Messages

31

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Aceca hand brake lever

« on: March 09, 2021, 19:00:51 »

Hi:
My Aceca rebuild/resto proceeds apace, and now we are thinking about the hand brake assembly, which is entirely missing from the car. I rather like the stock unit and would like to keep it if possible.

Do any other cars use the same hand brake lever and ratchet as the Aceca?

Thanks!

32

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca up for sale at Bonhams

« on: December 01, 2020, 22:28:16 »

Looks very nice. I know of two LH drive AEX Acecas sold in the USA within the last year or so, one for $125,000 (OK condition) and the other (very nice) for $143,000.

33

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: NEW 16" WHEELS AND TIRES FOR SALE

« on: August 27, 2020, 16:14:14 »

What size are the wheels (width) and tires?

David

34

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Exhaust finish : aluminizing vs ceramic coating?

« on: July 26, 2020, 18:32:45 »

Did you measure the actual temperature of the manifold with an IR gun before having it coated? Data would be very interesting! You could measure it now and measure the temp on a similar car with an uncoated manifold to get an accurate idea of how effective the coating is..

David

35

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Exhaust finish : aluminizing vs ceramic coating?

« on: June 28, 2020, 19:51:53 »

Hi:

From your post, I can't tell what exactly your objective is - appearance, corrosion reduction, heat reduction, or perhaps all of them? Although I have not had experience with aluminizing, I have a bit with ceramic coating and with heat wrap. I found that ceramic on my V8 headers eventually flaked off and did not seem to do much to reduce heat in the engine compartment. What I did then was to heat wrap the headers from the flanges all the way down to the exhaust pipes. The result was that header temperature was literally reduced by half; temp measured with an IR gun went from 600 to 300 degrees and it made a huge difference in under hood temperature and also in firewall temperature and probably in the life of all the gadgets under the hood (bonnet).

I hope this is helpful.
David

36

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: How to cover slits in Aceca roof

« on: June 25, 2020, 15:46:09 »

Thank you for your most useful and informative reply!! Since I posted my original help request, I had learned some of what you explained. Looking at photos of other cars, I could see that the rain gutter changed some time around 1959-1960, but could not find photos showing the details - which you have now provided.  The gutters now on my car are clearly not original and were hand made by some former owner to be similar to the second (post 1959) gutters that wrap around the rear quarter windows but (in my car) do not cover the slits. Therein lies the problem we need to solve. We will have to remove the existing gutters and make new ones. Discussing what would be a good solution with my rebuilder, we came to the conclusion that he could make the new rain gutters in a "J" cross section and then actually glue them (long side to the roof) over the slits using a permanent adhesive that is currently used in GM car production. That would both permanently cover the slits and prevent water ingress. Your photos also show that the gutter-roof joint is not invisible (picture 6 and others) and so does not have to be filled. Furthermore, we can revert to the original location behind the quarter windows, using the original holes (which are still present) as a guide to correct placement. Thanks again for your help. If I have other questions about the gutters I'll send you a PM.

37

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / How to cover slits in Aceca roof

« on: June 15, 2020, 20:35:05 »

I need some advice about Aceca restoration, and hope I can find it here. Before stripping the body, there were indications in the paint that something was amiss above the rain gutters. After stripping the body, it was clear that there is a slit on each side above the rain gutter. The slit extends from the A pillar to the end of the rear quarter window. The alloy roof is carefully and evenly nailed with brads to the inside wood of the roof frame along both sides of the slit. At some point in the past, someone tried to solve this by applying fiberglass tape to at least part of the slit, but that did not last. I’ve attached photos of the slit. Apparently this was factory practice; I have been told that other Acecas also have this slit, and I have seen photos demonstrating that. My rebuilder and I are trying to decide what to do to ensure that there are no future body or paint problems arising from this method of construction.

My rebuilder thinks that because the slit is backed by wood, there will be enough expansion and contraction due to changes in humidity etc that it will produce cracking or other surface problems that will eventually show. He has suggested temporarily removing the wood framing to free the shell and then welding in a long alloy patch for the length of each slit. I am not so sure that’s a good idea.

Here are the questions I would appreciate receiving your opinions about:
1) What did the factory do to cover this area before painting?
2) Has the factory fix worked (that is, has it held up after all these years)?
3) If what the factory did can’t be done now or did not hold up, what should be done to cover this area?
4) If you’ve solved this problem, how did you do it?
5) Is there anything I’ve overlooked or don’t know about this method of construction but should know?

I look forward to hearing from folks who have dealt with this issue, and thanks for your time.

38

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Two Aceca projects for sale in the Netherlands

« on: June 13, 2020, 17:56:25 »

Looks like a regular Ford V8 to me.  And if I remember correctly, this car was for sale on ebay not too long ago. I remember the rusted through air cleaner cover.

39

General Discussion / Possible scam?

« on: June 06, 2020, 04:27:40 »

Hi:

As some of you know, I am rebuilding a 1955 Aceca and have been advertising for a variety of parts. I just received a message from someone who says he has almost every item I'm looking for. He claims to be an ex-dealer selling NOS parts (hard to believe) and say he is in Illinois in the US. I asked for photos of all the parts but was told that they're not available because his grandson takes them and is out of town right now. Sounds very fishy, what do you all think? Does anyone know of a verified Aceca parts source in Illinois?

40

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca door locks

« on: March 22, 2020, 18:26:23 »

grybrd123@yahoo.com

Thanks!
David

41

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Aceca door locks

« on: March 21, 2020, 17:43:41 »

Hi All:

My Aceca (AEX 531) has no door locks. I have been told that they were the same as MGA OTS and also MGA coupe locks. The two locks are different. Can anyone tell me which I need? And, can anyone send me or post a picture of the door with the door cards removed so I can see exactly how the locks are fitted?

Thanks!
David

42

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca Bristol (wrong engine) on eBay

« on: February 17, 2020, 20:54:23 »

To me the really astonishing thing is the rusted through air cleaner. This must have sat outside in the rain for years. Never seen anything like it before. Want guess what the body is like near the frame?

43

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca Bristol (wrong engine) on eBay

« on: February 17, 2020, 08:55:16 »

The ad says they have the VIN plate., so the car number should be available on request ...

44

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca vin number? Aceca for sale

« on: February 02, 2020, 00:10:51 »

For some reason the number photo did not post. I hope it works this time ...

45

Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum / Re: Aceca VIN number found!

« on: February 02, 2020, 00:09:21 »

Hi All!

Today I made a close search of the car and found what must be the correct VIN number (photo attached). My car is AEX 531, apparently lost until now. I found the number punched into the wood frame of the rear hatch between the two hinges. The car is listed in the 2014 register as AEX 531, Ex Factory 03/10/1955, steel blue body and red interior. As of 2014, nothing was noted for last known owner, location, or additional information. I've attached a photo of the number and another of the original paint. As suggested by a poster, the numbers on the door (526/7 must have been the result of swapping doors during assembly.

Many thanks to all of you for your comments and useful advice! I will be asking lots of further questions about various bits that are missing from the car, and appreciate your patience and help.