LAGONDA RAPIER.

[Rapier]

Please disregard my previous post. What I really need to do is to get out in the car and enjoy driving it. Regardless of either the car's or our ages we still, both have lots of miles left to do.  We have to stop talking about it and get on with our planing for our next visit to the UK and France. 

Bj.

[Rapier]

First thing I have to do is to pay for the renewal of the "Club Permit". This cannot happen now until next tuesday but I must make a effort to do it then. I have to have it signed by one of the Club's Officials first.

Bj.

[Rapier]

I am reminded that many of the people looking at this may have never before heard of a Lagonda Rapier let alone seen one.  Made in England for just one year, June 1934 until July 1935 there were just a very small production run.

Less than 200 cars are known to exist today. These are spread around the world with cars in Australia, America, Africa, Canada, and their birthplace England. They left the UK factory is very small numbers and are almost unknown to many of the members of "Old Car Clubs". They were extremely sophisticated with originally an 1100cc four cylinder twin overhead cam engine,  this drove the rear wheels through a ENV 75 Preselector Gearbox. The wire-spoked wheels are secured by eared centre lock "Knock on" hub caps.  Brakes are Girling mechanical operated, working in large drums. Steering is very accurate with just over one turn of the steering wheel from "lock to lock". Originally the factory only supplied cars in (bare) chassis form with bodies supplied by a number of, UK based, independent  coach-builders. In addition to the usual sporting two seater, there are still surviving examples with (fixed head) Coupes and Saloon bodies and a wide variety of open, sporting cars . There are also a number of single seat racing cars!

[Rapier]

When I was much younger people always said "talking to yourself was the first sign of madness".

Now writing answers to myself feels much the same. 

Oh well?

Bj.

[Rapier]

 

 

 

 

Finally where it all began, KG as it was prior to my buying it as a restoration project.   Much to the annoyance of many "purists" who have complained that I had destroyed an "original" car.

Almost 50 years and over 100,000 miles later all I can say in reply is,

How glad I am that I did.

Bj.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Now here is something that the "purists" can really complain about. 

I used Australian "Black Bean" rather than a "British" Walnut or Mahogany timber for the dash-board.

Bj.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

 

Now,  just to prove what a really bad person I am. Above is one of my earlier "restorations".

Shock-Horror! This one has a 3.5 Litre engine instead of a 1.5 Litre as it originally had.  Fortunately it is now "somewhere" in France, so no one has to look at it here in Australia.

Most people here only ever saw the spare wheel and the twin exhaust pipes as it passed them.

Bj

[Rapier]

 Just to prove what a really bad person I am, here are some of my "other" cars.

Number 126 was in fact an Austin 12-6.

This one with my lovely daughter driving was a Citroen 5CV.

 

Next was a "Side Valve" Riley from the early '20s.My American friends should have no trouble with this one. A "nice" Packard, one of the smaller six cylinder examples, To add to its charm it has just rear wheel brakes.

This poor Lea Francis did not stay around long enough for very much to happen but then it was "post-war" (1948)

 

This ultra rare "Dixie Flyer" went all the way back to Louisville Kentucky where it came from.Looking much smarter than it deserves was this early Singer Nine.Hard to recognise this one is a rather "sporting" Dodge Four.

Looking "lovely" was a very handsome Morris Cowley, this one a "Flat Radiator".Making itself "at home" another Morris this time a "Bull-nose" my current project.

 

There are lots more to come but that should do for now, it is time for me to go and pour our "pre-dinner drinks".

Bj.

[Rapier]

I have no idea where or how the Riley "Side Valve" is today. It is a very rare and interesting car both to drive and to work on.

Bj.

[Rapier]

Finally I managed to drive in to the Motor Registration Office and have paid for the next year's Club Permit for the Rapier, this means that I can legally drive it on Club Events for the forthcomming year. This also covers the driver's Third Party Insurance. One less thing to worry about for the next year.

Bj.

[Rapier]

Oh dear! Looking at all this has made my feet itchy and and has also reminded me that next year  Is to be (possibly) our last year for over seas (European) travel. There are several questions to be answered, not the least being "do we take the Lagonda Rapier with us again to be our day to day transport?.  That and then do we "Bring it home again"? or do we sell it in the UK before leaving to return back home?

 

Bj.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Thank you Terry, Frank and Ben, I really do appreciate your interest and support.  We are going away on a short holiday so there will not be any activity from this end for a week or two. Sadly we will not be going in the Lagonda. We are flying to Northern Queensland which would be a two or three days drive on boring multi-lane highway, even in a modern car.(Each way) Perhaps another time?

Bernie j.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Frank Tate]

Safe travels Bernie!

 

[Rapier]

Thank you Frank

We had a very relaxing time in the sunshine, this included a day trip out onto the Great Barrier Reef where we went out in a Glass bottomed boat. This is the best way to see the Coral and a wide variety of fish etc. Other wise the emphasis was on having a "quiet time"as is suitable for a couple of "Old-folk". 

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

My next task is to make the Rapier "Super-reliable" in preparation for a possible (our last) visit to the UK and France next year. This is based very much on our both matching the Rapier in "good health". For those who do not know, the Lagonda is 1934, I am 1936 and Helen 1938. I have just had the Rapier's Pre-selector gear box fully rebuilt including a new "Top-gear cone". and new friction linings for the other gears. One  decision I will have to make is whether to "bring it home" or to sell it in England.

Helen had "open-heart" surgery last year and she is now "better than ever".

Touch-wood, my own health just rolls along with no known problems.

I had my share of worries 15 or 20 years ago when I had some major surgery for "bladder-cancer". Fortunately there has been no re-occourance.

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

Looking back a year or two; this photo is a "proof" from a professional photographer.  It comes from July 2009 which was the last time that we took the Lagonda with us,(from Australia) for use as day to day transport in England.

This photograph shows our Rapier, with this funny old Aussie at the wheel, in the "members car park at Brooklands", the historic Racing circuit.  This was during the Rapier Register's 75th Anniversary of the introduction of the car in 1934.

Now we are looking forward to taking the Rapier back to England, next year for one last time.  The car looks just fine but I wish I was so sure about that grey haired driver.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Just to prove that there is still life in the old dog, and the Rapier too we have just completed the VSCC Two day Rally.  In the Rapier of course. One thing I need to solve is it's tendency to loose power and "go wooly" getting down to running on just three or perhaps two cylinders. Then just when I think that it has died it will pick up and run perfectly for the rest of the day. I have just finished checking the fuel filters and they are all perfectly clean. I have just thought, I need to get underneath and check the first in line, under the car as close as practical to the main petrol tank.

Something to do tomorrow.

Bj.

[Rapier]

Tomorow has come and gone, I have taken the distributor to my friendly Auto-ignition specialist and he has given it a clean bill of health. I will invest in a new set of spark plugs and new coil just to make  certain. 
In retrospect I will take the main filter nearest the petrol tank off from under the car and make certain that it is actually clear. Lying on my back and looking up is perhaps not the best way to make sure that it is ok. 

[Rapier]

Thinking about all this I am reminded that a "standard" Rapier has magneto ignition. It is so long ago when I converted KG to coil and distributor I had forgotten. Having said that, there is no way that I would go back to a magneto. Again it is so reliable that I tend "set and forget it".

 

Bj

[Rapier]

I now need to give the Rapier a careful "Check-over" in preparation of our Club, the Vintage (pre 1940) Sports Car Club's, Frost-bite Run.

 

See below.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

                        Sunday 16^th July 2023

            LibertÉ            FrostbitÉ

POUR LA CELEBRATION de TOUT LE BONNES CHOSES de FRANCE:  escargots, la bataille de Waterloo, le naufrage du guerrier Arc-en-ciel, l’avis de Macron sur Morrisson, les fromages…                        

                                    

                                        ATTENTION!

                                                                   Es-tu pret?

Sellez votre voiture sans tarder!

 

The DELAGE CLUB’s BASTILLE DAY RUN and the VSCC’s FROSTBITE RUN will take you along delightful roads through verdant scenery to a magnificent lunch, where once again the beret wearers will entertain us with a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise.

 

DETAILS:

 

Start:     MEET AT: McDonalds, Sunbury

                       MELWAY PAGE 383, E3

                TIME:          9:00 AM for a 9:30 AM START

Route:   Approx 90 miles. Map & directions will be provided.

Lunch:  at the Great Western Gastro Pub, Ballan

Do please be thoughtful enough, if you're intending to come, to telephone me on 0411 287 642 or email me: agreen@sbalaw.com by Thursday 6^th July so you can be assured of dining. 

Bon Jour, and TTFN

Gilles Blain (usurper l’identite du Compt de Sec)

Edited May 28, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

So here we are again, another four years have passed and we are all four years older, This all means that we are now in the early stages of planing our next visit to the UK and France, taking the Lagonda Rapier along as our day to day transport.  As part of our early preparations I have the distributor out of the Rapier's engine having it checked over and new electronic (points) installed.  Not quite as original but hopefully trouble free. 

 

Bernie j.

[Rapier]

 

 

 

I have just been further reminded, a friend has just returned my copy of the book, Negative Gravity by Mathew Freudenberg.

This is a biography of Beatrice Shilling, mainly covering her time with the British Aircraft Industry during WW2. In the photo section at the rear of the book are these three photographs of "KG" during her ownership.

The last photo was taken in England prior to the late David Seath (driving) moving to Australia bringing KG with him. 

I bought the car looking somewhat similar but as a non-runner.

From there it was totally striped and rebuilt from the bare chassis. The new Eagle two seater (replica) body was part of a project organised by a group of Rapier Register Members with 14 bodies being built. I believe that mine was the only one to come to Australia.  Considering the "lightening of the chassis frame" AND the number of miles the car has travelled, it has survived remarkably well.

Bj.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Right now I am doing some maintenance on the Rapier with new Distributor electronics (Points) All I need to do now is to replace (and time) the distributor. I have asked Steve to come and assist.

That way he gets to work on and to learn about the Rapier.

I have in the meanwhile cleaned and re-set the gap on the spark plugs.

 

Bj.

Edited June 10, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

At least this gives the people unfamiliar with Lagonda cars and the Rapier in particular, a chance to learn something about them. Apart from anything else with something approaching 600 made over some five years, 1934 to 1939 they can justifiably said to be quite rare. Not only rare but for the time quite sophisticated. 

Originally the engine was just under 1100cc, it was four cylinder with twin overhead camshafts. Transmission was a four (forward) speed, preselector, driving through the rear wheels. The "factory" did not supply any bodywork, the "customer" was left to arrange this with any one of the seperate coachbuilding companies providing this service during the 1920s and 30s.  Over the years three or four of these offered a "standard design" body.  These could be had with minor variations to suit the customers requirements. My car is probably typical in that initially it was fitted with a "fixed- head" coupe body. This was removed at some time during the immediate post WW2 years and replaced with a very light two seater "sports/racing" body. By the time I bought the car this had all but fallen apart. I replaced it with a replica of the  "Eagle" sports two seater body. One of a batch of ten or twelve organised by a group of Rapier Register (Club) members.

I hope that I am not boring too many of you but I feel that this may be necessary.

Bj.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

This is my Rapier as it appeared during the 1950's while owned and raced by Beatrice Shilling and her husband George.

By the time I bought it, the "cycle-type' mudguards and lights had been removed.

My first action was to totally strip the car down to a bare chassis frame and rebuild it, fitting it during this process with a (Replica) Eagle two seater body, as mentioned above. This is as the car appears today.

Edited June 11, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

The two seater body has a door on the passenger side while the driver has to climb over the side. There is some room for luggage behind the seats and I have made a "luggage rack" that can be attached to the rear of the car, clamping onto the rear cross-member. This will take one large suit-case and an over-night bag. In the past when we have gone over-seas (UK & France) it has been for periods of up to three months touring.

We are hoping to do one final o/s holiday next year.

 

Bj

[Rapier]

Today's task is to replace the two fuel filters under the rear of the car, there are two pipes taking fuel from the tank to the engine at the front of the car. One for the main supply and the other for the reserve. As the reserve draws petrol from the bottom of the tank it is more likely to become partially blocked.

The photo below shows Helen with the car while on tour in, on this day, rainy France. This shows the rear of the Rapier with the luggage rack attached. This includes two additional "stop/tail lamps. Due to the inclement weather Helen's suitcase is wraped in plastic to ensure the contents stay dry.

Also this is one if the very rare occasions when we had the hood erected.  Note also the Kangaroo on a Boomerang insignia on the right hand rear mudguard. 

Edited June 13, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Well!

Having jacked up the rear of the Rapier, I could crawl under the car and inspect the two filters, I am sure that neither were blocked, not even slightly. Even so I will buy two replacements at the next opportunity (visit to a "Motor Spares" shop).

They can then live in the space beside the battery and sundry other items. Hopefully I will never have to replace either "out on the road". Probably during the next "major service". Possibly before shipping the car to the UK for the start of our next and perhaps final European tour. (Next year?)........

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

Please stop me if you think that I am going too far, 
I not only think but truly believe that, in this form, as a sporting two seater, the Rapier (especially in 1500cc form),

is one of best and most rewarding cars generally available to both own and to drive .

The above photographs show the same car at two locations and at different times, both years and miles apart!

Edited June 14, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[alsancle]

7 hours ago, Rapier said:

Please stop me if you think that I am going too far, 
I not only think but truly believe that, in this form, as a sporting two seater, the Rapier (especially in 1500cc form),

is one of best and most rewarding cars generally available to both own and to drive .

The above photographs show the same car at two locations and at different times, both years and miles apart!

 

I think it is great that you love your car.   I hate some of mine.

[Rapier]

Thank you, have you ever thought that you have too many?

The old theory, "one at a time makes good fishing" can apply to all sorts of situations. Someone else might like to have just one of your un-loved surplus. I have a wall full of photographs of some of the cars that I have owned in the past. They take up less space that way too. The ones that I really hated did not even qualify for a photograph or the "wall space". It is good to remember the ones that made it onto the wall. They are all now giving pleasure to someone else.

Cars such as the Dixie Flyer, it was rescued from a pile of junk and now is back with the company that originally built it. Another "rescue", this Packard roadster is now part of an important  collection. Neither are cars that I wanted to keep but are good memories and still, as photographs on my wall, do not take up very much space.

Hopefully they are of interest to someone looking at this "Forum". There are photographs of six other Lagondas, all the same model but all quite different to our present car, all still in the hands of enthusiastic owners.

Bj.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Anyone looking back at my earlier posts in this "Thread" will see that our Lagonda has changed dramatically from its earlier life. Since restoration we have driven it over 100,000 miles and are currently planing another visit to the UK and France with it next year. This would have been impractical in its earlier form as shown here.Unrecognisable as the same car today it is my only car and one that I have no plans of selling. Seen below is the Rapier on one of our earlier visits to France.

Bj.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Today it is one of those Friday afternoons, The weekly shopping has been successfully completed and we have just finished lunch, I have been out to the garage and walked around the Rapier, short of polishing the wheel spokes one by one there is very little required.  I look at the car and think, how lucky I am to have such a great car.

Possibly I could jack it up again so that I could climb underneath and clean/polish the sump but to my thinking that is going too far. Thinking about this as there are no leaks the sump remains clean.  There is a minor water leak in the top tank of the radiator, this is not sufficient to warrant removing the radiator to take it to be repaired. 

Having said that I am not about to start putting chenical "Sealants" into it. The only one of these I have any experience with that was any good was Wynns'  "Radiator Stop Leak" and I would only use it in an emergency.  Foe a long time I carried a container of this in the rear tool compartment of the car. I think that I must have given it to somebody with a problen out on the road. It is no longer in the tool "box".  Probably I should buy another as a replacement. Perhaps I should also buy some rust inhibitor, it is a long time since I last used it and I tend to wonder about its effectiveness. Perhaps it is just that I am growing too old for any of this?

Bj.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Now here are two photographs that I have just minutes ago taken. 

First let us see how observant you are. There are two photos of the front of the car. The first is very similar to the photo just a little way back. What is different?

The second photo is of underneath the front dumb-iron cover. 

That is the louvered panel in front of the radiator.

What is to be seen there which is perhaps something, possibly unexpected?

[Frank Tate]

🤷‍♂️ Ya got me Bernie.

[Rapier]

Hello Frank,

If you look closely you will see the (Modern) 1950s or 60s "Wind tone" horn, this adds a "Town & Country" quality to the original's "Beep Beep". In today's traffic you need, on occasion, something more audible!   Especially with drivers who are more intent on looking at your car than at the traffic. One of the hazards of driving a 1930s car in the 2020's

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

Oh dear, Oh dear, I am reminded again. How many of the people looking at this would have, prior to looking at this, even heard of a Lagonda let alone a Lagonda Rapier?

I am again conscious of the fact that I am now well over 85 years old and should not be even thinking about such things. But then I hear a small voice somewhere inside my head asking "Why not?". 

Perhaps one of the people reading this can answer this for me?

 

 

Bj.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Having confessed to being over 85 years old I cannot help wondering how many of the people reading this admit to being this old or perhaps even older?

 

Bj.

Oh yes, not only over 85 but still crawling around underneath their Vintage/Classic car?

[Rapier]

A souvenir from an earlier visit to the UK this still has a place among my memories. Perhaps they are still saving a "place" for me?

 

Bj.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Rapier (see edit history)