to Champ or not to Champ......

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Jack and Richard for the very helpful information! I'm sure I will be begging for more of your Champ wisdom often.

Jack: That starter does crank over the engine rather fast for a 24v starter running on just 12v. The 24v charging system appears to be still intact, but the previous owner had been running the Champ on just the one 12v battery since he has owned it. It should have boiled that one battery within minutes of running if the original 24v system was working properly. Will check it all soon.

The steering wheel on the other Champ is not much better than the one on this one....I will figure something out to repair it.

The plan is to repair the brakes and do a cosmetic restoration only, at least for now.

Richard: Thank You for finding the history on this Champ! It's certainly has travelled a long way from home, hasn't it?

Looks like your group is putting those Champs through their paces in the video...and it also appears they are taking it well! They look to be very rugged vehicles, but this one will never see any off-road use.......unless I win the lottery and can afford to repair it.

Oh, and engine is original to the vehicle..

Thanks again!
David

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

A couple of last comments and I will leave you in peace.
The indicators on the windscreen frame are original, can't say I have ever seen any here in OZ.
Appears from the pics that the previous owner has done a lovley job making the front bumper straight - they are supposed to be bent inwards at the centre.
You made mention of the rec'd fuel tank, is the bash plate among your spares?

Pretty normal to still have the original engine, but neat all the same !

You could join the Austin Champ Owners Club ( has the rather doubtful acronym of A COC), the award winning Champ World magazine is well worth the subscription.

Rich.

[Keith Webb]

And you should get the 2012 Corowa DVD with a segment on Richard's Champ showing how to drive backwards.

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Richard and Keith for the reply!

Picked up the other Champ this weekend. Was a 6-hour round trip, but I consider that a fairly 'local' haul for here in Texas.

The second one was a parts donor for the first, but still has potential as a restoration project if someone was really motivated. It is also fairly rot-free except for the battery box. There are no brass data plates or engine tag present on this one. Is there somewhere else to look for identification numbers?

"Bubba" was definitely smoking something strong when he decided to turn his modified front bumper into a muffler on this Champ.

The second one appears to have been disabled for some time. Had two Willard-brand batteries installed... I think they have been out of business since the early 60's.

At least the first Champ I picked up now has a new sun-baked buddy to keep it company, although it doesn't look too willing to play at the moment....

Thanks, David

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Lots of good bits still left on your donor vehicle, I think it will prove invaluble.
I assume the front bumper was also used as a portable Barbie Plate ( not sure what you call them in Texas) for cooking sausages and steak, it would certainly get hot enough.
Some Champs have a number stamped on the top front of the chassis behind the bumper, however this appears to be just a manufactures number and has no relation to the number of a completed vehicle.
Rich.

[Mike Cecil]

Richard,

It's a GRILL ..... one BBQ's on a Grill in this fair country: BBQing is the action, the Grill is the instrument on which one does the action. (Confused??) And gas does NOT come in bottles .... in the USA you obtain 'propane in a propane tank..' (Go figure....)

Mike 'I have so much to learn' C

[David DeWeese]

A grill is used to fast-cook meat, a smoker is used to slow-cook meat, but it is only after applying the thick tomato and molasses-based BBQ sauce that it becomes barbecue.

If you grill a chicken, it's grilled chicken. If you slow cook a chicken in a hard wood fired smoker, it's smoked chicken... BUT, if you apply barbecue sauce to the chicken, well then it is barbecued chicken!

So, in Texas barbecue is a noun, verb and adjective!

Do I get an award for hi-jacking my own thread!

Thanks, David