Sunday 31 March 2013

Left rear door

Seemed as if I only needed to replace the lower 10 cm of the inner frame, as a new section of skin had already been welded in.  And for a change, it looked quite well done.  Not.  The smallest application of heat caused buckling with a bump up to half a cm.  I tried Jeroen's newly taught skills on it, but in the end I cut through the old weld because there wasn't enough room for any of my anvils on the sides, pulled the two pieces together, and have started tacking them together.  Almost two mm's were cut out - probably way too much for my new shrinking skills to handle.
Most of the clamps already removed.  NB door is upside down :-)

(relatively) flat.  Believe me.

Saturday 30 March 2013

First steps

Plan: Body work, front to back.  Missing metal to be replaced, as close to original as I can get it.  Sounds simple, ehh?

This is the leading edge of the body, i.e. the drivers left foot.  The rot is extensive because it's covered by the wing and the running board. 
As I'm writing this some months after the work has been done: 'Work in progress':

The body is similar all around.
The left rear wing was almost completely detached from the car - three layers have rusted away: wing flange, outside body, and inner wheel well.  This will be an interesting part to fix...

The left front door isn't too nice either.  The frame has had a new part brazed onto it, meaning rot has simply continued on the skin.  Bottom line: lowest 5/10 cm of both skin and frame must be and have been replaced.




 
And the rebuilt door has been fitted.  Progress so far: both front wings, bonnet, radiator cowling, left inner and outer doorsill, both left doors.  All parts are basically ready for final sanding before a layer of primer can be sprayed on.

By the way, the door hinges are really really really tough to remove. 

Purpose

So why this blog?  Mostly because I hope it'll be an easy way of keeping some sort of restoration log, even though I've been at it for 5 months already.  And not in the least, because I hope to get in touch with as many other Humber owners as possible. 

So, pictures, and many of them:



She's home - and I'm not...
Did you know the Super Snipe is by far the smallest of the three Humbers I now have?  Not compared to the FIAT 500 however!


Most of the upholstery is salvageable, except for the headlining and the front carpets.
 
Don't let looks deceive you - this car has been 'museum prepared'.  In other words, made to look relatively nice through the use of loads of filler and paint.  The lowest 10 cm of the body have very extensive rust damage.

Friday 29 March 2013

Aalholm Auction

7 July 2012: Email from a fellow Humber addict: "Hi Flip, Check this out.  It's only the second 1939 Humber Super Snipe I have ever come across....  If it was in England, it would certainly be joining my collection".  In other words: grab it while you can!

Between 7/7 and 12/8: many a night spent wide awake.  The 1939 Humber Super Snipe is the perfect car to join my collection: the early version of the 4086cc side-valve engine that runs through the war until 1953, on the short wheel base, cross braced, chassis of the 1938 Snipe.  In saloon form.  There are also sports saloons, which are just ever so slightly less beautiful. The only left hand drive, and one of only two known surviving 'early 1939' saloons (I'll post details about the differences later, I'm sure).  This is an opportunity so rare, the thought of someone else running off with it leaves me with a stomach ache...

14 August 2012: At the RM Auction in Aalholm, Denmark, a 1939 Humber Super Snipe is auctioned.  A sorry wreck, the state she's in brings tears to my eyes, but a must have :-).  Against several other bidders, in between million kroner Ferrari's, Bugatti's and a Maybach Zeppelin, and at slightly less than all the money I decided I was willing to spend, I hear "All said, all done, sold!  To Lord Humber!".

Aalholm auction: 1939 Humber Super Snipe, and great weather as well!