The Rebuild of an Austin Ten Utility - 573 MRE

I am Michael  Hayes ( the Owner and Archivist of the ' Knightstone  Tearooms / R.A.F. Harrowbeer  Archives, Educational  and  Heritage  Centre ' ).

My wife ( Lucy ) and i moved down to Yelverton, Devon in April 1997 to start a new life completely different from the one we had in Redhill, Surrey.  It was a gamble as to how things may work out, but with the support of the local people and new friends things started to flourish.  Once we found out that we were to be living on an old World War Two R.A.F. Station Airfield we wanted to know more about it - who worked there, what did they do, why did they do it and what Squadron were they with, etc.  It was an interest that became a hobby, then a passion and now some say an obsession.  During our research we have met some wonderful people - old pilots who flew from here, ground staff  who  serviced the aircraft and W.A.A.F's who did the clerical work, civilians who helped to build the airfield, etc.  All this has been recorded and is available for members of the general public to view on ' open days ' or by appointment.

Up until 2005 most of the R.A.F. Harrowbeer research work was centred around going to the National Archives / Public Records Office at Kew in London where we obtained copies of the Station and various Squadron 0peration Record Books ( diaries ). 

We also turned our double garage into a small museum dedicated to the R.A.F. and all those personnel who served at Harrowbeer. 

In August 2007 over the Bank Holiday weekend we had an ' Archive  Open  Weekend ' lasting three days. Local Military Vehicles were invited to exhibit and on the Bank Holiday Monday several vehicles turned up on their way home from the Mount Edgecombe Military Weekend, in Cornwall.  One of these was Mr. Alex Small of Honiton, Devon.  We got talking about various things and he invited us over to his workshop to have a look at various items of militaria, he was thinking of selling.  We took him up on his offer and purchased an ' incendiary rake and shovel ' along with twenty different ' tin helmets ', etc.  This visit then led to a second visit with a friend, Neville, who was shown sections of an Austin Ten Utility spread over a large area and in different sheds.  On our way home to Plymouth we talked about the Austin Ten Utility and the possibility of renovating it to a roadworthy condition.  He was keen but hadn't the time to spare to carry out such a project.  At this time i hadn't the slightest inclination to take on such a task.  I am not an engineer or a motor mechanic and neither was our son ( Francis ) who was running the Tearooms at the time.

Over breakfast the following day the subject of the Austin Ten Utility was mentioned and somehow i was talked into ' that would make a great semi-retirement project ' for you.  The next step having been convinced ' go on you can do it ' was to contact Mr. Alex Small and discuss costs and collection. 

On December 11th 2007 our son Francis and i hired a long wheel based transit and set off for Honiton.  As can be seen from the photographs everything was individual parts, panels, trays and boxes.  The purchase was a job lot and consisted of six doors, six front seats, eight front wings, three bulkheads, two cabs, two bonnets, numerous side panels, flitch plates, wheels, tyres, etc, also one chassis No.221834.  There were three engine blocks plus a re-conditioned engine in a wooden crate.  It took the best part of a day to load everything, drive back to Yelverton, unload and return the transit van back to the hire depot.

I became a member of the ' Tilly  Register ' and read the copies of Tilly  Text ( their quarterly newsletter ) several times.  It seems the average time for a restoration was two years by people who knew what they were doing.

I had owned the Tilly for twenty nine months before starting work on it/  I had manuals and parts books but where do you start ( frustration - what had i done ).  How long was this project going to take me ?  Where does one start ?  Can it actually be done ?  

Everybody who saw the parts said ' what were you thinking of, you'll never get that back together, let alone drive it '.  I read in a letter that i had bought a ' basket case ', that really depressed me, i thought how rude.  I would often look at the scrap metal and think, you can do it and prove them all wrong, it can't be that difficult.

I talked to a couple of members of the ' Military  Vehicle  Trust ' about my intentions and one of them said ( in May 2010 )  come on i am taking a few days off work and we are going to get the Tilly started.

This was it.  D - Day had arrived, there was no turning back.  With his help and guidance, he taught Francis how to weld ( with a Mig Welder ), showed us the best way to tackle various problems and kept a watchful eye on us.  The first major task was the chassis which required a small amount of welding and de-rusting.  The rust was dealt with by sand blasting, wire wheels and rubbing down to bare metal, which was immediately coated with red oxide paint, two coats of undercoat and a top coat.

Out of the two axles we had, we chose the best front and rear axles and stripped them down to individual components.  Once cleaned down they were assembled, painted and fitted to the chassis along with the brake rods.

The time had come when we required more expert advice, so we called on Mr. Richard Eva in Plymouth as he also has an Austin Ten Utility from 1940.  We could find very little in the way of photographs to tell us how this lower section should be.  His Tilly was completely different to ours and came to the conclusion that there was no right or wrong way to do the job. If you had six Tilly's in a row you would probably find that all six were different. So, with Francis' welding and my grinding and filling we soon rebuilt it to the shape we were happy with.

The next job was to tackle the doors, again choosing the best pair ( out of the job lot ), a small amount of repair, welding and panel beating was required..  The next task was to attach these to the cab, a small amount of alteration had to be done so that the components fitted correctly and the doors opened and closed without binding.

The side pods on the back were largely complete, so all we had to do was finish assembling them and attach them to the chassis and cab back.

Out of the three and a half engines that came with the purchase ( one reconditioned in 1955, waxed and sealed in a wooden crate ) we decided to try and use the engine that appears on the buff vehicle log-book.

When the sump was taken off the crank-shaft was solid, no movement whatsoever,  It wasn't going anywhere.

What to do ?

We soaked the crank-shaft and surrounding areas with a mixture of oil and paraffin for about a week, still no movement.  It was then a case of gently tapping at the weights with a bar and hammer, first one way then the other.  After a few weeks of this treatment the crank-shaft started moving and eventually did complete rotations.  There were no grindings or restrictive movements, the pistons were moving up and down and making the right suction noises - all seemed good.  The cleaning process continued until much of the rust deposits were cleaned up.  Large amounts of water was flushed through the engine block to clear the waterway.  All the core plugs were replaced with new ones and four new spark plugs fitted.  At this time we hadn't taken the cylinder head off.  Everything seemed to be moving and making the right sounds, so we cautiously continued and hoped all would be good.

There were two gear-boxes that came with the purchase - one was a cast iron one and the other aluminium.  The gear-box we chose to use was the cast iron one which was in a similar state as the engine, no movement totally blocked.  The gear-box was upended and filled with an oil and paraffin mixture covering the cog, etc. with the solution for at least two weeks.  There was no movement.  We changed the solution and tried again. Eventually by frequent attempts at turning the shaft, movement commenced albeit slight.  After several weeks of persevering of coating and bathing the cogs, etc. all four gears including reverse could be found without too much trouble.  ( There are four forward gears and reverse.  First gear is crash gear ( double de-clutch ) the rest are synchromesh ).

The clutch that came with the purchase was cleaned up and attached.  The time had come to fit the gear-box to the engine.  With the aid of an engine hoist we were able to fit the completed unit into the engine compartment resting on the engine mounts. 

The engine was finally completed and in position, the fuel pump and carburetor in position ( nothing were done to these ) it was a case of see if the engine would turn over or not and deal with the problems as required.  The starter motor was cleaned up and attached.  A distributor and cables cleaned and fitted.  The engine was washed through until clear water flowing.  A bottom hose was attached to the engine and blocked and clamped.  Water was put in the engine block until full.  A small amount of petrol ( unleaded ) was placed in the carburetor and a battery fitted.

Now for the moment of truth,  what will happen ?

On ignition there was a small back-fire.  Problems were experienced with obtaining a spark.  It was decided that instead of fueling the carburetor we would fit the petrol tank, after it had been cleaned out and painted.  An inline filter was fitted just in front of the petrol tank in case of any small deposits of rust or sediment and then the fuel pipe connected to the fuel pump.  

A small amount of petrol was put into the tank and it was time for another engine start up.  Petrol was seen to be leaking from the carburetor.  A brand new carburetor gasket kit was located, purchased and installed.  ' Fingers crossed and let's try again '.

Water level O.K., carburetor O.K., ignition on and bingo the Tilly traveled under her own power for approximately thirty feet before she was boiling up ( which we were expecting ).

What a moment of great excitement.

When was the last time that that engine and gear-box turned over ?  It may have been a good number of years ago and here it is starting a new life.

Our next step was to fit the radiator.  Before fitting we filled it with water and found two leaks.  These were fixed and the radiator fitted in place connecting it to the water pump and top of the engine.  The top hose was a nightmare, to find a new one of the right shape and size.  Thanks to the internet Francis managed to track down a company that produces synthetic pipes that did the job.

Our next problem was a leaking water pump, this was taken off, stripped down, cleaned and put back.  Success, all seemed good.

Another engine test.  Cylinder No.3 was showing a bit weak but we decided that this could be the piston ring sticking.  When the engine was turned off water was seen seeping slightly from the cylinder head.  h well, it looks like we will have to take the cylinder head off, fortunately we had some new head gaskets with our purchase, so we set too and replaced it.

Time for another engine test, the moment of truth, the engine starts, no leaks and the Tilly goes three times around the car park at Knightstone,  More Cheshire Cat grins.  ( Not bad for amateurs we thought ).

The gear-box sounded a bit noisy, is it bearings or the gears, as i said we are not mechanics, as you can probably tell.  Never mind, luckily we had a second gear-box, so we cleaned it up and changed gear-boxes.  That sounded better and felt a bit smoother.

During all this, the rest of the bodywork was still on going with de-rusting, rubbing down, welding and re-painting various items.  We were now at a state where the engine side panels and flitch plates were on, the radiator grill fitted and the bonnet in place.  At the rear the tailgate was in position.  The side-pods fixtures and fittings are all ready to be put back on, along with trying the three tilt bars and roof canvas.  The door windows and winders are ready for fitting in position along with the front windscreen, ( no windscreen wipers ).  We have been told that the front windscreen always leaks, no matter what seals you use !  Time will tell - here we are twelve years on and no leaks so far.

With regards to the electric circuit / wiring loom, this we have produced ourselves ( with guidance from a M.V.T. member ).  We are using a 12 volt system ( originally this would have been 6 volts ).  With two headlamps comprising main / dipped and side lights, front and rear indicators and rear light clusters.  The reason for this is for safety, so the vehicle can be clearly seen, especially in poor light.  

Once the electrics had been fitted, connected, tried and tested, we thought perhaps now was the tie to think about insurance and M.O.T., although the M.O.T. would not be applicable for the age of this vehicle.

We wanted to have the Tilly examined by a M.O.T. Garage and qualified mechanics for our peace of mind and to make sure everything was road legal.  A date was fixed for the M.O.T. at a local garage.  We were all prepared to go on the appointed date but fate reared it's ugly head and the Tilly decided it was not going to start.  The battery was O.K., there was petrol in the tank, there was a spark from the distributor, patience was running out.  We had now missed our appointment time.

At that moment we looked up and saw Mr. Richard Eva in his Austin Utility driving down the road towards us.  He was waved down and he came over and took a look at the engine.  His suggestion was that it sounded like possible fuel starvation.  We stripped down the carburetor, then the fuel pump, all seemed alright, there was petrol getting through to the right places.  The problem we found was the inline filter which was partially blocked, on changing the filter the engine started O.K.

The M.O.T. was re-booked for the following week, this time Tilly started and off we went.  The rain started, so it was wind the handle and open the front window and continue to the garage.  On completion of the M.0.T. the result was a fail on the rod brakes and a slight leak in the exhaust system.  There were also a couple of advisories.  This was not too depressing as we did not know quite what to expect from the brakes, They worked when we tried them including an emergency stop.  With a bit of advice we knew what we had to do.  The exhaust leak was a pin hole in a weld seam.  We were given ten days to fix the failures then apply for a re-test.  Once we arrived back at Knightstone, it was overalls on and get to grips with the problems, including the advisories.  All that was required was tweaking the brakes a bit more and a weld  on the seam of the exhaust silencer box .  Next was a phone call to the M.O.T. Station and 24 hours later it was re-tested and passed with flying colours.  Although we had the registration documents, we had to apply to the D.V.L.A. for a new VC5 and exempt tax disc.

At present ( 2013 ) the only trips that have been done in the Tilly are around the perimeter tracks and roads of the old aerodrome.  We are still putting her through her paces with hills and distances and find out that every trip out seems better and smoother.  No.3 cylinder seems to have sorted itself out, although we eventually had to change an oil scraper ring on that piston, this has increased the compression and all seems good.  The Tilly seems to be running better than ever.

There are still a few items of work to carry out, such as the rear flooring, rear seats and rear bumper bar which should be completed over the next couple of months.  

The colour of our Tilly is deep bronze green.  Her name is ' Marie ' after her registration letters of ' MRE '. 

I have bee told by one of the R.A.F. Harrowbeer Medical Officers that the R.A.F. Harrowbeer Station Sick Quarters had two Austin Ten Utilities which were used as small ambulances with stretchers in the back.

This project took more than the two years that others seem to manage, but it has been exciting, satisfying and also frustrating.   The encouragement of our project by helpers and well wishers has been the driving force to prove to all those ' Doubting Thomas's 'that no matter how bad it looks the impossible can be achieved.

Many thanks to Mr. Alex Small, Mr. Richard Eva, Mr, Andrew Roberts, Mr. Neville Cole and Mr. Francis Hayes.