The work progresses slowly Update #3

I have been busy with tidying up the electrical system, installing a new turn signal switch and a hazard light circuit. Unfortunately this work doesn't make for good progress photos, but I felt I had to post something. ;-)  As automotive electrics is not my strong point there was a bit of two steps forward, one step back, but thanks to You Tube and my stubbornness we got their in the end. The original builder did not follow colour coding well so there was quite a bit of tracing circuits with a test light, then tagging them. 

 During the electrical work.

When completed and tidied up.

The new relays for the turn signals, hazard lights and horn needed a housing of some type to keep them tidy and weather proof, I found an old 'Startix' unit in my 1932 Humber stuff which I gutted and repurposed. I figured it look period and aged enough. (NB. I had no idea was a Startix system was until I found the control box and did some research. The Lucas-Startix system started the engine as soon as the ignition switch was turned on and restarted it automatically if it stalled). 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startix  These systems were used in a lot of 1930's vehicles from the UK and USA, pretty clever for the time.

The replacement for the compressed air horns. 

The photo above is of the new electric horns I used to replace the air horns which the original builder went to a LOT of work to set up, (sorry Nev). But the air compressor was in the way of the new storage space and I was a little nervous about the air receiver mounted under the seats running at 100 psi. I had picked up the 12 volt truck horns about 15 years ago at the Toowoomba Swap Meet. (I knew they'd come in handy someday. How many car guys can related to that).

One of issues I had was that the instruments were not back lit, so if or when I do drive at night I won't be able to read them, the three most important ones; RPM, Oil pressure and Temp. This caused me concern as a few years ago I had a 1951 Studebaker Commander where the Strontium painted 'glow-in-the-dark' gauges had lost their ability to glow for more than a few minutes. Not being able to see the oil pressure and temperature gauges was very disconcerting. OK how do I get around this? I came across a video of a 1930 Packard which had a retractable map light, this seemed the answer but when I mocked it up it had to extend out of the dash by 150 mm (6") to light up all of the gauges without shadow, this was too far, it wasn't sturdy and looked ridiculous. My son came up with the answer, light them up externally. The light would have to be focused, not be in the way of normal operation, or look weird. What I came up with was a cannibalised flexible neck off a bedside lamp and a torch lenes. I mocked this up and it seemed exactly what I was looking for, and didn't look weird, well not too weird. 

The lamp in the stowed position. 

In the operating position.

Well that's about all there is for this Update. My next few jobs are mechanical, sorting out the why the foot brakes don't work, (I suspect the master cylinder has failed and requires an overhaul). Flush out all the brakes lines and adjust the brakes. Installing seat belts and reassembly. Then the challenge of getting it registered for road use. 

 

Now the work begins. Update #2

Now with Maurice tucked up in my workshop I started to evaluate what needed to be done to get it road worthy. There were many head scratching moments of what to do and even where to begin. So, I thought I’ll just start at one end, and as the rear is the one I encounter when I walk into the shed, the rear it was to be.

There was no provision for a boot / trunk to carry any tools, jack or wheel spanner so that had to be rectified. I cut timber pieces to fit in between the chassis rails, and cut openings into a large piece of 1/4" steel plate fitted to anchor the spare wheel. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the area before I modified it. So you just have to imagine looking through to the workshop floor instead of the boot / trunk floor. 

Then to install stop lights, tail lights and indicators / turn signals. There was one large stop/tail light fitted, but it was not in the centre or wired up. This was removed and some 1932 Ford replica tail/stop lights I had were used, and two motorcycle indicators. 

I did deviate from my plan from starting at the rear of the vehicle - once. I notice that the radiator cap was the old 'dog bone' style but needed something. As I'm selling my Humber Speedster project I

re-purposed the radiator emblem I had used on that. It was an emblem my father had kept from a

car he had to sell, before I was born, I found it in a box of his personal stuff after he passed away. I'm sure he would be OK with using it, and it just set off the existing cap on Maurice for the better.

I had already replaced both electric fuel pumps. If you listen to the guy starting the car in the video from at the auction you will hear him say the drum of fuel he lifts up is because there is a serious fuel leak. When I started looking into it I noted the leak was from one of the existing electric fuel pumps, which I replaced. When I fitted the new pumps one of them started making a terrible noise, we found that one of carb float valves has stuck in the closed position making the pump work it's ring out pumping against a closed head. This is what probably destroyed the old pump. I've bought two new carb rebuild kits to sort this out.  

The next job I jumped into was to fitting a temperature gauge and a speedo, neither of which had been installed originally. Because of several issues I went with a GPS speedo, which of course wouldn't fit on the dashboard along with the new temp gauge. Please bear in mind I have been trying to make these new modifications look period. I know the car has been hand built out of parts from the 1960's vehicles but its overall look is from the 1920's. So I ended up making a steering column mount for the speedo and indicator switch and dash lamps. The temp gauge was fitted below the existing Tacho and oil pressure gauge. 

 

Maurice Joins the Family, all 702 cubic inch of him! Update #1

 

Welcome to the 2024 Update / Launch of my neglected blog. On the car front nothing much happened between 2015 and November 2023. The poor old Humber didn’t get any love, (which is now up for sale), just became an ever growing pile of stuff, blankets, rolls of carpet etc, etc. The 1947 Studebaker pick up got an engine freshen up, some head work, new gaskets and a new carb. It’s currently laid up getting a front end rebuild.

But the big news is the addition of Maurice to the stable. (We name our cars based on the name of the previous owner, he didn't look like a Nev, so it would be Morris, but with the monocle windscreen making him look distinguished so we decided on Maurice). I was always fascinated by the 1920’s and ‘30’s aero engine cars and knew the possibility of one being available in Australia was pretty remote. Thus, I started to build the Humber Speedster back in 2013. THEN in November last year I heard of a deceased estate sale happening in Dalby, about 2.5 hrs drive west of Brisbane. I saw some photos of what was for sale and WoW, some large engine cars, I had to go!

A gentleman, by the name of Neville (Nev) Morris had passed and his substantial collection of machinery was being auctioned off. Of particular interest to me were two large engine cars, hand built by Nev. To better explain who Nev was, below is a link to a hot rod magazine article from March 2013.

https://www.streetmachine.com.au/features/neville-morris-custom-creations?fbclid=IwAR0dtaPLcKaZuhCvExYdvmT-THK6GvhQ_kKn_ZbkLp6xGNwAGlB19cVEK7U

I was initially interested in the black car called, ‘SOG’ (Shades of Grey), but a local museum was buying a selection of Nev’s vehicles and inventions to honour him with a permanent display, also I fell in love with the blue car – ‘NOBA’. Which apparently stands for, ‘Not Only But Always’, and old English saying. Nev had a sense of humour as eclectic as his machine collection! I have decided to change its name to, ‘GMC Bearcat’. Why? I hear you ask. While going through Nev’s papers on the car I found a photograph of a 1914 Stutz Bearcat, I guess as his inspiration, so it seemed logical. 

Maurice was hand built by Nev as his tribute to those same aero engine cars that I liked. It's fitted with a GMC 702 cid, (11.5 lt), V12, used in 1960's GMC 7000 series trucks. The gearbox is from a Commer truck and the chassis a Toyota Dyna truck. 

My goal is to get the Bearcat legally registered for road use, this will entail quite a bit of finishing to make it compliant for a Road Worthy Certificate. Plus, there is some maintenance work to be done, a leaking rear axle seal, the brakes don’t work, and a carby (x2) rebuild, oil and filter change.

Joining some car Facebook sites has created a lot of interest with people asking to be kept informed on the progress, so my reason to update my blog to keep people in the loop.

                                     I took this video at the auction before purchasing Maurice.

                                     Now Maurice was safely tucked up in my workshop.