[karlosdeville]

More progress on a daily basis.

I had a front 'Standard' script badge with me since my school days, it finally came in use. The rivets were opened, the whole base painted (2 pieces separately), the rechromed badge fitted with a gasket. Do it once, do it right



Also ordered a new shield badge, its on its way.

The car had an incorrect horn button fitted, taken from a Pennant, we found a good original on eBay, just came in today.



Regular testing is on. Crossed 100kms today. Minor niggles keep cropping up, as expected, but nothing critical.

Especially for Prabal

[anilntny]

@karlosdeville,I am following your restoration since the beginning, very well done. I think you had tough time with those aged windshield restoration.
While reading overdrive magazine,I came across an advertisement of a windshield restoration company named glass polish India.I don't know how good they are,but you may check it out ,if needed for future works.

[wilful]

Just came across this thread. Hats off to you for your painstaking efforts at restoring this beauty.
It brings back many happy memories for me. When I started working, two of my friends in the industry (senior to me) had Heralds. One of them was the first two door model (a blue one) - which I used to drive everyday since the owner didn't drive and found it cheaper to use my services than keep a driver to go to office. The other one was a darkish green four door (Mark 2). I remember they were fun to drive but prone to axle damage.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by anilntny

While reading overdrive magazine,I came across an advertisement of a windshield restoration company named glass polish India.I don't know how good they are,but you may check it out ,if needed for future works.

We did consult a glass polisher, but apparently the scratches are too deep (and I can see myself that polishing it may not make much difference). I would ideally like to replace both glasses with new ones, though no luck so far. Will later explore the possibility of fabricating the glass locally, I believe it is a possibility, though I know nothing of the process or results.

Meanwhile, trials continue. I did around 150kms yesterday, ran well for the most part, temperature pleasantly hovering around 70 degrees, going upto 80-85 in afternoon traffic. Electronic fuel pump has been added as a backup, though luckily the mechanical unit hasn't heated up after continuous driving yesterday.

Minor niggles keep cropping up. One of the wheels was catching, got it freed up. The driver side window winder and door lock is a perennial problem, still trying to source a replacement. Looking at various other cars we surmised that our model of Mark 2 should not have the slender door pull handles mounted, so I hadn't fitted them. Using the car just for a day convinced me I made the wrong decision, and we retrofitted the door grab handles. Window winders and door locks have always been a problem on Heralds - a damned nuisance. Coupled with the 'jigsaw puzzle' fashion in which the body is designed, panel fits are a nightmare, especially the one piece front end.

The more and more I use this car and spend time with it, the more I appreciate my Fiats

Towards the end of the day an annoying misfire has developed at low speeds, which disappears once I rev. The usual karboreter mein kachra feeling, but it hasn't gone away.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

The more and more I use this car and spend time with it, the more I appreciate my Fiats . An annoying misfire has developed at low speeds, which disappears once I rev. The usual karboreter mein kachra feeling, but it hasn't gone away.

Dear Karl - HaHaHa, now you know! Nothing even comes close to Fiats! .

Is this carburettor M28PBIC or M32PBIC? The Heralds originally had M28PBIC. For M32PBIC, adaptor is required. Do you still have the cable operated accelerator control system? In the Herald, the outer cable moves, if the setting is too tight, it can bend the throttle shaft and cause residual air to enter into the main gallery which will be more irritating during idling as very close air-fuel ratio monitoring is required in this circuit. However, if it is "karborator mein kachra", remove the idling petrol jet (size 40) and blow through it, it will solve the problem. If not, you will need to meticulously clean the idling gallery with WD40, for which you will have to remove the carburettor from the manifold.

Please post some photographs of the carburettor mounted on the engine for complete clarity.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Is this carburettor M28PBIC or M32PBIC? The Heralds originally had M28PBIC. For M32PBIC, adaptor is required. Do you still have the cable operated accelerator control system? In the Herald, the outer cable moves, if the setting is too tight, it can bend the throttle shaft and cause residual air to enter into the main gallery which will be more irritating during idling as very close air-fuel ratio monitoring is required in this circuit. However, if it is "karborator mein kachra", remove the idling petrol jet (size 40) and blow through it, it will solve the problem. If not, you will need to meticulously clean the idling gallery with WD40, for which you will have to remove the carburettor from the manifold.

Please post some photographs of the carburettor mounted on the engine for complete clarity.

The carb is the 28, and the cable accelerator linkages are also in place, shall
go down and get some more pictures today. I am not saying it is a kachra issue for sure, just gives that effect of 'sputtering'. Strangely this is only at low speeds, in traffic. There is no problem on highway / clear stretches.

I've always had a fetish for numberplates. Usually I would have fitted cast aluminium letters, this time I want to experiment a bit first. Many Heralds simply had hand painted plates, especially apparent at the rear since they were painted straight on the boot lid. This was the case with my car too, with no holes in the bootlid for the plate. So I thought of getting period style painted plates to experiment with. If the results aren't satisfactory, I can always bolt on plates later.



Here are some samples I assembled of period fonts. Its very clear in my mind what I want, I guess the best thing to call it would be 'Bombay Central RTO' style.



Of course, old timers who used to paint these plates are few and far between. There is one gent who has been painting plates for over 60 years, and he said his first plate he charged a princely three ruppees

I wasn't too happy with the fonts though, I feel they should be wider.



So I decided to fool around and create the template.

I started with a pre-39 plate scan that I found on the forum itself, N 3868. Then isolated and flipped the 6 into a 9. Triplicated the 9 to form 3999.

Since we had an N already, it wasn't difficult to morph it into a H. Then mirrored and married the two Ns to form an M. Voila - MHN 3999. Having some free time the other day helped!



Keeping in period style, MHN is smaller, the numbers 3999 are larger. Now that I have this to work with, will give another go at getting the plates painted.

Of course, these black plates are asking for trouble, so white plate stickers will go above them for road use.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Karl - M28PBIC is a relic, please use it carefully. I hope the throttle plate is original.

My numberplate painter does an excellent job everytime. He gives me the exact font that I want. You can try out. The current number as painted does not look period enough.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by wilful

When I started working, two of my friends in the industry (senior to me) had Heralds. One of them was the first two door model (a blue one) - which I used to drive everyday since the owner didn't drive and found it cheaper to use my services than keep a driver to go to office. The other one was a darkish green four door (Mark 2). I remember they were fun to drive but prone to axle damage.

Nice to know about your colleagues' Heralds! May I point out btw, that the four door was a MARK 3 (III), never a mk2, which was a 2-door.
This car of Karl's is a mk2.
Here's a pic. of the 4-door (mk3 as mentioned) for reference; I presume your colleague's car was of the same colour though not sure if as nice ( ):

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/73...ffd7467975.jpg

[wilful]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Nice to know about your colleagues' Heralds! May I point out btw, that the four door was a MARK 3 (III), never a mk2, which was a 2-door.
This car of Karl's is a mk2.
Here's a pic. of the 4-door (mk3 as mentioned) for reference; I presume your colleague's car was of the same colour though not sure if as nice ( ):

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/73...ffd7467975.jpg

Thanks for the info. 1981 was a long time ago and obviously memories are not too accurate.
No - the two door blue must have been repainted and was of a deeper and brighter hue.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

The car had an incorrect horn button fitted, taken from a Pennant, we found a good original on eBay, just came in today.

The original one on your car, however, I suspect should've been like the ones on the mk3/Gazel. Or maybe that came only on the last of the mk2s (broad C-pillars.)

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I've always had a fetish for numberplates. Usually I would have fitted cast aluminium letters, this time I want to experiment a bit first. Many Heralds simply had hand painted plates, especially apparent at the rear since they were painted straight on the boot lid. This was the case with my car too, with no holes in the bootlid for the plate. So I thought of getting period style painted plates to experiment with. If the results aren't satisfactory, I can always bolt on plates later.

Of course, these black plates are asking for trouble, so white plate stickers will go above them for road use.

Well, I know of a late sixties Presidentified 1100D, that has the plates in a modern, yet period enough style. Subtle.

She is MRH/3504. I've told you about this car earlier. Used regularly, and oh boy, she is rust free. Seen closeby to the Fergusson college.

The registration is Bombay, and that should correspond to the mid/late sixties. The plates, however don't seem to be the usual castingwallah plates. These are a bit different.





Presidentified!



OR something like this maybe. You know this President very well. MTJ/476. Pune registered, and she is in perfect preservation. Stationary for more than a decade or so.





The plates seem to have pressed numbers. Or so it seems. Better than the usual cast plates, wherein a risk of the letters breaking down/falling is always present.



On a certain car in Pune -

And this, I feel is perfect. Just increase the size of the numericals a bit.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Well, I know of a late sixties Presidentified 1100D, that has the plates in a modern, yet period enough style. Subtle.

She is MRH/3504. I've told you about this car earlier. Used regularly, and oh boy, she is rust free. Seen closeby to the Fergusson college.

The registration is Bombay, and that should correspond to the mid/late sixties. The plates, however don't seem to be the usual castingwallah plates. These are a bit different.

This car is a 1972 President, with some other fittings. The number too is 1972, Bombay.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

This car is a 1972 President, with some other fittings. The number too is 1972, Bombay.

Not 1973 then? The Delights went on till end of 1972 IIRC. PYS/5775, was registered on the tenth of November 1972.

More importantly, how did you conclude that it is a President? Apart from the registration, that is.

Delight bumpers- Present. Speedo is also from a Delight. If anything helps, the H/ls were "Hella", German made. All pointing towards a sureshot conclusion, she is a Delight, 1972 if need be.

President? I'm doubtful on that.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Not 1973 then? The Delights went on till end of 1972 IIRC. PYS/5775, was registered on the tenth of November 1972.

More importantly, how did you conclude that it is a President? Apart from the registration, that is.

Delight bumpers- Present. Speedo is also from a Delight. If anything helps, the H/ls were "Hella", German made. All pointing towards a sureshot conclusion, she is a Delight, 1972 if need be.

President? I'm doubtful on that.

You are right, 73 is a better fit.

The bumpers are not Delight, they are regular President/Padmini. Delight guards added. Speedo was also offered on some Presidents.

[karlosdeville]

16th October 2014

The trim that runs across the front of the bonnet wasn't fitting well, plus the 'ears' at the two corners were damaged. We called for new ones (and clips) from Rimmers, and the car now looks so much more finished.



Brakes need some more setting, now no problem.

18th October 2014

My first long trial, drove to Pune.



Temperature remained under control right through, even on the ghats. Oil pressure though is low.

A strange thing happened when passing Lonavala - I heard a loud clanging sound and immediately stopped - turns out the rear left side glass had flown off! It didn't break surprisingly though it did scratch badly. A pity, since this was the original NOS one with correct toughened logo.





19th October 2014

Returned to Bombay the next morning just in time to catch the Sunday morning classic drive gang. The drive was great, didn't lose any water on the whole trip. There is some oil consumption though.









And I bagged this on eBay - the next best thing to having an original Standard one.