Lagonda Rapiers

6 minute(s) of a 484 minute read

The return petrol system only came about after I had fitted the back-up solid-state electric pump. This is only used in extraordinary situations. It proved its value when we had a problem with the SU electric pump overheating on a hot Friday afternoon while caught up in the peak hour traffic on the ring road around Paris. Despite the reputation of French drivers they were more that patient with the idiot tourist driver in a funny old car. Giving us a chance to change lanes so that we could filter through the "bouchon" and keep moving so that with the help of the electric fan the radiator did not boil. For some reason Tim Ashcroft did not give the Rapier a cooling fan but then he probably did not envisage anyone driving a Rapier through this sort of traffic when he sat down to design the Rapier's engine in 1933/4

Along with Lucas Electrical equipment, SU electric petrol pumps come in for an unfair amount of criticism, mainly this comes from people who are ignorant about the design and maintenance requirements of these items.

Far too many people either are constantly messing about with stuff that they do not understand either how that item is intended to work or what the necessary maintenance or service requirements of the particular piece of equipment are!.

For example many people I have spoken with are completely unaware of the existence of the fuel filter built into the base of the pump. Others are completely ignorant of the valves vital for the pump to work, where they are located within the pump, how they can be accessed, and what attention the may require after extremely long periods of either continuous work or equally long periods of storage. On one occasion I saw a much maligned SU pump mounted vertically with the base horizontal. 

I wonder how many of the people reading this can understand why in this situation it was unfair to expect the pump to deliver fuel to the carburettor. All I can say is that it had absolutely nothing to do with either the make of pump or its land or origin! 

The above diagram was scaned from a book that has been my 'Bible" from my earliest days of messing about with old cars. Second hand it cost in the "old" Australian currency 25 shillings in todays money $2.50.

It's 480 pages cover a huge variety of valuable information and it has saved me on any number of occasions over a very long time. If you are ever lucky enough to see one in a secondhand book shop or at a swap/meet grab it and pay what ever the price is. To give you some idea of the extent of the subjects covered I have included a scan of the contents page and so that you know what to look for the cover and fly-leaf. Being printed in England it relates primarily to British vehicles but included is a great amount of general knowledge.

While It does not show the date it was printed I would imagine somewhere during the late 1940s or early 1950s.

If you do manage to find a copy one thing is sure, it will no doubt be well read and dogeared with possibly some loose pages and damaged binding. None the less it has been for me at least a valuable source of information, much of this I have been unable to find anywhere else.........

Depending on the period of the cars that you have an interest in or whether you are a collector or a "Do-er", either one would contain some information that you may be hard pressed to find else where.

If you never "get your hands dirty" don't worry,  leave them for someone who can appreciate the value of the content.

After more than 50 years I still go back to refer to my copy but then maybe this is because I am so dumb!  or that I have forgotten many of the lessons that I have learnt in the past.

Some people "Know it all" without ever lifting a spanner.

I guess it all depends if you are going to get some value out of owning either book or if it is something you just put on your bookshelf so that you can say that you have one.

 It is a shame that you are so far away but at least these days we have the internet.

Bernie j.

P.S. Much of my comments to Mike must also apply to any number of people reading this. Perhaps it is just as well we are communicating by the internet rather than over a cup of coffee and kicking tires in the garage.

PPS. Hello Mike 

As I understand it you are an Alfa Romeo owner/enthusiast. Unfortunately you will find very little with a direct reference to Italian cars or Alfas in particular. I am much more used to talking about and working on Prewar cars and more especially English Cars and or early 1920s vehicles. Having said that of course the Lagonda Rapier is 1934 and very advanced for that period. I have owned Prewar Lagondas and Rapiers in particular for a very long time. I bought my first car a 1918 Austin 20 hp in 1952. I bought my first Lagonda a 1928 3 Litre tourer in 1967/8.