Project Hélène has finally landed. Rejoice!

56 Fregate said:
I have the Pontiac engine in there for now and it almost fills the space with about 50mm to spare. I do have Renault straight eight engine parts but not enough to make up a complete engine. But I know a guy..
Many of the city cars in the 1930s had wire wheels but this one came with what I suppose are colonial wheels 450 dia. I prefer these to wire wheels anyway.

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Meh, similar size and HP to the original with a few more rpm.
Those Pontiac engines are pretty durable, and ex US, parts aren't too hard to find.
Pontiac made a couple of "Specials" in 1954 using the 268 CID engine that had four downdraught Carter carbs and made 230 BHP.
There was a straiģht 8 engine on EBay a number of years ago where they had modified the original manifold to accept four Holden Strombergs. Looked pretty cool.
Originality is nice, but so is driving something.
I could have spent years chasing an original engine and gearbox for my 1924 Douglas.
Or chuck a similar HP engine out of something else in it and start using it straiģht away. I chose the latter.
I'm guessing like me, you adapted the engine to the frame, not the frame to the engine, so can go straight back to original at any time.
Wire wheels are good to look at, but as PITA to own.
 
56 Fregate said:
I have the Pontiac engine in there for now and it almost fills the space with about 50mm to spare. I do have Renault straight eight engine parts but not enough to make up a complete engine. But I know a guy..
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astounding
outstanding
awesome
I thought the pressure test for the sump you welded may have been from a Cadillac, didn't think of Pontiac.
From the beginning of your posts to the tutorial on dove tailing wood joints I have been in awe of what you have made by hand.
 
AlexB said:
astounding
outstanding
awesome
I thought the pressure test for the sump you welded may have been from a Cadillac, didn't think of Pontiac.
From the beginning of your posts to the tutorial on dove tailing wood joints I have been in awe of what you have made by hand.
Click to expand...
Thank you AlexB. Like everyone else I'd prefer to buy stuff instead of making it but that is often cost prohibitive or unobtainium. Therefor desperate times require desperate measures. But I'm just getting started baby, I have visions. :geek:

BTW the rusted out sump is absolutely 100% oil tight.
 
Does Danielle have to start another video production?

excellent work as always. Look forward to going for ride in it at some muster or event.
 
I'm dropping these images in random order because this isn't a restoration as such but is just a show and tell.

Engine bay lids and gills

I remade the entire engine lid section from new sheet metal of 1.15 thickness. They can be removed from the car quite easily when required simply by taking the weight with my head and neck, then removing 1 screw each side and voila.

They were made with simple tools and weren't that hard..:rolleyes:

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The shiny parts are a combination of original bits, after market bits and bits made by yours truly. I didn't take any pics of the hinge hardware but it's all quite simple..:rolleyes:

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More random show and tell.

The existing windscreen frame has been repaired and banged around but passable for now. I've tried to cover it with Vinyl wrap but that wasn't too successful so I painted it with chrome paint. I know a guy who thinks he can make a new one in cast aluminium but he's too busy right now.

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Here's me bench testing the wiper mechanism which is made up from old parts, new parts and some home made parts. It seems to work just as it was intended which is helped by the new aftermarket wiper motor I found on ebay. It even has an auto park function.

 
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