And he did! Here is Simon's story on how it happened and where the project is heading.
Late 2015Extract from an item published in the Daimler & Lanchester Owners Magazine - My E20 was advertised for ages on Beaded Wheels but it was advertised as having an Armstrong Siddeley body which intrigued me as AS never made bodies. But as an old friend who served his time with Daimler and owned a car restoration company was staying for 3 months, we went to have a look. We both went over the project closely and as a result I bought it. Now to clarify, it does NOT have an AS body. It has a Mulliner body that was designed pre-war to fit Daimlers. And even then, it only came with part of the body. It also was sold as a 1934 which is impossible as they didn’t make E20s then. It is actually from April 1938 and is from the last batch of E20s. There were 3 batches. So the body is totally authentic to the chassis. The engine is complete but in bits. It has new liners, pistons, rings, valve springs etc.
Dion Coleman from White Metal Bearings is going to stick it together as he specialises in vintage and veteran engine rebuilds. My next door neighbour is a proper panel beater and he is doing all the panel work at present. But the car is a real mystery. It is basically brand new. The stencil marks on the brake linings are unmarked and the drums don’t have a scratch on them. I have attached photos.
It has caused a buzz of excitement from the Daimler apprentices who also appreciate the mystery. None of the nuts and bolts have ever been touched. The screw slots are unblemished and every fastener is exactly as done up in the factory. Nothing burred and nothing rounded. Even the split pins are all new.
The chassis is so good, I will simply water blast it to clean storage dirt off and then paint it. Amazing. The car has no provenance at all so it has obviously spent its life sitting in sheds.
It is an interesting project........
April/ May 2016
The car is an E20 that was made in April 1938 before being bodied and sent to NZ. It probably arrived just before the war. E20s were made in three series from 1935 to 1939 but with the records having been destroyed in the blitz, there are few details. The E20s were concurrent with other models.
The E20 chassis was lengthened for the 20 Limousine and fitted with a 24hp engine. This became the EL24 and the E20 became the “Twenty”. At the same time was the LQ3 which was also a limousine. Now also in 1938 the DB series (Daimler Barker) arrived with the DB17/1, then DB17/2 and with a larger engine, the DB18/1 which lasted until after the war. So the E20 with a head fixed to the block, 18” wire wheels and running boards sold beside the DBs with a separate head and pressed steel wheels. E20s were sent as consulate cars to the colonies so maybe that is where mine came from.
Mine has been stripped down to the bare chassis for refurbishment. (pictured above) It has no provenance at all but we are discovering why. The car appears to be new. The stencil marks are still on the brake linings and there isn’t a slightest scratch on the brake drums. The starter is unblemished. Every nut and bolt is pristine, no split pin has been re-used and there are no burrs on any screw slots.
Was it placed in storage for the duration of the war seizing the engine and rusting the body away? Who knows? It has a totally period Mulliner body with it. The jigs and bucks were made for pre-war Daimlers in 1938 but Mulliner used the same body moulds when they dusted everything off after the war for supply to other car makers who were rushing back into production. The panel work is being done at the moment with real steel by a proper panelbeater. I can hear the sound of a hammer on steel so I’d better check up on what is happening in the workshop!
So that is where I’m at. I want to finish it to a high standard and then just wear it out giving it the life it has never had.
July 2016 I now have the chassis totally stripped. I have left the wheels on it because I’m not that physically strong that I can lift and carry it. It might be a Light 20 but the light part does not refer to the weight. So I used a block and tackle and my ute to heft it into place. The chassis is in good shape and basically needs a good clean down, rust proof and paint. I did notice some accident damage which blows the “ new” theory. Something has made impact with the outer chassis rail just behind the right front spring and under the steering arm. But whatever it hit didn’t damage the front guard or the running board. The inner channel is unmarked. The outer channel has been welded up and looks good. So now I have a used car with unused brake linings. Maybe that was the problem. The original owner didn’t know what the centre pedal was for. The speedo shows 5000 miles and certainly in that time it had no work done on it involving spanners or screwdrivers. Or brake usage. But I still have a car with no provenance.
So hopefully in a week or so the chassis will be rust proofed and glossy black enamelled. Meanwhile I have overhauled all the steering and the shock absorbers. They have been painted gloss black as well. Everything under the car will be gloss black. I found a supply of BSF nuts and bolts and made an eye watering purchase last week. So I am starting on a regime of cleaning and spray painting everything. Once that is done, I can start the rebuild.
More to come on this project from Simon. Pictured above and to the right is what the end result should be! You can reach Simon on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Editors Note:If you are immersed in a project such as Simon is undertaking, then I would be keen to hear from you. Be it a motor vehicle, motorcycle, aircraft, machinery whatever the refurbishment project is it would be great to share your progress with our viewers. Just email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call on 06 870 4506.