Esmerelda

Restoration projects and Austin related chat in here please
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Dinky
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Dinky »

Sounds like an intresting history Do tell
Bryan
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1958 Austin A35 4 door "Dinky" Highly commended Heap of the show 2013 still surviving despite the owner!
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TILDAS PILOT
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by TILDAS PILOT »

That tin worm has got teeth like a PIRANHA fish...............

Good luck chaps, if anyone can do it, you can ......................

I will follow this with great interest. :thumbs:

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Neil Evans
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Neil Evans »

Dinky wrote:Sounds like an intresting history Do tell
Not so much its history. More that it's the oldest A35 van known to survive, having been made in the first few days of A35 production.... :whistle:
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Tight Yorkshireman »

Where the hell has that van been left to get like that,..............on a sea front somewhere?

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Re: Esmerelda

Post by A40FARINAGURU »

Tight Yorkshireman wrote:Where the hell has that van been left to get like that,..............on a sea front somewhere?

John G
i once saw an A40 that was used by the seaside & the roof had rotted just above the gutters on the sides
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Richard
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Richard »

There used to be one of those Cowley things seemingly abandoned on the seafront here in Southend, it sat there for two years getting rustier and rustier, until it finally appeared on Ebay. All the door bottoms, sills, wings and boot were well 'bubbled', and the whole car (it was white) was covered in rusty streaks. Oh how I laughed. Until I found extensive rot in most of my cars that is... :whistle:
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Neil Evans
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Neil Evans »

Tight Yorkshireman wrote:Where the hell has that van been left to get like that,..............on a sea front somewhere?

John G
I first knew this van almost 40 years ago and it was a nightmare of pop riveted patches and filler then, the owner winning 'Heap of the Year' award at his first National Rally attendance, which he proudly talks of to this day. The van was regular transport in those days and was kept on the road by 'fire fighting' the advancing structural issues. I'm not sure when it finally came off the road, only that it was replaced with an A35 saloon around 20 years ago, that has since been the owner's everyday car.

The intention was always to rebuild the van and to that end, he has, over the years, gathered virtually all of the outer panels now needed to bring it back to life. Early retirement a year ago, released the required time and a new garage was built with the van's restoration in mind. Workshop completed, it soon became apparent that this rebuild needed a greater skill level than the owner posessed.
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Tight Yorkshireman »

Good luck with it Neil, you will crack it on what I have seen you do on this forum! Is this your biggest challenge?

John G
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Neil Evans »

My biggest challenge, according to a former club president, is finding a woman of equal interlect who will put up with my idiosyncrasies... :whistle:

As for vehicular challenges, restoration is easy. Replication of some of the pick-up panels is more of a challenge.... :cheers:
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Tight Yorkshireman »

Neil Evans wrote:My biggest challenge, according to a former club president, is finding a woman of equal interlect who will put up with my idiosyncrasies... :whistle:

As for vehicular challenges, restoration is easy. Replication of some of the pick-up panels is more of a challenge.... :cheers:
Does the second one apply to women too? :whistle:

John G
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Neil Evans »

The oddities I found on this very early A35. I've never seen either of these before....

The seat brackets have four positions rather than the later, more normal, three and are held in with countersunk screws...

Image

The transmission tunnel is fabricated from two pieces welded together...

Image

Image

Noticed that the gear lever gaiter is fitted with bolts into captive nuts rather than self tappers into spring 'U' nuts and also that there are 8 (two on each side) rather than four.

Image
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Chairman »

An interesting beast Neil, I trust that the transmission tunnel will stay as it is along with the seat mounts. Little details like this usually mean a rewrite of the history of our vehicles from a construction and fabrication point of view. I wonder if any of the very early A35 saloons were also built like that??
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Neil Evans
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Neil Evans »

Neil Evans wrote:This van will be restored whatever as it's quite an important survivor. Just how significant I'm still waiting to hear....
The first day of continuous A35 production was the 2nd october 1956. A production records search revealed that this van was assembled on 25th september '56, making it a pre production model. So more than being the oldest A35 van, it's likely to also be the oldest surviving A35... :thumbs:
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Countryboy
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by Countryboy »

Very interesting Neil

Any more progress with it ?
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Re: Esmerelda

Post by A40FARINAGURU »

Neil Evans wrote:
Neil Evans wrote:This van will be restored whatever as it's quite an important survivor. Just how significant I'm still waiting to hear....
The first day of continuous A35 production was the 2nd october 1956. A production records search revealed that this van was assembled on 25th september '56, making it a pre production model. So more than being the oldest A35 van, it's likely to also be the oldest surviving A35... :thumbs:
that has got to be done & it is what it is by the quirky construction of 'new' design components, i bet there is not another one close to that age
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