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Daimler Dart restoration

by Esmond Tearle

This month has been a lucky one for me as far as the Dart is concerned.

Whilst trawling through the classic car spares section of Ebay, I came across a set of four painted wire wheels suitable for the Dart. These are the same as would have been available when the car was a current model, but would have been an optional extra. They were complete with the two front splined hubs required and were situated just over an hours drive away.

I placed a bid and half expected to be beaten at the last minute as is so often the case. As it happened, I went out and completely forgot about the auction ending that evening. Anyway, I won them!

A few days later I pointed the car south and headed out to a little village in Buckinghamshires lovely Chiltern Hills to collect them.

You never quite know what condition auction buys will be in as one persons idea of what is immaculate or in good condition may fall short of your own standards. I have been disappointed in the past, funnily enough over a set of chrome wire wheels.

However, in this case I was suitably delighted. Three of the wires are near on perfect and the fourth will do as a spare as there are a few little marks on the rim. No doubt due to carelessness when parking and clipping the kerb.

The front splined hubs were a bonus.

The wheels will clean up like new, but if I did decide to have them repainted or even powder coated, the price I paid would still have been a bargain.

That little lot set me back less than a quarter of the price if I had bought everything new from a wire wheel specialist dealer.

I still need to find another 60 spoke 15 inch 5 1/2 J width wheel together with the rear splined hubs and a set of four two ear spinners. These can all be bought off the shelf from Motor Wheel Services.

The original equipment steel wheels with hub caps don't really hit the spot for me. I think that such a nice car is really set off by sportier looking wheels.

After having 72 spoke chrome wires on my first Dart, which looked absolutely lovely but were not exactly easy to maintain and keep clean, I had decided that a nice set of Minilites would probably be a more practical option to go for.

Still, this bargain has hopefully solved a dilemma as the wires will look good and being painted, will be easier to keep them looking good with having to spent hours polishing the spokes.

After loosing the plastic ice cream tub containing my hard top rear fixing clips, my good mate Simon has managed to find two for me. It's a start and there is also the chance the original ones may yet surface. The moral of this story is a safe place may not always be the easiest place to find after time has passed.

That's all for this month. Once again more of an update than a report on the restoration, but then I had never really set a firm target for the completion of the project.

To be continued...

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