RESTORING EUROPE’S FIRST DRAGSTER WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

More friends have come on board with support for restoring Europe’s first Dragster – Sydney Allard’s 1961 Allard Chrysler owned by the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

During a recent Allard Chrysler Action Group (ACAG) work session in the museum workshop the team removed the exhaust headers to check how much they had warped at the block end flanges and both sides looked pretty bad. They were taken to Andy Robinson Race Cars for advice on building up the metal because there wasn’t enough existing metal to machine back the worst distortion. His advice was to replace the flanges with stainless steel units.

Paul Garston at Whengparts.com came to the rescue and kindly donated two custom-made stainless steel exhaust flanges using the existing exhaust gaskets to locate the port openings. Whengparts is based in Derby and their website is www.whengparts.com. They do a range of parts and other items – mostly hot rod related and they know their stuff.

When the replacement flanges returned they were welded to the chrome plated headers using an alignment jig. After some work on opening up the retaining holes they fitted perfectly with the team replacing all header studs with those featuring an unthreaded portion of the shank in the centre. Fluid leakage via the header studs has been a problem with existing studs.

All the fuel system hoses and components needed to be replaced in line with the decision to return the engine to its roots as a methanol burner. The team located a company to supply the period correct black fuel lines plus some other plumbing bits and pieces. It was A1 HYDRAULICS based in Leicester and drag racing enthusiast Guy Davenport gave us a very special deal.

Guy has been very much involved in developing the Willys Wars for the Santa Pod Dragstalgia event. The A1 Hydraulics website can be found at www.a1hydraulics.co.uk. Tel 0116 276 1131.

ACAG Chairman Brian Taylor says, “We have to thank all the small specialist businesses who have helped during this restoration. Without their financial support and technical expertise it would not have been possible to see and hear the sound Europe’s first dragster. Our Mantra is ‘Treasuring the past by keeping it alive’ Lots of people have helped us in this quest and we thank them all. Their names are now displayed on two pull-up banners with the car”.