Stalled Project: 1958 Lloyd Alexander TS Micro Car
German automaker Lloyd Engine Works was originally a manufacturer of luxury cars in its early days, with roots dating all the way back to 1908, but the company was folded into the Borgward Group in 1929, with the Lloyd brand not being used on another passenger car again until 1950 when the small Lloyd 300 was introduced. Several other cars followed, including the 600 in 1955, along with the Alexander in 1957. If you’re into microcars and in the market for an unusual project, this 1958 Lloyd Alexander TS might be a worthy contender. The car is located in Oroville, California, and can be spotted here on Craigslist. The seller is asking for $6,500 to make it yours.
Barn Finds reader Pat L. has a great eye for finding unusual cars for us to feature, and we’d like to thank him again for the tip on this one! The Alexander was very similar to the 600, and it was also offered in two models. You could get the standard Alexander, or you could opt for the Alexander TS which came around a year later in 1958, although both were rather short-lived with production ending in 1961. The seller’s car is the TS model, which got you a bigger carburetor and a bit more compression. Both models had an air-cooled four-stroke two-cylinder engine, and the TS also featured a redesigned rear axle, which is said to have improved the car’s handling. The motor is presently out of the car being offered for sale here, and nothing is mentioned about its current running condition.
The seller says this is a California car, which comes with black plates and a title. It’s a project, with many of the interior pieces already removed, but most of the necessary parts are said to still be present. The body is stated to be very complete and in excellent shape, and while it does have that vintage patina going on, things do appear to be overall solid if you can try to imagine what the car looks like under that finish. I really like how the doors open from the front.
Things inside are looking pretty sparse right now, but it’s probably good that the door and side panels have been removed so we can see what the metal looks like behind them. The driver’s side floor panel is also out, but the remaining bottom steel appears to be in reasonably decent condition. There are also a few photos provided of parts lying around, so hopefully, most everything that will be needed to put the car back together will be there. Age has caught up with the owner, and he feels he is now too old to complete this project, so hopefully, somebody with the skills and vision to see this one through will end up with it. What are your thoughts on this 1958 Lloyd Alexander TS?
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Comments
C’mon, you guys, where are all YOUR stories. I can’t be the only one. Perhaps the innernet has ruined your ability,,,to,,um,,,,,,,think.
Dr. Zubatsky. (sp?) When I was a kid, our family doctor, an older Jewish man, made house calls( remember those?) and had a flair for unusual, to us, European cars. He drove a Borgwardt, but I also remember a Lloyd. We thought it unusual, an old Jewish doctor would drive German cars, but by golly, he’d show up in any weather, us hoping he’d say, stay home from school.
Make a great gasser, if anyone still does that.
Reminds me a little of Dad’s Hillman Husky in which I remember rolling around in the back when I was a tot.
My dad had a Ford Anglia estate and replaced it with a Hillman husky , I know what you mean. And if you hear of one for sale let me know!
Well I learned something new today. Being 63 years I try to learn something new every day. Thanks for sharing this. And Howard it would be a cool gasser! I would go GM ( I am pro Mopar) 327 high rise twin 4’s or hilborn injectors with a magneto. Powerglide transmission and a either 10 bolt or 12 bolt rear end shorten of course 4.10 gears. That baby would fly!!! 🐻🇺🇸
Had one of these in the 70s. It was a 2 dr sedan. all it needed was the starter rebuilt. Guy gave me all the Bosch starter parts with the car. Local starter/alt/generator guy took starter and parts to put together 4 me. Oct 78 tornado blew his building away with my starter and parts. always had to push start it. It was a fun little car with 4 speed shifter on column. The rust I got it with finally did it in after the barn fell in on it. Cant make this stuff up !!! wish I still had it
Big bear ,I hear you, also 63, but I’ve seen these in person and the perspective makes them look huge but they are very narrow, a 327 would be a bear to squeeze in and a lot of cutting would be necessary .. probably a much larger frame too. I would go OEM or consider a Miata engine (150 hp stock) and transmission for reliability . These drive trains are cheap and 200k miles reliable at least
well since you’re talking hot rods, a Honda SR2000 mill would be the engine of choice here and go ahead and use the Honda manual too…though I think to shift it you might have to reach behind you.
Yes the 9000 RPM honda would be a nice choice but the cost of it would exceed the price of the car. Miatas are a dime a dozen
As a kid pumping gas after school in the very early ’60’s, I remember one of these coming in for gas, open the hood and there is the engine, battery and a little fuel tank, all close to each other. The little two cylinder sounded like a wounded lawn mower!
This is actually a rare car in America, not only is it a Lloyd Alexander TS, but it’s a Kombi. Mechanical parts are available in Europe without too much problem, but non-reproduction trim parts are getting really hard to find. Price is a bit high considering all the work needed and we don’t know how the engine runs.
Even i f the engine is running – it is a time bomb. The tensioner of the timing chain is made of some sort of bakelite – and disappears all of a sudden in the sum; blocking oil channels. So is the gear of the oil pump – since the Lloyd has not got a control unit for oil pressure, you will find out when the engine is seized up. Early models had a steel gear for the oil pump which I shall fit in my car. Finding taillights could be a major hazzle – and even being an Estate, the price is f a r too high. I shall convert a saloon into an Estate – since everything, including the roof, is bolted, this is not a big problem. Just a lot of bolts and nuts to turn…Remember the TS hat got a Solex 32 PCI carburettor instead a 26 VFIS on a 19 h.p….and make sure this i s a TS engine. Blocks are different; easily to be identified. Taking off the timing gear and chain : make sure it is turning correctly. Timing chains are marked with an arrow. First 10.000 engines did not have that arrow – in that case, you have to make sure it is fitted as before. Engine numbers start with ” 300001 “. According to the chassis number, year of manufacture can be found out easily. Lloyd Alexander and 600 Standard always start wit 6/…..somewhat. Latest cars would be about 6/404000 or 405000 – completed after close – down of the Lloyd Motoren Werke..
Looks like it’s in decent shape. They almost always need floors and rockers. I restored a 58 Alexander wagon with the optional sun roof. I still have a 56 LC600 convertible, 2 1960 Alexander TS sedans and a 1960 Alexander TS wagon with the optional Saxomat automatic vacuum clutch! These are great little cars and very well built. I’d recommend one to anyone!
A sedan like this appeared in one of Australia’s Hardie/Armstrong 500 mile races.
Another in one of our reasonably arduous road “trials”.
Bit too expensive, in my opinion.
march of 17 you hada nice yellow 2 dor waggy linked:
https://barnfinds.com/1958-lloyd-alexander-ts-project/
hope its seen there. Need em to C what’s up when listing
a junk (what I call pre-rest0s).
I like jus bout ANY wagon and this is fine, esp w/the rear swingin barn dor. If 2 cyl I guess itsa “V”? as I see the blk rocker cover in one of the pic. Automotive history is facinating to me (corporate case studues) and how a lux German co. in competition w/MB would put out these models is a world econ class in the making. More fun when U can put ur hands on an actual artifact and bring it back to today’s world. Y not return it to what it was, a true rep of the oe for all to see (as stated an artifact)? These were durable and can B again.
march of 17 you hada nice yellow 2 dor waggy linked:
https://barnfinds.com/1958-lloyd-alexander-ts-project/
hope its seen there. Need em to C what’s up when listing
a junk (what I call pre-rest0s).
I like jus bout ANY wagon and this is fine, esp w/the rear swingin barn dor. If 2 cyl I guess itsa “V”? as I see the blk rocker cover in one of the pic. Automotive history is facinating to me (corporate case studues) and how a lux German co. in competition w/MB would put out these models is a world econ class in the making. More fun when U can put ur hands on an actual artifact and bring it back to today’s world. Y not return it to what it was, a true rep of the oe for all to see (as stated an artifact)? These were durable and can B again.
chrlsful,
If you look at the black exhaust valve cover, just below it you can see the 2 exhaust ports. It’s an inline 2 cylinder motor. Above the 2 spark plug wires lying on the top of the head, you can see the back side of the intake valve cover.
Having had a closer look at the engine, I am puzzled….I cannot see the 2 M 6 – nuts for the ” shoe ” for the timing chain. It was fitted by the factory after complaints about a noisy timing chain – every TS – engine should have it; those, who did not, were converted in Lloyd – garages soon after.
This is absolutely necessary ! By the way : it is not at all easy to find TS – pistons – they are different because of a higher compression ratio. I will stay with 19 h.p. If you cannot find any pistons…I shall tell you a secret : Volkswagen beetle 1200 has exactly the same pistons….there are only 0.5 and 1 mm oversizes – otherwise the liners would not be strong enough…finding new cylinders could be a nightmare. Same for exhaust manifolg with heater….remember exhaust flange must be f l e xi b l e – because of engine vibrations. Quite a lot of imbeciles welded it up – causing exhausts to break. There are three different versions of crankcase ventilation ( a must for a two cylinder ) – precision work, under no circumstances the bolts ( specific ) should be damaged.
It’s a slant 2, like a 300sl.sorta. ohcam.roller bearings .a fast car of sorts. I’d buy this but the price is so much.ive had 3 combis ,l have a sedan .better than this car ,but similar. I’m always interested in more.
Another thing that just came to my mind….an Achilles – heel on the TS and coil spring rear axles of the Alexander are the rear suspension arms. They rot away, you cannot judge how bad they are – until they break. Not a very pleasant situation in traffic. The welding, that has been carried out on the rear floor of this car, is botchwork. Cheap and nasty.