but were afraid to ask: I sort of figured this article would be relevant for this group, even thought he specific car I am working on is an Alfa Romeo. I hope this helps explain how we can do something about those scratches and sand pits that mar our windows.
Polishing out window scratches.
Our Alfa Romeo Montreal came to us with quite evidence of having been driven to the beach. Often. Lots of sand in various places. One of the impacts was lots of scratches on the side windows, partly from sand getting down into the seals, and part because it looked like someone used a card or something to remove ice and got sand under the card near the seals (that had sand in them). Then, if that wasnât enough â the rear glass had lots of scratches â like the owners had...
-
This forum is expressly for posting articles, related in some fashion to British cars (the kind you might submit for a publication). You post an article is the same way that you might post a regular thread, but you understand the article:
- Must be 500 words minimum
- Must Include appropriate prefix
- May include Pictures
- May be edited or rejected by admin
-
Hey Guest!
Yoda says: A FREE resource for the Little British Car community BCF is. Support us with an account upgrade, not many will (less than 1%) "Require" you to pay to play we don't, but if you find BCF helpful, appreciate no pop up ads, and want to ensure we stay online - Supporting us with an "optional" low-cost member upgrade you should. There are some benefits to upgrading!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Seeing this UGLY banner, you won't)
Tips
- We have a special forum called "Member Articles" where you can submit actual articles for consideration for publication. Learn More
- Don't have an Avatar? If not, your avatar will default to the 1st character in your username. Go into "Account Details" to change your Avatar.
- Some basic forum navigation info: click
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
- Hey Guest - Is your British Car Club in our Clubs database? If not, send me a PM - Basil
- Looking for a local club? Click the "Clubs" tab above and browse hundreds of clubs world-wide.
- Add Android or iPhone APP: click
- Did you know - any picture or video you add in your posts in any marque-specific forum will also get added to the Media Gallery automatically.
- A few more tips about posting and replying: click
- Hey there Guest - be sure to keep your profile page up to date with interesting info about yourself: learn more
- More tips and tricks on Posting and Replying: click
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
- Want to mention another member in a post & get their attention? WATCH THIS
- So, you created a "Group" here at BCF and would like to invite other members to join? Watch this!
- Hey Guest - A post a day keeps Basil from visiting you in the small hours and putting a bat up your nightdress!
- Hey Guest - do you know of an upcoming British car event?
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> Here's How << 
- Hey Guest - you be stylin' Change the look and feel of the forum to fit your taste. Check it out
- If you run across an inappropriate post, for example a post that breaks our rules or looks like it might be spam, you can report the post to the moderators: Learn More
- If you would like to try some different "looks" or styles for the site, scroll to the very bottom, on the left and click the Style Selector.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Member Articles
This is a repository of Articles, both technical and anecdotal (just for fun). Any member can submit an article but all articles are moderated. The admin of BCF reserves to right to edit content (usually just for spelling/grammar) and has final decision whether to publish or not.
Prefix filter
Show only:
LoadingâŚ
Lucas DR3A Two-Speed Wiper-motors
Submitted by: ( @allanjohnturner )
The Lucas two-speed variant of the DR3A wiper-motor, as found on Triumph TR4A and other vehicles from the same era, seem to create problems when people try to wire them up.
Often this happens when someone tries to use one to upgrade from a single-speed variant. There are a number of things about these motors that are âcounter-intuitiveâ and this leads people to guess wrongly in the absence of proper wiring instructions.
There will be useful information in here about using the single-speed types too and for the earlier DR2 type, found in TR2/3s and elsewhere, because these use more or less the same electrical parts even though the gear-wheels are different.
Rather...
Our '60 Bugeye is now amongst the living - and driving!!!
As part of the fixing up of the mistakes made in the previous restoration, we installed a T9 5-speed in our bug. Combine that with a Triumph 2/3/4 rear end and, surprise, the speedometer is anything but accurate. OK, I need to pull it and see if I can "adjust" it to read closer to reality, but for now it seems to be off a consistent 10 mph from 20 to 70 mph. And yes, our bug is very happy at 70 mph - seems to just get in a groove and is much more stable than I expected.
OK the long intro is my attempt to make the 500 words minimum. But you probably needed to know all this anyway.
So, speedo off. Lots of alternatives. Send it off to a specialist and have it redone to get the...
The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of a man-cave and highlight the benefits of having one. I will throw out some ideas on how to get one started and also talk about my own experience.
A man-cave, by definition, is an area that is set apart for the man of the house. Whether the man-cave is inside or outside of a house, it is nevertheless an exclusive space, separate from all other areas at home. Said exclusivity is what distinguishes the man-cave from other specialty rooms, such as a den, study or library. The latter are still considered an integral part of the home which anyone in the home is entitled to occupy. A man-cave is also considered a place of privacy; thereby making it a special retreat or sanctuary...
Youâve just discovered thereâs water seeping out the top of a head stud & to make life worse the stud has come apart from the base thread, so what are the options â remove the head & tap a thread into the top deck of the block, not the best option â expensive & time consuming, next option is to access the remaining thread via a welsh plug ( freeze plug) you could try & grind flat to drill and tap out the old thread but this again is time consuming & can be expensive & unfortunately some will try re welding â now thatâs a real mess.
Donât despair there is hope with a fix I have done on my own engine (XJ6 S2) & others I call âThe sandwich boltâ, this method works when you just need the problem fixed & back driving with a minimum of fuss &...
I suppose the only thing more certain in this world than Brits loving warm beer (because they have Lucas refrigerators) is that British cars leak oil.
As proven by our Bugeye. We bought it with a freshly restored engine. The restorer didnât think it needed one of those fancy-dancy new rear main oil seals. It didnât leak: It poured. The restorer even talked up the idea of mounting a catch basin under the back of the engine.
Uh huh â NO.
The restorer had included one of BMCâs PCV Valves (a $64 item from Moss, or is it a $64 dollar question) in the rebuild, and it was plumbed correctly. Given I was already generating a small lake of oil on the garage floor I didnât try running without to see if it made things worse. Instead, I pulled...
Our bugeye came to us with a Weber 40 DCOE. Never owned a car with Weberâs before, but hey? It started with no choke and ran. What more could one ask?
OK â it ran. But it hesitated a bit when I floored it, and whatâs up with the starting without needing the choke. And if you do use the choke â wow. Instaflood â and let it sit for a while and try again. And let it sit for a whileâŚ.
Our bug came to us with a 1275 engine, 8.5 to 1 compression, freshly rebuilt. For a variety of reasons, I chose to have the engine built again, this time as a 1380 with 10 to 1 compression, an aluminum head and a mild cam upgrade. Idles reasonably nicely, though not as smooth as the original build with its milder cam.
NTL, when cold, the car just didnât...
See the attached file for a more comprehensive procedure for rebuilding the Lucas horn as used on the Austin Healey and Jaguar XK120
Over the years I have restored a number of cars, many of them with Lucas wiper systems. Funny, really, even our Pantera uses a Lucas system. In the past I had not noticed that there should be a seal around the wiper arm shaft - just below the knurled knob where the wiper arm clamps (wedges) on. This morning I was cleaning the accumulated grease and gunk from yet another wiper arm mechanim and noted that there seemed to be a seal on one of them. Granted, after being soaked in gasoline overnight, it was sort of soft. But, it got me wondering.
Needless to say, a web search did not come up with replacement seals. Go figure. I looked carefully at the outer end of the shaft housing and noted that there is actually a lip that is meant...
âWinnieâ my personal Arkley SS based on a 1971 MG Midget
This is Winnie, a 1971 Arkley MG Midget with a John Britten designed front and rear. Only 900 to a 1000 of these kits were sold originally, and very few ended up in the United States.
Besides the custom body work other upgrades include: The 1275cc MG engine was rebuilt and a street cam added; Electronic ignition; Weber 32/36 carb with a new header and exhaust system; a 5-speed Datsun transmission rebuilt by Rivergate; wheels are 13x7 with 185/70R13 tires. Tire pressure in the front is 22 PSI and the rear 24 PSI. The interior was completely redone and a modern radio/speaker system and cigarette lighter plug installed. A center console/storage area/arm rest was also added. The...
Submitted by Al Bradley ( @bradal )
Behind the Smile ANOTHER TRUE SPORTS CAR STORY
By now some of you will have heard this, so please bear with me. Itâs a good story.
This story happened when the USAF sent me to Biloxi, Mississippi for further training to be akiller. First of all, I had the responsibility of finding my way from Abingdon, Virginia to Biloxi. Thatwas no mean feat in those days of the late 1960âs.
I certainly intended to drive my (t)rusty TR-4. It was the route that posed the problem.Obviously, I had to take I-81 from here and then whatever substituted for I- 40/75 at the time fromKnoxville to Chattanooga. Then it was I-59 to Birmingham, Alabama. But, after Birmingham, all of theInterstate Routes turned in the...
The Austin Healey Sprite Chronicles
Introduction
Welcome to the Austin Healey Sprite Chronicles. My name is Jack and I am here with Bertie to share my love of the Sprite. (I have since sold Bertie, but donât despair, I replaced him with a 1971 Arkley MG Midget). I donât consider myself an expert or the final authority on any of the information I am going to share. These are impressions, beliefs, and suggestions based upon my experience and research. Anyone is free to agree or disagree. Do your own research and decide for yourself. That being said I hope, whether you agree or disagree, that you at least share my adoration for this fun and wonderful automobile...
My First Jaguar in High School
by Basil
I have always loved British sports cars, especially Jaguars. I learned to drive backin 1966 in Bridgeport West Virginia in a 1960 Jag XK150 that belonged to a friend of the family (I was 12 years old)! Ever since then I longed to own a Jag of my own. One day, while driving down Hampton Bldv in Aurora, CO, I spotted a tan colored Jaguar XKE Coupe sitting at a service station with a FOR SALE sign in the rear window! I called the number and learned the car belonged to a couple who were selling it because they were expecting a new baby and needed a more practical car. What luck! I just happened to have had a 1963 Pontiac Catalina! I was only a junior in high school at the time (1971), but was able to...
Submitted by @DrEntropy
It has always confounded me: the manner in which a major portion of the US public perceive our cars. For the most part it has been my experience that they think of the cars as âtoysâ or âcuteâ and âflimsyâ. âUnreliableâ comes in there too.
A personal case in point:
In another life I worked as a photographer for a studio in western Pennsylvania. The owner (I'll call him Sam) and I had known each other for years before this. I had just been discharged from the US Air Force, where I had been an âAerial Combat Documentation Photographer.â It was a natural fit that I seek employment with a photo business, as the government would 'subsidize' my wages for some period if I stayed in a related field. It was a win-win...
Submitted by James Tworow ( @Sherlock )
I've always admired Colin Chapman, founder of the Lotus car company. He wasone of many people starting small British sports car manufacturers in the 1950s and1960s, companies who realized that not all aspiring sports car owners could afford thefuel bills associated with many cars of the period. They used small engines from avariety of sources and usually built up their own chassis. Lotus seemed to get theformula right, being known for their exceptional handling even with the early cars. Overthe years the majority of the companies went out of business â only TVR has stayed inconstant production. But Lotus is the company that rose above the crowd and becamesuccessful and well known. Chapman...
General Tech Additive Manufacturing for the Spare Part Supply Chain of Classic Cars â An exploratory Literature Review
Dear Classic Car Friends,
My name is Lukas, I am 24 years old and I come from Munich. Classic cars have been inspiring me ever since I put my feet on the pedals. I have decided to turn my hobby into a job. I am currently on this path:
I have been doing a research masterâs degree at Stellenbosch University SA for a year. My topic is the use of 3D printing to produce spare parts for classic cars. The aim of my research is to develop a method to identify spare parts best suitable for 3D printing. In addition to the usual factors such as size, material, and function, up to 10 other spare part attributes are analysed in this method.
To identify the spare part attributes and to estimate the potential improvement of utilising 3D printing an...
In Personal Pursuit of Happiness
by DrEntropy
As a young person, my interest in all things mechanical was only overshadowed by a fascination with the photographic image. The ability to âsteal a moment in timeâ with a camera. It started with my paternal grandfatherâs photos of his various trips around the continent, taken with a 35mm Baldina camera and Kodachrome. The man had an âeye,â likely due to having been a National Geographic life member from the time of his youth. As a pre-teen, the images of Cypress Gardens water skiing exhibitions, Anasazi cliff dwellings, Canadian flower gardens, the Grand Canyon, all projected onto a large screen in his living room post-trip held me spellbound. I had to learn to do that!
The parents were...
Submitted by @healeygal - Sharon Tanihara
Twenty-six years ago, right after I first got my Healey Hundred, I attended the WestCoast Meet in Eureka, California and had my picture taken with Donald Healey. At the time, Ifigured that experience would last me a lifetime and was content to spend the next couple ofdecades using the car around town or venturing out on short jaunts up and down the coast. Itwas only in the last couple of years (realizing that time is slipping by and the car was beginningto deteriorate to the point of being unsafe to drive) that I became active in a club, had workdone on the car to make her roadworthy, and gained a better understanding of what makes hertick.
Me, my Healey and my shirt with picture of Donald...
A Tale of Transmissive Tutelage
Submitted by @DrEntropy
This story takes place a few decades back, when we could find MGâs largely un-rusted and for affordable amounts of money. To be accurate it was late in 1972.
As a Sergeant in the US Air Force and married to my college heart-throb for a few years, we were living a life we considered Spartan but comfortable for a couple in their early twenties. She had a job at a local bank, we had my original â66 MGB and a â67 MGB-GT for her to drive. All was âright with the worldâ we were inhabiting. Because we had the reputation of being âate upâ with the MG bug, we were told one day of an MGB for sale in the area and went to âjust lookâ at it. A British Racing Green example, tight and...
This article is written to help identify the connections originating at the two-speed windscreen wiper switch where the colour-coded fabric of the wiring loom has faded beyond all possible identification.
The motor is a DR-3, two-speed unit. The switch is a seven terminal,three position (off, low speed, high speed) piece:
At the side of the switch are numbers stamped into the metal case,identifying each terminal, not in sequential order.
Using a VOM ( Volt Ohm Meter), isolate each wire one-at-a-time and find the corresponding wire at the engine compartment, marking it for later identification with the appropriate switch terminal. Once all are IDâd and reconnected, reinstall the switch and associated facia and knobs.
Assuming the...
Submitted by @Basil
I have always loved British sports cars, especially Jaguars. I learned to drive backin 1966 in Bridgeport West Virginia in a 1960 Jag XK150 that belonged to a friend of the family (I was 12 years old)! Ever since then I longed to own a Jag of my own. One day, while driving down Hampton Bldv in Aurora, CO, I spotted a tan colored Jaguar XKE Coupe sitting at a service station with a FOR SALE sign in the rear window! I called the number and learned the car belonged to a couple who were selling it because they were expecting a new baby and needed a more practical car. What luck! I just happened to have had a 1963 Pontiac Catalina! I was only a junior in high school at the time (1971), but was able to trade my Pontiac to...
Submitted by James Tworow ( @Sherlock )
The Austin-Healey roadster, whether you pick the 100/4, 100/6, 3000 or Sprite, is a well-loved and legendary sports car. When the 100/4 roadster was launched back in late 1953 it took the sports car world by storm. But what many don't know is that Donald Healey had been building cars for a number of years before that.
Healey picked up some experience in the British automotive industry before World War II. After a number of years in rallying he worked one year for Riley in 1933 before jumping over to Triumph to become the chief engineer. When they went out of business in 1939 he moved on to Humber for the duration of the war. Then, just before the end of the war, he left Humber to set up his...
Submitted by ByJohn Simpson ( @brother john )
My love affair with British cars began in 1953 when I was thirteen years old. One of the young men back from the Korean War had a 52 MGTD in his driveway, and that did it. It was lithe, lively, low, and sexy. I think it was that TD, and not the local girls,that first got my hormones churning. As priorities at my house were education, education, education, and as my Daddy (rightly) believed that cars would dilute my level of pursuit of things academic, I would forego ownership of a car until it was a practical necessity for my parents. Ownership manifested itself in a 47 Chevy four door, then a 50 Ford 4 door. Then I chanced upon a 54 MG-TF 1250 at a used car lot in Montgomery, AL while...
Submitted by
@Greasy Thumb
This is of course true and happened in about 1987 in Sunnyvale, CA. One daywhile at lunch I noted in the San Jose Merks' classifieds, an advertisememt for an ACBuckland, --Buckland?? Must be a Brooklands. Never heard of Buckland. I called andit was at a scrappers in nearby Los Gatos. After work I rushed over, and sure enough itWAS a 1953 Buckland, a Rare car (one of 12) and from a rare old company started in1905 and surprisingly still turning out cars.
This four place convertible it turns out was the sports model with alloy body andhad originally come with their amazingly modern Single Overhead Cam, alloy block,triple SU'd motor designed in 1926. This car had however been blessed with a Jaguarmotor which fit...
A Poem
Submitted by @DaVinci
Take yourself back to 1952,
See the cars from Detroit drive through Kalamazoo,
When the Army no longer needed tanks by the scores,
They put on rubber wheels and gave 'em four doors.
But someone remembered what a sportscar could be,
He'd been building roadsters since he turned twenty three,
And across the Atlantic on the old British Isle,
Donald Healey decided to build cars with style.
He stayed up in his workshop far into the night,
Kept true to his dream 'til he got it just right,
Watched Abingdon craftsmen, like a father's first born,
Roll out his creation to the sun one fine morn.
With a chirp and a growl, then a rock steady whine,
She gave driver, creator, a heavenly sign,
But the devil's own...