Standard Flying 9

In the 1930s, the Standard Motor Company gained an enviable reputation for building good, reliable, comfortable cars at a keen price. The 9hp model was the baby of the range, offering entry level motoring for those of limited means. The Flying 9 of 1937 had a slightly larger engine of 1,131cc and a 4-speed gearbox. This particular car had sat in a damp shed for many decades and the rust had taken its toll.

The good news is it’s complete with nothing missing. However the bad news is that everything is corroded.

After stripping down and bead blasting, the problems with the body are apparent. Here it is mounted on the restored chassis to support it correctly and aid in the alignment of all panels.

After much welding, the body is trial assembled to finalize panels & door gaps and alignments prior to spraying. The car has a factory fitted sunroof – a common feature of Pre-War saloons.

The 1,131cc side valve engine is typical of most Pre-War small engines – cast iron block, single down-draught carburetor, external oil filter and no water pump (it used a thermo-syphon system). The 4-speed gearbox is a bonus – usually you only got 3 speeds.

After rebuilding, the engine looks splendid. The head is aluminium, which saves a bit of weight, but suffers terribly from corrosion. Fortunately this one isn’t too corroded or seized onto the head studs.

The body shell is sprayed whilst mounted onto the chassis. The wings are assembled later using bolts and wing piping.This is where the story ended for us – the owner wanted to assemble the car himself. Quite often we undertake partial restorations like this, only doing the parts that require our specialist skills and equipment.