The case for a hard spray dodger?

With canvas on stainless steel tubes costing about the same and lasting not such a long time, the case for the plywood and epoxy hard dodger is making more sense today.

Just look at all that space and clear vision, when it rains you just tuck yourself inside, an added canvas extension will keep the sun and rain off you too.

kits at comlumber dot co.za  contact me for prices, one will ship to the USA in a week or so.

Roy

Muslin bag covers on a boats fender?

Notty in the UK suggested this is the way to go but Jean says it will just attract dirt and grime and make things worse?

So I am now undecided, do I take Athols lead and do as he has since he repainted his boats hull and bought new fenders, or do I leave the fenders as they have been the last decade?

Roy


 

Hillman Imp 998cc liners and pistons in South Africa

These may just be the only set in Cape Town ?

Imported by Eric, I took them over for a project I had on.
Now with the engineers for final sorting out of the all alloy Hillman Imp block which suffered from some welding, the block has a slight bend in it and requires a line boring job.

The liners are well made and to a tried and tested Rootes Competitions design.

The liner will fit inside a new bore socket taken down and into the Imp block, the entire
875cc liner being taken away.

Pistons with rings came as part of the set, the rings to the left of the picture are Wills Rings to seal the cylinder head to block with.

Fitted to Imp con rods, make sure you fit the pistons the right way around! Thats the valve cut out to the lower edge of the block when viewed from the rear of the car.

Roy

Splicing of mooring lines, ropes plus teak cockpit tables.

This is still a bit of a black art to myself, I did the top splice around the stainless thimble but not the line to line splice, which was done by a lady who does such tricks with lines, see how much tighter her splice is.

The folding cockpit table used to be a production run item, we rarely get orders for them these days.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2009/11/yachsts-teak-cockpit-tables.html

Orders for December 2012 are still possible.

Roy

Ford Fiesta front brake caliper pot removal

Progress on the 1967 Singer  Chamois ( hillman imp) front disc brake conversion is going well, I just needed to inspect the condition of the inside of the caliper and the pot that does the work against the Ferodo brake pad.  Part number FDB589.

The expert told me to blow the caliper pot out with an airline and to watch my fingers, a block of wood in place stops the pot going too far and too fast?

Note, the braided brake fluid line is none standard, this one is metric on the caliper end and imperial on the Imps Girling brake master cylinder end.
I tried the air line and at 5 bars, thats all of 70 pounds pressure! nothing moved at all.
I then created a brake fluid rig using a spare Hillman Imp foot peddle box and a 0.625 master cylinder, it worked just fine.

With the pot removed I could see the conditon will be good enough to just fit a new set of seals and rubber dust cover.

How easy is that!

Roy

Didi Retro 29 sail boat now cutting

Not quite but about to be and ready for its owner who will build the very first one here in Hout Bay,South Africa, over the next few months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlE8Ut56jd0&feature=youtube_gdata

Check the link to see a 3D view of the hull form.

This design was commissioned by a client who likes the concept and features of theDIDI 26 but wanted a more classic appearance. He plans to build it himself in Hout Bay, South Africa from a kit supplied by CKD Boats.

Most of the boat is the same as the DIDI 26, with some obvious differences. The springy sheer curve was achieved by adding bulwarks that are 100mm (4") high in the bow and taper down to normal toerail height for the length of the cockpit. This gives safety for working the foredeck but allows crew to sit comfortably on the rail at the cockpit.

The cabin has been changed to a more boxy traditional configuration with the sides and ends close to vertical. The roof has compound curves that might mot be easy to skin with plywood, so it will be done with strip cedar glassed over. The cabin is a bit narrower, giving wider sidedecks that on the 26.

Watch this blog for regular updates on setting the building stocks up, then the building of the actual boat itself.

More info on the boat right now can be found here  http://www.dixdesign.com/29Retrodidi.htm


Roy

Dave Elcock gets his TBA book!

Dave is one of those on the list of those who should have a copy, short of me driving all over the place I have to wait until whoever it is passes by?

Dave sails his cold moulded Lavranos Compass 47 out of the RCYC and was a regular entry in the various TBA regattas.

We have just 31 copies left and at R120 each they are good value, all proceeds are passed on to the NSRI and to Station 8 in Hout Bay from now on.

Note, another confirmed sold today, so we are down to just 30 copies left now!

Roy

The Hult Healey in Jorgens garage

Whats in your garage may be a good way to start the question? One customer in Sweden has a car I have never even heard of!

Wow!

Hello,

Here are some facts about HULT HEALEY : Mr. Svanberg from the little village HULT (!!) in Sweden didn´t want to competition-destroy his original Healey 100 from 1959. He and a friend built a replica for racing based on robust Volvo-technology. Coil-springs and diskbrakes on all wheels, specially manufactured frame in rect.steeltubes.The body (GRP) became 140mm wider because of the axles. This was 1984 and the car became succesful. About 40 was built, I have one of them. No one is like the other ....
My engine is a (homebuilt) compact 2.3L Twin Cam which I pushed back as far as possible in the engine-room, all for god balance.
All weight (900Kg) is placed between the axles. The engine-bottom is from 60´s, the middle from 70´s, and the 16V-head in Aluminium from the 80´s.
The four Carburetors are from the 90´s ! (Mikuni). About 170 Hp + Four Gears + Electric Overdrive make it roll.

Regards from Jörgen

Whats next you might ask, I do wonder myself!

Roy

Singer Chamois Sport front disc brake kit set

Kits are what we do, in this case its a kit from another supplier and the third such set shipped to Hout Bay this year only. Designed to suit the Hillman Imp range which includes the Commer van and Husky estate, Sunbeam and also the various other Imp based cars, Colins Myra Jowet trials car is once such special.

The kit is the latest and upgraded version, the first sent to South Africa I would think.

The chrome link plate and special sized spacers are the important part of this kit, those and the BF Goodridge fluid hose with metric and imperial ends.

 

Ford Fiesta caliper with new disc and pads, the complete set is attatched to the standard Hillman Imp front uprights and will be fitted as a unit when the old ones are taken off the 1967 Singer Chamois these are for.

New spring retaining clips come as part of the Ferodo brake pad set.

Roy

Navigator, a design by John Welsford

This is a great design and we have one being built here by a customer right now. Wilhelm is making it part of a retirement project.

The picture was taken from the JW web site.

We can offer all the materials and some of the parts pre cut, thats the bulkhead stations,transom and the bottom of the boat, all on file so ready to go. We have the plans ex stock too.

Roy

Anodes protect a Max Prop Classic

Some many years back I discovered that two propellor shaft anodes extended the life that one would have and by more than double.

With luck some savy technical reply will advise me why this is, for now just believe its true!

This 18" Max Prop has been in service around twelve years now, a shaft anode fits just behind it, then a second behind the A bracket and Vesconite bearing.

The paint job is sprayed on Prop O Drev, it will give two years service and require very little in the way of cleaning. The anodes are now fitted prior to the re launch.

Note, use a small hammer to tap the anode onto the shaft, re tighten the screws often as you fit them.

Roy