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SP450andLE's Daimler (SP450) Dart


SP450andLE

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Discuss: //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/30773-sp450andles-dads-daimler-sp450/

So I've been putting off starting this thread for a while, as not much has been happening with Dad's Dart.

But recently I've had a boost of enthusiasm, and have started doing more bits and pieces on it.

So here's the specs...

>Originally an auto 1962 Daimler SP250 Dart.

>Engine converted (by Hans Ording from Mangonui) to the 4.5 V8 from the Daimler Majestic Major. These produces around 260 bhp from the factory, and 384nm of torque. But the the bhp is officially stated as being 220, because the Daimler dynamometer only went up to 220 bhp!

>Toyota Celica 5-speed gearbox

>Ford 9" rear diff

>XJ6 hubs in the rear

>14" steelies up front, 15" steelies at the rear

The car was raced by the previous owner (Jim Gilchrist from Birkdale) at Meremere, and used to get mid 12's to low 13's on street crossplies, and in full street trim, and would drive it to and from the track.

Recently I have been tidying it up, replacing all the yucky old bits, and we are getting closer to getting the engine started now.

I cant be bothered typing up what I have done so far, so I will leave you with some pics and a vid of the car...

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G3BXDDwSDYo

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Right, so...

The interior is now pretty much fully stripped.

After some sanding down, I will coat it all in primer, and repair the occasional patch of fibreglass.

Dad and I have decided it will be neat to skim all the interior with bog, to make it all smooth and fancy looking. I can get the proper flexy stuff used for fibreglass cars through my work, so I don't have to worry about it cracking.

After that's done, we can paint all the inside properly.

After we have fixed the rusted steel supports under the dash :rolleyes:

Photos to come when I can be bothered putting them up...

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  • 7 months later...

Discuss: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=29191

Woo, update!

I finished stripping the interior last weekend.

Dash is all gone, and Dad will talk to his woodworking one about making a new one up, from solid (probably native) wood. Should be sweet.

Interior is now all ready for prime and paint

Oh and I picked some marine fuel hose up after yesterdays meet, so can stick that on, don't really trust the stuff that's on it atm.

Anyway, pics for kicks:

IMG105.jpg

Surface rust to kill:

IMG107-1.jpg

Strengthening to replace:

IMG108.jpg

Dash to be gooooone soon:

IMG111.jpg

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Small update.

I replaced some of the fuel hoses, but gave up in the end, because I had to take the rear wheel off to get to the rear connection. I couldn't get the wheel off 'cos the wheelnuts are bigger than your standard wheel brace sizes. And I didn't have all of my tools there. And I'm fairly sure I have no socket the right size anyway. So poos.

I also had a quick look underneath, and the chassis is getting a bit surface rusty. So will need to somehow fix all thast later on when it's not blocked in by an ugly R12 wagon.

No pics 'cos I'm slack.

Oh also, some mice have decided to make a home in the lhs sill(?) of the body. You can see them by the door hinges when ou open the door sometimes. Damn things won't go away.

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  • 9 months later...

Discuss: //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/30773-sp450andles-dads-daimler-sp450/

Oh my, an update (with words AND pictures)

I dragged this thing to the Ellerslie Concourse yesterday.

Here's a wall of text (that I've copied and pasted from an email I sent someone lols):

The show was just yesterday, and I had

brought the 450 down on Friday. Dad was excited to have something happen

with the car, and as he put it, he hopes it'll help to get his "mojo" back.

After a quick wash and clear out of most of the parts laying around inside

it, it was ready. So on Sunday morning I towed it to the show. Within 10

minutes of arriving in the showgrounds, I had had two people asking if I

was going to sell it - the reply to both was a firm "no". Being sat next to

4 tidy darts, among the numerous fully restored cars of various makes, the

450 really stood out. I had grabbed a bit of wood from home, covered it in

black vinyl and written the specs of the car on it in a white paint-pen a

couple of nights ago. I simply sat this board up against the right front

tyre (where most people seemed to stand to look at the car), and it really

worked as a way of letting people know it isn't just your standard dart.

The whole day was fantastic - brilliant sunshine (resulting in brilliant

red sunburn!), brilliant cars and a brilliant crowd - it really was

something to remember forever. So many people would come looking for the

owner of the 450 (which for the day was me, as Dad wasn't feeling well

enough to make a day trip down for the show), all with various tales to

tell. The most exciting thing was when a woman came up to me and said that

she used to live with Jim Gilchrist, the previous owner of the car. She's

going to give him my details and tell him to call me, which would be very

interesting as he used to drag-race the car and did the conversion to the

5-speed Celica gearbox, something I'm keen to learn more about. All in all

it was worthwhile making the effort to turn out for the show, it was all

that I expected and more.

So yeah, picture time:

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Discuss: //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/30773-sp450andles-dads-daimler-sp450/

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I tried to turn this over this today...

I got it cranking over by hand.

Then by rolling it in gear.

But no luck with the electrics. The starter motor just makes a whirring sound and does nothing :(

I guess I'll have to pull it out and rebuild it unless anyone else has any suggestions?

Discuss: //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/30773-sp450andles-dads-daimler-sp450/

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  • 4 years later...

Wow its embarrassing how long it has been since the last update

This car has been in and out of various storage places, but is finally somewhere that I can actually work on it inside. I made an effort to clean up all the shit around the various cars in the shed so I could rearrange things and have this by the door.

A couple of years ago I managed to get this running, but it was misfiring and being a general fuck about it. But last weekend I got stuck back into it and made an effort to get it working. I went along with a big bag of bits from my work that I was potentially going to use, but only ended up using the push button starter, as the dash wiring is still a big mess on the floor.

My $50 fuel pump which I thought had fucked itself magically worked after a two year rest, so I chucked some fuel in a coffee tin, switched the ignition on and turned the thing over. After a little while I realised the two wires had come off the coil, so I put those back on and it started up like a dream. Once it was warm it was happy as to idle and rev.

The motor seems ok, a bit smokey and rattly but that's to be expected. I still have to give it a proper oil change at some point.

 

Next step is to get the car driving. The front calipers were rebuilt a few years ago, so I fitted those up on the weekend. It also has new master cylinders, but I'm guessing the clutch slave will need replacing. I just need to figure out if its the Toyota one or not. Then I can bleed up the brakes and clutch and hopefully it should be able to roll under its own power!

Although I should probably reassemble the dash first to avoid any electrical fires...

I'm hoping to get a video of the car running on here soon.

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  • 1 year later...

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