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HUMBER SUPER SNIPE SERIES 111 1961 RESTORATION BY KEV WARBURTON
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THIS PAGE DOES HAVE PICS AND THEY MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO DOWNLOAD. IT IS WORTH THE WAIT. Best Viewed in 800 x 600 Getting Started. This was really the easy part. For a job like this I now realise that you need a lifetime. Put simply it is a never ending project. I would like to thank Brian Phillips from the Humber Club of WA Inc [P.O. Box 565, Kalamunda WA] for making a second vehicle available which allowed me to continue with this exercise and ultimately complete it. This support at the beginning stages was essential. The aim has been to restore the Humber doing the work myself and I have been successful in this goal. Please email me at kev6@hotmail.com if you would like to talk about car restoration in general or as applies specifically to the Snipe. I love the Snipe and want to ensure that this wonderful vehicle lives into the future.
PLEASE VISIT MY SECOND SITE WHICH HAS A LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. This is where I am constantly updating the info and I have more control over the page than I do here. Look forward to seeing you there.
WANTED!!!!!!!!! PICS OF HUMBER SUPER SNIPES. THIS MEANS YOUR CAR OR ANOTHER SO THAT I CAN BUILD A DATA BASE OF EXCELLENT PHOTOS FOR ALL TO SEE. To my knowledge no such collection exists and you can help by simply forwarding a pic of a Humber together with info relating to same to my email address at the bottom of the page. I am really serious about getting a decent collection of photos together listing all the Snipes so please help even if it means taking a new photo of that Humber in your friend's garage.
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Boy oh boy,did this take some time. I had a respectable car which you could drive.It was all in one piece and looked a bit tired, but it was complete. Then I decided to restore it. It became a wreck for eight years with on and off work depending on the time available. Once started the hard part was remembering where everything was. You would go to do some work and it would take you an at least an hour to figure where the hell you were, and this was with a good labelling system::))))) The first two pics give you an idea of where I had to start. For a long time I began to wonder why I had ever began what at first seemed to be a "simple" project. The car had a little rust and it actually ran. I decided to do the full restore with paint, panel and interior being the priority. The mechanics weren't too bad ......well this was true but the water pump, the complete braking system ...etc ..once you start there is no end to it and you can't just go down to the local auto shop and buy replacement parts. Although it should be noted that some bits are available under different names. In other words it may be listed as a part for another vehicle. Very few salepeople these days have heard of Humber Super Snipes. The points, distributor cap, oil filter, aircleaner and plugs all fit into this category for example. There is one point I need to make to anyone even contemplating a restoration project....and that is the very special need to half a second car as a backup for parts. Without it I would not have been able to get the Humber on the road. You just can't get a spare set of king pins. Well if you know where you can email me straight away ::))) It is a critical factor. Make sure you visit my second site which is the first listed in the Link Url's at http://members.spree .com/lifestyles/humber. This is well worth the time as I am constantly adding to it in an effort to retain the future of the Humber Super Snipe. You may also like to email me using the link at the bottom of the page.
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The pic to the right shows the straight six motor which even at this stage ran well with a full glass of beer sitting on the tappet cover. It was amazing, it never even looked liked moving........it just sat there.
The motor had been serviced and basically ran well every time you turned the key. However work was needed and of course parts were not freely available over the counter. At the beginning I could have bought a new water pump kit and didn't. That was a big mistake and now I buy whatever new parts come available. Please take note if you are serious about any restoration project. The problem is of course that they are few and far between. You need heaps of time and there is never enough....and lots of patience.....They say I don't have any, so you figure it out.......I don't bother anymore:::)))) The point is that this baby was transformed.... big time and is now an absolute pleasure to drive in wet or fine weather. The replacement of both windscreens and the way they were installed had a lot to do with this. By the way, to install a new headlining you have no alternative other than to take out both front and rear windscreens which is quite easy really, but getting them back with the chrome inserts...well...even the professionals have real problems given the glass is old and very fragile. The good news is that I didn't break either screen and I still have the two spares. God willing I won't have to refit them. though.
Hey!!!! Have you guys heard of Penrite Oil???? This is the real stuff and is excellent for old motors. The straight six lapped up the heavy duty stuff and I am convinced it will extend its life significantly. It is made in Australia ans well worth consideration.
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The Huge Very Steady Straight Six. This is a beautiful motor and a key to the car's success. Unlike a modern vehicle you actually have space within which to work. I will be taking some more pics so that the improvements I have made may be seen. Make sure you visit my other site at http://members.spree.com/lifestyles/humber which is the first listed in the Url's at the bottom of the page. I am working on this page and heaps of information will be added in the next few weeks.
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The Restored 1961 Humber Super Snipe The car as you see it has new paint, full interior rebuild, complete new braking system, and replaced parts including the water pump, the generator and relay mechanism, petrol pump, carby, dashboard electrics and the walnut woodwork finish and a full set of new tyres imported from New Zealand.
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Well ...after eight years I didn't think I would ever get to this stage and it took more than a long service leave to do it. How many hours???? Gosh don't ask..it was heaps and heaps and still continues. The cost???.. well not too bad as most of the work except the upholstery of the seats I did myself. The car may look finished... but then there is the front end, the diff, the automatic...$2600 to sort out this baby and make it like new and I have one of the last gasket kits in the state. The challenge has been met however and the car is on the way. Just need to win lotto to finish it. The Humber you now see is fully licensed in the state of Western Australia and driving on the road on a daily basis. Even after 12 months the car interior still smells like new as everything has been replaced.....the lot. From the headlining to the door finishes to the carpet to the seals to the woodwork etc. All that needs to be done now is a systematic rebuild of motor gearbox and drivetrain....simple really ::)))
I love driving it. They don't make them like this anymore. There is not enough about Humber on the web and this is my attempt to keep Humbers alive. Please email me at the below address if you have accessed this page and have any interest in the Humber Super Snipe or the restoration in general. With what I know now the next car would be a lot quicker. Hey....did I say the next car????? Stop me if I do that. My aim is to record the whole restoration project and what you see here is just the start. In order to keep up with what I am doing please visit my second site to which I am adding fo more details on this delightful British sedan. You will find the Url at the top of the list at the bottom of this page. http:/members.spree.com/lifestyle/humber
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