Ern, CitroJim's Dad and Mentor

[CitroJim]

Today, 5th February, would have been dad's 97 birthday...

To celebrate the occasion I went for a special memorial run early this morning

It's been five years now but dad is far from forgotten and is with me every day, especially when I'm working on the cars... He taught me almost all I know about how to fix and look after them, amongst very much else

[white exec]

A special day, Jim.
The same here, especially when working with some of the same tools he used, or taught me to use as a youngster.
All sorts of 'old specials' squirrelled away in tins, boxes and drawers - including glass hypodermics (er, no...), some huge and tiny BSP and Whitworth taps/dies, a chestful of woodworking tools (his father's), some ancient soldering irons, meters and micrometers . . .
My Dad passed away quickly in 1998, and clearing out his large shed in Ealing (Dad and Mum had moved in with us in a new home in Milford earlier in the year) was one of the hardest things I've had to do, because I spent so much of my early years with him there.

[CitroJim]

Your dad and mine must have been brothers Chris! They certainly both had the same attitude to engineering stuff

I went through exactly the same when the time came to clear out and to this day I still have a lot of dad's stuff and still in regular use... It's a great tribute and keeps the memory fresh and alive

Dad trained as a carpenter (and undertaker!) and he amassed a massive collection of woodworking tools but sadly I never inherited his love of working in wood of indeed the skill... Dad could work equally skilfully in metal and happily, I did inherit that although he was by far a better engineer than I'll ever be...

[mickthemaverick]

I think there may have been triplets!! Same goes for me although I lost my Dad in 1976 I still use some of his tools!!

[white exec]

I'd hazard a guess that kids lucky enough to have had fathers who actively passed on a love of, and skill with, things engineering/craft/electrical, likely went on to understand and appreciate engineering and design excellence. When it came to cars, Citroen must have been right up there - when eventually discovered. In my case, Rover came first . . . but then no-one's perfect!

[Peter.N.]

My dad died in 1966, think he was born in 1904, he was pretty useless at anything mechanical but I still have his toolbox which I don't think he used much. Spent most of his time at his allotment.

My mother on the other hand was a great DIYer. I have in the garage a Wolf drill that she bought in the '50s. As soon as you were able to buy wood again after the war she rebuilt the kitchen and a large coal bunker in the sideway. She even built the brick wall along the front of the garden. She didn't have a car until 1963 when she bought a brand a brand Morris 1000 traveller. She wasn't into repairing cars but I was by then. She did used to varnish the wood every year though.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Was your mum good with radio and TV repairs Peter?

[mickthemaverick]

My Dad was primarily a gardener with entries at Chelsea but he looked after the home decorating and carpentry. He never owned a car despite learning to drive a tank in the army during the war. Neither did my mum who specialised in baking but she did work in the TV & Radio shop where I cut my teeth!

[Peter.N.]

Was your mum good with radio and TV repairs Peter?

No I don't think so Jim but she did used to book appointments for me, for my 'private' work. We had a Denco kit TV that I acquired partly constructed, the previous owner had done the hard bit, the RF stages, I built the timebases and power supply, worked OK with a bit of cogging on the line sync, no flywheel circuit in those days. No cabinet, we had the chassis standing on an up ended orange box and mother used to cover it with a table cloth when not in use! I was still at school then.

Peter

[CitroJim]

mother used to cover it with a table cloth when not in use! I was still at school then.

A lot of people did that back in the day Peter... I think it showed just how special and valuable a telly was then...

I asked as although Dad was never really into radio and TV as a hobby he always repaired our radios when they died. He had no formal training and looking back it was often more by luck that judgement although a lot of sharp observation was involved...

One repair I recall from when I was very young was dad fixing our old Goblin Timespot... He found that moving one of the (octal) valves in its holder would restore normal operation... He diagnosed a duff socket on the valve base and repaired it by making up a thin copper shim to re-make the connection between valve pin and socket...

I still have this radio in my collection, complete with dad's inspired repaired valve base

[Peter.N.]

Oh yes Jim, the memories come flooding back. Many people would have their radio or even TV apart on the kitchen table with a copy of 'Practical Television' close by, some knew what they were doing - some not and they would ask people like us to sort it out.

Many people used to repair their own cars too, there was usually someone knowledgeable about to give a hand. I remember one person fitting a new clutch while on holiday. I had to fit a new brake master cylinder when we were on our honeymoon, it was on an old Morris Oxford estate and was inside the chassis under the floor. I probably fitted new rubbers, likely couldn't afford a new cylinder.

A few years later I broke a rear spring on an E model Cresta while in Cornwall, took it into a garage in St Austell and they supplied and fitted a new one while I wandered round the town £4.00 I think the complete bill was.

Peter

[CitroJim]

I remember one person fitting a new clutch while on holiday. I had to fit a new brake master cylinder when we were on our honeymoon, it was on an old Morris Oxford estate and was inside the chassis under the floor. I probably fitted new rubbers, likely couldn't afford a new cylinder.

Oh, that's magic Peter and reminds me of the tales dad used to tell about his early epic trips in the family Ford 8 - long before I came along as the first car I recall was Dad's A35 van that had been converted to a 'Countryman' by putting rear windows in it to avoid tax... Shame it never had any rear seats... As a baby I travelled in mum's arms up front and my older brother and sister made the best of it in the van cargo space... Them were the days!

I particularly recall dad telling me of the time the Ford ran a big end whilst they were on holiday - sump off outside the chalet at Dunster and shells replaced... In those days they needed 'scraping in'...

Before the 8, dad ran an early Austin 7 with magneto ignition... Trouble is, the mags were unreliable so dad used to carry three on every journey. One would start the car when cold but not when it was hot so the fix was to swap the mag to one of the spares that would

Those are just two of his adventures... I cold fill a book!

[Peter.N.]

Never had one that old Jim, my first was a '39 prefect, born the same year as me. Cable brakes, transverse springs and no heater. My second, a '50 Hillman minx has hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension, like a rolls after the Ford.

I remember repairing the Ford gearbox at the side of the road, well at least getting it to drive again. The thrust washer behind 2nd gear used to break for a pastime, just leaving first and top, if you were foolish enough to put it in reverse 2nd gear slid along the shaft and dropped off the end, jamming it in reverse. In those days the floor came out, having removed it I took the gearbox cover off, or at least as far as the selector forks would allow, got a screwdriver in either side of the main shaft, lifted up 2nd gear and slid it back on the shaft. 10 mph max in first and by the time you tried to get into 3rd it had slowed down to much, so had to go back to first again - ok downhill though.

I fitted side windows to two Morris Minor vans and an A50 van for the same reason as your dad's A35.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Peter, I'm loving these motoring adventures of yours Keep 'em coming

[white exec]

My father-in-law took ages to break himself of the habit of resting his left foot on the clutch pedal. Result was more than one worn-out clutch plate on his Morris 1000, while he was learning to drive. Discovered that you could actually get the gearbox out from inside the car, which was a tad handy in the middle of a wet and chilly winter.