The Goshawk FlierServing the Small HP Rolls-Royce Community November 2018

CHAIRMAN: Gil Fuqua (gil@gilfuqua.com) TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Timothy Jayne Jr. (tim@royceparts.com)SECRETARY: John Carey (jbcarey@sbcglobal.net) TREASURER: Gary Phipps (gsphipps05@comcast.netNEWSLETTER EDITOR: Elliott Anderson (elliottgdanderson@aol.com) ACTIVITIES CHAIR: Mary White (mcwhite@triad.rr.com)WEBSITE: www.goshawksociety.com

November 2018 Page 1

From theGoshawk Society

Dear Goshawk Enthusiasts,

Welcome back to the Goshawk Flier. This is the second issue of The Flier that I have ed-ited, and I am just realising quite how difficult it is to come up with ideas for this publica-tion. If anyone can contribute either a history of their car(s) or can offer technical advice or anyyhing you believe would be of interest to the readers of this publication., it would be greatly appreciated.

Please send your article, of any length, to my email address: elliottgdanderson@aol.com.

We are also asking members of the Goshawk Society to send any technical questions to be answered by Tim Jayne Jr. and then published in a future edition of this publication; please send these to me, the editor, and I will pass them on to him. Of course, if you have any Tech Tips they would like to share with other members, please do send them in.

I would like to thank Doug and Mary White for their contribution to this issue. There will be a second article where you will read about Bluebelle’s 4000 mile summer tour to Maine, and this will feature in the next issue.

The second article in this issue of the Flier was originally published in the RROC Rebel Region’s own publication, ‘The Boot & Bonnet’. This was reformatted by Mary White and I would like to thank her for her help in the creation of this issue. I would also like to thank the author of the article as well as the editor of ‘The Boot & Bonnet’ for allowing me to re-publish it here. I am sure it will be of interest to those who read it here.

I have created a Facebook page that I encourage members to ‘like’, and a closed Face-book group that all members of The Goshawk Society are eligible to join. One of the uses for this group would be to inform members of the Society of upcoming events hosted by the Society. Most of these will be organised by our new Activities Chair Mary White.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue.

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

2

Bluebelle: Love at first sight When Pierce Reid told us that a 1923 20hp Sanderson & Holmes center shift, 3 speed, RHD touring car (GF15) was available in the Burlington, Vermont area, we were definitely interested. We have had a derelict 1925 20hp landaulette (GNK87) in need of a ground up restoration in our garage for over 35 years. We got it as a father/daughter project for Doug and our oldest daughter (now in her mid 40s). They never started on the car proba-bly because Sara’s interest soon turned to horses. Now that we are in our 70s, we realized that we’d never be able to complete the restoration. In addition, Doug prefers a touring car and had considered replacing the landaulette body.

The Sanderson & Homes tourer was owned by Karen Unsworth, who inherited it from her father Roy Unsworth, an Rolls-Royce enthusiast, who purchased the car from Charles Lowe in 1968. From the information obtained through the Hunt House, Lowe acquired the car from the original owner John Stevens of Barley Horn, Derby, England. Karen had driven it for eight years in the annual July 4th parades until last year when it wouldn’t start. She contacted Pierce, who had worked on the car for her father, and told him she was ready to sell. She decided to let it go “as is” rather than have it refurbished before selling. Pierce made the deal sweeter. He offered to take the unrestored 1925 20hp landaulette in (very) partial payment for the restoration of the 1923 20hp tourer.

It was love at first sight. Inspired by Matt Moran’s/ex-Harry O’Connors 20hp Buttercup (GNK32), Doug instantly called her Bluebelle. She seemed so delicate and compact with her barrel sides, hidden door handles and hinges, Carolina blue body and Duke Blue Devil fenders (we’re from North Carolina) and rear spare tire. The body and leather seats looked adequate, just in need of rejuvenating. The carpets and door panels needed re-placing; tonneau covers were needed. The top appeared fine.

By Doug and Mary White, North Carolina

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

3

There were no side curtains – but we never used the ones we had for a Silver Ghost tourer, so that was O.K. All the brightwork, lights and instruments were there – all needing clean-ing and polishing. We didn’t try to start the engine, but all the parts were there – we’d leave the investigating to later once the car was in the restoration shop.

The deal was made and we had the car delivered from Burlington to the Vintage Garage in Stowe. The plan was that we’d occasionally come up and help with the restoration and then finish any needed body/upholstery work at home. All this was completed in about a year.

Restoration

Bluebelle’s mechanical restoration is a cautionary tale with a happy outcome. We were able to actively participate in some of the unskilled aspects of the restoration and spent about three weeks working in the shop and enjoying Stowe snowstorms. The experience was educational and thoroughly rewarding. Shop personnel could not have been more helpful and accommodating.

After removal of auxiliaries the engine was removed and carefully disassembled, keep-ing removed parts orderly in labeled plastic baggies. The oil pan contained the expected amount of gruesome oily sludge; rod and main bearings were moderately to severely worn; four of the six pistons were non-Rolls-Royce and speculated to be Harley-Davidson. The crankshaft was in good shape with minimal wear, sludge traps filled with tootsie-roll con-sistency sludge and the camshaft and its bearings were fine. The cylinder block was silted up and a crack was noted at the firewall end of its water jacket. The oil pump was severely worn, both at its base and circumferentially. The vibration damper was seized. The timing gears were slightly nicked but otherwise in good shape. The cylinder head was a relatively recent replacement in 2000 and was fine and the crankcase was in good shape. The honeycomb radiator, badly clogged with silt and rust, was determined to be non-re-pairable and was sent off to be re-cored. (American Honeycomb, Chuck Norris).

A new cylinder block with pistons was ordered from England (Ristes) as well as new Bab-bitt inserts for the main bearings and a new oil pump (Fiennes). Connecting rods were sent for rebabbitting, which proved to be a challenge. The oil pipes on the rods were tested for leakage and resoldered. After meticulous cleaning the crankshaft was sent off for grind-ing and polishing. The carburetor and distributor were rebuilt. The water pump was rebuilt with a new shaft and impeller and including new babbitting for the bearing.

The main bearings were line bored, the rod big ends bored and new bushings fitted to the small ends. The engine was then reassembled with new ball bearings in the gear case and new friction linings in the rebuilt vibration damper. The cylinder head was cleaned up, valve seats refinished and its face was lightly skimmed. A new rocker shaft, bushings, and lifter rollers and pins were fitted.

The engine out of the chassis presented a good opportunity for a chassis rewire but on closer examination it was discovered that the chassis had already been rewired with modern plastic insulated cloth covered wiring. The fuse box was cleaned up and new Ross Courtney terminals and number markers installed on the wires.

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

4

The engine was replaced in the chassis. Auxiliaries were reinstalled. The intake manifold was sent out for coating but returned too shiny and required abrading with scotchbrite to tone it down. The starter motor armature was rewound and reinstalled. New clutch linings and clutch plate were installed. A new coil (River Carriage, Charles Tobin) and ignition wires were installed.

Other work to the chassis included removal of the front axle, disassembly and refurbish-ment of king pins and ball joints, disassembly, glass beading and polishing of springs, and installation of new spring gaiters (Rudy’s Gators). The rear axle was removed and thoroughly cleaned. Brake linkages were disassembled and repaired. Springs were re-furbished and re-arched as in the front with polishing and new gaiters. The brake shoes were practically new but slightly oiled on one side. The entire brake system was removed, cleaned, repaired where needed and adjusted. Brake shoes were soaked in hot water with Dawn detergent to remove oil. Shock absorbers were disassembled, refurbished with new leather washers, adjusted and reinstalled.

The oil-filled starting switch was disassembled and repaired. The Klaxon horn was cleaned up, repaired and repainted.

The exhaust system was rebuilt and reinstalled with new tailpipe lagging.The fuel tank was sent off to be cleaned and sealed with epoxy both internally and ex-ternally. The autovac was removed, cleaned, resealed and repaired and then repainted. Fuel lines were blown out but otherwise left intact. The running boards were disassembled and repaired with epoxy where needed and new stainless steel hold down carriage bolts installed.

The windshield frame was cracked on both sides and the windshield was not safety glass. A new frame was fabricated, nickel plated (International Chromium Plating Co.) and fit-ted with safety glass. Side lamps were repaired and replated. Rubber divers-helmet lights (Complete Automobilist) were installed at the rear and a brake light switch was wired in with a new line to the rear.New Goodrich Silvertown Cord 32 x 4 ½ tires were fitted (Universal Tire Co.).

At this point, after almost a year of work, Bluebelle was ready to take her first trip.

On the Road

Following completion of her restoration Bluebelle was ready for her first outing. A gradual break-in was planned with a 450-mile trip from Stowe to coastal Maine broken into equal segments over three days. This would allow us to get to know her and allow plenty of time for adjustments as needed. The first day was trouble-free. She proved to be very easy to steer, shift and maneuver. That evening a temporary 12-volt socket for the GPS was jury-rigged.

As the second day progressed there seemed to be a slight loss of power. Pulling off to the side of the rural road we were engulfed by a cloud of smoke from the brakes. The theory was developed that I had failed to fully disengage the emergency brake after a traffic light stop.

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

5

Later that day the problem recurred but was much more severe with Bluebelle finding the gentlest inclines challenging. When we pulled off into a parking lot to investigate she stopped as soon as the accelerator was released. The foot brakes were locked solid. When I crawled under to investigate the brakes spontaneously released. Immediately previous to the onset of this problem I had applied the brakes hard when rounding a corner where I came upon a flagman. One of the rear brakes locked up. The theory is that the brake equalizer, which had sat dormant for many years, was forced into a new extreme position and simply locked up. The solution was to liberally hose down the bushings with WD-40 and add oil to the equalizer gear boxes after which the problem never recurred.

Coastal Maine, Mount Desert Isle and the Northwest Harbor were delightful and Blue-belle received lots of attention. Her bright blue livery really stands out.

The return trip to Stowe was accomplished in two days and was accompanied by light rain which demonstrated, as suspected, that the top, although intact, was not waterproof. Because there was no tonneau cover, a tarp was secured over the interior with bungie cords.

Return HomeUpon trailering Bluebelle to Winston-Salem the first order of business was to construct a new top. New double canvas top material was obtained and the old top dissected and used as a pattern. In retrospect this was not the best idea since the sides of the old top were not a snug fit, and the new ones are not either. Custom fitting the new top sides would have been much more difficult and our cosmetic results are more than acceptable. And it is waterproof.

No tonneau covers or top boot came with Bluebelle so new ones were designed and fabri-cated from the same top material. This also required installation of snaps and lift-the-dot fasteners but holes for the capping rail trim screws were utilized. New blue carpeting was installed both front and back.

Now weatherproof, Bluebelle was ready for her next adventure, the RROC Brandywine Valley Tour in Pennsylvania and Delaware. We arrived a couple days early so we could visit the Radnor Hunt Concours. At the informal car get-together the day before the Con-cours Bluebelle was assigned a position of honor just by the main house and attracted lots of favorable attention.

Bluebelle was the only pre-war car on the RROC tour which followed. With so many mod-ern Rolls and Bentleys attending it was easy for us to get rides to after-dark events and during the day the pace was leisurely for all, so she fit right in. The morning after the first day of touring I noticed a fair-sized oil slick under the transmission. Also, after a day of more vigorous driving oil was seeping out from the right-side bonnet hinge. Although there was no leakage seen when revving the engine, the right front of the engine was the area wettest with oil.

One cold morning the starting carburetor was not operating properly. Just as with a Ghost, propping up the low speed jet allowed the engine to start.

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

Investigation showed that the starting carburetor mechanism is easy to remove and clean and it was subsequently trouble- free. During the tour the brake squeal evolved to a loud squawk, likely due to glazing from the earlier lock-up.

Following the RROC Tour we trailered Bluebelle back to Stowe for final attention. The oil under the transmission was theorized to be due to porosity of the aluminum casting as well as to likely overfilling. Replacement of aluminum sealing washers took care of the leak from the main oil fitting at the front of the engine. The engine oil and filter were changed and the head re-torqued and valves adjusted. The radiator was sent off for cosmetic at-tention. The brake drums were removed and the surfaces of the glazed shoes sanded.

Our current project it to replace the interior door panels which, although functional, are cosmetically tired and to install a new stainless steel exhaust system (rrexhausts.co.uk). Turn signals have been added and the generator changed from 3-brush to 2-brush op-eration with a voltage regulator. A latching solenoid battery cut-off master switch (Cole Hersee) will also be added.

Bluebelle is an absolute delight to drive. She’s not powerful but because of her light body she’s pert and peppy. Her 3-speed center-shift short-throw gearbox is easy to use. Steer-ing is light and precise with a tight turn radius making her easy to maneuver. She is truly a Rolls-Royce sportster.

6

Doug and MaryRe-built engine

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

7

July 5thWe are touring through the

Adirondacks for the past week and in Lake Placid tonight. The 25/30 has not fully enjoyed the 90+ temps and I’ve come to fully know the cruel world of fuel vapor lock. As good providence would

-pened as we were climbing a hill about 45 minutes from Stowe VT and at the top of the hill she started sputtering with no less than 10 cars behind me. I pulled quickly into

to be a church with a nice large shade tree and a sprinkler going.

my suspicions and helped myself to the water hose to cool the fuel system off. Up drives the pastor

and he loves the car and offers me 5 gallons of cool fuel to help. Of which I made a handsome contribution to the church and we were on our way. On another wrong turn and road construction detour we ended up on a cable ferry across lake Champlain. Ended up being the highlight of the day. Cooler temps are expected tomorrow. So we should have better driving and less stress-ful climbs as we head deeper into the mountains.

And that is Carmen’s grandfathers trunk on the back. Amazing how much it will hold and keeps everything pristine. Also amazing what a family of four will pack. Bell men “loved” hauling it into the hotels. The older ones recalled seeing trunks back in the 60s.

July 15thWell its been 10 days since my last update. After moving

through Lake George and Lake Placid, we made our way across Lake Champlain again by ferry back to Vermont. Way better way to cross a body of water than a bridge. They put us in the best

we were off the boat with a wave from the ship’s captain. We traveled up Grand Isle to northwestern Vermont to a small town called Highgate Springs which sits directly on Lake Champlain and about 2 miles from Canada. Our camp is called Tyler Place. Spent the week there and even had a visit from the Whites on Thursday last week. They were picking up their “Bluebelle” from the Vintage Garage and drove it up to see us. Carmen and I took the 25/30 up into Quebec on a wine tour. No issues crossing over the line. I swapped my vanity black plates for my real NC plate for the crossing. I’m sad to say that we only made it to one winery on the route since we liked too many of their wines, but

Kris & Carmen’s family adventure in GWN10

This summer Kris & Carmen Carlson and sons Kristofer (age 9) and Konner (age 6) trailered their 1936 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Hooper Sport Saloon from North Carolina to Stowe, VT, unloaded it at Pierce Reid’s Vintage Garage, and took a two-week, 485 mile odyssey through Vermont, Adirondack New York and lower Quebec. Below are two reports and several photos Kris sent from the road describing their trip.

The ferry ride

The road from Lake George to Lake Placid

The family near Lake Placid on a hiking trail

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

8

we had a fantastic lunch at a small bistro up the road and made the 40 mile route with no problems. Bought a case of wine and had no issues getting back across the line. Amazing scenery and perfect roads for the older cars in both Vermont and Quebec.

Total driving over 14 days - 485 miles

Gallons of coolant used - 2.5

Quarts of oil consumed - 3.1

Car repairs needed after the trip - headlight went out and needs a good tune up

Failures to Proceed - 1

Number of “thumbs up, honks, or waves” - easily 200

Gas mileage - somewhere below 10mpg. I drive too fast

Number of gallons of maple syrup bought to take home - 6

Other Pre-War cars spotted on the roads - 0

Best classic spotted - MG car club group in Stowe passed us

Royal treatment at the Lake Placid Lodge and Sagamore ho-tels and the campers are wondering what car I plan to bring

quickly run out of variety

Does the family want to do this again - YES (albeit with less

Doug & Mary White with Bluebelle visited the Carlsons at their cabin on Lake Champlain

Konner on the bumper and Kristofer by the door GWN10 at Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, NY

Stop sign on a Canadian road.

November 2018 Page

The Goshawk Flier

9

The Wraith ColumnAs the Editor, I have decided to start my own column. I hope that this column will feature in every issue of the Flier from now on, and I will try and

If the name of the column wasn’t obvious enough, my columns will be for the most part about the 25/30 h.p. Wraith.

In this column I will discuss something that is a talking point among both Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts as well as other classic car enthusiasts. It is well known that Rolls-Royce cars have a good survival rate, and this is a proud point for many Rolls-Royce own-ers, who have themselves in many cases saved cars or helped others to save cars from being lost forever. Rolls-Royce cars are some of the most well-known and most highly regarded around the world, and so it is little surprise that they hold their value enough to be seen as worth looking after, and this has been true since at least the introduction of the 40/50 h.p. ‘Silver Ghost’ in 1906.

Although it has been discussed often, with many figures given as to the exact survival rate of all Rolls-Royce cars built, it is widely believed that at least half of all Rolls-Royce cars ever built survive.

I have spent some time sifting through my collection of documents and photographs of Wraiths and I have come up with a rough figure as to how many of this model there are left, based on the information I have access to.

I decided on four categories that I thought all cars would fall under. Those are: On the road; Off the road; Scrapped, and Unknown. I decided that those cars which have been driven on the road and registered to be driven on the road within the last five years would fall in to the first category. The second category covers cars that are under restoration, in long term storage or those that are laid up for another reason. The third and fourth cat-egories are quite self-explanatory.

The results of my search are as follows:

On the Road: 294 Off the Road: 114 Scrapped: 20 Unknown: 64

Therefore, we can conclude that I know the fate of all but 64 of Wraiths built - that’s 428 in total. We can also see that the vast majority survive, and the total for both on and off the road that survive is 408 cars. This is a very high survival rate for any car, but for a car that was built for just over a year and the building of which immediately exceeded The Second World War, and a car that is eighty years old this year it is truly extraordinary that 408 of the 492 cars built survive.

I would like to know if anyone reading this could provide any information they have as to the survival rates of other Rolls-Royce models, Goshawk or otherwise.