Do I really need a new project?

[Rapier]

Oh dear, we must be getting VERY old!

Yesterday we had a bunch of (Old) friends come to our home to help Helen & I celebrate 60 years of marriage. It seems only yesterday that we set off on the journey from Melbourne to Sydney and return in our then near new Morris Minor. . We travelled by the inland route going north and came home via the coast. (You will need to look up a map of Australia),  I would need to think very carefully before starting out on the same journey driving in a 60 year old Morris Minor today. 

 

Bj.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Digger914]

Congratulations to you and Helen on 60 years of marriage. 

[Rapier]

Thank  you Digger.

There is really "nothing to it" all you need to do is the chose the "right" girl in the first place.

Bj.

[Rapier]

Changing the subject back to that question, Do I really need a new project? 
This has now been answered!

In fact the answer is now safely ensconced in our carport, waiting until I have completed a "little job" on the Lagonda Rapier's gearbox.  Some of you will be able to recognise the Alvis radiator but hidden from view in this photograph is the side valve engine.

It is a now rare, 1924, 12/40. From the reams of paper work and photographs that came with the car, it is a great many years since it was driven under it's own power.  Hopefully it will not be too long before this is rectified.

 

Bernie J.

[Rapier]

[Rapier]

Re; The above three photographs,The first shows the Alvis engine. Even in 1924 this would have been considered very conservative.

Ir is a fixed head side valve with removable "plugs", the purpose of these was to give access to the valves. In fact this was the only access to the valves. Next I believe that I am exceptionally lucky to still have the original "Oil can" mounted on the bulkhead. The third item would have ben arrached to the bulkhead by the original Sydney, New South Wales, Australia agents for Alvis, Williams Brothers. This gives details of the recommended lubricants for the car.

Meanwhile I am in the midsts or attending to the Lagonda Rapier's gearbox, It  has been "slipping in top gear" for some time. Top gear is infact a "Cone Clutch" This has friction linings on the "Female" part. The linings are in fact quite serviceable but the male cone has worn over the years, this is now being built up by welding a layer of new metal on the wearing surface of the "male" cone. This will then need to be machined back to a smooth surface at the correct angle.  Our son Steve has taken the two parts and will do the necessary welding and machining at his home workshop.

Some of you may remember I paid a Gentleman in Germany a rather large sum of money to do a total rebuild of this gearbox. It has in fact never been totally satisfactory since. I did not even get my own gearbox back!

 

Please do not ask!

 

Bernie j.

[Rapier]

In contrast, looking at the brass plate listing the recommended lubricants, I do not think I have ever seen a more detailed list before.

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

And now some more photographs, The Radiator badge is showing it's age but it will be left for the time being. 

The inlet side of the engine shows the original brass carb. This appears to be complete and as original. I believe tha I am extremely lucky that despite having "stood" for so long It has none the less in the hands of caring owners.

 

Bernie j

[Digger914]

Looks like it was worth waiting for.  

[DrData]

Great looking car! It looks very complete, in many respects.  The brass carb is particularly interesting in terms of how it likely works. Have fun!

[Rapier]

Hello Digger & Dr Data

The Alvis will open up a completely new direction for me, in 67 years of active motoring and motor cars iI have never before owned an Alvis.

"Side-valve" Alvis are now considered very rare which makes it even more of a challenge. That it has been unused for so long means that I will have to "hasten slowly".  Fortunately despite the lack of use it has had a considerable amount work carried out on it. Basically it is a restored chassis now ready for some body work. Regarding body work and design, I have already decided that it will NOT be a Ducks-back! 

Fortunately along with a huge quantity of photographs, I also received a  hand written, 160 page, extremely comprehensive book compiled by previous owner Anthony de Young.

Among the earlier entries in this  diary, on Sunday 9th December 2012, there is a h'lighted "Alvis left the garage after 36 years"  (i.e. since 1976.)

Six years later, November 2018, there are photographs of another Alvis showing a "beatle back" two seater. This was to be the design of choice but unfortunately this go no further than some very limited wood work.  The car shown in the photograph (below) was a 1928 12/50.

 

[Rapier]

 

Now for a little "knowledge test.  How many of the people looking at the above photograph can explain the row of eight castelated "plugs" screwed into the top of the Alvis motor? and what is their purpose.  Four have spark plugs screwed into them.

I know precisely what they do and why, how many others of the people lookin at this also know?

Apart from anything else, even for 1922/4 they are rather "dated" i.e. old-fashioned.

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

 

Another mystery photograph, hopefully most of you can recognise a lathe, but what is the thing held in the "jaws" and what is happening?

 

Bj.

 

Another mystery, 

[Digger914]

Look to me like you are turning a surface on what I am going to guess, is the friction cone of the Rapier tranny.

[alsfarms]

Your question.....from above

They, the caps, allow access to the valves for service and repair.

Al

 

[Rapier]

1.  Those screw in caps are indeed to give access to the valves. There is no removeable cylinder head. The block and the head are combined in the one casting. This bolts down onto the top ofthe aluminium crankcase.

 

Re the work being done in the lathe. This is part of "top gear" (4th) in  the Rapiers preselector gearbox. This is in effect a "cone clutch". Ehilst this does have a friction lining for the "female part" the male cone has worn over the 80 odd years that it has been in service and it has now bee built up  and machined back to size. As the cone wears some slipping can/will occur.  requiring a much earlier "change down" to third much earlier than necessary. All the other gears are controlled by "brake bands" that bring each of the lower ratios and reverse into operation..

All good fun while they are working properly. 

Normally there is some form of clutch that works in conjunction with the gear box. It is common in competition cars not to have a clutch but use the drive band on first gear to start froward motion.  Daimler used a "fluid flywheel" in lieu of a clutch, other manufacturers used a variety of drives including a centrifugal "clutch".

 

Bj.

 

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

[DrData]

Bernie, I continue to learn from your various projects, especially your on going maintenance of the Rapier. It is a truly unique automobile and your devotion to keeping it going is noteworthy.

 

on to the Alvis…any thoughts on the coach design?

 

Cheers!

[Rapier]

Good morning Dr Data

Thank you for your kind compliments.

Re: the Alvis, I hope to be able to replicate the original two seater, not the Ducks-back that it seems every (vintage) Alvis restorer wants to replicate.

but the "Beatle-back" as original. With the spare wheel at the rear. Following its accident,  the gear lever and hand brake have  been moved "inboard" although this brings the hand brake lever very close to the inside of the body so this may have to be moved outside again. I will defer that decision until I start work on the new body frame. I also will need to find another "Hare" for the radiator cap as it has disappeared while the car has been in storage. The new (post accident) gear change brings the gear lever inside the body. As is seen here, the hand brake lever has been bent to bring it "inside" too. 

 

 

[DrData]

The Alvis must have taken a pretty hard shot amidships to have that sort of relocation. I hope the driver survived.

[Rapier]

There is no way that I can be certain but I assume that there were new mountings for both the gear change and hand brake. Not being there at the time, I cannot be certain, but in this life there are very few things that anyone can be sure of.

Bj.

[Rapier]

"I hope the driver survived."

While all that happened some years ago, I understand that the cars were parked at the time and that no one was badly hurt.

 

Now 24 hours later, I have decided that I do not really need to be involved in a new total restoration of the Alvis or anything else.

Even if I do not have any other valid excuse, I am now 85 years old and will turn 86 in just a few month's  time. I have the gearbox out of my Lagonda Rapier and I am not really looking forward to climbing underneath the car to finish putting it back together again. 

A lot of people are already dead by the time they reach my age. Much of my life now seems to be just a series of chores, mainly self inflicted! 

I have now sent a FOR SALE advert offering the Alvis for sale to the VSCC Newsletter, so hopefully I will be rid of to soon.

I have already spent Aust$14,000 on it and can imagine spending three times that by the time a new body is built, upholstered and the car painted etc etc.   Perhaps if I was fifty years younger but sadly I am not.

Bernie J.

[Digger914]

The day I went from working as an employee to being the business owner my life became a series of self inflicted chores. Retirement didn't change that, it just changed the chores and I doubt that anyone here will question your letting the Alvis go down the road. Hopefully you had some fun and excitement in chasing after the Alvis and that it was a pleasant change of pace. 

[Rapier]

Hello Digger

In the last 24 hours my Lagonda Rapierhas provided about as much fun as my system could stand. I am sure that many of you are aware of the Rapier's transmission. For those who are not, The Rapier uses an ENV 75 Preselect gearbox. To say that these are slightly more complex than the average  1930s car is indeed saying a mouthful!  These are designed around the use of friction material lined "Brake Bands" to engage the required ratio gear while Top gear is engaged using a friction lined cone clutch. All very basic and delightfully simple. However there is not a huge amount of space left inside the gear box. Yesterday while making some monor adjustments I managed to drop one of the rods that actuate the gear change, No problem you just turn the box upside down and out it will come. 
Sorry it is not so simple. First you need the gearbox in your work bench. and you need both the lid and the front cover removed. Then you discover the par that you dropped has rolled into an inaccessible corner and of course it is stuck there. Many hours later and with tattered nerves, it is out on my bench. I am now taking a short break in proceedings to allow my shaking hands to settle. Fortunately there is no particular rush, I can relax for a minute or two before going out to the garage again so that I can start to re-assemble the gearbox.

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

[Rapier]

More of the same again today.

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

Enough of all that!

It is time that I faced up to reality!  I cannot excape the fact that I am not far from my 86th Birthday. That and the simple fact I have great difficulty in raising enough enthusiasm to continue burying my self in work, every day, out in my far from adequate "garage".

Now I have decided that BOTH my current project, the incredibly rare 1923 Alvis, side valve, 12/40 (project) and my "signature car" the 1934 Lagonda Rapier, Eagle two seater should both be sold. Expressions of interest in either or both cars are invited. The Lagonda should need no description other than,  it has been mine since the late 1960's and that together with my wife Helen we have travelled over 100,000 miles in it.  Having said that, it would be very nearly impossible to fault it. It does have some very minor damage to one rear mudguard.

 

Contact me. Bernie Jacobson, twooldllags@gmail.com  

[Digger914]

Bernie,

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. Yesterday I could have traded you problem for problem and you would have been the lucky one as things are easier to fix than stupid people. Today was a whole lot better. 

Sell the Alvis, it's just a car. Sell the Rapier, it's more than a car, it's a family legacy, a part of you and it should stay in the family. My mother's cousin now has the sailboat that his father built, but it was mine before it was his. He didn't want it back when his dad offered to give it to him, so he gave it to me. About ten years after his dad passed away I asked if he would like to have it and he couldn't get it fast enough. Your son might not your car today, but if you do sell it, don't sell it to far away, things like this are important.

[Rapier]

Thank you Digger

What would I do without your words of wisdom? Of course you are entirely correct, the Alvis is really a nothing car. But the Rapier is far more than that.

I did sell it once a very long time ago. It took me four years to buy it back. The really stupid part was that the purchaser NEVER DROVE IT!

I had to deliver it for him. He showed me where he had marked out a space on his garage floor for me to park it in. When I finally managed to buy it back it was standing in exactly the same space, the only difference was that it was standing on four flat tyres. 

I had it taken home on a tilt tray tow truck, put four new tyres on it and have never sold it again. It has gone to the UK and France with us three or four times as our daily driver.  Some (many) years ago our daughter Anna had exclusive use of it to drive in VSCC Competition. She ended up winning the Clubs Annual Trophy against all the male drivers.  My family can work out what to do with it  after I am dead. It is a totally different car to the one I bought as a broken down racing car ready to be pulled apart for spare parts.  I am sure that I have told this story before.

It is  not going anywhere right now.

This is one of my favourite photographs, I am sure that I have shown it to you before but it is worth seeing again.

 

Bernie j.

Bernie j.

[DrData]

Bernie,

 

Although I am a decade behind you, I fully understand your decision regarding the Alvis.  If it weere a running car which needed some minor work and refreshment, that would be another story. I would suggest that you go ahead and keep the Lagonda...it seems to be so much a part of you, it would be like selling your arm. I know that I look at things with a "ten year window", given my DNA and family history.  I would love to have yet one more spaniel but I would feel really bad, for her,  if I had to leave her behind when I passed.  I am once again considering selling my 1950 TD, though; time to move along a bit on the bucket list of cars.  Take care my friend, and continue with your amazing Lagnoda stories.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Rapier]

Hello DrData

I have one problem that never seems to totally go away. For something like the past 75 years I have suffered from Clinically diagnosed depression. Sure I take a medically prescribed "Anti-depressive medication" but still I have some days that I would sooner not think about.

I will just keep on taking the tablets and hope they have some effect.  That or just go out into the garage and do some work on whatever is out there.

Right now that is the Lagonda's Preselect gearbox. When that goes OK life is good, I won't even think about the alternative.

Bj.

[Rapier]

Now some 24 hours later, the Rapier's preselector gearbox is still on my work bench all but completely re-assembled and ready to go back in the car.

One of these gearboxes is probably the very worst thing that someone suffering from "depression" could have. 

I have no (other) way of testing it, other than to put it back into the car and driving it.

Having finished all my other "chores" I had better go out and finish the job.

 

Bj.

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

[Frank Tate]

Well Bernie, it sounds like you need some Rapier Therapy.  Put the gearbox back in and go drive it!!

[Rapier]

What a good idea, I am part way through re-assembling the box now.

 

Bj.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[DrData]

A common theme I find on many forums is “Drive it like you stole it!” Get the Rapier back together and go tear up some roads!

[Rapier]

Hello Dr Data

I have just one problem with all that. I have to finish assembling the gear box and re-install it into the car before I can drive it anywhere.

I have just come in from the garage.  It is totally without heating and add to this I have the double front door open to improve the light.

It is just too cold to be standing at my work bench assembling the gear box. Perhaps it will be better tomorrow....

As far as paying someone else to do this work.

Try saying "1934 Lagonda Rapier, ENV 75 Preselect Gear box overhaul" to a modern Auto service mechanic and they will just look at you and walk away scratching the head. Ask them to work in an unheated open garage and they will either just give you a blank stare or burst out laughting as the walk away................

Bj.

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

[Rapier]

Apart from and despite all the above, it is now 9.45 am and I have all but finished my inside chores and am about to move out ti my garage to attempt to finish the assembly of the Rapier's gearbox.

 

Bj

[Digger914]

I spent most of yesterday on my belly in the crawl space above my garage moving heavy objects out of the way so I could pull wire and put an end to garage darkness with the flip of one switch.. 

[Rapier]

Ok I have just finished lunch  and The gearbox is all ready to put back in the car. All that needs to be done is to attach the bell-housing and it can be re-installed,

 

 

 

 

 

 

As there is NO CLUTCH, once the bell housing is attached it will be ready to go back in the car. The splined input shaft matches the hub in the flywheel "Drive plate".

Edited May 18, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Rapier]

Now you should know just about as much as I do.  One last thing, the Rapier gearbox weighs around 35 kgs. This is just about my limit for lifting while laying on my back underneath the car.  Try it some time. AND just remember that I am rapidly apptoaching my 86th Birthday.

 

Bj.

[Rapier]

I agree absolutely, with all those people who do not bother to respond.   I should have given up years ago BUT if I do not do it,  is there anyone silly enough to "put their hand up" and take over where I would be happy to stand aside?

How many people in the USA know anything about "proper motor cars"?

I am just about "over it all".

Good night!

Bernie j.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Rapier (see edit history)

[Frank Tate]

I keep forgetting that you are moving into the cold weather as we move into the warmer weather here in the States.  Hope you have gotten the gearbox back in now and you are prepping for a drive with Helen!

 

Wish you were closer Bernie, I would enjoy "putting my hand up" to come help you out.