Practically Classics Forum

So it arrived today - my new toy








Its a Lanchester Ld10. Officially registered in 1951 although the chassis number is a very early one - about 1946. It would appear the chassis was in the ownership of the Lanchester works and the body was fitted at the end of production but no one knows why. It has a Wilson pre-select gearbox The body from the firewall back is ally. The last owner had it for 37 years and it spent the last ten in a barn. It had a wash a new battery and fresh fuel so it runs. It will need new tyres and more recommissioning before it goes on the road then in the mid term a decision on whether/or how much to restore it.

im in love... column change

rich. wrote:im in love... column change

Technically, that's the preselector, the actual change is made with the gearchange pedal, confusingly found where the clutch would be on a conventional manual. Preselectors are brilliant and simple to drive: Select first then prod the pedal to move off and, as soon as you're moving, preselect the next gear and use the gearchange pedal when you want to engage that gear. For descending very steep hills, select reverse, which gives maximum engine braking. Dad's family owned several cars with preselector gearboxes and the associated Wilson fluid flywheel (the latter very similar to a more modern torque converter in its appearance), I first drove a car with a preselector (a Daimler) when I was eleven years of age and the technique is remarkably intuitive.

I absolutely love the patina of that car. IMHO, restoring the age out of it would be a great shame because it all appears well preserved in a way that no restored car can hope to match for its appeal. She's a beautiful old thing, enjoy!

That's fantastic, I'm super jealous. Please give us LOTS of updates on your progress with this will you? Can't wait to see more, brilliant car!

Cheers

Lovely. Enjoy.

P45.

Nobody has mentioned the best bits, pod headlamps and suicide doors!
That is a rather cool looking toy.

Assuming it is as good as it looks (and it looks bloody lovely) I vote you do as little as possible beyond the basic mechanics.

It looks to be a lovely time mellowed motor, don't mind admitting to drooling a little bit over those pics.

Well bought methinks

New set of rubber, new fluids and any bits that have time expired, then some hide food and a half pound or so of wax and a microfibre cloth.

Thats all that needs to be rather schplendid.

nothing worse than restoring it so deep that it looks like a shiny trailer queen

If that was a box of bits held together by rust then yeah go for factory fresh, but it doesn't need it. A bit of light fettling is all

That's really rather lovely, change as little as possible.

i drove a lorry with a preselector box..it was lovely