I have found another S Type for sale. This one has a metal sunroof that looks like its factory? I can imagine this is could be a rust trap, I don't see how it can drain? Any thoughts on this?

It's in pretty good condition. Inside is nice. Someone has put a luggage rack on the boot! It comes with a valuation report and its graded 3-4 which is OK. Anyway going to look at that one on Thursday.

I took the Golden Sand out for a test drive today, drives OK. Brakes are terrible. No movement in the brake pedal and you really need to anticipate well! So many things not working, speedo, indicators, horn, windscreen washers. This one has been in a collection for many years.

Going to look at the well maintained one again tomorrow. Its a bit tatty but it drove well and the body looks solid. I will just have to accept that the windscreen will have to come out to replace the headlining if I go for it.

 

If the drains are not kept open on a metal sun roof you end up with a mess. The tattiness of the solid wheel car can soon be sorted with parts from John Skinner and a set of wires from MWS.

 

The drains run down the A and B pillars on an S Type (Webasto solid). I'll also bet you can knock a little off the price of that car with some negotiation from the 21000 Euros IIRC from the ads you posted. wouldbeowner from Australia has the same sunroof properly maintained. You can search his threads.

 

On my Daimler Double Six, the arrangement for draining water that gets past the sun roof consists of tubes that run down through the A-posts. The drains haven't caused me a problem, though we did swap the steel roof panel itself about twenty years ago.

The old Dunlop brakes should stop the car well. However, they do tend to suffer corrosion on the inner walls of the cylinders and seize. The following is based on my experience, others may disagree. When they are working, they give a hard pedal compared with modern cars; feel is as much how hard you push as how far the pedal moves. Also, compared with modern cars, they need quit a heavy push. Contrary to modern practice (excluding effects of ABS), the rear wheels of a Mk2 lock before or as soon as the front. For most cars, this would be quite dangerous, but a Mk2 isn't at all troubled (so long as you don't do any wild steering at the same time). Much the same as when you turn the steering wheel, the car slows, but goes straight on. The last points should be less true of an S type.

 

The times you suffer blocked drains are in wasp country like Australia, SA etc. where they can block a pitot tube in an hour or two. Bill Mac can give us a long lecture on the subject as he has elsewhere here and his interests in aviation.

 

Sounds like a problem I once had on my boat. The toilet wouldn’t work anymore. When I disconnected the inlet pipe I found a fish had been sucked in and completely blocked the pipe.

 

Rishi is in the Netherlands, where it rains, quite consistently. Or at least it did when I lived there - climate change may have had some effect. At least, it's fairly clean, unlike the 'blood rain', basically Sahara mud, that falls in Italy and blocks everything.

 

It's true, this is a pretty wet country. We do sometimes get the sahara rain here.

 

The brakes should work perfectly with a good 8" booster/servo and no vacuum leaks. I would not let the windscreen bother you. It's easy in & out. Anyway getting a new rubber around it is a good move. No leaks to spoil your woodwork you intend restoring. Seal both glass and body side as in the Service Manual.

http://www.jagstyperegister.com/imag...vicemanual.pdf

 

Link to Service Manual provided above.

 

Went to look at the “well maintained” car again today. The owner showed me bills that must total up to more than €30K over the last 8 years. Can’t help feeling it might have been better to do a full restoration with that sort of cash. The bottom of the car has had a Dinitrol treatment, on one side a good thing but I have no idea what it might be hiding. Went round it with a magnet and all the edges of the sills when they meet the wheel wells have been filled. I did see a little black smoke when it was started but it disappeared very quickly. He has dropped the asking price to €19.5K. I am never going to find a perfect one and I fear I am starting to over analyse, remains a tough decision.

 

Just remember where the sills meet the front fenders is lead wiped so your fridge magnet wont work there. This seems the best buy thusfar. Depends how long you want to go on looking. Don't worry about black smoke. That means it's over rich on the starter carb needle. Only worry about blue smoke which means it's burning oil. This does seem a good honest car at least. Take a screwdriver and scratch some of the Dinitrol off at a rot spot. It is a good product.

Only you can make this decision.

 

How big is the patch where the magnet won't stick where the sills meet the rear arches? It might just be a minor welding job to fix.

 

Just remember you are not going to find a perfect car that is nearly 60 years old. I got lucky due to the fact that my car had been stored at altitude in our dry highvelt. It had nevertheless had a drivers side rear fender very well replaced due to accident damage. From inside the boot/trunk there was zero sign of it & the car was totally rust free thanks to our climatic conditions. A perfect repair that media blasting slightly exposed. Mr average would never notice it. My eagle (Virgo) eye picked it up but the job was perfectly done. I boroscoped the entire area inside & out. Zero sign of distortion either. My restorer is still convinced it came from the plant like that. He says it is the best body he has ever worked on.

Just offer the guy a straight €19K deal.

 

I'd sell you my car, but it's in Canada so does you no good!

 

It's just the corner, maybe a couple of square inches (in a triangle)

 

That is very easily fixed by welding in a piece. No rampant rust.

 

Martin Robey can sell you this for 400 Pounds Sterling. I would not waste my time & money. Any good metal fabricator can fix what you need.

 

Certainly at the front, the wing to sill joint isn't easy to make smoothly so it's not surprising to find some filler. Filler or not, unless there are invoices for bodywork that includes that area (and preferably photos), I'd be very much inclined to cut a few inches out to see the condition of what's behind.

 

The front joint is lead wiped:
First respray. My car.

1) Media blasters coat ~ probably red lead
2) Filler coat
3) Base coat Spies Hecker
4) Clear coat Spies Hecker.

For rear sill joint just pull the plastic plug & take a look.







PLUG fitted here: