LagondaNet

[jonc]

13277 has a wooden panel for the boot floor. At first I though it had been remade, but now I am not sure.

It is made from 3/8 inch ply wood which is spray painted matte black:



It used to have catches riveted on to hold it in place, but these are missing. All that remains are the aluminium rivets. It also has a 1 inch diameter finger hole to help you lift it out:



The edge towards the front of the car is an odd shape, and is not as well finished, so I suspect it may have been reshaped, perhaps because of a slightly taller battery which caused the cable to get in the way.

My questions:

* Does this look original?
* Should it be painted black?
* Should the front edge be straight from one side to the other?
* What do the catch parts look like?

Thanks

[Lagonda87]

Looks original to me (shape, color etc.)

Here are a few other examples:

http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/pictures/13428/13428-024.jpg

http://www.vassard.dk/lagonda/pictures/13438/13438-024.jpg

Unfortunately I haven't got any pictures of the catch parts

/Soren

[Arnaud]

Hello Jonathan,

Mine was missing so I did, with Vincent's help, a template and I took a picture of these parts.

* Does this look original? I would say yes
* Should it be painted black? Yes
* Should the front edge be straight from one side to the other? Yes
* What do the catch parts look like? Here it is !



I didn't use ply wood, I don't know the name in english of that type of wood treated against water/humidity and very hard. Before fitting the two catch parts and painting

[Vincent]

I made a new one for 13295 from multiplex, copying the one from 13034.
Your wheel cover is an original one. In french we say ' La Lagonda est un gros foutage de gueule ' speaking about the finishing details.
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[jonc]

Thanks everyone for your help and information. I just need to make those metal catches now.

Vincent - I think the english translation is 'piss-take'

[Tim_C]

[jonc]

Yes Tim, those two pieces must be ally to compensate for the US spec engine..

[Mitrovic]

Wow. Finally we have identified one of those mystical lightweight editions! They must have been made by Tickford!
I think mine has the extra thin leather of the lightweight edition!

[Tim_C]

[jonc]

Like the sound of that.

Maybe start a different thread? I would love to know more..

[Tim_C]

Its only a concept in my head but as the engine will need a rebuild from LFA spec, I decided that we may as well see how far we can go. I'm keeping the regular carbs as I dont want the bugger up the bonnet. I thought I might keep the LFA airbox as i think it looks good. I think its got air pumps - they'll get binned - cats already binned. Hotter cams, new pistons - we'll see
_________________
Registrar of Cars, AMHT

[Vincent]

I'm thinking from time to time about a 7-litre conversion based on my 3269 ( burned but more damaged by the firemen ) engine :

http://www.rswilliams.co.uk/conversions/7-litre-v8/
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[jonc]

Interesting.

From what little I know, there was a compromise on the inlet manifold on the Lagonda. The overall engine height needed to be shortened to clear the bonnet. This resulted in a new shorter inlet manifold which gave poorer performance as the fuel/air mixture basically has to follow a right-angle bend at the base of the carb venturi. To try and even things up, I read somewhere that the inlet valves were increased in size on the Lagonda. (They are quoted as 2.1 inches on the 580 engine in the parts catalogue and are different to the 540 used up to 13029)

In the case of the US emissions engine, you have a lower compression ratio of 8.0:1 instead of 9.25:1 due to different pistons and you have the two power-sapping air pumps, but the camshafts on all Lagondas from the first to the last remain the same.

Looks like Vantage spec includes hotter cams, bigger carbs (48mm replaces 42mm) which most likely means revised inlet manifold and cylinder head inlet ports (and maybe inlet valves), but this is on an engine with a taller, less restricting inlet manifold.

My biggest concern would be pushing the torque up the rev range - my autos spend most of their time below 2,500 rpm - and so a less useable engine for most of the time. I guess you can revise the shift points of the auto as there are plenty of shift kits for the Torqueflite. You do have a different diff ratio so the revs will be higher than a UK car anyway for a given speed.

The most cost-effective thing you could do (apart from removing cats and air pumps) would be to replace the pistons and rejet the carbs to UK spec. I don't know whether your air box is more restrictive than the standard one, but I agree it does look good.

[Vrije]

What I never understood is the following, for bonnet clearence there was the power decrease.
Why on earth did they not swap the down-drought carbs to side drought
ones as there is enormous space at the engine sides

This is a serious thought by me currently as bigger carbs or what ever
valve diameter is killed by the lack of air coming through.

An other point is the cost of a 7 litre unit in comparison to have it turbo-d or supercharged

Oh yes , and the diff ratings, 007 ( uk spec engine//us diff I think)pulls nicely but on the Germany
autobahn it 'll easily revl to 6000, dont think that'll improve'fuel economy
so have an uk spec diff ready but no time found yet to replace.

So lots of thinking to do for us my friends

Harry

[Vrije]

Oh yes had all 3 airpumps binned the minute the cars came in !!!