Messages

1

Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum / Re: Fuel injection Mk IV fuel regulator

« on: February 27, 2024, 18:35:56 »

Graham,
I am looking forward to your next ACtion articles on getting to grips with the Ford EEC IV EFI: When it's working as intended it exposes the inadequacy of any carburetted V8 - however some Mk. IVs are now in their fifth decade and, as Ford themselves instructed, 'sensors will deteriorate and should be replaced at intervals' not that they specified what that interval was - one presumes the replacement was 'on condition.'
In any event, as I believe you have found, many faults blamed on the EEC IV turn out to be simple old poor electrical connections as fitted to automobiles since the nineteenth century....
Thus we are long overdue a bit of a primer on the EEC IV and its associated systems. I think there must now be a significant proportion of member's cars using this fuel injection system. Two or three articles from you in ACtion would help to demystify the system and perhaps prevent members being taken advantage of by "experts."
Barrie

2

Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum / Re: CRS Seatbelts

« on: February 27, 2024, 18:10:43 »

Strange - having driven '9520 for a number of years and being familiar with '9513 and '9502 these comments puzzle me. Perhaps it is a 'size of the driver' thing ? Being only 5' 8" maybe I just fit the cockpit better, but having seen taller drivers comfortable in their Mk. IV variants that doesn't seem the likely explanation. Later variants e.g. The Classic Mk. II have the same central shoulder strap arrangement and so far as I know have not been found uncomfortable with regard to neck/shoulder strap clearance.
If you ever have to live with a Mk IV variant, or later model, which has four or five point harness fitted, you will appreciate what a clever solution A.C. designed to fit a three point harness with inertia reel and, as a bonus, there is always amusement to be had watching drivers and passengers searching for a non existent strap over their outboard shoulder.....
I wonder if the driver's seat in '9505 has been moved inboard to give more space between seat and door ? I also wonder if you have received the same complaint from your passengers ?
Turning to your dread of rain: Why erect the hood ? Even in a downpour open cars keep dry so long as one keeps moving. Below 30 m.p.h. you will get rained on a bit, but then a Mk. IV (or any open A.C. for that matter) is not intended to be driven at low speeds. Moreover neither car nor driver will melt in a bit of rain.
I hope the forgoing doesn't sound critical - there is obviously a difficulty. I wonder if a picture would be worth a thousand words - could you post a 'strapped in' cockpit selfie ?
Barrie

3

Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Re: 260 / 289 "Y" cast exhaust manifolds and curved bumper / nudge bar front

« on: February 10, 2024, 14:56:02 »

Uwe,
I had one of those once - a good paperweight or doorstop. I think it unlikely that they were Cobra specific, possibly you might find they were Falcon Sprint or Comet parts ? As I recollect they had quite small ports which matched 260 heads. If so there are Ford old part stockists in the U.S. For example:

http://www.allclassicmustang.com/MustangpartsmustangpartsNOSmustangpartsrestoration.html
Barrie

4

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / Re: Car No 6199 1921

« on: February 01, 2024, 00:13:12 »

Something to be very proud of - well done
Barrie

5

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / Re: AC Buckland in huge barnfind!

« on: December 07, 2023, 17:16:36 »

The Buckland looks as though there is a chance - how did she come by her 'B' suffix registration mark ? Could Thames Ditton have sold a Buckland this late: I think not.....
Barrie

6

Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum / Re: Individual Exhaust Manifold Gaskets SVO Alloy Head.

« on: August 14, 2023, 22:45:52 »

Kevin,
You are right to go for copper exhaust manifold gaskets, since I cut a set for the 260 and 289 small blocks I have had no leaks or needed any replacements.
It is time consuming to cut some blanks and then file them to match the ports, but it is not difficult. I used a jig saw to do the rough shaping.
The material I have used is 12 swg and 14 swg copper sheet. Both worked.
Barrie

7

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Greyhound Differential Housing

« on: July 09, 2023, 19:18:50 »

Andy & Robin,
The G'hound diff. nose is ENV. It was also used by contemporary Volvos. I suppose Amazon and /or 122. Not a straight swop as their ratio was lower than the G'hound. In addition the threaded mount used on the A.C. might not be part of the Volvo application. The 2 Litre Saloon has an earlier ENV diff. which will not fit.
Barrie

8

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca front suspension

« on: June 22, 2023, 14:24:32 »

Manuel,
You will know if you have the uprights reversed side to side because your Aceca will also be going from side to side - of the road that is.
To be more helpful if you hold the upright vertical with the king pin towards you then the king pin lower end should be angled forwards in the direction of forward travel. If you have a correct pair then this configuration will only be correct if you have the upright on the correct side.
Be aware that it has been known for cars to have gained a mixture of uprights over the years - a pair of one side or the other. There is also the existence of two variants of the upright - one with 3° caster angle and one with 5° caster angle. Sometimes there is a 3 or a 5 stamped on the upright, but not always. However with a suitable piece of pipe or rod, with a similar diameter to the king pin, fitted in the upright, the different angles are immediately apparent.
It is some years now since I fitted the uprights to CSX 2033 the wrong side round and my family will never let me forget it, moreover I shall never forget the driving experience. The reactions certainly got sharpened up.......
Barrie

9

ACOC News and Events / Re: Drive for June 2023

« on: June 21, 2023, 22:56:10 »

Yes Thomas I know what you mean. One aspect of life which cannot be escaped. However there will be many, many memories which are happy and you will find yourself driving with a little smile
Barrie

10

ACOC News and Events / Re: Drive for June 2023

« on: June 21, 2023, 15:11:50 »

I managed to hit on a wonderful day's weather for my drive. We travelled this scenic road many a time, it seems a long while since. Here is a picture:



This is CRS 9520 at Tap o' Noth, on the Cabrach, A941, which runs through the hills all the way from Rhynie in Aberdeenshire to Elgin in Moray. Such a magical experience, on near deserted roads, that I decided that this would only be Part I of my 2023 Drive for June. Part II was even better, more of which in next month's ACtion.
I hope other's drives have been as moving and rewarding - do share
Barrie

11

ACOC News and Events / Drive for June 2023

« on: June 17, 2023, 17:22:56 »

Hello Everyone,
What with one thing and another I have failed to give Terry anything about 'Drive for June 2023' for ACtion, however as the drive operates somewhere in mid June and adheres to the 'No Plan Plan' the lack of a reminder is really rather in character.
To recap, for those less familiar, the idea is to go for a drive, as once you did, remembering that special person no longer with us. Perhaps taking one of their favourite routes and calling in to a well remembered watering hole. Some of us take a run in a small group, some alone with their thoughts - it matters not, we all celebrate those miles and those memories from our motoring past.
This last year is especially full of A.C. memories as we have said farewell to some great characters who drove many a highway and byway behind that wonderful art deco AC badge:

Tony Morpeth
Stewart Brown
Ron Mulacek
Terry Rodgers
Frédéric Delaere
Frank Ashley
Antoine Prunet
Alan Blunt

So take a drive in your A.C. (for those poor souls bereft of an A.C. any lesser car will do) remember them and remember your own and last of all, when you get back home and the car is garaged and slumbering again, give a thought to your chosen charities and make a gift. There is a special Just Giving page, if you wish to use it, where the gifts will go to Alzheimer's Research UK:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/driveforjune2020?checkoutMode=Headless

Have a lovely drive, see you on the road
Barrie

12

Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum / Re: Cobra MkIV rear shock lower ball joint assembly

« on: June 08, 2023, 14:42:56 »

Constant,
I cannot answer the specific question - obviously you will have tried Koni sources, but the distance pieces, as you describe them, look just like the distance pieces that come with spherical bearings (Rose Joints.) Maybe the spherical pieces you need are also to be found associated with these readily available bearings ?
It does seem unlikely that Koni would make their own version if something was available off the shelf ?
Good luck with the search
Barrie

13

General Forum / Re: Sadly I have received my last ACtion.

« on: May 21, 2023, 15:29:40 »

Dear Gary,
I hope you might change your mind: I for one will miss your pithy comments and not having your regular updates on the 'Old Girl' will be greatly missed. We all get our Club impression from ACtion and this Forum so losing your 2 litre Saloon perspective might tend to reinforce the Ace and Cobra centricity which you oppose....
Turning to the relationship between Council of Management and The Membership I suppose it is no great secret that I am uneasy about recent Council activities, including some 'diplomatic' care being applied to the minutes prior to publication and yet, in fairness, I find myself having to defend our Council from your comments about secrecy: The Council meetings are open to observation by Members and with the adoption of 'Zoom' this has become easy. Members are made welcome and their views are, where appropriate, solicited and listened to. Meetings are recorded and the minutes are written up from the recordings. Of necessity ACtion cannot publish, in full, the verbatim script from a two hour meeting. Possibly Gary you have already attended a Council meeting as a Club Member ? If not perhaps you should before leaving us.
Finally the difficult and universal problem of Registers. Remembering that 'the love of money is the root of all evil' we have seen the serious difficulties which other 'one make' clubs have got themselves into in recent times and, again in fairness, our Club had the foresight some twenty years ago to sort out some policies and guidelines which, thus far, have saved the Member's subscriptions being wasted on legalities. With respect 'running a registry of facts' is not simple. Going back a few years I would have agreed completely with what you propose - record in the registers what is known and let the rest of us make our own minds up. However we live in a World where truth is subordinate to self interest and even a Registrar who proposes such a system, as you describe, finds it necessary to form a judgement on a claim of ownership based on forged papers. Quite correctly that Registrar formed an opinion and rejected that claim.
I hope you and the Old Girl enjoy many miles of A.C. motoring and I hope we might meet one day should you be this far north or I make a rare appearance at an A.C. event thus far south
Yours aye
Barrie

14

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Front wheel arches protector mesh and fixtures template?

« on: May 08, 2023, 17:49:34 »

Nick & Eddie,
Glad you chaps are making progress on this quest for wheel arch protection. I would instance one consideration which will require your continued attention: The mounting of these stone guards is only as strong as the mesh which is clamped behind the alloy penny washers. The mesh, being fine aluminium, is vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue. On my Aceca, back in the happy days of the sixties, I experienced failure of a stone guard as it dropped on to a wheel and was ripped off and got mixed up with the hub, brake hose and sundry bits of suspension. Fortunately I was proceeding at a sensible pace - most unusual for me at that time. In any event it required quite a bit of disentangling at the roadside and the failure on the mesh around the penny washers was all too apparent. Needless to say I never fitted the guards again. So do keep an eye on the mountings at every service interval: 500 miles remember.....
Barrie

15

Vintage, PVT & 2 Litre Forum / Re: Ruddy Potholes

« on: May 03, 2023, 22:49:13 »

Garry,
Gather the evidence and pursue the council responsible. Photographs and measurement of the pothole depth and any witness statements from locals as to how long the pothole had existed will help. When my 3000ME was damaged by a bodged up road repair I got some hundreds of pounds in costs for removing the engine and repairing the bent gear change rod.
It will take persistence and time as they will try and wear you down to the point of giving up
Barrie