
		HAT OF THE WEEK Pith helmet - the explorers favourite.
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		BLOG DIARY Read progress from the garage...
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		SPONSORS FORDINGBRIDGE Material supplies and aluminium welding
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		TUNES FROM THE GARAGE 'Thunder, Lightning Strike' by The Go Team. A suitably raucous album for this summer season...
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THE BUILD

CAR SPECIFICATION

1907 Mors chassis
V8 Aero engine
Fuel tank size: 30 Gallons
Oil capacity: 3 Gallons

JOURNAL

24th October 2006.
The decision is made to start the project. Better late than never! A June 6th 2007 departure from Peking is set.

November 2006.
Preparations commence on a 1907 Brasier chassis. This includes: converting to semi elliptic rear springs and modifying the chassis to take chain drive.

Change of Plan! A chain driven 1907 Mors chassis is unearthed by Kristin Mellqvist in Sweden. This still has its original gearbox and chain drive rear axle. It's decided that an original chain drive chassis would be more appropriate than the modified Brasier.

With a lack of available large early motor car engines there is only one sensible route to take for propulsion: the Curtiss OXS aero engine: V8, lightweight, powerful, of the right period and notoriously unreliable - perfect!


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IMAGES

Move the cursor over thumbnail images to view them in the main window above.

Design drawings 1
Design drawings 2
Design drawings 3
Design drawings 4
Design drawings 5
Mors Chassis
Front view
V8 Aero engine
Authentic seat
Mors brake pedal
Will on the lathe
Sud and Edward bending metal
Body mock up

February 2007.
Slight modifications have to be made to the chassis's engine sub frame to accommodate the Curtiss. In the meantime a large amount of precision work is commenced on the front and rear axles.
The front stubaxles are x-rayed and found to be cracked - severely cracked. Not ideal for 8000 miles on bumpy roads. The Northampton branch starts machining new ones.

16th February 2007.
It dawns on us that: A,) the car has to be shipped mid April to reach Peking by June 6th. B,) It's not even a rolling chassis yet. C,) No research into the actual journey has been carried out - visa's? roads? fuel? translators and fixers - we haven't a clue!! We get on with it in earnest. Girls are taken onboard to do important works and talk to important embassy people!

Mors racing cars with their pointed prows and high driving positions were intimidating yet elegant and brutal pieces of race winning machines. A good look for a Peking Paris car...
Feb 16th. A mock up with seating positions etc starts to take shape.

To be continued....

March 22nd 2007 - GALLERY