Hello from Te Horo, New Zealand

[skintkarter]

Hello Simon and welcome to New Zealand.

I'm in South Auckland and have been here a while now (since 1973...). Have a network of absolute clever bastards who are friends and clients - one of whom built a Riley with a Tiger Moth engine (Robert McNair) and another currently in the final stages of a customer build of a RR Meteor engined Bentley. Both are into Austin 7 Specials, the latter with a partially done special in the form of a Merc Silver Arrows. Issue with aluminum here is that only 5005 is available in small quantities. If you want 3003, you need to be buying multiple tonnes. Check out what Rod Tempero in Oamaru is doing in his chicken sheds and by all means give me a call to touch base - 09 268 4140 (office and workshop). I'm into bikes and partway through a BMW E21 Group 5 homage with the body in alloy. Also a Type 51 Bugatti project sitting in the corner.

Be good to talk.

[jansens]

Thanks for the welcome! We did anneal the ali I used on my Austin where it rolls around the steel tube. I use an acetylene flame to soot the panel then heat till it burns off. That works well. It then rehardens as you hammer it around. Similar for the welded seams. They are soft after gas welding but then harden as you planish them.

I know Rob McNair though the VCC here. We're in the same branch. I moved years ago but it seems too hard for them to change my local branch so I never bothered! I have seen his Riley when he ran it at Chelsea and at the Roycroft.

Getting stuff here is a real issue. People didn't believe me you can't get German (Nickel) silver which I needed to make a radiator shell. So people here use brass then have them plated.

Be good to chat. We might already know each other or at least have met!

Simon