GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOUR CLASSIC CAR? THEN GET IN TOUCH!
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If contemplating fitting a new hood to any classic drophead, including TR models, at the outset closely examine the hood frame assembly and the bodywork in which it is installed. These aspects MUST be right for the hood to fit tidily and look good.

TR HOOD

Q.

I am planning to renew the hood on my early Triumph TR sports car. Is this a job I might be able to tackle myself?

Bill Rainsford, Nottingham.

A.

In theory fitting a new hood should be relatively straightforward. In practice this job can be challenging, even for experienced professionals.

First, you need to make quite sure that the hood frame is in excellent condition, and properly installed within the body shell. The webbing straps separating the steel ‘hoops’ must be correctly fitted and in sound condition too.

It is also essential that the body shell and windscreen surround are not distorted or the new hood will never fit correctly.

Only when these aspects have been addressed should the hood itself be considered. For most classic sports cars there are several options when it comes to buying a hood. These range from ‘inexpensive’ to ‘far better than original’. Which you choose is down to budget and personal preference. However it is worth bearing in mind that when buying a classic car hood, in general you get what you pay for, and it is wise to opt for the best quality you can afford. Cheapest is definitely not always (or even usually!) best, in terms of fit, finish, weatherproofing and durability.

Our advice is to talk to a number of fellow TR owners and if possible to look at their cars. The experiences of others who have fitted a new hood to their cars, or who have had the job done by specialists, can be invaluable in helping you decide which route to avoid.

Rust around the rear body structure is commonly encountered on Morris Minors and can be repaired by diligent attention using a welder. However, serious corrosion here is usually representative of damage elsewhere; check the WHOLE underbody.

Q.

I have been offered an inexpensive Morris Minor Series II for restoration, and have been told that the most serious rust in it is at the rear end, around the inner wings and rearmost supports for the leaf springs. I haven’t yet seen the car but am considering buying it if this is the only corrosion damage. This would be my first venture into classic car restoration, but I have done a little welding before, on a modern vehicle.

Are there any other areas that I should be checking on the Morris, or any advice you can offer please?

Jim Williams, Bristol.

A.

On the face of it, this sounds like a good project, but realistically the rust damage may be more extensive that at first appears. Usually, if the rear body structure on a Morris Minor is weak, the same will be true for other areas around the underbody. In particular, the sill assemblies, floor pans and cross-members (including the vital one that supports the suspension torsion bars), as well as all the main longitudinal ‘chassis’ beams, can suffer.

Of course, other areas around the underside of the vehicle may already have been repaired, and if the work has been done properly, this is fine. However, it is possible that bodges may be found, in addition to ‘honest’ rust. Danger signs include a multitude of patch-repairs, with steel plates tacked onto the surface of the damaged sections. Investigate very carefully, and note that thick coatings of underbody sealant can hide a multitude of sins…

Often, proper rectification will require a full programme of underbody renovation work.

On almost all classics, drain holes are provided in the lower edges of the doors (and, usually, the sill assemblies too). Periodically probe them gently using soft wire, so that any debris blocking the exit can be removed to allow water to escape.

OPENING UP THE WATERWAYS

Q.

I have recently acquired a classic Ford, in good condition generally, but when the driver’s door is opened/closed, I can hear water sloshing around inside the lower part of it. Should I remove the trim panel to syphon out the water, or is it sensible to drill holes in the bottom of it, or is there another way?

Sophie Andrews, South Yorkshire.

A.

There should be a series of factory-made drain holes or slots in the lower edge of the door, and these may have become blocked over time by ‘plugs’ of dirt. Careful probing with a length of soft wire should safely remove the dirt, so that the trapped water can escape.

If no drain holes can be found, it’s possible that the bottom of the door has been repaired without re-creating the drain apertures. In this case new holes can be carefully drilled (but avoid water pouring from the door into an electric drill…). When the door base has fully dried out, paint the edges of any new holes drilled, and ideally treat the inside of the door with paint and/or a wax/oil based anti-rust treatment.

Finally, examine the sealing strip(s) between the door shell and the window glass; these may need to be renewed to stop/minimise the entry of rainwater into the door.

One way of safely supporting an engine while it is lowered to remove the gearbox from it, is to raise the front of the car on ramps or axle stands, then to make use of a sturdy trolley jack, topped by a large wood block, placed under the sump.

LOWERING THE ENGINE 

Q.

I need to remove the gearbox from my rear wheel drive classic, in order to change the clutch. The engine has to be lowered at the rear to allow the gearbox to clear the body, but how best can I do this and safely support the engine?  I don’t have lifting gear.

Jamie Peacock, Dundee.

A.

One method that works well for many classics is to use a trolley jack – a relatively large jack with a wide lifting platform is ideal. First raise the car on strong ramps or axle stands, then place the jack beneath the engine’s sump – but always use a strong, large block of wood on top of the jack, to spread the load across the sump. Before lowering the rear end of the engine, disconnect all its ancillaries, plus hoses (having drained the coolant) and choke/throttle linkages. Take the weight of the engine on the trolley jack (topped by the wood block), before removing the mounting(s) at the rear of the gearbox, and loosening the front engine mounts.

After the gearbox has been re-fitted to the engine, carefully jack the assembly back into its correct position and re-fit/tighten the mountings before taking away the jack.

When fitting a brake pipe to a cylinder, make sure that the pipe union lines up perfectly with the threaded aperture in the cylinder body, and NEVER force the union into place. Take your time and don’t rush this job; it’s easy to damage the threads.

Q.

I am about to overhaul the brake hydraulic system on my classic, installing new cylinders and brake pipes/hoses throughout. In the past, when fitting new brake pipes, I have often found that the unions will not easily ‘start’ in their corresponding threads within the new cylinders. Have you any tips please?

John Freeman, Colchester.

A.

Great care is always necessary when aligning a new brake pipe with a cylinder, as it is very easy to ‘cross-thread’ the union within the cylinder threads, thus wrecking them (especially likely with aluminium cylinder bodies).

In most cases new pipes can be gently eased by hand to the correct profile – but always avoid twisting them through very tight turns. If possible, for all ‘shaping’ operations use a purpose-designed pair of pipe bending ‘pliers’, which will bend the pipe without crushing or otherwise damaging it.

It is helpful to bend each pipe to as precise a profile as possible (ideally using the original pipe as a guide), BEFORE attempting to fit it. During this operation ensure that the pipe union is angled perfectly so that it will ‘squarely’ enter the threaded aperture in the cylinder. This will give it the best chance of starting easily in the thread and without the risk of cross-threading.

Always try to rotate the union first by hand, before applying a spanner. If alignment is correct it should rotate fairly easily.

This shot shows a typical classic car radiator that had been thought to be in good condition until it was dismantled by a specialist. In fact the majority of its internal tubes were choked with solid debris; a new core was installed.

Q.

The engine in my 1956 classic runs at well above ‘normal’ temperature, even at this time of the year. The gauge, sender and thermostat have been renewed and I have flushed the original radiator and the engine waterways; clean water seemed to emerge. What next?

Ken Brown, Swansea.

A.

Take another close look at that original radiator. Many of the tiny tubes within its core may be blocked by solid debris/limescale, so even if clean water emerges during flushing, this doesn’t mean that its flow rate is good. A proprietary chemical cleanser MAY improve matters.

It’s worth taking the unit to a classic radiator specialist who can accurately check its condition and its water flow rate. If the core is solidly blocked, it might be possible to have it ‘rodded’ clean, once the top and bottom tanks have been unsoldered. For the sake of your engine, the best long-term answer may be to have a new core soldered to your original top and bottom tanks, or to obtain a new complete radiator.

To help prevent limescale accumulation, always use distilled or de-ionised water in the anti-freeze mixture; using tap water from ‘hard’ water areas for coolant can result in blockages caused by limescale.