LAGONDA RAPIER.

[Rapier]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[DrData]

Bernie, quite the turn about. Looks like all you will need is a steering column and a battery for a driveable speedster.

[Rapier]

 

Hey Dr Data, you are looking at the wrong side of the car, here in Australia (and the UK) we drive sitting on the right side of the car and drive on the left side of the road..

If you look closely you can see the Alvis steering  wheel mixed up in the background....... It is just peeking over the top of the scuttle.

It is attached to the drivers end of the steering column on the right side of the car.

Again you can see the steering wheel on the right hand side of this one (above) too.

If you do not believe me, check out all those cars imported "second hand" into the USA from the UK.

Those British cars imported NEW into the USA are specially built Left hand drive for EXPORT to the USA and Europe. 

For example, my Lagonda Rapier also seen above (green trim) has the passenger seat on the left and the  cars ONLY door is also on the left so the passenger can get out onto the foot-path on the left hand side of the road, the driver must sit on the right. 

Looking again at the photograph of the Lagonda Rapier above you may also note as with all proper DRIVER'S cars the "rev counter" is directly in front of the driver while the Speedo complete with trip and total milage counter is in front of the "navigator". Small gauges, include Oil Pressure on the  right in front of the driver, and Water Temperature, & Amp meter and a (small) 8 day Clock and of course the combined Ign & light  switch in the centre of the dash.

Switches for the turn indicators, electric fan and the driving lights are also to the right of the steering wheel.

Bernie j. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Looking again at the photograph of our Lagonda,(above) the strange in line gear selector is for the Pre-selector transmission, the "Fly-off" Hand brake is on the right.

If you could see the pedals in the shadow, the throttle pedal is in the middle with the foot brake on the right and the "Gear change" pedal (Clutch) is on the left.

The Gear change pedal actually engages the "pre-selected" gear.  This gives instant gear changes depending only on how fast you push the pedal in and release it.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Digger914]

Nothing is more complicated than the simplicity of driving something that works differently than what you expect it should from the way it looks. 

 

Model T has 3 pedals on the floor and not one of them is a throttle, but when you remove the sheet metal that makes it look like a car you think you should know how to drive, it has the same whoa, slow and which way to go pedals as most any old tractor with a throttle on the tree. Though I haven't driven a tractor since I was a kid, I'm quite confidant I could safely move Model T from point A to point B.

 

Like the Model T, the pre-select of your car is more a rarity than a mystery and one should always have time to think before shifting, so when I see a throttle on the tree 50+ years of right foot muscle memory means little to me. Getting behind the wheel of a car with reversed brake and throttle locations is simple for you and so foreign to me that it would make me a danger to self and others in any kind of emergency.  

[Rapier]

Hello Digger

I do not know about "T" Models.   I have never owned or driven one, In fact when I think about it I have never had a ride in one. But in the Teens, Twenties and Thirties a great many British cars had a central throttle pedal. Driving one comes as second nature, your mind very quickly adjusts to driving in one, rather like the switch from Left hand drive to Right and driving on the Right instead of the left side of the road. Travellers from the UK to France and or from Australia to the USA adjust almost automatically.  
In the UK and Europe, there are signs to remind you as you leave the Ferry terminal (both comming and going) and from then on it is up to you. 

People arriving in the USA generally come by air but you learn to adjust very quickly.

It is called "self preservation"......

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

Continuing on, and going back to the previous subject, driving a car with a Pre-selector transmission involves, as the name suggests, selecting the required gear prior to actually engaging it. The gear lever moves in a straight line,  Reverse furthest forward then as the lever moves back, neutral, first , second, third and top all set out in a straight line.  Driving you must "preselect" the required gear before depressing the "Change" pedal. In this photograph you can just see the "Gear change pedal to the right of the bell housing. You can also see the upright of teh brale pedal close to the side of the foot-well. The accelerator pedal is out of sight. it is in between the two other main pedals. it hinges from the top mounted on the inside of the fire-wall/bulkhead.

In this photo the very astute will be able to see the roller included in the gear lever so that it rolls along the edge of the quadrant saving wear on both and designed to roll along the serated side of the quadrant. each indentation coinciding with the location of a gear.

I am sure that no further explanation is required as to how the movement of the lever relates to the (pre) selection of each gear.

 

Bj.

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Now while many (most) of you, reading this, are not really qualified to comment, you may have an opinion. 

I am now in my 85th year I am still fit and healthy and even if I say this myself mentally sound.

I am currently waiting for my next project, an early 1920s Alvis. This has most of the things I expext from an early Vintage car, four cylinder, fixed (non-detachable) cylinder head with side valves, rear wheel only brakes etc etc. It has had a great deal of work done in the past but while it has been (i understand) in the same ownership for a great number of years the original body has been discarded and a new open two seater body in part constructed.

 

To be completed. ,  some further thinking time required.....

Edited April 7, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Digger914]

Bernie, You have an almost enviable relationship with your Lagonda and I can only imagine what it would be like to run a rally in a car with a pre-select shift, or even keep a car you don't need for so many years. I've had a couple of cars that I enjoyed owning as much as I did restoring and wish I'd never sold, but the up and down fortunes of business always necessitated letting them go.  

[DrData]

I have read that drivers of the Talbot Lago felt they had a big advantage in racing because of their pre-selector gear boxes. The advantage is that you did not have to take your hands off the wheel (or attention from the road) to downshift in turns; having already selected the lower gear, all they had to do was press the pedal to shift.

[Rapier]

I guess that now being 85+ I have been retired for almost as long as we have owned "KG".

Once you are used to the preselect box it becomes a real pleasure to use,  It can only add to the enjoyment I get from driving the car. It is not only the Preselect gearbox but a combination of many things, really good brakes and acceleration to match combined with great handling AND instant gear changes. While some people may dread full days of driving on mountain roads I look forward to it. 

Climbing out of hairpin bends, decending through sweeping curves, I start to tremble (with anticipation) just sitting here thinking about it !

As they say in the classics, "If you aint done it, ya can't know how good it gets!" 

I am sorry, I probably have shown you this photograph before but it is one of my favourites. That Helen can sit there quietly clicking away with the camera, says something about the quite confidence that just sitting in the passenger seat inspires. None of that clutching onto the"Panic handle", while there is so much wonderful scenery to look at and photograph!

Note the absence of guard rails and the snow pole, this is to tell you how deep the snow can get in winter and to give you some idea of where the edge of the road is!  

Having been married to Helen for 60 years has also inspired the confidence we share in each other.   Without her map-reading and navigation skills we would not get anywhere.

 

Bernie j..

Edited April 9, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[DrData]

A stunning shot, for sure. Any word on when the Alvis may appear in your “shop”?

[Rapier]

I just hope that I have not (again) been the victim of a massive scam.

I am told that the Alvis should now reach me on the 28th of this month.

There is wide spred flooding in parts of New South Wales at the present time. 

Only time will tell. 

As in all these years (85+) I have never before owned an Alvis, perhaps I will never know what I have been missing.

Bj.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Meanwhile one thing other to my wife Helen (we have just this week celebrated our 60th weding anniversary) that  remains constatnt in my life is my 1934 Lagonda Rapier.  The first photograph shows the car prior to my ownership while it was owned and raced in England, during the 1950s by WW2 Aero Engineer, Beatrice Shilling.  The second photo shows it some months into my ownership, it it parked (nearest the camera) outside our home in East Doncaster, Victoria Australia. It has the start of the "New" Eagle two seater (rep.) body.

The balance of the photographs were taken just an hour or so earlier today. 

I hope that you will excuse me if you have seen similar photogtaphs recently, so I will not bore you with lengthy explanations.

You must remember that I am just two years younger than the car.

 

Bernie j.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

I forgot to add,  I bought the car after it had been brought to Australia in the late 1960's or early 1970s by the late David Seath.

It is still known as "KG". It's English Registration number was KG 5363.

At that stage it was in the final stages of it's "Beatrice Shilling" life, incomplete, not drivable, missing among other things the carburettors, lights, most of the dash board instruments and with the remains of the "cut-down" radiator! It had the same 17 inch wheels that were in need of some serious rebuilding.

I chose to retain the 17 inch rims with Michelin "Super Comfort", low (20psi) pressure tyres.  The 17 inch rims were fitted when the car first came to Australia.  These are ideal for the car with it's present gearing. (4.75:1 cwp, I think) . I have a 8X36 (4.5:1) spare on the shelf.. 

 

Bernie j.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

For the benefit of all those Alvis enthusiasts who have not been keeping up, the Alvis is now well and truly at home  and resting in my carport waiting until I finish a small but essential job on the Rapier's gearbox. I have not yet made any plans for the Alvis and those who do keep up with these things will tell you that it is now being advertised for sale ?

 

Bj.

Edited June 9, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Meanwhile back to the cars that this is all about,

Today I collected the top gear "female cone" with its new lining riveted in and machined to match the (restored) male cone. I hope to have time tomorrow afternoon to re assemble the gearbox ready to install back into the car. 

Hopefully this will be the end, or at least once this is bedded in will see the end of the "slipping in top gear" that has plagued us ever since its expensive rebuild in Germany.

Enough said!

Bj

Edited June 9, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

I really should look at a way to amaliterate my two posts on this forum. there is just one of me even though right now I may appear to be involved in two quite different cars, both British, both Pre WW2, both four cylinder around 1500cc or 1.5 Litre if you prefer. The Alvis is relative new to me while the Lagonda Rapier has been an essential part of our household for longer than many of the people who look at this forum have been alive. 

I have spent part of this afternoon taking the Lagonda Gearbox partial rebuild one step closer to being ready to put back into the car. This afternoon I only started to do some work after lunch, it is now officially Winter in Australia and it was bitterly cold standing on the bare concrete floor barely moving more than a step or two while assembling some more of the gearbox. This is for the benefit of those who do not know is an ENV 75 Preselector. I am currently working on the re-assembly of top gear which in fact is not a gear! It is infact a cone clutch, this has just had the friction lining in the "female" part of the clutch replaced and the surface of the "male" cone built up and re-machined back to size.

All easy-peesy as the Kindergarten age off spring of your various families,  may, or may-not say!

 

There you go , you can see at once the effect that the cold has had on my brain.

Either way as I have just come in having shut the garage door and turned off the lights.

Perhaps I will finish the job tomorrow and have the Lagonda ready to move out of the garage so that it can swop places with the Alvis and I can start seriously sorting out exactly what I am going to do about building a body on the Chassis.?

At least one of my (wrist) watches tells me that it is almost 5.00 pm and probably soon enough to be putting my tools down and coming inside.

By the time I have a clean-up and change out of my working clothes it will be time to start thinking about our customary pre-dinner (as apposed to luncheon) glass of our current "quaffing red" (wine)!

 

Cheers!

Bj.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

I must be getting old, Here it is 11.00 am on Sunday morning and I have spent almost the entire morning attempting to phone our main local newspaper, the one that we have had home delivered in the morning. Their delivery time is becoming more erratic every week. Today instead of arriving before 8.00 am it was almost two hours late so it was too late for me to read whilst I ate my breakfast. This means that I may not even get time to read it! I do not have time to be sitting around reading  a newspaper through the day when I need to be out in the garage finishing assembling the Rapier's gearbox. If I do not finish putting the Rapier back together I cannot make a start on the Alvis........

[Rapier]

Now I should watch what I am saying about my faithful Lagonda Rapier, I have just spent the last hour undoing all the work I had done yesterday. Obviously I had not paid sufficient attention while assembling the Top gear selection mechanism.

This is really quite simple. Instead of a contracting band, top gear is, as I have talked about here before, a cone clutch with the male half moving very slightly to engage  with the female cone. This is really quite easy to say here but a little more complicated to put into action. Never mind this is all very good for keeping my mind active.  You will not see me sitting in a rocking chair snoozing in the Lounge room of an "olde folks home".

This time tomorrow or the next day will see it all back together again. 

My German "friend" Peter Meyer would be pleased to see it.........

I do occasionally  check some assembly points against the excellent full colour photographs in his "picture book"

Such as checking that I do have the pull off springs for top gear pulling the the right direction. I am sure that having seen just this one photograph you all have extended your knowledge of Preselector Gear-boxes considerably.

In case you still have some doubts this is "Top-gear" that you are looking at.

Bernie j.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[DrData]

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!
 

 

[Rapier]

I hope that your Lagonda is back on the road soon.

With that in mind I have spent an hour or two this afternoon working on the assembly of the gearbox. If nothing else this exercise has done one thing, I now have a very good working understanding of the Preselector Gearbox.  Probably to some extent the expression "Gear- box" is a misnomer, Actual "Gears" do not play a very large part in the operation of the "Transmission".

I still have to make (cut) a couple of new paper gaskets one for the front and the other for the top (lid) of the gearbox.  

This top also incorportaes the remote control for the gear shift.  Again another "misnomer" It is more a change of ratio rather than actual gears. The "box" being epicyclic! (What ever that means).

 

Bernie j.

 

P.S. With the Alvis lurking just outside the garage door I have a constant reminder of the importance of having the Lagonda Rapier together and "back on the road".(Soon!)

Edited June 15, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Now the Rapier's gearbox is all but ready to go back into the car.  The firstphotograph shows looking down into the top of the "Box" What you arelooking at is the self adjusting mechanism.

The second photograph islooking into the front of the "box" showing the oil pump prior to the front cover being replaced.

 

The  arm together with its pull rod is the actual gear selection. If you look closely "cups that recieve the spring loaded ball as part of the arm that determines the location of each gear.  The front cover is attached by the inner row  of studs while the "bell housing" that attaches the gearbox to the rear of the engine is attached by the outer row of stud.  This accommodates the flywheel. There is NO clutch!  No Fluid coupling or other drive. The main input shaft is  rotating as long as the motor is turning. When stationary Neutral should be selected or the "Gear change" pedal depressed.

[Rapier]

I am now getting closer to the day when I can return the Rapier's gearbox back to it's rightful place, in the car.

The nexr day or two should see it back ready for the road.

Once this is done I can make a start on the Alvis, something that I am really looking forward to.  By reading some of the paperwork and diary that came with the car it is obvious that all the necessary mechanical work, motor, gearbox and rear axle have all been done to a very high standard.

This means that I should be able to move straight away to making a stsrt on the body.

I already have a very good mental picture of what this should be.

 

Bernie j.

[Rapier]

Among the collection of old black & white photographs that came with the Alvis were these three showing the car prior to the "Crash". While I will not be building a replica of this body it adds to my collection of possibilities.

 

Bj.

Edited June 17, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Digger914]

The gage layout is old car sporty, but the original shell is just OK and whatever you do will add sparkle to a rather drab look.

[DrData]

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.

[Rapier]

Certainly the cost and complexity to build were the main factors in limiting the number of car manufacturers to use the Preselector as their transmission. There may have been some buyer reluctance as well.

The inability of many owners to either drive or service them properly also would have had some effect on their popularity. I am sure that there are/were any number of Preselect gearboxes sitting on shelves in a semi dismantled state due to the inability of the person doing the work to complete it BUT then, that argument applies to many other "old car" projects!

At present, Helen and I are attempting to read the minuscule writing in the diary of the previous owner of the Alvis that details everything that was done with it during their ownership. The car spent more than 60 years going nowhere!

For instance, there are "several pages" that deal with the painting of the chassis! This over a prolonged period of time.

[Rapier]

Today I decided that I was not happy leaving the Rapier's gearbox as it was, I have this afternoon removed the  front cover plate and  I am in the process of replacing some dubious "fixings".

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

Another day and another week and at last I am again underneath the Rapier with the gearbox poised on the trolley jack ready to be bolted back into place, hopefully for the last time for a long time.

I keep telling myself that at age 85, almost 86, I should not be crawling about underneath the car.

Edited June 20, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Digger914]

3 hours ago, Rapier said:

I keep telling myself that at age 85, almost 86, I should not be crawling about underneath the car.

I'm almost 20 years younger and fully agree. If my garage ceiling was 10 ft higher I would get a hoist that raised the car high enough for me to stand underneath. For now it's new rubber wheels on what we call a creeper and you might call a mechanics trolly, but what you call the thing doesn't matter, what does matter is that rolling under the car on a rough garage floor with new rubber wheeled casters is almost fun.

[Rapier]

Half your luck Digger.

At last if everything that I have done so far is OK I am reaching the point when I shall be able to take the Lagonda down off the "axle stands" and maybe even start the motor but there is still a few things to do before then.

Today or tomorrow is the shortest day so from now on ???

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

As predicted the Rapier is now down on its own wheels, the gearbox is in and I am busy doing some final adjustments.

This time tomorrow I hope to have it all "sorted" and ready for the road again. It may take a few miles to bed in the new "top-gear cone" but at this stage I can see no problems.

 

Bj.

[DrData]

Congrats!

[Rapier]

Thank you Dr D. 

Despite a chilly start to today the sun is shining in through the window at my right hand, looking out into our garden.

You could hardly say that we have an extensive view but despite it being winter the plants are green and looking up through the trees the sky is blue. What more could you want? Yes, both these photographs were taken from just outside our bedroom window, less than a minute ago.

The final photo is my desk where I am sitting as I write this. The curtain fabric shows the proxinity of my desk to the window.

Right now life is very good.

[Rapier]

Now the day is almost over, Perhaps I spoke a little too quickly, much of today has been spent going over yesterdays work. I had over adjusted Reverse so that it was not releasing sufficiently and draging in neutral. Now 24 hours later I am back to where I started except that reverse is no longer a problem. I have even had time to go over the car and remove all the oily finger-prints of the beautiful white paint, well almost white, From memory it is officially "old english ivory".  Inside there is not a spec of dust on the  lush dark green wool carpet or equally dark green hide upholstery. You could say that when I first restored the Rapier only the "Best" would do.  This has obviously paid dividends as the Rapier's "Interior" is probably still better than many cars half it's age or mileage.   We have never been shy about using the car.  Over 100,000 miles in our "Post restoration" ownership. Australia, the UK and Europe!  That and many thousands of "Competitive" miles...........

While a "sophisticated" twin over head cam engine, One that can and has on many occasions run up to 6,000 rpm and still take us safely over Alpine passes in Europe or trundle along "back country" roads here in Australia. For us at least the Rapier is and has been a "Car for All Seasons".

 

Bernie j.

[Digger914]

Reading that your beautiful little white roadster is sparkling clean and ready for the road put a bit of a smile on my face. 

[Rapier]

Thank you Digger 914,

Perhaps if you have looked at the photograph of my desk, you would have noticed that there are no less than four  four different Rapiers together with two of different Singers and one Citroen. The framed enlargement of the two badges is actually hand embroided, the other "thing" of interest I have encluded below in the hope that this continues to keep that smile on your face.

 

Bernie J.

Edited June 27, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[DrData]

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!

[Rapier]

Blackberries are a problem in the more rural areas here in Victoria, Australia too. They do nor affect us as we live in the Suburban area of Melbourne about 8-10 miles out of the CBD. Most people live on 1/5 to 1/4 acre "blocks". Now many of these are subdividing their land into two and building "Town houses" and on larger blocks, "Appartments".

Where we live was originally Orchards growing apples and pears mainly for export to the UK. That all changed as the population numbers grew. The Orchardists sold their land for subdivision and the property developers moved in removing the fruit trees and cutting up their properties and making roads, bringing in water, electriciry and underground surage. Where we live was cut up into mainly 1/5 of an acre plots 40 or 50 years ago. Most of the people at that time were like us, married couples with young families. Now we are grand parents, retired with extended families.

We are a little different to most (Australian) people in that we planted Australian (Native) plants including Eucalyptus trees. Step outside our garden and you will find gardens with Lawns, Rose-bushes and concrete paths. Many of our neighbours pay professional "gardeners" to mow their lawns and trim the edges once every week. We planted all our now mature trees as seedlings just a few inches tall.  Most of our neighbours drive Japanese, Korean and Chinese built cars, we have a German VW, French Peugeot and of course English Lagonda. Again we are a little different in that we drink mainly locally grown and made red wine and not locally produced beer. Helen and I enjoy a glass of "Red" before/with our evening meals. Of course We are different too in that we enjoy our "old cars" What I spend on spend on restoration and maintenance most people spend on buying the "latest model" changing their car every two to five years. I have had the Lagonda almost 50 years.

Edited June 29, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)