Reply To: New member in Suffolk, no car yet, but am considering..
Chris
Hi Pete, Welcome aboard.
I think I recognise your story from an internet forum dedicated to less than glamorous older cars. One day I’ll come out of the closet and sign up – for now I’m one of the lurkers – it really makes me laugh! I was pleased someone suggested the Traction as a usable 40’s / 50’s car – it certainly is. My car regularly takes me to work and back – 18 miles each way, country lanes and dual carriageway. With the wide body you get huge leg room in the back which can make up for the smallish boot.
Parts are pretty easy to get – at least for the post 1936 cars. I’d advise getting a car with a 1911cc engine because they are the most drivable and also the best parts availability. You’ll most likely end up with a 50’s car. When you drive one for the first time (once you mastered the gear change) you’ll be struck by how modern the drive is – precise rack and pinion steering, radial tyres and decent brakes (well they should be decent). This means you can keep up with traffic.
Rust is the thing to look for – especially in the floor and sills because they hold the car together. Boot floors, battery boxes and doors also rust but they don’t matter so much. Slough cars always had flippers and often had sunroofs both of which allow water in so they rusted a bit more than French cars – but 60 years on all that means is more Slough cars have been scrapped. Secondhand wings and doors can be found. Some cars have GRP wings. Anything mechanical is fixable.
One of our members is currently having to sell his 1926 B12 Taxi because he is too tall (6’4″) for it. He fits comfortably in his Normale. My sons are 6’7″ and a bit and fit mine comfortably too. Like David I would advise a wide body car – Big 15 or Normale – because you’ll also need some elbow room. But you want Slough so you can’t have a Normale – which will restrict your choice a bit. In which case best not be too worried about what size boot you want. The wider cars are easier to work on.
As you know there are cars with ID / DS engines and / or 4 speed boxes. There are several different ways of making the gear change work for 4 speeds – some more complex than others. A simpler mod is to fit a higher ratio crown wheel and pinion to a 3 speed box. My Normale is bog standard 3 speed with the standard final drive ratio which suits me fine so I can’t comment on which is best. The further you go from standard the more careful you need to be with repairs. For instance if you have the crossflow head on the DS engine the exhaust needs to be custom and you need to remember which car the water hoses were originally made for.
Even if the car is essentially standard spec it quite likely isn’t completely – diaphragm clutches and CV joints are common upgrades – again with a variety of designs – and there are some cars with modified brakes and suspension.
Since you want a Slough car you’ll already have the benefit of 12 volts which makes adding a radio and decent lights easier.
Someone on Autoshite mentioned the hydraulic suspension cars – you won’t be getting one of those! Many $$$! The car with the BX diesel engine has standard suspension – I don’t know of any traction to which hydraulic suspension has been added.
Our Eastern Section meets alternately in Chelmsford and Norwich run by Jasmin and John. Here’s a picture of John adjusting their car which was parked next to mine at the CCC rally a couple of years ago. One of these cars won Best Traction of the Show. You may notice another Autoshiter in the background who is also currently chasing his first Traction.
We’re a broad church here – several TOC members have very well preserved or restored cars to original spec. Others have very well presented but modified cars and others have cars with plenty of potential for improvement but who choose not to worry about the shininess. We all rub along. Welcome and good luck with finding your first Big 15.
Chris