TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

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Cyril
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by Cyril »

really glad to read this David... I think Neil needs some cake as a reward.. :thumbs:
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1959 A35 4 door deluxe Saloon 'Cyril'
1957 A35 Countryman 'Sid'
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troutrunner
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by troutrunner »

Cyril wrote:really glad to read this David... I think Neil needs some cake as a reward.. :thumbs:
:iagree: :rol: :rol: :rol: :thumbs:
Paul
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

Cyril wrote:really glad to read this David... I think Neil needs some cake as a reward.. :thumbs:
He had to make do with Victoria Plum Jam, I am afraid I did not get a chance to bake a cake for Him, next time I visit I will try harder. :wave:
David Swain. Member No. A1743
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Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

I bought a new tool, for my box, I am getting there a bit at a time. :rol:
3/8ths UNF tap;
TCY 459 forum feb 20141.jpg
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And set to work on the threads for the shocks to attach, they had become a bit gummed up with the painting, and as they are awkward at the best of times, I thought it worth getting a tap and cleaning them out, it made putting the shocks back on a lot easier. :thumbs: Hopefully this will be the start of a collection for all the threads on the car, what are the most common sizes of tap that you use? :study:
TCY 459 forum feb 20142.jpg
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Everything went back together very easily this time, really getting the hang of it now. :lol:
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Wheels back on again!
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I managed to get it all finished before dark, but It was bitterly cold and very windy by this point.
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So enough for one day, the car is back on four wheels again, mobile and ready for the move! Which is more than I can say for myself, I have so much left to pack, I suppose that's what comes of being a compulsive collector of tat. :roll:
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David Swain. Member No. A1743
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Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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Countryboy
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by Countryboy »

David Swain wrote:I bought a new tool, for my box, I am getting there a bit at a time. :rol:
3/8ths UNF tap;
TCY 459 forum feb 20141.jpg
David , do you think you should start a new thread for this ? :weed:

:thumbs: :wave:
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

:rol: :rol: :rol:
Sorry Steven, just trying to clean up my 'Old thread' a little..........
David Swain. Member No. A1743
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A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

OK since this last post, we moved house (First week of March), after moving I had tried to catch the thread up a little, but unfortunately those posts were lost in the site issues and subsequent forum back up, everything has been tickety boo for a while now, so I feel I should make the effort and get my threads caught up a little.
Gem had a fun ride on a car transporter, driven by a lovely man who likes to be called Noddy, that journey from Hollesley into Felixstowe went smoothly without any excitement.
Lil Gem moves to Felixstowe 1.jpg
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Everything else had made the same journey to Felixstowe, during the preceding days in a Luton van, with a man who likes to be called Handsome. :whistle: Those journeys also went without any problems, and once the house had all been cleared and cleaned, I was allowed to move the garage stuff, and so by the time it came to move the engine, it was past Midnight, and with the help of my eldest Son Tom, and Eleanors boyfriend Mike we got the engine and test stand in one unit onto my trusty little wheeled trolley, the weather was really bad, it had been raining on and off all day, and had been pouring a torrent down for the last couple of hours, it was also a very dark night, so the fateful decision was made to reverse the van as close to the garage as possible, so that we did not have to wheel the slightly unstable but highly powered contraption very far on uneven ground, in the rain and darkness. This meant pulling the van back up onto the lawn, a manoeuvre that we have utilised many many times over the last couple of years, when we need to park more than two cars in the drive, so van backed up without too much thought and engine loaded onto tail lift and into van! :thumbs:
We supported the trolley so that it would not move and loaded the rest of what was left in the garage around it. At about 2am with the rain still bucketing it down we were ready to go, the van though was not, it had sunk into the now soft and saturated lawn, after a lot of pushing, pulling, boards and nets wedged under wheels. Soaked to the skin and covered in mud splatter we gave up, I would have to ask Noddy to tow me off the lawn the next day, and finish the move alone as Tom and Mike had to get back to their respective jobs.
David Swain. Member No. A1743
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A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

So we got moved from Hollesley to Felixstowe, and everything was carefully placed in the new garage under the house........... :whistle:
Everything in..... just 1.jpg
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This last photo prompted Trouty to comment 'Car and Boot come to mind' which I thought was a great idea, so a couple of weeks selling things from the garage, (It can be handy at times living on a busy street) and a lot of shelf building and organising later, I had started to get a bit organised and began making enough room to do a little work on Gem again. :thumbs:
Getting sorted 1.jpg
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This last picture brings us up to date, I still have some unpacking and sorting to do, but I have room to work. :D
All organised 1.jpg
All organised 1.jpg (110.67 KiB) Viewed 1435 times
David Swain. Member No. A1743
Contact for 'The Suffolk Group'.
Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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A40FARINAGURU
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by A40FARINAGURU »

Nice garage :thumbs:
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

Thanks Nick, the ceiling is a bit low, but you soon learn where the beams are. :whistle:
the garage itself is nice and light, and seems to stay dry. :thumbs:
David Swain. Member No. A1743
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A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
Tight Yorkshireman
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by Tight Yorkshireman »

Good length garage anyway

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WAC_Paul
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by WAC_Paul »

You could get the van in there too!
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

WAC_Paul wrote:You could get the van in there too!
I have measured it Paul, and the Van will fit with roughly three or four inches spare, at the moment I need the Job, to make the money, to get the Van fixed, and then He has a place in the dry! :thumbs:
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A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
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David Swain
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by David Swain »

Just taxed Gem too, took longer to find this thread, than tax the Car! :lol:
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A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
Big Daddy
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Re: TCY 459 'Little Gem' Rebuild

Post by Big Daddy »

Getting the gist of your pursuits now... :whistle: Is Rev roadworthy :?:
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