New Olds (boat tail speedster)

[Olds]

Finish is not perfect, there will always be some brush marks and I'm certainly not going to skim and sand the chassis, but it does give a very glossy finish. Makes it hard to get a good pic. None of it will be on view unless peoples want to crawl underneath. It's mainly for corrosion protection.

[Olds]

Busy morning.
Stripping down one of the front hubs/brakes. As I had suspected the wheel bearings have been replaced but slightly surprised to find no brake shoes, two of the wheel studs are missing and the drum looked like it had spent the last twenty years, in the sea. The drum has cleaned up well with no obvious wear and is in the oven having the VHT paint baked. Surprisingly the brake cylinder bolts and even the bleed nipple came out easily. At the moment this is in a jar of white spirit and I'm hopeful that it can be either reused, or kept as a spare
In the parts I have accumulated, I have two new wheel cylinders, brake shoes with new springs and even some wheel studs, so I should be ok for bits.
 And it's not even 08.00 yet

[poprodder]

what about springs etc?

[Olds]

Yep, think I've got it all, at least for one axle.

[poprodder]

not had the drums of mine yet!!!! but know i need a wheel bearing(bought already)

[Olds]

Spoke too soon ! I have been keeping some of the parts (mainly old stuff I probably wont use) in a shed. Today I can't find the box of new brake shoes, springs and wheel cylinder rebuild kits. Thought I must have mislaid it then realised the boxes with the lucas horns and the sidelights are also missing.    I have turned the place upside down but no joy.
I am not suggesting that these parts may have been stolen of course. Yes I am ! Though what good Morris 8 brakes will be to some toe rag I have no idea!   The period Lucas stuff I can sort of understand, there is a market for it.
Luckily the new wheel cylinders (£65 each) and handbrake cables are stored inside with the more expensive or one off parts. And I still have  enough original brake shoes. Going to cost £40 An axle, to get new linings though.
To top it all the new wheel studs are too long, but at least the wheel nuts are correct.

[Manky Monkey]

Really Dave?! You've really been broken into?

[Olds]

Yep ! Though broken into is probably the wrong word as I never used to lock this shed. Probably just oppotunistic. Most of the stuff is just old car and bike bits in open crates and the usual junk folk have in sheds. But I box up parts for the build until needed and these would have been near the door. Three fairly small sealed boxes, easy to take. They probably had no idea what was in them.
I's not so much the cost, more the time taken to find these bits.

[poprodder]

think you need a lock mr olds!!!! hope you can find replacement parts ok.

i'm a bit too trusting, realy need to upgrade my garage security(open one side with just a tarp across!!!)

[Manky Monkey]

The boot & back seat of my daily driver are always full of parts for one project or another. I often think that if it was stolen, the one-off hand made bits & 50 or 60 year old parts would be more of a loss than the car.

[Olds]

Yesterday I felt angry, but it's done and I can't change that. After all it's only stuff. Hardest to replace (at a sensible price) will be the early brass sidelights.
Ho-hum, never mind.

[Olds]

Front springs and axle are back in. I still need to rebuild the other hub, but at least it's some progress.
Apologies for the colour of the brake drum, but it's all I had.

[Manky Monkey]

  I like it!

[stinkey]

Sorry to hear about your bits getting nicked ,is your shed not at your home then ? We've ( well she has ?) got two nutty yappy dogs that blooming ( I'd like to say something else ) bark at everything that comes near the place ,including me ?

[Olds]

It's at home but near a gate and security had been a bit lax of late. Our Labrador is a total dope, unlike our last dog, a giant GSD that used to keep everyone at away, especially the thieves that tried breaking into a neighbours home one night !