1973 AC Model 70 Invacar, Visitors & Occasional Distractions

I think I need to copy your plan on mounting the smaller compressor I have, up high somewhere.

Such a simple solution to gaining a square meter of floor space, one always has to walk around or fall over them. Mine lives on a shelf, under my welding table.

Not ideal, but also out the way, though up on the wall is even better.

An electric extension lead reel is also on my list of “things I’ll have by the time I’m done”.

I put my compressor in a lean-to outside the main workshop, rather than having it inside where I’m working. I have seen the results of a reservoir tank failure, and I don’t want to be in the same room as one if it ever lets go. I’ve rigged up an automatic drain valve too, which keeps it clear of condensate without me having to remember to drain it all the time.

Out for a run again today, needed to make a run down to Aylesbury and it was a nice day so TPA came out for it.



While I do enjoy driving this car, and the vast majority of the time she copes very well. Was staggered by how nicely she cruises on the motorway for one, on the wrong road she can be quite tiring. Google decided to send me cross country, and I wound up on a relatively fast road with a horrendous surface.

Ride is better than I had ever expected for a 400kg car on 10" wheels, but is quite bouncy. The seat does a good job of isolating the majority of the shock from the driver too. However being a glass fibre body the moment you hit anything whatsoever by way of undulation on the road you get all manner of crashes and rattles from the body. The interior is a LOT better than it used to be, but there's only so much you can do. The doors in particular are always going to be a major source of rattles without totally re-engineering the latches. I may look into doing something along those lines one day given I'm obviously going to keep using this car regularly and can't honestly ever see me selling her.

You can carry more speed through corners than I think people expect, when you know the road and can see a good distance ahead. However when you *don't* know the road and the tendency for there to be hedges or walls right up to the side of the roads around here I did have to pull in a couple of occasions so as to not irritate the cars behind me. While she's quite happy to cruise at 50-60, she does take a bit of time to wind up - just as you would expect from a 500cc powered car from the 70s!

The biggest cause of stress on that trip though was down to dealing with one of those road surface issues which are just inherently quite unnerving in a three wheeler with the single wheel up front - roads with really wobbly undulating camber issues. That does make her wobble around quite a bit...I don't find it unnerving really now as I've got used to it and know she's not about to hurl me off the road, but it does mean keeping a straight line line (especially with how direct the steering is) on roads like that is quite a bit of work. Not quite as bad as the Lada was on similar roads mind you!

Coming home I chose my own route and just headed down the A418/505/5...far less daft a route. Much smoother and better in the visibility department...and I wound up being stuck behind a brand new Range Rover until I got to the A5 so I could overtake it!

Really, really news to clean the windscreen. The amount of bugs splattered on there is unreal just now. Whole car could do with a wash anyway really...think she's only had one so far since being resurrected so far.

I do like reading about your adventures with TPA, one of my favourites on here!

Make sure the mounts are substantial - they weigh quite a lot!

Just centrifugal on these. Vacuum advance would probably make it feel a bit more perky, but the distributors have an annoying habit of fusing themselves into the crankcase so swapping out for another one isn't likely as simple as it sounds.

To be honest, never even minding the curve, I imagine there's quite a bit to gain by advancing the timing a bit anyway. From what I recall the factory setting is quite heavily retarded. I guess one day I might see if my distributor moves...

Yeah...4-and-a-bit degrees BTDC by the book.



Reckon she could stand for that being increased a bit.

I had TPA out for a run down Dunstable way today, mainly because I remembered there being a set of roadworks down there which tends to cause quite a queue and the Merc gets warmer than I really like in traffic...so was an obvious choice.

Ever since I changed the dynastart belts they have been quite noisy. Originally I'd just put this down to them needing to bed in...but after a few hundred miles they're still making a din.

Looking closer I think I can see why. The inboard one isn't sitting properly.



Same story on the lower pulley.



My theory is that it's a bit too tight so is getting pulled down too far into the valley on the pulley. Now I've spotted that should be quick enough to resolve. Hopefully once I've shuffled shims around a bit the belts will quiet down a bit.


In other news the 3/8" to 1/4" adaptors turned up so I could finish the air line installation work.



Doesn't really look much different to the last picture, but this is actually now all hooked up and working properly.



We did initially have one small leak at this join. This is why I use leak detector spray as I'd never have found it otherwise.



I had just been a bit too stingy with the PTFE tape it seemed as on take two it sealed perfectly without any issues. I've left the system charged and will see if we've lost all the air by morning. I need to do a test to see how far I can reach with this and my existing extension (the yellow hose you've seen previously). I'm hoping that I will be able to get to the whole driveway and can just ditch the annoying plastic coily one which seems to exist for the sole purpose of getting itself tangled around everything and smacking me in the face when it comes free.

Only task left on the air system until I call it good will be wiring in the power switch.



The socket this is connected to is basically inaccessible (it's behind the tank) so is a pain to get to, but I obviously wanted a way to shut it off. I went for an industrial style switch as it was cheaper than an equivalent IP rated double pole rocker switch, which I wanted because I've had issues with dust and grime getting into none IP rated switches before. Plus I can just wipe this down if I get it covered in oily gunk, which will no doubt happen at some point.

Once that's wired up I'm calling it done for now. Few little bits and pieces to do to optimise things (like replacing that flexible line from the receiver to the regulator with rigid line) but it will be absolutely usable then.