Supercharged Ulster

[Chris.Dallas]

Still, nice looking car! I count myself very fortunate to have an original car albeit unblown and would never sell it, however, if I had to buy it myself and pay the going rate for an original car I must confess I think there are other cars I would buy for the money, Alvis 12/50 etc

[Henry Harris]

This pic is it just after being liberated from the Museum.
It didn't take much to get it running. 
As bought it was orange, no hood or frame, no windscreen. Cycle mudguards and NOT supercharged although it had a really nice 10 stud blown engine with a perfect crankcase. 
Correct exhaust manifold with Nippy inlet manifold and downdraft SU.
At the same time Mike Bills owned VE 4492 which was 8 stud blown but was never as much fun to drive as JF.

   

Driver, Colin Humphreys and passenger Cliff Bradshaw at Penshurst on a 750 MC navigational trial, May 1983.
Photo by Paul Bonewell

[Tony Betts]

hi henry,

the orange is interesting to me.

i spoke to a previous owner of my own blown ulster, he owned it in the 1950s. and stripped the paint off. its original colour was orange.

it must have been a common colour offered.

the first thing to do with this stunner, is to look for an original steering wheel. nobody will beleive its an original car with a box saloon wheel?

tony.

[Charles P]

This pic is it just after being liberated from the Museum.
It didn't take much to get it running. 

Just for amusement, what was the auction price in 1983?

C

[Mike Costigan]

All the early Ulsters were fitted with the standard steering wheel, Tony.

[Dave Wortley]

Lovely car but I would be too scared to use it so I won't bother making a bid.

[Tony Betts]

thanks mike,

i didnt know that.

id still change it though. the same thing as the paint on our chummy. nobody knows the colour reference blood orange, but everyone know mclaren orange.

dave, i never could get my head around not useing sports engines for fear of damaging them. 

a standard engine is no different to a sports. it could cost £5k for a rebuild if you blow a standard engine up. but nobody is scared of useing them.

my approach is once bought, check it over, or have it checked over. then use it. if it goes wrong. like a new car, its out of your pocket to repair it.

perhaps i think differently to others.

tony

[Charles P]

All the early Ulsters were fitted with the standard steering wheel, Tony.

Bluemels wheels and louvred bonnet tops - more common now than in period, as probably are Ulsters fitted with touring wings. Many owners didn't want them but the factory wouldn't supply the car without them so they were replaced by cycle wings early in the car's life by a sporting owner.

[Mike Costigan]

thanks mike,

i didnt know that.

id still change it though...

To me, a Blumells wheel is a sure sign of a tarted-up copy rather than an original car 

[Tony Griffiths]

The Chassis Register entry for JF 322 makes interesting reading.

Steve

dave, i never could get my head around not useing sports engines for fear of damaging them.
a standard engine is no different to a sports. it could cost £5k for a rebuild if you blow a standard engine up. but nobody is scared of useing them.

As a good friend once discovered, motoring along gently in his original-engined Nippy, that a blowup can result not just in minor damage but a road scattered with unrepairable, smashed-into small-pieces mechanical marmalade. Now if, you have the cash to create an exact replica engine....what's 6000 r.p.m between friends ..... and your bank account.