Right! Time for a new build thread almost a decade after my first!
A fresh project found it’s was to me via a good friend a week ago in the shape of a 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.
Destined for scrap and being a soft touch for clog iron I took a gamble. After seeing a couple of photos of the car on my phone that were the best part of twenty years old i said I would take it on. All I knew was it had been off the road since 1976 and has since been sat in various garages, (some drier than others as it turned out!)
Last week after some trouble getting it out of its blocked in lockup that had been its home for the last decade and a little ride from Coventry, it arrived in a fancy covered trailer. With lots of pushing to overcome the stuck drum brakes and ruptured front tyre (big thanks to the neighbours) it was safely deposited on my driveway!
What’s not to love?!
Good bits:
It turned out to be an incredibly original (Coronation Car) finished in Buckingham green with the optional steel sunroof and false boot floor. 🤓 The milage on the faded odometer 34,549 appears genuine going on the condition of the seats and original rexene floor mats.
Not so good:
Unfortunately due to the storage conditions being not so dry, (think concrete, steel door council style lockup) and the carpet/under-felt being able to retain moisture in the way that sponges can only dream, the floors and sills of the car had suffered really badly, becoming the consistency of cornflakes held together with cold chocolate.. 😋
The chassis has big sad holes in it.
The BMC genuine gold seal engine (mummified mouse included) was locked completely solid, a previous owner had obviously attempted to turn it and had snapped a stuck valve.
Even the carburettor, pedals, and some switches were stuck fast.
Pop riveted aluminium patches riddled the front and rear wheel arches!
(weirdly the windows wound up and down like new!)
All in all it was starting to look like a parts car that was destined for scrap after all, being a sad sap for old Austin’s I dejectedly decided I already had far too much in the way of big projects on and went on to eBay to see if it was even worth considering listing it.. then I saw something for sale that gave a glimmer of hope 😬 next Wednesday will tell if the gamble has paid off or I have just fallen further down the slow low compression Austin rabbit hole! 🕳️
A fresh project found it’s was to me via a good friend a week ago in the shape of a 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.
Destined for scrap and being a soft touch for clog iron I took a gamble. After seeing a couple of photos of the car on my phone that were the best part of twenty years old i said I would take it on. All I knew was it had been off the road since 1976 and has since been sat in various garages, (some drier than others as it turned out!)
Last week after some trouble getting it out of its blocked in lockup that had been its home for the last decade and a little ride from Coventry, it arrived in a fancy covered trailer. With lots of pushing to overcome the stuck drum brakes and ruptured front tyre (big thanks to the neighbours) it was safely deposited on my driveway!
What’s not to love?!
Good bits:
It turned out to be an incredibly original (Coronation Car) finished in Buckingham green with the optional steel sunroof and false boot floor. 🤓 The milage on the faded odometer 34,549 appears genuine going on the condition of the seats and original rexene floor mats.
Not so good:
Unfortunately due to the storage conditions being not so dry, (think concrete, steel door council style lockup) and the carpet/under-felt being able to retain moisture in the way that sponges can only dream, the floors and sills of the car had suffered really badly, becoming the consistency of cornflakes held together with cold chocolate.. 😋
The chassis has big sad holes in it.
The BMC genuine gold seal engine (mummified mouse included) was locked completely solid, a previous owner had obviously attempted to turn it and had snapped a stuck valve.
Even the carburettor, pedals, and some switches were stuck fast.
Pop riveted aluminium patches riddled the front and rear wheel arches!
(weirdly the windows wound up and down like new!)
All in all it was starting to look like a parts car that was destined for scrap after all, being a sad sap for old Austin’s I dejectedly decided I already had far too much in the way of big projects on and went on to eBay to see if it was even worth considering listing it.. then I saw something for sale that gave a glimmer of hope 😬 next Wednesday will tell if the gamble has paid off or I have just fallen further down the slow low compression Austin rabbit hole! 🕳️
