Practically Classics Forum

The cross tube does need some repair work, but that's not the issue. The reason the axle is probably scrap is the condition of the spheres and the fact that the pivot shafts are seized solid and won't come free with heat, press or hammers. The only option now is to drill the remains of the shaft out of the sphere bracket but the sphere itself has some corrosion holes in the lower lip that may render it dead anyway. Really hasn't been a good purchase, that axle, but that's the risk I took.

Hopefully the other axle on the other breaker is better and I can use that, in the meantime I'll be swapping good bits off my HLS onto my HL and hoping I don't end up turning the HLS into a spares car by proxy. But yeah, if you've got it just taking up space I'll take it off you. No idea when I could collect it.

Well it's been in the shed for 2 years, longer won't make any difference, I'm hoping to get the Dolomite to a few BL shows this year, so I'm sure something could be sorted via shows, and others attending if you're not etc

It'll be in 2014 that it happens then, I'm missing out on whatever's left in 2013 to attend on account of broken car and bank balance. Some sad news today in that while I was waiting for a price on the nose and the rear axle of that brown car I raided, there was a miscommunication and the car instead got fragged. Mark, the guy that I'd been in communication with, was very apologetic and annoyed that this had happened over the weekend as I'd already made him aware of how difficult the parts I was after were to get. These things happen.

In the meantime, I'm going to purloin the relevant sphere from the HLS for the HL. It's not an ideal solution as it puts the HLS a step further away from being on the road but it won't cost me any money and any saving is a good thing at the moment. Hopefully I'll have help to do the swap this weekend as the other half is visiting with whatever remains could be salvaged from the parts of the axle he took away to strip down for me with garage tools. A pump up at the local garage is about £20 and I should have enough left over to pay for my road tax when it's due at the end of the month doing things this way.

In other news, I've been swapping parts around on the three dash binnacles I've got. The phase one binnacle I bought from the scrapper is going in my HL, but it's had to steal the wiring loom from my HLS as the hazard warning plug is bodged. My HL original binnacle is going to another Princess owner complete with the original clocks apart from the tacho which has been swapped into the phase one binnacle. With me so far?

Eventually, I'll have the phase one dash binnacle in the HL and if I can get an extra telltale button I'll drill another hole so I have a sidelight telltale, making it a unique phase one dash as they didn't have that. I'll also be hoping that the Panasonic radio-cassette player that came with the phase one binnacle is actually good, especially since it has a longed for UHF channel in addition to the LW and MW I've had to date.

This week I'd like to get the HL's original interior out and the interior I got from the phase one swapped in, but it is a fairly long job so I'll be happy of some help if the friend that's visiting from Darn Sarrf is up for helping out. He doesn't really do cars, but since he used to own an 80s Capri I deem him interested enough in cars to help me out with manhandling seats and carpetting. If I can get the nut undone that's holding the horrible Ambassador steering wheel in place I'll be able to fit the proper Princess wheel too, that'll be nice.

My camera is on the fritz at the moment so there's no picture with this update.

vulgalour wrote:It'll be in 2014 that it happens then, I'm missing out on whatever's left in 2013 to attend on account of broken car and bank balance.

I can fully relate to that, and as it is I won't be doing any shows until after chrimble anyways. I'm kind of hoping there will be anouther BL day at Gaydon next year, I had hoped to go this year, but was otherwise engaged

I'm sure there'll be plenty of BL type opportunities, they've become rather popular in recent years it seems.
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The weather is really slowing me down now that I have to work out in it. Although I had a friend visiting who was willing to help, neither of us could get past the fact that it was just too cold to be able to use tools and do fiddly jobs with the temperatures we've got so it was pretty restrictive what could be done. The weather might end up putting paid to the sphere swap this weekend that's supposed to be happening, as might any issues with the fixings if the spare axle I bought was anything to go by.

We did get some things done, thankfully. The seats and carpet were brought into the house for a pre-fitting clean and so I could get measurements more easily for the new seat covers I'm making good progress on. I'm now at the point where I'm putting the multicolour squares together with the black borders and I'm really pleased with how they're looking, should look right at home in the Princess.



The other thing we achieved was swapping the bonnet rams which is sensibly a two-person job. We were going to then get the interior parts swapped around accordingly but it just wasn't happening as everything was far too cold and when the wind kicked up it was even worse, like trying to work in a freezer. It's very strange having a bonnet that goes up and stays up as it ought after nearly two years of needing a prop to do the job for me.


Finally, I lowered the car all round. I don't drive it more than just round the block to warm things through and keep things free and moving. I could probably drive it further but in all honesty I don't want to. Even sitting at this height, the exhaust scrapes on the dropped kerb entrance to the drive and on any bumps you come across. Suspension isn't hard, but neither is it comfortable and while the bump-steer is eliminated now the car is the same height both sides (really the main point of the exercise), I really wouldn't recommend keeping it this way if you had a mind to. It's no fun.


Progress continues to be painfully slow and I continue to be stranded. I miss my battered tin garage, I hate having to work outside in the winter.

vulgalour wrote: I'm now at the point where I'm putting the multicolour squares together with the black borders and I'm really pleased with how they're looking, should look right at home in the Princess.

Agreed you have made an impressive start to the new seat cover and I'm sure it won't take long to get that finished - are you taking orders as I could really do with one like that

It's actually started to give me an idea - my wife has just finished knitting 150 poppies which she sold at work and to friends and family and raised £350 for the Royal British Legion - she was looking for another project to keep her busy over the winter . . . .

Mike

They're dead easy to make, just take a while. I can't say they're cheaper than buying covers but they're certainly more fun and you can be more organised than I've been with the colours. Best of all, remove them and you can machine wash them. I've mostly used leftover wool from projects and interesting colours I've picked up in charity shops and the like so it's cost me very, very little to make. For the front seat covers, I'll use some oversize buttons to give them the appropriate shape. I love stuff like this, and it's very much in keeping with the ethos of the build from the style to the penny pinching.

Actual honest to goodness progress this weekend, happily. After spending yesterday trying to do the job 'properly' by removing the pivot shaft and finding out there was no way that was ever going to happen, we removed the complete arm assembly on the HL much faster today.



The big bumpstop decided to fall off, so I need to glue that back on or something. It looks like the fixing tabs are still bolted to the car, but the rubber has dropped off. Brand new rebound straps didn't get fitted today, but they look like a fairly easy job to do once everything else is sorted out.


Old suspension arm with sphere removed. I'm pretty sure it's the diaphragm that's blown but I've not had time today to investigate further so it's sat in a bowl slowly dribbling out smelly green hydragas fluid.


The underside of the HLS and the HL are actually in similar healthy condition, which I'm pleased about, though the HL does need to be freshly undersealed for best results.


The suspension arm from the HLS was in good condition, nice and dry where it needs to be and barely any sign of corrosion.


Comedy jaunty Princess pictures...




Everything went back together much easier than it came apart. Highlights of dismantling was having to take a grinder to a seized brake union and finding the back plate of the HLS drum had rotted through. Thankfully I can get spare brake parts as required and I have a good spare drum back plate from the axle I bought.

Bolted the HL back together but I haven't quite finished the job as the torque wrench I need is in the boot of Dad's car which is presently in Scotland until he comes home tomorrow night. Then I'll need to set the arm to the correct level, bleed the brakes to make sure they're no air and because it's overdue and get the garage out to pump up the hydragas. I'll probably also fit the new rebound straps, the HL straps look a bit worn so it won't hurt to fit the new ones.


I have a palpable sense of relief at the progress made and am immensely thankful that Mikeknight brought tools with him as well as the ability to weild spanners, I could not have done this job on my own.

Plans to swap the whole interior were thwarted today by a troublesome wrist and hand which I've injured again recently and the weather which while mild is decidedly wetter than it was over the weekend.  I was desperate to get the dash in and tested, I didn't want all the work of swapping bits around to be for nought.
 
Initially, the indicators wouldn't work, the switches would only work sporadically and the dash wouldn't light up but some judicious wiggling of connectors and lots of switch flicking got it all sorted.  I had exactly the same issue when I first bought the HL and use turned out to be the cure.  I am now the very happy owner of a phase 1 dash and proper Princess steering wheel, two things I've wanted in this car for quite some time.


The first breaker car I visited had a wooden radio fascia hiding in the glove box which I salvaged 'just in case' and that has actually turned out to be of use. The radio that was fitted in this binnacle wasn't done quite the way I wanted it to be so I'll be modifying the wooden fascia to fit the radio in a stronger and tidier way though none of the wood itself will be visible once this is done. One modification I hope to effect is to drill another hole to the top left of the clock on the dash so I can insert a phase one telltale and bulb tube to make use of the sidelight telltale bulb that's still attached to the wiring loom and is fully functional.

I'm still a sucker for the early dash with the funky dash lights