Lloyd Alexander TS Ian Cave

Liz Watson Gavin's wife has bought "Likkle Lloyd" and he should be running in the next few weeks more soon.

Dave Burt started this restoration and is being finished by Ian Cave - International Lloyd owner.

Ian Cave contact details 0044(0)1626 334388 email ian.cave@blueyonder.co.uk

The Forty Year Itch. Dave Burt

 

For my 21st birthday, my parents decided to buy me a “real” car, a 1959 100E Anglia, to replace my Lloyd 600 which I had owned for over 3 years. I sold my old Lloyd for £35 and promptly wished I had it back again and now 39 years later I have taken possession of another Lloyd - this time the upmarket Alexander TS model but in what can only be described as construction kit mode.

The car was originally purchased by its one (registered) owner in Singapore in 1959 and was used to drive himself, his wife and three children around the Malay Peninsular for the next three years before being shipped to Liverpool in 1962. It was then driven to Cheltenham where it spent most of the rest of its working life, but was also used by the owner’s daughter while she was at University.

Even a Lloyd eventually shows signs of wear, and the car was in the process of being rebuilt when the owner sadly died, leaving the car in pieces for many years prior to Jean Wells, his daughter, contacting our Norman Williams. Norman promptly provided the rolling chassis and heap of parts a safe haven and prevented it from going to a scrap yard.

In early February 2007, after Norman patiently waited for me to move house for over a year, I collected the car from Birmingham to the West Sussex coast strapped onto a trailer designed to carry Morris 8’s borrowed from a Morris Register friend - a round trip of 400 miles in one day. The recovery was a saga in itself, and I definitely would not advise taking the A24 to Horsham from the M.25, especially at night as it is badly lit, twisty and last resurfaced by a departing Roman Legion! Road humps and a trailer are also a no, no as we found when entering the outskirts of Worthing thinking this route was preferential than the twisty road over the South Downs - the noise levels and my blood pressure rose simultaneously.

On examining my new purchase once safely home, I discovered I had nearly two complete engines (one dismantled, the other with heads, barrels and valve gear removed), a gearbox, carb, dynamo and starter and several boxes of new Lloyd parts including track rod ends and bearings. The dismantled body is in remarkably good condition with little rust and the upholstery will provide good replacement patterns. I have already obtained a replica owner’s handbook (from Spain) and a rear indicator unit (from California) via Ebay and am in the process of working out what will be needed to firstly put the chassis, suspension, steering and brakes in order.

The engine is an all aluminium 600cc overhead cam fan cooled unit mounted transversely and driving the front wheels (a layout used by Lloyd 12 years before the mini). Unusually, the handbrake works on the front brakes whilst the gearbox is the 4-speed variant, fortunately without the vacuum powered clutchless operation which was an option when new. The body panels are bolted to a solid chassis unit and are interchangeable making it possible to convert your saloon to a combi or convertible should the mood take you.

Owning a second Lloyd is like the years falling away. For those unfamiliar with the model, I can best describe it as a 1950’s “smart“ car, being able to carry 4 adults in reasonable comfort yet returning up to 50 mpg. The car has all independent suspension with coil springs to the rear, and two sets of transverse leaf springs, one passing over and the other under the gearbox! The fuel tank is mounted under the bonnet above the gearbox and driveshafts and is fitted with a “reserve” tap under the dashboard to provide 2 liters of fuel if the tank runs low - an essential feature as no fuel gauge is fitted!
I have fortunately been able to retain the original registration number (8447 KC) and the car has already been nicknamed “Casey” not only because of the juxtaposition of the letters, but also as this was my wife’s maiden name.

As I said in my article in Classic’s magazine some years ago, I did not realize how good the Lloyd was until I bought a Ford. Now I have the chance to turn back the clock and hopefully bring this remarkable little car back to life.

My thanks to Jean Wells for providing me with the car’s history and to Norman Williams for saving it from the crusher.

Dave Burt