:: Friday April 1, 2005 ::
Day 7.
It's dry!
In a fit of over-enthusiasm, I start by wire-brushing the outriggers on each side - most of my Hammerite from 2 years ago is brittle and comes back off. Two new coats of Hammerite along both outrigger rails and the central cross rail (which seems to be ideally designed to be chipped by every stone slung up by the front wheels) are as good as new. Well they look it anyway so that's a start.
Also brushed down and painted the top rail under the right hand exhaust, where the chassis number is. TVR in their wisdom left this as bare metal so that you can read the chassis number. Good concept but fails when the bare bit tirns into a hole (which I was reading about on PH last weekend).
Must also Waxoyl the chassis before long.
Next step involves idly running the same wire brush along the plenum chamber on the engine which brings it up nice and shiny.
Then I wash down the lower chassis rails around the engine with engine cleaner, and also the sump and the engine block. And the exhaust. And the roll bar. There's a lot of oil sprayed around under here! Some seems to be coming out the front crankshaft oil seal. The sump drain plug also appears to be leaking - new washer required at next service!
Then I wash down the engine bay and wash the rest of the car. It even looks tidy!
Stuff the electrical gubbins like the fuse box, relays and computer carefully into the available space above the footwell, then shove the trim into place before it all drops out again like a disembowelled Monsieur Creosote after a large meal of electrical spaghetti.
:: Sunday April 3, 2005 ::
Day 9.
Despite the weather forecast, it's dry in the morning. I decide that a short blatt is in order. Grand stuff.
Later, I find that Shnozz is selling roof catches. I get him to set two aside for me till I post him some cash.
:: Tuesday April 5, 2005 ::
Wee trip to the local Ford dealer to order a distributor cap, rotor arm and leads. The Ford system computer is broken but he promises to order them later when it's back on. I am not exactly filled with confidence that he'll remember.
:: Thursday April 7, 2005 ::
Got home early from work so decided to fit the new roof catches that arrived yesterday. The first photo shows a broken one, then the two new ones. Fitting them is easy - 3 self tapping screws each, then adjust the "clip-over" action with a pair of wee pliers. Much nicer.
Thanks Phil!
While I've got the camera out, heres a wee photo of the interior.
:: Friday April 8, 2005 ::
My misgivings at the memory abilities of the parts man at the Ford dealer, were misplaced. As soon as I walk in he says "Can't find a distributor cap but the other bits are on order, due in next week". Just in time before the Nessie run!
I then go to a local motor factor (who to be fair are usually very good) and they have one in stock! Except it's not the right part and it won't fit. They are convinced that their book is right, so won't order anythng else. Ford aren't so bad really.
:: Monday April 11, 2005 ::
Home early from work again so decided to have a go with my metal polisher mops etc. After 3 stages of rust and scratch removal, and 3 stages of polishing, I manage to transform both radiator caps from this state:
To this:
Yes, that is the same part! Isn't that just the poodle's plums?
Fortunately it gets dark before I polish every metal bit on the car...
:: Thursday April 14, 2005 ::
Another Wee trip to the local Ford dealer - the parts aren't in yet. He has however found the correct distributor cap and assures me they will be in next week.
:: Saturday April 16, 2005 ::
Managed to pick up two rocker covers from a local previously-enjoyed parts emporium. Aye ok, it was a scrappy. Jammy thing was I walked in for a look, just as two guys were leaving who had removed the cylinder heads from a Granada. I didn't even have to unbolt them - they were just lying there! A few little areas of rust and caked-on grease, but better than mine are (under the two layers of Hammerite) and miles better than the pair that are for sale on e-bay (which are, quite frankly, and to use a common engineering term, minging).
After a couple of hours with a brush, a bottle of paint stripper and a scraper (oh yes, we know how to live it in the fast lane don't we children?) I have removed all of the caked on crap and most of the paint.
Half an hour with a selection of wire brushes and flap wheels, and it's starting to look a wee bit shinier. I had to stop because it was getting dark and I couldn't see what I was doing!
:: Sunday April 17, 2005 ::
The TVR Club have organised a wee day out to a car restoration company's open day in Kingussie (which is about 100 miles away from me) - arrangements are to meet first then blatt through the Highlands by a somewhat circuitous route.
Although the weather isn't kind (it's cold but dry) I decide to go topless, roof off. The rest of them (wimps!) leave their roofs on.
A few pics taken on the day (higher resolution ones are available, mostly).
Car goes like a train all the way there, but starts misfiring and coughing and banging as soon as the rain starts on the way back. I need those new HT bits, Mr Ford!
Still manage to keep up with Robert on the way back, despite the misfire (What do you mean he wasn't trying? Didn't that nice lady in Kingussie say that my car sounded "more throaty"?)
:: Friday April 22, 2005 ::
Picked up new distributor cap and rotor arm. The new plug leads ordered by Mr Ford were the wrong type - Type B fit into the distributor cap (the normal type) and type A are the ones that fit onto spark-plug-type connectors like what my distributor cap has. Fortunately I noticed this error before I paid for them, which is always a bonus.
When I get home I fit these new bits, then my attention is diverted by the box of polishing mops sitting on my workbench. "Oooh powertools!" Who can resist? I attack the rocker covers with the abrasive mops, and also a wee Dremel thingy to get into the tricky bits (stop me if this is too technical ok?) After a series of finer abrasives, then the first stage of polishing, they look like the photo on the left. Definitely getting there, and still two levels of polishing to go!
I then have a wee drive and the car runs fine except for 5 minutes in the middle when it coughs and backfires like before, then totally clears itself again. Very strange...
:: Saturday April 23, 2005 ::
Cleaned and waterproofed the hood today.
Used the Autoglym fabric roof cleaning kit - you spray on the cleaner, work it in with the foam applicator then lift it off with a damp cloth. I realised that the edges are minging - around the bottom edge of the roof, around the stitching, there are traces of green mould, while the area inside the seals, over the hoop, are really mucky.
This stuff works! By the time I have finished, the roof is clean and the water I have been using to wring out the sponge and the cloth, is absolutely filthy. I pour it down the drain fast, in case it dries out a bit and then attracts basking hippopotami, who are a real bugger to get rid of once they take up residence.
Next step is to spray on the waterproofer, which is easy, and hardly worth mentioning, but I did because I wouldn't want anybody to think that I forgot.
While that is drying, I return to the polishing of rocker covers. After the frenetic application of a variety of polishes in different sized of wheel mops, they look like this. While not perfect, they are pretty damn good, and certainly better than I expected. A wee lick of lacquer to keep the rust off, and they'll be ready for fitting.
:: Saturday April 23, 2005 (Second Entry) ::
Couldn't resist the temptation. Bought some lacquer and gave the rocker covers a couple of coats. No time for a piccy but they look just the dogs.
Also changed all the spark plugs in an effort to cure the misfire. NGK BCP6ES plugs used, with a gap of 0.8 mm, just for the record! Noticed that the old plug No 5 is badly oiled - not burnt oil, just shiny oil. Question is - is it a duff plug that's not sparking, and therefore oiling up, or was the spark plug ok but the cylinder is drawing in oil past the rings or through the valve guides? Only one way to tell - give the car a blatt and then take the plug out and have a swatch at it. Unfortunately, I only have time for the first bit - and car seems to be running absolutely fine...
I'll have a look at it tomorrow and then maybe a compression test if it's oily.
:: Sunday April 24, 2005 ::
Took out plug no 5 - clean as a whistle, so I suspect that it may have been the plug that was faulty. Here's hoping anyway, don't want to have to have to change a valve seal, valve guide or (worst of all) piston rings.
Also repaired the exhaust clamp I broke last Sunday.
No blatt today though, just too busy doing other stuff.
:: Saturday April 30, 2005 ::
Oooh it's a nice day. All other plans are immediately cancelled, as I decide to wash the car and have a blatt.
And I do. Car runs fine except for a couple of tiny hiccups that clear as soon as I floor it. Nothing to worry about then. No really. Honest. No probs.
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