"It's A Deathtrap" - Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster Condemned By Dad

[@JonCoupland]

As ever - thanks for watching (i didn't expect so many people to be interested in the Armstrong) - stay tuned to see it fixed!

[@lucythemoggy1970]

your dad never seizes to amaze us with his knowledge :)

[@SuperLittleTyke]

During my apprenticeship as a motor mechanic in the 1960s we relined brake shoes, using copper rivets. Only later were replacement brake shoes fitted.

[@JonCoupland]

We might have to try that ourselves on the back :)

[@johnwoodhead4059]

A proper car with a proper mechanic a joy to watch.

[@JonCoupland]

Many thanks

[@mikefawcett2762]

I reckon I'm about the same age as Dad and no way am I kneeling or sitting on bare concrete. That man has skill and dedication truly above and beyond!!

[@JonCoupland]

The thing is ... He's got knee pads AND carpet to get on!

[@thomasfisher5742]

funny I'm that age and b4 I read ur comment i was thinking the same thing lol

[@louisvanrijn3964]

It is just a fatigue crack in the upper bracket. That simply is a habbit of older cars. But human mankind invented TIG welding for that. Cracks are thoroughly cleaned and welded using special tough filler materials, such as 1.7734/2 This is specialist welders work however. The car deserves it. Inspect the chassis regularly. The brakes shoes can be done by yourself, using rivets and liners you find at a truck-repair shop. Look for some liners with the same radius and cut them narrower. I wish you many miles in future with the car.

[@JonCoupland]

Many thanks - Dad can weld and so there is a combination of repairs that he has done here including welding and then a stronger plate of metal being fitted - (thats all to come to the channel). The brakes were a different issue in the end (again coming soon) - thanks for watching

[@philldownes8685]

yes correct just a bracket not a chassis crack. two very different things.. and easy to fix or make new. same with brakes very easy to do.

[@JonCoupland]

@philldownes8685 no one said it was difficult to make or repair?

[@mikejba]

I do love the Armstrong Siddeley content, there's always loads to do and its proper 'old-school' mechanics too. A build that needs constant fettling. A lovely car indeed! Cheers Jon.

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks Mike - really glad you are enjoying the content 😊👍

[@northlandrider5396]

At 2s an hour that will go a very long way (as long as the service manager doesn't have too many three quid cups of tea). Cool video. I love old British cars. They make my 58 Triumph Thunderbird seem so much more of a road burner.👍

[@TheByard]

I'm 79 YY and you two have just jogged my memory back to the early 1960s, my father owned an Armstrong Siddley Whitley in black with silver stripping. In a low time at work dad decided to keep the plant fitter busy and for me to help. All the brakes shoes were stripped out and sent away to be reshod, in the mean time all removed parts were cleaned and put in a cardboard box. Work continued on servicing construction plant until the shoe returned. Only to find the box had been overturned and AS parts were everywhere, my job was to get on my knees and search them out. While installing the shoes the fitter decided four return springs were missing and would not believe me when I said there was only one on each set. Four more springs were purchased from Armstrong's works in N. London. During road testing brakes were hard to apply and so Armstrong's were called and a special Saturday morning appointment made. Armstrong only worked a five day week but made a special case for dad. I went along with dad and the head mechanic and workshop manager took the car into the workshop while we sat in reception drinking tea, he returned 20 mins later with four springs in hand saying they were not needed, my chest expanded in that told you so manner. When dad asked for the bill the manager just said that's AS service, they also declined a tip. On pulling out the works dad called into a fuel station to fill up and noted the two AS guys walk into a café so we followed them in and dad bought the breakfasts. Seeing your AS only had one spring reminded me of all that. Many thanks do keep up the good works. In my time I spent 15 years owning a 1930 wooden classic family motor cruiser, that in 1940 went to Dunkirk and was used to ferry troops off the beach to larger craft off shore. She returned to Blighty holed at the waterline and some say carrying 85 souls on board. She then spent the rest of WWII hunting enemy parachute mines in the Thames Estuary.

[@JonCoupland]

Great memories and stories - thanks for sharing!

[@pippin1ful]

Dad's brother, Fred, had an Armstrong Siddley with a preselector gearbox. He didn't have it long. I enjoyed riding in it, and was fascinated by the gearchange. We only had a 1939 Morris 8. Dad upgraded to a Morris 21. This was back in the late 40s.

[@JonCoupland]

Good taste Uncle Fred! Thank you for watching

[@asa1973100]

What a magnificent looking car , It goes without saying it’s adored and what a wonderful daddy being able to fix it , such a clever man

[@JonCoupland]

Thank you. Would be stuffed without him!

[@presstodelete1165]

My old Dad had one of these after he left the RAF at the end of the War. He had many adventures in it. The most noteable was reversing into a post that proped up a giant water tank. The tank toppled and discharged it's contents into the bar of the pub he was hoping to stay at that night. The claim was so big he had trouble getting insurance cover for the next few years. As it was long before computerisation he would take out policies that once his history came to light would then be canceled, which would take a month or more. I wonder if that car is still on the roads.

[@JonCoupland]

Great memories. Thanks for sharing and watching 👍

[@danweyant4909]

3:10. " It's not helping, is it? " Perfect.

[@JonCoupland]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@ry491]

You two remind of my son and I . We both have a classic car and motorbikes. We spend many happy hours working on them and using them . Great to have that bond between father and son . I am 84 but still able to maintain our cars and bikes . I look forward to seeing how you go on with that lovely car . Love the colour by the way .

[@JonCoupland]

Oh that's lovely. Thanks for sharing and for watching ☺️

[@Mtandy-vm2pt]

That's good to hear. My long time friend is 94) and he still drives and is able to maintain his classic car's) I also own classic car's, some of them I've owned for a very long time, I'm 54 ) and a few of them I bought from him 35 year's ago: age is nothing but a number for a active body &mind: ) i wish you many More years of health and enjoyment of classic car's. .

[@rosewood1]

The chassis isn't cracked. However the bracket requires repair or replacement. But the reality is there are no half measures. But that does not mean a full restoration is needed. All old cars wear and often they if they look reasonable keep getting used and not properly deep serviced. I have just completely rebuilt the brake system, fuel system, fully serviced the underbody including stripping all the deadener underneath off to clean inspect and recoat on my Sapphire. The car now stops steers runs and performs the way it should on new tyres. It is time consuming to replace every hose to check everything. But the car is 68 years old! I can now drive it with confidence.

[@JonCoupland]

Oh brilliant! Many more years of motoring to come in your Sapphire! (i love them)

[@rosewood1]

@@JonCoupland Mine is a rare Mark 2 with power assisted ventilated brakes twin strombergs and preselector gearbox. It's performance is impressive and easily keeps up with modern traffic. Very pretty car that is a real revelation. And I can work on it myself which makes it both interesting and affordable.

[@JonCoupland]

@@rosewood1 Lovely

[@YTChiefCritic]

I remember a time when we laughed at people who tinkered with cars with gloves on. 'Afraid to get your hands dirty?'

[@JonCoupland]

😄👍

[@bonalba20]

Armstrong Siddley cars were a high quality make. An affordable Rolls Royce so to speak. Well worth saving.

[@JonCoupland]

Absolutely

[@kiwidave9416]

"What does it weigh?" "Don't know mate, you're the enthusiast" Very funny.

[@JonCoupland]

:) - thanks for watching

[@Dave5843-d9m]

My MG Midget 1275 had a heater stop valve. Airflow through the radiator was pretty good with ok airflow. But many cars failed to properly exhaust the hot air. Triumph Stag was a notable culprit.

[@JonCoupland]

Yes. We're still a bit scared of turning the tap off 😂

[@Upperroad4480]

@@Dave5843-d9m triumph stags had a problem with the engines. I heard this back in the 1990's.

[@dougforbes3067]

In 1962 borrowd a Lancaster from a friend in Peterborough and drove up tp Aberdeen and back. Great journey comfy car. I wish you well.

[@JonCoupland]

Wow what a journey! We're not far from Peterborough either. Thanks for watching

[@ianpaterson5000]

Having owned a number of Peugeot 403's dating around 1960 I was surprised by the small size of the axle, hub, shock absorber and the mounting bracket that failed on the Lancaster. The 403 had a front suspension consisting of a large leaf spring bolted to a cast iron cross member. The large shock absorbers were bolted to to the cross member and had rubberised bushes to which the top of the king pins were bolted. The bottom of the king pins were bolted to rubberised bushes fitted to eyes in the leaf spring. The earlier 203 Peugeot's had the same arrangement and won a round-Australia rally at a time when most roads out side the cities were rough dirt or non existent. I knew that my Peugeot's were ruggedly engineered but didn't appreciate it until I saw the Lancaster.

[@JonCoupland]

Wow sounds brilliant in comparison! Thanks for watching :)

[@ianpaterson5000]

@@JonCoupland You're welcome. Many years ago I saw an Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires. It appeared to be of similar size and style to a Rolls of the time. Regarding my comparison between your Lanchester and my Peugeot's I would conclude that the Lanchester was made for England where the roads were good and the distances travelled were short versus Australia and Africa where Peugeot's , particularly the 504, were renowned for their rugged reliability.

[@Mtandy-vm2pt]

Great video) i saw a Armstrong siddley sapphire recently in blue) it was driving around north London area. I was driving my own classic car at the time ) my current car's are from the 60's and 70's but since seeing the Armstrong siddley driving around, im also now interested in 1940's and 50's : car's). it was my friend who was with me, who told me what make and model it was. I'm in my 50's and he's 94 years old so, he remembers all these beautiful car's from the 1940's /50's. Very well.

[@JonCoupland]

Oh lovely - i do like the Sapphires! Thanks for watching

[@messylaura]

i worked on london taxis as a panel beater and painter in a repair garage when the fairway was the current model, few years in they started to get cracks in the chassis too, not from rust but mileage use, esp around london srreets, most common was around the steering box mounts and adjacent chassis legs

[@JonCoupland]

Ah that's really interesting! Thanks for watching

[@seed_drill7135]

I wish I was mechanically inclined. I took my 1950 Dodge in for the same brake issue, they didn't put the cotter pin back in the castle nut, the wheel wobble warped the steel plate/washer that goes between the nut an the hub, which is what kept the wheel from coming off, but it burned up my tie rods and will require cutting the hub off. I tried grinding the plate back but still can't get the nut to turn.

[@JonCoupland]

Oh no! Thanks for watching

[@2760ade]

I've only recently started watching your channel, which is excellent by the way, and I have to say, your dad certainly is a character!😂

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for being with us Mark - Dad's the star

[@NuttyAboutOldMGCars]

Enjoyed the video with Dad

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

Don't despair Jon , it can be repaired , simple but high quality engineering , possibly caused by a shock absorber so worn out that excessive suspension flexing which was too much for the bracket to stand, from what I can see it is riveted to the main chassis member which would require drilling out and possibly subsituted by high tensile bolts .Interesting feature of this 1949 car that a 1949 Sunbeam -Talbot I once owned also had the same 6" diameter Lucas headlamp lenses , characterised by the ' eye shaped ' vertical moulding .In 1950 , new enhanced vehicle lighting legislation was introduced where the new standard 7" lamps were introduced by all manufacturers.

[@JonCoupland]

I have every confidence that Dad will be able to get it all sorted out. Glad we found it when we did 😊 - you may be on to something there with the suspension as it was quite worn.

[@justinfufun5483]

probably a lack of movement in the shock not too much that caused the mounting to twist in compensation as it took on all the shocks. It looked pretty solid to me. And its not the first time either. It is covered in welds an extra bits but they never fixed the root cause. I bet its really common with that system.

[@delukxy]

@@JonCoupland You said that it had a frontal accident. That could well have started the cracking. Hopefully that bracket can come off. Domed ends might mean they are coach bolts. Remaking the brackets might be easier and stronger than welding up this one. If the shock on the other side is coming off I'd be tempted to take of that bracket as well. I suspect someone in the AS club has done this job before so some prior knowledge may be available. She looks to be in wonderful condition so no bodging please!

[@theobster]

When I was restoring the chassis of my Herald I found rot in the area around the diff and bought some repair panals for that area off Chic doig. I remember having a conversation with them as I was concerned about repairing the chassis and how much welding I needed to do do. I’ll never forget the chap on phone saying ‘ how do you think they made the chassis in the first place’ from then on repairing structural areas by welding was less worrying, I just make doubly sure the weld is prepped properly and there’s good penetration.

[@JonCoupland]

Yes that's a good point! Thanks for watching 😁👍

[@caspardelint3511]

Proper tinkering! Me likes this quite a bit. And the Inspector on duty as well. 👍🏻 enjoyable content.😊

[@JonCoupland]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for being with us 👍😄

[@paulmuff9883]

Glad Ive found your channel 😊

[@JonCoupland]

Welcome! We're glad you've found us too!

[@danielrussell446]

Well done Jon and Pete a great video on the Armstrong and well done for finding that issue fingers crossed you can make it good again sounds a weak point on an otherwise well engineered car looking forward to more videos on the Armstrong all the best Daniel

[@JonCoupland]

Fingers crossed! Thanks for watching

[@keithwalker6892]

Wonderful old car

[@JonCoupland]

Thank you

[@lawrencewillard6370]

Father had a utility version in the 50's. Was a double cabin version, small back seat. Comfortable, and easy handling. I drove it at age 12ish to the shops.

[@JonCoupland]

Ah brilliant! I don't believe many of those survive nowadays 😔

[@africadreamin]

Just after the end of the Second World War, a neighbouring farmer used to buy classic cars for very little, the colour scheme of that Siddley reminded me of an Armstrong Siddley Sphinx with the recumbent sphinx on the bonnet, it also had a very large rear seat where his daughter and I could test the cars rear suspension.

[@JonCoupland]

I've never heard of an Armstrong Siddeley Sphinx ... Was that a model of car?

[@africadreamin]

@@JonCoupland This was a shooting brake with wooden panelling and a drop down tailgate.

[@romandybala]

Yes. I had a girlfriend like that. Her dad had a citroen in his garage that he no longer drove . It had practically no value in 1966. Couldnt get $80 for it as a trade in on a 4 year old Ford Falcon. We tested the back seat springs in that too.

[@davefrench3608]

That’s an unpleasant surprise, and even after this major surgery, the brakes will still be pulling. At least you’ve got your Dad.

[@JonCoupland]

Well ... Watch this space BUT you may be surprised what happened with the brakes next

[@wideyxyz2271]

Subbed. look forward to the repair and re installation.

[@JonCoupland]

Awesome, thank you! Hope you enjoy

[@TanveerAhmed-gl5jk]

Fantastic video respect to the mechenic on the job 👌👌👌 well done sir 👍

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks 👍 that's my Dad. He's the star of the show

[@TanveerAhmed-gl5jk]

@@JonCoupland hats off to him sir 👍

[@gordon-n6s]

When I was stationed at Lajes Air Base in the Azores in '68-'69 there was an Armstrong Siddeley convertible from about that era that had been brought to the island and passed down from owner to owner. By then it was barely running and a load of headaches for the owner.

[@JonCoupland]

That would likely have been a Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane! Very cool

[@roberthocking9138]

Bad luck lads, still better to find it now than on the highway , lovely old car all the same . The other side bracket should be inspected and both strengthened perhaps

[@JonCoupland]

Yes absolutely! It will be repaired 👍😊

[@Jaxs2]

Love the tinkering videos, guys ... maybe it's been with the accident to the front. The wheel area may of been also involved 🤷‍♂️ ... I would have thought it would take force to crack that with no corrosion... You certainly have the right man for the job 👍

[@JonCoupland]

That's a good thought! We're not 100% certain on the details behind the crash ... But we do know it had one before I bought it. As you say. Dad's on the case 🤣

[@KimVincent-k8r]

My father had a Lancaster in black. Reg JOV 675. At the age of 11 with the help of a couple of cushions he taught me to drive it in a field next door to where we lived. Crash gearbox so had to double de clutch, brakes well sort of worked. The heater had a tap under the bonnet so you could turn it on or off.

[@JonCoupland]

Great memories - thanks for sharing!

[@johnbrereton5229]

Its not a 'Death Trap', its a 75 year old car that looks like it has a broken suspension braket, its not the chassis . You can either weld it or make a new bracket.

[@JonCoupland]

It's a common fault for these Lancasters according to Penn Bradley (who wrote a series) - the suspension bracket is classed as part of the chassis as it is welded to it. I stand by the fact that if left it would 100% be a death trap! Thankfully we caught it before the top arm decided to give in and fall off! Good news though. It's not beyond repair for Dad 😊👍 stay tuned to see part 3 after repair and another test drive

[@2760ade]

I think it would be pretty hair-raising if the front O/S collapsed at 40 mph!!😂

[@YellowDellow-s8i]

Precisely ! It has merely suffered a major fracture of the wishbone/shockabsorber mounting bracket : Claiming a fractured chassis is a bit of inaccurate melodramatic sensationalism. The immediate post war development /practice of bestowing higher end coachbuilt cars with IFS has given rise to many similar setbacks esp in metal fatigue and component wear , which did not exist on most pre war models with a solid beam front axle : Many manufacturers in 1945-46 developed their own individual versions of independent front susp. notably TA14 Alvis, Riley RMA, Leaf 14hp, Rover P3, Healey Westlands /Duncans/ Abbots , with their cast aluminium trailing arms , Armstrong Fiddeleys, and Daimler with their excellent time proven DB18 leading arm set-up. And of course we must not overlook the MkV1 Bentley: However most of these went down the route of underslung rear chassis rails ( theRover P3 did away with a rear end chassis rail altogether) and this has lead in recent years to much more serious danger of chassis corrosion in the rear axle areas, as the chassis rails were much closer to the road and thus more vulnerable : The later Daimler Conquest re visited the issue by re-routing the chassis rails over the rear axle , as with Majestic & Maj Major. Replacement suspension spheres for these models are also many hundreds of pounds :

[@JonCoupland]

@@2760ade Absolutely - folk saying we are 'being dramatic' need to think again ... this absolutely could have killed me or someone else!

[@JonCoupland]

@@YellowDellow-s8i i LOVE the throwaway use of the term 'merely a major fracture' - the suspension bracket is classed as part of the chassis as it is welded to it. I stand by the fact that if left it would 100% be a death trap! Thakfully we caught it and its now been repaired. That would have been a less exciting video title too ... (and it wouldn't have fitted in the word count) - thanks for watching and interesting information abut the other front suspension developments. For a car that I drive 2 or 3 times a year, I wont be panicking - as long as its fundamentally safe it can be a bit bumpy :)

[@peterdurnien9084]

A friend of mine let me have a rummage through his collection of brake linings and showed me what to do to reline them. I drilled new holes and fitted them in place with copper rivets. Anyway it stopped very well and it passed the MOT.

[@JonCoupland]

Oh brilliant!

[@helmuthhaass3631]

It's a simple as that. Refurbish the old brake shoes at minimal expense.

[@alansimpson835]

In the style of the late, great Steve Wright, Serious mechanicin' (no g). Lovely to see the old girl getting some love and the inspector doing her job. Hehe re Hubnut

[@JonCoupland]

Good old Steve Wright! Used to enjoy listening to him on the way home! 😄

[@bantam49]

The car is as old as me ! Great that spares are still available to keep these iconic cars around. Thankfully engineering companies still manufacture specialist spares to keep classic cars going. MOT exempt means owners need to maintain their cars properly to ensure problems like this are identified before an accident occurs! Prices of spares will reflect small quantities ordered.

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching - hope you enjoy the rest of the series

[@markwilliams2620]

Tis but a flesh wound. As a former MG owner I know it well. 1. Remove major component to weld/replace/improvise minor component. 2. Replace major component. Wait for eltrical/seal failure.

[@JonCoupland]

😊👍 part 2 is on the channel - thanks for watching

[@RobertGott-c3f]

Interesting video😮😮 I think dads great ❤ What a man of common sense 😮😮

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching. Dad's the star of the show 😄👍

[@reginaldgraves1684]

Beautiful colour scheme.

[@JonCoupland]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@bobi2582]

My Grandfather had one. In fact it was his last car before he drove it through a car showroom window! Needless to say, they took away his licence and he was shipped off to the Sanatarium shortly after.

[@JonCoupland]

Blimey! a good story though!

[@bobi2582]

@@JonCoupland True Story

[@rowejon]

The Principal of a college where I worked had a Hurricane, a fellow member of the tennis club had a Lancaster or a Whitley & I had a Whitley 6 light "kit". I'd still like to own an Armstrong Siddeley but I'm 71 now & don't need a car at all. In the 70s my daily classic was a late Phase1 Standard Vanguard.

[@JonCoupland]

Wow a lot of Armstrong Siddeley experience there then! Most people haven't heard of them. Love a Vanguard!

[@desthomas8970]

Addictive viewing this. A pity they stopped making classic cars 30 years ago so if you have a motor without silicon keep hold of it for future generations.

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching 😊👍

[@davidbarnsley8486]

Looks to me like the bracket was under designed back in the day Shock absorbers are the hardest working parts So when it gets welded it needs reinforced at the same time That has been broken for some time Good job the old boy is a mechanic

[@JonCoupland]

You are absolutely right. And according to a chap called Penn Bradley (who wrote a few books in the 70s and 80s they were always a weak spot. We have strengthened now. Stay tuned for part 3 😁👍

[@clvecooledge2407]

A new subscriber hear wow your Armstrong Sidley looks lovely I love the colour combo please dont change it to black & cream it looks wonderfull as is.The older classics are the best by far none of this computer nonsense or turbo chargers just brilliant engineering that car would Grace any driveway .Hope your welding goes well & fixed the problem .

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching and welcome to the channel 😁 - lots more stuff to come

[@keystonedriving8180]

Back in my youth I owned a 1948 Hurricane, in many ways the best car I have ever owned. I'm talking about 50 years ago, mind. Comfortable and reliable, though driving on a winter's morning trying to scrape ice off both sides of the windscreen wasn't ideal! The hood was just a single skin of fabric so even with the heater on it was a tad cool. Great in the summer with the hood down though. Good, solid engineering.

[@JonCoupland]

Oh brilliant and i bet great fun and memories! I do love a Hurricane

[@johnwessels2932]

dad doing the hard work, youngster does not want to get his hands dirty... typical

[@JonCoupland]

Yup. That's how it works round here 😜👍

[@lucythemoggy1970]

My restorer had to do this on one of these which was a wedding car. it can be fixed but a lot of work

[@JonCoupland]

Part 3 coming soon - wonder Dad to the rescue ... (as always eh!)

[@haigha-qb4kf]

Interesting. Cheers lads.

[@JonCoupland]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@brunosergioporto8881]

The broken part seems to be pretty easy to replace by a stronger one, made of thicker steel, which could be easily manufactured in a good iron workshop. The parts are quite simple, but a bit too thin to support the weight of the engine, gear box and so far. It could be much cheaper than original parts, that can crack again in the future, cause they are not strong enough. I think the designer miscalculated the resistance of this suspension part. Thanks for the video...

[@johnbrereton5229]

Yet that part has lasted 75 years so its not really that too thin. Most cars would never last that long in the first place .

[@JonCoupland]

Ooh we're not sure if it has lasted that long ... As Dad says RE some welding it looks as if it has been repaired previously. Potentially in the 70s when restored 😊

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching 😊👍 part 3 is coming which sees it repaired but we've used some uprated and thicker steel on the repair

[@brunosergioporto8881]

@@JonCoupland Oh, ok...graet...thank you, John...

[@JonCoupland]

@@brunosergioporto8881 thanks for watching :)

[@1961kickboxer]

Your dad is great.

[@JonCoupland]

Absolutely! He's the star of the show

[@1961kickboxer]

@@JonCoupland imagine all the knowledge he has got , and a great sense of humour .

[@robinburn4974]

I hate to tell you but i quite like the colour 😂😂

[@JonCoupland]

It's grown on me. It's marmite (quite literally) - I won't be painting it

[@quarterlight]

Fabulous video as always - on a side note what make of mechanic’s gloves does your dad use

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching. Nothing special. Just whatever he can get at the time that's cheap but relatively good quality 😁👍

[@Judith-c6r]

This is why I have a proper mot done each year. I do not have a proper ramp or pit for inspection.

[@JonCoupland]

I understand why some owners do it too - were constantly on a fleet maintenance rotation so thankfully we spotted this too

[@Judith-c6r]

@@JonCoupland in the UK if defect resulted with an accident, the insurance could become void as one was driving a defected vehicle. Un roadworthy they call it. When we collect older vehicles we must maintain them. Nice to see your workshop as your vehicle looks great. Many early cars with power steering resulted with chassis failure due mainly with drivers turning the steering when stationary, putting much stress onto the chassis. Steering stops should be adjusted to make sure the power steering mechanism has not reached its maximum movement as this can result in seal failure. Great fun owning and driving these vehicles but we all have to be aware of the engineering in the age of the vehicle.

[@billywhizz98]

Are the suspension arms similar to the early minis / 100s that might fit the Armstrong

[@JonCoupland]

These are substantially bigger sadly 😊

[@batlin]

I appreciate the "le grill" Simpsons reference.

[@JonCoupland]

Ah great - its one of our favourites!

[@IanReynolds-k5d]

Been watching this mini series on a great vehicle, (even though i have not been around 75 years i do remember these vehicles (a lot where a dark green), from the 1960's a man in Kentish Town (London), had one in your colours had a sliding roof and had a some stage had vinyl roof in black fitted which had ingressed with water at the edges had bubbles in the roof which spoilt it quite badly, the front grille had lost various bits of chrome missing. Lower valances and wings front and real had rusted quite badly so looked very scruffy, was used daily he had a dog as well which had scratched the leather interior, rear wheels had wire wheels on it. Along with broken glass number plate, and obviously electrical issues as well lights that worked as and when you tapped them. Years later at a car show i noticed an immaculate AS it was the original car fully restored with the original owner sitting by it, the information stated that it had spent all it's life in Kentish Town and he had brought the car from a wife of a WW2 RAF pilot, fully restored it had cost in excess of 17,500 in the 1980's according to the owner who i had said sir, had the car been brown car originally and he laughed brown and rust, - and some nasty cracks under the car had pushed the cist up, he then said after Restoration was worth around 38 to 40 thousand by owners club, so he stated. Nice to drive but heavy, he also had a 1960's AS which again was immaculate they where a nice car. I have subscribed and a big thank you for the programmes and your Dad's hard work, good to see you get on well. Thanks again and i shall keep watching, did some great work on last episode. Great days of a great car.

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching. Genuinely appreciate it. Some great memories you have there 😁👍

[@SteveBernard42]

ASOC have a great parts department. Back in the seventies I used to have a black Whitley and did many miles in it. Have you got a workshop manual?

[@JonCoupland]

They do - its a testament to them. We thankfully do and its saved our bacon many times!

[@robbieelvin4951]

Regarding the cost of Brake shoes, would having old shoes relined be possible instead? I think needing rears soon was mentioned in the previous video.

[@JonCoupland]

Thats what we did :)

[@robbieelvin4951]

@@JonCoupland Oh, in that case I agree the cost is rather alarming.

[@yekateradiffin5939]

Sounds like a case for classic mots

[@JonCoupland]

We absolutely agree. Maybe not an MOT as we know it ... But some sort of inspection

[@matthewjenkins1161]

Whilst I agree that classics should still be inspected, metal fatigue isn't easily spotted until it has already failed, such as is the case here. I had a fatigue crack occur suddenly on a Peugeot 205 front crossmember, that still had plenty of MOT left.

[@2760ade]

@@JonCoupland To be fair, the law does state that MOT exempt cars should still be maintained to a level whereby they would pass an MOT if tested, so the onus is on the owner!! However, some sort of periodic inspection would not be a bad idea!

[@JonCoupland]

@@2760ade Good job everything in my fleet is on constant 'tinkering' rotation then :) - (although this is the only MOT exempt thing I own)

[@AJB1]

Although in this case they've found and fixed the problem, so MOT not needed in this case. I do agree that regular inspections are important, but the majority of owners of older cars like these keep on top of that themselves. Many (most?) modern car owners seem to carry on until the next MOT even if their car is making strange noises, or whatever.

[@a11csc]

condemned to be fixed by the legend himself lol

[@JonCoupland]

Yes🤣 has he done it on purpose!

[@JonCoupland]

done by lunch?

[@dancostello6465]

So will the cracks be repaired or does it become lawn ornament? What were these selling for in middle 1970s?

[@JonCoupland]

Cracks repaired and the video coming this afternoon. Too nice to become an ornament. I don't know what they were worth in the 70s but I can guess sadly not a lot

[@henktulp4400]

I love this vid!! Thumb+Subscription. Looking forward to seeing more, a good mechanic assisted/distracted by his curious filmer/parts washer….. PS I don’t agree with Senior…. I actually DO like the colour combination…. With Kind regards, Henk Tulp, the Netherlands.

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching and welcome to the channel

[@quadrapoint]

Never heard so many ridiculous questions no wonder dad looks exasperated

[@JonCoupland]

No such thing as a ridiculous question - if you don't ask you don't learn ;)

[@johnclay4811]

If the law had not been changed concerning MOT's the tester would have spotted that. I am not sure why the government did what they did regarding old cars. I have a pre war Riley ,it is always handy to know what is going on!

[@JonCoupland]

It's an interesting one because for arguments sake the MOT is only as good as the day it's completed ... That could have absolutely fractured on the way home from a test and for someone who solely relies on the MOT for peace of mind and safety potentially then has 364 days of driving around with it like it. I think the takeaway here is ... Routine maintenance and checks are important

[@johnclay4811]

Hi Jon I could have cracked on the way home agreed but it would have been evident before it did that. The ball joint did not get like that overnight! If you were doing 15000 /20000 miles a year it could be classed as wear and tear. I have seen some right lash ups since the rules have been relaxed it can be a problem. Have a look at the bracket that failed and find out why it did it. I did not get a good look at it but I would say it was a) the material is not thick enough and or b) it needs some strengthening fillets in the corners. The Riley also has an epicyclic semi automatic gearbox so snap! Cheers

[@leoroverman4541]

Being a Rover fan and 73 yy and still tinkering

[@JonCoupland]

Excellent 👍

[@stevemort3317]

We old school mechanics tended to say very little so as not to confirm people's suspicions, just do it don't talk at it.

[@JonCoupland]

That's Dad's ethos 😁👍

[@colintuffs568]

Did that Armstrong Siddely have a preselector gearbox, as used in buses 😮

[@JonCoupland]

Yes 👍😊 Wilson Preselect

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

So on The chassis not of The chassis,which is a good thing,now The as a previous owner has had a visit from someone with an incontinent pigeon meaning that it's obviously had a previous repair of sorts,might it not be for the best to replace the bracket entirely? After all it's not to difficult to do and I dare say Pete could fashion a new one ...

[@JonCoupland]

Well ... That could well be what has happened. You will have to stay posted 👍 (but Dads fixed it 🤣)

[@stvrob6320]

Maybe it would be a nice gesture to offer dad a hand?

[@JonCoupland]

Plenty of things go on in the background that you don't see (as it doesn't make very good viewing) - he's not being forced to work 😊

[@stvrob6320]

@@JonCoupland Elder abuse is what it is!

[@Gribbo9999]

I'm one year younger than the Lancaster. I'd be very happy if I only needed my brakes looking at. More of an accelerator problem in my case and the gear stick is a bit wobbly....

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for making me chuckle this morning! Great to have you with us - thanks for watching

[@MichaelCairns-fv2vi]

Its extra hard working on very old corroded vehicles

[@JonCoupland]

Absolutely 😁

[@k.kristianjonsson1537]

Didn't cars have different cambers on the front wheels, because the roads are higher in the middle (to make the water to drain to the side). The cars are actually leaning to the side and will turn to the left if not there was different cambers on the front wheels.

[@JonCoupland]

Ah yes but if you watch the previous installment then car is massively pulling to the left (which I never did before)

[@paullionnet5141]

The car colour makes it interesting

[@JonCoupland]

It's a talking point

[@davidpickard9393]

Mot,s are quite a good idea

[@JonCoupland]

We're an advocate for a check over on older cars, maybe not a formal MOT like we have here but definitely a safety check 😊👍

[@geoffreytanner7749]

of course you can turn the heater off... I've owned cars of this era. There's a cable operated water valve that stops hot water hitting the heater manifold. I sure that damage could be plated and welded. Not a big deal.

[@JonCoupland]

Make sure you watch the other videos in the series 😃

[@leonb2637]

Its a shame such cars may end up so irreparable, or at a reasonable cost, as museum objects, never to move under their own power again.

[@JonCoupland]

We're keeping our lot going 😊👍

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Wish I could replace my 2017 Ford Fiesta front wheel bearings at home...

[@JonCoupland]

We recently bought a bearing press. Game changer

[@bertiewooster3326]

Get a regular mot it would have spotted this years ago.I know

[@JonCoupland]

We filmed a whole series of us looking at this side of the car last Summer and it absolutely wasnt there then - so its happened in a very short period of time as the car is rarely driven - thanks for watching - check out part 2

[@rctaylor5689]

Also, I didn’t see the frame (or chassis) was cracked, only the suspension bracket which looks like it might be easier to fabricate a new one as opposed to welding the old part. It’s only mild steel & should not be that difficult to make if you have a shop full of equipment & a little ingenuity. If you insist, the new one can be hardened by flame & quenching. But you really need to know what you are doing when attempting that process.

[@JonCoupland]

Absolutely. New bracket now fabricated.

[@davidjohnson3890]

I have never worked on an A/S but back in the day (1959) when I was a young apprentice this type of chassis crack on cars with early independent or torsion bar suspension was not uncommon. I think it is the bracket that has cracked or split off and not the chassis but the only way you can see is to disassemble the whole lot. I was a little concerned about how you were crawling under it when it was only supported by two axle jacks and blocks of wood. This car weighs in at 1.5 tons. Cracks like this can happen spontaneously with modern pot-holed roads. Back in the 1950s/ 60s roads had better surfaces. I owned a 1946 Austin 10 where the chassis cracked at the B post and when I opened the doors on that side they shouldn't shut again. RIP one A10 later I bought an MO Oxford. PS: It shouldn't get that hot in normal driving - you have a timing issue.

[@JonCoupland]

Thanks for watching - timing has been looked at so were unsure where our issue lies (maybe its just how it is, PLUS it was a super hot day) - were advocates of safety - the axle stands should do their job along with the jack - thankfully there is quite a lot of ground clearance too! - Penn Bradley (AS expert) has stated this is a common fault too - stay tuned for part 4!

[@glynluff2595]

The Smiths jackall system could split its pump when old so beware. If you have camber problems you might have the torsion bars set up incorrectly. These had a big export market to Australia where they were often used to go out into the bush because the chassis was so tough. Luvax double acting shocker by look of it. With the bracket so damaged it might be better to have a new one fabricated. This would give you two advantages A) you can select a heavier material - remember factories had to use whatever material the Government allowed them which was always minimal B) the material will be entire and 0:20 presumably only welded solidly at a junction or possibly folded on hydraulic press such as the small 5ton presses you can purchase from Machine Mart etc. Always remember with late forties cars that the material you are working with was required on ration from Ministry of Supply of the Labour Government. Steel was very hard to get. That is why so much aluminium was used in high class cars as there was a surplus as no aeroplanes were in production. This had a down side. Aluminium presses were made from rubber moulds and life expectancy was about 1000 pressings which was about the number of expensive models a high class manufacturer would make. If you look at production figures they really exceed 1200 and that is why. You would have replace your presses for a hundred or two more. Unviable. Ask your Dad who is about my generation. That is also why the Land Rover was built because it was built from Rover scrap and obsolete engine production machinery from pre war. It only survived the Labour Government because it was shown to the King who drove one and wanted one! Labour politicians hated it especially as the market was for the owners of large estates who wanted to access remote places for forestry and agriculture. The social history of cars of that era is as interesting as the engineering which was often quite varied! Good luck with project.

[@fourwheelzone]

Nonsense on stilts.

[@JonCoupland]

@@fourwheelzone that needs to be a tshirt

[@glynluff2595]

@@fourwheelzone The beauty of engineering is the controversy of opinion but much is explainable if you look at the social history of the time!

[@grrfy]

I really like the 2 tone, black wouldn't look anywhere near as good imo, boring .

[@JonCoupland]

I have to agree! Although when it left the factory it was black and cream WITH brown leather interior ... weird!

[@grrfy]

@@JonCoupland Post war necessity old bean.wotwot!I think in black it would just become a generic postwar shape ,if you get me?

[@JonCoupland]

@@grrfy i absolutely do! and after looking at one 'as it should be' I didn't like it - as you know ... i like to be different anyway!

[@Upperroad4480]

An auburn speedster,original,would fetch millions at an auction.

[@JonCoupland]

Blimey

[@monacannon8126]

Personally I think he's making a mountain out of an Antheap

[@JonCoupland]

Aye, but its good content and generates enough money to pay for it ;)

[@benc8386]

So what's the game plan? Drill out those rivets, get the whole thing off, fabricate a new one on the bench and then either bolt and/or weld it back on?

[@JonCoupland]

Stay tuned to find out (sorry to be that person) 🤦‍♂️

[@paultaylor9652]

Now you now know why we an MOT, still a shame it's happened but I'm assured by your "dads" words.

[@JonCoupland]

I'm an advocate for cars of a certain age to still be required to have some sort of safety checks (for this reason!)

[@heriotpayne]

As its only a bracket thats failed then a few mins with a wire brush and a mig welder would see a repair that is safe until you can get a replacment made up.

[@JonCoupland]

We dont like doing a job and not doing it properly 😊 - thankfully it's not a daily driver so we have the time to do it at our leisure (actually it's been done a while now) - thanks for watching

[@thomasshepard6030]

Just make up a new bracket for it

[@JonCoupland]

Check out part 2 ... you might be on the right lines!?

[@helmuthhaass3631]

A pair of brake shoes £280 ?? 😥 How about refurbishing the old ones? They couldn't be rocket science..🤔

[@chrisdavies3572]

O M.G NEVER sit with your legs under a jacked up vehicle regardless of how confident you might be. Take care.

[@JonCoupland]

Dad's still got his legs 50 years later 😁👍 - those axle stands will absolutely do their job

[@tl50camiva]

It's not the chassis that's cracked- just a bracket that needs repairing. Carry on Sensationalising to increase your viewing numbers! 😂

[@JonCoupland]

Will do - it's working well! (Your comment and watch time has helped also!)

[@tl50camiva]

@@JonCoupland every little helps! 😉

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

I guess bird turd welding is a variation of pigeon #### welding.

[@JonCoupland]

Yes yes yes 😊

[@highfidelity1st]

That not a “death trap” in the 60s and 70s I used to repair old banger I’ve seen and repaired much worse. Thats not a cracked chassis it the shocker Mount bracket. I would weld up the cracks the make reinforcing plates and double up or cut off old brackets and make new out of thicker material..

[@JonCoupland]

Check out the latest video. 😁👍