[Cyrus43]

Originally Posted by Stanher

I'd rather not dare!

You're his dikra, you can try! Throw a tantrum, refuse to study (if you're still a student) or something! Hehe...

Yea, That doesnt Work Anymore...Tried And Tested!!

[Stanher]

Once again a little sneak-peek on my '62 herald (too lazy to start a full-fledged & more comprehensive page featuring the full restoration- yet! )

Car has been primered temporarily, just to protect the body.
He said that the next step would be taking the body-off, followed by the patchwork/denting etc.

Also a pic. of the other (mk2) Herald which is almost done.

[Stanher]

Well guys, I guess its high time I shared this news- this week (after a seemingly loooooooooooong wait of 3 months!) I have become the proud owner of a lovely, original, and by and large complete 1961 Standard Pennant!! cheers:

This car is remarkably complete even though it has been through 3-4 owners until now! (Strangely although from the RC it is mentioned to've been originally registered with this number, it appears to be a mid '60s registration)
However, although well preserved I wouldnt say it has been well cared for lately, going by the persent condition.
Apart from the glaring bodywork there are a few *ahem* minor! mechanical/electrical issues that need to be settled.

But considering that it has had quite careful owners in the past (one of whom'd even had the car serviced at Auto Chenoy, an ex-standard dealer!) it overall needs relatively less work to bring it back to superb condition!

I and my mech. finally collected it yesterday (after a day's delay in the owner obtaining a copy of the RC as he'd submitted the original one for a renewal), following which we did face quite a few trials and tribulations in driving her home (original plan was to have her drvien down to the garage where I'm getting my herald done up, so this car could be done up for the 15th august rally.....but considering the delay we were to face we decided we could only take her home), which I shall talk about later- am thinking of compiling a whole travelogue on this for all there is to talk about!

The few cosmetic parts notwithstanding, only noticeable major item missing is the front grille. I was told it was once bumped into by an autorickshaw at a low speed, which resulted in the inner slats getting dislodged (from my experience they are quite fragile) and the owner had kept them at home but they unfortunately got misplaced!
They can be improvised upon by using an amby mk3 grille though.

Rest everything seems intact on the outside. The missing front hubcap is actually lying in a plastic bag inside the car!

Again, interior is astonishingly intact! Note the original (and rare) red piping around door openings. Infact the missing white plastic ring on the inner door handle (driver's door) is lying in the car behind the back seat! Only the seats which have been re-upholstered at a recent point of time. I'm not sure about the door pads though.
Indicator stalk is missing though and VERY difficult to source locally!

Mechanically although the car is by and large trouble-free, the brake and clutch cylinders have been leaking oil incessantly while in use! Also reverse gear is found difficult to engage, even despite trying the correct way.
Then of course electricals (headlights etc.) need to be fixed.

Taking the car out again this morning we have left it for tinkering/painting (just on the outside for now! 'not stripping it for obvious reasons) besides sorting the above issues.

But all in all, I'm quite happy with this car, and as Ive said, the gremlins should be relatively easy to fix- but hopefully before 15th august!!

[JayD]

Congrats Chettan on the ew ride, looks good, but needs a lil more work, but u seem to have gotten it all in control! All the best for your project!

[SuperSelect]

Wow ! Big congratulations, Shyam - she's a beauty !! Keep us posted. Are you going to maintain the blue and white colour combo ??

[JayD]

This car reminds me of our Blue and white penant. It was the first car that was bought new by my grandfather.(Till then we had a staple diet of ford V8s) in 1961. It had regn number KLE-1012, wonder where the car is now, can anyone get some leads??

Also, along with us, another person known to us bought a green and white penant, KLE-1112. The car was with the same family till a couple of years back, and had started to deterioriate, but was certainly restorable. I used to see the car at their house, till some yrs back, but was not too interested in it so didn't bother, some time back i went to investigate, but the car and the house itself were gone!!! Now there a flat going to come up there!!

[bluestraveller]

Didn't you have a brown one? what happened to that car?
Congrats! This one looks really neat.

[iraghava]

Congratulations Shyam! She certainly does look quite complete but needs a good dose of denting/painting! Best of Luck for the rally!

[girishpv]

Congrats Shyam, she is very nice and with little effort she will be shining.
All the best and keep us posted
cheers

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Only the seats which have been re-upholstered at a recent point of time. I'm not sure about the door pads though.

Mechanically although the car is by and large trouble-free, the brake and clutch cylinders have been leaking oil incessantly while in use! Also reverse gear is found difficult to engage, even despite trying the correct way.

Congratulations on a superb buy. The car appears to br in original paint. Have you verified this? If I were you I wouldnt repaint it, at least not the cream part.

The hydraulic clutch and brake cylinders and constantly prone to leakage, especially with the third grade rubber kits we get here. I suggest you stock up on them.

To engage reverse gear there is a knack, nothing else. Just pull the knob upwards and slightly rearwards, you will hear a click. Then move left and up.

Cheers

[Dussey]

Hearty Congrats Shyam ! Great to see one more classic getting back to life. The humble Pennant was very much ahead of its time with looks which were so very different from other marques. They had lovely instruments and switches especially the small little stalk indicator switch with a light and the steering wheel with an aluminum grip on its spokes !
Congrats once again.

[Stanher]

Thanks to all of you who'd replied!!
Wow, I never imagined that a humble little Standard Pennant could get so much attention!

Originally Posted by JayD

Congrats Chettan on the ew ride, looks good, but needs a lil more work, but u seem to have gotten it all in control! All the best for your project!

Nanni chettAn!
Glad to hear that your grandpa too had a similar car! I hope its still there!

Originally Posted by Superselect

Wow ! Big congratulations, Shyam - she's a beauty !! Keep us posted. Are you going to maintain the blue and white colour combo ??

Yes absoultely! Its the distinctive colour of the pennant.
But I'm just considering changing the blue to a slightly lighter, softer shade- this one appears a little too loud, kind of like police jeeps in the past! But thats just a thought.

Originally Posted by bluestraveller

Didn't you have a brown one? what happened to that car? Congrats! This one looks really neat.

Thanks! Yes, I did have the cream and brown one earlier- sold it just recently to someone else who's willing to restore the car! 'couldnt handle another project. If its something like this, I dont mind!

Originally Posted by iraghava

Congratulations Shyam! She certainly does look quite complete but needs a good dose of denting/painting! Best of Luck for the rally!

Originally Posted by girishpv

Congrats Shyam, she is very nice and with little effort she will be shining.
All the best and keep us posted

Thanks Ishaan & girish!

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Congratulations on a superb buy. The car appears to br in original paint. Have you verified this? If I were you I wouldnt repaint it, at least not the cream part.
The hydraulic clutch and brake cylinders and constantly prone to leakage, especially with the third grade rubber kits we get here. I suggest you stock up on them.
To engage reverse gear there is a knack, nothing else. Just pull the knob upwards and slightly rearwards, you will hear a click. Then move left and up.

thanks Karl! Uh, yes I do know how to engage the reverse, but none who drove the car could do so- not even the garage guys! He said its the problem with the lever and can be set right with some grinding/brazing by a lathe machine. 'so hope it'll be allright then.
He also verified the paint and said that it isnt original- he showed me a couple of small cracks in the paint, at the base of the rear roof pillars and said that wouldnt happen if its original paint.
Plus with a clsoer look I could see the blue paint a little chipped off at one place revealving a previous coat. And then the rear body wing rubbers are painted over- which means it isnt original, but may have been done a long time ago nevrtheless.
Actually to be honest I too dont want to repaint the cream portion if I can help it! Only there is a major chip-off on the front left mudguard below the headlight- do you suggest a touch-up there instead? Plus the little pimples of rust in various places, which can be polished over I guess?
Its inevitable to repaint the blue part though, as if you look closely you'll notice both the front doors have rust along the bottoms so need patchwork there.

Originally Posted by dussey

Hearty Congrats Shyam ! Great to see one more classic getting back to life. The humble Pennant was very much ahead of its time with looks which were so very different from other marques. They had lovely instruments and switches especially the small little stalk indicator switch with a light and the steering wheel with an aluminum grip on its spokes !
Congrats once again.

Thanks dussey! Yes the pennant was indeed ahead of its time among small cars!
Not to mention the fact that many of these alone plied as taxis in madras back then. How I envy the people who got to ride in them, and even the lowly drivers who drove them! 'can only get to admire the cars in old tamil film songs at the most!

[anjan_c2007]

Congrats Stanher- an excellent example indeed. Its very nice to see an original car in its original avatar. The paint job is also original, I feel despite three owners using it. And vow the dash, engine and the period sunshade(an accessory)! The company name on the rear boot lid is missing-we see only 10. Hope you will wait till you get the original grille- these things come along by sheer luck at the appropriate time in the appropriate market place. The Mark 3 grille will do the job presently, hopefully.

[amit V8]

stanher,
is the car a STANDARD trim or the DELUXE trim (as i heard before)? because the DELUXE came with this two tone paint along with a white-green combo also. i have seen a similar white-green model here in kolkata. so any color choices yet?

[Cyrus43]

Well Well Well!! Congrats Shyam!! That is an excelent buy indeed!!! Dad, now even he has got one!! Hamara time kab ayega??