Good morning all. Just so's you know, it's lunchtime here: we're four hours ahead of you in the summer (ie. now), three in the winter. It's also raining; very unseasonal, should be about 40C out there just now, instead it's a pleasant 25C or so. Good day for working on the wee beast
First, thanks for the additional info Micro mate - much appreciated again.
Second, Richard wanted more pics. Not sure if this should be a new thread, but I'll add them here in small files, and Jean, perhaps you could let me know what the policy on threads is: new one for each subject, or consolidate them by marque, perhaps?
Below you'll find four images. The first is for the number collectors out there - it's the plate for the beast. My next concern is trying to date it but I'm not sure I can from this. So far I have detected a few differences between the various Solytos I've managed to track down, but I'll definitely need another thread for that. In the meantime, for experts (like Jean-do and Michel), the chassis number is 72598, the type is TC7, and the address is 124 Ave Lacassagne. It has a solid rear axle, the engine cover has pointed rather than rounded corners at the top, and the doors are rear hung suicide type. I reckon that makes it 1958 or 1959, but I'm not sure.
The second pic shows the floor. It has a bit of rust issue; might polish out, but I suspect not. It's clearly had a lot of salt water rolling round in there...
The third pic reveals that the sides are rather higher than for a normal canvas topper, and a quick check reveals evidence that it used to be the van type. I have thought about this long and hard, and decided to replicate the canvas top. It is not a true restoration, but it does continue the Solyto's development, and makes a more useful machine at the end of it. It is also a lot easier for me, in that I really don't have the means to handle large sheets of steel and my rollers and wheeling machine are still in the UK (at home in Scotland). Finally, a steel top would render the machine an oven here, and I don't want to cook myself, the wife or the dog.
The next pic shows the conversion work in hand - trimming to sides to a neat level, then folding them down into a flange (the one at the far side in the pic was one I completed earlier). I would normally have got it blasted and primed first, but it's so flimsy I've decided to do some serious work to stiffen the shell then get it blasted before doing the final repairs. The flanges at the rear add massively to the strength of the shell, and I suspect the floor will do much the same at the other end...
There's a lot to do, but I already enjoy it immensely, and my new found friends on this forum have given me a huge boost; it's great to know that there are supporters out there - we are not alone!
Cheers, Will
