Early Javelin Restoration

[Grumpy Northener]

The N/S/R outrigger had some untidy welding around it but I thought it would tidy up - so I gave it a little tap just to make sure and it felt a little on the thin side but it was still in one piece

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However, with a bigger tap and some paint taken off it

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Amazing - It's made of thin copper sheet and braised on ! The local plumber must have done car repairs as a sideline !

[junkyarddog]

An inspired bodge

This is a fantastic thread,
looking forward to seeing this resto progress

[Grumpy Northener]

There was a patch of metal pop riveted to the rear seat upstand just by the battrey box (not that easy to see in the image)

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it's not orginal so I drilled the rivets out and found this - body filler

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and a small tap with the lightest of hammers later

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Looks like the area had been attacked with battrey acid - I have never seen one of these rot out in this area before.

[Grumpy Northener]

The bodyfiller had also found a home in the centre jacking point / outrigger on the O/S - it's both sad & stupid to see repairs of this nature

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Mechanical bodges are not amiss either this is one of the gearbox control arms which has been the subject of a cut and shut

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Well this where we are today so it will now be the weekend before I can update you with the next progress but at least you you all know what we are up against and there are more horrors once I turn the car back to it's upright position - the alignment of the body panels is poor to say the least - and they are very difficult to correct - especially the doors - anyway more on that later - at least it's fairly sound and it's not that much of a weldathon !

[Grumpy Northener]

Very busy weekend and the day job beckons so it will be Monday / Tuesday evening before I can load the updates - but lots done !

[Grumpy Northener]

Progress has been happening over the last few weeks but just not had much time to catch up with the postings - so I will try to catch up over the next few days - managed to get a couple of evenings just before the holidays which is easier said than done - it is very difficult to judge what time I finish work (it changes by the hour or most cases telephone call) - further to this the workshop is not at the bottom of the garden - but some 20 or so miles / 40 mins up the road - just have to balance this with the expectations of the other half who would rather have me painting the house than painting old cars.

Final stripping out of the shell progressed The car was clearly a New Zealand export car from new - with no heater fitted and the holes to the bulkhead blanked off

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The gear selection & steering columns were removed

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Not the worst Javelin steering wheel that we ever seen (they normally self distruct) we do however have a very good replacement that was recovered from a spares car

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Wiring harness removed and well past it's sell buy date - we shall use this as pattern for the new replacement.

[Grumpy Northener]

Finding room for everything is a job alone - it is not the only car in the workshop - there is a further Javelin which is an ex works car and is in many pieces along with a Jowett Jupiter again in many pieces but for insperation we have a road going version of each car in the workshop too.

[Grumpy Northener]

The dashboard & instruments were removed - all interior metalwork will be prepared for repainting

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Although a late 40's car in design the early cars carried instruments & switchgear of a 'Art Decor' style

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The under dashboard / bulkhead sound deading was carefully removed

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[Grumpy Northener]

Some really nice / advanced for the era design was applied to the car - typical is the way that fresh air is fed in to the cabin of the car -
These vent cowels sit low behind the the front grille and gather fresh air

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which is then directed up this box tube under the inner wing

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and then administered in to the cabin through the bulkhead and controlled by this flap

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needless to say that the cowel and the box tube are both suspect areas of tin worm on the Javelin

[Grumpy Northener]

The remaining mechanical parts were sperated from the shell - steering box and complex for the day steering drag link

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Lower bushes for the lower front suspension arms and well past any sell by date!

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