After looking at the history of the Sheerline last month, in part two we examine what it takes to own and restore one of these imposing classic cars.

The owner of our featured car, Damian Lee-Johnson, was quite lucky to find a Sheerline in basically fairly good shape. There are still a few around, though not many are in any sort of regular use. These, and other big cars — Humbers, Armstrong Siddeleys, the big Rovers and the like — all suffered a high mortality rate in the early ’70s when petrol prices began their inexorable rise.

Damian’s Sheerline also has a partially documented history, and an interesting one at that. It was a 1952 car, sold and serviced by Teo Johns Ltd, the Austin agent in Kaitaia in Northland. It was sold to Jim Taaffe, a notable local identity, who had actually been the first Mayor of Kaitaia, and was prominent in many aspects of local life and community service. Damian tells us that the mayor’s “¦phone number was Kaitaia 1 — and his name and that phone number were written on the inside of the car’s hubcaps!”

At that stage of its life the car was painted metallic green, a standard Austin colour for the Sheerline, but after being sold on to another prominent Kaitaia identity, Charlie Huttley, it received its first repaint some time in the late ’60s, this time to a sky blue.

Huttley owned the car for many years and finally sold it on Simon Owen-Smith of Ohaeawai in 1986, for $2400.

Owen-Smith gave the old car its second repaint into its current light grey colour, and re-upholstered its interior. Another long period of ownership passed until current owner Damian Lee-Johnson took over the Sheerline in 2005. Clearly the Austin was a Northland car through and through. For the first 34 years of its life it was based around Kaitaia and later Awanui, where second owner Charlie Huttley ran the Gumdiggers Trading Post.

Even the second change of ownership kept it up north, in Ohaeawai, on State Highway 1 near Kaikohe, over towards the Bay of Islands.

Damian would love to know more of the car’s history, and wonders if any old-time Northland residents can shed any more light on its life and times. It must have been quite a memorable sight on Northland roads, with its size alone big enough to catch the eye, and in the early stages of its life, owned by a couple of local identities in Kaitaia and Awanui, it may even have figured in parades or have been seen on official business.

Refurbishment or restoration?

THE SHEERLINE’S ENGINE AND GEARBOX TOGETHER WEIGH OVER 500KG!

While the Sheerline was a decent runner, it still needed work, and Damian embarked on a major refurbishment. Refurbishment, or restoration? The dividing line is a fluid one — but basically the Austin was still in fairly reasonable shape in 2005, after 53 years of life and three owners. Austin as an independent company always prided itself on the workmanship that went into its cars, and designed them for long working lives, and the Sheerline reflects this old-time approach to car building. “Austin — you can depend on it” was one of the advertising slogans for the Sheerline.

It is a relatively simple car, in terms of the engineering incorporated, though a complicating factor is the sheer size of some of the car’s componentry (the engine and gearbox together weigh over 500kg!). A further problem came from the relatively low production figures for the car, which in turn means spare parts, new or used, are rather hard to find. Damian has found, however, that a small but active coterie of Sheerline and Princess owners have got themselves very well organised for tracking down cars and parts, and just as important, expertise, to help ensure that the number of these big old Austins does not dwindle any further.

Rebuilding the engine

At around 128,744km and 50-plus years old, it was clearly time for new owner Damian to rebuild the engine, though it was still in fair running order. New parts required included a piston set, head gasket, filters and water pump, plus a considerable amount of specialised labour skills, including a rebore, so this was no cheap exercise. Sundry other under-bonnet and associated parts required attention or rebuild, including the radiator. It is interesting to note that despite Austin’s obvious concern to supply adequate cooling water and a big radiator, over the years Sheerline owners have reported a tendency for the cars to run hot, particularly in low-speed work. There is a known weakness in the design of the ‘hot-spot’ system which can corrode and allow hot exhaust gas to get where it shouldn’t, affecting the engine temperature and causing fuel vaporisation issues, but Damian’s newly rebuilt motor has shown no sign of this.

I was surprised to see the Sheerline with a chromed radiator, as most of the Sheerlines I’ve encountered over the years had a body colour painted radiator shell — and most published pictures of the car show this too. Damian has investigated this and has found out that the chrome surround was an alternative factory fitting, more often found on cars sold for formal use. He actually has another chromed radiator as a spare up on the garage wall, so obviously they can’t have been that rare!

THE SHEERLINE HAS THAT OLD-FASHIONED HEAVY CAR QUALITY OF STEAM-ROLLERING BUMPS

In addition to the radiator as noted above, the clutch, fuel systems, and exhaust system all needed work, and the engine mounts too are still awaiting attention. This was the expensive part of the rebuild, consuming around half the total cost so far, and with a bit more to come.

Lift the bonnet tops — one each side, centrally hinged and lockable from inside the car — and a l-o-n-g engine is revealed. It is surmounted by a massive oil bath-type air cleaner assembly, and on the passenger side of the engine, a big (42mm) downdraught Stromberg carburettor provides enough mixture for this big long-stroke six to produce 93kW (125bhp) at 3700rpm, and over 271Nm (200lb/ft) of torque at around 2200rpm. The Princess used a triple SU installation to give an extra 7.5kW, and a total of 287Nm of torque at 2200rpm.

When you fire up the engine it settles to a nice slow idle; engage a gear (first or second) and it pulls away without fuss or need for revs. Second to third gear shifts come in at 32 to 40kph, and up into top gear at around 48kph. Top speed was quoted at around 129 to 137kph (80-85mph), but these days it will cruise quietly and easily at 88 to 96kph, or more if your wallet can handle the fuel bills! A contemporary comment was that the car was perhaps slightly under-geared, with 32.5kph per 1000rpm in top gear, but while this may be so, it has splendid flexibility and pull in top gear. In the ’40s and ’50s, drivers expected their cars to lug well from low engine speeds, and this the Sheerline certainly does; contemporary commentators noted it only really needed second and top gear in normal motoring, with first (unsynchronised) required only once in a flood, and third gear only to give extra passing acceleration.

Surprisingly, considering the age of the car, and its engine power and torque and substantial weight, the transmission did not need too much work at refurbishment time. The clutch required attention, as noted above, but the gearbox and back axle are nonetheless rumbling along. In our test drive, there was a suspicion of gearbox noise — maybe the gearbox mount needing attention — but the gears engaged easily, and the back axle was in no way rowdy.

Running gear — 50 years later

The running gear certainly needed some attention after its 50-plus years of service. Tyres, as you would expect, were an expense. Damian chose to go with 7×16 tyres, a size up on the Sheerline’s original equipment, though this size was fitted on the Princess. He went with original type cross-ply tyres, but apparently the Sheerline works well with big radials — not all cars of this period do. The springs were overhauled generally, the spring bushes were replaced, and the lever-arm hydraulic shock absorbers needed a rebuild, with fresh juice of course. The front wheel bearings were replaced, and the big drum brakes given an overhaul, with rebonded shoes and machined drums, and fresh brake dust covers. At the rear, the handbrake cables were replaced.

Ball joint boots were replaced too, and the total expenditure on the running gear tallied up to around 20 per cent of the total refurbishment cost. Bear in mind that the front end of this car carries a massive amount of weight, and wear and tear is inescapable on a vehicle of this size and type.

The result of the attention to detail in rebuilding the running gear is that the car now runs well, and feels safe and secure on the road. Steering is positive enough, though the car is an understeerer. Braking from normal speeds is entirely adequate to cope with modern traffic, though repeated heavy use could and still would induce fade problems. As with every older car, extra care is needed when driving to foresee traffic situations wherever possible, and the commanding driving position certainly helps with this.

Interior restoration

After its previous owner’s re-upholstery job — alas, with vinyl, not leather as it should have been, though the colour at least is pretty well right — there was not too much to do inside, though one unlooked-for job was removal of a rat’s nest under the rear seat! After that, the rear seat needed a retrim, as you might expect, and the headlining was replaced. The various sealing rubbers were replaced, and a fair amount of work had to go into the dashboard and instruments. The speedo, temperature gauge and clock all needed repair — Smiths Instruments was able to do this — and the splendid Ekco valve radio had to be repaired. This was entrusted to Cedric Sutherland in Tauranga, who did a brilliant job. The reception and sound quality, through speakers at front and rear, was excellent. Incidentally, the complex electrics to power the valve radio are hidden in an under-bonnet compartment.

On the road — 50 years later

Entry to the cabin through wide-opening doors is very easy. The Sheerline has a most impressive ambience inside. There is heaps of room, a flat floor, big seats, nicely matching colours of woodwork, cloth and vinyl/leather, and though the upholstery should really be leather, it still looks and feels the part. The car travels along quietly, with subdued engine noise, and gives a pleasant smooth ride, with an occasional gentle up and down float reminding you that those lever arm hydraulic dampers are having to work pretty hard controlling nearly two tons of motor car’s up-and-down movement. It has that old-fashioned heavy car quality of steam-rollering bumps in the road to barely noticeable proportions. Seats are comfortable and armrests at the centre and sides of the car add that touch of luxury.

The driver sits high, with a commanding view over the long bonnet. The big steering wheel has an incongruously narrow rim — apparently the cellulose acetate from which it was made shrinks over the years! The square instruments in a wooden panel are nicely lit.

The pedals are the older-style type, sprouting from the floor. They give a more comfortable angle of action than most modern pendant pedals. The handbrake is an umbrella handle type centrally located under the dashboard. It needs a long pull, but works well on those well-adjusted brakes.

Damian and his partner say the big car is superb on a long trip, with its easy cruise and comfortable ride. Fuel usage — economy is not really the word — is quite heavy, at 15.6 to 17.6l/100km (16-18mpg) around town, but gentle open road cruising lifts that to over 14.1l/100km (20mpg).

Traditional British

In a modern world where urgency is the norm and speed, and acceleration and swift responses are required in the cut-and-thrust of modern traffic, it is most pleasant to experience again a car from an age when traffic moved slower, comfort ruled, and more relaxed travel was regularly possible. The Sheerline epitomises this era.

Its styling is traditional British, and it has that interior aura of luxury that the British car companies could do rather well, plus acres of space inside. While it feels a big car on the road it is not hard to drive, as it’s not too wide and its edges are well defined, so it’s not difficult to place on the road. The ride is smooth and progress is quiet, and at the right sort of pace (and that is an important factor) it is a very serene and pleasant experience. But not for the wallet, alas — fuel consumption is not a strong suit, so there’s a down side.

Bearing in mind the plus and minus factors in owning and running a car such as this, here at NZCC we applaud the Sheerline’s young owner for his fortitude in undertaking the major refurbishment job required to give this fine old car a new lease of life in a new century. Unfortunately, there is no financial gain in doing this sort of thing — that alas is a Rule One in restoring almost any classic vehicle — but in the case of this car, one can certainly enjoy the feel and style of motoring in the British grand manner, ’50s style!

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