Tom

I forgot to attach the pics of the stuff I have. I'm ok with the ammeter and oil pressure gauge, I even have the heavy duty cabling needed it's more the temp gauge wiring I'm not sure about and ideas for displaying the gauges?

Car is 1200 Herald. I dug out a bunch of Gauges I've horded over the last 20yrs! They are all the classic old Smiths gauges, Oil pressure, Charging and Temp. I also have a Thermostat housing with the temp sender screwed into the top. One thing I remember when my Herald was on the road was not not really being comfortable with the lack of info as to oil pressure, temp, electrical so I would like to make use of these gauges. I plan to mount them directly above the gearbox tunnel, in a bracket for all three hanging of the bottom of the dash. I have a splitter for the oil pressure gauge so I can retain the warning light and run the gauge. The ammeter is pretty straightforward it's the coolant gauge I might need a bit of help with. I'm hoping someone out there is a bit of an expert? My questions are.... 1. Is the sender specific to the gauge ie. do they have to be matched in some way? 2. Do I need a voltage regulator? 3. Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the coolant temp gauge/sensor/regulator? Thanks, Tom.

I understand Colin but I've got it all back together now! The continual issue I'm having at the moment is how far do I take this? My goal is to get a tidy/solid car back on the road and enjoy it, once I am back in that position I can slowly work through the detail. I have to keep reminding myself that the summer I took this car off the road I drove it all the way from Derby to southern Brittany and it ( or me )didn't bat an eyelid! It's in infinitely better shape now! Also I don't have a bottomless pit of cash at the moment so I'd rather concentrate on the known weaknesses of the Herald and risk it that the stuff that doesn't tend to go wrong probably won't.......hopefully! If lock down/quarantine restrictions start to loosen my plan is to drive the old girl back down to Brittany in August as it's my mates 50th and I've got plenty to get done by then!!

Excellent Pete, thanks, for that.

I think I'm going to leave it alone, it can be nice little manageable job in the future. It's going to be water pump , stat housing and rad back in today, I was just wondering if it is wise to use any form of sealant on the gaskets or just fit them dry? I have some wellseal to hand?

I haven't run the car properly for probably 8yrs, just started it every so often. I don't remember any nasty rattles and it look dry enough in that area. I think your right Nigel if it ain't broke don't fix it!! I just wondered if folk treated it almost like a service item eg. at 50K change it type of thing?

Hello, I currently have my radiator and water pump off. I have been collecting bits and bobs for the car for a good few years and looking through my parts I found a timing cover gasket and oil seal. I'd forgotten I'd bought them, but I do remember now I'd bought them as I thought it would be a good idea to check the condition of the chain and tensioner at some point. Obviously now whilst it is all accessible would make sense but then again am I wasting my time as there is nothing to suggest a problem, I suppose my point is do the chains tend to be problematic and is it worth checking? Thanks, Tom.

Cheers Colin, yes that makes sense, the empty loom tabs follow that route. I'm slowly undoing 55yrs of PO's doing odd and unfathomable things!!!

Hello again, I'm psyching myself up to put the rear tub back on by doing some pointless jobs that have been bugging me at the front end!!! My wiring loom in the engine bay runs under the left engine mount, there are 4 unused wiring loom clips ( bent pieces of steel ) running along the edge of the engine bay valance which would route the loom over the engine mount, seems better that way. Looks like someone put the engine in with the loom in the wrong place?

Yes Colin I think I'll try to source some canvas ones the rubber don't appear to be very popular on this forum!!! The underside probably looks a little better in the pics than real life but I'm happy with it. It really was just a case of elbow grease really.....I had nothing else to do as I'm off work!! I did all the welding repairs and then spent the best part of 2 days with a window scraper ( many blades!!! ) and an old chisel removing all the old underseal/waxoyl . I then wiped it all down with R5 solvent from Dacrylate, this seemed to dissolve what was left of the underseal, then I spent a day with a set of various wire brush shapes and sizes on the electric drill and finally I went over it again with the solvent. I then put a coat of Dacrylate zinc rich primer on ( Brushed ) and then two coats of Frost Satin finish chassis black. It's dried off a bit more now and probably has more of an understated satin finish since I took the pic. It's not show standard but it's all solid now and tidy enough for me!!!

I have too much stuff in the garage, I spend as much time rolling motorcycles around as I do working on the car!!🙂 I have a pretty big double garage but it's unbelievable how much space a Herald ( It's a Herald convertible by the way )takes up when it's in 2 pieces!! As far as bikes go I have a 1978 Triumph Tiger 750 which is essentially a T140 Bonneville with a single carb ( and all the better for it!! ), in the pic are 2 80's CZ350 twins, the 472,6 to be exact, a much maligned bike but really very good when set up correctly and used within the parameters of it's design, I have covered many many thousands of miles on the one on the left in the pics and it has never left me stranded. Underneath the pink cover is a mid 90's Triumph Trident 900, a fabulous bike but I never use it so I intend to sell it and under the orange cover is a my mates Honda NS400R, he asked me to look after it for a few months when he moved to Paris....that was 6yrs ago!!!!! and up in the loft is my 1976 Honda CB200 which I bought when I was 16yrs old, the engine is on the bench as some of you have noticed, once the Herald is back together that is my next project!!!! Back to the Herald, yes the U brackets do they just rest on the chassis with the plumbers tape between? I can see just getting the tub mounted being at least a 35 cuppa!!!!

Hello again, chaps. I'm pretty much at the point of putting the rear tub back on! I really have no clue of the best way to do it, I wondered if there was a guide out there of if anyone had any nuggets of wisdom? I've done some research so I've made some hardwood wedges to knock the tub fore/aft. I have a Canley fitting kit which has rubber pads but I have some old wellies if it's better to make your own from that material.....I'm presuming the pads glue to the chassis 1st? and then spacer on top, I've saved all my old spacers if I need too pack out and I have a selection of washers. As I said any guidance would be most welcome! Thank, Tom.

Ok Pete, I'll order an 82deg. Blimey it's always fun going through a car that's had a life!

So just going through the rest of the cooling system, I've got the rad out now ( more on that later ) water pump off and thermostat out. The stat is an 88degC, so is that a post 1966 one? Will it be ok in my 65? I wonder if the engine is original? The car was last started about 3yrs ago but has been parked up around 8 yrs. In that time I changed the coolant once to avoid too much nastiness happening to the cooling system. However my plans were scuppered by the leaking core plug which dropped the fluid level and allowed air in hence when I removed the water pump and stat it is rusty inside the pump and stat housing. Is this an issue? can it be treated/removed or should it just be left alone? Very annoying but my fault!!! Also when I took the rad out one of the side mounting plates was completely disconnected from the rad! It looks like these are just pop riveted on and fortunately I have the correct dia and length rivets so I can repair it. The rest of the rad looks in OK condition, no signs of leaking. Also it looks like one of the PO's has had a go at putting an electric fan in at some point as it has a retro fitted temp operated switch at the bottom of the rad! That might explain the random relay and unused wiring I found in the vicinity!

I'll stick with the little one for now and see how I get on. Chris A, yes I know Brittany is not the hottest but I do go right down to Arcachon with a boot full of camping gear on the odd occasion and it can get a bit toasty down there! Got bigger fish to fry at the moment as the rear tub is going back on in the next day or two!!!

Ahh to be honest I didn't know what my full width rad came off, Vitesse and GT6 were just a guess. So if I am right in thinking the Early models were fitted with full width and then the narrow came later, my car is a 1965 1200 so maybe it originally had a full width? I'm sure the narrow would be fine for 90% of the time, the idea was that if I fitted the full width with the fan at least I'd have the option of electric cooling if I needed it?

Ok, it's a while since I used the car so I think I'll stick with the std system for now but it's good to know the full width rad is there if I start to find I need it.

Would I be right in thinking the thermostat controls the running temp not the rad? Maybe I'll run it standard for a while and see how I get on? Another reason I'm contemplating it is that I intend to do a few camping trips in the future in Northern France and the extra cooling might come in handy?

Hello, whilst the paint is curing on the rear tub I have been working on I've decided to get the engine to a state in which I can start it. I've decided to start on the cooling system, I've got a new water pump as mine feels lumpy, I have a new fan belt and coolant ready, all the hoses look good with no cracks. The system is completely standard and I intend to flush the whole system. My two questions are. 1. One of the core plugs has been weeping, the rear one on left side of the block. Any tips on replacing the plugs would be welcome. 2. This one is a bit more in depth! Currently I have a standard radiator fitted and I am happy with that, I do like to keep things as standard as possible, don't ask me why I just like things that way? However I understand the world is a different place to 1965, ie warmer and more congested which puts a strain on old cooling systems. Over the years I've collected bits and bobs and among them I have a full width radiator from maybe a Vitesse/GT6? and a neat little electric fan which fits perfectly in front of it.I'm not usually a fan ( excuse the pun!) of stick electric fans in front of radiators but withe a full width I could position it to one side ( see pic ) so as not to impede airflow and then have the fan on a switch in the cabin so if the temp in traffic starts to rise I could have extra cooling to hand? or am I being daft, should I just leave it standard? Tom.

Thanks for the encouragement it really helps to bounce information/ideas of you folk as sometimes I find myself going round in circles in my head trying to make decisions! Seams are sealed now so I think I'll take your advice and have a look at the compressor.....after I've youtubed 'how to check a starter capacitor'! Update. Looks like it may be the capacitor as power is getting past the pressure switch, I've ordered one of ebay. Just getting back to rust protection. I'm definitely going to inject the interior of the chassis with Dinitrol and the cavity areas of the body but I'm not fully convinced about coating the entire underside and exterior of the the chassis with a product as doesn't this just provide a sticky layer for dirt and grime and hence moisture to stick to? as the underside of my car will be freshly painted is it worth just sticking with that finish which can easily be cleaned down?

Hello again fellas, rear tub welding is finally complete........I don't think I can face the grinder and mig again welder for at least a month!!! I then scraped of as much of the underseal with a chisel and window scraper, very tedious and dull, I probably spent a day doing this. Then I attacked it with a wire wheel on the drill and grinder and then degreased it with the solvent I bought with the Zinc rich primer I have. I know it all sounds like a faff and getting the bottom blasted would have been far easier and more effective but I'm doing this on a very tight budget and getting the tub to the blasters would have been very tricky for me. I'm happy with it up to now and it's very satisfying using all the bits and materials I have collected and stockpiled over the last few years for 'when I get round' to the Herald!! This car was rapidly approaching the 'need for Car SOS status' but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel now. It is primed now, it's not perfect but it's a damn sight better than it was and I'm a happy man! I'm going to run round all the seams and weld repairs today with Tiger seal and then finish it tomorrow with a couple of coats of the Frosts chassis satin black, it's cured to a nice finish on the chassis. As far as future rust protection, I think I'm going to go with the Dinitrol system, probably with aerosols as my compressor has just given up the ghost!

Just getting back to the sealer/primer question. Is it the general consensus that it is ok to prime and then use seam sealer?

Well tomorrow should see the last of the rear tub repairs 😀. I'll scrape the last of the underseal and then spend a good few hour wire wheeling the underside. I plan then to Zinc rich primer the entire underside and then a couple of coats of Frosts chassis satin black like the chassis. I'm just checking when the seam sealer should be applied, I was going to do what Bordfunker suggested Primer then sealer makes sense to me, is this correct use of the sealers ( Tigerseal ), it does say it over paintable.

Cheers again Colin. Your pipework is a little neater than mine. I thought I was going to replace all my brake lines as they looked very cruddy, it was only when I scraped of the nasty underseal the rest of the car was covered in that I found they were in fact copper and in perfect nick just not routed nicely. thanks again.

Cheers Chaps, I've contacted the seller and bought One of the hooks and the plate. Can't believe my luck they seem as rare as hens teeth!