New van chassis

Post by **Packedup** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 1:29 am

paulhumphries wrote:BTW for small items brick cleaning acid (around £5 for 5 ltrs from B&Q and other sources) works great.

Any idea what acid it is? I've been using soapy electric water (link in sig) for derusting small bits, and liberally spraying undiluted milkstone remover (quite potent phosphoric acid) on wire bushed bodywork before priming and chassis blacking, but if there's something else for me to try...

I read somethnig somewhere recently about using vit c crystals in solution to de-rust metal, but couldn't remember what to ask for when I went to the locasl agri place (for hopefully worth the money zinc primer).

Post by **paulhumphries** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:36 pm

LMC Hadrian list a new chassis on their web site listing of Minor parts.
I emailed to ask if still available or even if they have NOS, damaged etc lying around.
Their answer is as follows -

"Thank you for your enquiry on a 53-02-336. Unfortunately this part is no longer available. We have no plans to produce it and can't get hold of them anywhere anymore."

Seems Sri Lanka is now only source so look like I'll be trying to find a decent original one to repair as I don't fancy paying over £1000 for possible suspect quality.

Paul Humphries

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:01 am

Rather sad about the Hadrian chassis situation. They do have the ex Henric patterns and jug for building them on, which came with the deal when they bought out Henric. I understand that one of Henric employees went down to Hadrian in Wiltshire to work there and produce the panels but didn't stay very long at all, leaving them with patterns and things which they cant or dont know how to use... And being a very small part of a huge company, its of little concern.
I think front inner wings come in the same catagory too.

Post by **paulhumphries** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:38 am

IaininTenbury wrote:Rather sad about the Hadrian chassis situation. They do have the ex Henric patterns and jug for building them on, which came with the deal when they bought out Henric.

I wonder if the club might therefore try and obtain the chassis jigs ? I reckon they will otherwise simply get weighed in as scrap metal and the potential to remanufacture a (decent UK) chassis will be lost forever.
I'm sure a member somewhere could find a corner of their barn etc to store them pro tem if a wanted message went out in Minor Matters.
After all MGB &, Midget bodyshells are now available after a period when only NOS were available so why not keep the possibility of remanufacturing Minor LCV chassis ?

Paul Humphries.

Post by **aupickup** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:01 pm

good idea paul
so come on club committe can we do this

Post by **millerman** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:54 pm

May be that Russel has the answer as to the whereabouts of the chassis rigs.

Post by **M25VAN** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:45 am

I agree as well Paul, this is an excellent idea. Perhaps the jig could also be used to refurb a chassis to ensure correct alignment etc.

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:32 pm

paulhumphries wrote: I wonder if the club might therefore try and obtain the chassis jigs ? I reckon they will otherwise simply get weighed in as scrap metal and the potential to remanufacture a (decent UK) chassis will be lost forever. I'm sure a member somewhere could find a corner of their barn etc to store them pro tem

If this could be done I'd offer to store them in my bedroom - would be so fabulous if someone could start producing really spot-on panels/chassis for the LCVs

Post by **paulhumphries** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:36 pm

I'd be happy to donate my time (early retired anyway) and a tow vehicle to collect / deliver the chassis jigs if Hadrian could be persuaded to part with them.

Paul Humphries.

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:20 pm

I'd be tempted to get them to produce a chassis on this jig before anyone takes it over( don't think they will give it away). Jigs if not cared for tend to deteriorate so you need to make sure that it is as good as your hoping.
Is it known that they have the tooling to make a chassis, if so I'd leave it where it is and try to convince them into a limited production run.

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:04 am

They certainly 'had' the chassis jig from Hadrian when they took over all the hadrian products, tooling and patterns. It's possibly already been disposed of, when they decided not to bother producing them - very much a case of 'large company buys small company, picks out the profitable fast selling easy to produce items and continues to make those whilst letting the slow movers, and difficult products fall by the wayside'. I deal with Hadrian both as supplier and customer and dont mind being involved with either contacting or if anyhting does happen. Gut feeling is that if they still have it they wouldnt want to get rid, but may be persuadeable to use it. I may be wrong. I like the idea of using it to repair a chassis on, having battled the other week with one that had had the rear legs welded on a bit squiff....

Post by **M25VAN** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:23 pm

If they couldn't be persuaded to part with it I wonder if they could be persuaded to 'sub it out' to someone? That way they wouldn't have the hassle of making the chassis' but get a supply of them and then so do we.
Having swapped to a new chassis in the past it is certainly what I would do again in the future when the welding jobs mount up.