Week 22

Right, time to get back into it, after all this time off.....
Erm, once I've finished unpacking, having a birthday and setting up the "new" PC....

Week 23

At last some progress. With the tub loosely in place, I wanted to check all the bodywork lined up well before rivetting it down. So the scuttle was cut to fit over the bottom of the steering column, so I could put it in place. I spent most of an evening with Sam trying to figure out exactly where the scuttle should go. The manual (must remember to ask Sue about the new one....) says 275mm or 260mm from the front of battery tray (depending on where you look), but in either of those positions it just looks all squinty (technical term - you can tell I'm an engineer, can't you?) and appears too narrow for the chassis. Yep, too narrow. Other people have frequently mentioned packing out the tub because the scuttle is wider than the chassis, but I found the opposite to be true. Well, in actual fact, with some trial and error we did find a place where it's the right width (exactly!) and doesn't look squinty. But if you measure it all, it actually is squinty. If that makes sense.... Guess the scuttle's not quite straight.

So anyway, scuttle position decided, and happy with width of chassis/tub etc and fitting, thought I may as well pop the bonnet on for a quick look. I'm going to have to put some time in smoothing and finishing the GRP - it's surprisingly scrappy in places. Still, very light wet'n'dry, rubbing compound and T-cut'll do the job easily enough. And I'll get a polishing doobrie for the drill too. Yup, the camera's back at last, Kodak kindly replaced it for me - shame it had to be sent to Belgium for them to do it though... I'll try to remember to take a couple of shots around the fuel tank/pump. By the way, if anyone wants larger or higher quality versions of any of the pictures on the site (or of anything I haven't put on the site), I'm quite happy to send them on.

Wahey, the first rivets are holding the tub on now. The GRP was a right state along the lip that goes over the chassis at the front. Totally uneven, lumps, cuts, cracks.... Looks much better now, after attacking it with some moist P1000, then plenty of P1500 and rubbing compound. A polisher will bring the shine up even more, but it looks at least ten times better than it did already.

Week 24

I've been doing lots more sanding and smoothing of the tub (one of those hideously slow jobs....). All the top edge from front to the scuttle is done now. There are just a couple of little jobs that need doing before I fix the right-hand side down.

Week 25

Erm, like all of the lower edge. Run out of P1000, must pick some more up. And problems with the other car mean a fair bit of time working on it - it's bad enough to be an engine out job.... :-(

Week 26

Right, I've given up on this sanding lark now. Bored of it. So the tub's fixed (BTW, forgot to mention - I bought some special rivets for holding the tub down. 4mm and very long, and I'm using a 4mm stainless washer under the head of the rivet to spread the load on the GRP a bit.) I've painted a whole load of extra bits and pieces. Also rebuilt the calipers, replacing some rubber and fitting new pads etc, ready for fitting when I get round to putting them on. Plenty of jobs to do, next ones on the cards include fixing down the front brake pipes (which have been cable tied in place for ages now) and finally fitting the front suspension. Oh, I've updated the costs page - sorry it's been so long. It's creeping ever closer to £8,000....

Weekend lost to working on the other car - the engine's sitting on the floor being played with...