[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Stanher

It could take 6 months longer until this car is fully done. Especially since I'm taking a break most of this month because of my exams (19th-28th)
Meanwhile, here is a diff. seal kit I ordered and got from ebay UK.

Attachment 343085


And your question on the Vauxhall has been answered with an update on that thread, check it out!

That seems a fair time seeing the progress of the work being done.The seals look good what make are they ?

Yes i was glad to see the update on that thread after such a long time.

[Stanher]

@Indrojit, not sure about t he make of the seals.

Anyways, diff. now opened up- to my shock, it turned out that the whole thing had absoultely NO OIL inside it!!

I suspect someone earlier (prior to even my buying the car) had emptied out the oil in it!
Thank God I didnt run the car much ever since bought!

The flanges inside the inner axle shaft (arrowed) turned out to have a lot of play in them, so will need to be lathed down to fit tight and new bearings to be inserted (have already ordered one)

Meanwhile, the chassis is now all done with the welding/patchwork finally!

Later this evening when I was home, I got a call from the garage saying that the chassis has just been (yellow) zinc-primered too!! 'cant wait to check it out tomorrow!!

They have used ESDEE brand, which is next best quality to MRF in Zinc primers.

[samsag12]

So finally the work on the chassis is over. It took a tad long to finish the patchwork. BTW Whats next on the list bodywork/engine, after diff work. Have all the cosmetic parts been procured/restored ?

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by samsag12

BTW Whats next on the list bodywork/engine, after diff work. Have all the cosmetic parts been procured/restored ?

Yes, to finish the suspension part, then move onto gearbox/engine. The garage will in the meantime move on to the bodywork.

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Stanher

@Indrojit, not sure about t he make of the seals.

Anyways, diff. now opened up- to my shock, it turned out that the whole thing had absoultely NO OIL inside it!!

I suspect someone earlier (prior to even my buying the car) had emptied out the oil in it!
Thank God I didnt run the car much ever since bought!

The flanges inside the inner axle shaft (arrowed) turned out to have a lot of play in them, so will need to be lathed down to fit tight and new bearings to be inserted (have already ordered one)

Meanwhile, the chassis is now all done with the welding/patchwork finally!

Later this evening when I was home, I got a call from the garage saying that the chassis has just been (yellow) zinc-primered too!! 'cant wait to check it out tomorrow!!

They have used ESDEE brand, which is next best quality to MRF in Zinc primers.

Tell me something does this car have the original mark 1 differential or has it been changed to the mark 2 differential.This was a common this done by owners of most mark 1 heralds.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Tell me something does this car have the original mark 1 differential or has it been changed to the mark 2 differential.This was a common this done by owners of most mark 1 heralds.

Tell ME something, forgiving my ignorance, how do you differentiate between a mk1 and mk2 differential??

I could so far never make out any diff(erence) in the diff(erentials) of the different models (mk1, mk2, mk3) Heralds, although purely going by the rear suspension, which was the same on all of them, as I (unfortunately) never got to see a mk1, mk2 and mk3 diff. all together to be able to compare.

Anyways, here are pics. of the zinc-primered chassis, as promised! 'looks real nice, they've even painted the insides as assured!

The marks on the right side are because they propped it up on its side to coat the underside too, the primer must have still been wet then. That can be coated again, no problemo.

Next they are going to put on the Dunlop anti-rust chassis paint (I like Wurth better but I didnt have any cans of it available and I did request 2 tins from jai since they are available in Madras but didn't get them from him either) and that will complete the chassis work, barring the adjustment/alignment on the front outriggers that support the bonnet and front bumper.

Also decided to give the insides of the rims (where the tyre is fitted) the same treatment (had already done so for one rim) so got the tyres off them all. The garage guy suggested we first get the rims "throughed" to align them and get rid of all the bends on the edges, following which they said they will primer (and eventually paint) the rims.

[mycarhasablower]

Now that the chassis is repaired and painted from the inside as well wont it be a good idea to seal its insides as well with atleast rubber stoppers and for the open ends of the outriggers with welding a sheet , so no more dust and water get in and cause rust again?

[vkarulkar]

So, finally chassis is done. Was it possible to give it 7 tank treatment or atleast three in one treatment?

congratulations for completion of restoration stage 1

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by mycarhasablower

wont it be a good idea to seal its insides as well with atleast rubber stoppers and for the open ends of the outriggers with welding a sheet , so no more dust and water get in and cause rust again?

I'm positive there arent chances of it catching rust in a long time from now!

Rubber stoppers may be a good idea though. But where to fit them? It isnt advisable to weld up the rear outriggers as the retaining bolts for the rear body go though them, so they need to be open at the end in order for the bolts to fit.

Originally Posted by vkarulkar

Was it possible to give it 7 tank treatment or atleast three in one treatment?
congratulations for completion of restoration stage 1

Thanks! Nope, could not get a small quantity of the 3 in 1, as mentioned before.

What is 7 tank btw?

[chanu]

Good going Shyam, so we would see lot of happenings from now on this thread. I am eager to see this baby shaping up. When is the body work starting? any idea for the colour pattern you have thought for her?

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by chanu

Good going Shyam,
When is the body work starting? any idea for the colour pattern you have thought for her?

Thanks bala! Bodywork starting the coming week I was told, preferably after the chassis is fully reassembled with the running gear.

'havent thought of the colour as yet. But being a mid 60s Herald, she would be in a single colour only.

[chanu]

All the very best of good luck! I saw a Herald in Haig rally, secunderabad a car which has got TRIUMPH written on the bonnet, I was confused as to is this a Herald or a Triumph however the car was looking fantastic.

Another question these cars are hard top or convertable (forgive me if I am using a wrong word HARD TOP as I am more a jeeper) so my doubt is are these removable tops or they are two different models convertable and hard top as I like the two door hard top to a convertable.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by chanu

All the very best of good luck! I saw a Herald in Haig rally, secunderabad a car which has got TRIUMPH written on the bonnet, I was confused as to is this a Herald or a Triumph however the car was looking fantastic.

It's very much 'STANDARD' (), I've seen the chassis no. plate of said car too, so to speak. The TRIUMPH lettering is fabricated and owner-fitted, most likely to make the car appear like a genuine UK imported Herald!
The guages (yenkay ones) etc. are left intact though. I was told the entire history of this car by our friend Chary; this car was originally a regular saloon owned by a Parsi lady, who had it sent to Bombay for the conversion to cabrio/convertible, back in those days itself. It'd more recently been done up at his garage itself.



I'd seen another such car (made into convertible but equally well-done) in red with a similar lettering fitted, near Masab tank a couple of years ago.....it was for sale and IT'S owner claimed that it's a 'Triumph' and therefore worth a sizeable fortune! 'couldnt have any luck negotiating so walked out on it!

Another question these cars are hard top or convertable (forgive me if I am using a wrong word HARD TOP as I am more a jeeper) so my doubt is are these removable tops or they are two different models convertable and hard top as I like the two door hard top to a convertable.

Yes, these are hard-tops (saloon/sedan to be precise ), the roof being fitted on with just 6-7 bolts and thus easily being detachable. This explains why you'd see so many "topless" Heralds in 60s/70s Indian movies and also as the mainstay of the 'baraat wallahs' along Abids, Nizam college road until a few years ago! Some had really poor attempts to be made into soft-top convertibles!

[chanu]

Bulls eye Shyam!! Exactly the same car I was talking about. Thanks for clearing out the doubt. So original Heralds which were imported then from UK and later we have the Indianised versions also right! If the nuts of hard top is removed then the car becomes convertable right then why was this car sent to Bombay for conversion. Yes there were good number of Heralds with the guys who rent for marriage procession all of a sudden they all are vanished. Today I could see a Merc converted or rather top was cust to make it a convertable. Poor thing I pity her.

There was another car also which was in grey colour with DHARMAPURI written on the red numberplate that was was eye catching car. What I love in these cars are the headlamp and rings and the unique reverse opening system. Hope to see you car in some rally soon.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by chanu

If the nuts of hard top is removed then the car becomes convertable right then why was this car sent to Bombay for conversion.

See, bolting the roof off the body does NOT make a Herald a convertible!
A PROPER convertible, like what this car (and the red one I saw) has been made (similar to an OE one) MUST have the correct fold-down top, which is not so easy to fix the right way; you need to make an alteration in the rear body tub that results in the top part of rear seat too being "downsized" (in present-day terminology! ) and a 'cavity' made just behind it for the top to sit into when folded down. Here're a couple of pics. for reference, not too clear I'm afraid:

http://www.carandclassic.com/uploads...mph/264958.jpg

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au...ld_13_60_t.jpg

There was another car also which was in grey colour with DHARMAPURI written on the red numberplate that was was eye catching car. What I love in these cars are the headlamp and rings and the unique reverse opening system. Hope to see you car in some rally soon.

I guess you mean DHARAMPUR 6, one of a fleet of Heralds owned by the erstwhile Raja of Dharampur who was based in Bangalore. The cars got sold after his death, somewhere in the late 90s. This car is a very memorable one for me, having been the very first Herald I ever sat in ('had seen it in 1998 with a dealer close to where we lived then; he'd just got the car down from Bangalore then, shortly after which it was bought by the present owner.)

Another one from the Dharampur fleet, a white one, also landed in Hyd. and was (and maybe still is?) owned by the owner of Curewell Hospitals, Lakdikapul. 'was apparently for sale at a very steep price.

PS: Sorry jai, if this thread was inadvertently 'hijacked'! Hehe!