The Tradsheet Founded 1967 Whether we can meet or not, it is good to know that we can look horrible when we try. It will help with social distancing. Newsletter of the Traditional Car Club of Doncaster OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 Email special edition due to Covid 19 virus 1 Editorial Hello all, As usual, I hope that you are well. Again, this Tradsheet is arriving on your virtual door mat, otherwise known as your email account. It will also be uploaded to the club website so, if you know members who have not given an email address to us, or don’t have one, please let them know where they, or a helpful family member, can find it. We have not heard of any members who have been made ill by Covid as yet so hope that this is a good sign for when we can meet again safely and trust that we are all being careful so it stays that way. The Burghwallis is open subject to the usual restrictions, but the club cannot organise anything as Graham explains in his Chair’s chat on page 5. On pages 7 and 8, there is more about future events and decisions made by the Committee recently. It is fair to say that my fuel consumption has been remarka- bly low this year. Still not driving the Herald because too many people come over and talk about them and that’s not so good at present. I have managed a couple of trips away camping in the Bon- go van. In a field is easy to keep a distance and the weather has not been bad at all. I have fitted a solar panel to run a small fridge, extra lights inside and usb ports to charge bat- teries and phone, bit of interior decorating and am almost done. As these vans are mostly over 20 years old now, I am surprised that complete mechanical novices buy them in such innocence. Some questions on the facebook pages are surprising, where do I top up the oil, can I change a wheel or is that a garage job are fairly common. Many don’t have any idea that they are now classic vehicles and need a bit of regular care. The concept of classic is a constantly mov- ing thing, younger people will look at 80s and 90s cars that way I do at 60s cars. Possibly perception based on what your Dad and family drove when you were still looking and dreaming of what car you might have when old enough to drive. I concede that I haven’t done a lot on cars this year, have had a bit of what’s the point and can’t be bothered syndrome but, if you have been a bit more productive than that (and that’s not hard), let mem- bers know what you have been up to. We all like to see someone else’s work mostly because it is inter- esting but also because we haven’t had to do it so don’t have the grubby hands and aches and pains that go with it. Like most, I like hard work and could watch it all day. As it write this the new covid tier system has been an- nounced, some say they knew it would end in tiers, others say tiers of a clown. Either way, it means that we are still restricted for our own protection so no change to Graham’s information in his Chair’s chat. Keep safe and well, until we can meet again. Andy Campbell. 3 4 Hello Club Members, Before I settle into my usual ramble I think it wise to give you a brief update regarding the posi- tion of the Club. Since the initial lockdown of the country the Committee and I have been con- stantly monitoring the Governmental websites with regard to the Club’s options. We have conversed with each other as developments have taken place and I hope I am not talk- ing out of turn by saying that at no point has it been legal for us to hold a meeting or event to date, thereby rendering any decisions null and void as potential fines of anywhere between £100 and an eye watering £10,000 can be issued for ignoring the rules. I know there have been a couple of people asking about Christmas on Facebook already and at the moment our hands are still tied by the Regulations, with the new Rule of 6 tightening things further and proposed for the next 6 months as a possibility. I am not saying it is definitely no to the Club having a Club Christmas meal but it looks at the moment that this will be highly unlikely. As I write these words the Committee are communi- cating via e-mail about this so look in this Tradsheet for the decision as I know Andy is keen to get it in this edition somewhere. I must at this point also say a massive thank you to all the Committee members for keeping abreast of the situation. Rodger has done a fantastic job in constantly updating the website events list (as you can see later in this Tradsheet as well), thanks must also be given to Andy for keeping the Tradsheet going and putting so much effort into it. All the Committee have done such a fantastic job in keeping things going and letting you know what the situation with the Club is so a big pat on the back to you all. As you may or may not be aware, last August my Morris bravely struggled home one day on 2 cylinders whilst carrying 4 occupants, a feat I am sure many modern cars would simply turn their noses up at by the roadside. I did my due diligence at the roadside checking HT leads etc but was not too far from home so simply had no choice but to limp back using the back roads to avoid traffic. Fast forward to March this year as lockdown began and my Morris sat in the garage untouched, partly due to lack of time but also not fancying the idea of playing with cold spanners over the winter months. By March I had enough time to come to the conclusion that the issue may well be a blown head gasket. So began my investigation with the removal of the cylinder head. As can be seen on the photo to the right, once I had access to the head gasket my diagnosis proved to be right, so I cleaned up the top of the engine block and the bottom of the head in preparation for a new gasket and checked the surfaces were still flat. Life then got in the way and my poor Morris sat in the garage untouched once more. 5 Fast forward to September and I picked up the spanners again. This is where I explain why I took the engine out to do a head gasket. On the back of the Morris engine, where the crankshaft sticks out, there was only ever a scroll seal so when the engine is sat not running the engine tends to weep out oil. Some time ago I bought an upgrade kit which once fitted has a modern oil seal which seats on the flange at the end of the crankshaft (the bit the flywheel bolts to). I took the en- gine at the time to a well known Doncaster engineering workshop to have the flange turned down to make a nice flat surface for the seal to seat on, giving them the fitting instructions for the tolerance needed. The engine came back with too much taken off the crankshaft flange so when put back together the engine leaked worse than ever. During the time the car was sat with the engine out I measured the end of the crankshaft and they had taken a whole millimetre too much off! Luckily I was able to source a new seal with the same outside di- ameter but a 1mm smaller internal diameter to take up the slack. Fast forward again to this week, the oil seal is in place the head gasket fitted, engine back in the car, plumbed in and the front of the car back on. Bear- ing in mind the amount of time the Morris was in pieces and you begin to understand my trepidation when I sat in the car for the first time key in hand. I turned the key to the first position, tick, tick, tick went the fuel pump then holding my breath turned the key all the way. A short turn of the starter was followed by the splutter and burble of a running en- gine…..PHEW. A little rough for my liking but I need to tune it now—at least the Morris is running once more. And finally a lesson to learn. Never leave your car in the garage with the window down! Why I hear you ask? If you do, be prepared for a fur- ry friend to take residence in your head lining. Yes a mouse has over wintered in the Morris so my new project will be a new head liner as the old one has holes in it, new aerial and other wiring he decided he liked the taste of. Lesson very frustratingly and expensively learned. Stay safe and well Graham Wickham 6 This year’s events and subs. As Graham has said, we must be careful about our events for the rest of the year and may well not have any more until 2021.