Messages

31

ACOC News and Events / 2016 NEC Classic Car Show.

« on: November 17, 2016, 00:30:15 »

quote:Originally posted by cobham cobra
   
Yes, a big thank you to Jeremy and Tony for all their hard work and organizing. I think Ian's Greyhound was certainly the big draw on the stand. It was also good to meet club members and previous AC owners.

   
   Here Here! A great effort, and very important in keeping ACOC in the public's mind. Thank you to everyone concerned.

32

ACOC News and Events / AC Owners’ Club 2016 Clubman’s Sprint Meeting

« on: November 08, 2016, 02:49:59 »

quote:Originally posted by SB7015
   
Well where is all the AC Owners' Club event support from all those AC owners in the southern counties?

   
   A great ACOC day at Goodwood last Saturday, not least for the friendly spirit which so characterises our Club. Whilst there were not too many ACs on the track, there was a tremendous variety of other interesting machinery, and the paddock and pits were full of familiar faces thoroughly enjoying the event.
   
   Huge thanks to Bruce Claassen, Mike Smith, Mike Berrisford, Michael Billington, John Anthistle, Des Chapman, and about 20 other volunteer officials and helpers - both ACOC and non ACOC. Some of these people have been helping to organise and run this event for more than 20 years, and it is their hard work behind the scenes which continues to make the event both possible and viable.
   
   The origins of the ACOC Sprint can be traced back continuously to circa 1953. It has often been the case that there were few ACs competing. Indeed, at one time a Council member was specifically tasked with drumming up support! Nevertheless, for decades the event has been very highly regarded in the motor sport community, and is very important to the wider standing of ACOC. Long may it continue to so do.
   
   Next weekend is the Classic Car Show at the NEC. There, another hard working volunteer team of AC enthusiasts, led by Jeremy and Tony Witt, will again be placing ACOC firmly in the public eye with the Club stand. Please give that team your full support too.

33

ACOC News and Events / National Day and 'Tour de Yorkshire'

« on: August 31, 2016, 13:11:13 »

An outstanding ACOC National weekend in Yorkshire. Very many thanks to Jacqui and Howard, and to the supporting team, for all their hard work in pulling it all together.

34

428 Frua Forum / AC badge

« on: April 30, 2016, 17:47:00 »

quote:Originally posted by siegfried
   
Hi Cliff
   This is not a pleasant story.
   If it is still possible to obtain the print I can try  to let it casting it in Belgium.
   S
   

   
   Do try the 3000ME badge first - see post above.

35

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / The Race Cars

« on: April 25, 2016, 12:50:00 »

quote:Originally posted by jonto
   
 A piston and rod had collapsed; but the average for fifty miles was 93.86 m.p.h., which included the final coast, and we took five records.
   
   

   This photograph, and record in SCH Davis' own hand, was generously bequethed to the ACOC Archive by the great man.
   
   

36

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / 1913 AC for sale

« on: April 05, 2016, 12:26:45 »

quote:Originally posted by Jam2
   
http://www.prewarcar.com/classifieds/ad186722.html
   
   This must be a very rare car.
   

   It is brilliant to see a thread on these very rare cars, the first four-wheeled A-Cs (discounting the Weller).
   
   Marketed as the A-C Model Ten, the earliest known reports were in April 1913. The 10hp Fivet engine was a four-cylinder monoblock watercooled design of 1096cc. The first cars had a central gearbox and worm back axle. LL6864 features this arrangement. The main frame of the chassis was formed from a single length of channel-section steel - the first example of Weller's patent no 2534. The characteristic taper at the front gave a good turning circle. Steering was rack and pinion!
   
   
   
   By October 1913 the car had been heavily revised. Changes included a strengthened rear axle incorporating the gearbox. Later, a 12hp model and different body styles were offered. For the 12hp model, the 1327cc Fivet engine had a bore and stroke of 65mm x 100mm. Now - there is another story line!

37

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / 2 Litre Saloon 70th anniversary?

« on: April 02, 2016, 02:48:20 »

quote:Originally posted by GSouthee
   
 I see in Action that Mike ... is suggesting that this years national is also the 70th anniversary of the saloon .....
   

   Based on the information posted above on 7th March, and with Mike Berrisford's full agreement, the ACOC Council have decided we will celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the AC Two-Litre in 2017.

38

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / 2 Litre Saloon 70th anniversary?

« on: March 26, 2016, 01:19:45 »

quote:Originally posted by Karl Smith Interesting comments that many consider the AC 2 litre to be boring, fuddy duddy, old hat etc

   In the 1950s, we were lucky to own a car. After a pre-war Hillman Minx the AC Two-Litre was anything but dull! The road test was the first time I had travelled at 60mph - in anything! Years later we once saw over 90mph on the speedo!
   
   There were no motorways, few dual carriageways and speed limits only in built-up areas. The car was great on the open road and little stopped us. This photo of NNU 911 and family was taken on Beeley Moor Derbyshire, 20th Febrary 1955.
   
   Fondly remembered motoring in a different era and, for me, look what it lead to!
   
   [/URL]

39

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / The Race Cars

« on: March 20, 2016, 18:23:20 »

quote]Originally posted by jonto
   /quote]
   A very interesting thread, in particular the period 1913 - 1920 for which little is recorded about AC's history.
   
   Regarding the 1914 competition car pictured early in the thread, that may be the car intended for the 1914 TT, the event being cancelled on the outbreak of WWI. But there is not much evidence to link the car in the photo with the event, or to confirm the source of the engine.
   
   Re the Fivet engines, the first 4-wheeled AC car, the 10hp announced in 1913, had a 1096cc Fivet engine - see ACtion Archive April 2013. The 12hp followed circa 1914, with a 1327cc Fivet.
   
   The 1917 sales catalogue continued to offer ACs with the Fivet engine. However, by then, car production was more or less at a standstill, with priority given to munitions.
   
   During WWI, AC had also experimented with a MAG four-cylinder engine in a road car.
   
   This illustrates the open-ended range of possibilities for the source of the engine in the 1914 competition car. It is also not beyond reason to suppose that AC started to experiment with their own design - but I have seen no evidence of that being the case in 1914.
   
   The Archive acquired copies of the Science Museum drawings, referred to earler in the thread. The originals are all ink on vellum. Some are of engines.
   
   The picture which emerges from those engine drawings, and other sources, is far from clear. What is known is:
   
   a. The first announcement of the Weller Six, in 1919, was of a shaft driven sohc in two capacities - 1478cc and 1991cc;
   b. The Science Museum drawings include two General Arrangements of Weller sohc engines - one dated 1921 of a shaft driven sohc six-cylinder engine, the second dated 1919 of a chain-driven sohc four-cylinder! The latter featured Weller's patented chain tensioner.
   c. The Science Museum drawings include a General Arrangement of a side valve in-line six!
   
   The earliest known road test of a car with the AC Six engine is late 1919. It was claimed then that AC had been experimenting with six-cylinder engines for three years - but is not specific about the details of the engine design or source.
   
   In the Archive, the earliest sales catalogue for a six-cylinder AC features the shaft-driven sohc 1478cc engine. The model is the 'Ditton Six'(ACtion Archive October 2002). We now know that the company name in the catalogue - Auto-Carriers Ltd - dates this after February 1920 (see ACtion Archive March 2016)
   
   Part of the mystery of the Weller Six design is that some of the detailed engineering looks, on the face of it, to be similar to the Fivet! For example, the 1327cc Fivet four-cyl had a bore and stroke of 65mm x 100mm!
   
   Crankshaft torsional vibration was a significant engineering challenge in six cylinder engines. It bedevilled the Weller Six engine design throughout most of its life, not helped by the long stroke and poor journal overlap. The harmonic damper fitted to the nose of the crankshaft, in the 1950s, came the closest to controlling the problem.
   
   The ground is slowly being prepared for an Archive article piecing this all together!

40

Recent ACs / Coupe moulds

« on: March 08, 2016, 00:18:40 »

quote:Originally posted by B.P.Bird
   

   From memory, an AC Mamba was offered as a prize in a Daily Telegraph competition, circa Y2001. One wonders what happened about that?

41

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / 2 Litre Saloon 70th anniversary?

« on: March 07, 2016, 23:41:14 »

quote:Originally posted by ACOCArch
   
[/URL]ote]Originally posted by GSouthee

   Gary & Barry
   From the factory ledger, the first car in the Two-Litre section is Chassis L800. This was an experimental car, a 1939 drop-head body on a two-litre chassis, first registered on 6th April 1946.
   
   The prototype Two-Litre saloon, Chassis L801, was first registered on 3rd January 1947. This is shown below.
   
   
   
   Dates of ACtion Archives etc about the Two-Litre are:
   
   General: March 2004, May 2006, June 2006, November 2007;
   Racing: July 2010, July 2012;
   Rallying: February 2012, November 2013, April 2014, March 2015;
   Personal Interest: 'Sowing The Seeds' August 2013
   
   Regarding anniversaries, we celebrated the Two-Litre's 60th in 2007, based on the date of the first saloon. I suggest we leave it to the Registrar to adjudicate on the 70th. Either way, you will gather from the August 2013 article that I intend to be pretty near the front waving a very large flag!
   
   Best wishes   John
   
   PS Any assistance you can offer with identifying the chassis number of NNU 911 would be hugely appreciated. All the usual sources have no information. Car details are - Year: 1949; body colour: metallic grey - later light blue; Interior: blue leather; Agent: probably Cavendish Motors Chesterfield; hydro-mechanical brakes; pintle side-lights; single dip headlights; Fram bypass oil filter, ignition key MRN 1 .........
   [/quote]

42

Recent ACs / Coupe moulds

« on: March 04, 2016, 01:03:31 »

quote:does anybody have any info on this?
   

   This looks to be part of the AC Mamba project which was started at the Brooklands factory circa 2000. Photo below, courtesy AC Cars, is of the mock-up at Brooklands
   
   [/URL]
   
   I last saw the car at Frimley in an incomplete state. It seems likely the project found its way to Malta when AC moved there.

43

ACOC News and Events / AC & Monte Carlo Rally Classique - More Photos!

« on: February 11, 2016, 00:10:28 »

quote:Originally posted by ACOCArch

   Hundreds of still photographs of the AC and other competitors at John O'Groats and Paisley on the following link:
   
   https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottish_classic__car_clubs/albums/72157663891723461
   
   and some video on this link:
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-08Zhhpmfs

44

Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / AC at Le Mans 1963, CS2030 article

« on: February 05, 2016, 23:37:04 »

Regret no clues as to the origin of the photo/article, or about the rear lights.

45

ACOC News and Events / AC & Monte Carlo Rally Classique - More Photos!

« on: January 30, 2016, 17:28:16 »

quote:Originally posted by ACOCArch
   

Originally posted by ACOCArch
   

We wish them good luck and every success

   Third Progress Report!
   
   1658 hrs Saturday 30th January
   'We have arrived in Monte Carlo!'
   
   Brilliant news and a great achievement. Well done to drivers Michael and Robert, and to their supporting crew David, David, Wendy and Richard.