In the previous article, you can read that here, we met Geert and his beautifully restored Triumph Herald 12/50 Saloon. But as we already indicated, Geert was not completely satisfied with the driving characteristics of the car after the first restoration in 1994. The chassis was not perfect, and that caused problems in the steering. Left-handed it went fine, but when turning right Geert clearly felt a difference. Eventually, after years of hesitation, he decided to replace the chassis completely.
The start of a big project
Geert says: "After the alignment it turned out that a lot more filler plates were needed on the front right than on the front left. You could feel that especially in the corners, which was the deciding factor for me to replace the chassis. I still had a chassis from a Herald that I had bought years ago. Together with Arthur Denzler we got it from the attic."
It initially seemed to be in good condition, but after cleaning and derusting, a number of problems came to light. “It had been welded, but it was done badly. So we cleaned and welded it again,” says Geert. “The sides of the chassis were a bit weak and formed collection points for mud. That caused the bodywork to move a bit. That’s why we decided to close those parts and reinforce them, as well as the front outriggers.”
Accurate measurements and sturdy construction
Geert left nothing to chance. He carried out a diagonal measurement in between to correct any deviations in the chassis and followed the manuals carefully to check the attachment points for the bodywork. “For the preservation, I put the chassis in four layers of Hamerite and treated the beams internally with Tectyl. The chassis was temporarily made rolling with parts that I had in stock, but as many existing parts as possible were reused, because they were newly purchased and functioned well.”
New brake and fuel lines were already fitted, so that everything would be easily accessible later. Then came the moment of no return: the disassembly of the Herald.
Reassembling the car
“The hood and sills were removed, the engine was taken out and placed on the new chassis,” Geert recalls. “The bodywork was reinforced with strips at the point where the front and the back meet, as described in the manual. In retrospect, I think this was not really necessary, because the doors and the roof already provide sufficient strength.”
The most exciting moment was lifting the bodywork with two hoists and placing it on the new chassis. “The old chassis was removed, and the new one was slid underneath. Luckily my neighbor was willing to help, because as the old saying goes: two pairs of hands make light work.”
The first impression was that the bodywork was nicely straight on the chassis, and the distances between the parts were almost equal. Together with his neighbor, Geert mounted the hood, a crucial step because it is important that everything fits together well: the doors, sills and the hood.
Looking to the future
Thanks to this thorough restoration, Geert now drives around in a Herald that not only looks great, but also steers perfectly. This restoration project was not only a technical challenge, but also a way for Geert to express his passion for the Triumph Herald to the next level. And as you may have read in our previous article, he enjoys sharing this story with others who share his love for classic cars.
(Photos continue below)
Chapeau. I have no other words for it. Wishing you many more years of driving pleasure