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Daimler Dart restoration

by Esmond Tearle

Since last month, I have actually managed to find a pair of original equipment Daimler Dart air filters. These were on the ebay auction site and whilst they are still listed on a leading parts suppliers list, I was unable to access the website to check the availability. I couldn't telephone until after the weekend, and the auction would have ended by then.

I may well have paid a few more pounds than the cost of new ones, but there again, if I missed this chance and then found that new ones couldn't be bought, I would have kicked myself.

So now, I have a brand new pair of chrome air filters suitable for 1 ¾ SU carburettors that are surplus to requirements. Anyone want to buy them from me?

Anyway, the filters arrived in the post and my first impression when I had unpacked them was that they were very usable. They had been painted at some time and certainly needed repainting again. The first job was to give them a thorough clean to remove all traces of oil from the wire elements. I simply soaked them in some petrol in a suitable container and kept agitating all the old crud that had accumulated by using an old paintbrush. Once suitably clean, I left them to air dry.

The next job was to cover the wire element visible through the holes in the casing using masking tap. Then I used a wire brush attachment on a drill to take away every trace of the existing black paint until I was left with shiny metal. I have found in the past that not all paints are compatible, and the slightest little trace left will cause a reaction in the new paint.

There were a few minor dents here and there which if not dealt with would have ruined the appearance when finished. All that was needed was a small amount of body filler that I skimmed over each of the indentations and then once it had gone off, I carefully flatted it back. Once they seemed to be right, I gave them two coats of grey primer and forgot about them for a couple of days.

They were already looking good, but I figured that time spent now on preparation was essential. I used a fairly fine grade of wet and dry paper just to ensure they were perfectly level and also to provide a key for the topcoat. A can of black gloss aerosol paint was bought and I applied about three coats to give me a decent thickness of paint. Again, I forgot about them for a few days to allow the paint to harden. All that was needed was for a good polish with T Cut to take out any little blemishes, and then a couple of coats of Mer polish. The result is really rather good.

As the filters will obviously sit on top of the engine, I wanted them to look right. Black is an extremely critical colour, and it was worth taking time to obtain the correct results.

One of the things that you should always do meticulously when embarking on a strip down of any old car, is label all the parts you remove, and carefully pack them away until they are required again. Easy to say that, but believe me, sometimes little things get overlooked. I spoke to Brian at the workshop and he explained that he was having a few problems trying to fathom out the "plumbing arrangements".

The V8 engine in the Dart has a number of steel pipes in two different diameters running across the top of the engine block; all partially hidden from view by the carburettors, the linkages and the dynamo. These run from the engine to the heater box etc.

I checked out the workshop manual and found a diagram that I was sure would help to sort the problem. When I called in to see Brian, he had the nice new stainless steel pipes I had previously bought, and the small lengths of hose that includes a number of little rubber tee pieces. Everything was loosely cobbled together, but from past experience, it didn't seem quite right. We managed to get it looking just about how I remembered it should look. Then Brian threw in the question "So what connects this bit to the inlet manifold then?"

It was very apparent that a length of pipe with a flange on one end was missing.

There was nothing listed on the parts list, so the expression on my face prompted Brian to say he could make one up easily enough.

It's little things like this that make for sleepless nights, so when I got home I had a look on the bench in the garage. There, in amongst the old water pipes, all painted dark green by a previous owner, was the very bit we needed. It would have been so easy to have thought that all those old corroded pipes were fit for the bin, and it would have been lost. Luckily the spring clean of the garages and the trips to the tip hadn't happened yet. I decided that I really ought to be a little more careful.

However, on a very positive note, things have happened over the last week and a milestone has been reached. The Dart is mobile!

In truth, it's actually been rolled on it's own four wheels and Brian has moved it to a different area of the workshop. It required pushing to achieve this, but that doesn't matter, it moved.

At the present time, I have an almost completely fitted up chassis that resembles the image as so often seen in those old car advertisements where they show you the actual car alongside a sort of skeleton with the bodywork removed.

I suppose this stage could actually be the halfway point in the project. Of course, I say that somewhat optimistically.

I know I have said this before, but the body is not far off being mounted back onto the chassis. I bought a body mounting kit some time ago, and this includes numerous spacers and bolts. When the chassis is nice and level, it will obviously make the task a lot easier.

As seems to be par for the course, that with every step that I regard as something of an achievement, there is a little problem not far behind. This time, we have lost the four bolts that hold the front brake callipers in place. A quick phone call to David Manners drew a blank, so it looks as though I will have to find another source. Once we know what the thread sizes are, it will doubtless make things easier to acquire new ones.

I did however, managed to find out that David does not stock the original air filters, therefore following my instincts and buying those when I had the chance has paid off. This proves my old philosophy that if a chance comes your way you should take it. I may have paid a few pounds more than I at first thought they were worth, but now that doesn't really matter.

More next month folks.

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