1968 South African Wolesley 1000

[CheeseEater]

Hello

I have been lurking for a while but decided to create a thread for my Wolesley that started as a non project, but over the past three months and still is an ongoing project.

Built for the SA Market this is number 240 of 456 built and one of a handful in the UK, I can’t work out how to add photos but will when I work it out. I purchased it on the premise it was a solid shell with a good list of modifications that would be great to use during the summer of 2022 and upgrade in the future once I have enjoyed it, great plan which lasted about 8 weeks.

Heading to Hooky Classics at Hook Norton Brewery one Sunday I cut out at North Oxford BMW and could not get the car started so ended up being recovered home, I pulled the plugs and did a compression test to find 1 and 2 down at about 50psi. I took the Car to a local engineer who resurfaced the head and rebuilt it for me so I could enjoy the rest of the season, the head is a 12g202 with 29 mm exhaust and 35 mm inlet. Unfortunately 20 miles later the HG went again so the engine was pulled and this is where the gravitas of the ‘mess’ was identified. The block had an imperfection causing the HG failure, already bored +100 decked, skimmed it was a right off ….. also the gearbox end case bearing was missing which caused too much tolerance an another bearing had disintegrated writing off the crank and bearings etc….. also the box casing was cracked from when the PO had a rod go (judging by the internal gearbox case marks) resulting in the persistence leeks.

So….. decision made to start from scratch and I managed to source a 1044 block, crank, pistons and balanced con rods which had been machined by Dave Walker but never been built up in 20 plus years, my head was reused, Evo 2 Cam, Keith Dodd 1.5 rockers, vernier duplex, LCB, RC40, straight cut close ratio gearbox and a 3.76 Diff. Cooper S discs and mini fins help it stop.

Now we’re up and running the last thing that is causing issues is the POS Nikki carb that the PO fitted so I’m on the hunt for a 38 HIF. I kind of hit a brick wall in the pickup with the Nikki so room for improvement.

2023 should see some cosmetics, rubbers for the sliding quarter light windows, I’d like to get some original basket weave front seats and replace the LP918’s with something else.

I’ll work out how to post pictures as it really is a smashing (10 foot car as the spray job is not the best) looking Wolesley that I want to show more of and get it reliable.

[mk1]

Hi CheeseEater! What a great handle

One of my favourite whacky SA variants, only surpassed by the Mini MK3! Sounds like it has been a bit of a rollercoaster ownership so far. I hope that you have managed to kill most of the gremlins off.

If you need any help posting your first pictures, just give me a PM. There are also a couple of good primers on hgow to do it here;

https://mk1-forum.net/viewforum.php?f=33

I look forward to seeing more soon.

Wolseley

07d44dba-f103-4332-9c57-0f79480b498e-1.jpg

MK3

dELUXE83928587_1830527817072279_2902199067939438592_o-768x422.jpg

[Costafortune]

The last pic makes me laugh - as if two young blades would be seen dead in that thing. A Cooper S maybe but most likely a 1750GTV Alfa.

[CheeseEater]

Hi CheeseEater! What a great handle

One of my favourite whacky SA variants, only surpassed by the Mini MK3! Sounds like it has been a bit of a rollercoaster ownership so far. I hope that you have managed to kill most of the gremlins off.

If you need any help posting your first pictures, just give me a PM. There are also a couple of good primers on hgow to do it here;

https://mk1-forum.net/viewforum.php?f=33

I look forward to seeing more soon.

Wolseley
07d44dba-f103-4332-9c57-0f79480b498e-1.jpg

MK3
dELUXE83928587_1830527817072279_2902199067939438592_o-768x422.jpg

Awesome, thank you and that is my Car…

[Fanfaniracing]

This is indeed a very interesting Mini variant!

If you need competent help, you are just right in this forum here!

Good luck and much fun with your very special mini!

[CheeseEater]

I’ve managed to get some miles on the new engine, going slow and moderating speed does have its challenges! Several people have told me the Nikki Carb is the weakest link in the chain and I’m finding an enormous flat spot and I basically hit a brick wall with no more power, simply pulling the choke gives me the fuel but obviously that’s not a long term or viable solution.

Based on the spec of my engine it was time to move to either a HIF 38 or 44, after some research and conversations with various people a 38 seemed the logical way forward and I have sourced one that will require a rebuild, so my recent shopping list has been as follows: HIF 38, rebuild kit, inlet manifold (mini spares), pancake filter, dash pot oil, various gaskets.

Needles, Needles, Needles…… again conversations and pouring over lots of forum topics over various years seem to logically point to a AAA, now, their is no science behind this and my plan is to drop the oil, compression test (as I’m paranoid) put the new carb on and get some kind of base line to see how it compares to the Nikki!

I have to resume overseas travel with work for much of November so things may move slowly but I’d like to work towards a rolling road session early next year.

I’m hoping the 38 and AAA will prove night and day compared to the old setup, if it does not some more fault finding needs to be done.

[mk1]

The 38 will be a HUGE improvement over the Nikki.

Good luck.