1980 Austin Princess mild custom - 1951 Lanchester LD10

[vulgalour]

This year I've learned much more about electrical things. Here are the top things I've learned:

1 - there's a problem with the earth
2 - turn it off and back on again
3 - that shouldn't work, I don't know how it is
4 - that should work, I don't know why it isn't
5 - that's a bulb issue (usually combined with points 1-4)
6 - try wiggling it


Darrenh: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181922797997  Seller is really approachable too.

[craig1010cc]

Your new relays look like the digital led compatible ones I fitted recently. Edit, having checked the eBay link is exactly the ones I fitted. Great company too, they spent a few hours going through wiring diagrams for me to resolve the issues I was having after fitting led bulbs

Have you checked to see if there is any volts going to the relay when the indicators are off as it does sound like there is some getting to the relay that wasn't enough to trigger the old style relay and even though it's trigger the new one, isn't enough to be seen at the bulbs.

[vulgalour]

The relay has decided, all on its own, to only click when it should.  I guess the earth point has sorted itself out.  Soon the dashboard is coming out again for some wiring to be done and a new period radio to be installed.  In the meantime the Princess is sharing daily duties with the Rover, it's slightly nicer to use on hot days since it doesn't get quite so warm inside and the Rover is slightly nicer on wet days since the brakes inspire more confidence.



Found the best place for the Gold Leaf stickers is the rear side windows, they were just a little too large to go under the rubbing strip on the front wings, don't look right above the rubbing strip and there's no single place elsewhere on the car that they look like they belong.




Princess definitely has a leaking screen.


There's a pledge drive over on the club forum here: leylandprincess.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1350  Just one pledge short of minimum order providing everyone pays up when asked.  I can't afford to commit to two seals (even though I only need one) and I know from others that generic seals do not work on the Princess.  For now I'm going to use some of the leftover sealant from doing the Renault's windscreen as a temporary measure.  Long term this, like the suspension, could be a problem.

Bear in mind that NOS parts for Princesses are on the rise.  Earlier this year a NOS metal front wing sold for £323.  For one wing.  Many parts are incredibly difficult to acquire and some are completely unique to the car.  Considering that the Princess' value has not risen in line with the cost of certain parts, it leaves an uncertain future for many of them.

[blackpopracing]

If you have any of the Arbomast I recommended it should stop the leak. Is it leaking under the rubber to thr bodywork or through the rubber to glass joint?

I assume its body to rubber joint. If so run a bead the entire width of the roof under the edge of the rubber & fill in any cracks with a little sealer too.

It's not a final solution, but should hold off leaks for a good while.

[jimspolicev8sd1]

Nearly cracked 100 pages!

[vulgalour]

That's the stuff and that's the plan, BPR. The seal has gone porous along the top edge and it's letting water get through on the bodywork side rather than the glass side. Happens every time I wash the car or there's a really heavy downpour but doesn't happen when I'm driving through rain, the water seems to be rolling in to the top of the seal from the roof side rather than being pushed up the windscreen, if that makes sense? There's no obvious signs of rust spots or previous repair/bodge that might be lifting the seal and causing it to leak either.

This is, unfortunately, a known problem on Princesses now and the only real solution is a new seal, which are no longer made.

Jim: I do prattle on don't I?

[darrenh]

how is the leak getting all the way from that block of flats, he giggles

[vulgalour]

I've used the Princess more than the Rover this week. I even put some petrol in it so I can start working out fuel economy again and compare that to what it was doing before it came off the road. With more use, it's getting to be a more settled and happy thing to drive too, the brakes particularly are improved after having to emergency stop a couple of times during the week because of some silly people pulling out and not seeing me. The indicator relay now only clicks when it should. I haven't changed anything, it's just fixed itself, so I'm not sure what that was about.

It doesn't feel like the same car really. Some of that is because I'm no longer surrounded by damp and oil smoke when I'm in it what with all the stuff that was put right. There's something I can't quite put my finger on too that makes it feel like a different car to the one I took off the road, maybe it's just all the repair work has ironed out a lot more gremlins than I realised I was living with.

I've noticed that most drivers give me quite a bit more space than I'm used to, and are patient, and I appreciate that. You get the occasional person tailgating or desperately trying to overtake even if you're keeping up with everyone else, but you get that in any car. Generally, people have responded positively. I'd like to get her to a show soon, I've not been to one for ages, it'll be interesting to see just what the public response will be when they don't know you're listening, especially given how less-than-perfect the bodywork is right now.

[georgeb]

Purely guessing here.

60% will love it, 20% won't even look and the rest will have a duck fit!

[blackpopracing]

50% will love it & 50% will slag it off.

It's amazing how people who have probably never built anything in their lives will run down others cars. Heard a few choice comments about mine when they didn't realise I was the owner.

[johnthesparky]

Haha I love the people who start pointing out all the. It's that are non standard I can hear them saying the ford popular didn't originally have a big v8 and wheelie bars (in my head the voice is monotone with adonoids!).... it always seems to be deadpan, like they actually believe they are helping.

I think 40% will love it, 30% won't look at it because it's an old BL car... or just won't understand what you've done and the remaining will be appalled, because their Dad had one, and it was lovely and yours doesn't look like his did (completely missing the fact that without your car being on the road and there to be seen, that memory would not even have been evoked!)

[vulgalour]

Exciting news! Minimum order payments are being taken for new windscreen seals. I'm all paid up on that one so I hope the other people that pledged cough up too. Then I just need to try and find a new/better windscreen since the one in my car isn't in the first flush of youth. I did have a really good spare but it went missing along with my really good spare rear screen.

[georgeb]

Jun 6, 2017 1:59:18 GMT vulgalour said:

Exciting news! Minimum order payments are being taken for new windscreen seals. I'm all paid up on that one so I hope the other people that pledged cough up too. Then I just need to try and find a new/better windscreen since the one in my car isn't in the first flush of youth. I did have a really good spare but it went missing along with my really good spare rear screen.

Good news on the seal but I have a question.

During our last house move I've lost a pair of flip-flops, these things happen. But a ruddy great pair of screens? 😊

[vulgalour]

I know! It's ridiculous. I'd had other smaller items go missing from the same storage but it was the only place I had that was safe enough to store big bits of glass. I know if I'd risked storing them at home they'd have got broken so I couldn't win either way. Super anxious about removing the windscreen for the new seal now because if it cracks, I don't have a replacement to hand.

[rodit]

Wait till a couple are changed so your certain they fit, next get a brand new Stanley blade, spray it with wd40 plunge the nine into the rubber and round you go. Pull rubber away the carefully lift screen out, remove rest of old rubber from car. Hey presto your out safe.

[nomad]

Public responses to your work? I've lost count of how many times I've has something postive (nice car, you don't see many of those around, my dad used to have one, etc) followed in the same sentance by "you should restore it"  Normally the advice is from a sensible person driving a 7 year old modern motor 

Congrats about getting the new rubbers organised. Good advice above from rodit (wait to make sure the new rubbers fit - then cut your old one out with a stanley knife)
Just in in time so fix it on a dry summer day, ready for autumn/winter wet season

[glenanderson]

Others' opinions? They only count when they're paying for the parts, the work, doing the work for you for nothing, or are in agreement with you.

[vulgalour]

rodit: oh, removal doesn't worry me because with a spare seal I can destroy the old one. It's the refitting that concerns me. I don't have a lot of luck with windscreens, you see, and no fitter can guarantee they'll have better luck refitting my old screen.

Dashboard came out of the Princess today as Mike has time to rewire it and eliminate the PCB issues. I'll also get my new-to-me Sharp head unit fitted at the same time. With the weather being so wet I don't particularly want to drive the Princess while those rear wings are unfinished so it's an ideal time to do the dash work. Hopefully this will be the last time the dashboard comes out of the car.

[concertocharlie]

good old water leaks, the new concerto has a leak either side coming through the dash area...

[accord83]

After I had new seals fitted to the Escort and the windscreen started to weep in heavy rain. I bought some "Captain Tolleys Creeping Crack Cure" from Ebay to try.
The day after I applied it I was on an event when it started to pour with rain and my screen rubber started to lactate, the milky rain poured in. I wiped my dash down with a rag and left the car in the garage.
That was two years ago and the screen hasn't leaked since. Maybe I initially put too much in, I don't know, but if you need your creeping crack curing, Capt. Tolleys your man.