Steve Gallichan and his Ensign Restoration Project

"Having sold my 1934 Standard 10 DL saloon after completing its restoration ten years ago I decided to look for a new project. After a couple of failed attempts to find the right car I came across an advert for the 1931 Standard Ensign 16 hp saloon for sale in Classic Car Weekly, December 2002. I contacted the vendor who sent me photos of the car in early Jan 2003. After several phone calls & more photos I arrived in North Yorks with a friend of mine & a trailer hitched to my Jeep, a deal was struck & the car was mine.

 

Amazingly the car was a runner & sounded quite good for her seventy plus years despite running on a mixture of different plugs & plug leads that were definitely past their best. The car even drove onto the trailer under her own power.

 

As I mentioned on the Club message board the body is in perhaps poorer condition than it looks in the photographs. The main difficulty will be the timber frame which has quite a lot of wood worm damage as well as rot, mainly at the rear of the car. This is not going to be an easy restoration, though hopefully it will be worth it as I believe this is possibly one of only two or three in the UK (or as I am living in Ireland, the British Isles). I wrote to Tony Pingriff last year to ask if he had any information on this car or others. I am in correspondence with Trevor Lightfoot in New Zealand however.

 

Now for the details of this car. Its registration number is PL7764, 01/05/31, (does anyone know if this is a Surrey issue, the dealers St. Christopher is F.W.Mays of Dorking they are still in business today) commission number 116408, engine 116351. Its powered by a six cylinder sidevalve engine of 2054cc rated at 16hp for tax, this engine was used the previous year in the Envoy. The car at one time belonged to well known club member Digby Lovel who acquired the car in 1981 & passed it on again in 1984, I bought the car from a chap who I believe had owned it since about 1988. The V5 states the colour as Blue/Black but since I have stripped the shell down I can confirm I have found the original colour scheme of Condor Grey & Black, under the spare wheel carrier, would you believe the same colour scheme as my 10!!.

 

As stated I on the message board the body to the best of my knowledge on this car is the same as the Big Nine (that would be the mark II, following your article) I need a few bitts & pieces & a lot of encouragement but essentially the car is all there, if any members can help please read the message board and the Review!!    

 

Kind regards,

 

Steve Gallichan

Limerick" 

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Hi Steve,

The Ensign is the six cylinder version of the Big 9 with a slightly longer chassis, all in the bonnet area, to accommodate the longer engine, though the bodywork is identical to the 9, so far as I am aware. They were probably only built in penny numbers compared to the 9 because of the tax implications and though a couple survive, yours will be the first on the road!

It is clear from the pictures below (you can click on the smaller ones to see larger versions!) that you have quite a task on your hands here. This is neither a quick nor a cheap restoration to take on and I am sure that there are many that will admire you for your bravery, as I certainly do!  However, given time, application  and help from members you will get there. For inspiration you need look no further than Frank Williams restoration of the very similar Big 9. I am sure Frank and  others will offer their advice - and that is what the club is all about. 

 

Good luck with your restoration, I hope you record it and send me photographs as it progresses.

Phil Homer, Webmaster