The restoration of alice

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE

The Restoration of Alice

The memory lives on…...

In May 2011 an old, very dilapidated and seemingly uncared for Mini HLE which previously belonged to Jenny Calmeyer, arrived in Sabie on board a trailer towed by a new BMW belonging to Anthony Calmeyer.

Hearing that we were looking for an old Mini to restore for Pinky’s use, Anthony offered us this one as a gift to Pinky, and there begins the story……...

Page 1

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 2

A legend is Born The Mini is one of those special cars that defines the vehicle class to which it belongs. It was the small car icon of the 1960s and was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000.

The Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis which reduced oil supplies, and forced the UK government to introduce petrol rationing. Obviously, the sales of large cars, with high fuel consumption dropped and the market for German bubble cars boomed.

The British public apparently so detested these cars that pressure was put on the auto industry to design a 'proper Miniature car'. BMC were the first to lay down some basic design requirements; the car should be contained within a box that measured 3m Ă— 1.2m Ă— 1.2m; the passenger accommodation should occupy 1.8m of the 3m length; and the engine, for reasons of cost, should be an existing unit.

Sir Alec Issigonis, father of the famous Morris Minor, with his skills in designing small cars, was the natural choice to design this revolutionary car.

With a remarkably small team consisting of Issigonis, Jack Daniels (who had worked with him on the Morris Minor), Chris Kingham, two engineering students and four draughtsmen, they had by October 1957, designed and built the prototype.

A cross-section of the original model shows the passenger space available

The design concept of the Mini was not without problems. In overcoming the many problems and pitfalls, new engineering benchmarks for the motor manufacturing industry were set. The Mini with its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (which allowed 80% of the area of the car's floor pan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.

The prototype used a conventional four-cylinder water-cooled engine, but departed from tradition by mounting it transversely, with the engine-oil-lubricated, four-speed transmission in the sump, and by employing front-wheel drive.

Almost all small front-wheel-drive cars developed since have used a similar configuration, except with the transmission usually separately enclosed rather than using the engine oil. The radiator was mounted at the left side of the car so that the engine-mounted fan could be retained, but with reversed pitch so that it blew air into the natural low pressure area under the front wing.

This location saved precious vehicle length, but had the disadvantage of feeding the radiator with air that had been heated by passing over the engine.

Page 3

It also exposed the entire ignition system to the direct ingress of rainwater through the grille.

The unique suspension system, was designed by Dr Alex Moulton and used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs. This ingenious space-saving design also featured rising progressive-rate springing of the cones, and provided some natural damping, in addition to the normal dampers. Built into the subframes, the rubber cone system gave a raw and bumpy ride which was accentuated by the wovenwebbing seats, but the rigidity of the rubber cones, together with the wheels being pushed out to the corners of the car, gave the Mini go kart-like handling that would become famous.

A further dramatic departure from convention was the small From the prototype; this picture illustrates that even long-legged wheels which required new tyres to be developed. The initial contract went to Dunlop and called for 8-inch (203 mm) “pommies� could fit behind the wheel wheels. Unfortunately, Dunlop choked on this daunting task and eventually an agreement was made on 10-inch (254mm) wheels and tyres. The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales.

The first Mini rolled off the production line on 26 August 1959.

Morris Mini-Minor 1959. Reg Number "621 AOK" is the first Mini off the production line. It was never sold, and is now kept at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, UK.

Through its long production period, the Mini was built at the Cowley plants in the United Kingdom, and afterwards in Australia, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela. In 1999, the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, behind the Ford Model T. Despite its utilitarian origins, the classic Mini shape had become so well known that by the 1990s, Rover Group, the heirs to BMC, were able to register its design as a trade mark in its own right.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the British market received numerous "special editions" of the Mini, which shifted the car from a mass-market item into a fashionable icon.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 4

It was this image that perhaps helped the Mini become such an asset for BMW which, in 1994 took control of the Rover Group which included the Mini.

By March 2000, Rover was still suffering massive losses, and BMW decided to dispose of most of the companies. The sell-off was completed in May that year. MG and Rover went to Phoenix, a new British consortium; and Land Rover was sold to Ford Motor Company. BMW retained the Mini name and the planned new model, granting Rover temporary rights to the brand and allowing it to manufacture and sell the run-out model of the old Mini. The last Mini (a red Cooper Sport) was built on 4 October 2000 and presented to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust in December of that year. A total of 5,387,862 cars had been manufactured.

After the last of the Mini production had been sold, the 'Mini' name reverted to BMW ownership.

The new BMW MINI (note the name change) is technically unrelated to the old car but retains the classic transverse 4-cylinder, front-wheel-drive configuration and iconic "bulldog" stance of the original.

The Mini in South Africa The Mini story in South Africa starts in August 1959, the some month in which the first production model rolled off the assembly line in the BMC Cowley plant in England. Branded an Austin 850, this car was imported as a prototype to assist with tooling for the first Mini to be built later that year in Austin’s Blackheath plant as an “assembled in South Africa” model. The prototype, bright Tartan red in colour was registered with the Cape Town Municipality as CA 71.

Meanwhile, back in Durban by the Sea, Motor Assemblies Ltd, being the South African assembly plant for Morris Motors Ltd and the plant in which all Morris Minors had been assembled, were not going to left out. In February 1960 the first Morris Mini-Minor rolled off the assembly line in Durban but finding the South African Government’s local content programme too demanding, production stopped in March 1963.

So back to the Cape where things were happening; least of all name changes. 1964 saw a merger in England between the Austin and Morris motor companies to form British Motor Corporation (BMC). BMC South Africa carried on business as usual with a name change and some management changes until suddenly on 17 January 1968 we see another merger in the UK between BMC and Leyland Motor Corporation to form British Leyland Motor Corporation, Britain’s largest vehicle builder and the largest single exporter.

Needless to say, South Africa soon followed and through a merger with BMC South Africa and Leyland South Africa, the reorganised Leyland South Africa with its manufacturing division, Leykor, was to see the production of the Mini through to its South African demise in 1983.

Page 5

Locally Assembled to Locally Manufactured An event worth mentioning in our Mini story is the advent of the first locally made engines in South Africa. A bold move by BMC South Africa and in compliance with Phase 1 of the Local Content Programme, the first engine to be entirely manufactured in South Africa was launched on 21 February 1964.

South African manufactured engines were painted with heat-resistant maroon and also featured a tappet cover finished a nice crackle black.

Blackheath & Elsie's River

Alice didn't look like this when she arrived in Sabie. Her engine had been repainted in a rather disgusting pillar-box red. That was then and this is Alice today.

So far we have heard much of the Blackheath plant which produced the Mini from 1959 along with many other well-known marques such as the various Austin models, Jaguar and Triumph. In the middle of 1982 production of the Mini was moved from the Leyland Blackheath facility to Elsie's River which is about 17km nearer to Cape Town on the same railway line.

In 1973, Leyland acquired the Elsie's River motor assembly plant from Chrysler to increase production and moved the assembly of some trucks from their Mobeni plant in Natal to join the Land Rover and Daihatsu assembly. The Elsie's River plant was a very large facility with lots of room for expansion. Consequently, Leyland eventually shut down their Mobeni Natal facility and on 15 December 1976 after 25 years of production and having produced 30,000 Leyland trucks and Buses, the entire production moved to Elsie's River. Production of the Mini at Elsie's River continued up the demise of the marque in 1983.

End of the Road The last Mini to role off the assembly line at Elsie's River was in October 1983, barely a year after production was moved from Blackheath. With the move to Elsie's River, Leyland was facing the need for re-tooling which was going to cost a lot of money. Meanwhile in the UK, facing a lot of competition from the small foreign cars and rising production costs in the British motor industry, Leyland was seriously considering the demise of the Mini.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 6

For Leyland South Africa to invest heavily in re-tooling without the assurance of continued support from the mother company in terms of components, was not economically viable. Production finally stopped in October 1983.

After nearly 25 years and the production of 92,891 saloons and station wagons (this figure excludes 11,469 bakkies, panel vans and Mokes) the Mini story in South Africa stopped.

The Restoration Story Begins When she first arrived in Sabie, she was parked next to the Lexus where she looked so out of place that she was quickly named "ALICE".

The modern tin could not get used to living next door to Alice and so she was relocated to a more suitable place on the property.

The maker’s plate attests to her pedigree. Alice was built in Leyland’s Elsie's River plant as part of the last batch in October 1983. She was placed on the floor of the Dealer; Southern Leyland City in Johannesburg, and found her first home when she was sold to Mrs J.A. (Jenny) Calmeyer on 11 April 1984.

Alice started her life in the classic livery of the HLE range which was metallic maroon (Paint Code 928-1053). The original registration document shows the colour as being red/pink. However, after removing the rear seat backrest during the restoration process , we found the word “CABERNET” written on the backrest panel. Could this have been the official colour description or, being made in a factory on the Cape Flats, could it have alluded to what was on the menu for tea that day?

In later years, an effort was made to make the car appear more like the Mini Cooper which had a white top. The colour was changed to a metallic British Racing Green.

We know that Alice in her previous life, filled a vital role transporting children to school and all of the other tasks associated with “Mom’s Taxi”. She was much loved and proved to be a faithful part of her owner’s daily life. She must at times have been more than just a means of transport, in stripping her down we found many bits and pieces of toys. Ross, if you need some of your Lego back, just let me know.

Page 7

According to a statement from Jenny, Alice remained in full-time service until sometime in 1991 which is also the last year in which she was licensed.

By 1993, Alice had virtually ended her useful service and had been assigned to the backyard to slowly deteriorate.

In October 2004, the “Ross Mini Restoration Project� was launched. This was a project to be managed by Ross Calmeyer aimed at a total restoration of the car. Unfortunately, besides an engine rebuild and body colour change, the project came to nought and was abandoned shortly after starting.

Mini 1275 HLE Let us now take a brief look at her pedigree.

Although the maker’s plate above identifies Alice as a 1275 E, it was in fact a slightly more luxurious model, the Mini 1275 HLE. The model was launched in March 1983 at a price of R6,295.00 and featured a wooden dash board including a cubby hole, radiotape, wooden inserts on the instrument fascia and plush light brown cloth seats and brown carpets.

The rest of the interior was the same as the 1275 E, including the 4-spoke padded steering wheel. The exterior had a few distinguishing features in that the HLE models were all painted in metallic colours and rather than stating it as a 1275cc model such as the 1275 E and 1275 GT, it featured a special HLE rectangular boot badge.

Production of the Mini 1275 HLE stopped in October 1983 and was still listed in the motoring magazines' price lists until March 1984. The final price listed for the HLE was R6,445 and according to NAAMSA figures, 651 Mini 1275 HLE units were sold.

The Beginning In June 2011, Pinky took off for a month to visit Sharon in Australia leaving me with Alice for company.

On 24th June 2011, I set her down on a level patch of grass next to the garages and set about disrobing her.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 8

Well, I had intended disrobing or undressing her but she was 30 years old. In car age, this is a long time and while getting intimately involved I found that she was suffering from creaky joints, calcified tail pipe, bunged up tubes, irregular beat and bad circulation. She was in fact, quite unresponsive.

And so disrobing became disembowelling ‌‌..

And on 25th June, it all stopped when placing the car jack under the front of the car and watching it sink away into the grass. It was obvious that a workspace was going to have to be created if we were going to be comfortable and safe under her.

On 26th June work started on building a carport. This would be 7m x 7m in size, covered with shade netting and be level and paved.

Page 9

Unfortunately, the area in which the carport had to be built, had a severe slope requiring retaining walls to be built. R40,000 later and the job is done. The stripping of Alice can now continue in safety.

Well, I think that the Mini will fit

To be able to sit inside the passenger space with reasonable comfort, a bankie was necessary and had to be fabricated

The Disembowelling Collection Work restarts on 15th September 2011 — a delay of almost three months.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 10

A rather empty bodyshell above and below, on the left, much of her backside has been ravaged.

On the right, we see her entire nerve system.

The Monocoque Construction The construction of the Mini was quite unique. Unlike those large steel girder-like chassis found on most cars of the day and in particular American cars, the Mini featured a monocoque construction which proved to be a superb example of lightweight construction. Although its bare shell weighed a scant 140 kilograms, its steel monocoque construction provided excellent torsional rigidity for the day. This was facilitated by strong side sills on each side, a light central tunnel – which accommodated the exhaust system – plus robust wheel housings. Transverse strength was provided by a strong bulkhead between engine compartment and passenger cell, a cross member fitted under the front seats and a rear bulkhead ahead of the luggage compartment. The inherent strength even permitted slim roof pillars and large glass areas.

The Mini incorporates front and rear subframes. These frames carry the entire running gear for the Mini. The front subframe carries the engine, gearbox, differential, suspension and driving wheels while the rear subframe houses the rear suspension and rear wheels. Once the two subframes are dropped from below the car, all you are left with is the steel monocoque body and a few odds and ends such as the exhaust pipe, steering rack and gearchange extension arm.

Page 11

No wonder that it is far easier to remove the front subframe to effect certain repairs than trying to get your hands into impossible locations in the engine compartment. It is a fact that the only way to replace a broken speedometer cable, is to remove or partially remove the engine.

Time to remove the running gear (without the luxury of a hydraulic engine hoist or a proper overhead beam on which to mount your block and tackle.

Up it goes, out it comes and down it goes to rest on specially make footsies to support the bodyshell. Almost like pulling a tooth.

Then came the turn of the rear subframe which was a whole lot easier.

And there she sits completely degutted.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 12

14 November 2011 and off she went to the body shop. The price was quoted at R9,500 and would take 1 month for a complete repaint job. The price was correct but the time was a hopeless under-estimate.

13 January 2012 and after a lot of cajoling, Alice in her new colour of Maroon B (Colour Code RD23) was ready to come home.

We first had to do some shopping for foam rubber to pack around her. This done, she could be loaded on the back of the Chana without the danger of scratching.

In the picture, Pinky, the only driver who can actually fit comfortably behind the wheel of the Chana, is ready for the trip back to Sabie.

Back home, off-loaded and back on her stilts, ready for the next phase.

The Preparation While waiting for the repainting to be done, some 15 cartons consisting of 194 items had been imported from the United Kingdom. I had decided to replace every moving part on the car with original and genuine parts. This was to ensure that Alice was not simply refurbished or “fixed� but would in fact be fully restored.

Page 13

So where do you get original and genuine replacement parts for a 30-year old car which had not been available in South Africa since 1984? Bearing in mind that the Mini achieved the largest production total of any British car, at 5.4 million and the longest production run of any mass produced British car at 41 years, it is little wonder that there are so many still in the hands of enthusiasts worldwide. This led to the establishment of the British Motor Heritage Centre which consists of a car collection and a document archive collection.

The Heritage Motor Centre is home to the world’s largest collection of British Cars; it boasts nearly 300 cars in its collection which span the classic, vintage and veteran eras.

The Centre opened in 1993 and its mission; to keep the memory of the British motor industry alive and to tell its story to all, starting from the beginning of the 20th Century to present day.

In 1968 the British Leyland Motor Corporation was created by a merger which brought together most of the surviving British Motor manufacturers. Many individual companies owned a number of old vehicles which had been kept for historic or publicity purposes and so ‘Leyland Historic Vehicles’ was set up in 1975 to look after them all. By 1983 the archive and vehicle collections had grown to such an extent that it was decided to form the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust to secure the collection for the Nation.

What is really important from a parts availability point of view is the Archive Store. The archives encompass thousands of business, sales and technical documents, almost a million negatives and miles of moving film, all of which chart the course of the British Motor Industry from the 1900s right up to present day. Alongside the records of the 97 companies which once made up British Leyland, there are comprehensive collections relating to important companies such as Lucas Industries and Aston Martin and the personal papers of industry giants such as Lord Austin, Lord Nuffield and Sir Alec Issigonis.

The availability of these documents, drawings and designs has allowed manufacturers to be licensed to produce parts and in fact to use marquee logos and artwork.

An Explanation of Old-Car Terminology VETERAN Applies to cars constructed up to 31st December 1904 (Only these cars may take part in the annual London to Brighton run which celebrates the Emancipation Run which took place in 1896 upon the repeal of the so called Red Flag Act. This meant that cars could be driven freely without a man walking in front with a red flag)

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 14

EDWARDIAN Relates to cars built from 1905 until the end of the Great War in 1918, but not many were made after about 1915.

VINTAGE These are cars made from the end of the Great War, effectively 1919, until the end of 1930 after which the VSCC (Vintage Sports Car Club) considered that cars declined in quality of construction.

POST VINTAGE THOROUGHBRED Refers to cars made from 1931 to the end of 1940 provided they continued to meet certain quality standards eg. Rolls Royce, Sunbeam, Lagonda, Alvis and Talbot.

CLASSIC This name is applied to quality post 1945 cars. The Mini falls in this category.

An interesting fact is that no annual road fund licence / car tax is payable in the UK on cars built before 1st January 1973.

The Assembly Collection

The rear subframe back in place with the new rubber suspension cones, shock-absorbers, all new bushes and suspension bearings. Under that brake drum are relined brake shoes and new brake wheel cylinders.

She still has a bare bum but in the next few pictures we will rectify this.

The boot lid has been assembled with the badge, a inner lid liner and the boot lid handle has a new barrel lock to match the keys of the door handles

Page 15

Not a bad ass after all. She now has lights, wheels, a numberplate holder and a new boot liner which was never fitted to the original car but was made by MG-Rover for their later models.

Meanwhile, back in the workshop, the front subframe has been completely rebuilt.

The rebuild was a very complicated affair featuring new wheel bearings, CV joints, upper and lower suspension arm bushes and bearings as well as new rubber suspension cones. New shock-absorbers were fitted and again under the brake drum, relined brake shoes and new brake wheel cylinders. The Mini front brakes featured a twin leading shoe arrangements which means that each brake drum has two hydraulic wheel cylinders.

In this picture can be seen a special frame made to support the subframe during assembly.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 16

The engine, gearbox and drive chain assembly has been completely rebuilt right down to component level. Here the complete assembly is ready to be fitted into the subframe. By now we had migrated to a 2-ton hydraulic engine jack on wheels making things a whole lot easier.

On 17 January 2012, the assembly was bolted into the subframe and connected up for starting and testing. This even included a temporary exhaust pipe connection.

After filling with oil and water, the engine was run up to operating temperature in its temporary mounting frame. This allowed adjustments such as the ignition timing and fuel/air mixture to be made. It also allowed things like the spark plug gap, distributor point gap and tappet clearance to be checked.

The entire assembly with the front subframe was now ready to be offered to Alice.

Page 17

The engine bay fitted out with all of the bits and pieces which need to be mounted before the engine is mounted. These have all been serviced or repaired. On the left we also see the new quartz halogen headlamps with 65watt white xenon globes. The new front indicator lamps have also been fitted. On the right, a closer view showing the steering rack with new tie-rod ends.

The body was lifted and the completely restored and tested front end offered up for mounting.

The bits and pieces were mounted, the wiring harness connected and the air-cleaner fitted. The green tinge in the photos is simply a reflection through the shadenet.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 18

Getting Up-close and Personal So now we fit the new sound insulation lining to the underside of the bonnet which can now be fitted to the car.

The doors have now been properly aligned, the door locks, window rain seal trim and the door handles fitted.

We also have to try and find a suitable route for all those cables and a place to connect them.

Before the door windows can be fitted, the new window channels must be installed.

Working in the confined space inside the door opening, ie between the inner and outer door skins, needed hands the size of a 4-year old but the strength of a 40-year old. I had neither and so had to tolerate the bruises, cuts and scratches.

Page 19

Along with the decision to change the body colour, we also decided to change the interior livery to a light grey. The doors are seen here complete with the windows fitted, the rear-view mirrors, the door lining and all of the door trimmings.

Time for the part which I was dreading—the roof lining. This is not child’s play and you cannot correct mistakes.

The hood lining is held in place inside by 6 listing rails which clip on to the sides of the roof panel.

These are metal with plastic ends of which 5 were broken and so new ones had to be fabricated. Once the these listing rails are in place, you need to stretch the vinyl material over the outside ridges, ie the door and window opening and after you are satisfied they must be glued 30mm at a time. A lot of hot water and soap is used to keep the hands clean and Acetone to clean off excess glue.

In the views above, the rails have been fitted and the excess can be seen hanging out of the openings.

A look inside and one can see how we used a whole bunch of bulldog clips to stretch and secure the headlining before gluing.

This process took 2 days of work and a lot of concentration but the end result was quite pleasing.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 20

In the Back Seat Time for the inside rear end of the car. The seats had been professionally repaired and upholstered but the side companion boxes (place for reading material or a bottle of whisky on a long drive) has to be built and upholstered.

We managed to buy a really nice light-grey vinyl in Nelspruit and some hard cardboard (known as “leather board� used in the old days to make suitcases). The edges of the companion boxes were finished off with an aluminium cover strip.

A really pleasing result and in the shot you can see the finished headlining with the courtesy light above the passenger door.

The new speakers, rather than being placed on the rear parcel shelf as the original, have been built-in under the rear seat.

Page 21

In the Driving Seat Work progresses to the front.

A lot of work was done to get to these photographs. This shows clearly the upper fascia, lower parcel shelf liner, air-vents, the heater and the brake and clutch pedals. The steering wheel is still only temporarily fitted at this stage. From this view can be seen the steering wheel stalks (windscreen wipers and indicators). The interior rear-view mirror is hanging in space as the windscreen was not yet fitted.

The new floor carpets can be seen and these were fitted on top of some very good underfelt to give the carpets a real plush feel.

In these photos we can also see the door rubber lining as well as the rubber seal for the rear quarter lights (rear side windows in layman’s language).

We now also have the seat belts and seats in place.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 22

Doing the Dash This is what it looked like and seriously needed replacing.

Unfortunately these original Rokee dashboards are no longer available and so the only option was to make one.

The wood used was Burr Walnut and we were able to import a blank from the UK at quite a cost.

There is only one way to fabricate the dashboard—very carefully. A wrong cut and the material is wasted. The end result was not the best bit of cabinet making which I have seen but it looks pretty good.

Page 23

The Penultimate Chapter Monday the 9th of April and to all intents and purposes, Alice has been born again. Now starts the long finals before she gets a new birth certificate and can go into normal service.

Tuesday the 10th and off I go to get a temporary permit so that she can go out on her first date.

Good bright and early on Wednesday the 11th, she is taken to the wheel alignment shop for her wheels to be aligned. She can now ride in a straight line and goes where you point her.

The process of registering a car like Alice which has been scrapped, is quite involved and there are no shortcuts.

A vehicle of the age of Alice did not have a national VIN (Vehicle Identity Number) and so a Request for police identification (form RPI) must first be submitted. So off we go to visit the SAPS Vehicle Theft Unit in Nelspruit.

With the RPI report in hand the next steps are to submit a sworn affidavit confirming where the parts came from and what was done to the car (form SOA) and then to take the car to a weighbridge and obtain a weighbridge (mass measuring) certificate.

After all this has been completed and armed with all of the documents above, we can submit a form RLV (Application for Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicle). This will allow the car to be entered into the eNatis system which will give her an identity. This process can take up to 6 months (in fact it took 2 years).

Once all of the above has been completed we will need a RPC (Police Clearance) but to get this, the car needs identification marks rather like DNA. In these times, the chassis and engine numbers are no longer sufficient to give a car a unique identity. What it needs is a “Datadot”.

SO WHAT IS A DATADOT?

   

Datadots are tiny particles and are also known "microdots".

Each particle is made of a high-tech polyester or metallic substrate which is between 0.5mm and 1mm in diameter.

A 17-digit unique PIN number is laser-etched onto each dot and registered to the vehicle’s VIN. This PIN is only used on second hand or "aftermarket" vehicles.

10 000 DataDots are applied to the vehicle with special adhesive.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 24

 

The spray adhesive has UV additives providing easy identification of sprayed areas.

Although locating the MicroDots is easy, finding all of them for removal is impossible.

Once the Police Clearance has been obtained, we need to have her checked out by submitting her for a roadworthy test and after that she will be given her new birth certificate.

The Final Chapter Wednesday 11th after the wheel alignment had been done, Alice and I went out on our first date.

This was to the White River SAPS Vehicle Theft Unit which, on arriving in White River, we discovered was not in White River but actually in Nelspruit. Okay, so off to Nelspruit except that by now Alice had had enough and stopped dead alongside the road. A call to Pinky and after an hour or so she arrived with the tool box. A kick here and a smack followed by some love and kisses and we were off again but I really had no idea (or many ideas) of what the problem could be and so we headed back home to Sabie.

After some work on her heart and mind, all seemed to be well and so on Friday, with Pinky at the wheel, we headed to Nelspruit with me following in the Lexus (no passengers allowed on a temporary permit).

The Police business went off well and took about an hour and a half. We then delivered Alice to paint-shop in Nelspruit for some spitting and polishing.

After she returns we will be able to complete her trimmings which will be the chrome edging and her gold side stripe.

And so on Friday 20 April, off we went to collect Alice from the body shop. This was going to be a joyful occasion but instead it all went wrong from the start.

Page 25

On the way to collect Alice, we had gone to the bottle shop to pick up a couple of bottles of my favourite Irish whiskey (spelt this way because that is how the Irish spell it). Just after leaving the body shop, we stopped along the road so that I could take the toolbox out of the Lexus and put it into the Mini. Opening the boot of the Lexus and the bottles came crashing out onto the road with one smashing. I was once told that when you have a problem, just suck it up and get on with life. I would have done just that if I had a straw. Anyway, having cried a river, I built a bridge and got over it.

And so started our trip home and what was to be the final chapter but it just was not yet the final chapter—the saga continues....

The Saga Continues Our trip home from Nelspruit was not very exciting—Alice was misbehaving—spitting, farting and stuttering all the way. Really not behaving like a lady—she still clearly needed some attention.

The problems were all small but on a car the size of Alice, all small problems are big ones. The speedometer was not working, the side mirrors were vibrating and the clutch was a mess although just about all of the parts had been replaced, except??? - the linkages.

So how do you replace the speedometer cable on a Mini—you remove the engine of course.

So off we go again, importing of speedo cable, mirrors and the clutch linkages. The question is, why did we not replace the linkages to start with? The answer is that although the wear was seen, it did not seem important—it was so little. However, we took a scientific look at the whole business.

UNDERSTANDING CLUTCH ACTUATING MECHANISM WEAR To understand the clutch linkage business one must remember that it starts with the clutch pedal which pushes hydraulic fluid through a Master Cylinder which operates a Slave Cylinder which operates a mechanical pushrod or Actuating Arm which engages the clutch.

B

A Fulcrum

Clutch Actuating Arm

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 26

The total movement of the clutch pedal is 100mm which, through the action of the hydraulic cylinders produces a thrust of 15.875mm from the slave cylinder at the top of the actuating arm (A in the picture). Between the top and bottom of the actuating arm, we have a ratio of 5.33:1 and so our thrust of 15.875mm is reduced to a 2.9718mm of thrust at the business of the arm (B in the picture). Allowing for the adjustable gap of 0.508mm, ie freeplay required to ensure that the clutch is fully released when your foot is off the pedal, we end up with 1.27mm of useful thrust. The clutch needs a minimum of 1.143mm to operate correctly—anything less will cause drag and difficulty in engaging gears and this was our problem.

The above figures show that we only have a maximum of 0.127mm to spare. Our actuating arm had quite a lot of wear at the points shown and while the wear figures may not seem like much, remember that this is a lever and the thrust applied at the top is multiplied at the business end, and motion is divided.

The moral of this story is “Keep your joints well greased”

In The Meanwhile…...

We now have to wait out the time for the registration process to be completed and this is out of our hands. So what now? Well we won’t stop there;

Caroline has come home….

Caroline just a bit older than Alice, in fact 30 years older.

She is a Morris Minor 1000 4-door and was born in 1959 in Cowley, Oxford, UK. It was sent out to South Africa in CKD (Complete Knock-Down) format and was assembled in Durban at Motor Assemblies Limited.

In the picture, it is obvious that the Chana has turned its back on these two British icons.

Page 27

November/December 2014 April 2012 was when the documents were submitted to the licensing authorities. The documentation process was supposed to take up to 6 months and so, with time on our hands, the front sub-frame and engine had been removed so that the clutch and other bits and pieces could be sorted out.

The car was now propped up on its jacks and the engine in its sub-frame was in the workshop.

The engine, the body and the licensing documents were gathering dust—nothing was happening and for the next two years it was obvious that Alice had been abandoned. The truth is that I had run out of enthusiasm with all of the delays.

And then came November 2014 almost two years later. On a bright and shiny morning I removed the car cover from Alice (actually it had rotted away and fell off) to reveal her beauty and with this revelation came inspiration.

Within a few days after a few phone calls to the authorities, I had the eNatis reference numbers, Alice was put together again and she was ready for the next phase.

The Final Phase The December, a month in which nothing happens and the licensing office was closed until 5 January 2015. Good bright and early on the 5th and I was there and so commenced the Final Phase.

The Final Phase consisted of:  Datadotting  Police Clearance  Roadworthy Test  Registration and Licensing  Number plates It all sounds quite simple and simple it was. The problem was the time it all took to achieve.

Without labouring this saga with the details of the bureaucratic process, the documents were eventually lodged on Tuesday 6 January 2015 and on Monday 9 February 2015 Alice was given her new Birth Certificate and her new ID Number;

HNY 991 MP You cannot get number plates in Sabie and so off to White River for these. Wednesday 11 February 2015 and there she was in all her glory , ready for her new life.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 28

Statistics 1.

In linear time, Alice has taken 33 months to restore. However in actual work time (allowing for the 3-month’s delay, the job took 9 months.

2.

The cost of parts and outsourced work such as the repainting, seat upholstery and engineering work:

   

Imported components Locally purchased components Carriage, insurance and freight Import duties

GRAND TOTAL

R33,840.18 R33,683.76 R13,570.12 R9,847.33 R90,941.39

Motor Vehicle Restoration There are many words or terms used to describe the process of taking an old car and making it new again. These words all mean different things and although seeming to be somewhat pedantic, I thought that I would explain some of these.

Restoration According to the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), restoration is the process of repairing the degraded aspect of a motor vehicle to return it to an overall "authentic" condition.

Such restorations should be historically accurate as a representative example of the production model and should be in the same state as the dealer could have prepared the vehicle for delivery to the customer.

Another definition is that vehicle restoration is the process of reconditioning it from a used condition in an effort to return it to like-new condition and can be achieved by using either original or reproduction parts and techniques.

Many antique and rare cars may not be able to have a true to original restoration done because some parts may not be available to replace or to imitate fully, yet with the proper research, they may be restored to an overall authentic condition. The objective is to preserve the historical aspects of the vehicle, its components, and assembly.

“Original Restoration”, “Ground-up Restoration” and “Nut and Bolt Restoration” are simply terms used to describe the degree of restoration undertaken. These terms all simply mean that the car was returned to the same condition as when it was first offered for sale to the public.

Page 29

Refurbishment Refurbishment is also a term sometimes used and confused with restoration. Refurbishment applies to component assemblies and not to a complete car. For example; in the process of restoring a car, one would refurbish the engine, or gearbox, or clutch assembly etc.

Conservation Conservation is the process of preserving a motor vehicle’s historical artefacts through restoration and to conserve significant vehicles by keeping original surfaces and materials. If changes have been made or modern upgrades carried out during the restoration then this falls under the definition of restoration and not conservation.

Conservation is like an unaltered historic document but while many people collect historic objects such as furniture or books, very few expect, or want, those objects to be used with the frequency that the collectors of historic motor vehicles aim for. As a consequence, the pressure to restore to original operating condition rather than conserve vehicles has meant that many original surfaces and materials have been replaced or altered.

Restomod “Restomod” is a unique term used in car restoration. A restomod has portions of the car as they were when the car was first offered for sale as well as significant changes or updates. If a nearly authentic appearing vehicle that has been fitted with a later model chassis, drivetrain, or conveniences, etc, then the car has been "restomodded" and not restored.

Re-creation Re-creation is not restoration. A vehicle that has been modified to appear like another car or truck entirely, or like a more desirable version of that same vehicle, is a re-created vehicle. Examples include taking a popular model and restoring it to a more desirable, but counterfeit, limited production or muscle car version. High demand for some special automobiles has also lead to sophisticated fake replica versions. These are referred to “Replicas”.

Levels of Car Restoration  Driver Restoration is often performed to get a car back to a fully functional and operational condition, they often include part replacement and minor cosmetic adjustments.

 Street Show restoration involves getting a car into a fully working condition and repairing all major cosmetic problems including body work.

THE RESTORATION OF ALICE Page 30

 Show Car is a classic car which has been restored back to its factory-original state. This level often requires professional work.

 Concours is the highest level of car restoration possible. All the work would have been done by professionals, from part replacement to body work. These type of cars are intended for auto shows or private collections and not to be driven. Obviously, the original car to be repaired must be in quite optimal condition to achieve this stage, otherwise a major investment is necessary.

The Restoration Process A complete restoration includes not only repair of the parts that can be seen – the body, trim, chrome, wheels, and the passenger compartment – but also the components that are not necessarily visible or otherwise evident, including the engine and engine compartment, boot , frame, driveline, and all ancillary parts like the brakes, accessories, engine cooling system, electrical system, etc.

Repairs are made to correct obvious problems, as well as for cosmetic reasons. For example, even if a wheel is covered by a full hubcap and not seen, and is structurally sound, it should have the tyre dismounted and any required repairs performed such as rust removal, straightening, priming, and painting.

Finally—To do or not to do?

I can think of a few reasons for not undertaking a restoration project; you won’t make money out of it, you’ll spend a lot more than you planned, you probably won’t finish it, or protecting an heirloom isn’t worth the aggro. In fact, restoration is a fading art or a fading hobby simply because finding the motivation, commitment and patience seems to be an insurmountable obstacle. Restoration is a labour of love, and that’s all. If you have to work to convince yourself, then you probably shouldn’t do it.

But if you insist….

The satisfaction of restoring a classic car to its original state is similar to restoring or rebuilding a house, with some added benefits. There can be more of a community aspect to restoring a car, and when you stop for fuel, people ogle and marvel— ‘You did that?’

You can’t drive a house to the petrol station.

John and Pinky Calmeyer 41 Sabie View 20 Assegaai Street Mount Anderson Estate Sabie, 1260 Mpumalanga Phone: 013 764 3002 Mobile: 079 567 0968 Email: john.calmeyer@telkomsa.net