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Daimler Dart restoration

by Esmond Tearle

Last month, I rather optimistically predicted that the cylinder heads would now be firmly in place, on the immaculately restored engine, and I was also rather hoping that the fitted up chassis would be mobile in so much as the wheels would be fixed onto each corner.

In a nutshell, I got it wrong.

However, on a very positive note things have been happening and the car is gradually coming together nicely. The new brake hoses are fitted up, and the dynamo now sits in place at the top of the engine. Even the fan blades are where they should be. It's funny, but once the ancillaries are fitted, the whole thing seems to be really taking shape now. This is maybe because it all looks that much more complete and actually resembles what you see when looking into the engine bay and all the parts are there. That is assuming the body is where it should be, my cars body is still very much detached.

The manifolds have been bolted to the sides of the engine, but the exhaust system will have to wait until later for two reasons. The first is cost, as a nice new shiny stainless steel exhaust does not come cheap. Secondly, it makes sense to fit the exhaust and other items like the new wiring loom after the bodywork had been finished. As I have said before, that is a long way off yet.

When I bought the Dart, the air filters were not original. These ones being later additions of the chrome plated variety. They actually looked a bit scruffy, and I managed to acquire a new set of chrome ones that would at least look better perched on top of a gleaming engine.

Hopefully by the time this article appears I will be the owner of a pair of original air filters. I have managed to find a pair that will need restoring, but nonetheless, they are the genuine items. I think that a good clean by soaking them in petrol to remove all traces of old oil and general muck will then leave them ready for painting.

This type of filter has a wire element that needs to be kept lightly coated in oil to catch the dust and debris, and stop all manner of nasties entering the carburettors.

Easy to maintain as you simply give them a soak, and then re-oil them. They also have a small breather hose that fits onto an outlet from each rocker cover.

I am panicking slightly at present, as the distributor seems to have gone amiss. Brian can't find it in the workshop, which means I will have to have a thorough search of the garage. If the worst comes to the worst, I have got a spare one, which is actually a new but old stock item. It goes to prove that if you come across those rare or potentially hard to find items, you really should buy them when you have the chance. Many of us have garages full of stuff just waiting patiently on some forgotten shelf for the time when it will be called into service to keep the wheels turning at some time in the future.

I'm sure the original will turn up though. Being a fragile item, I seem to remember storing it away carefully wrapped and left in a very safe place. I simply need to remember where that was.

I am on the look out for a decent used Moto-Lita steering wheel fitting boss. I have a beautiful painstakingly restored Moto-Lita wood rimmed steering wheel, but the boss I have is for a Dart with a non-adjustable steering column. I discovered this week that mine is actually adjustable.

It seems hard to believe that when the car was new, the adjustable steering column would have added £4 to the price. Even with purchase tax that totals £5, 13shillings and 4 pence. If you don't remember pounds, shillings and pence, that roughly amounts to £5.67 in today's currency.

Anyway, if anyone has a Moto-Lita boss, part number "B7" that they want to sell, please get in touch.

That's it for this month. With spring just around the corner, I'm already wishing the project was finished and I could get to drive the Dart. Still, with the warmer weather comes a chance to get stuck in to the bodywork. I think I can optimistically say that stage isn't so far away. No doubt much time spent working into the early hours lie ahead.

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