In fact the skills you need to rebuild an 80 year old car are much the same as a 40 year old car, plus the need for woodworking skills if the body is a coachbuilt car.
Mechanically everything tends to be quite basic and simple, the most noticeable difference being that the bearings (mains and big ends) are white metal cast either directly onto the conrod or a thick shell rather than the thinwall shells used in the 60's, once the metal has been cast it has to be indivifually "scraped" and blued to ensure there are no high spots on the bearing surface!
The difficulty is finding spares ( the cylinder head came from New Zealand!) although e bay has meant many more things are available - Hemmings never really worked for me as by the time it had arrived in the UK anyparts had already gone.
The biggest frustration is trying to get advice and help with problems, I have yet to find anyone else rebuilding an L*80 since I started mine in 1999 (I would have finished it ages ago if it wasnt for finding parts)
> From:
PNigelW@xxxxxxx
> Subject: IML: 1929 Imperial L*80 parts urgently needed
>
> I am now very close to finishing my 1929 Imperial L*80 Convertible Coupe > by
> Locke. ( Look at the photos on the 1929 page)
Unfortunately I can't help you with the parts, but I'd just like to say; Wow!
Congratulations are definitely in order for undertaking a job of this magnitude, and succeeding so well. I wouldn't know how or where to even begin on an 80-year old car.
-Kle.
'69 Crown 4DHT
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