Hi All,
Currently got the McLaren M1B replica under a sheet at the back of the shed and working on my Dad’s car – now mine since he has gone into care. It’s a 1957 Wolseley 6/90 series 2. These things had a 2.6L BMC C series and 4 speed box with right hand gear change and were not bad performers in their day.
We’ve had it since 1970 and when I was four I thought it was the fastest and coolest car in the galaxy. Here’s a few photos of my Mum, Dad and Sister from back when we got it.
Last winter I took a bag of tools on the plane and went down to Alexandra to Mum’s place to wake it up from 20 years storage in the shed. After two days of changing fluids, un-seizing stuff, and synchronising and tuning the twin SUs I deemed it good to go and drove it 1,000km over the Lewis Pass in the snow, onto the Ferry, and home to Wellington.
Apart from the erratic SU fuel pump (who would have thought!?) it never missed a beat, and on the Marlborough straights the old girl pulled an indicated ton – I was hanging on I can tell you. The trip was one of the most memorable I’ve ever done – all the smells and sounds from my childhood and what we were doing at the time as a family came flooding back.
Here’s a photo of Mum and I in Alex just before I headed off, and at the top of the Lindis Pass between Cromwell and Omarama.
I always intended to keep the car but I need something with grunt that handles and stops OK, so I had already made plans to do a resto-mod on the car. It is very sound with minimal rust and a separate chassis that is very beefy. Despite that, it is not that heavy by modern standards - around 1470kg.
Once in Wellington I offered the complete drivetrain and suspension to the local branch of the Wolseley Car Club if they put a posse together to bone the car out over a weekend. They agreed and were excellent. Here are a few photos of the car after they were done.
Work is going well. I am putting Jaguar brakes and suspension at both ends. The front end has been braced so it keeps dimensionally stable when the existing front rails are cut-off and re-fabricated, and a frame to carry the Jag powerlock diff and suspension is being fitted between the rear rails. I have a new LS3 with a cam upgrade and a TKO600 5 speed ready to slot in. The LS3 weighs no more than the C-series. New inner guards will also be fabricated.
I haven’t told my old man what I’m doing to his car yet – I’ll take him for a drive when it’s done! In many ways it is my tribute to him. I plan to keep it looking externally stock, and I will be buried in it.
I’ll post the odd update as work progresses. Have a great weekend!
Cheers, Andrew
Currently got the McLaren M1B replica under a sheet at the back of the shed and working on my Dad’s car – now mine since he has gone into care. It’s a 1957 Wolseley 6/90 series 2. These things had a 2.6L BMC C series and 4 speed box with right hand gear change and were not bad performers in their day.
We’ve had it since 1970 and when I was four I thought it was the fastest and coolest car in the galaxy. Here’s a few photos of my Mum, Dad and Sister from back when we got it.
Last winter I took a bag of tools on the plane and went down to Alexandra to Mum’s place to wake it up from 20 years storage in the shed. After two days of changing fluids, un-seizing stuff, and synchronising and tuning the twin SUs I deemed it good to go and drove it 1,000km over the Lewis Pass in the snow, onto the Ferry, and home to Wellington.
Apart from the erratic SU fuel pump (who would have thought!?) it never missed a beat, and on the Marlborough straights the old girl pulled an indicated ton – I was hanging on I can tell you. The trip was one of the most memorable I’ve ever done – all the smells and sounds from my childhood and what we were doing at the time as a family came flooding back.
Here’s a photo of Mum and I in Alex just before I headed off, and at the top of the Lindis Pass between Cromwell and Omarama.
I always intended to keep the car but I need something with grunt that handles and stops OK, so I had already made plans to do a resto-mod on the car. It is very sound with minimal rust and a separate chassis that is very beefy. Despite that, it is not that heavy by modern standards - around 1470kg.
Once in Wellington I offered the complete drivetrain and suspension to the local branch of the Wolseley Car Club if they put a posse together to bone the car out over a weekend. They agreed and were excellent. Here are a few photos of the car after they were done.
Work is going well. I am putting Jaguar brakes and suspension at both ends. The front end has been braced so it keeps dimensionally stable when the existing front rails are cut-off and re-fabricated, and a frame to carry the Jag powerlock diff and suspension is being fitted between the rear rails. I have a new LS3 with a cam upgrade and a TKO600 5 speed ready to slot in. The LS3 weighs no more than the C-series. New inner guards will also be fabricated.
I haven’t told my old man what I’m doing to his car yet – I’ll take him for a drive when it’s done! In many ways it is my tribute to him. I plan to keep it looking externally stock, and I will be buried in it.
I’ll post the odd update as work progresses. Have a great weekend!
Cheers, Andrew
