AEX125 finally finished

[aex125]

While we all know restorations are never really finished, I am declaring victory and saying I am finally done with AEX125. It took 8 years to get it to this point and I couldn't have done without a lot of help including many people on this forum.
   
   
   
   
   
   Thanks to all that had a hand in bringing 125 back to life and now its on to 1078.
   Jay

[nikbj68]

Congratulations, Jay!!! IT`s fantastic to see the results of all your hard work, and I really like the fact that you didn`t 'restore out' the alterations that make 125 unique.
   I hope you`ll take a little time out to actually drive it!
   Of course, we all look forward to seeing the progress on 1078 over the next 8 years!!!

[chuckbrandt]

Wow looks great!  Nice work.   Love that color combo too, a good friend has the same combination in a cobra CSX2305.
   
   Chuck

[AC Ace Bristol]

quote:Originally posted by aex125
   
While we all know restorations are never really finished, I am declaring victory and saying I am finally done with AEX125. It took 8 years to get it to this point and I couldn't have done without a lot of help including many people on this forum.
   
   
   
   
   
   Thanks to all that had a hand in bringing 125 back to life and now its on to 1078.
   Jay
   

   
   Jay
   
   Nice to see another  AC project come to fruition and not stagnate in a lock up / workshop. Use it and enjoy it as it was in the 1950s 1960s.
   
   Have a break from the workshop, devote a little precious time to family while you research  and obtain the vital parts for the future restoration of AEX1078.......  How about restoring to origonal spec as it left Thames Ditton back in June 1959.
   
   Afterall you already have a cobraised Ace.  Just a idea!!
   
   Good luck with the new project, keep us all informed by posting regular progress reports.
   
   Keith

[Aceca289]

quote:Originally posted by nikbj68
   
Congratulations, Jay!!! IT`s fantastic to see the results of all your hard work, and I really like the fact that you didn`t 'restore out' the alterations that make 125 unique.
   I hope you`ll take a little time out to actually drive it!
   Of course, we all look forward to seeing the progress on 1078 over the next 8 years!!!
   
   

   
   Jay
   
   Great restoration! I too like the fact that you did not restore out the modifications that make your car unique. All cars have a history that goes along with them and I believe it is valuable to retain that history when appropriate. I have an Aceca 289 conversion and decided to do a partial restoration to restore it to how it looked in 1963 when the conversion was done instead of dismantling the history to bring it back to original specs. This will also save lots of $'s and time...
   
   Was the original rear end of your car replaced with splined axels (ala Cobra) or are you having to baby foot the gas to avoid breaking rear axels? I still have the original rear end and axels, although I changed out the ratio from the 3.9:1 to 3.64:1 which should improve the situation.
   
   Hope you get out and enjoy your ride on the open road!
   
   John

[aex125]

Thanks guys and I have to say this has probably been the most enjoyable car I have done. Although you cannot pick up a catalouge and order the parts you need, I have enjoyed pouring over pictures to determine what was needed and then making the parts (sometimes 2 or 3 times) to get them right. I have also been enjoying it since the upholstery has been completed and have gone through a couple of tanks of petrol so far. Luckily the weather in Southern California will allow me to enjoy it year round.
   
   John, The rear end is still Ace and the 289 is a mild version so hopefully I will not have problem. I do not necessarily baby foot it, but I also have not done any hard launches which is where I would expect problems to surface.
   
   Keith,
   You ask a very interesting question on 1078 and it is one I am currently struggling with. Like 125, 1078 was converted to a V8 earlier in its life (and also had many other mods performed), but the quality of the work is very poor as evidenced by the following pics showing the bodywork. One of the biggest problems in trying to bring it back to its original configuration is sourcing an engine and gearbox on this side of the pond. AC engines are tough to come by (do I need a CLB or will a CL version be OK?), are expensive when they do come up (last one I saw was$10k and needed a rebuild), and the current exchange rate makes sourcing engines from your side of the pond a very expensive proposition. If I had an AC engine it would be an easy decision to make but since I do not I am not sure what path to take. My initial thought was maybe trying to find a 2.6 engine and use it, as maybe it would be easier to source and find parts for, but I am still struggling with what to do on the power train. For the body my plan is to get the rear body changed back to original from the wide hips it currently has, and the front needs to be fixed, but if I use a 2.6, should I go with a 2.6 front end or back with an original? Just not sure right now. I will say that while I am far from being a purist, I do try and retain the feel of what my cars were in their early life while balancing that against my wallet. I will probably be starting numerous threads in the near future on this very subject (2.6 availability/maintenance, thoughts on conversion to rack and pinion steering, sources for rear brakes drums to replace the cobbled together disc setup, etc)and based on the input I receive, decide how to proceed.
   
   Again thanks to all for the positive comments and I am going to continue getting 125 out on many outings.
   Jay
   
   1078 body work photos. I think it was a beginners first job......
   
   
   
   

[Robin A Woolmer]

Jay
   I assume the car was fitted with a CLB engine originally,the problem with CL engines is the availability of replacement thin wall shell bearings for the crankshaft, in addition AC reduced the pitch of the main bearing studs which reduces your options in regard to both replacement bearings & new crankshaft journals.
   There should be quite a number of UMB type engines available from 2-litre cars in the UK but would most likely require overhaul, for instance there is a complete 2-litre car on Ebay for £1200 which would provide you with a Moss gearbox as well!
   Some members of the club do sell complete engines in various conditions, if you wished to have an engine & gearbox it might be worth your contacting the engine specialsts who have great experience of the AC engine & get their advice & potentially have then find a good one for you.
   By the way the $ is getting stronger against the £ at the moment (thank goodness)
   You can source Moss gearboxes in the UK from both ACs & Jag cars, some with overdrives as i did earlier this year for approx £150?
   Not trying to sell you anything but if you go to the Links on my web site there are some recommended engine builders in the UK.' www.ac-engine.com '
   It would be nice to fit an AC engine if that was fitted originally!
   
   Robin

[GaryC]

Jay...where in S. Calif are you?  I have an Aceca with a 2.6 on the side if you want to look at the engine situation.  I plan to start in a few months.  Gary (949)370-2575

[aex125]

Robin, Thanks for the information and the link to your web site. There is a wealth of information there! Since you are intimately involved with the AC engines, do you know what a rough estimate would be in the UK for a rebuilt CLB engine? Also, the Moss gearbox you sourced, was it in need of a rebuild, or was it ready to go? The best I have found over here is about 4X that price for a very rough box and no shifter or bell housing.
   
   Gary,
   I am up in the Ventura area and it looks like you are in Orange County? I will try to call tommorrow to talk to you about your Aceca and 2.6.
   TRhanks,
   Jay

[Robin A Woolmer]

Jay
   I basically am able to supply major new parts as you have seen, i did talk to Jon Sichel a week ago for a comparitive estimate for him to overhaul an existing engine which he estimated at £15,000, this was to have some comparison against new major parts.
   The Moss Gearbox has not been tested as yet but was said to come from a good working car (jag)everything rotates & gears change OK by turning by hand, the main thing which is weak on the Moss boxes is the syncro i believe on 2nd gear.Most if not all the internal parts are available from SC Parts who support Jags. The post war AC engines/bel housing with a moss box should fit a box from a Jag.
   The box i have was purchased for a future project so i will not be trying it very quickly.
   Incedentally you could consider a Ford Type 9 five speed but the issue will be the driven shaft support bearing at the end of the crankshaft which on AC Cranks is the reverse of the norm due to the two piece construction of the AC crank! This would not be a problem if you fitted a new crank in the AC engine if you went for a solid billet crank though.
   You clearly have a great deal to consider for the project & i am sure you will get support from the club members.
   
   Robin

[Robin A Woolmer]

Jay
   You might be interested in this web site which has a new 5-speed gearbox to replace the Moss on Jags ' www.etypefabs.com ', it is fairly expensive for your requirements but is an alternative!
   The price is similar to another company which fits a complet new set of 5- speed gears into a Moss box!
   Hope this gives you some options.
   
   Robin

[Robin A Woolmer]

Jay
   Moss Jag MK2 Gearbox & overdrive on Ebay UK number 110281071108 currently £75 & 21 hours to run!
   
   Robin

[aex125]

Thanks Robin, you have been a wealth of information and given me many different options to ponder. Now I need to think about all of this and figure out what I still do not know yet, and what my pocketbook will be able to absorb.
   Jay

[AC Ace Bristol]

quote:Originally posted by aex125
   
Thanks guys and I have to say this has probably been the most enjoyable car I have done. Although you cannot pick up a catalouge and order the parts you need, I have enjoyed pouring over pictures to determine what was needed and then making the parts (sometimes 2 or 3 times) to get them right. I have also been enjoying it since the upholstery has been completed and have gone through a couple of tanks of petrol so far. Luckily the weather in Southern California will allow me to enjoy it year round.
   
   John, The rear end is still Ace and the 289 is a mild version so hopefully I will not have problem. I do not necessarily baby foot it, but I also have not done any hard launches which is where I would expect problems to surface.
   
   Keith,
   You ask a very interesting question on 1078 and it is one I am currently struggling with. Like 125, 1078 was converted to a V8 earlier in its life (and also had many other mods performed), but the quality of the work is very poor as evidenced by the following pics showing the bodywork. One of the biggest problems in trying to bring it back to its original configuration is sourcing an engine and gearbox on this side of the pond. AC engines are tough to come by (do I need a CLB or will a CL version be OK?), are expensive when they do come up (last one I saw was$10k and needed a rebuild), and the current exchange rate makes sourcing engines from your side of the pond a very expensive proposition. If I had an AC engine it would be an easy decision to make but since I do not I am not sure what path to take. My initial thought was maybe trying to find a 2.6 engine and use it, as maybe it would be easier to source and find parts for, but I am still struggling with what to do on the power train. For the body my plan is to get the rear body changed back to original from the wide hips it currently has, and the front needs to be fixed, but if I use a 2.6, should I go with a 2.6 front end or back with an original? Just not sure right now. I will say that while I am far from being a purist, I do try and retain the feel of what my cars were in their early life while balancing that against my wallet. I will probably be starting numerous threads in the near future on this very subject (2.6 availability/maintenance, thoughts on conversion to rack and pinion steering, sources for rear brakes drums to replace the cobbled together disc setup, etc)and based on the input I receive, decide how to proceed.
   
   Again thanks to all for the positive comments and I am going to continue getting 125 out on many outings.
   Jay
   
   1078 body work photos. I think it was a beginners first job......
   
   
   
   
   

   
   Jay
   
   Bristol 100D or 100D2 are hard to find,  accumalting the parts and building a reliable unit will cost you £20K plus ( subject to parts availabilty ....  could add another £5K,  £6K or more
   
   Slightly cheaper to source the parts and Build a AC lump..... However
   Corrosion is a killer so again your budget will be £12K / £14K plus.
   
   More power,  Easier to obtain parts and semi correct  AC spec ....
   Ford 2.6 lump with triple Webers and Mays head,  coupled to a Volvo Amazon gearbox   =   Ingrediants for a trully torquey, reliable and
   great touring combination.
   
   I know some will cringe at the Volvo box,  but this well proven route means the car is up and running, being used and enjoyed months  if not a year or two earlier than with the Bristol or AC power pack.
   
   Good luck with the rebuild. ..  ..  Can possilbly put you in contact with a couple of ACOC members in the UK who just happen to have 2.6 lumps spare and the odd Amazon Box surplus to requirements......
   No, I'm not a trader,  just a AC enthusiast who believes in net- working and using his Ace all year round.
   
   Keith

[Aceca289]

Jay:
   
   It looks like you really have a major project ahead of you with AEX1078! You may want to contact Hawk cars as they make an AC Ace replica and should be able to help with restoring the front and rear bodywork to original Ace specs...and maybe some other parts. I believe there are also other people in the UK with the wooden bucks to bang out the body pieces for you as well.
   
   As for the power plant I am partial to the original AC engine (it is truly a beautiful engine to see under the hood). The Zephyr 2.6 would also be a good choice and likely easier to obtain as mentioned by others. FYI – In case you didn't know, the Volvo Amazon Keith refers to is known as the Volvo 120 series in the US and used transmissions should be readily available as there are many old Volvos around (especially in California). Volvo also had an overdrive unit available that mates to this transmission. I know because the Volvo 122S that I learned to drive on had an OD unit. These transmissions can also take a lot of abuse as I can personally attest.
   
   Good Luck,
   
   John