Practically Classics Forum

This is going to be one very fine car once she's done! The Riley was mightily impressive yet this, although in some ways the less complex car to restore, will be every bit the equal of any professionally restored A30/A35. I'm especially impressed by.. let me think; all of it! These structural repairs look perfect, the fit of the sill and the finish on that lovely period colour are particularly impressive and, at the rate you're going, it won't be long before you own one of the best surviving specimens of this great wee car.

Take a bow, that man, and allow yourself a very large nip by way of celebration of a proper job.

Agree - A1.

P45.

Cheers Chaps though I think you be too kind

Hopefully the next coat of paint will go on that side today then we can see what joys the nearside holds.

Excellent progress on this since my last visit to the thread and looking really good in the fresh coat of enamel.

I live in Sutherland so I'll keep an eye out for you on the A9.
If you see a Grey Austin A35 0n the road it will probably be me..

Thanks Chaps, Hopefully be spotting you soon Mick T

Not done much more yet, keep trying to get motivated but its bloody cold and draughty in the garage at the moment. I have moved her over and cleared space to work on the Passenger side now though, and removed the nearside front wing and started exposing the sins. Much the same required on this side I think but with the possible bonus that rear spring hangers seem good so that could save some work.

Piccies and a little progress soon I hope

Well, its been pretty slow going with one thing or another coupled to the eternal struggle for motivation to leave the warmth of the fire on these dark cold nights to go and roll about on the cold garage floor.

I also lost the cameras charger somewhere so piccies are a little limited, but I've bought a new camera now so will hopefully keep this thread better updated, I'll bring it up to date now anyway.

I braced up the door openings on the nearside with a bit of scaffold tube to try and keep everything in shape again.

Then carried out a few localised repairs to the front inner wing and bottom hinge brace along with a repair to the windscreen scuttle corner







I set about removing the old sill, inner sill and floor edges etc, expanding foam was found at the end of the sill, it always seems to be popular for some reason.









This is about the stage where I lost the cameras charger still no idea where its gone, piccies went out the window but I built up the inner sill as per the other side and sorted the floors out. Fortunately I didn't need to replace the front rear spring hanger on this side but do wonder if I'll regret it in a few years time, still, no point in cutting out what appears to be fit and well.

The rear spring hanger / chassis leg was good til the last few inch so I just chopped it off behind the spring shackle and remade that area. I also chopped out a fair bit of the rear wing, made a new quadrant for the chassis leg to wing area and got that in, and then the outer sill section arrived followed soon after by the new camera.

So a few photo's were taken after making up a front nose for the sill and persuading it to fit ( you get what you pay for with A30 sills and of course me being me I took the cheapest option I could work with again)







And the rear wing repairs I was on with whilst waiting for the sill to arrive, I still have to finish this area but its getting close, the white painted metal is taken from a mini roof I stored in the bottom shed after chopping one up, it had some curvature already so lent itself well to the job



I also repaired the front door posts top and bottom hinge mounting areas









The rear wheel arch to c post area and the bottom to sill area also required some repair so I let in some new metal



and that is pretty much where I am now, I made up and let in a new shock absorber mount on the rear inner wheel arch last night, photies of that and more soon. Still to do is the finishing of the rear wing and back panel, a little in the boot floor above the rear quadrant / chassis leg, door repairs are required to the nearside doors, that will have the main car sorted and ready for filler and prep then paint. Still a little welding then to the front wings and bonnet to be done but there is at least light at the end of the tunnel bodywise.

So despite being a little lazy of late I thought I was still on track for an early spring finish, and having been offered decent cash for the Jeep (it wasn't even for sale but as always if the right offer comes) I thought I had the cash ready for all the little mechanical jobs and a new set of tyres so what could go wrong.

Well after driving down to see a pal and put a little bit of cash in his hand in exchange for a 70's MZ 250 to sit and wait for its day besides my CZ 175 Trail that is also waiting half completed, I jumped in the Mondeo and felt a sort of bouncing through the clutch pedal with the clutch pressed, and heard some odd ominous sounding noise on tickover, so promptly spent most of my Austin cash ordering a new dual mass flywheel and clutch kit for the "modern".

Ah well, I'll keep pecking away, if not spring then sometime this year, there is still plenty to go at for now.

Can we see the 175 trail bike plz

Great work as always

Kev

Not a lot to see really Kevin as its half apart and catching dust but

This was when she came





She's tucked away in the corner of the garage looking worse really but under the grime and only being half built there has been progress.





Stripped, frame painted, mudguards and oil tank painted in Lambo Green which is close to the original, Front forks were shot and have been changed for a pair of 60's Jawa 350 ones which have the same lowers and fit the yokes apart from I had to carefully remove the top fixings from the originals and plug them in to the earlier forks. A careful bit of lathe work and welding required there but it allowed me to keep the original top yoke correct. Those forks coupled with slightly taller shocks give it about 3 inch extra height which is what I was aiming for.



Really just the tank to sort and paint, the rear wheel to clean up and replace the tyre (already done to front) , seat to recover and then get it all back together, wired and running.

I'll fit it in to the list of jobs somewhere once the Austins done.

This A30 rebuild is a great inspiration to me, as I am doing very much the same with my 1958 100e Prefect. The only real difference is I'm working out in the open. At 64, it does take a certain amount of willpower to drag me from my comfy armchair this time of year!