Restoration of 1919 Standard Model SLS

Short-wheelbase, Long-stroke, Side Valve

The Car before restoration

Back on the road!

Phil Homer, writes:

This 106 year-old car has been in our possession for about 30 years.

It was in quite regular use until 2015 when a fault developed that took it off the road. The reason for this was: The engine has a large aluminium water casting on top, that collects the water rising around the 4 cylinders and directs it into a hose and hence to the top of the radiator. This type of cooling is called Thermo-syphoning. The original aluminium casting had reached the end of its life and collapsed into small pieces.

There were enough pieces however to re-create a pattern, so the Club’s Spares Organisation set about having a small number of castings made. There are only a handful of these cars surviving but we will do our utmost to replicate parts that are essential to keep the cars on the road.

The casting was therefore made, but did not get put on the car, as we were both too busy with other project cars to attend to it, not to mention our full-time employment. The car remained in its lock-up for a number of years.

In 2024, Lynda and I decided that we would not have time to complete the car, though we have restored several cars ourselves beforehand. The SLS had been partly restored in its interior previously, but mechanically and bodily it was original. We decided to bite the bullet and asked a friend if he would restore it for us.

So, in early January the car was delivered to Saun Russell’s premises near Ashby de la Zouch and the stripdown began. Though there were no parts missing, but lots of them needed a great deal of refurbisment to make them fit for purpose again.

The bare chassis

The first task was to remove the body from the chassis. The body tub is built in two distinct pieces: The standalone front scuttle, carrying the dash and windscreen, and bolted behind it, is the separate passenger compartment which also carries the boot with its integral dickey seat. The bonnet and radiator are easily unbolted and so are the four wings and the valances down both sides This all came apart quite easily and the wooden side members were treated for a certain amount of woodworm.

Woodworm is not often encountered in a car restoration, but when it is, it needs to be eradicated entirely! The bare chassis was then primed in grey primer then finished in black,

It was decided that as the car was running just fine right up until the restoration, that no mechanical work was required on the Engine and gearbox, though the brakes did need attention. The footbrake operates on a band on the prop just behind the gearbox and the handbrake just on the rear drums.

The Magneto, Dynamo and Starter all required refurbishment. The SLS was the first Standard built complete with Electrical lighting and starting, not as an optional fitting!

As you can see from Shaun’s photos: The body was removed from the chassis, and the chassis treated and painted. The engine was also painted in what we think was the original colour of British Racing Green. The Autovac system uses a vacuum from the manifold to suck fuel from the tank in the rear and this was rebuilt with parts available from the successor of the original Autovac company, which is still in business.

The wheels being stripped, primed and painted.

The steering wheel was surprisingly intricate.

This shows the constituent parts ready for nickel plating.

Soon the bare body was back on the chassis, interestingly the door gap is adjusted by moving the front part of the body about in relation to the rear half! We had chosen for the body tub to be finished in a colour of Yellow called “Jonquil” whilst all four wings, the underbody valances and the petrol tank were painted in their original black.

The polished wood components of the dash board, scutle, windscreen frame and both running boards responded well to stripping, staining and lacquering.

The Car then went to a local reupholster, who replaced the seats to their original pattern of buttoned black leather rather than the grey fluted material of an earlier restoration.

The original hood was renovated and reinstalled, although it will be replaced later.

On return, with its splendid new leather upholstery in place, Shaun set about putting all the restored ancillaries back on the car. This included the brass headlights. You can see from the photos, for example, how the brass headlights responded to polishing. The photo shows one original light, the other in the polished condition.

Here are some shots nearing completion.

The SLS at the 2025 Standard International Rally

The lesson from this exercise is, 100 year-old Standards are quite simple to restore and need only traditional tools and techniques, without the use of specialist tools or particularly specialist know-how.

Look at the end-result and endeavour to restore that project you have been holding onto in your lean-to. Like us, you will not be disappointed.

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Phil Homer

Historian

Standard Motor Club