Hello from Te Horo, New Zealand

[jansens]

Hi all, it is interesting to note you have a user already called TeHoro so perhaps a neighbour! Hopefully this doesn't confuse things. I've only lived here a year and half so probably only another 28 years or so to go to be considered local.

My name is Simon, I am a software engineer by profession but I have always been interested in making things (but don't call myself a maker).

I got into cars and metal shaping late in life, I wish I started sooner, so my history isn't long car wise. Partial restoration on an MGB GT, full restoration on a MGB Roadster. These taught me (very) basic metal working skills and MIG welding. I then I decided to build something more vintage and came across Austin 7s.

Was lucky enough to meet an amazing mentor who taught me a bunch of the 'old' skills. Wheeling, shaping, using hammer and dolly, gas welding aluminium, wire edging and so on.

With his advice I build an Austin 7 special. It's a steel tube frame gas brazed together and a wheeled and gas welded aluminium skin. The guards are steel with wired edges and currently painted in primer!



The car is mechanically finished and perfectly driveable but not on the road due to some difficulties in NZ with getting such things registered.

Instead my efforts are focused on a new car, a replica of a Riley 9 Brooklands. It was my mentors dream car and he collected a lot of the bits over the years. The car ended up coming to me and he was going to help and get to drive it but I ended up moving cities (ran away to join the film industry - long story) and then he sadly died too early early last year. Since then I have been working hard on finishing the car.

This is a much more grown up car from the Austin 7 but not much bigger physically. It is currently a mechanically complete rolling chassis with the engine and everything else rebuilt and running.

This car has a ash timber frame, which I am learning how to make currently (not a woodworker so that should be interesting), then it will be skinned in aluminium. I know I can do that since I did the Austin.

The Austin 7 was done in 1.6mm 5005 half hard aluminium as that was what my mentor said to use. Me and another of his proteges recently learned that might not be the best material showing that even your infallible mentors might sometimes get it wrong! Would be interested to know what other use for aluminium bodies?

I recently constructed a 'fake' radiator shell for the Riley in steel as getting a real replica made costs massive amounts of money and takes a long time as it's a full wet shell made from nickle silver with a vintage pattern, curved radiator core. I went the cheap route with a fake shell and modern core but that allows me to build the rest of the body around it and run the engine for more than 20 seconds at a time.



I used to maintain a blog of my projects but that was sadly lost and now have a little YouTube channel instead where I blather on about the car and other projects not relevant here. I won't link as I am not trying to grow the channel (YouTube don't understand that concept!) but if you search for the user 'asciimation' and 'Riley Brooklands' it's easy to find.

I consider myself a beginner at this as I don't have much real experience (3 previous cars ain't much) but I have good attention to detail and am happy to give things a try.

I don't believe in people telling me things are too hard to do and I should pay someone to do it for me until I have at least tried it myself. I've found in the past usually they mean it was too hard for THEM to do and that might not apply to me. And if something is beyond my skills I am happy to admit that knowing I've tried at least.

Am a bit of a perfectionist but also a pragmatist which turns out to be a good combination for many things.

Was pointed to this forum by a fellow Riley person and am very keen to learn more from others.

[Jaroslav]

Hi Simon, welcome to the community, I'm a bit late finishing the aluminum car. I use semi-hard Al 1.5mm and it's ok. Soft is too soft and hard cannot be shaped. The material hardens during shaping.
Hard material could be used on flat surfaces... but that is the question.
https://www.allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=20564

[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