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Daimler Dart restoration

by Esmond Tearle

Well, for all of those who thought I had given up due to a lack of interest or more probably a lack of money, I haven't!

Neither has the project yet driven me to total insanity and had me committed to one of those places where they have nice young doctors in clean white coats and the inmates spend their days making baskets.

In fact rather more pressing commitments have meant that the Dart has been put on the back burner for a few months, but the plan is to eventually get the car finished, regardless of how long that may take. One thing is for sure, it won't be quickly.This summer is another one that will pass me by I'm afraid.

So this month, instead of an instalment covering progress with the restoration, this is really more of an update.

I have had some luck acquiring parts even though I haven't yet launched into a full blown assault on the body work. That will come before too much longer but I still plan to do most of the hard work myself. I figure that I will get a lot more satisfaction doing it that way, rather than just having the bodywork done by a professional. It's the preparation which takes a long time to get right, and consequently that doesn't come cheaply.

In the past I did make enquires into having the car taken by trailer to a paint shop, and then getting it back all done and ready for me to fit up. Believe me, we are talking telephone numbers here! Sadly that major lottery win still hasn't come my way so it's a case of being sensible.

You could go out and buy a perfectly good little convertible sports car that would bring countless hours of pleasure for the same money as these characters wanted to charge me to do the bodywork on the Dart.

When you put that into perspective it rather hits home, and something in the brain simply says, "Hang on, get real!".

Anyway, good old Ebay recently turned up a front bumper complete with over riders. My car is the earlier 'A' spec model that came with "whiskers" but no front bumper as standard. The whiskers being the chrome trims either side of the grille. I much prefer the later cars with the front bumper as I simply like the look of it.

Anyway, I couldn't believe my luck when I won the auction and bought the bumper for a figure much less than I was prepared to bid to.

The bumper blade is in very good condition, but would benefit from being re-chromed so that's another job for another day. Plenty of time before I need to have that sorted, and no doubt more urgent matters will inevitably take priority.

After chatting to the seller of the bumper, I managed to acquire a pair of bumper irons that bolt to the front of the chassis and keep the shiny bit in place. All that was needed to complete the job was the long shaped bumper iron that the bumper actually bolts onto.

I thought this may be a hard part to find as it's shaped to take the bumper which as far as I know is unique to the Dart.

Many Daimler owners are regular visitors to the Daimler Centre forum website. It's a sort of spin off from the owners club and has a number of active regular users who discuss everything Daimler related but also touch upon other such subjects........like beer!

Anyway, a brief posting at www.dlcentre.com asking if anyone had the required part, and very rapidly obtained the desired result!

I also picked up a pair of front side light lenses and the rubber fitting gaskets. These are not that easy to find these days. They will be useful as spares if I ever need them.

Another really good bargain, again found on ebay, is a must have for any open topped sports car owner. I had been on the look out for a nice leather and sheepskin flying jacket. I know that is not exactly a necessity at present but thinking ahead etc.... Anyway, these don't come cheap and quality is what you need. There are plenty of cheaper copies about, but in my opinion, there are only a few types that are worth having.

I had tried to buy a couple recently which cost around £450 when new, and they were described as hardly worn. In truth, the prices they fetched made me think that I should pay a bit extra and simply buy a brand new one.

I couldn't believe my luck when one appeared on ebay that was described as "as new" and in perfect condition". I bought it at the "buy it now" price which was a fraction of the price the seller had paid. When it arrived I was understandably chuffed to bits! It was in perfect condition and just as the seller had described.

Other than my bargain buys the Dart hasn't progressed. I did push it out of the garage too create a bit more space when it was parked closer to the wall, so I guess you can say it has turned its wheels.

I suppose I should say "watch this space".

To be continued...

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