Bronze cylinder head

[john williams]

To day, I inspected one of our new members AAk tourer., to obtain/recover the number. Interestingly, it was his first car for a couple of years, early 1960s, then he sold it on. It re-appeared last year in Holland, and he managed to buy it back, but on Dutch registration plates.
During the inspection I noticed that the cylinder head was a bronze colour. Suspecting a special paint job, or bronze plating, we attempted  to file through the plating to the metal underneath. To no avail, the head seems to cast from bronze! The head looks exactly the same as a conventional low compression head, 18mm spark plugs over the piston, convention water outlet on the head.
 Casting numbers: 19.7.32 [casting date?], 1A38:   AF2: 1.2.
 Robert the owner was convinced, this is the same head that was on the car when he first owned the car. His Father taught him how to "de-coke" the engine: he distinctly remimbered when cleaning the head face, that it was bronze.
 I seem to vaguely remember bronze low compression heads and super charged engines. Can any of our Guru's out there, shed any light on the subject?
John SWA7C

[Nick Malone]

Good morning,
I remember when I was young and my dad was restoring a 1931 RM saloon - probably one of the last of these as it was registered in October 1931 from memory - that it too had a bronze cylinder head when he bought it in 1966. Despite no tax, MOT etc (and no floor or roof!), we drove it home from Spondon to Kirk Hallam where it languished until we moved to Lincoln in 1970.

He sold the car a few years ago but may still have the head somewhere in a box of treasures! I'll see if he still has it and pass on any details about it if he does.
Best wishes,
Nick

[AllAlloyCup]

Hi I think Malcolm Parker mentioned to me
that he’d had or has a bronze head, on one of his engines :-)

Bill G

Ps that would add a few kilogrammes?

[Malcolm Parker]

You've a good memory, Bill!  I'm glad I don't owe you any money!
I had a bronze head on my 1931 saloon until last year when I fitted an aluminium Ricardo head.  The difference in performance is significant, probably due to the weight saving!
My bronze head was made by Alan Raeburn back in the 90's and is a bronze version of the 'Nippy' head.  At the time he offered the same head in aluminium, cast iron or bronze. 
The Alloy Cup is looking good, as is the beach hut!

[AllAlloyCup]

Hi Malcolm

How’s the racer coming on?
Ruairidh tells me that he hopes for 10 GE’s
At Guildtown, any chance of your GE coming
( on a trailer ?)

Please call in on your way north or south.

Regards

Bill G