Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[bobins]

I see on a previous image you've posted that the fuel tank fitted has got 'Saunders Roe' printed on it. If that is the original tank and was actually supplied by Saunders Roe then that opens up a huge array of things it could have been fitted in ! Hovercraft, 'planes, boats, vehicles, and who knows what else If that tank was original fitment then your Invacar shares a common ancestry with the Vulcan bomber. Nice !

Just to add a bit of confusion - it might not necessarily have been manufactured / marketed as a specific petrol tank. It could hve been: 'tank, general purpose' and intended for coolant, light oil, fuel, etc, etc.

[Zelandeth]

Nope, that's just a temporary tank I bungeed onto KPL on a temporary basis as it was better than stuffing a bit of fuel hose into an open petrol can. It's not original to the car and is a totally different shape (the Invacar one is essential a tall, thin rectangular box, standing on the narrow end). Fuel gauge sender is bolted in halfway up one of the sides, which will make finding that probably fun...

[bobins]

If you can get any photos of the original then that might prove useful

[Zelandeth]

That's probably my first task for this afternoon. Want to get a proper look at it anyhow to see if it's repairable. If it's just the top and bottom end plates that are gone it shouldn't be hard to just weld a replacement plate on (it's been open to the elements since 2001 we reckon, so any fuel residue is long gone).

[bobins]

If it's just pinholes in it then I've had good results with Petseal, you can also use sealants like 'Slosh' to reline tanks. I've got a batch of jerry cans to reline at some point and will be trying Slosh out to see how it works.

[Zelandeth]

Not sure about the rest of the tank - but the top is more hole than metal.

Here's a couple of photos.

Anyone recognise it?

[bobins]

My first thoughts are that they originally fitted a somewhat standard and universal tank and modified it. If you rotated the tank 90 degrees clockwise to have the gauge opening at the top, and didn't have the fill point at all (i.e. never manufactured that way), then what is currently the gauge hole would have originally been a fill point (with a suitable boss welded on). My point being - they originally got hold of a horizontal tank, and turned it into a vertical tank. It's the sort of thing that could have been fitted to a dumper or large ride-on mower or similar. Much smaller, but very similar design, petrol tanks were fitted to Briggs and Stratton engines - but nowhere near that size.
Is the petrol gravity drawn from the bottom of the tank or is it sucked via a dip-tube from the top ?

[xantia_v6]

The tank is probably custom for that installation, but the gauge sender probably a generic smiths from something else with a fairly vertical tank. I would suggest the Triumph Herald one (still readily available) http://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/fuel-tank ... rew-type-3, although it depends on the type of guage (for the correct resistance range) What sort of gauge do you have? Smiths or AC? magnetic or thermal?

[Zelandeth]

Smith's gauge, same one as used in the MGB among a zillion other applications. Magnetic, and with zero damping for maximum fuel sloshing reading oscillation while moving.

[xantia_v6]

That appears to be a Smiths "moving coil" gauge, which was fitted to most UK vehicles in the 1950s, but was seldom used after about 1960. They were distinctive in that with the tank sender disconnected, they indicate Full.

You need a sender for a moving coil gauge, I think that the different senders of that vintage only differ in the length and angle of the float arm, and whether they have contacts for a low fuel light.

This: https://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct ... de=070.236 would seem to be the right part, but maybe you can find one cheaper from another 1950s vehicle (e.g S1 landrover or ...).

[Zelandeth]

I'm pretty sure (based on my faffing with the gauge in KPL) that it will show empty with the sender disconnected. I've not gone hunting for the wire for that yet, but my guess is that it's grounding out on a chassis rail or the tank in the absence of a sender.

Obviously I'll double check given that no two of these cars ever seem to be the same.

The wiring loom on this one for example is a mirror image to my earlier example, all bundled along the nearside rather than offside. Keeps you on your toes!

[Zelandeth]

Apparently I'm speaking rubbish - found the gauge sender wires today and they're dangling in mid air. So the earlier comments about a moving coil gauge appear to be correct. As stated...no two of these things seem to be the same!

Not had much time to dedicate to the car today as the garden managed to eat most of the afternoon.

I did however find time to replace the smashed headlights. This made use of a set of modern clear lens equipped lights I bought in error a few years ago. While they look out of place, they'll get us through an MOT and will work until I find a set of H4 units in a more period style. H4 headlights are a necessity I think, as while I'm not planning on a world tour in this thing, I'd rather be able to see if I do wind up driving after dark.

I reckon for now, a pair of intact slightly period inappropriate headlights look better than two smashed ones. They're proper halogen ones and are E marked, not some silly LED or HID nonsense.

Next up, I took the speedometer out and dismantled it to allow me to remove the large number of dead spiders that were previously filling about a third of the space behind the glass.

Also cleaned the windows so I can actually see out of it now.

Ignore the Alfa, it's just visiting.

Finally for today, I've managed to get the lock mechanism halfway freed off on the nearside door - hopefully I'll be able to get it actually open tomorrow.

[Zelandeth]

So where did we get to? Been a couple of days since I did an update here.

The new headlights were wired up and tested. While I'm not a huge fan of the look of them, even with my eyeballing the adjustment and running from battery only, they're rather more effective than I'd have expected - to the extent that they may well stay there.

I do plan to use this thing, so I've no adversity to the odd upgrade that's there purely to improve usability.

Like actually being able to see at night.

Dip beam:

Main beam:

A fair upgrade from standard 60s Mini headlights.

Because I'm me, I had to go and polish up the trim rings because I simply can't leave brightwork dirty, no matter how much of a cosmetic lost cause the car may be.

The seized windscreen washer pump and biohazard of a washer bottle were ousted for the happily working items from the original project.

While on the subject of fixing things on the dash, I also got the courtesy light working. This was easy, just needed the lampholder contacts cleaned up.

The day after was somewhat less visually interesting - but this was the result.

The brake master cylinder has been swapped with the one from KPL (may well be swapped again before the road, but I'd at least like to be able to have brakes around the yard in the short term). I couldn't get the mounting point for the front brake flexible hose off (the hose was torn), but as the two cars had it attached in totally different ways, I just moved the whole assembly over.

The mudguard has been pretty mangled at some point, so was bashed back into vaguely the right shape. I'll probably pull it out at some point and do a better job, but it will do for now as it's no longer actively in the way of anything.

The spring was improperly seated when I got the car, offset to one side. Quite *how* I've no idea. This was easy enough to sort though by taking some weight off it then clubbing it with a 4lb lump hammer. Cue an almighty "bong" and the spring settling back where it should be. I do have to admit to being slightly puzzled by the presence of adjustable Spax gas shocks on all three wheels...I know they tended to over engineer these crates, but still...

Oh...and I found some hub caps.

I think the wheels will be going black eventually when I get to that stage.

Today I set about reassembling the rear brakes (the shoes had been removed to allow the car to roll). Practice makes perfect they say...and it seems to be true where working with drums is concerned. What took me a whole evening the first time around took about 20 minutes this time, and without any nipped fingers or springs attempting to ping off into orbit. There's a real knack to getting the last spring on, and it's quite satisfying when you figure it out.

Slightly more annoying however was getting the last wheel back together this evening, only to have this happen.

Yep...bleed nipple sheared clean off.

I've got the front cylinder off the original one, but it's a bit sticky. I've got it soaking in penetrating oil overnight. It'll either work or not...if not time for a new one.

So that's about where we are just now. That's it for this exciting update!

[Zelandeth]

Today as far as the Invacar was concerned not much done.

Did a quick experiment though to see if the black grime would shift from the roof.

Yep...it will! Looks like the roof might actually survive without needing a complete repaint - only panel that probably won't.


The reason I didn't get much done today was because I was off looking at another car. This was a twofold mission. Firstly was the that the current owner wanted some advice on work it needs, secondly was half an idea to offer to buy it.

Suffice to say that I was massively surprised by what I found, the vehicle was in far, far better shape than I'd expected. Had a quick test drive, and that pretty much had me sold. Aside from a slightly squeaky fan belt (in fairness it hadn't been driven in a month, so the battery might be a bit low), a duff indicator tell tale on the dash, I couldn't fault anything from the driver's seat. Really felt like one of those moments where you could be doing a review and just say "this is what a good one should drive like."

Not going to reveal too many details just yet though, though you're welcome to guess.

However, this means I need to make space. What's going to move?

Activa? Initially thought about it. Especially as while I love driving it, it is something of a long term maintenance liability, just because of being an Activa and the complexity that brings with it. Despite that however it's just such a fantastically competent and practical car that I just can't justify it.

Invacar? Nah. Not even got it on the road yet...and it doesn't actually take up space anywhere other than in the not-really-big-enough-for-a-car garage anyway.

Lada? Surely not...Yes I think. I've had my fun with it, and this will (despite being very different) tick many of the same classic car driving experience boxes. It does bring a lot of other things to the party too.

I know I'm not going to get back anywhere close to what it owes me, but to be honest that's the way these things go, and I'm not in this in it for the money.

...Not sure what I'm going to put in for an asking price yet, but I'll look at putting a proper advert together soon. Figured I'd mention it here first though in case anyone here was going to express interest, as you guys get first dibs I think.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

I once used Jif bathroom cream and a Scrubbing Brush on some really shoddy paint on a Datsun 160J I was keen on doing an 'Arfur Daley' on, with a T-Cut & polish afterwards it wasn't half bad.

Commiserations on the Bleed nipple, not what you want.