Lever on steering wheel

[PEDRO VILLAS-BOAS]

[I bought recently a Bentley 3 1/2 liter Sport Saloon bodied by William Arnold.
I am in process of doing a detailed revision on the car in my own workshop.

Needing some help:

1. Where can I get parts for this model and engine?

2. There is a lever on the steering wheel saying "Normal" and "Dipper". It actuates a switch at the bottom of the steering column, but nothing seems to happen. The head lamp beam dipper system is working from the light switch on the instrument panel. What is this lever supposed to do ?


Kind regards

Pedro Villas-Boas

[Nicholas Simons]

Parts can be had from Ristes and Fiennes.
There are four levers on the steering column centre.
Left; idle speed.
Right; early-late timing.
Top; starting mixture.
Bottom; ride control. This will most probably not be working.
If your car is a special, it's anybody's guess.

[Ewan Gallie]

Ciao Pedro,
A photo would help. My headlamp dipper is a floor mounted foot operated button. Maybe if you have it at steering wheel level you've lost connections somewhere.

Salutations (covid19 free) from Milan
Ewan

[Christopher Carnley]

Correction to the above.

William Arnold of Manchester started making Derby Bentleys from the AE series, 1933/34.
The ride controllable dampers and gearbox pump were introduced in later CW series at the end of 1934.
I believe that this car of Pedro is from the BL series, so the lower lever would operate the solenoid, to dip the lights.
Clunkety, clunk.

[Nicholas Simons]

Thanks, Chris, for the clarification. It would help if people would identify the year and series when posting questions.

[Christopher Carnley]

Yes, true.

[PEDRO VILLAS-BOAS]

Thankyou very much for the information sent.
I shall try anf follow the wiring out of the switch to see if it goes to the head lamps.
By the way the car was buitl in 1934. Sorry not to have disclosed before.

kind regards
Pedro

[Nicholas Simons]

Pedro
The chassis number always helps with questions.