Happy New Year!

Well, time has flown by.

More work, less play, and other domestic activities and a family wedding has not gotten the Kew any closer to home yet.

So the only progress is virtual as I do a bit of web based research in my spare time.

Hey I even bought a US published magazine despite the shipping being 3 times the magazine cost!

I think though the one thing I’m closer to is the look!

So unless anything changes, I am looking at the black and whitewall like the picture below.

Credit to Hemmings Classic Car April 2016. No Credit to my poor photo of it!
I’ll steal another of the web and put it in the gallery

I know this is a 2 door, but I think it the way to go..

What say you?

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A chance spot during the regular trawl for anything of use on E-bay found a pair of headlight glasses in the UK.

Given the rarity of this stuff I contacted the seller to establish it this was it, or if there was more to come?

Suffice to say, that after a few emails,  lists and conversations there was a whole pile of “stuff” that would fit the car.

John the seller, (we’ll call him John for now) had just sold his car and had 20 years worth off accumulated spares  for his 1938 Airstream.

Despite the spares costing nearly as much as the car, a deal was struck and I now have a big pile of spares for the engine and transmission, brakes, glass, and some interior and external trim and handles.

Most will fit a few bits are model specific , so once I’ve had time to sort them ,I ‘ll move them on. Heres a few pictures of the stash

Still not done anyting of any note.!

But I have splashed out on a borescope.

Justified the £10 by figuring that this could be `very useful for all manner of jobs, just need to think of them.

Hoped I could use it to look inside the Chryslers bores. Unfortunately I stupidly forgot that due to the side valve layout this aint gonna work!

The drivers supplied were not happy running on Vista so downloaded a free programme called XXXXX

A month on from my last tinker and feeling the need, I remembered I’d chopped up an old Renault 12 scissorjack handle to use in a drill as a high sped jack winder at some time!

So I dug it out from one of the sheds and while it might be “metric” I figured it would be close enough to try

So I gave it a bit of rough grinding and got it to fit a 10mm socket

Tap with a hammer and Jobs done.

So with a couple of hours spare and a month since the Diesel in the bores has ahd time to work, some long 1/2″ extensions and I figured I may be onto a winner, worth a try anyway.

So having felt the way in with a torch I was well chuffed when the “tool” picked up on the crank end and felt cammed in! Stuck a nice big comfy ratchet handle on it and gave it a little push!

Well its at this point I’d like to be writing how it suddenly gave and the engine is now spinning like a top!

Sadly it was not to be and despite increasing pressure and weight on the handle it became clear that it was not going anywhere 🙁

Until the socket walls gave way and now it needs welding onto the shaft for the  next attempt.

So that’s that unless I get some bright ideas? Stuck another  good squirt of pluss gas in each plugghole and about half a cupful of diesel for good measure, and moved on to something else to take my mind off it for now!

Having a little poke around I found the dipstick and was pleased to see that it did have some reasonable looking oil in it, Sadly, it not been further than the sump for a long time and I’m starting to worry that the rings are welded/rusted in the bores.

Another look with idle hands and I see that it’s also had a fuel pump added on at some time, presumably to feed the Zenith?

Also had a little look at the distributor, it seems in reasonable shape though the rotor arm was quite “floppy.

Looking closely at it I wonder if there should be a small leaf spring in this slot  keeping it steady. at the moment theres about 30 deg of movement!

So thats it for todays little look see.

Car 1 progress 0

Nice sunny day and time for a trip out in the MK with my mate Nick in his Tiger today, to see the last A47 Autojumble and show this year.
Tom was there with his ’38 for a bit of bonus inspiration. It’s for sale too, if you want it!

Got a chat with Janet and Jon who own this 1937 vauxhall. Working on an oily rag rolling restoration, the interior is challenge, but does not smell so bad as mine. The fully restored wheels and whitewalls are a picture.

Bagged this sweet book of the jumble for a quid! That should help

So I felt like I’d achieved something this is what I actually did apart from taking pictures!

• As below, found the battery and removed it for scrap
• Squirted lots of things with plus gas, including the spark plugs and carb linkages and cables
• Unbelievably found its got its original keys in the ignition, with a fob that predates the the current registration. (I have DVLA letter that it changed registration at some point in the 70’s. I guess when personal plates became desirable)
• Squirted all the pull controls in the cab, choke, throttle etc
• Identified the whole car as 12V electrics
• Got the plugs out
  • As per the picture these had been bodged in, they should be VERY short reach. These had had extra sealing washers added! Hopefully the pistons haven’t hit the plugs previously!
• Cleaned up the holes and put  an egg cup of diesel down each one. Hopefully this will soak an unsieze and seized ness, fingers crossed
• Was not able to turn the engine on the fan and can’t reach the crank pulley
• But I can see the crank handle slot, so will see about knocking up a suitable tool to turn it from her next time.
  • I don’t want to risk trying the starter motor at this point it could wreck it and the wiring if he engine is seized solid
• Noticed that theres no door lock on the drivers door! But there is on the passenger side. How’s that for giving away its roots?

That about it, times up so put back to bed until next time, when hopefully the diesels done something and I’ve got something mackled up to try and turn the engine with.

Whilst I’m not ready to start work on it, nevertheless, it’s been calling since I got it home and just needed a little tinker to help the thought process.

We’d got a few days off so I managed to get a pass out for a play!
So with plugs and points in hand, along with a big can of plus gas (proper wd40) and some tools off we went for a look see!
Some of my initial thoughts/concerns:

• Is the engine seized solid?
  • This may affect the project path entirely
• Did the last tinkerer in 1985 try and get it working with a 12V battery ?
  • Some were 6V electrics, so hitting it with 12V could take out all the instruments
    • Where is the battery?
• What to do about the rusty surfaces?
  • At the moment the wings and roof seem solid and the rust is heavy, but surface, so how to best preserve, if at all until the time is right

Other than that I just wanted to get to know it a bit better and start thinking how this this might progress.

To get close to it and start to acknowledge and log some of the details that were difficult outside and may be crucial to obtaining any parts or what have you.

Below is a whole bunch of snaps I took, that really start to show the scale of the job!

Its got a steel sunroof from new

Some strange mould on the seats

This is the heavy surface rust that may need a stopgap treatment

Headlining got mould, rear window is cool though

Another sunroof, handle is seized

Similar mould on door cards, perhaps I should get it analysed?

Fantastic Deco detail on handles

Drivers door cards not great

Dummy glove box on drivers side

Drivers side running board shot

Pulled the front bench seat out looking for the battery

Cool period washer accessory

Detail in front seat, well made but sad now

The battery was found under the seat 12V “modern” type

Front grill not too bad at all

O)dd Swiss motoring badge on grille

Front seat leather started out well

Jack and a bit of water pump found

Original gigar light appears unused!

The voltage reg. GOOD NEWS. Its 12V

Spark plug fiddling

Carb with bizarre jubilee clip around it?

Now I don’t this is original!!

Plugs out, spot the bodge

International Autojumble Beaulieu
Just back from a great  two days at Beaulieu, sadly Lord montague passed a few days before our visit. This was the first time I’d ever been, it’s a lovely place and even the wife and the dog enjoyed it
This show is massive, but despite a day and a half of looking at 000’s of stalls I can honestly say , not a single part or reference a was found to the Chrysler.
Still I didn’t come home empty handed, I bought a new set of plugs, points and a 6V ignition coil
That’ll fix it!

Rather than make the last post longer, these are a set of hastily shot pictures before we got left it, just to give a general reminder of what I’ve got!

Early start got the trailer hitched to Nick’s tow car and a 200 mile trip later got us to Cumbria for midday.

We wasted no time planning how to get a 2 ton car with no brakes or engine, from a narrow level bit up a steep hilly bit enough to turn it and roll it down a steep hilly bit onto the trailer without a broken car, trailer, tow car or persons!
With a bit of extra help from Steve’s neighbour and judicious use of rocks to keep it all under control every six inches we managed to get it loaded. Strapped all the doors up with tape removed a couple of loose bit of irreplaceable trim, drank a cup of coffee, paid the man, and we are off again within the hour. Good work all!

Steve saying goodbye, Steves neighbour and Nick resting to build up strength.

After much pushing and rapid rock placing, we got it onto the trailer (it just fits!)

And we’re underway!

200 miles late and were back in Leicestershire.
Unloaded and got it tucked away in its nice new dry home.

One of the things that I’d tried and struggled to find was the exact weight of the “Kew”.

This was important to get an idea of what equipment was going to be needed to collect it and get it back to Leicestereshire from Cumbria.

After much deliberation, we calculated that a 5 meter lightweight  trailer + the Kew , would still be too heavy to be towed by a RAV4, but would be safe behind a Volvo XC90, so my good friend Nick was drafted in to use his bus as the tow car.

So a trailer was booked with Barwell Trailer Hire who have always been very good value when I used them before for other car based activities!

And collected the night before, ready for the big day. Not small is it!

Having seen Tom’s there wasn’t that much to decide anyway, save for the fact that current circumstances weren’t in my favor and this is one big car that’s going to need a lot of time and work when I get to it.
Not to mention what to do with it in the meantime until I could actually start any proper work on it?
Still, I took the plunge, got on the phone to Steve, confirmed my intention, sent him a deposit and once I’d sorted out the logistics, arranged to collect it asap.

In the meantime I put some feelers out and got a few suggestions and even offers of single garages, but whilst not ungrateful where never going to cut it, this things nearly 5 meters long!
Fortunately via good old Locostbuildersand my Facebook friends, I found  a satisfactory arrangement and so that was that obstacle covered.

So I just need to do some military co-ordination of people transport and storage and we’ll be home and dry :-O

After 2 weeks of Internet research on the car I was more interested than ever and despite being the worst time in my life to take on another project, not least finding somewhere to keep it, I arranged for another look. So on our second holiday to Cumbria a month later I found myself in old clothes with a torch, giving it a more thorough look over and under!
Well, this may be premature, but from what i could see the chassis was sound and the only real sort was the running boards and the rear of the boot floor. Theres plenty of surface rust but the metal still seems sound enough, so at least what I can see should be salvageable. Likewise I could not actually see anything missing, right down to the set of hubcaps and the jack and spare in the boot, being as rare as they are this would be critical to a restoration. Probably the saddest bit is the condition of the interior furnishings as its mostly beyond salvageable, but, as said, all there for patterns.

I just need to kick myself and make the final decision!!

Just like busses!
Whats the chance’s of that happening?
A rare ride out this year in the MK “Yellow Car” for my first visit to the A47 Autojumble/Show (held at Leicester racecourse on this occasion) and unbelievably I spot this twin!
Turns out its owned by Tom, who restored it 4 years ago,and is now looking for a change an he lives less than 10 miles from me!
Nevertheless, to see this superb car, albeit with  mild rodding, was enough to make me buy a round!
This one has a 302 ford V8 engine and Jaguar XJ6 running gear front subframe and rear axle. Its simply stunning inside and out.

In case you want to buy here the link to tom’s advert;
Tom’s Kew For Sale

So I spent some time on t’internet and information was gathered and  though sparse due to the age, I’m now a ’38 a MOPAR expert!
No not really but there is quit a bit of conflicting or duplicated info on the model range , particularly where the years ended and new ones started.
In brief: In the late 30’s the USA Plymouth brand was sold in the UK under the Chrysler badge.
At this time there was still a UK demand for premium cars that outstripped UK supply and to circumvent import duty these cars were imported in “kit” form.
Depending on the model and where they were built was part of the naming convention. Chrysler UK had a factory in Kew Gardens, London.
So, keeping it relevant to this car, the Plymouth P6 was sold in the UK badged as as the Chrysler Kew.

So a look around was had; Although it’s sitting outside now, it was a “barn find” for Steve who was looking to restore it himself, it was suggested that it had been the Mayor of Hull’s official car originally, but most recently taken by an acquaintance in respect of a debt, from the “barn” then bought by Steve.
Looking round it I figured on the condition, the completeness and the originality, that these things don’t present themselves that often in life.
What also struck me was its giant size and presence and whilst that may create difficulties down the line, if I had to drive a vintage car, (for those that don’t know me) I’d look and fit better in this than an Austin 7!
It’s got Suicide rear doors, lots or chrome (for its age), bench seats front and back, a huge boot (sorry Wayne,trunk!) a cute flathead 6. and lots or art deco details. I was quite taken with it.

Whilst on holiday in Cumbria, I spotted this interesting vehicle by chance!
This was the closest I could get initially with a long zoom lens, to try an identify the marque
After a bit of research I was still puzzled.
So to clear up the mystery I approached the owner, who as well as clarifying the make, also advised that it might be for sale!
From here the seed was sowed!!

Whilst I intended for this blog to be for “the” Car, as I’m not clever enough to get WordPress to do  multiple blogs, there will be an other automotive type interest/projects creep in 😉