ebay got the better of me

[Bobblehat]

Cool motor vqdave. I never knew there was a Scepter version. My dad had the "cheaper" Hillman Minx, still can feal the red vinal seats burning the back of my legs in the summer. Wasnt there a fast version to "Hunter"?

[vqdave]

Cool motor vqdave. I never knew there was a Scepter version. My dad had the "cheaper" Hillman Minx, still can feal the red vinal seats burning the back of my legs in the summer. Wasnt there a fast version to "Hunter"?

yeah, the hunter GT. It even rallied with success i think.

[Andy Zarse]

Dave, don't listen to the knockers (ooh-er missus!) or the naysayers. You have proven to be a very wise man. A very wise man indeed. Anyone who purchases a product of the Rootes Group/Chrysler UK, especially one driven by 1725cc of sheer firepower, can only be a man of distinction, class and great taste; in short a coinesseur of fine motors. If the wife bridles at this beauty then it's probably time to start asking yourself some very serious questions. I mean, what's not to like?

I'm pleased to tell you that the Commer shares many components and if you need bits, (though it looks very sound in the photos), I can probably help you out. Does it have an overdrive gearbox? If you V8 it, would you sell said box? Personally I'd be on the look out for a handbuilt Holbay 120bhp engine on eBay to drop in it, and they do come up quite often.

Enjoy.

[vqdave]

Dave, don't listen to the knockers (ooh-er missus!) or the naysayers. You have proven to be a very wise man. A very wise man indeed. Anyone who purchases a product of the Rootes Group/Chrysler UK, especially one driven by 1725cc of sheer firepower, can only be a man of distinction, class and great taste; in short a coinesseur of fine motors. If the wife bridles at this beauty then it's probably time to start asking yourself some very serious questions. I mean, what's not to like?

I'm pleased to tell you that the Commer shares many components and if you need bits, (though it looks very sound in the photos), I can probably help you out. Does it have an overdrive gearbox? If you V8 it, would you sell said box? Personally I'd be on the look out for a handbuilt Holbay 120bhp engine on eBay to drop in it, and they do come up quite often.

Enjoy.

A fellow distinguished gentleman. Yes the 1725 4 bearing engine is indeed a fine motor, it powered me in my formative years, and the Rootes Group were indeed a fine manufacturer of well engineered machines. Indeed it is overdrived, on 3rd and 4th, giving me a 6 speed box, engineered ahead of its time. The Holbay route is an option, and indeed a tempting one i looked at for the original Humber, plans are not set in stone, but i think i really do hanker for some big guns under the bonnet, in the style of Mopar!! Style Chrysler so a tenuous link there.

If i do the V8 with new box and running gear etc i will indeed be looking at selling the original mechanicals. Does your commer currently have overdrive?

I have been offered "NEW pair of stromberg 150 cd carbs " by the seller, any good in your opinion?

[Andy Zarse]

Strombies are good carbs but I'm lead to believe they're bastards to fix if they go wrong. So if they're new or in very good nick I would take them too for the right money. However, if you're serious about doing the V8 thing then there seems little point buying them.

I have to say this vehicle seems in top nick, maybe a bit too good to start hacking about with the cutting torch! You'll probably need a stronger back axle too (Rover P5 coupe or similar) and a handling pack. Steve brown is the man to ask about this sort of thing. Be fun to burble around in though, more like a more practical Sunbeam Tiger. What a pose! And I'd certainly snap your mittens off for an overdrive 'box.

This is a spiffing website by the way:

http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/hill-hunter.html

[vqdave]

Strombies are good carbs but I'm lead to believe they're bastards to fix if they go wrong. So if they're new or in very good nick I would take them too for the right money. However, if you're serious about doing the V8 thing then there seems little point buying them.

I have to say this vehicle seems in top nick, maybe a bit too good to start hacking about with the cutting torch! You'll probably need a stronger back axle too (Rover P5 coupe or similar) and a handling pack. Steve brown is the man to ask about this sort of thing. Be fun to burble around in though, more like a more practical Sunbeam Tiger. What a pose! And I'd certainly snap your mittens off for an overdrive 'box.

This is a spiffing website by the way:

http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/hill-hunter.html

might well run the car stock for summer so i can enjoy it, then mod it over winter ready for spring running in and a le mans maiden voyage, or so teh plan goes in my head.

I just seem to have killed my afternoon with that website, absolutely fantastic, i had forgotten how much i love matra's, the bagheera/murena, what cars and the rancho, i so wanted my folks to have one when i was a nipper.

BTW Andy, what petrol do you run teh Commer on? Standard unleaded with Redex? Is it OK on this?

[Matt Harper]

I have to say this vehicle seems in top nick, maybe a bit too good to start hacking about with the cutting torch!

Agreed - it would be a shame to carve-up what looks like a well-cared for old banger. With the help of an adventurous and able mechanic friend, I transplanted an Essex V6 into a '72 Chrysler Avenger and that was a real fanny-around. I think you'll really struggle to shoehorn even a 340 Mopar into your Sceptre without cutting out the inner wings, bulkhead and tranny tunnel.  I'm sure it could be done - but I'd venture 1. The recipient car is too nice to bastardise 2. The result may be highly disappointing (i.e. barely driveable). If you are going to take the fire-axe to it and do not want to totally redesign the rear suspension, use a norrowed 9" Ford live axle, as they hang almost exactly the same as the Rootes one (fabricate a new De-Dion tube though) We used the Rootes axle on the Avenger and simply cut/mated and balanced the Ford propshaft. That said the V6 pushed about 160bhp - not 280+ from a Dodge V8
   

[Lorry]

I have to admit that the Hillman Hunter was the worse car I ever drove.  Heavy, gutless, and it just didn't want to know about corners.

However, it nearly won the London to Sydney Marathon 40 years ago, and was leading when it hit a road car coming the other way on the wrong side. 

I think we have a period replica on show at Castle Combe this saturday (Rally Supercar day)  It has 3 Humber Snipe seats, but I'm still not sure if it does corners.

[vqdave]

all points taken on cutting up etc and i fully appreciate this as i do have an inbuilt an odd love of humbers and do not like the thought of cutting a good one up. My old one was a case in point where i wouldn't even cut holes in the parcel shelf for speakers so mounted them under the seats.

I will run the old girl stock this year, and take professional advice on upgrades as i no longer have the mech know how or if i'm honest the inclination to do this stuff myself anymore. I will weigh up pros and cons as well as costs against worth (to me not market as i know i will lose money if i sell after doing this) and come to a decision. Be it Mopar, Holbay, Strombergs, Chevy or whatever.....I look forward to coming journey and fun i shall be having and making it into Bleu or whatever campsie we end up with in June next year, i think driving the Humber will make arrival time quite definately Pimms o'clock..

[Matt Harper]

If your passion is Chrysler/Rootes/Humber etc - how accessible is that British 57 Chevy Bel Air, the Humber Snipe/Super Snipe?
There is plenty of room for a 383/440 ci mopar in one of those bad boys - and you still get the burred walnut, leather cappings and yards of chrome.
I may be on crack, but I'd have thought you could pick one up on eB*y for a long 'un. Make a cracking project, that...

[vqdave]

If your passion is Chrysler/Rootes/Humber etc - how accessible is that British 57 Chevy Bel Air, the Humber Snipe/Super Snipe?
There is plenty of room for a 383/440 ci mopar in one of those bad boys - and you still get the burred walnut, leather cappings and yards of chrome.
I may be on crack, but I'd have thought you could pick one up on eB*y for a long 'un. Make a cracking project, that...

i know where you're coming from the Super Snipe is an ambassador(SP) of a car, but my love is of the Sceptre, also the size makes the sceptre more realistic for my driveway/garage.

I read sometime ago in the Humber Owners Club mag (i think) that back in the day Humber did a prototype Sceptre with Mopar v8 power, all fitted in OK apparently, the engine bay is pretty big, there was loads of room in my old one, here is teh new one :



looks to be space for a bigger engine in there me thinks.

[Matt Harper]

Hmmm, happen there is, but not for a mopar small (wide) block - and I'm assuming you know how frickin' big a Torqueflite transmission is. If you've done a transplant or two, you'll also be thinking, radiator, oil cooler, trans-cooler, steering routing, header clearance, lower mounts, sump-clearance, shocks/springs upgrade, re-inforce McPherson turrets, air box, ac compressor........AAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

[Martini...LB]

Hmmm, happen there is, but not for a mopar small (wide) block - and I'm assuming you know how frickin' big a Torqueflite transmission is. If you've done a transplant or two, you'll also be thinking, radiator, oil cooler, trans-cooler, steering routing, header clearance, lower mounts, sump-clearance, shocks/springs upgrade, re-inforce McPherson turrets, air box, ac compressor........AAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

You forgot the firelighters to set the twatting thing on fire...

>Martini...

[Perdu]

Dave ignore any and all peetakers. And Stroms are mostly OK as long as you keep the diaphragms in very good nick.

Oooer Missis!

As you know, a heavy - ish car but happy enough at go-time


 

[Andy Zarse]

BTW Andy, what petrol do you run teh Commer on? Standard unleaded with Redex? Is it OK on this?

It depends. Personally, if it's loaded up heavy for a long and hot journey like going to Le Mans when I need maximum preformance, I use 98 RON (say Optimax) and shove in a good slug of Redex Lead Replacement additive. However, for day to day trundling around empty I just use normal unleaded and no additive.

The current school of thought in the Classic Camper Club is that you can use normal unleaded 95RON permanently until the valves burn out, then replace the head with one with hardened valve seats. However, some people have now done over 20,000 miles on unleaded and the old head is still going strong. I would add the Commer has a cast iron head, not the higher performance alloy head of your car and i suppose it's possible this increases the durability.

At the end of the day, bearing in mind your likely mileage, it probably really doesn't matter, but if I were you I'd use Optimax with or without the redex additive.