:: Diary - February 2005 ::

:: Saturday February 19, 2005 ::

Nice day for a blatt. Also Noel's having his open day today so off we go!

First I give the car a wash, and a good jet wash underneath, particularly around the rear suspension tourettes, (I know they're really called turrets but if you've seen them, you'll know that they are a right royal f***** b*****d to get to!) in preparation for waxoyling. I notice that the Hammerite is chipping off the centre brace on the outriggers - considering it's two years since I painted them, I'm not surprised. The rust-prone bits of the chassis are still ok though...

The front of the chassis, in front of the engine and behind the radiator, has hardly any protective plastic left on it. It's next on the list for Hammeriting!

I also jetwash most of the muck off the bottom of the engine although I can't get right in to do it properly. I also discover that one of the exhaust downpipes is blowing very slightly at the joint - the slot in the pipe is slightly too long and gas is escaping from the top edge. A blob of gun gum should cure it. Note to self - buy some.

Really enjoyed the day at Noel's, and the drive there and back. 2 plates of stovies enhanced my enjoyment no end. The cars were nice too. And the people, I suppose.

:: Sunday February 20, 2005 ::

Nice day again. First thing, car up on ramps and remove exhaust clamps. Pack some gun gum into the fitting slots, and refit the clamp while its still soft. Then heat and harden the gun gum with a handy blowlamp so that it doesn't get blown straight back out again. Start engine and run for a while. Sorted.

While the car is up on ramps, I decide to wire brush off the loose plastic coating on the front of the chassis. I notice that it is a lot worse than when I got the car - time for overhaul methinks!

After an hour and a half with a wallpaper stripper, a selection of screwdrivers, a hand help wire brush and a rotary brush in an electric drill, I have removed all of the loose coating and it looks like this. A word of caution - never, ever, ever, chip off a tiny bit of plastic unless you are prepared to spend hours stripping acres of chassis tubing back to a solid edge. By the time I'd finished my arms were sore and I was lying on a huge pile of plastic flakes.

Next, the trusty Hammerite. Carefully working into all of the nooks and crannies (well as many as I could reach without dismantling half of the suspensions) until it looked like this. That used up the last of my Hammerite as well - just as well because it's nearly jellified - it's a toss-up between painting it on with a brush or spreading it with a trowel. This is the same tin that I opened in April 2003, and it's done all of the outriggers, the front and back suspension, the petrol tank cradle etc so it's not too bad...

:: Monday February 21, 2005 ::

Had to laugh today

I have found that cleaning and repainting the chassis is a lengthy and laborious business, which seems always to involve more work than appears when you start.

Well today I went to Halfords to buy a new tin of Hammerite paint for the chassis. Smooth red Hammerite, a perfect match. (I also bought some Hammerite thinners and a tin of very high temp paint for the exhaust manifolds but that's not the point.)

Then I noticed what Halfords abbreviation for "smooth red Hammerite paint" is on the receipt. I mean, how prophetic is that eh?

:: Wednesday February 23, 2005 ::

TVR driving (and indeed TVR repairing) is likely to be curtailed for a while because I fell over in the snow tonight and fractured my shoulder. It's a wee bit sore.