From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Car's first test ride, detailing issues with the sunshine roof, side levers, internal mirror, and numberplate suspension.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 55\1\ Scan117 | |
| Date | 18th December 1931 | |
| COPY. X5992. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}5/M18.12.31. X3120. X5992. C. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} HN.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} 20 - G - 4. We had our first opportunity of riding in this car on the 16th. last. (1) There was a peculiar roar emitted from the eddy free front when the sunshine roof was closed. We ascertained that opening the roof to shew .250" of daylight from inside was more than enough to cure the roar. This roar was also cured by packing the gap between the sunshine roof and the screen rail with a torn up hankerchief. It would appear that the front of the sunshine roof sliding member should be shut up against a piece of soft rubber tubular piping or sorbo rubber so as to prevent the air flowing smoothly over the eddy free front, and blowing across this gap like a tin whistle or flute. Possibly Dodd will be able to arrange to pack a piece of such piping on the inside of the screen rail, and we shall watch this trouble on any other cars that we build. From the sketch herewith the phenomenon can be seen illustrated, and it also appears to us that there should be a dripping ledge at 'A' otherwise one cannot see why the water will not travel round and drip inside the car. (2) Side levers as fitted were not correct and the gear lever is well in the way of the leg, the brake lever being well away from the door pillar. The correct setting for the gear lever for the synchro mesh gearbox is given on N.sch. 3388., which we appreciate may not have reached the Expl. Dept. from the production D.O. prior to completion of this chassis. We will change the levers when the car returns to England, but in the meantime we suggest that Dodd should bend the brake lever and gear lever out as close as possible towards the body and per sketch attached. This can be done by the use of two bending irons. (3) The internal driving mirror was removed at WW. as this was decidedly dangerous, several people knocking their heads on the sharp corner of the glass. We shall return it to Park Ward when the car returns to England, and will have the best mirror we can find ready for fitting. (4) We were pleased to see that Derby fitted a gate to the rear numberplate suspension in the place of the long bracket provided by Park Ward. This long bracket was very necessary due to the use of the Dunlop dummy hub instead of the one designed at WW. On the Dunlop dummy hub the wheel has to be drawn back off a spigot about 4" long. -1- | ||