LagondaNet

yorkie · Joined: 13 Apr 2020 Posts: 4

Hi,
I’m Glenn and I live in Belgium near Ghent. A while ago I had the chance to buy a white Lagonda. As it was not running at that time because it has been standing still for many years, I was very sceptical and had no intention to make an offer. But at home, that special car kept circling around in my mind and I started to search the internet to know more about the Lagonda. The more I found, the more I was impressed by the car. So the search about the history and the “quirks and features” of this car changed to “what to look after before buying”. The fact that the engine was not running concerned me but as time passed by I could not get the car out of my mind, so with the things to look out for in mind, I went to see the car another time. The well known places to check for rust looked pretty much ok. The CRT dashboard was also not working properly but as I’m not afraid to use the soldering iron I was willing to take that challenge. so the biggest concern was the engine. As it was turning around and with the worst case scenario in mind I made an offer and we came to an agreement. So I became the proud owner of this remarkable car. I started to look into the problems and quickly found that the fuel system needed a lot of attention. After cleaning the tank and fuel lines, I replaced the fuel pump and fuel injectors. After that the car started fine but leaked oil at the front of the engine. As far as I could see, it came from the front crankshaft seal. Then winter came and I did not have a lot of time to work on the car. Now as the weather has improved and we are not allowed to meet other people due to the coronavirus, I have more time to work on the car. I’m restoring the CRT boards and the first tests are looking good, so I’m confident that this will become fine. I’m also working at the engine to the point that all is clear to remove the crankshaft nut but I’m waiting for the socket to arrive. I still need to reinstall the fuel tank as it was leaking a bit which is also solved now. Also the headlights need attention. I will replace all impulse relays and will see what happens then. The aim is to have it running before summer so I can go to the technical inspection to have it on the road. It will depend on how the engine behaves when on running temperature as this hasn’t been tested yet. Hopefully the cooling system is working fine so I can start driving it carefully to awake it slowly from the long period it was standing still.
While searching I also came across the AMOC. I was wondering if there is much technical information to be found on the forum. If so I might consider to become a member.

Vrije · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 440

Hi Glenn, I think most (tech) info can be found here on Lagnet.
As to AMOC, they dont do much on Lags anyway in my opinion.
Succes with your new toy and we all hope to see you/your Lag oneday.

Vincent · Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 1055 Location: Belgium

Hi Glenn,
Welcome here. In any case feel free to contact me as I live in Tournai (Doornik) 30 minutes far from you.
I'm Dutch/flemish speaking too.
Vincent (13295)
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

yorkie · Joined: 13 Apr 2020 Posts: 4

Thanks for the welcome.
@ Vincent: Nice to know there is someone living in the neighbourhood also owning a Lagonda. It is for sure a nice distance for some test drives. Very Happy

JohanB · Joined: 22 Mar 2015 Posts: 73

The nut holding the crankshaft pulley can be very tight. It is advisable to fit a new nut which can be obtained from AM specialists.
The headlamp motors have contacts in them that are part of the system to raise and lower the lamp units. I'd first get the motors off, make sure they run well and clean the various contacts.
Also the switches in the dashboard can stop working or be unreliable when not used for a long time. They are basic switches that can be found at stores like Conrad. Not difficult to replace them with a bit desoldering.

yorkie · Joined: 13 Apr 2020 Posts: 4

Thanks for the info. I indeed do not expect it to come off easy... Not yet sure what will be the best way to prevent the engine from turning while trying to loosen the bolt. As the hood/bonnet is now completely off, it is indeed the perfect time to look at the headlight motors too.
As the dashboard is also open, i’m also going to check the buttons. 2 of the 3 video boards are working fine now. One only shows a horizontal line. I also noticed that the signal for the speedo, is weak, so i might check the computer too. So still a lot of work...