Another newbie to the forum.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Corrective text grrrrr! I typed milled not milked!

[JonB]

Your diff and chassis look nice and clean! Mine is covered in gear oil as the output seals have failed. I have to remove the diff and renew the seals - maybe do the output bearings too. I'm dreading it, can't get under the car for love or money.

Also serendipitous of you to post your battery installation. I have to do the same thing as my larger than standard battery doesn't fit in the battery tray and is loose. Thump thump thump over the bump bump bumps.

Thank you!

JonB

[Bigbaldybloke]

Battery secured using 25mm alloy angle from B&Q and some 6mm screwed stick

[billwill]

Personally I believe an ammeter is a better diagnostic instrument than a voltmeter, whether you have dynamo or alternator.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Been away on holiday so not done much recently. I had ordered an angle drive for the speedo cable to gearbox connection as my original one was broken. Mistake, I ordered a cheap one from China, needless to say it didn?t fit, the nut that connected it to the gearbox was 3/4? and the gearbox was 7/8? diameter so managed to strip my old one down and swop the nut over. Tried to fit it and found the square flexy shaft in the coupling was approx 4mm across and the original was 1/8?. Couldn?t use the original as it just turned round in the drive without turning the output shaft so spent some time very carefully grinding down the Chinese one till it fitted. So 10 minutes work ended up as about 1 1/2 hours, false economy, buy the more expensive one from a reputable uk supplier! Anyway it now works.
Made a heat shield to fit in the recess in the boot where the silencer fits, mine is the early transverse type and you could see the fibreglass had got quite hot and blistered in places. Fitting the boot lid is now in progress, just got to fit the letters on the lid then redrill the hinge mounting holes as my body spray shop filled in the holes on the rear under the window before spraying it, the boot lid does have the original holes still in it.
If found someone local to do the trimming and have decided to have it done in leather throughout, light grey for the leather with dark grey for the carpets. Not original I know, but looks good in my Porsche so thought I?d copy it! That?s planned for the end of January so the car has to be mobile by then - no pressure then! (I have a backup plan, it?s a mates car trailer!)

[Bigbaldybloke]

Making slow progress, main delay has been the wheels. Years ago I bought a set of 14x6 Minilites, on trying to fit them I found that the spinners bottomed out on the thread before the wheel was secure. Tried to get a thicker set of lock rings, but no success, so I?ve bought a spare set of front hubs and machined approx 5mm off them so the spinner can go further on the hub and properly secure the wheel. While at it it?s getting new wheel bearings, new grooved and drilled discs, green stuff pads and new calipers! Still working in a solution for the rear wheels, not solved yet, may end up buying a pair of later Minilites as they are machined differently now to the early ones and tighten properly.
I?ve been sorting out the petrol tank breathers and have gone with a system using special breather valves and a connection into the tank filler neck, see the pictures below.
I?m currently working on the final part of the electrics. I?m fitting a DAB radio in the car, a nice short one that fits in the original dashboard slot easily. It requires a special aerial with two cables, one for DAB and one for FM, plus a power cable for the integrated amplifier in the aerial. That is complete and new cables to speakers in the rear parcel shelf are also in place and all these are made up into a harness.
Today I took loads of photos of the dashboard and wiring and removed all the wiring and instruments from the old cracked dash. Next job is to clean up all the instruments and fit them into the new dashboard, then modify the harness for a voltmeter and electric oil pressure gauge, plus I?m converting the headlight pods to be operated by a vacuum solenoid rather than have the vacuum valve in the dashboard. Also to go in is a switch for the spot lights and an electric washer pump.
I?m also toying with putting a small sat nav unit in place of the ashtray, I?d wouldn?t modify the dash, just clip the sat nav in place and use the ashtray lamp supply to power it.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Exhumed the new dash from behind the spare bedroom wardrobe today! It had only been there for about 20 years nicely wrapped in bubble wrap and still with the sellers tape on it. It?s still in as new condition and certainly looks much better than my original one. Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the letters written on the back of the old dash mean (if anything)?