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Erich - I think it would be fair to say that a lot of owners have been concerned with keeping cars going and enjoying them and not worrying so much about other things. Conversely, some like me that count rivets never have any bloody time left to actually enjoy the things in the real world.
For the Nippy, I've attempted to get a self score checklist together so you could assess your own car for originality or returning it to something approaching what it formerly had. But I'm not quite sure it helps as it just means you need to know Chris Gould'd book and the Nippy archive site in entirety. If anyone wants to trial it so it can be developed a bit further, let me know!
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27-01-2020, 11:49 AM
(This post was last modified: 27-01-2020, 05:23 PM by Erich.)
Jon, I've not got a Nippy, but a Type 75, one of very few on the register. In my case, It was one of the first restored (early 1960s) and and spent much time in a museum. There is such a dearth of info, I wanted to confirm, according to current information, that Type 75s/Speedys, conformed with Type 65s/Nippys in many details. For instance, it was first thought that all Type 75s/Speedys had flat topped windscreens, but this has now been disproven. Although I intend it as driver, I also want it to be as close to original specifications as possible as it is basically already as it left the works(as far as we can determine.) Again with only about 7 remaining, I will drive it, but want it as close to works spec as possible. My criticism with the Nippy currently for sale regarding, for instance, the leather door retaining strap, has both to do with originality, and functionality. Odd that it isn't addressed, as if the door were to swing, perhaps at an inopportune moment, it could do serious damage.
Erich in Seattle
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Hi folks,
The chassis appears to be from a box saloon with the outrigger ends cut off.
The steering wheel is from a Ruby.
The radius arms are incorrect as is the steering arm.
The back end of the body at the bottom looks a very strange shape with sharp corners.
At least it has a Nippy inlet exhaust manifold and body.
It will still make a fun car for someone to love.
How I wish my Father kept his other Nippy for me to steal from him ! it was very correct !
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isn't that front crossmember centre bit a low frame one?
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Hi Jon,
I think you are right. ( I have just checked Chris Goulds reference and it seems that the Ruby Chassis was never used from the factory )
I wonder if this car was built up in period from an unsold body at the end of production.
The crankshaft in the picture is the real thing and the rods look correct. difficult to see if the crankcase has the lumps on the side.
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its body 400 and something, so unlikely...!
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27-01-2020, 09:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 27-01-2020, 09:52 PM by dickie65.
Edit Reason: spelling
)
Hi,
The Type 65 in my garage has the Crooks Cure job done to it,
I still have the original chassis extensions hidden away they just need a wee bit of welding.
With ref to the body number I always thought it was stamped into the transmission tunnel.
Back in the day it was easy to play with chassis and body numbers.
Just find a log book and make the plates to suit ( it was not seen as a crime !!! but a way to get another old car back into use )
I bought a log book from an exported car which had no chassis number on it and just filled in the changes section to suit the chassis and engine that I had to build a special with in the 1970's and after the police came and checked the details which I had provided I had a new logbook. I just told them the body had been scrapped to turn the car into a special.
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end of the 65 "run-out" bitza cars had late B- and C- car numbers.
Nippy body numbers became AEB prefixed c.400 - so car and body number were essentially same.
July 1936 separate car numbers ended.... so stamped body continues but car number becomes chassis number at c.250000
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Location: Malvern, Victoria, Australia
The gearshift isn't original is it ? And as noted the crankcase doesn't have the 'bulges' , the shockers are wrong, the radius arms have after market drop ends, the dashboard is 'different'. If the chassis is'nt right is it a 'bitsa' ?