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USE
THE CLUB'S EXPERTISE
Prospective owners looking for a car to buy should first of all
join the Armstrong Siddeley Owners Club, where they will find
a wealth of expertise to help them avoid the many pitfalls of
buying second-hand.
CHASSIS
When looking at a possible purchase, an important area to examine
carefully is the chassis where it passes under the rear axle.
Severe rust can occur here, although it can be
repaired satisfactorily.
SILLS
The sill area which runs beneath the doors and extends outwards
to form vestigial running boards is another area which can suffer
from tin worm! This component is a complex box member consisting
of a number of different profiles welded together to form a semi-structural
part of the body. Repair is possible, and information on this
is available from the club.
Be
aware that very few body parts are available nowadays, so repairs
to existing components or replacement with second hand parts will
be necessary.
MECHANICAL
Engine, gearbox and rear axle are long-lived provided they have been properly
serviced. Regular maintenance includes the usual oil and filter
changes, anti-freeze renewal, and attention to the grease points
on the front suspension, water pump etc.
Hydraulic
tappets are components that could have suffered due to lack of
cleaning of a well-hidden fine-mesh filter.
RESOURCES
General mechanical spares are readily obtainable from the well stocked
Club Stores at Conkwell Farm. These include many obscure items
from the Armstrong Siddeley stock of spares purchased by the Club
from Rolls Royce etc. The Club Stores also includes a good selection
of second-hand body panels and mechanical components.
Much
technical data is available from the Club, with online access
to the spare parts list coming soon, and a project to make service
manuals available online being considered.
Robert
Penn Bradley's two books Technical Articles One and Two give valuable
restoration and maintenance advice on the post-war Armstrong Siddeley
models (1945-1960).
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