Talk:AC Aceca

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REMINISCENCES

In the early 70s, I was amazed to learn from my anthropology teacher in Vermont, over a few beers, that he had raced Acecas on dirt tracks in the late 50s. "The key to making that car perform," he said, "is to advance the timing and run it at 6000 rpm."

Before I rebuilt my car, I drove it all over Vermont dirt roads, and OFF-ROAD on woods roads and through fields!! It had terribly low clearances, but the huge 16" wheels could take it almost anywhere. The car is almost perectly balanced fore and aft, which makes it incredibly stable and controllable in a four-wheel slide on a dirt road.

The incredibly light weight (all tubular steel frame, all aluminum block, aluminum body, and carbon fiber [i.e., WOOD!] construction) allowed us to jump-start this car really easily when the battery was dead. You'd just start pushing, then jump in and throw it into second and it would start in one revolution of the engine! ~jlancaster

If there was a class for "Bad Article"...

...this would be in it.

There are *no* references, minimal wikification, no sections, and a LARGE amount of hearsay!

Can someone please, please, PLEASE clean this up?

Respectfully, SamBlob (talk) 18:14, 30 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

SamBlob, First-hand reports are not hearsay!! ~jlancaster I have fully dismantled this car and put it back together again. The descriptions are accurate. The AC-engine is very close in design to the Bristol engine description --- overhead, rocker-seated valves, with valve-shaft driven by a double-chain connecting to the crankshaft. Three in-line SU carburetors mounted on engine's left side (facing forward), with straight headers out the opposing right side, merging into dual tail-pipes. All reports of driving and performance are "first-hand" evidence, not hearsay. Specifications entered are all directly from the original Owner's Manual.

To the writer of the above:

Where are these "first-hand reports" documented? Statements in Wikipedia articles should not be made without a basis in reliable documentary evidence. See WP:NOR for more details.

The Owner's Manual is probably allowable as a source of specifications by Wikipedia since these are factual data and not opinions reflecting the manufacturer's point of view. However, this source should be cited in the article.

"One notable feature was the hatchback at the rear, making the Aceca only the second car, after the 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4, to incorporate this element." - opening paragraph

This in particular needs verification by an independent expert source. How do we know this?

The fourth paragraph is almost entirely subjective gushing over the Aceca sprinkled lightly with facts like nuts on top of a sundae. Unfortunately, one of those few "facts" does not seem to be right, either:

"The front-end styling of the Ace and Aceca reportedly traces back to a design done by Pinin Farina for AC in the late 40s." - fourth paragraph

Who reported this? Is the person who reported this credible? Until those questions are answered, this is hearsay. As far as I've read elsewhere, the Ace was designed by John Tojiero as a racing car. Did Tojiero have Pininfarina (the company, not necessarily Batista "Pinin" Farina himself) design the body?

The fifth paragraph starts off just as gushing, but at least it goes from there into technical detail which looks correct by comparison with what I've read about the BMW 328 engine. However, I am not sure that my source covers the Bristol engine in the same detail, and I don't think it mentions the use of Bristol's BMW-based engines in AC cars, so I can't use that source.

Then we have the sixth paragraph, beginning as follows:

"One who has driven many thousands of miles in an Aceca reports that the car is a true pleasure to drive." - opening of sixth paragraph.

Who is this "one"??? Is he an expert? Has he published his findings in a credible journal, such that this published source can be quoted? If not, then all of his statements are inadmissible to Wikipedia.

The sixth paragraph goes on to be highly subjective, sprinkled with dialect and jargon ("...engine is a bit 'doggy' on the low end...", "...a heating system that might pass muster in Britain but..."), and is far better suited to a friendly chat than it is to an encyclopaedia article.

Actually, what was said of the sixth paragraph same can probably be said of the entire article. It is more like two chaps discussing the car over tea before a fireplace and much less like an encyclopaedia article. This would be all well and good if this were not an encyclopaedia, but it is!

Respectfully, SamBlob (talk) 03:17, 10 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ac Aceca - Triumph Engine

Triumph Engine AC Aceca Factory Installed in 1957 - AC Aceca factory installed Triumph engine.

After the restoration of this AC Aceca on Car SOS the owner and Car SOS were in touch with the AC Committee. What they thought was a previous replacement engine installation was actually a one and only factory installed Triumph engine. The Stock letter ’T’ refers to Triumph in the log book.

Date: July 2nd 1957 Car: AC Aceca Color: Gunmetal with Red AC Leather Stock#: TAE 618 (T representing Triumph) All other vehicles listed have AE Dealer: K. N. Rudd Ltd Sussex Buyer: Wing Cdr G T Dale

History:

Originally built in 1957 this rare AC Aceca (1 of 328) was the only ‘one’ factory installed Triumph engine. AC at the time was looking to replace their original AC engine and built this as a trial. It was sold to Wing Commander G T Dale. After 14 years it was then purchased in 1971 by it’s second owner who has owned it to this day. It has gone through a full restoration thanks to CAR SOS and now is home to the British Motor Museum for the Car SOS Exhibition until Feb 2019.

Restoration:

In 2015 Car SOS was contacted to restore this one of a kind AC Aceca. To the owners knowledge the car was being shown in an exhibit for AC Aceca’s until all was revealed at the end. Members of the AC Committee were at the reveal and it wasn’t until after the show when the AC committee got involved that they found out that this was a one of a kind factory installed Triumph engine. In 1957 AC had been looking to replace the AC engine and wanted to try out the Triumph engine as an option.

Car SOS exhibition at the British Motor Museum:

Car SOS took their show on the road at the British Motor Museum. The exhibition includes a pre-war Austin 'Tilly' truck which underwent a sympathetic overhaul, a vibrant yellow Lancia Delta Intergrale with a touching back story and rare AC Aceca sports car along with four others - an MGA, Volvo P1800, Aston Martin DB6 and a Ford Capri 3100. — Preceding unsigned comment added by AC.ACECA (talk • contribs) 02:24, 24 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]