Our technician Jonn has been diving deep into the 1936 Fraser Nash BMW which arrived at our Suffolk restoration workshops last week. The pre-war classic has been on the ramps here at Bridge Classic Cars as Jonn tells the story of his process in getting the car back to the road.
Carry out full appraisal. Check over and grease up. Start to list parts required as I work through inspection. Strip brakes.
Continue to finish but leave mobile. Investigate rear wheel cylinders. Offside brake seized on and nearside tight. Eventuality get drums off and get an assistant to press pedal while I heck earned h side. Both cylinders seized. Offside adjusters also seized. Undo brake pipes to cylinders and recheck. Fluid comes out OK so need new cylinders. Reassemble brakes and refit wheels. Adjust clutch pedal and fit return spring. Raise car and test. I can get gears OK on ramp. Possible head gasket as signs of leak down the side of the engine block. Remove loose paint and wait to run up outside.
Write all faults on sheet. Continue work. Strip and refit horn push button and reassemble. Test OK. Modify clamp for battery. Remove terminals and test. Trim frame and stick small rubber strip around where it fits near terminals.
Fit frame and secure battery. Fit terminals and secure. Check front flexi hoses on floor when going lock to lock. Offside very close and nearside touches wheel need to devise some way of tethering hoses without restriction.
Mark, drill and fit P clip and O rings to act as keeps for front flexi hoses. Check lock to lock, OK. Stop lights. Check power to switch OK. Wire join near switch poor. Solder on new bullets and fit joiner. Trace wiring into car under dash and across to otherwise. Then back out where wire joiner fitted and wire is now white and purple. Go to rear and find wire and check power. Poor connection. Clean and recheck. Reconnect switch and test, OK. Front fog not working. Found wire off light. Check power but all wires red so work out how switch operates. Check power at switch. Cut all ties holding loom so I can physically see my wire. Trace through car and out into engine bay. Find which wire and test.
Check wiring from switch and trace through car into engine bay . Power to light OK. But earth wire off. Make small wire to connect to earth and test. Tidy wiring to light. Remove floor around pedals. Remove old cut off studs and fit new bolts.
Secure floor around pedals and cut off excess threads. Repeat for floor under drivers feet. Drill and fix. Hoover out mess andrefit carpet. Remove rocker cover and inspect, found more than I’d expect from condensation alone. Raise and drain oil. Water came out first so engine definitely has an issue, be it head gasket or lock.
