Judy Reid, at the RCYC in 1982

This was the year that the Cape to Uruguay ocean yacht race was on, Judy was selling the race programs.

Picture taken by Ivor M (name obscured in the cutting)

The picture was taken from one of the Cape Town news papers, I have kept it all these years!

We are still in touch with Judy (now Timms)  who now lives down on the island of Tasmania.

She was in Cape Town last month  ( June 2016?) 

Roy

Restoration of a Hillman Imp Californian car

The 1967 Hillman Imp Californian took some 24 months to restore,

The car is now close to complete, the fitting of new disc brakes on the front may be the next job to do, the discs are in stock, so an easy job to fit.

This is how the front disc sets look when fitted to the Imp car, this one has extra length studs to accept Supalite alloy rims, which were fitted on a race imp in 2012.

The calipers are Ford and suit the Imp when it has the 13" rims fitted.

With the Imp Sport engine conversion this 875cc engine gives a good acceleration over the standard Imps engine.

Roy

British Seagull 102 series restoration?

This will be my last 'customer ' restoration of a British Seagull?

Click on the images to enlarge them.

I say 'the last' as the cost to parts and labour just is not cheap, time taken is countless hours, which if I charged on a normal mechanics or a plumbers hourly rate would escalate my charges beyond affordability?

I have one more 102 series similar to the one in the picture, that will be done as an in house stock motor and for sale.

The engine above came in last February 2015, that is over six months ago, the time to source spare parts comes to much of that time and of course the final cost to the restoration.

The same engine, bench tested and ready to be collected?

Roy

Basils Argie 15 build in Switzerland

This is another kit set we shipped out.

Basil is doing a very neat assembly job of our Argie 15 kit set.

Hi Roy

I have just painted the daggerboard case and glued the mast step.

I have a question.

Do you know where I can get the 6 meter mast and boom?

Can you supply this or you have a idea where i can order it?

Regards,

Basil

We have supplied Basil with the information he requested and he should be able to source his mast and boom now.

Roy

Optimist kit builds in the USA

We shipped three of our CKD Boats cc Optimist kits to a sailing school in the USA.

This image is titled " Three on the floor"

The idea is that the children build the kits with assistance from a teacher, then learn how to sail what they have just built.

This image is titled " It Floats "

Next we hope to see the boats completed and with the builders ready to sail.

Roy

British Seagull 102 series runs again

This Seagull engine may be all of fifty nine years old (1957) today it was started and test run on the bench.

Check that four blade propellor, its turning well. This size engine has a clutch, so the drive to the prop shaft can be cut.

Checked it out, no bad exhaust smoke and rather good for a bench run.

JP, comments:

You know Roy there is something awesomely beautiful about those engines - a design led purely by function. So British, and so historical. Everyone should be forced to own one of these at some stage, it would ground quite a few people I know!!!

Roy

Four British Seagulls of various types and sizes are in stock and ready for your order and restoration!

Series 102 British Seagull complete

With a new coil fitted this restoration can be said to be complete.

The size of this outboard is quite a challenge but it will push a decent sized work boat all day long with ease.

A new coil was imported and fitted today, the old one looks fine but one end wire was showing signs of turning green and broke easily.

The flywheel was cleaned with our bead blaster and is now back on the engine.

Ready to go!

Roy

Teepol Orange detergent

Teepol Orange, simply the best there is and since 1938.

No available again,

5ltr and 20ltr packs.

Roy

Restoration of the British Seagull engines

This kind of restoration takes place while other work is in process, so it takes time.

The engine below will be about sixty years old? it has been stripped right down to the engine, then all parts were re plated or re painted as required.

Click on the images to enlarge them.

The engine in the picture is a series 102 version and is rated to 3.5 to 5 bhp, that is misleading, as I think they were using real horses to rate it against?

Check that large propellor to see what I mean.

This engine is a customers, we also have a similar engine in stock which will be for sale when its finished.

There is also a much smaller Seagull in process, this one is a family treasure and has to be ready for use in December.

The engine is still in many pieces but with the tank transfer applied today we are well on our way to completion.

The transfer will be sprayed with clear lacquer next.

Six clear coats and in three sessions

The 102 series British Seagull owner will soon have his restored engine :)

Fitting of a new coil is a specialialist job.

The old ones are now all at least 30 years old and liable to fail due to age .

Roy

Ferodo VG 95 drum brake linings

This is one of those once off lots, it is N.O.S and basically brand new.

Size wise I think they will be for 7" brake drums which may be the Morris or Austin Mini?

At R150 per lining they will be very cost effective, its about U$7.00 each.

There are just five sets of four pieces only.

Postage world wide at our cost.

Roy

Argie 15 kit building in Switzerland

This has come in from Basil in Zurich.

Hi Roy

I have just glued the seat riser and set the first cleats,

Regards,

Basil

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Basil has a very nice workshop, lots of light and a good build table to work off.

The workmanship looks neat and clean, this is a good way to process any build, clean up as you proceed.

The inside joints have been supported with epoxy fillets, we supply the micro balloons and fumed silica powders with each kit we sell (optional) when required.

The Argie 15 kit set from CKD Boats cc is a very popular choice.

Roy

Which way up do the Perkins 4108 diesel injector yokes go?

This question requires an answer, as so far I have not been able to find any mention of it?

The injectors on the Perkins 4108 are not in the Perkins manual for the engine, well excepting an image showing one under test but nothing otherwise in the two manuals I have.

One manual shows an image on page 32?

Images are taken from Parts 4 Engines, my thanks.

Check the way the yoke sits high and under the neck of the main injector body.

I had my injectors fitted with new nozzles, they came back to me with the yoke reversed and a large gap where that joint is.

This meant that I could not tighten the injector into the head tight enough as the yoke was fouling the cylinder head and the copper washer was not sealing the injector to cylinder head correctly.

Note the recess, this yoke is the right way up, lets call it the 'Catch Water ' position?

My four injectors were returned to me with the yoke upside down and the depth of that recess was then short on the depth I could tighten the injector nuts up to.

Click on the image above ( its my own) the gaps around the injectors can be seen clearly?

This is how the head was suppliied to me, the valves had been fully serviced, the injectors still required the same so the yokes were in the original and correct position.

I hope this information is of help to someone?

Roy

The Optimist kit by CKD Boats cc

This kit was developed from an order from a local yacht club for five kits, as we were developing the kit, three more orders from the same club came in.

Since then we have sold them into many places, sometimes with larger boat kit orders or to parents who just want to get their children onto the water.

This kit build is the first one of three kits we exported to a sailing school in the USA late last year.

The kids will build the boat, then learn how to sail them as well.

Guidence from an adult will be required.

We supply a very detailed builders guide with each kit we supply, it has some 14 pages and is filled with instructions and pictures.

There is also a Builders Jig, that is required for each build, more than one Optimist can be built on the same jig if the builders are careful.

With this order we also supplied the North Sail and a Harken deck package.

Roy

Basils Argie 15 kit building

Basil bought an Optimist kit from us last year, he made a great job of building and finishing that kit.

He then ordered two more Optimist kits and also an Argie 15 design by Dudley Dix who is in the USA. We supply the plans under licence from www.dixdesign.com .

The panels when freed off from the okoume marine plywood sheets, we leave them tagged in for ease of packing.

The plans also include printed build instructions to guide the builder as the assembly takes place.

The Argie 15 is a fine craft, it can be used as a sailing camper also if you fit a canopy over the boom?

Basil calls this a 'Dry Assmbley ' that is a great idea and allows the builder to better understand the panel assembly .

The basic hull is formed, next the seats and dagger board casing will be fitted.

This kit went to Switzerland, such orders are not uncommon for us, we handle the packing and shipping, the customer then handles the inbound costs when the package arrives.

http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2014/06/argie-15.html

For a lot more on this great design please view the SA Yacht Blog by Justin Phillips.



Roy

Inside the Rootes Car Company, Linwood, Scotland, factory

There are very few really good pictures of the inside of the Linwood factory that I have seen, excepting those in books about the Hillman Imp like Apex by Robert Allan.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

This picture was posted as a header on a social media site connected to The Imp Club.

http://www.theimpclub.co.uk/

With members World wide The Imp Club is well worth knowing about.

Why not go on line now and become a member!

The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was m...anufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group (later Chrysler Europe) from 1963 to 1976

Imp variants:

The Hillman Husky estate car was based on the Imp

Hillman Imp
Hillman Imp Mark I
Hillman Imp de Luxe Mark I & Mark II
Hillman Super Imp
Hillman GT [10] (developed by Chrysler Australia from the Singer Chamois Sport and released in April 1967, it was never badged nor officially referred to as the Hillman Imp GT)[11]
Hillman Imp Californian (coupé / fastback saloon version)
Hillman Husky (estate version of the Imp from 1967)
Commer Imp Van (from November 1965)
Hillman Imp Van
Singer Chamois Mark I, Mark II, Sport, & Coupé (upmarket, luxury versions of the Imp)
Sunbeam Imp Sport
Sunbeam Sport
Sunbeam Chamois & Chamois Coupé (luxury version of the Imp)
Sunbeam Stiletto
Sunbeam Californian
Sunbeam Imp Basic (North America)
Sunbeam Imp De Luxe Mark I & Mark II (North America)

My own red Hillman Imp Californian came down that same production line on the 3rd of February 1967. The car was painted in the Rootes paint code 108, which was white,with a pale blue interior. It was a fully built up car that was an export order to Mozambique.

roy