Scimher

I've said this before on here: I read somewhere that the nearest radial, sizewise, to the old 5.20x13 crossply is a 135x13 - (which, strangely enough, I have fitted to my old 1200 convertible.)...Have just tried to do a search but nothing......except an old thread from 15yrs. ago when someone posted a question asking what the old wheel was from on a trailer as he needed a replacement - the consensus was A30/A40 etc. The interesting thing is that the tyre on the wheel that he had was 135! My local tyre supplier told me that they were original equipment for a Fiat Uno (or something similar......can't remember exactly!)

Thanks Tony.......Will make some enquiries.....

Thanks Rob....(& apologies for the duplicate post - perhaps a mod. can remove it....I've looked for a way of doing it but failed!) It all started when the old girl got progressively worse at starting (you should see the chewed-up flywheel teeth & starter gear!) She's a bit of a bitsa anyway & the 1300 Dolly engine ain't brilliant. There was a job lot of 2 engines - 1 Midget 1500 & t'other 1500 Spit. + 2 (non-o'd) g'boxes, a nearly new looking starter, pair of HS4 1.5" carbs. (oxidised!) & a box of bits - all for £135 & just down the road. Once the engine was out it was obvious that the flywheel from one of the 1500 engines was a bit different & that it would be a good match for one of the 1500 boxes (all-synchro...)...Her existing box was a bit shot. Now I'm going to have to get 3.5" chopped out of the propshaft & the starter is not wanting to turn the engine - it engages with 2/3 of the ring gear so really needs a shim as well as the spacer....The slave cylinder was leaking so have to get a Spitfire 1500 one........Longer term, one of the two engines will be worked on so that it can be fitted - with the twin  carbs., hopefully.  But, yes, Rob - you're right......it has become a pain & is causing problems, right enough!......Not to mention more expense!

A Spitfire (or 1500 Midget) gearbox is being fitted to my late '64 1200 Herald conv....Will a 1500 Spit. Speedo. cable fit at the Herald speedo. end?

Thanks, Dave & Colin, for the information & advice - there is a VW classic van/camper enthusiast in the village who, conveniently, works for a local company as a welder, & who has taken pity on me (& the car! 🙂).........He's already spent about 2 1/2hrs. letting in new metal on the offside of the rear deck even replacing the reinforcing bit that helps to support the boot hinge. I'm going round for 9am this coming Friday so that he can finish the rear deck so we can get the hood/hoodframe on, between us. (Fortunately it has not been too bad, rainwise, but there have been a couple of occasions where the poor old gal has impersonated a mobile paddling pool - fortunately all floor drainage holes are open & there is no carpet or mats behind the front seats!..😳) As you will no doubt gather she lives outside 24/7 all year round...    

Thanks, Rob........We'll have to see what we can do.

I have a replacement hood (fortunately already attached to a replacement hoodframe...) to fit. My rear deck is doing a passable impersonation of a sieve & someone in the village (a pro-welder who is into VW's to such an extent that one of the VeeDub mags. are visiting him this week to do a write-up!) has taken pity on me & the car & has offered to do something with it & only suggested that I buy him a few beers - I will of course put him on my list of deserving people to be paid summat but, meanwhile, I am right in saying that that particular panel is unobtainable am I not?? Any help, advice, suggestions etc. gratefully received...(The car is my daily runabout so cannot be in dry dock for long......plus am seriously skint at this moment in time!..😳)

A very belated thanks for your reply! She hasn't had a hood on for ages being parked at night fully open - now critical that I fit it so will see if I can get a fixing kit - sunken head screw/bolts with nuts & washers......plus, of course, the sprung washer thingies that allow the hoodcover (& tonneau if there is one...) to clip into place. Have seen rivets used but that is not an option in this case!   

How about using an old inner tube as rubber gasket material - some big vehicle tubes were of quite thick rubber...

Thanks, Colin! I'll get a spacer off ebay & ring the specialists about shims. Having had a look in the workshop manual I see there are 3 thicknesses for them...

I went to a small local show, on Saturday where, 2 cars up the line, was a Scorpio - the driver just happened to have bought my car in March of '97 as a basketcase. I was telling him about the starting problems - general consensus being there were more & more teeth getting broken on the flywheel..........he said that he told someone to fit the spacer with the starter motor - & that person never did! Now she has had the starter motor replaced with a new unit a few years ago but, as far as I know, there was no spacer fitted.  From the research I've done, not only was there a spacer but, often, shims as well... Can anyone confirm that this is likely to be the reason for the invariable 'click' when the key is turned; but she will then mostly start on the key when pushed forward an inch or two in top gear...........because, up until now, I've thought it to be an engine-out job & a replacement flywheel!      

The time has come for me to finally get a second hand replacement hood/hoodframe (one unit already combined...) on my late '64 1200.....the rear deck is going to need some remedial work (read bodging! ) as the car needs to be on the road (the MOT has lapsed & I am about to replace a wiper wheelbox which is the first consideration...) My questions are: what are the rear fastenings for the hood to the rear-deck (my car seems to have an assortment...) & is there any on ebay, for example, &, what is the best way of temporarily strengthening the rear deck once the paint has been ground down? I had been thinking of skimming it in GRP resin & then rollering some 'Rustoleum' paint, that I have, onto it.   Thanks very much, in advance for any help, advice, suggestions, links..........& even abuse!!.. >  

I'll see what I can do, chaps - many thanks!

Last time I removed the inner cable I took the base plate off the motor unit & nearly jiggered it removing stuff so that I could release the cable......so the easiest way is to detach the wiper motor as a whole?......& there is definitely no way to fit the replacement wheelbox with the inner cable 'in situ'?? How do I know if the inner cable needs replacing?

Thanks for the advice, Nick and Tony, will see if I can sort it without having to get someone to strip it all down. I'll start with the starter motor...

Yes, Antonnick, I have already removed the inner cable - stupidly, I took the plate off the wiper motor & did some damage which I've bodged &, fortunately, the wiper motor appears to still work. I did it to try to rotate the gear teeth but that didn't work.....in fact, with both wiper blades off I can turn the driver's side wheelbox with finger & thumb - fairly conclusive proof that the teeth are well & truly jiggered. I've already soaked the inner cable in petrol & greased it...I was hoping that I could somehow fit the replacement wheelbox WITHOUT having to remove the inner cable from the bundy tube...  

Thanks very much for your prompt response, John - the starter motor was replaced 6 or 7yrs. ago.....The only thing that I have to go on was that I was told that the fault was due to some broken teeth on the flyheel, a few years ago. The problem has got considerably worse.  

At the moment I only have one wiper - on the passenger side. The teeth of the driver's side wheelbox appear to be virtually stripped so have acquired another which may be 'NOS', looking at it. Apart from the physical contortion of trying to get under the dash what are the problems of fitting it 'in situ'? The inner cable doesn't need removing does it?...(says he hopefully!!) The MOT is due later this month & that is the main job to be done before being booked in... Many thanks for any helpful comments, in advance... The car is a late '64 1200 Herald...

My late '64 Herald 1200 convertible has a Dolomite 1300 engine. For some time now the starter has 'meshed' occasionally - once the ominous 'click' has happened I have just put the gearlever into 4th & either pushed the car a foot or so forward or backwards so that the starter would engage......invariably she would start instantly. Needless to say the situation has got worse with the occasional severe locking up which no amount of rocking the car will free. A spanner on the starter 'pinion' has saved the day on a couple of occasions... My question is, is it better to look for a replacement flywheel - or would it be better to get some new ring gear for the existing flywheel? I am presuming the gearbox is original Herald so what flywheel should be sought if it needs to be replaced? Any comments or advice, gratefully received...  

Ashamed to say have still not up-ended myself in the footwell to check the mounting of the offside wheelbox, despite the little dear still being in regular use. I've picked up on this ebay ad. no. 3721 1247 9646 which states that the part no. is  72827A & is for a 'Mini Mk.II incl. Cooper'...(sorry still dunno how to post the link!)...........Just wondering whether all you experts out in cyberspace think it will fit a late '64 1200 convertible should it be necessary to replace the wheelbox - which I'm 95% certain will need doing????          

For paint rollering, Rustoleum seems to be the paint to use........I believe the VW van fraternity are big into it. As for the technique in applying it; it appears that for best results treat it like you would a thorough & conscientious respray - rubbing down between coats etc. I don't know whether it is still on YouTube but there was a video: American I think featuring a magenta Stag..........&, even allowing for dodgy video quality, the results looked like glass!! It really did look like an expensive spray job! There are other ones on there, all giving advice & tips such as using small rollers & changing them frequently etc. I guess one major advantage is that you can do the car one panel at a time....  

Thanks again, chaps - will get under the dash., somehow, and see if the connection of the wheelbox to bundy tube is loose........failing which, will take a punt on a new wheelbox as it seems far more likely that that is the problem than the cable... Are there any suitable ones on ebay for a 1200 Herald that probably rolled out of Canley in October or November of 1964...   

Sorry, I've obviously not explained the situation very well - no doubt, waffled on too much, as usual. In answer to your questions, Nick - (thanks for taking an interest, by the way...) Yes despite my best efforts to the contrary, the motor runs - seemingly efficiently... Yes, the spindles turn with the wiper blades removed... Yes, the wire spiral seems tight onto the cable... What is happening is that the nearside (passenger) wiper has a full sweep & seems to be working fine whereas the drivers one 'slips' (only way that I can describe it) badly & stops on the screen. Hardly surprising given, as previously mentioned, I can grasp the spindle & twist it about 180degrees with finger & thumb, with the wipers not switched on... What I really want to know is... a) Can the wheelbox assemby have somehow come loose from the bundy tube - if so will tightening it possibly resolve the situation? b) Do I need to buy a new inner cable, ie. does anybody know if they wear out to the extent that they don't engage with the wheelbox gear wheel? c) Do I need to buy a new wheelbox before I do anything else or is there something that I can do before possibly having to buy new components? Many thanks for your help...

Thanks, Pete.....& for the link. I'll try & grovel under the dash with the wiper blades off, to start with, but with the system switched on & see if there is any movement - then I'll try it with the blades on & go from there!  

Thanks for the reply - yes, it is...........despite my best effort to jigger it! I got the pliers onto the two raised little 'lugs' with the gap in the middle that the contact clip, having a cutout, nestles in so that a circlip can keep it in position. I bent one of 'em to the extent that it broke so to put the contact clip back I used a tight spring washer that seemed to do the job. Goodness knows how long it will last. They seem to be asking acround fifty quid for those early wiper motors on ebay - & they're covered in grot. New or repro ones seem to be knocking on for two hundred quid!)