries. I meant fender (wing) mounted spare tires. I forgot that the fenders were leather sided. Didn’t know if they ever put two spare tires, one on each side, up front. Most American cars with that type of spare have additional mounts, either bolted or riveted to the frame to help support the additional weight of a spare hanging out on the side in the fender.

[Mike Macartney]

No problem Ted, it does get confusing sometimes, with 'England and America being two countries separated by the same language'. I got strange looks when I asked for a rubber in a shop in California, I should have asked for an eraser! By the way do you mean 'tyres'? 🙂

 

I have just gone through my Humberette photos and found this one of a spare wheel mounted on the drivers side of the body.

 

 

My one, sorry, I mean Phil's Humberette, has a similar Stepney wheel mounted a little further back over the brake lever.

 

 

Apparently, Fay took some photos of the Crestmobile last night while I was fast asleep!.

[Mike Macartney]

Some more photos that may help Phil.

 

 

I think the label may help?!?

 

 

Ditto.

 

 

I don't chuck anything away until the restoration is finished. Maybe all rubbish.

 

 

Box of bits with parts all labelled up but I forgotten what else is in the tin box!

 

 

Lamps and horns.

 

 

Mirror and bonnet to radiator tape and/or to scuttle to bonnet tape.

 

 

The tax disc holder or one of my files has the original 1926 road fund license in it. The original road fund license was in the holder when the car was found in the barn in the 90's.

 

 

Oil drip feed glass and adjusted. Has been put in the box with the fuel tank.

 

 

The switches and switch plates if you decide to use electronic ignition and LED lighting in the gas lamps.

 

 

Original plate for the door aperture. I may have mentioned it before, Mr Jackson said his father had put the original chassis plate away for safe keeping, he said he would send it onto me when he found it!

 

 

The 'new battery and insulating packing.

 

 

'It does what it say's on the tin'.

 

 

Or in this case what it says on the plastic bag! I hope these photos may help.

 

 

[chistech]

19 hours ago, Mike Macartney said:

No problem Ted, it does get confusing sometimes, with 'England and America being two countries separated by the same language'. I got strange looks when I asked for a rubber in a shop in California, I should have asked for an eraser! By the way do you mean 'tyres'? 🙂

 

I have just gone through my Humberette photos and found this one of a spare wheel mounted on the drivers side of the body.

 

 

My one, sorry, I mean Phil's Humberette, has a similar Stepney wheel mounted a little further back over the brake lever.

 

Mike, do you think any framework could go from that mysterious mount on the chassis to support the spare wheel shown?

 

[Mike Macartney]

On 7/13/2020 at 4:05 AM, chistech said:

On 7/12/2020 at 8:14 AM, Mike Macartney said:

Mike, do you think any framework could go from that mysterious mount on the chassis to support the spare wheel shown?

 

 

Ted, I doubt if it would have been, seeing the position the brackets are in. I have looked through all my photos that I have of other Humberette's and am still no wiser!

 

 

 

I even looked at the veteran Humberette to see if the second generation Humberette used the same chassis.

 

Yesterday this arrived outside my workshop - is it from 'outer space'?

 

 

 

No - the sad day has come - Phil and family came to collect the Humberette to take it to its new home. 😢

 

 

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

2 hours ago, Mike Macartney said:

 

 

 

No - the sad day has come - Phil and family came to collect the Humberette to take it to its new home. 😢

 

 

😢😢😢

[Mike Macartney]

Yesterday, I sat here feeling very frustrated that I was unable to finish the Humberette and having to pass it on to another enthusiast. I could not bring myself to post the photos of loading boxes of parts and the car into Phil's transport; however I did manage to go through the photos that I took, whilst sitting on a stool watching them load up, and resize some of the photos to post them here today.

 

 

Mags and Alex loading all the boxes of parts.

 

 

The chassis makes it out of the workshop for the last time.

 

 

The 'crew' lifting the body on. This was the hardest part to watch - fitting the body onto the chassis - I had been wanting to do this for sometime but knew that I did not have the strength or energy to do it. The Humberette looked so sweet with the body fitted to the chassis.

 

 

Everything loaded, now to strap it down. If, in the future, Phil sends me photos of his progress with the restoration, I will post them here. So I am hoping it is not 'over and out'.

 

I would like to thank everybody who has followed my progress and/or helped me with questions I had. I have 'met' some very kind and helpful friends on this forum.

 

.

 

 

[Roger Zimmermann]

I like your pictures, even if it's for you a sad moment.

[Mike Macartney]

Thank you Roger. At least I can look forward to reading about yours and others posts on this AACA forum.

[Steve S. in PA]

Mike, I have followed your Humberette progress form the beginning. You have educated me in many ways. Thank you for taking the time to share your work and experiences.

Best wishes,  Steve

[Mike Macartney]

Thank you for that Steve, I much appreciate your kind comments. Mike

[JV Puleo]

I'll second that. Your work has been outstanding and I've learned as much from you as you have from me. Thanks again!

 

jp

 

That trick for calculating a taper was brilliant!

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

I’ll also agree. It’s sad you can finish what you have started. Hopefully you can see the the finished humbrette. Just keep us in the loop. Love Mike 

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

I’ll also agree. It’s sad you can finish what you have started. Hopefully you can see the the finished humbrette. Just keep us in the loop. Love Mike 

[John S.]

On 7/15/2020 at 12:13 PM, JV Puleo said:

I'll second that. Your work has been outstanding and I've learned as much from you as you have from me. Thanks again!

 

jp

 

That trick for calculating a taper was brilliant!

Mike, I agree with JV Puelo. Your work is outstanding, and I too have learned a lot from you. You and Jane are great folks. John. 

[Mike Macartney]

I thought it was about time I got round to writing a bit of 'blurb' about the Humberette at its new how and what I have been up to.

 

 

The Humberette in its new home alongside Phil's other Humber cars and his BSA Bantam motorcycle. When I get more information on the progress he's made I will let you know.

 

Jane thought it maybe an idea for me to get an electric chair! I thought - hopefully not the sort that she can strap me into - plug it in the mains - and turn on the switch! Anyway, she found me one on eBay that was fairly local, it had only been used twice, since it had been bought new, at the end of last year. I have been out on it twice, once to the pub, for a pint with the Wednesday night saga louts at the Black Boys, the other time was with Jane and the dog for a walk. I must admit I did find it a bit worrying sitting outside the pub with others nearby after being in isolation since March.

 

Had Malcolm Barber, Bonhams auctioneer,  come to have a look at my motoring collection of stuff. They are going to auction my Humber, Scott, Favourite and Nimbus motorcycles in the 10th October auction at Bicester. The 1903 Crestmobile, 2 x Pre WW1 tricycles, Royal Mail Penny Farthing and the 1899/1900 Perks and Birch/Singer motor wheel tricycle project are going in their Pre London to Brighton Veteran car run London auction, at the end of October. 

[Laughing Coyote]

4 hours ago, Mike Macartney said:

once to the pub, for a pint with the Wednesday night saga louts at the Black Boys

Be careful and don't get to tipsy.  The law will pull you over for driving while drunk on your way home.

[Mike Macartney]

We don't see many Policemen in the wilds of Norfolk - this was the last time I saw them drive down our road 😉

 

[Terry Harper]

Mike,

 

Glad to hear you are out and about - being with friends and outside  is balm to the soul! Good to see the Humberette has found a good home. I am sure Phil will

cherish it just as you have.

 

So..... when are you going to start "improving" that electric chair?

 

[Sloth]

10 hours ago, Mike Macartney said:

We don't see many Policemen in the wilds of Norfolk - this was the last time I saw them drive down our road 😉

 

Hello Mike,

As these cars looked to me as  a mid 1960's Wolseley (6/110 if I am not wrong...), you are certainly not overrun by the police 😁. As far as I know, they are driving now a days in less frivolous machines, at those times they seemed to drove around in classic cars (very good taste they had)  😉.

Regards,

Harm

Edited July 31, 2020 by Sloth (see edit history)

[Mike Macartney]

On 7/31/2020 at 1:03 PM, Terry Harper said:

So..... when are you going to start "improving" that electric chair?

 

Well - that's a thought - hmmmmm?

 

Harm, the police force in Norfolk are so hard up they are using dummies! 🙂

 

 

I am sorry for my humour - it does not seem to improve with age!

[John_Mereness]

Very enjoyable posting  - keep us in the loop and take care.

[Mike Macartney]

Why didn't anybody ask why the police woman had wings?

[Roger Zimmermann]

To add stability? (like cars from the fifties!)

[socram]

Mike, I have just come across the pic of the Singer, BYT 625.  

 

I have a connection to this car back in 1966, if you'd care to get in touch, as I have photographs.

I can't send you a PM as I'm a brand new member.

[Mike Macartney]

Hi, Thanks for contacting me. I have sent you a PM. Mike