13 replies to this topic

[eldridge]

Hello everyone.

I have not been on the forum for a while, but i wondered if any of you might be interested in helping me solve a mystery.

I was invited to have a look at a car that has some very strange chassis castings, and I was hoping that with the vast knowledge lurking on this forum, someone might have some ideas about this.

The castings seems to be made from either aluminium or magnesium and do not belong on this car! Currently its is AC powered.

The nearside casting holds the steering box.


Offside


Both castings then move backwards under the scuttle. Nearside holds the steering column, whilst the offside has the hand pump attached to it.


I do have some knowledge of the car, and can post more information, but not to cloud the subject, I was hoping that someone might have some ideas about these strange castings.

Thanks in advance!

(p.s. - if this is not the correct forum, please let me know.)

[Ray Bell]

At a very wild guess, I would say the car has been owned or tended by someone with a foundry at their disposal...

It's very unlikely, I'd think, that these castings were made for another car.

[Tim Murray]

You're certainly making life difficult for us, Eldridge, by not giving any clue as to the make of car, or even its nationality. The first photo would appear to be the right-hand side of the car (viewed from the rear) which you refer to as the nearside. The second photo would appear to show the left-hand side of the car, apparently confirmed by the carburettors which were on the left-hand side of the AC 2-litre six-cylinder engine. Yet this you refer to as the offside. Does this mean that the car is either from mainland Europe, the USA, or ... ? Please, we need more details.

[bill p]

You're certainly making life difficult for us, Eldridge, by not giving any clue as to the make of car, or even its nationality. The first photo would appear to be the right-hand side of the car (viewed from the rear) which you refer to as the nearside. The second photo would appear to show the left-hand side of the car, apparently confirmed by the carburettors which were on the left-hand side of the AC 2-litre six-cylinder engine. Yet this you refer to as the offside. Does this mean that the car is either from mainland Europe, the USA, or ... ? Please, we need more details.

 

You're certainly making life difficult for us, Eldridge, by not giving any clue as to the make of car, or even its nationality. The first photo would appear to be the right-hand side of the car (viewed from the rear) which you refer to as the nearside. The second photo would appear to show the left-hand side of the car, apparently confirmed by the carburettors which were on the left-hand side of the AC 2-litre six-cylinder engine. Yet this you refer to as the offside. Does this mean that the car is either from mainland Europe, the USA, or ... ? Please, we need more details.

 

AC-engined Frazer-Nash???

[RogerFrench]

Tim, Tim.
The near side is the left side regardless of the country. It is so-called because that's the side you mount a horse, and I'm pretty sure Eldridge has it wrong.

[Tim Murray]

Interesting, Roger. Most dictionaries I have access to (on my shelves and online) define nearside, in relation to a vehicle, as 'the side closer to the kerb'. However, this does seem to be a term generally used only within the UK - the online definitions are nearly all UK-generated. Do you ever come across the term in the USA?

[fbarrett]

Looks like a 1937 Brunel.

[RogerFrench]

Tim I never thought to look in a dictionary, it was something I was taught many years ago - in UK of course.
It's not used here, except in those US translations of British automotive terms that are beloved of MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey owners, where it lives with scuttle, spanner, and the like as a quaint old-country word.
But a horse rider knew it!

[Ray Bell]

Well, you don't throw a wrench in the works, do you?

'Offside' and 'nearside' are so dead here that it's only very old policemen who remember them...

[eldougo]

The casting look like its in two sections and made to fit the starter motor on the left side, and steering box and the tube bracing for the radiator i guess.

Ouestion is the engine mount a cast section it looks like, its bolted to the chassis.

[eldridge]

Sorry for the confusion re offside/nearside - not thinking straight!

 

Thank you for the replies however, as I think that to really discover where these castings come from will be a matter if elimination, rather than positive identification!

 

Currently the chassis and castings are to be found on an AC engined, MG K3 bodied Frazer Nash.

 

Here.

 

 

b

 

 

The chassis rails are very narrow for this car as shown here.

 

 

And again here.

 

 

And therefore, I was wondering if the chassis may have originally been this car?

 

 

I have found an advertisement in Motorsport advertising a Frazer Nash Special for sale, saying that it is built up using parts of an Eldridge Special. The advertiser is Booth and Croft.

 

Could this be the car?

 

Thank you once again.

 

Alex

 

 

 

[Sharman]

Ray Bell, on 22 Mar 2015 - 00:58, said:

Well, you don't throw a wrench in the works, do you?

'Offside' and 'nearside' are so dead here that it's only very old policemen who remember them...

....and if you were taken short it was, don't know if it still is, permissible to relieve the pressure against the off side rear wheel of the conveyance.

[bill p]

[quote name="eldridge" post="7097333" timestamp="1427352657"]Sorry for the confusion re offside/nearside - not thinking straight!
 
Currently the chassis and castings are to be found on an AC engined, MG K3 bodied Frazer Nash.


 
Do I not get any bonus points for identifying the car in Post #4?? ;-)

Bill P

[Lee Nicolle]

At a very wild guess, I would say the car has been owned or tended by someone with a foundry at their disposal...

It's very unlikely, I'd think, that these castings were made for another car.

Agreed.