Resurrecting a NZ built racing special

[hotrod1]

After a few weeks of tooling round in the Corvette and catching up with the family and having very little time to spend in the shed I have had a few days to get stuck back into the car, I have sorted out how the new bottom brackets will mount to the tube frame and now I will just have to work out how to mount the top of the turrets to the top tubes of the frame. so time for a trial fit using pipe clamps and welding magnets to keep every thing together, I cannot fit some of the new tubes until the tube bender I have ordered arrives from offshore, I had planed to have everything ready for welding by now but shipping delays and Covid related hold ups have slowed things down a bit but I should be able to have the car back together for summer. there are plenty of small jobs to do so I have plenty of things to keep me busy over the winter.
The new suspension looks a bit tidier than the old parts even though the new A arms, turrets, uprights and stubs date from 1959 and the type 12 disk brakes are from 1962 but more importantly it should all work together and give a better ride, more control and better braking than the poorly matched setup it has replaced.
The shiny alloy channels in the photos are only there to keep everything straight and true and will be removed when it is all welded together.

[bry3500]

I found these on the SCANZ FB page. Posted by Bruce James

[Rascal]

Alistair Rayner was from pleasant point , and at washdyke area they ran Rayner engineering , of that i am certain, Buisness has probably changed hands several times in the last 35 years , and became something else. there should be results from early Sports car races at levels , the old short circuit For Alistair in what i remember as possibly that car . the Late Keith Laney, Waimate who Himself also built a few similar , but not the same , many years after Alistairs . with Further regard to the brake Master cyls & Pedals, try a 105E Anglia or Cortina 113E-120E factory alloy pedal box-Firewall mount system and just turn it upside down , 3/4 " Girling brake master cyls are on the shelf at Repco etc, sold as Trailer Brake parts. these are very good reproductions of Early Girling types and wont deter from the originality style, Nothing wrong with Wilwood components however, and the choice will be yours. Good luck.

[hotrod1]

The work has slowed down a bit with the rebuild but I am still getting some jobs done. between being flat out at work causing me to rest up longer after my 12 hour shifts and the cold temps in my unheated garage my stints working on the car seam to be getting shorter and shorter. but today I made a temporary mount for the steering rack from some scrap alloy, it mounts to the front of the suspension towers and doubles up as a brace between the towers, I am using stock Herald rack mounts/clamps and once I have the rack height correct in relation to the A arms and the steering shaft universal lined up to pass through the hole in the tower I will remake it in steel.

[hotrod1]

[hotrod1]

The thin fiberglass seat that was fitted to the car was mounted in with a self taping screw so something more substantial is called for from a safety point of view, a used alloy seat from a speedway car will fit the bill with a few modifications and will be able to be mounted mounted to the floor/frame with some race car mounting brackets. the wings at chest height will need to be trimmed back a bit and the headrest will need to be lowered and the padded cover is a little tatty so it will need a tidy up and some more padding but it fits in the rather narrow cockpit [42CM] and my butt just fits into the seat with my race suit on.

[hotrod1]

[Ray Bell]

Another three months on...

How's progress now?

[hotrod1]

Hi Ray progress has been slow on the race car as I purchased a vintage special for the missus and my daughter to use on sunny days and I need to get it up to scratch and safe for them to use this summer. I should be back into the race car in the next few weeks.

[hotrod1]

[Ray Bell]

That's understandable...

As long as the Wolseley badge lights up.

What's the makeup of the beast? Wolseley 4/44-based by the looks of things.

[hotrod1]

Triumph Herald with a hand built alloy body done in the 80s the only Wolseley parts are the grill and badges. I purchased it in CHCH 3 months ago and a few weeks later a guy joined my car club here in Waimate and it turned out he was the guy who built it, I guess its a small world. really only got it for parts but when the missus and daughter saw me drive it out of the shed on on to the trailer they fell in love with it. so making it safe for them to drive. but it has been really well done so mainly a little resto and a few new bits.

[Ray Bell]

I reckon that could be as much fun as the Clubman-type car...

Road use and all. Maybe whack a larger engine into it for even more fun? Period, of course, something with an alloy head around 1600cc in size. Sunbeam Alpine motor and box would do it.

[hotrod1]

That is tempting but this ones for the girls so 1200cc will be fine and safe for them we will keep it at our CHCH place so it will mostly be on the flat, no roof so sunny days only, I am in the VCC so we have plenty of runs and outings to go to.
If I looked at racing it I would need to upgrade the brakes, bigger engine, work the suspension, fit a roll bar, wider rims and tyres, harnesses, reengineer the rear suspension it would never end and I have the clubman car for track work and sprints, a Corvette for Drags and an unfinished 36 Ford hot rod for cruising and enough parts to build a Formula junior type car if I can find enough room to start building it when the clubman is done. so best the girls have fun with this one.

[Roger Dowding]

Not a Herald as one would know it - and yes we know that the original " T - Car " was based on a Herald chassis but what hotrod1 has is much more interesting..

" Year: 1965
Make: TRIUMPH
Model: HERALD
Colour: WHITE
Body Style: Saloon
Plate: FB3941
Engine No: GD54605HE
Chassis: 3G831317DL
Vehicle Type: Passenger Car/Van
Seats: 5
CC rating: 1,147cc
Fuel Type: Petrol
Assembly Type: Unknown
Country of Origin: Not known
Industry Class: PRIVATE "
" FB3941
Plate Type: Standard
Origin: NZ New
Used as: Private Passenger vehicle
Cause of Latest Registration: New
NZ First Registration: 01-Nov-1965 "

Good luck with this project too !!.
The Carjam page has a front on photo of the car - close up .. and small !! Your photo !!!

[Ray Bell]

I was thinking a Datsun 1200 engine would go in there easily and be a lot less trouble than the Herald unit...

Though it's not a 998cc version. But all the same, the Datsun would be easy and lighter and so on.

[GregT]

In NZ, finding a Datsun 1200 engine is now nearly impossible, They and a couple of other common small Jap engines went to SE Asia for forklift engines. By the container load.

[hotrod1]

Hi Roger yes an interesting little car I have been working on it in my driveway on sunny days and have had guys stopping going past to ask what it is. everyone loves it and would like to take it home. I have been calling it a kit car but it is more a one off special and it handles like a proper sports car. it was cheap to buy and I have spent about the same amount on parts to bring it up to a usable standard so the girls can have some fun.

[hotrod1]

The Wolseley Special is done got a Rego and WOF today so just some fine tuning as things pop up. its been a fun project and it go's pretty well for 1147cc and it handles like a sports car due to it being so light I guess . I will have it out of the shed here in Waimate by xmas and up to my Chch place for the missus to use so I can get back onto the race car. its been a while since I could work on it so I will not have it ready to race this summer but next summer will be my aim now. but happy wife happy life.

[hotrod1]

sorting out the bugs