Ask the Unique Cars and Parts Team

Ask the Unique Cars and Parts Team - Page 4 of 11

Got a question, need some advice, or simply settling a bet. Contact us with your question(s), we will try our best to help.

Have You Posted Your Question In Our Forum?

Due to the unprecedented number of requests we receive for help, we have launched a Classic Car Forum. By submitting your question to the Forum you will benefit from the input of our valued site visitors, and just like going to the Doctor, it always pays to get a second opinion.

Prior to sending a question to us, why not take a few moments to also post your question on our Forums. Over time, this will help build an invaluable resource for you and others to share. If you are considering placing a Free Classified, KT will explain how easy it is...

1942 Austin 10 Heater Cost, from David

Q: Hi, I am writing a mystery novel set in 1942. One of the characters owns an Austin 10 sedan that he purchased new in 1939, prior to war breaking out. From research I have done so far, including this site, it seems that they were assembled locally in SA - true?. Did the model come with a heater fitted standard, or was that an option. What would it have cost to have a heater fitted as an extra? Thanks for your assistance, David.

A: Hi David; We have been doing some research ourselves to try and answer this question, although we hold little hope of being able to determine the cost of the heater, but we are pretty sure it would have been an option. Here in Australia, we believe the Austin 10 was imported either complete or in CKD chassis form, where local body building firms such as Ruskin Motor Bodies Pty Ltd of Melbourne, and T.J. Richards of Adelaide would fit their own bodies.

The 1939 Austin range comprised of no less than 25 models in seven series, and for 1939 the two new models were the Eight and re-designed Ten. The other models were carried over from the 1938 model lineup. Good luck with your novel, let us know when it is released. Ed.

Missing Monaro ID plates, from Chris

Q: I have struck a problem with my Monaro and that is that the ID plate has gone missing; the other two are still there but the one that tells you the paint, trim, model and body number has gone. Is there any way of replacing it from Holden, or anyone else, by using the other two and the engine number, or is there nothing that can be done? Any help would be excellent - Thankyou.

A: Hi Chris; We believe you will be able to get another made up for you by Holden, however you will need to provide them with the particulars of the car. The difficulty is, if you are restoring the car to its original condition and through its life some particulars have changed (colour / engine etc.) you may be in trouble. In any case, we would suggest your first port of call should be to Fishermans Bend. Ed.

Ford Cortina Consul Valuation, from John

Q: Hi Team, I have come across a Ford Cortina Consul buried under lengths of timber in an elderly persons garage as well as 5 spare motors. I was wondering what something like that would be worth and whether it would be a worth while adventure; the car looks completely original but is fairly grubby throughout- possum crap all over it!

A: Hi John; As you can imagine this is a seriously tough question, particularly given we cannot see the car. Early Cortina's however are keenly sought by collectors and have a strong and growing following of devotee's. A pristine example could well be worth over $10K, however before you embark on any restoration project we strongly suggest you contact a Ford Cortina car club in your state, and get some advice from the experts. You will need their help in sourcing parts, and such clubs usually have fairly extensive library from which you can source reference material to help you complete your project. Good Luck with the project, and let us know how it goes. Ed.

Which Model Falcon Had The Chrome Falcon On the Bonnet, from Colin

Q: I used to own what I thought was a 1962 Ford Falcon sedan. It was the one with a chrome falcon on the bonnet. Any idea of the actual year and model of that one?

A: Hi Colin; Yours would either be an XK or XL. The XL was only released in August of 1962, so our money is on it being an XK. Ed

Overseas Scam Artists, from Rebecca

Q: Regarding the overseas buying scam. Is this really a scam? What do they get out of it? If they agree to my request to just send me a cheque for the car and not the shipping charges, how would this negatively affect me? What charges do your refer to when saying the bank would charge processing charges?? Slightly confused, Rebecca.

A: Hi Rebecca; There are a couple of scams the (mostly Nigerian's) use on classifieds type web sites, particularly where the items for sale are quite valuable. The two scams will see them posing as either a buyer or seller. With the buyer scam, they will claim to be interested in buying the car, and then send a cheque for more than the car is worth. When you contact the purchaser to determine why they have sent too much money, they will provide their bank details and request you bank their cheque, and put the refund (difference between what you are selling the car for, and the value of the cheque) directly into their account.

Of course the money you transfer or wire to them will be processed straight away, and it will take days for you to find out the bank cheque has bounced. Many fall into the trap of believing a Bank Cheque is as good as cash - it isn’t. We do know of several cars which have been sold via this site and shipped overseas, the practice is not uncommon. If selling to an overseas party, we would only ever deal with someone from Europe or the US, and then only once we had clearly determined that they were bona-fide. As for the charges you may incur, the Bank's take a rather dim view of dishonoured cheques, and charge you for attempting to deposit it in your account. This goes for both local and overseas cheques, personal or bank cheques.

For more information on scams, go to www.scamwatch.gov.au, or our own Frequently Asked Questions page. Take care with whom you deal with. Ed.

Glas Goggomobil Lights, from Ralph

Q: Hi, my boss ownes a Glas Goggomobil type T-250 VIN: 01200002. His lights on the top of the side pillar just after the door are broken and he wants me to replace them. Would you have those lights or can you refer me to someone or somewhere I can purchase the said lights? Thank-you, Ralph.

A: Hi Ralph; Those are going to be extremely hard to come by. We don’t stock spare parts ourselves, only provide a means for people to buy and sell on line. We suggest you place a free classified in the wanted section, there is absolutely no cost or obligation. For the ad title, it would help to be creative and say something like "Wanted - Goggomobil Side Pillar Lights", and it always helps if you can include an image or two. Ed.

XW/XY Falcon Identification, from Lucy

Q: Can you help me please. I have just purchased a 1970 Falcon 500 Wagon but have not been able to determine whether it is a XY or an XW. I have been told there is a difference in the tail lights but I have not been able to find a car online that matches. The model number of the car is 18963. Also I would like to know what the original colour was as it has been painted several times. On the vin is states AK as the colour and C for the trim. I would appreciate if you would be able to assist in helping me determine the actual model. Thankyou, Lucy.

Click picture for close up view

A: Hi Lucy; Identifying the Falcon should be easy, just check the grille at the front. If it has long metal horizontal flutes, with a very slight rise in the middle, you have an XW. If instead the grille is made from plastic, and features vertical bars with a pronounced central division, you have an XY. As for the tail lights, the XY had only a very mild make over, having an applique to provide a more distinctive horizontal division. The XW Falcon grille and taillights are as per the images above.

As for the colour, we are not sure of an AK designation, however we will continue to investigate. We do know that, assuming you have an XW, then it is likely the colour was A for Polar White, which was a popular choice with the wagon. To help you identify what options were available, we have put togther a XW Falcon Model Lineup page taken from brochures, which will give you a better idea of what you are looking at. Ed.

Valiant VG 770 Hardtop Production Numbers, from Kevin

Q: I possess a Valiant VG 770 Hardtop Coupe, the one known as the "Mexican". A relative told me that Chrysler produced 220 of these vehicles. Can you assist me with any other information or data regarding these vehicles. Kevin.

A: Hi Kevin; We don't have production numbers on the VG hardtops. As you are probably aware, the Regal 770 was not a separate model but in fact an option (A70) of both the Regal sedan or hardtop, which is going to make getting a definitive answer just that much more difficult. In either case, it was only the Regal 770 or Regal wagon that was available with the 318 Fireball V8 as an option, and if your car is fitted with this engine you have a rare find indeed. The other odditiy from the VG lineup with the "Mod Pack", a VG Pacer hardtop which appeared as an A88, but without the required options. We suggest you follow up with the relevant Valiant car club in your state to make further enquiries. Ed.

No Mention Of The Honda Scamp, from Kez

Q: My first car was a trusty Honda Scamp. It was reliable and very economical, and I am disappointed that you have not bothered to list it in your car review pages. Others made jokes about my Scamp, but it was good enough to make me a loyal Honda buyer - I even learnt to drive in my parents back yard, the Scamp was so small there was plenty of room! I am on my 6th Honda now, the current being an S2000. Perhaps the only thing the two have in common is that they both like to rev. Regards, Kez.

A: Hi Kez; We are pretty sure this was the car used in the film "Malcolm", and none more worthy as a car to be sawn in two. The Scamp was rather innovative, with a type of rear window demister and optional Hondamatic transmission mated to such a small engine. We have now listed the Honda Scamp in our car review pages, and even managed to dust off an old cinema reel advertisment for it - we hope this brings back a few good memories. Ed.

How To Measure A Car's Front And Rear Track, from Julian

Q: I am hoping to replace a VJ diff (1491mm) that is in my VF Hardtop (supposed to be 1425mm) with a Centura (1397mm) to be able to fit decent wheels/tyres to it. I am going to see a Centura soon to measure, can you give me the exact place where you measure the track from? Julian.

A: Hi Julian; A car's front and rear track is essentially the measurement of the width from the centre of the left tyre to the centre of the right tyre. Imagine you placed some paint in the exact middle of the front or rear tyres, then moved the car forward. The paint markings would indicate the track. Don't try to measure a cars track when it is on a hoist, only measure this while the car is on the ground. Also, do not measure it between random points on stationary wheels, because in doing so your measurement will be influenced by the alignment of the wheels. And lastly, remember that front and rear track in most cases varies. Under normal circumstances, it is not possible to change the track of a vehicle by simply fitting bigger tyres (as the measurement is taken from the middle of the tyre), however your intended modication certainly will change the track!

Despite the extra rubber, their will be a change to the dynamics and handling of the VF. If the track is too narrow at the back, the car will tend to oversteer. If it is too narrow at the front, it will understeer. We would suggest the modification has the potential to introduce some unwanted oversteer. Your alternative is obviously to mod the guards, however this is a VF Hardtop we are talking about, a seriously collectable Aussie classic, and we understand your reluctance to opt for this change. We would suggest you contact a Valiant club and try to find out if anyone else has completed such a modification, and determine if they were happy with the results. Good luck with the project. Ed.

CM Valiant Headers, from Ted

Q: Hi, I have a 1980 CM Valiant with a stock 265 Hemi, I was wondering if you could you recommend a good set of extractors for it? Also, do you have the specs for this model? Ted.

A: Hi Ted; We would suggest that Pacemaker headers would be a good choice, however not the best choice. Usually getting headers made specifically for an application always results in both better performance and exact placement. This however comes at a price which ultimately you have to justify. The CM specifications are linked to the car review page. Ed.

Body Identification of car found new Wilcannia, New South Wales, from Paul

Click picture for close up view

Q: Hi Team. I recently found a vehicle (photos attached) and have been trying to identify it. On top of the firewall are embossed (raised) the letters "T J R". I would appreciate any info or guidance as to where we might search further. Paul.

A: Hi Paul; This is one of the more difficult ones we have received, but we are prepared to give it a go. The embossed "TJR" would indicate the body had at least some conversion coachwork carried out by the Adelaide company T.J. Richards who did quite a lot of this type of thing in the 1930's. South Australia was actually quite a hot spot for automobile manufacture during the 1930's, a legacy that remains to this day with Mitsubishi and Holden. Holden and Frost were first to strike a deal with GM to manufacture car bodies, and T.J. Richards soon followed with a deal struck with the American Chrysler Corporation. In 1926-27, the two Adelaide firms produced almost 54,000 motor bodies, at the time it representing the only significant manufacturing export from South Australia.

The headlamps mounted on the front guards, along with what appears to be rear hinged front doors date the vehicle at the mid 1930's. From what we can make out, there appears little distance between the firewall and rear guards, indicating the car only had the two (rear hinged) doors, and the absence of a roof would suggest it be either a cabriolet or utility. The rear shot shows upright body work, and the piece missing in the middle we think would be the tailgate. There is also what appears to be a frame welded to the inside of the rear passenger guard, this likely being used as the mounting bracket for a timber tray fitted to the rear. Therefore, and this is only a "best guess", we think we are looking at a 1934 Dodge utility. By posting the images here, there may be a better car sleuth out there who can identify it, and if we find out more we will let you know. Ed.

Chrysler Centura Specifications, from Julian

Q: Hi there, I know it is not currently listed but do you know the rear track measurement of the Chrysler Centura? I noticed it has no specs. Your website is awesome and has very comprehensive data. I love it as a Chrysler/Valiant owner. Good work. Julian.

A: Hi Julian; the specifications for the Chrysler Centura are now listed. Ed.

Brocky in a HDT VC Commodore, from Kane

Q: I was recently shown a really good advert of Brocky hammering around Bathurst in a VC HDT Commodore while at a party, however I cannot find it anywhere on this site (media section). Have you deleted it? (please say no). Kane.

A: Hi Kane; we think the one you are referring to is part of the Bathurst section, it being at the bottom of the 1981 Program Index page. Ed.

A Car For Sale - Location Hong Kong, from John

Q: Dear Sirs: I have happily created an account within your site, and I wish to place an advert in Cars For Sale, but cannot send, as I am not located in a State or Country on your list, and neither do we have postcodes here in Hong Kong! Please advise how I can properly fill out your online form in order to submit my advert. Very many thanks in advance. Kind regards, John PS: Your site is absolutely wonderful - I've spent the last 3 hours enjoying everything from Holden HQ commercials to Rolls-Royce & Bentley and beyond!

A: Thanks for your kind words on the site. We have adjusted the classifieds to include Hong Kong, and the listed states from which to pick to include "Non Australian State". Good luck with your sale, let us know if you have any other problems. By the way, we have a pile of new content to post, time is always our enemy. Things such as a Jag Mk. II filmed in its entirety during manufacture, others being tested in the Australian outback, old commercials from Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Chrysler, Toyota - the list goes on. Ed.

Another Entry For The Lemon List, from Doug

Q: Hi. I'd like to suggest another car for the "Lemon List". The Toyota Corona Mark II was heavily criticised by Wheels Magazine but it deserved it, the steering and seats were ridiculously bad, even back then! Cheers, Doug.

A: Hi Doug. We have copped plenty of flack in the past for being critical of some of the early model Toyota's. Your observation on the Corona Mark II is right on the money, they were dreadful. Ed.