1961 with Downton Twin HS 1s

[Orangerover]

Hi everyone.
I have recently found a 1961 that has been sitting for 39 years in an carpenters shop.
It has had two family owners and last mot 1974.
Interestingly the 850 engine with correct number has the following mods.
Downton Manifold with 1.1/8 carbs.
Lcb collecting to a small bore exhaust.
S type forged rockers but look much narrower than S.
SPQR gear change.

The car is registered LS 8035 on the buff book Fe number 4801 and has been mostly stripped but 70 % there inc.
The seats which have had covers on .

Would like your thoughts please.

[slowboy]

very interesting , are there any pics of the car ??

[Orangerover]

very interesting , are there any pics of the car ??

I'll post some up - it's not pretty,had some sort of full dash in it, flip front and proper Maserati air horn compressor .
Front and rear subframe were given to the scrap man ,he was on his way back for the rest of it .
Never seen a welding torch but it needs work now.

[mk1]

This sounds like a very interesting find. Is it is Australia (judging by the pictures above).

Would love to see more.

M

[cookie1071]

Saw some pics of the car at the MCR club meet last night - needs a lot of work but what a great find by Neilson and can't wait to find out more about it. Hopefully, you guys on here can help with that. Niall.

[Orangerover]

This sounds like a very interesting find. Is it is Australia (judging by the pictures above).

Would love to see more.

M

No mark ,it's good old north east England !
Think I will take of the manifolds and look down the ports , ill pic and post them to see if you can help
Id them - any pointers appreciated.

[mk1]

Best thing to do to start with is wire brush the heater tap side of the head to see if it has any stampings. If it does, then it has a head to match the carbs and is possibly a nice original conversion;



Fingers crossed.

M

[Orangerover]

Thanks, can't see anything obvious but the heater valve is attached so its hard to get a run up at the crud,I'll check it properly later.
Pic of ports in comparison with another 61 head with the same cast number, downton Carbed one is about 30% larger than the standard one.
Other pics of shell and trim.

[66S]

This sounds like a very interesting find. Is it is Australia (judging by the pictures above).M

I think that comment might have been lost !



Al

[Orangerover]

This sounds like a very interesting find. Is it is Australia (judging by the pictures above).M

I think that comment might have been lost !



Al

Well it lost me !

[KA2S4]

The pics were upside-down, hence the assumption that you are a southern hemisphere dweller.

Mark should know better, i've been posting pics for ages and mine all come out right way up even though I live in New Zealand.

Nice find by the way!

J

[mk1]

All the first pictures are posted upside down, hence the reference to the car being in Australia.

On a more serious note, the ports on that head have definitely been tweaked quite seriously, things are looking good.

It does however look like a pretty serious restoration is needed though. Would be well worth it though.

M

[almondgreen]

And I was searching for any link to australia

[herlufsholm]

Its a little difficult to se precisely , but for me it looks like non-recessed screen apparture and that four digit FE-number could indicate a late 59 or early 60 body?
Can you state any other numbers on wiper motor, engine, or gearboxnumbers?

Michael

[GraemeC]

Nothing to do with the car but.....

The Australia comment went over my head at first but then I realised something bizarre - the first pictures are upside down on my PC but the right way up on my ipad & phone. I know technology is improving, but to know which way up a picture of an engine should be is impressive!

[Orangerover]

Ha ,an upside down world - the seat pics are kind of upside down as they'd are stored in the workshop roof - thats a worms eye view

I am collecting my speedwell blue 61 shell from Paul and Roy at old skool minis on sat and think ill be taking LS 8035 for the same treatment - it's not what I need right now as am rebuilding an old caterham 7 and the speedwell blue will be getting full attention as well as proper work getting in the way.

Engine number is 68884
Vin 2708.
Need to dig wiper motor out but it is probably a 1960 car?as it is Jan 18 registered and the screen frame is not recessed .

I'll post pics as found - bit of a story behind the old car so if you're sitting comfortably ill begin.
LS 8035 Shows only two owners in the buff book,Eric and Donald Tollet .
Eric was the first owner and started his carpentry business in the old pit colliery baths sometime in the 70s and the car owned by his brother Donald from 1972.
One of the brothers dismantled it (Probably Eric) around 1974 and when I found the car it was sitting perched up a height in the area where the miners used to hang up the helmets and lamps before taking the compulsory communal shower ( yuk - talk about the good ol days )
Years pass and the car still waits and waits for action until one day Donald walks with his dog to the area directly underneath the car and the dog drops down dead, Donald goes down to pick it up and he drops dead, Eric races down to the workshop to see what is going on and lies on top of his brother and his dog in grief and himself collapsed.
Alerted by a child watching a security camera in the office shouting "uncle Donald's dog is dead"
his mother ( Eric's wife ) ran down to the scene telling her son to stay exactly where he was.
Must have been pretty traumatic to witness such a scene but it got worse as she began to feel ill but put it down to the shock so did not get out of the building and then also collapsed.
Meanwhile little boy alerts a 6 ft 7 inch worker who had just returned to work who then ran down and dragged everyone and the dog out.
Anyone guessed ???

Black gas was the cause, killed many a pitman and his canary but this was the first above ground case ever.
Eric and his wife survived but were ill for a long time with the effects.
The car was still perched above the very same spot when I found it - spooky!
Suppose this car deserves a little love and affection now.....

[cookie1071]

Neilson asked me to post this pic. of the car as found - a SPOOKY image nes pas!!