Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

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Williswheels
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Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by Williswheels » Fri Mar 12, 2021 4:00 am

Hi, I recently acquired a '34 Austin 10 that made it to the U.S. earlier in life. I live in Pennsylvania. Does any have recommendations for a shop that will be able to create an accurate Colwyn top for me? My car was a Colwyn cabriolet model, however, at some point earlier in its life a previous owner who restored the car had a vinyl hard top custom made and fitted to the car, presumably because the top was in bad condition.

Also, my spare is mounted incorrectly via a fabricated mount off the rear underside of the car. Does anyone have advice on the silver hinges that hold the rear trunk on the car and spare mount hardware? My trunk was reversed at some point in it's life and it looks like it has a late 30's late (i.e. the trunk/boot as you would say) opens down vs. up). My theory is the car must have been hit in the back at somepoint and again, much like the Colwyn top and not replacing it, the restorer created a fairly well done but neverthless incorrect approach to fixing the boot lid and mounting the spare. I would like to reverse all of this and bring the boot lid and spare mount back to original.

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peter_winney
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by peter_winney » Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:02 pm

This is a picture from an old Austin handbook showing how the roof of the Colwyn cabriolet folds. It also shows some of the details of the stretcher bars, roof latches, pram irons, and the loops for holding the rolled up front part to the frame. It will not show all the detail you need - for example when the car was new the the rear part of the folding roof was lined but not the forward rolling-up part over the front seats. You will need to seek out details and photos from Colwyn owners.

cabriolet-roof.jpg
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The boot (trunk) details on the Colwyn cabriolet are the same as the Lichfield saloon. I will seek out some pictures to post on here or you, but again you will need to get details from Lichfield and Colwyn owners as I dont have any pics of the hinges.
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Williswheels
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by Williswheels » Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:58 pm

Thank you!

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peter_winney
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by peter_winney » Fri Mar 12, 2021 6:32 pm

Williswheels wrote:
Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:58 pm
Thank you!
From your post on Facebook I see that your cabriolet is the earlier "chrome rad" model before Austin used names for the Ten range with the changes in mid 1934 to a cowled-radiator design. There are differences in the shape of the folding hood (roof), different bumpers (double-blade pattern on the earlier model rather than single-blade), and the earlier-style cabriolet had the spare wheel bolted on the outside of the drop-down luggage compartment lid (Colwyns have the spare inside and filling the luggage compartment). The catches on the roof are simple chrome slide bolts (as from any ironmonger) and not the fancy catches fitted to the Colwyn. The catches for the luggage compartment lid are similar to the Colwyn & Lichfield in that they use a carriage key type bolt with a flip up chrome cover. In the photos these look like top hinges but are not.

cabriolet-frontqtr.jpg
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cabriolet-rear-qtr.jpg
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This pic shows the roof catches on the windscreen frame. When the roof is open the middle roof bar can be hinged back onto the rear bar, which is fixed.
cabriolet-interior.jpg
cabriolet-interior.jpg (48.58 KiB) Viewed 11734 times

The final picture shows a car with the spare removed in order to open the luggage compartment fully. I believe this may be a "mod" by the owner to make full use of the space. The cabriolet that was lent to me briefly 50 years ago had folding brackets inside that limited the opening to a small gap
cab-modded.jpg
cab-modded.jpg (88.44 KiB) Viewed 11732 times
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phil_taylor
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by phil_taylor » Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:33 pm

My Cabriolet is the last photo. (Very non-original as the car had no rear chassis member, boot lid, floor, hood hinges or hood when purchased.) I fitted a tow ball, a greatly modified Lichfield trunk lid and trailer hinges giving me a 5ft flat floor inside if needed.
As Peter says, the original cabriolet had a trunk that opened very little at the top. Mine is very useful now for taking rubbish to the garbage dump, collecting timber, cement etc.
Unfortunately the trunk lid is not the same as a Lichfield Austin 10 - ( different hinges, no curvature, restricted movement.) The spare wheel was carried on a holder on the lid which which is what restricted the opening. (Poor design in my personal view - the cabriolet bodies were made by an outside firm?)
I would mount the spare on the trunk lid and leave it like that. If the trunk did not open who would know?
The hood is tensioned at the front, as per Peter's diagrams, with three hooks rivetted on a metal bar sown in the hood material which hook under a hinged bar. This tightens the material as the bar is lowered. Small bolts slide into holes in the metal arms of the hinged bar to hold the hood down with push studs along each side to keep the hood edge down. The chromed/painted outside hinges on the green car are correct and now expensive and very difficult to find as Rolls Royce used the same size and make in the thirties. Mountings would also be needed for these hinges - through the bodywork and on the main hood frame. Quite a major job without detailed measurements or a pattern. Best wishes
(Sorry I cannot post any photos as 'Attachment' has disappeared from beside 'Options' on my screen!!!!!)
Phil

Williswheels
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by Williswheels » Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:47 pm

Peter thank you. This is all making more sense to me now. I'll have to think about whether I'll be able to have a cabrio top made with all of that hardware or not, and those hinges. Very interesting, I didn't not realize there was a cabrio before the colwyn. I do think I have the wrong front bumper if the earlier model (i.e. my model) had a double bladed bumper as mine is a single.

I may just sort out the rear spare/remount on the trunk and be done with all of it apart from some engine work so I can drive the car (have some leaks to tend to and need to figure out the headlights and brake lights - same light in rear works for turn singles but not braking. I am missing one fuse so that may be the issue.

Thanks again for all of this information.

Best,
Brad

Williswheels
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by Williswheels » Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:11 pm

I wonder if someone could take a few pictures of their rear boot lid fasteners and the dimensions? I am probably going to try to have them recreated here in the states and then move the spare back to the boot lid where it belongs.

GaryCullen
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by GaryCullen » Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:07 am

Regarding bumpers, single or dual blade.
My 1933 10/4 has a single blade front and rear.
I am told by other club member here in NZ that this was typical on export models along with 18 inch tyres
It may be the the car imported to the US was a real 10/4 built for export by the factory.
Cheers
Gary
VAR NZ

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peter_winney
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Re: Colwyn Top and Rear Hood Hinges and Spare mount

Post by peter_winney » Sun Mar 14, 2021 11:35 am

GaryCullen wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:07 am
Regarding bumpers, single or dual blade.
My 1933 10/4 has a single blade front and rear.
I am told by other club member here in NZ that this was typical on export models along with 18 inch tyres
It may be the the car imported to the US was a real 10/4 built for export by the factory.
Cheers
Gary
VAR NZ
Cars were often exported as Completely Knocked Down kits (CKD) and it may be that some local made parts were used. Bumpers - UK models from 1932 to July 33 Tens had double blade bumpers that were fluted. From Aug 1933 with the change to 12v and X-braced chassis they had double-blade bumpers without flutes and these continued until end July 1934 just before the cowl-rad models were introduced (Lichfield, Colwyn, Clifton, Open Road) with single blade bumpers. It is difficult to be "definitive" about such changes and when they took place, some changes did not coincide with model updates. The later-style parts can be a replacement during the life of the car. It is not unusual to see a car with different parts on different sides (wings, doorhandles). Parts replaced after an accident may be of an earlier design, if second-hand. Specific differences for export models mentioned in handbooks include stronger springs, greased shackle pins, and 16" wire wheels replacing the standard 18", and on the downdraft carb later cars special oil-bath air cleaners.
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