Standard Flying Fourteen

Kim treats his faithful Standard to some more TLC

At the conclusion of my previous Saga (PC, March 2020) I was struggling to install a new distributor/oil pump setup. Thankfully, my friend Chris Bowden suggested an easier if not ‘purist’ alternative of installing suitable packing between the lower end of the distributor driveshaft and the upper end of the oil pump shaft, to take up the slack. I chose this route. Having measured the lift, I selected a suitable steel washer of appropriate thickness to take up the excess clearance, carefully cutting/grinding the washer to shape and positioning this in two separate sections around the offset ‘D’ drive within the hollow lower end of the distributor driveshaft.

I’d first degreased the end of the shaft using paint shop ‘panel wipe’ solution, and very sparingly applied industrial strength adhesive to hold the sections of washer in position within the hollow shaft while the distributor was re-fitted (once the unit is in position the washer sections are constrained within the hollow shaft’s wall, and cannot escape upwards, downwards or sideways!). ‘Bluebell’ has so far given Kim and family 28 years of great service.

I bolted the distributor back in position and re-checked for ‘lift’; just perceptible movement was what I was aiming for, and, amazingly, had achieved – perfect. I started the engine and the oil pressure gauge needle instantly climbed clockwise. Geronimo! Since tackling this, the car has covered many miles; the oil pressure has been fine. Already the Standard was much smoother-running and felt livelier. However, on very hot days the engine tended to suffer from petrol vaporisation – commonly encountered on older engines with today’s volatile fuels.

Several times the engine had stopped and refused to restart, leaving us stranded in dangerous positions. Not good at all.

Enough was enough, and I chose safety over originality. After consulting with fellow Standard Club members, I ultimately decided to install an electrically-operated S.U. petrol pump

(Morris Minor 1000 type) in place of the original mechanical unit. With the help of another classic enthusiast (thanks John) I fitted it to the bulkhead under the bonnet (as in the Minors), then plumbed in the new pump using flexible stainless steel braided/reinforced fuel hoses (designed to withstand modern unleaded fuels containing ethanol).

This set-up is not original, but works perfectly for me. Even in scorching hot summer weather there have been no more risky incidents of coming to a halt due to fuel starvation.

Rubber renewal

I had renewed my Fourteen’s front tyres very recently, but the (older) rear tyres had just started to show signs of external crazing on the sidewalls, although the treads were still good. I decided to renew them regardless, for peace of mind.

I took the car to Kinson Tyres in Bournemouth (01202 573698) where Nick Place – a knowledgeable specialist in classic tyres – removed the rear wheels, tyres and inner tubes. He closely inspected the 80-year-old wheels, which thankfully were sound, and showed me where the inner tubes had started to weaken, as evidenced by a ‘wavy’ effect in the deteriorating rubber. New tubes were therefore installed, together with the new, original style cross-ply tyres (aptly known as ‘covers’ back in the old days). So, the car was now well-shod.

Time for a refresh

Sadly, the paintwork on my Fourteen (resprayed in the Seventies, prior to my ownership) had deteriorated in recent years, with paint flaking off in quantity. No question, it needed a bare metal repaint. I don’t have the requisite facilities nor space to respray a large car, so obtained a professional quote for the painting, with the body shop concerned happy for me to undertake the preparatory dismantling of the bodywork ancillaries and interior, and to re-assemble the car after it’s respray. This approach ensures my involvement, and saves the body shop time, thus saving me money.

With help from a long-suffering friend (thanks Gerald) I have removed the various components; these have been labelled and stored for future re-fitting. I can’t wait!

‘I chose safety over originality with an electric fuel pump’

Microblistering and loss of adhesion called for a respray.

Things had to get worse before they could get better…

Inner tubes from the rear tyres had just started to show signs of crazing.

Care was taken not to damage ‘wood effect’ painted steel window frames and headlining.

Careful balancing is required when dealing with Thirties wheels.

Extreme care was used when freeing and removing the interior trim.

Many fasteners had never before been disturbed.

Location and orientation of trim components was marked.