It's been a very long time since I've posted so here goes.
Apologies in advance for the wall of text.
I’ve been out of work for medical reasons for a long while and recently have made the effort to get me going again by volunteering at a friends workshop.
My friend Steve rescued this little gem around two years ago. It’s been parked up in the remains of an old workshop local to us for over thirty years. When the plot of land was sold for development Steve stepped in and took ownership of the Oxford. It was always his intention to get it running and usable so he could drive it and see if he liked it, then potentially do more to restore it or sell it on. When he got it back to his shop it was placed on the ramp and the brakes were partially stripped. Business took priority and being a motorcycle workshop he wasn’t in a rush for the ramp, and so there it sat for nearly two years.
So for the past few months, once a week I’ve been working to get the little Oxford up and running again.
First was sorting the brakes and getting it back down on all four wheels. It’s had new shoes and wheel cylinders all around. New flexi brake hoses for the brakes and clutch. New master cylinder and a clutch slave cylinder. Before the wheels went back on I scrubbed the entire underside of the car including up in the wheel arches to remove all the old dirt. I then by hand ‘painted’ the entire underside with grease. We went with grease to give some protection for the surprisingly good metalwork underneath but allowing it to be easily cleaned off in the future if needed.
With it back down on its own wheels we were able to turn it around so we could get to work the engine.
I stripped off the knackered thermostat housing, the heater control valve was in similar condition so that came off too. I pulled the starter motor to make sure the gear was clean and free moving. I also removed, stripped and cleaned the carburettor. With the carb and starter back on a battery was fitted and the ignition fired up for the first time in potentially thirty years. There was a lot of excitement as we went through the different switches seeing everything coming to life again. So far the only things that aren’t working are the electric fuel pump and the horns. This was traced to a blown fuse although the wire causing the problem is still at fault.
I had to correct/repair a dodgy earth someone had fitted in the past so we could start to try spinning it over. Everything seemed to turn that you’d expect to turn and the oil pressure looked brilliant from the gauge. So with the ignition hooked up and a temporary fuel supply we began spinning it up again. With a few typical B-series chugs and spins of the starter Fugly fired into life again. After that the engine seems pretty happy to fire up every time we try it. We even moved it on the ramp a little under its own power so we’re pretty confident the clutch isn’t stuck either.
I've also included a video of it finally moving under it's own power again. Unfortunately after a quick spin around the block the water pump promptly gave up. New one is ordered and will be fitted this week and then it'll have a proper run up the road.
Hopefully, all things going well it should even get out to some shows in the summer.
I’ll do my best to take pics and videos of further work and share them here, but for now...
Fugly lives.
Apologies in advance for the wall of text.
I’ve been out of work for medical reasons for a long while and recently have made the effort to get me going again by volunteering at a friends workshop.
My friend Steve rescued this little gem around two years ago. It’s been parked up in the remains of an old workshop local to us for over thirty years. When the plot of land was sold for development Steve stepped in and took ownership of the Oxford. It was always his intention to get it running and usable so he could drive it and see if he liked it, then potentially do more to restore it or sell it on. When he got it back to his shop it was placed on the ramp and the brakes were partially stripped. Business took priority and being a motorcycle workshop he wasn’t in a rush for the ramp, and so there it sat for nearly two years.
So for the past few months, once a week I’ve been working to get the little Oxford up and running again.
First was sorting the brakes and getting it back down on all four wheels. It’s had new shoes and wheel cylinders all around. New flexi brake hoses for the brakes and clutch. New master cylinder and a clutch slave cylinder. Before the wheels went back on I scrubbed the entire underside of the car including up in the wheel arches to remove all the old dirt. I then by hand ‘painted’ the entire underside with grease. We went with grease to give some protection for the surprisingly good metalwork underneath but allowing it to be easily cleaned off in the future if needed.
With it back down on its own wheels we were able to turn it around so we could get to work the engine.
I stripped off the knackered thermostat housing, the heater control valve was in similar condition so that came off too. I pulled the starter motor to make sure the gear was clean and free moving. I also removed, stripped and cleaned the carburettor. With the carb and starter back on a battery was fitted and the ignition fired up for the first time in potentially thirty years. There was a lot of excitement as we went through the different switches seeing everything coming to life again. So far the only things that aren’t working are the electric fuel pump and the horns. This was traced to a blown fuse although the wire causing the problem is still at fault.
I had to correct/repair a dodgy earth someone had fitted in the past so we could start to try spinning it over. Everything seemed to turn that you’d expect to turn and the oil pressure looked brilliant from the gauge. So with the ignition hooked up and a temporary fuel supply we began spinning it up again. With a few typical B-series chugs and spins of the starter Fugly fired into life again. After that the engine seems pretty happy to fire up every time we try it. We even moved it on the ramp a little under its own power so we’re pretty confident the clutch isn’t stuck either.
I've also included a video of it finally moving under it's own power again. Unfortunately after a quick spin around the block the water pump promptly gave up. New one is ordered and will be fitted this week and then it'll have a proper run up the road.
Hopefully, all things going well it should even get out to some shows in the summer.
I’ll do my best to take pics and videos of further work and share them here, but for now...
Fugly lives.
