Messages

I did some searching a while ago and listed the following info: Wheelbox:
      ACE/Aceca,    55-56   72629A
            57-on   72639A
   Also found on:
               72629   Triumph TR2 1954-56
               72639   Triumph TR2 1955-56 with 2 speed motors
   Wiper rack:
      ACE/Aceca,    55-56   736307 cut to 441/8 CR/4W motors. Std length 465/(16 )
            57   741264 cut to 4929/32 DR1 motor. . Std length 505/32
            58-on   744256      for DR3 motor. Std length 4729/32
   Could be worth contacting Moss Europe etc,their TR2/3 catalog can be very useful. For what it is worth my info shows Armstrong Siddeley wheel boxes as 72548 except for the Sapphire 1953-55. Limited numbers of the correct car is a problem.
   Best of luck, Mike.

Hi Gus,
   My Aceca came with it's original steering wheel fitted, also a new correct style Moto Lita wheel and a Moss boss. I decided to fit the new wheel and retain the original for later refit if required. An excellent method of fitting was thought out, some RM series Rileys use the same spline and bluemells nut fitting as the Ace/Aceca. I managed to cut clear the unwanted Riley rim and spokes from the hub and graft on the new Moto Lita unit. Fairly straightforward turning job and then pillar drill and tap the 6 mounting bolt holes. The original horn/indicator switch is retained as the Riley hub is very similar in that area. It is a slow job but the end result is very good. How many RM Rileys out of  the 20,000 or so made 1946/53 found their way over the pond?
   
   Mike.

Lew/ Tim,
   Keith has put me "in the frame " for this one, knowing that I managed to locate and purchase 3 ENV diffs that fit directly into ACE ACECA. They all came from Daimlers, Regency, Regina, Majestic, 104 and DK400A. I have inspected a couple of very late Daimler disc braked rear axles and they were also 3.9. At that stage I presume Jaguar had bought out Daimler and might have used their own axle? but probably the last Majestics. Lea Francis also used ENVs post war but used 4.875 ratio except for the 14 Sports at 4.55. I have also worked on a 2.5 Ltr sports special with 3.9 diff. As a last thought my info suggests that the 18HP Saloon 49/54 used 4.1 along with the Lynx prototype! Cautionary note at this point, Daimlers are very heavy and may have been used and abused during long service and although the diffs are over the top for AC work they can and do suffer neglect and wear. Just a last word, having changed both ACE and ACECA diffs after conversion to O/D I think the ACECA is the most time consuming. Best of luck with your searches.
   Mike.

Keith, Had a look for Mike Martin for you and came up with his picture on this link: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=132627 mike "grimeheel" is shown with others in 2010. Being a later showing of the Autosport forum it may give you another lead. Good luck.
   Mike

Compliments of the season.
   When I bought Ace BEX1073,with V8 Buick a copy of the Rod and Track article came with the car, infering it was the Mongoose and one of three. Indeed the register at the time confirmed this! However during a sustained digging for the cars history, Mongoose/Scheberries never came up. Eventually I managed to contact Jerry Scheberries by phone in July 2003. He told me that he had only converted one car to V8 spec (Olds)for concours events, it was a 1958 AC engined one. Unfortunately he coud not remember where he got it or the chassis number only that it wsa entered in Pebble Beach in 1961 and that he sold it to a man called "Chuck Hallam" who somtimes acted with Burt Lancaster. Jerry sent me a collage of photos copied onto an A4 sheet depicting his red Ace registration ACA 237 (California plate) original AC engine and later Olds taken in the 60s. The car also has a single thin blade front bumper, flat screen and disc front brakes. Another photo of the car in the Nevada desert shows it with a racing number 44.
   Mike.

Keith,
   Just looking at your possible english registration for BEX333 in my "Trader Handbook" dated 1963. In the section for registration letters, TXA through to TXL are shown as (Export) and TXF covering May 57-Nov 57. This ties up well with the build/ reg date for your car.XF is also shown generally as a London mark. Further info may be on the national archive site:http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=051-cc_4&cid=2-5-1-6#2-5-1-6. Moving on to the actual plate, My trader book also has an advert for "ACE" number plates made by Corner craft Ltd, Ace works Parkside Coventry. The  small eliptical Badge is present on the upper left hand side, exactly the same as both plates on my Aceca. I suspect that 333 was registered in england, possibly at Kingston on Thames or County Hall London before export to the states.Good luck. Mike M