Messages

Hate to say it guys, but  judgement needs to be withheld until the vent and window panes, the window frame and the latch assembly are re-installed.  Complete Aceca doors are heavy, and the cantilevered weight is taken to the hinges in part by those now 50 year old ash frame joints.  The hinges aren't that robust either. Hopefully what David has now will be the same when it all gets back together.
   Art

Censorship and personal attack doesn't belong here.  Gentlemen, (and ladies), do we have a quorum?
   Art

Sold for $35,121. John's description of what's included makes this appear a steal.  Will be interesting to see the Aceca finished and out on the track.

Peter;
   Do you plan to convert to left hand drive?
   Art

Monday morning after National Day and there are already 52 hits on the video. Note the number of relatively young people seen walking the grounds. They, and the internet linking owners world wide, are the future for this Club. Just as finally getting membership online, isn't it time to also offer ACtion as either an emailed .pdf or a password protected site?  Both offer savings in printing, postage, & handling, as well as gaining a fully searchable archival document.
   
   Art

Keith,
   While delivery of the new authentic Ceandess fuel caps will be after this year's National Day  Concours, for future year's competitions it would be most interesting to know the number of points the Club's judges will deducted for non-original caps in the  Ace, Aceca, Greyhound and Cobra classes.   From the above outpouring of reservations you've received, it's obvious that many knowledgeable owners understand and appreciate the intrinsic value of maintaining the originality of their AC's.  Square button caps are for replicas and motorcycles.
   Art

As the door frame's not cosmetic wood, you might consider using the marine repair system for rotted wood: small holes are drilled in from above, then special thin penetrating epoxy that seeps into the wood is injected down filling holes using a syringe. This solution results in a solid, strong section. Beyond boat repair, this is often used for architectural restoration of bad windowsills and frames.  You'd save unwrapping the aluminum door skin at the bottom, and the result is as strong if not stronger than the original ash. Finish up by coating and sealing all the inside door wood with epoxy so moisture can't penetrate. Check boat repair vendors for correct epoxy; in the US one brand is Git-Rot. There are a number of You Tube videos to watch as well.
   If the door has sagged on the rear lower corner as the screws have loosened in the bad wood, use a Spanish windless to realign and then renew the corner ply. Of course if all the wood in the door is bad, go for the cabinet maker.
   Art

Small Ford Spares.com doesn't have these listed under "over riders"; they're at http://www.smallfordspares.co.uk/en/part.phtml?PartID=2743
   
   Keith, how 'bout a combo offering of 'caps 'n riders?
   (With apologies to Jim Feldman and his seal of approval)

Just as a matter of authenticity, will one of our experts confirm that the brass chassis plate shown on Rod Leach's two litre EL 1558 is real?  It's slightly different than the brass plate on early Aces and Acecas, of which I've seen a number of close replicas.  The later aluminum chassis plates were silk screened instead of being etched, and are far easier to counterfeit. One wonders if this new "Ace" also has serial numbers stamped on the other specific body locations.
   
   So is this "Ace" any different than counterfeit handbags, cigarettes,  Apple computers in China or Picasso's?  There is the EEU directive setting forth destruction (crushing) of counterfeits.  We've already seen the action of AC's intellectual property holder regarding use of his trademark by this club. Basic Economics 101: This counterfeit Ace, which by reason of being offered to a potential buyer of a genuine Ace as an alternative, causes a reduction in the value of the limited supply of real Ace 2.6s.
   
   Art

Keith,
   Given that Ceandess (pronounced C and E) supplied AC with fuel filler caps back in the 50's and 60's, and that Ceandess remains a viable operation on Dixon street in Wolverhampton, still making fuel fill caps, with Director/Sales Manager Peter Killey available at 01902 872000 and on the net at: peter.killey at ceandess.co.uk
   Would it be possible to just ring up Mr. Killey, and make a pitch for Ceandess, as the original British designer and supplier, to reissue authentic keyhole fuel caps?  Besides the market of AC owners interested in maintaining the authenticity of their increasingly valuable cars, dare we mention the sales potential  among the horde of worldwide replica owners? (Consider how many sets of those sand cast aluminum AC embossed clutch and brake pedals have been sold.)
   
   Beyond these arguments for a reissue,  an invitation for Mr. Killey to experience some hot laps 'round Donington in a vehicle bearing his product, with attendant PR coverage, might be persuasive too.
   
   Jay, looked at Norton Commando and Triumph bike sites, they don't have the keyhole style replacement cap available, just the ridged square button similar model, made in UK by Ceandess, for a very reasonable $95. See http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Norton-Commando-OEM-Ceandess-Gas-Cap-/310306406189
   Art

Janey;
   Would be useful before investing in cosmetic restoration to let us all see clear, detailed pictures of the undercarriage of the Ace.  I question whether the rear has remained unchanged, as well as the brakes, steering and  other items.  It's worth pulling apart the running gear to be sure there isn't hardened grease and worn bushings after 50+ years.
   
   Here in America, there's nothing the matter with an Ace having an engine transplant, it probably kept the car from being scrapped in the '60's, and as long as daddy doesn't buy it as a graduation present for a 17 year old, it should give good reliable service with readily available parts.
   Art

Ron Leonard's catalog/parts list had pictures of his offering of the correct sized Whitworth wrench sets as fitted in the spare tire insert.    He's at 970-259-0108 in Colorado (US mountain time)

I know it's April Fool's Day but, in this man's opinion, the Zagato coupe body is a mishmash of hackneyed Italian ornamentation. If the Hurlocks had offered this instead of the Aceca's svelte, unified design, I doubt they would have sold 20 examples in America.
   I first saw the car at the Rosso Bianco collection in Aschaffenburg, lined up along side what was then the world's finest collection of sports and racing cars.  The Zagato looked out of place, like a hot rod creation grafted from body parts pulled from a Italian junk yard, never to do more than cruise down to the local malt shop. So Jim Feldman, if you're reading this (I know he hates the internet) how 'bout stripping off that silly body and put back the sybaritic design it originally bore?
   Art

What's interesting is the same seller also has a early Kirkham (KMP 021) on Ebay, together with a number of auto A/C tools.  Neither car has yet made reserve. Possibility of relative selling off an estate, or similar situation?
   http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Shelby-Shelby-Cobra-Kirkham-427-/250797407553?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a64b0bd41
   BEX 671;
   http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Other-Makes-AC-Aceca-AC-Bristol-Shelby-Cobra-/250797400115?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a64b0a033

Jerry;
   A non-destructive possibility would be thermography. Basically you're trying to see a pattern in the differential in transmission of heat waves passing through the paint layers and aluminum. I looked into thermography when I was attempting to measure damage to my sailboat's hull by identifying where there was delamination in the glas layers. There are a few marine surveyors here in Florida that do this work and have the necessary equipment.  Since the possible roundel (s) would most likely be on the doors and/or hood, you'd set up a heat lamp inside the panel, and see if the thermocamera  can discern any pattern that would be the underlying racing numbers.
   Randy Baselt's 1991 Register has the first owner of BEX 316 as "D Durst". Do you have any ideas on further information like a first name, or an address?
   Art