Early Javelin Restoration

[Grumpy Northener]

Fortunately we have a choice of several spare bonnets

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This was initially bolted on and although a better fit it was still unacceptable - so I delved a little further - Peter noticed that one of the supports on the bonnet hinge was bent so we located another from the reserve stock, then I compared the new hinge to old one to find that the old ones had been messed about with - the rivets had been drilled out and huge nuts & bolts fitted with no end of play within the hinge

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So the old hinges were removed to be replaced with the new ones - bonnet back on and a better fit again but I'm still not happy with the aperture gapping - so the bonnet has come back off and I have left Peter to elongate the hinge brackets to give more tolerance when fitting the bonnet.

[Grumpy Northener]

Meanwhile I have the nearside front door off - this is the worst of the doors

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Previous repairs were made up of brazing / body solder & filler - but this had failed and blistered through the paint

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Repair sections are available through the Jowett Car Club but require some work to make fit due to the compound curvature on the door skin

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Door sectioned / cleaned up and ready for trial fitting of repair

[Grumpy Northener]

Back to the bonnet, further fettling of the new hinges with much elongation of the mounting holes for the bonnet

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Modification of the bonnet striker / keep

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Modification of the mounting points for the bonnet latch

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Addition of the bonnet catch outer cable stop

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[Grumpy Northener]

Welding repairs required to bonnet edge weak points where the edge fractures under the trim / wing fastening cut outs

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Repairs complete and cleaned back, the new bonnet had factory fitted additional supports to the rear edge so obviously this had been a problem on the cars when new

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Accident damage to the front nearside of the bonnet was dressed out & cleaned up

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[Grumpy Northener]

So one new bonnet, new hinges heavily modified, modified striker & bonnet latch plus over two days of working, reworking, adjusting, fettling, removing & refitting to obtain a reasonable fit with the bonnet - it's one of the those panels where you can hide nothing - every aperture is on view and within eye line

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The chrome side trims were fitted to ensure that they did not foul with any paintwork

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Pretty happy to get this one sorted despite the amount of time that's gone in to it - Its a well known fact that Javelins did not leave the factory with decent gapping on the apertures - not a good reason for me to let the car out of my sight without the attempt to get them right though

[Grumpy Northener]

So back to the nearside front door

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I flanged the door skin so that a lapped joint could be formed

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Repair tacked in and door trial fitted

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I am happy with the alignment at the door bottom but the swaged edge rolls forward too much and does not align with the front wing / rear door - so I will have to unpick the welds and try to roll the swage line in a little

[Grumpy Northener]

Peter - who owns the car flew back to Switzerland after a busy week of sorting / cleaning / blasting / prepping / priming / painting all the bits / brackets / small parts for the car

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[Grumpy Northener]

Terry was enquiring as what we had hidden under the dust sheets so here goes:

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Jowett Jupiter rallied in 27 countries - owned by Keith

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Just some of the cars exploits (obviously not the Pratts sign)

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Jowett Javelin - 500,000 miles from new owned by Amy (Keith's daughter) and whilst in the same workshop - up in roof space is the chassis for my Jowett Jupiter special project

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all the body panels are outside in the shed

[Grumpy Northener]

And up in the top garage is Amys Jowett Jupiter

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Along with my 1952 Jowett Javelin

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And on the drive

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Another Javelin project (ex works experimental car) owned by Jack (Amys partner) - stored elsewhere I have a 1937 Jowett 8 project & a 1937 Jowett stationary engine, finally I also have a Rover P6 V8 3500 - I think that's enough to be getting on with !!

[vulgalour]

As if the metalwork wasn't exciting enough, you go and include a whole batch of Jowett porn to finish this update with.