1980 Austin Princess mild custom - 1951 Lanchester LD10

This job, it is almost finished. 3 coats of woodworm treatment both sides. 2 coats of black paint on the side you can't see, 1 coat on the side you can, 1 more coat to go. Then they're ready to reinstall, I just have this short list of things to get through before I do:

- Replace missing/damaged wool felt strips to edges of panels so they don't rattle
- Refit rust-treated wiring loom chassis clamps
- Weld the small cut in the under seat support frame from when the angle grinder went a little further than I wanted it to removing a seized fixing
- Make and fit wiring extensions for new high level rear lights since I've got really good access right now (also order correct wiring colours so it matches making fault finding later easier)
- Make and fit brackets for said lights
- Remove rear passenger wing
- Remove exhaust so that I can remove the fuel tank because it's right next to where I want to weld
- Might as well clean up and paint the fuel tank while it's out too!
- Weld up rear passenger inner arch
- Weld up bottom boot floor corners
- Paint all of that
- Weld small hole in rear passenger wheel arch while it's off the car
- Refit said arch
- Wait, should I also repair the sill end since I've got the arch off and it's not in the way?
- Paint all of the bottom boot floor and the inner steel surfaces of the boot
- Paint the repaired inner arch on the wing side
- Paint, blending carefully to retain the patina, the repair on the outer arch
- Refit said arch
- Refit boot intermedary floor and trim panels
- Refit cabin plywood panels
- Refit seat

And that's how you deal with woodworm. Simple.

unusual engine issues there, not too sure whats going on but could it be down to thermal expandature? maybe there is a seep when the temperature is cold? many possibilities i agree, something to keep a good eye on, also would be interesting to see if you can re create the oil use doing a similar 400 mile trip? i know space is always a issue when it comes to engine storage, but would sourcing either a known good or complete engine to rebuild be a option? theres still a few guys about with parts and parts cars, probably worth a look about, you may even find a six pot!
next bit of comment i wasnt sure if i should put but i was cringing when you were undoing those wheel nuts, ive seen many people leave half there knuckles behind doing it that way! so apologies in advance i don't want this taken any more as advice, if your comfortable doing it the way you do then please ignore me! but i always find it easier (and safer) when undoing wheel nuts to have the bar at the 4 O clock position and lift to undo, i find it gives more control, i am sure its a technique i learned from watching my grandfather when i was a lot younger! also for tightening use the torque wrench from 8 O clock.
slight rant over! looking forward to the next installment, whether it car or craft related!

Very valid points there and I don't disagree with the advice given since those approaches were taken before I turned the camera on. What you're seeing is what I had to resort to. I've never had wheel nuts on my own car so tight that I had to put the handbrake on, put it in gear, chock the wheel, and resort to standing on a breaker bar. Normally, I can remove them with some effort and a standard wheel brace.

When I tried to lift instead of push I couldn't get the nut to budge, all I managed to do was strain my back. When I tried to cup the joint end I couldn't physically apply enough force on the bar to get any movement at all, it would have helped if I were bigger perhaps, there's not a lot of me to help apply force to the lever.

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Today the weather was okay and I had some time to do some prep on the Lanchester for the weekend since I really want it back in one piece again. Typically, to put it back together I've got to take some more of it apart.



Getting that rear wing off was slightly scary since it required an angle grinder in a tight space very close to my face. If it had been bolts I could at least have stood a chance of just torquing the heads off, but no, more fine thread flat head screws instead which were, predictably, rust blobs. Still, it's off and I can get access to the rust I need to repair loads easier now both on the car and the rear wing. Hoping for decent weather this weekend so I can blitz this corner and get it all lovely again, there weren't any horrors hiding, which was nice, and almost everything I need to replace is flat panels that I now have really good access to. This is the bad side too, so I'm hoping when I move on to the other side it goes a lot quicker and easier.

Do you have a decent battery powered drill? They have big torque and are excellent at undoing stuck screws/nuts.
You put all your force into pressing the drill screwdriver tip into the screw and the drill does all the turning for you.

With wood screws a tap on the head from each side can also help loosen them.

I know what you mean about needing a break we have gone away for the weekend to get a break from DIY at the wife's parents and the grown up kids.

Only issue is I have taken a Mache GT to evaluate, the charging infrastucture in Norfolk is hopeless, so we have spent half the day trying to find somewhere to charge the damn thing which will take less than 10 hours. Sufice it to say I won't be joining the electric revolution!!!

Excellent.

A day off often means you make more progress afterwards than you would have done if you’d slogged through.

👍👍

That would be nice, wouldn't it? Mustn't forget it's been off the road for nearly forty years, so a rapid return was never likely. August this year marks the three year ownership point. The biggest problems are definitely dealt with now, insofar as getting it road ready is concerned, so now it's a case of plodding on and getting the rest of the jobs done.

As of today's work, I know a bit better what needs doing. In a way, the woodworm ended up being a bit of a blessing since it focused my attention on one of the worst bits of the car and got it done.

Welding:
Rear outer wings
Both sills, mostly the bottom edge and the corners, non-structural stuff so not vital
Inner rear wing driver's side might need some small repairs
Cabin floor corners at the rear, both sides
Rear outriggers might need replacing, these are really just jacking points and not vital

Mechanical:
Radiator repair as it leaks (it holds water long enough that we could get around the block in it, just not go on a drive)
Front engine mount replacement - got the parts, just need to get it done
Dynamo needs checking over
Starter motor still doesn't always behave for me
Front brakes need adjusting, rear brakes seem to be okay, all need inspecting and checking over anyway
New battery lead from starter to battery for safety, need to route it better too
Exhaust repaired/replaced. It has some newer parts, bit of a mess really.
Fuel tank to clean out and refurbish
Rebuilt water pump and new fan belt to fit once the engine mount is sorted
Oil change
Coolant change along with flushing the block

Sundries:
Finish connecting the wiper motor, indicators, the high level rear lights, and the horns (got all the stuff to do this now)
Make high level rear lights bracket to put them in the right place (got the stuff to do this too)
Acquire new body panel piping all round, and new rear wing fixing bolts
Make new kick panels and missing B pillar trim now I have all the materials for that
Make new floor panel to replace the one with historic water damage
Put the interior back together
Get a spare tyre and fit it to the spare wheel, already got the inner tube for that

There's probably some stuff I've forgotten here too. It's slow going, but it's a lot less than it was. The items on the list are generally getting smaller in nature now because it's gone from things like "fit the wiring" to "connect the indicators" and that sort of thing.

There's a very good chance I'll have all the important stuff done this year, and a reasonable expectation it'll be on the road before the year is out. There's just no guarantee of that and I shan't hold myself to trying to make it happen either. It either will, or it won't.

Progress has been steady on the driver's side this weekend. A lot less welding to do, things are generally in much better condition which is very nice. Had just enough paint to get the inner arch in black so that's the good news this side. One afternoon will see the few patches required this side done without too much grief, happily.


Now the not so good news. Woodworm has got into the frame.


It's not the end of the world though. To repair this properly I'd need to peel off the aluminium and inspect the timber, probably remove and replace a couple of sections, and then rebuild it all. To do that, I need a workshop, and some carpentry skills, and some tools. I can't do that so instead we're doing it the other way which is to chip off the soft bits with a screwdriver first to reveal the worst of the damage, then scrub thoroughly with a brass brush to get back to solid material, and then douse liberally with woodworm treatment.

I've ordered some syringes to inject the holes since unlike the plywood I can't get to both sides of this and need to make the best job of it I can. When that's all treated, I'll be using some wood epoxy to rebuild most of the lost surface. The damage isn't actually too deep where the woodworm is so that should fill and reprofile well. The frame isn't particularly wobbly so I think I'll be okay.

The other issue (not pictured) is some historic rot. To get access to as much of this as I could, I removed the inner arch leather and rexine trims, the arm rests, and the carpet trim on the seat riser. This allowed me to find more tiny cocoons that might be from the woodworm (common furniture beetle most likely) and really get the deep recesses cleaned out properly. The rot is a small section of the wheel arch frame above the wheel, it looks like the rear window seal has leaked a long time ago and got into the car, causing some surface rust and some wood rot. Again, it's not so advanced the frame is toast, but it does need addressing to the best of my ability. I'll use some wood hardener and have already used woodworm treatment just in case. I'll either cut a new piece of wood and glue it in, or rebuild with wood epoxy, it's borderline which way I go since most of the damage isn't that deep and might just fill.

After all that, I'll give the exposed wooden frame a coat of paint to prevent it happening again. The woodworm damage has happened on a tiny strip of bare frame that's exposed between the inner arch and the outer wing, this strip might have had a bitumen or similar finish on it once as much of the internal frame does, or it might have always been bare, either way it proved an easy entry point for the pests.

I knew the risks going in to this project so I'm not disheartened by this. I'm learning something by dealing with it and if we ever buy another wooden framed car, we'll know what to expect. It hasn't really slowed me down today though, the wing came off much easier, and I got the inner arch cleaned, rust treated and painted. I also got the boot floor cleaned and rust treated ready for paint after I've welded the inner arch bit.


Progress has been made, that's the important bit.

It has the grand total of 2 glass fuses for the electricals. The thing that's helped me not be scared of the repairs is to think of it more like a piece of furniture than a car. Once you get into that mindset, it's a lot easier since then it's "only wood" and the repairs aren't so daunting.

Managed to draw a line under some stuff today. Passenger inner arch is now done.


Driver's side inner arch is also now done. This was hugely easier and the metal was in much better shape than expected.


Boot floor and inner arches have all had two coats of satin black (it's wet here, hence it looking gloss) and can be considered done too.


The next thing is to work out the process of reassembly and what jobs I need to do along the way. Because of the way the car is built, you have to attend to each layer as you go which means being methodical. You can't really shortcut things because if there's damage on one layer it'll carry through to the next, and to repair either you have to repair both.

I'm struggling for space a bit at the moment so I need to get the rear end back together ahead of anything else and that's become one of those situations where to put it back together, I have to repair each layer as I go and this is the current plan of attack:
Repair wooden frame damage
Remove stuck rear wing bolts from fixing plates
Repair/replace and refit rear splash guards
Create brackets for high level rear lights
Complete wiring for high level rear lights
Refit boot interior trims
Repair rear cabin floor
Clean and repaint all metal in rear cabin
Refit rear cabin interior
Repair sill ends
Acquire wing piping and new hardware for rear wings.
Repair and refit rear outer wings