2007-02-27T15:13:25+00:00 1997-10-02T00:00:00+01:00 1954-01-01T00:00:00+00:00 1954 Lincoln Capri 2 door hardtop coupe. Found in 1995 by a pal, Pete Barwick- stand up & take a bow- in Phoenix Arizona. The car had belonged to a Mr Thomas Eugene Day (I had the original title before re registering it in my name in AZ), & was one of two of the same models he owned. It was sold as the "parts" car to Pete who bought both Lincolns for a ridiculously low dollar figure, who eventually sold it on to me when I convinced him it was too good a car to break apart. Originally it was an AZ car, with deleted power window option, Sun-dim tinted windows, electric 4 way power front seat, power steering, power brakes, a 317Cu In V8 with a GM auto transmission, all wrapped in a fab pale green with a dark green metallic roof. The car got pulled out of AZ & shipped up to Oklahoma whilst still one of Petes cars (he has, and has had loads of US cars), with a Fella now known as 2 week Charlie. He gained this nick-name because eveytime a phone call or e-mail was made his response was always that the restoration would be ready in 2 weeks. On planet Charlie 2 weeks can extend into years, & so after an un-announced visit to check on progress or the lack of it, I pulled the car out -now with a New Interior & lots of Oklahoma mud- to have it shipped up to Steve Francis at Mainstreet Motorsport in Connecticut. Here Leadbelly (so named because of my plans for his revival & after an old Delta Blues Guitarist) moved in alongside another pal Julian Balmes' Lincoln (Wooly Bully, a real live road race replica that has raced and completed the Carrera Panamericana; all be it the revival one in the early 1990's). This is where my plans crossed with Jules' plans, so we both had Steve do a swap & refurb of the front end. You see I wanted to customise & hot rod my Lincoln, while Jules wanted to get his back to period correct for racing. To those ends my drum brakes would be a straight swap for Jules' disc brake set up. So with all Lincoln bits (ok they're from a 64 or something continental but its still part of the family) it now gives me the stopping I want over on this side of the pond. Steve & I decided the engine & gearbox were too much work, & sold them onto a restorer, then found a Mercury Cougar with a 351W & C4 Auto Trans that had been rebuilt less than 10,000 miles earlier (Mercury is part with Lincoln of the Ford stable of motors). We bought the wholecar for a few dollars more than we got for the resto bits, & pulled what we wanted before selling the remaining bits onto a scrap yard. Steve fabricated new engine mounts, transmission mounts, plus block hugger site specific headers, & installed the lot. This upped the BHP from the standard cars 205-210 to about 225-230 on a crappy two barrel carb, not forgetting the diet the car had been on (Steve reckoned we had shed close to 200Lbs in weight difference between both engine & trans combinations). In addition Steve had a custom prop shaft made up & a local exhaust firm bend up a stainless open (I think theres 1 silencer out back in each line) twin pipe exhaust; just to make it sound right! Steve then cut the front coils to drop the front end down fromits almost Gasser stance, whilst the rear leaf springs were left as de-arched as the last 45 years had done to them. A painless wiring kit was installed, & its at this stage that I arranged to have the car shipped back to the UK. This is towards the end of 2001, so somewhere near the end of January or early february 2002 I am in the Alfa 164 heading towards Felixstowe on the A12 & A14 to hand over my money to HM Customs & bring the old fella back to a wet & wild SW London. We made it about 8 miles from the inland dock we'd picked him up from (having first installed a new battery & tied up a door to the oposite one which would lock) before he started to overheat. The AA were called & the man diagnosed a head gasket failure. So a tow truck was called & we were ignominiously flatbed trucked back to Wandsworth. The old boy made it in the early hours of the next Suday under his own steam (literally) to a lock up in deepest darkest Balham & I started by removing the Rad for a re-core. I also want to sort out the brakes as they have an rock hard servo unit, giving next to no pedal travel. It has languished like this for the last 5 years whilst house moves(x2), divorce & a new family have all been added to lifes rich pageant. So this years resolution is to get an MOT, UK reg, & Tax to start using it as a rolling custom. To do that an elctric wiper motor must be found bought & fitted, a handbrake cable found & fitted, the headlights converted to UK focus, & the drivers door lock fixed. I have a new speedo cable to go in & the re-cored rad to drop back in. The heater is out having started to strip the engine bay to detail & paint or powder coat parts. All this is before the real customisation starts. Frenched front lamps, frenched aerials, 40's door push buttons (off a 41 Lincoln), & all the subtle body mods that I want before the wild paint job gets laid on. All this not forgetting the hot rodding of that engine. Lets put it this way....Mr Edelbrock will be selling me quite a bit of performance matched parts to create his stated 460hp Windsor motor. All these will be added to as work and pix occur. In the meantime keep it all tin side up. Happy motoring. 12 765 Leadbelly true 3.5 0 2009-06-19T22:58:06+01:00 6 Well the old Lead fella sailed through the MOT, with an advisory on the front suspension joints needing a re-grease. <br>Went to do that today, and now have to buy a load of grease nipples to fit to the joints, seems the pressure ball(?) is seized in on all of them!<br>To get him to the MOT and through it, he had to have the exhaust manifolds re-fitted, with new gaskets at the head end, and gaskets at the joint with the remaining exhaust. Sadly not coated yet due to prohibitive costs &amp; work &amp; income ratio, lol. <br>Re-fitted the rear view mirror which I cobbled together out of two. <br>Fitted the door lock mechanisms, which have keys that lock them too! First time the old boy has been lockable since I've owned him. <br>Bought some more vacuum hose and sorted out a vacuum leak.<br>The air horns and compressor work (the ones in the photos from last post), but I don't like the sound so will be open to offers on E-bay for 'em.<br>Brushed out the trunk (Boot) and exposed the fuel sender unit, which I now need to remove and identify in readiness for a 12v version. Changed the inline fuel filter near the carb today. A bit of crud in it, but not too much after a year!<br>Ordered a set of valve extensions, as I simply cannot find a set of six 3"-3.5inch long valve stems, and I want to put the hub caps on as it will help the look no end.<br>There is so much to do still, but in fairness, at least he's running and driving and I am able to go for the odd cruise now. <br>Shame I missed Mersea Motor Madness run by the Acton HotRod Association (AHRA) last Sunday, and Wheels day back in April. <br>Maybe there'll be enough fuel left to get us to Ipswich for NASC Nats.<br>Did a bit of T cutting of the paint and chrome today to add a bit of sparkle, and have chosen the colour for the roof, which I hope to get painted this summer.<br>Photos will follow, of colour and the work recently done. <br>Enjoy your cars folks.<br>Matt<br> 2009-06-19T22:57:14+01:00 428 4.0 1 2009-06-20T18:54:54+01:00 12 More images to explain the work and detailing going on.... 2008-12-03T12:35:51+00:00 340 3.0 1 2009-01-27T19:40:36+00:00 12 Well, its been a while so I thought to add some images of the bits I have accumulated ready for a bit of a push on the ol beast. The Nats came and went without us in attendance while stuff happened....but not car stuff sadly....But its winter and whats a chap to do? Why spend hours on ebay and work in the freezing cold on his jalopy... Its as has been mentioned before, but the pix should help explain more. 2008-12-03T12:20:15+00:00 339 3.0 1 2009-01-27T19:40:39+00:00 12 So it's been a while I posted on the ol' lead fella... Well I was a bit disgruntled (would love to know what a gruntle is to be dissed with it... but thats another story) after the London trip, and so left him to sulk in the lockup, while I sulked and skulked in the house reading up, net surfing and collating a parts list. A day spent in and under the beast removed the sump, & the headers (though not without removing the right front valve cover first for the header to come off!). After a quick chat with Lance at Romance of Rust, I got a good blasters name and number: Elliot at Eltec in Uxbridge +447778 439 028. Rang him to get an idea of price for blasting clean the headers, blasting and vapour finishing the Valve covers, cleaning the 3 original speaker covers and blasting and then powder coating the sump and plug. On route up to Elliot I called a pal in the know with all things ford powered (stand up and take a bow Julian Balme), and discussed the plans for a windage tray and mains girdle. He managed to persuade me to forgo that roundy roundy racing gunk for a top end freshen up (I was just going to add K seal and water wetter to the coolant and be done with it!), so after popping the bits in to Eltec it was a quick sprint round the corner to Real Steel for a bottom and top end set of gaskets, some header gaskets and a set of Hi-Po spark leads in red, then £120ish lighter away I came. Three days later and Elliot called to say that for £145 I could collect all the bits (there was a victorian radiator and some silversmithing tools in there that he cleaned for me too). Considering it was a Wednesday I dropped em off and Friday I took the call, I was impressed. The headers are having a few welds filed down (by me and by hand) and then will be off to CamCoat in Warrington for their CermaKoat chrome type ceramic finish inside and out (this will hopefully keep more heat in the exhaust and combustion chambers and prevent some of the heat soak I have been experiencing n the cabin). Last weekend I got out and into the lockup, took off the number 5 main bearing cap, and pushed out the rear mains seal. Now this engine was allegedly rebuilt 10, 000 miles ago. All I can say is if it was; I suspect it was a top end freshen up only, or was put back together without the block or components within being cleaned at all! The rear mains seal was the original rock hard ford two part rubber job, and although the no5 main cap showed even wear it was a bit scratched probably from crud in the oil (the oil pump was taken off, thoroughly cleaned, checked and a fresh set of oil pump gaskets installed before refitting this time around). Anyway the new rear mains seal was lubed up and re-inserted with No5 being re-torqued back to 100ft/lbs of torque, and then with the bottom end looking well enough, the freshened up sump was re-fitted with new felpro gaskets: its a 4 part sump gasket with two rubber seals at either end of the the crank; and cork on either side of those at the block mating surfaces. With fresh oil poured in (Classic Mineral Oil 20/50 thick green goop-lovely), and with the engine primed by turning over with the coil lead removed (It being an all mechanical oil and fuel pumping system), I refitted the coil lead and fired him up. All the fluids seem to stay where they're meant to be, and although it was loud with no headers, he ran ok. While I was out there I also fitted a new speedo cable bought off of flea-bay, a 66" long ford C4 compatible one that originally would've been for a Bronco. Went in a treat, and so much better than the lokar cut to fit thing that I had fitted for the MOT (and which was chewed up and spat out by the box within 20miles of leaving Croydon!). So next its headers off to the coaters and a top end strip down to fit new head gaskets and get the heads freshened up (or even replaced with edelbrock alloy ones if work/money/life balance allows me to spend some hard earned). The aim is to sort it all for the NASC Nats at Ipswich which is in August and the closest venue to this part of deepest Essex. Hope to see some of you folks there. Will post some snaps soon. TFN & Happy motoring/fettling, MattSnap 2008-07-08T12:33:01+01:00 315 4.0 1 2008-07-11T09:05:06+01:00 12 Well, last friday I had a date with Ol lead fella and a certain body man in Ealing.<div>We'd arranged to go to see Lance McCormack at Romance of Rust to talk about some ideas for the continuing customisation.</div><div>Sadly the day didn't go quite as planned. </div><div>The beast let me down and in a pretty awkward fashion. </div><div>First off I checked and topped up all levels and fluids before setting off. </div><div>Before I even got out of the Essex coastal town I live in it felt like he had lost a couple of gears. </div><div>This improved as we progressed, but boded ill for the journey ahead. </div><div>I should have heeded the warning.</div><div>Now I have been using the old boy to pootle around my home town, and to take friends out in and scare the bejesus out of (No one expects nearly 2 tons of old car to accelerate the way he does!). </div><div>Each time has been a riot of noise, smells, squeals and fun, but obviously this is nothing like the 240 mile round trip I'd planned, and has probably strained the old boys mechanicals too.</div><div>We made it down the A12 and out onto the M25, with just a lot of heat soak and waterway heat from the heater matrix making it into the cabin. </div><div>I had the pillarles windows down and even on the then hottest day of the year could have hardly cared less. I should have!</div><div>Just past the M1 turn off, on the M25 I got a bit of a hiccup and backfiring, and at the next junction with the A41 between the off slip and the on slip, he stopped altogether! </div><div>Bugger!!</div><div>I pulled up on the hard shoulder right near the point where the on slip joined the main carriageway. Within minutes (like less than 3 mins)  whilst I was still tool kit in hand and barely a spanner had been lifted the Highways Agency boys appeared. </div><div>They took the details down then told me that I had 2 hours to clear the motorway or the police tow truck would come and remove me at high cost!</div><div>I knew what the problem was (Fuel starvation due to crap in the filter and fuel line) I just couldn't fix it road side with all the M25 traffic hammering past. I let the old boy settle down and tried him again, he fired and we were off, off to J18 where I waited for a mate (Old Redranch on this here site) to join me and chaperone me into Ealing. </div><div>We made it to Denham, where the same thing happened again, only this time I couldn't clear the line at all. </div><div>I called Lance and got a local tow truck firms number who flat bed towed me into his workshop. </div><div>Also while Redranch was following me he said I was belching out a cloud of oily smoke from beneath the car. </div><div>This was discovered at the workshop to be a leaking rear main bearing seal.</div><div>All the while I had driven up the vapours getting into the cabin were getting worse and worse. </div><div>The header gaskets (Exhaust Manifold Gaskets) are shot and leak so much exhaust gas that by rights I should have committed suicide by the time I got home again!</div><div>So at the workshop we cut the fuel line, re-plumbed it with a new filter, and poured in some seal elasticator into the sump hoping to fix that main end seal.</div><div>I was good to go again! Ha.</div><div>On the 2 and a half hour journey across London for 18 miles, things got worse, and when he finally overheated, I knew a head gasket was going too! </div><div>Sure enough the coolant now reeks of petrol.</div><div>Bottom line is I made it home at about 10pm after leaving home at 9.45am.</div><div>I'm sourcing a new two part silicone type Felpro main seal, new Hi Temp silicone header sealer, a new sump gasket, and new head gaskets. Will source a windage tray for the sump and a mains girdle to strengthen the bottom end too.</div><div>The big end seal can be done with just a sump removal, so the oil change I did will be done again soon.</div><div>Then its attention to the top end.</div><div>I already have an Edlebrock RPM AirGap inlet manifold, and an Edelbrock Thunder AVS 650cfm carb, so I'll see if I can afford a set of RPM performer heads too, and the matching bump stick. All good for 400bhp according Mr Vic Jnr. </div><div>But if not then a freshen up and maybe a port job of the stock heads and then a wilder camshaft. Hopefully by the end of the season he'll be back terrorising the locals and more reliably!!</div><div>Ah well thats old cars, and life with 'em eh?</div> 2008-05-12T22:04:11+01:00 306 5.0 1 2008-05-14T15:08:10+01:00 12 You can't beat a little fettle on a big hunk of metal, so off to the shed for some rummaging around for parts, and 1 hour later the old leadster had fresh front shocks and twin electric horns fitted and up and running. <div>Not that happy with the horn tones, but they'll do until I can locate some Aston Martin Town &amp; Country horns or Maserati twin air horns. </div><div>What ever at least they are better than the poxy meep of the previous one. </div><div>Also got some parts from ebay and the net.</div><div>Cal Custom small block ford finned alloy covers arrived (needing a clean), Breathers and a Moon finned alloy air cleaner due in from so-cal with redranch's next trip to blighty.</div><div>Ordered a couple of sets of number plates from sates-plates.com, one in original Arizona red, and a white on black set in case the law get funny. </div><div>Arrived today, but alas not with the date tags that I ordered at the same time as the plates (Little stickers ala US tax tags that go on the plate corners). </div><div>A phone call will be made on Monday.</div><div>Got 3x K&amp;N 351W oil filters coming, so can do an oil change finally (not as easy as I'd hoped to get hold of).<br></div><div>New sparks to go in too.</div><div>Trying to locate long valve stems for the tyres, so that I can fit the Dodge Lancer hub caps (Mt T maybe the solution to this tho').</div><div>Got a new rear view mirror to clean and polish, and two more speaker grilles off of ebay, to clean up, spray green and build into a new rear parcel shelf with modern speakers under original grilles. </div><div>Stereo all still to fit (well you've gotta have sounds of the 50's in a ride such as this). and still a myriad of guages and wiring and cables to sort.</div><div>Ah well.</div><div>Sleep beckons and sweet dreams of my sweeter by the day custom.</div><div>Keep it tin side up folks.</div> 2008-04-13T00:40:30+01:00 298 1 2008-05-14T16:29:10+01:00 12 Well today the amended MOT certificate (with reg number), tax disc (free - historic vehicle) and certificate for registration plates (allowing number plates to be made by an authorised vendor) all arrived in the post. <div>The registration certificate (V5) will follow in 4-6 weeks but from now on the car can be used legally on the road.</div><div>Cant believe it only took 11 working days excluding weekends and bank holidays. I think that's pretty efficient for a UK government body!</div><div>Ordered two sets of plates online tonight from www.States-Plates.com.</div><div>One a set of UK legal white on black standard bogo ones, the other a set of white on red Arizona - Grand Canyon State ones, along with US style tags too, for Dec 1954 (the date of first registration).</div><div>Got a set of Cal Custom no name valve covers on their way via ebay, and redranch is bringing back from sunny so-cal a moon finned air cleaner and a pair of chrome twist in breathers.</div><div>Need Header gaskets and Valve cover gaskets and we're good to go.</div><div>Gotta rig sounds into the linc, a decent set of maserati/aston-martin type air horns, and sort out the gauges and dash to run 12V.</div><div>Then its on to a new list of To Do's, after driving it to all the car gigs I can.</div><div>Blew wheels day out due to weather conditions in east of england, and crossply tires. </div><div>Ditto the Ace cafe all ford day on easter monday.</div><div>ah well, there's the NASC Nats in Ipswich in the summer, and Rally Of the Giants to do, plus more locally the Mersea Motor Madness show.</div><div>So much to do, so little time/money/motivation/expertise (delete as appropriate).</div><div>God I love this car!</div><div>Capri Days.</div><div>M</div> 2008-03-26T23:43:45+00:00 289 3.0 1 2008-03-27T00:02:03+00:00 12 Last monday, before collecting Ol' Leadbelly from Croydon (But after fridays MOT session), I drove down to Ipswich in the Saab, to get all the paperwork into the DVLA. <div>I had my MOT, Insurance certificate, US title, HM Revenue &amp; Customs Duty paid form, Import forms, plus my Passport and a Utility Bill to prove not only who I was and where I lived (Big Brother Society-UK?), but also to prove the car and the ownership etc.</div><div>Anyway filled in a V55/5 form, paid £50 first UK registration fee and the man took away my title, all forms and the MOT. </div><div>The man from the DVLA took copies of my Passport, Utility Bill, and the insurance cert (which he handed me back along with a post office like receipt- SCARY that I can tell you) and told me it could take up to 6 weeks to complete. Anyway, he also said that the vehicle would need to be inspected. </div><div>He told me I could make an appointment with the Ipswich office and get the vehicle there (at my own expense and not driven under its own steam- Yeah Right!) or await the Essex (Chelmsford Office) contacting me for a home visit.</div><div>Well last friday the Man from the DOT Chelmsford came to peruse and note down the various numbers that identify the vehicle. </div><div>Pleasant enough fellow, interested in the car; he told me that once his report was filed and sent to the Ipswich office (Monday 17th) I would be issued a Tax disc, and a UK age related registration number (i.e. 845 AGG - that was the last US reg no - or such like). </div><div>He also said it could take up to 6 weeks, but so far the service has been quick and hassle free. </div><div>He then told me that the issued registration number could not be transferred (like I would do that? Its not mine its Leadbelly's!).</div><div>Apparently this whole rigmarole is in line with age related SVA tests (which pre 71 cars don't have to comply with - YET) and aimed at cutting fraud. </div><div>It has, I am informed by friends in the know, changed a lot in the last few years (post 2004).</div><div>Either way the process has now begun, and soon the Ol' Fella will be a UK citizen complete with ID card and numbers. </div><div>Not that I care. </div><div>I'm drivin' him to wheels day come hell or high water, DVLA approved or not. Wugga Wugga is Leadbellys war cry. </div><div>How I love that sound!</div> 2008-03-16T20:50:35+00:00 285 5.0 1 2008-03-16T23:38:08+00:00 12 Well tuesday, went up to Croydon on the train ( A three hour plus slog.....Public transport in SE England sucks!) ready to collect the green fella.  <div>Rear Spring Shackle Bushes (well 10 of the 12 required) are now done, shocks on order, points replaced, edelbrock chrome 14" air filter fitted (the original ford one was too big, with the washer bottle and wiper motor in place - bang goes the plan for a Cadillac one), speedo cable re-routed behind the pedals, minor fuses replaced, and wiring tied away, then it was tidy up, Rain X the screen and get on the way.... only to find that the Alternator had packed up. </div><div>Quickly whipped off and taken down to Grove Motors in Greyhound Lane Streatham London SW16 for a rebuild. </div><div>Sonny got it back the next day (Weds by 2pm after a 4.30 drop off Tuesday) and £120 lighter, fitted back on, voltages checked, and it was time for the off. </div><div>Filled up with 98octane fuel (Only 11 gallons fill it up) and with no guages except the speedo it was off.</div><div>Fan was switched on in South Londons school run filled traffic, but as we hit the motorway off it went and leadbelly dug deep and roared off onto the M25 (FYI- Got 18 miles to the gallon average including that hour crawling through the SE of Bromley &amp; Croydon, and then the M25 &amp; A12 at modern speeds of 70-85 ish - I reckon on 23 - 25 on a leisurely motorway/freeway drive). </div><div>I could barely contain the laughter after all the years of waiting for this. </div><div>Speedo packed up before I got off the A21 to the M25, so dont know how fast we went but I do know we kept up with the commuter traffic in their smug modern econo-lookalike-boxes. </div><div>It got a lot of looks and the driving on cross plies (bias belts for those US car folks) is so much more involving than a modern on radials.</div><div>Will get a few more pictures up soon, but hey I am just enjoying the noise and driving it. </div><div>Catch ya'll wheels day.</div> 2008-03-13T15:57:44+00:00 281 5.0 1 2008-03-19T17:16:01+00:00 12 Well on Tuesday &amp; Friday of this last week I went up to Croydon and spent 2 full days in the workshop with Daryl, preparing Leadbelly for his first MOT, which culminated in: <div><br><div>Installed working wipers and washers, complete with switch in original dash location (Nasty black plastic, to be replaced in due course). </div><div>Installed Side &amp; Head light switch, in original dash location with original knob. </div><div>All front end metal work- radiator bracing, &amp; hood latch - re-installed and latch working. </div><div>Hand-brake cable lubed, adjusted and working ready for MOT. </div><div>Lokar speedo cable installed and working. </div><div>Trunk latch installed and working. </div><div>Drivers Door latch repaired and working. </div><div>Headlights adjusted. </div><div>Meep meep horn installed.</div><div>Washer bottle (Original rare and expensive!) installed and hosed up to the screenwashers, all working.</div><div>Under dash toggle switch operating radiator fan, fitted, wired and working.</div><div>8 Ball Lokar shifter knob installed.</div><div>Finned Alloy radiator cap installed.</div><div>New battery installed.</div><div>More Air in tyres (back at 32psi after dropping to 14 over the last year!)</div><br><div>All this entailed working late on both days, but with the speedo cable still to do we threw the old fella in for an MOT and blow me down if it didn't pass! </div><div>The MOT station knows Daryl and knew the last few bits would be done before the car gets on the road.</div><br><div>On Tuesday we are replacing the front shocks as the lower bushes are shot and its easier to obtain shocks than just bushes! </div><div>Also we've the rear leaf shackle bushes to do at the same time. </div><div>The last remaining issues are to sort out the servo master cylinder combo as although there is servo and the brakes are easing off with some use, there is very little pedal travel and its rock hard.</div><br><div>So on Tuesday afternoon watch out for 2 tons of US metal roaming the bad lands of saarf laandan and then scooting round the M25 heading for Essex and the A12.</div><br><div>Registration and more photos will accompany my next post, its been an exhilarating but hard push to clear Daryls workshop, as sadly his move date has been brought forward to next Friday! </div><br><div>The Guy is a diamond and will be a loss to the hotrod and custom scene, but needs must I guess. If all the phone calls of the last week to the workshop had resulted in work the guy wouldn't be closing, but its the usual way of things to change like that when you've made a firm decision!</div><br><div>On a plus note, anyone wanting to gawp at the Lincoln in the metal can see it at Surrey Streetrods Wheels day on Good Friday at Rushmoor arena!</div><br><div>Keeping the faith? </div><div>Me too.</div></div> 2008-03-08T08:11:14+00:00 277 5.0 1 2008-03-08T10:04:48+00:00 12 Well, went to see Daryl the other week and really nothing much had happened. He's been flat out and the Lincoln has been on the back burner. Sadly he hit me with the news that he's packing up and getting a "proper job". So by March 20th the old jalopy will be gone from Sunny Croydon and on his way to currently Foggy Essex! Daryl got him running, plumbed in the rad, and has the new electric wiper motor, switch (with extension) to fit the original location, handbrake cable and so on to get him ready for a UK MOT. He has a deadline to and that can be very motivating, as I know all too well from a freelance perspective! Only trouble now is getting the Garage up and through planning before then! Ha! Oh well lets hope that with him running, UK reg'd and MOT'd he'll get more TLC heaped on him (if he's home, my missus will be very much a garage widow but it could be worse!). Bit of a Low really to see the lack of progress; but hey ho its got motivated to obtain a new drivers side door lock and striker plates to make the door latch, and to hunt a cool toggle switch (retro, chrome) for the rad fan to be manually switched in to prevent over heating. Then its gotta get hte brakes sorted. Hmmm. I will keep you posted! 2008-02-18T22:49:36+00:00 263 1 2008-02-18T22:49:36+00:00 12 Well that two weeks got extended somewhat due to Daryls workload, but the motor now has a new fuel pump and with a bit of electrical wizardry the man has the beast started. Got a call from old leadbelly bellowing, as only a V8 can, at me; followed by a laugh from Daryl at my shouts of excitement and happiness. We've got to get a new header to exhaust gasket fitted to fix a blow, a new starter solenoid, and a sexy push button starter for the dash, along with the cooling fan running as he boils up pretty quick, plus all the other bits posted before but at least he runs and can be moved about again now. Have posted some pix from my last visit, and hope to snap some more tomorrow. Oh yeah after the £160 quid bill for the bits came the fed-ex & the VAT mans bills; another £230+ lighter so ebay bargains became expensive bits!!! 2007-08-09T19:52:53+01:00 150 0 2007-08-10T07:14:19+01:00 12 Yes the fed ex man came on monday with my handbrake cable, chrome grille teeth (cos that'll help get the old boy running!!) and a washer bottle (more like a jar and a proper old fruit jar liqour bottle type one too). So I'm £160 lighter after a western union money transfer, and I've yet to see the shpping bill but hey thats old cars for you!! But even I think its about time I lived up to my Autopendium handle and started snapping. Later fellow lust for rusters. 2007-06-06T16:35:39+01:00 115 0 2007-06-06T16:37:22+01:00 12 Well spoke to Daryl who has unseized the engine. Cheap Vinegar down each of the 8 bores until it would turn by hand (Todays Top Tip). It had seized due to 18 months without turning over; let that be a lesson folks. I know we hear about Californian cars that start with a new battery after 20 years stood idle, but Saarf Laaandan doesnt have the same micro climate and even in a dry lockup it still seized. So in a week or two the leadbelly goes into the workshop to begin the MOT prep. I'll keep you all posted. Meantime still waiting on the fed ex man! 2007-05-22T12:37:18+01:00 108 0 2007-05-22T12:37:18+01:00 12 Well the bits are sent fromn the US. Just got to wait for the Fed Ex man to knock. Not heard a peep fom Daryl in Croydon so its likely to be expensive when I do- but we've got to get the Lincoln running- New fuel pump at least, plus possibly a water pump and head gaskets. Got to order a wiper motor, switch & switch extension this week. Then hope to have time to visit the cars and see how they are truly progressing- with pix. Catching up on posts it seems like Red Ranch and CTagg are going great guns with their toys. Good on you boys. 2007-05-20T20:24:56+01:00 107 0 2007-05-20T20:24:56+01:00 12 Well the Lincoln made it out of the garage and onto the lowloader, but sadly not under his own steam. Ignominiously towed out by the winch. Still he's out of hibernation now and Daryl down in Croydon has the task of getting the old fella runnng, and then sorting out the ticket ready for UK registration. I've managed to source a wiper motor, and switch which just bolts in and wires up to the 12v wiring already installed. There's a parking (Hand) brake cable to come over from the US along with a washer bottle and some new grille teeth. Got a Lokar speedo cable to install and won two 1941 Lincoln Continental push buttons on ebay which will replace the door handles as we progress with the customising. Will add snaps of both Leadbelly & Smiley as soon as I next visit London and its environs to check up on progress. 2007-04-24T10:35:32+01:00 98 0 2007-04-24T10:35:32+01:00 12