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17 June 2013 at 17:07 #50239

Hi Peter,
My Riley has now gone for painting, and as the old tyres have to come off, I’ve been looking at what tyres are available now.

I’ve discovered an American tyre firm have recently introduced a 6.00 x 16 radial tyre, yes 6.00 x 16, so it has the appearance and dimensions of a period crossply. It’s called Excelsior Stahl, “Stahl” indicating it is a radial; don’t confuse it with their standard 6.00 x 16 crossply, which is seriously cheaper but only rated to 93mph. The tread pattern appears to be the same as their higher rated “Comp V” crossply, which I think is a copy of the Englebert racing tyre tread, and it looks pretty good to me. Speed rating is 130mph, so more than adequate for our cars.

They’re pretty expensive, only one UK supplier, & their price is ?247.50 + VAT (20%). That said, if they last more than twice as long as a good quality crossply, and they should, then they’re not bad value. Despite being American, they aren’t whitewall, thank goodness.

The only user experience I’ve been able to discover is from Americans; would have preferred UK/European as road conditions differ, but all seem very positive…only issues seem to be that some feel the sidewall script is too obvious.

Laurence

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10 June 2013 at 12:52 #50229

The “Motor Trader” Service Data for the V12, dated September 1939, states that (front) “Wheel bearings are roller outer, ball inner, no adjustment.”.
So Pete, yours could have been modified to taper roller at some time in its life.
I have a spare copy of the V12 Service Data, original so the photos are clearer than the club copy. As near as one can get to a condensed workshop manual, ?10 +p&p (shameless plug!).

Laurence

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12 April 2013 at 16:40 #50113

Its saving grace is that it is a sedanca de ville, so you benefit from drophead motoring without the expense of buying a drophead. Many V12s seem to have covered low mileages. Lagonda Motors almost undoubtedly fitted a new speedo in 1941 (so much more honest than winding the mileometer back!), so the mileage could, just possibly, be correct, back to then at least.
It’s a pretty formal car, hardly the daily commute…but of course it could have been, if the company ownership ran to a chauffeur.

h14

11 April 2013 at 17:47 #50109

JPH575 is chassis 16046. 16060, for example, was first registered June 1939. It also has the earlier bumpers, with the earlier pattern mountings, where they emerge between the chrome trims instead of actually through them. So this is almost certainly a 1938 car re-registered in 1941.

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11 April 2013 at 10:22 #50108

Can’t agree that it’s a beauty, to my mind the formal upper portion jars with the flowing line of the wings. Nevertheless an appealing car in nice condition.
It is interesting that this low mileage 1941 registered car has a very much Sanction 1 engine. Hmmm.
Not saying that means the mileage is false; my own V12 had covered 13000 miles by 1946, yet had had 3 different engines by that time…but they were all late numbers, and it seems unlikely Lagonda would sell a car as new with what would have recognisably been a 2 year old engine.
Would be fascinating to see the early history of this car. First registered to Lagonda Motors? Perhaps their in house coachbuilding was busy with war work, almost definitely the case. Perhaps they had a buyer and the original sale fell through, explaining its travel around the dealers. Deansgate, Manchester is interesting. My own V12 belonged to Alan Good, and he sold it in 1946; via a firm in Deansgate.
Another thought; without having checked the chassis number (and I wouldn’t put it past Lagonda altering that), I wonder if this is in reality an older car re-registered in 1941 to enhance its saleability?

h14

20 March 2013 at 19:34 #50087

To be fair, SRD, you’re quite right…in terms of some of the monstrosities perpetrated on the longer chassis, this does at least have a light touch, and, of course, imposing length to it.

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15 March 2013 at 11:02 #50062

Yes, I received one as well, and quite agree. There is no hint of enthusiasm, and “any drophead models”; surely one would have a preferred favourite? Final downer for me was that the guy isn’t even willing to share his christian name with us.

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1 March 2013 at 10:31 #50045

Thanks Harald, also thanks for offering spares; I’m sure many spares linger in garages once the car itself has gone to another owner.

Laurence

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28 February 2013 at 18:44 #50040

Thanks David, wish I’d known before, but at least plenty of non-car items I can use it on here.

Laurence

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28 February 2013 at 15:27 #50037

Hi Colin,
I bought a tin of black Hammerite for painting parts, only to leave it behind when we moved to France. So I got a friend visiting the UK to buy another tin for me.

So…what’s the problem with this product?

Laurence

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27 February 2013 at 16:11 #50030

Hi Harald,
Do you have any of the aluminium bracket/collars which clamp to the steering column in the engine bay? My choke relay lever bracket is missing it’s plain half; ie a “C” section casting with 2 lugs drilled for the clamping bolts.
Also missing a spare wheel mounting (late type) if you have one of those spare.
Laurence

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24 February 2013 at 18:49 #50024

Welcome, Klaus, and great to hear this car has found an appreciative home. It does look like it hasn’t been messed about with, so hopefully that will help your restoration proceed well.

Laurence

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4 February 2013 at 18:02 #49989

It does look like Lagonda’s own coachwork to me, style-wise at any rate. I think the factory were not averse to making changes…perhaps at the behest of the person ordering the car.
My drophead is a short chassis car; but has the long chassis taller radiator, and the long chassis fuller boot area. The wheel cases do not have the “german helmet” tail on them, so are like those on LG45s and I think, some LG6s…and they do have the car’s body number stamped on them so they are original to my car.
That said, on the car advertised, the adjusters for seat squab height are new to me, as is the sill cut out beneath the handbrake; but then I’m not familiar with the saloon versions.
Laurence

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22 January 2013 at 19:37 #49976

Hi Peter,
If your V12 is like mine, you will find the long bolts holding the master cylinder will not come out because the torsion bar is in the way! I’m sure this is evidence of a “let’s add unnecessary difficulty and complexity” ethos at the factory. So as with most things Lagonda V12, you have to do several major jobs first in order to complete a minor one. There is of course plenty of room to withdraw the bolts if they’d been inserted the other way. I ended up just making a tool to clean the master cylinder in situ.
Laurence

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3 January 2013 at 18:22 #49968

Will do if I can but my last attempt didn’t work!