FLYING 9

Having decided to buy a Flyer it was now where from? During all those years I could not recall having seen one, and having not yet heard of the Standard Motor Club I started to go through the ads in the classic car press. But as is often the case there were none advertised for sale.

Eventually, in May 1992, I saw a 1938 Flying 9 advertised by the late Doug Connell in Kenilworth. So, a quick ‘phone call and one sunny Sunday afternoon off we went to Kenilworth. There, peering out of the gloom at the back of one of Doug’s storage sheds was DZ 6588. So we pushed it out into the sunlight. It’s paintwork was a bit faded, the chrome had lost some of it’s shine, and water had got inside, but it looked just as I remembered them.

Then the obvious question, does it go? Of course said Doug. So we connected up a battery, and, sure enough, after a bit of “churning” away it went. Now for a test drive. It wasn’t taxed, or M.O.T’d so a road run was out of the question, but we did manage a 60 yard round trip on  Doug’s drive. Well the steering was a bit stiff, the brakes didn’t work very well and there was a “clonking” noise from the back axle. But what the heck I’d found my Flyer. So a cup of coffee, a bit of negotiation, and it was mine!

Doug agreed to tax and M.O.T. it and deliver it to Raglan which he did a few days later. At the first opportunity I took it for a drive round the local lanes and the truth slowly dawned on me, this car was going to need some serious work before it was really useable.( now where have I heard that before?) We used it locally for a while to get a feel for what needed doing, and also joined the Standard Motor Club so that we had access to information, spares, etc., and could also discuss any problems with people more knowledgeable than ourselves.

During this time I decided to try and trace the history of the car, which although it has a N. Ireland registration, had a supplier plate attached to one of the doors for Fowler & Armstrong Ltd. of Durham. Enquiries showed that this garage had been demolished some years earlier and is now a housing estate.

Further enquiries with the D.V.L.A. gave the date of first registration as 24/3/36, registration number CUP 625 (currently re-issued and not available), Commission number AB 5551, and exported to N.Ireland on 1/8/91. It is interesting to note that AB 5551 identifies the car as a model 9B, built in late 1937!

Now currently the car has commission number N 13971 which was allocated to a Flying 8!! Checking with the N.Ireland Vehicle Licensing Authority, their records show it was first registered on 30 June 1939, and exported on 5/10/92. You will recall I purchased it in the U.K. in May 1992!!

So, what is it? Well as can be seen from the photographs it is definitely a Flying 9, and it was originally registered CUP 625, because during restoration we found the original rear number plate underneath the Irish one.

I won’t go into details of the restoration, except to say that my son and I wanted it to look as near as possible to how it left the factory. The car was stripped down to a rolling shell and the bodywork sorted out and painted professionally. With my son I carried out the mechanical work. The rear axle “clunk” was found to be due to about 1/3 of the crown wheel teeth having rusted away! The engine had good oil pressure and was just cleaned and painted, and a complete new wiring harness fitted.

Restoration was completed in 1996, since when the car has won numerous cups and trophies at shows around the country.

Finally if anyone knows the whereabouts of Reg No CUP 625 I would love to know.