Grease your nipples!

Bob Balding has been in contact to inform me of a discovery he has made whilst working on his MK1 EM. Bob`s car (see the `Frank the Fairthorpe` post) has some damage to the lower wishbone and trunnion on one side, this seems to indicate a previous vertical link failure. The suspension on the front is modified Standard 10 and like the later Triumph Herald/Spitfire units they require periodical lubrication, either with grease or EP oil depending on who you speak to. If this is not carried out the vertical link could wear badly or seize causing it to fracture where it meets the top of the trunnion. The result is a suspension collapse, i have had this happen to me on my first car which was a Herald.

As you can see from Bob`s pictures the collapse has ground the lower wishbone and the bottom of the trunnion which is missing it`s base and grease nipple. What is surprising is that it passed an MOT with this damage late last year! Bob is fitting a new trunnion but is looking for a replacement lower wishbone, either from a MK1 Electron Minor or a Standard 10 which could then be modified to suit. If you can help please contact me and i will put you in touch with him.

American racer located..

Following on from my recent post regarding the yellow racer in America which was pictured with blood shot eyes and a tongue hanging out i had an email from Rich Campbell to tell me he had tracked the car down. He placed an ad with the pictures in Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine and was contacted by Larry Newberry who is the current owner of the car along with two other Fairthorpes. Rich is hoping to visit Larry at some point in the future, hopefully i can post some more pictures and information if Larry is agreeable. A fair number of Fairthorpes were exported to America and several have followed in recent years, if you have any information/pictures past or present let me know and i will pass the information on to Rich who is researching the all things Fairthorpe in America.

Fairthorpes in print

In this months Classic & Sports car magazine Adrian Mancha`s Fairthorpe EM is featured in the `Lost & found` section on page 28. An email from Adrian this week has given an update on his progress since he bought the car to last years Fairthorpe Gathering. He says the radiator is built, mounted and piped as is oil cooler, all brake lines / master cylinders mounted, carbs rebuilt and fitted, exhaust flange cut out on water jet and he hopes to have the manifold built by the end of the week and the shocks are ordered. For more details on the car you can find a lot more information on previous pages of this blog.

4346MV more history but still in hiding!

Over the Christmas period i had an email from Glynn Hobbs regarding my plea for any information on the current whereabouts of 4346MV a mk2 Electron Minor which was fitted with a 1600 Fiat Twin cam engine and 5 speed box. Glynn says he owned the car many years ago having swapped a Land Rover series 1 with Chris Harré-Young to get the car and he used it in Hill climbs and sprints, obviously having a lot of fun with it. It is still on the DVLA website although not licenced since 1986 so the car remains on the missing list! More information and pictures of the car in it`s previous colour when owned by Chris can be found on the previous page (click `older posts` at the base of this page).