The Fairford Classic Car Club

Last month I received a request from the Gloucestershire County Council, saying that they had recently formed a ‘Transport Lunch Club’ and were looking for someone to talk on classic cars at their inaugural meeting. Never one to pass up a chance to put over the benefits of classic car/vehicle ownership, I contacted them and arranged a date. It was only a small internal group, but I gave a presentation and we had an interesting discussion. I was also able to put forward some positive statistics on classic car ownership and the value of the industry to the UK, as put together by the FBHVC. It also gave me the opportunity to promote FCCC and I suggested that we probably see a wider cross section of Gloucestershire’s roads than most people. It was made clear that the County Council could not offer any expenses but as it was a lunch meeting I thought that I would not starve. However, the budget must be tight as there was no lunch, apart from one person who proceeded to eat his sandwiches during the talk!

The Sunbeam is 95% ready for the season but the carburettor is still in pieces. As many will know I have replaced the head gasket and had the head serviced. However, whilst this was off I noticed a lump of white ‘plastic’ protruding from one of the core plugs. Yes, someone had done a bodge (who can blame them when it was under the exhaust and inlet manifolds) and further investigation showed that two others were ‘weeping’. There is not much room around the engine, even with the ancillaries off, but a call to my favourite Sunbeam spares people in Yorkshire confirmed that it could be done (apart from two core plugs behind the block). It is many years since I have replaced core plugs but with a punch and screwdriver all eight came out cleanly. The timing of this exercise coincided with the worst weather this winter and the garage was very cold, so when I tried to drift the new plugs in there was no way they would go because the block was so cold. However, the freezer also sits in the garage so after leaving the new core plugs in there for a few hours, I was quite easily able to drift them in – glad I took some notice of thermal gradients etc at school!

Lightening however does strike twice and in the rebuilding of the carburettor I came across a nice brass pivot pin (for the float), which screwed into the carburettor body. Yes, you guessed it, a well worn slotted screw head, together with 55 years of corrosion resulted in a immovable object! Penetrating oil did not help nor a gas torch, however the effects of hot and cold shock eventually worked after it also had a visit to the freezer. A pity about the state of the frozen peas and I still can’t get rid of the outline of the carburettor in the ice cream!

By the time you read this a group of us will be in, or recently returned from the annual FCCC overseas jolly, this time in Holland. We have a party of 20 people and will be meeting up with a Dutch Classic Car Club to take part in their main annual charity run. The Jaguar Mk2 passed its MOT last week and with new radiator, balanced prop shaft with new bearings, it is ready to go.

Here’s to a warm and sunny FCCC summer!

Malcolm Cutler – May 2010