Arrow restoration

[sinirrop]

I am already in contact with Jim who is very helpful and encouraged me in buying the car.

[sinirrop]

Be very careful when assessing what is original on this car, my experience of Arrow cars, admittedly limited to one foursome we discovered here in NZ is that the chassis modifications and some of the body woodwork are, shall we say "Agricultural". I agree that the coil springs are a latter addition but don't discount some of the apparently "home made framing additions" you may well find they are as it left the Arrow factory.

Do you think that Arrow could have used plywood? Or if there is any plywood in the body structure it must have been added later?

[Ian Williams]

The Arrow I have been involved with certainly used plywood for floor sections, instrument panel and some of the scuttle structure, as I said some of the workmanship was executed in a somewhat armature fashion so could easily be dismissed as home made. I guess these low volume cars were built in small workshops on very tight budgets in order to meet the market.

[Jeff Taylor]

Morris Motors used plywood for their floor sections on the Morris Eight saloon and tourer models from late 1934 and probably used it in the earlier pre 1934 Morris Minor.

[Mike Costigan]

I imagine plywood was in common use throughout the coachbuilding industry, especially for large flat panels like floor-boards. My 1922 Star with factory saloon body had 1" plywood (from memory - it may have been 3/4") for the removeable floor-panels, as also did my late father's 1933 Talbot with Vanden Plas coachwork.

[Steve Jones]

The floor panels in my 1928 P Type Lea Francis were 3/4" ply. That was an Avon body, the Cross & Ellis bodied versions were the same.

Steve

[sinirrop]

Thank you. All your replies are reassuring me.

[sinirrop]

Thinking about lifting the bodyshell from the chassis, how much can I suppose it weighs?

[Mark Dymond]

Its heavier than it looks, stripped down I would have said around 80Kg but I never weighed mine. I fitted temporary wood support straps front to back before lifting. The body does not have much strength around the door openings and I was fearful it would move or fail when taken off the chassis

   

[Peter Naulls]

A very interesting picture Mark, very informative. I can see why you were fearful - there seems to be nothing offering any real structural support to the rear half of the body. I imagine the door gaps are constantly on the move when the chassis flexes! An attractive car nonetheless.