Colin Lindsay

If that's the glass bowl type, Chic Doig used to sell them brand new as part of a refurbishing kit.

Don't ask how I know.

Surely everytime you go over a bump, the car goes up in the air, the weight is transferred from the bottom and the bolt rises up in the bush? Might not be a big deal but over time it adds up. Original bushes were Metalastik, the part number on them is 13/1309. Used on a lot of cars of the period. I've seen sellers online selling modern replacement bushes with the centre tube diameter as high as 1cm; last ones I bought from James Paddock seem to be 0.375 diameter - it might be worth giving them a ring and asking if they'll confirm? Otherwise, you could just use a bigger bolt...

Looks more like a beefburger... Especially since today is the old festival of Collop Monday... Little bit of red sauce and a bap...

I've had to dig out the petroleum jelly for the modern this past while, as the driver's door is always frozen solid. A few times I've had to enter via the passenger door then put my feet against the driver's door to get it to open. I can remember in past times opening the door and having the door seal split with half stuck to the door and half on the car body... and DO NOT as 'Er Indoors did, use hot water. The door opens, yes, but then the water cools, and freezes, and you come back to the car to find it ten times worse than before. However: lovely mild 10 degree day here this morning, frost and snow all gone.

Wonder how the discs compare against the standard versions?

LOL a UFO fan... just bought the entire set on DVD... I see you've already found the Spitlist pages on the compensator, although I was sure one of the major suppliers had shown an interest in their remanufacture... I could be wrong, and it may have been just this page i remember it from. I'll keep looking.

There's actually very little room behind the arches when closed, so anything that protrudes, like a rivnut, won't fit. Even a standard rivet might hit the bulkhead when closing. Bonding with PU1 or Tigerseal would work.

It works amazingly well, especially on the top edge along the underside of the bulkhead. Last few I repaired I insulated them with Dodomat, about £30 for 20 sheets which is enough for three at least.

This one is quite dim, compared to the ordinary bulb, and throws the light straight ahead, not 360 around. Just a test, but I know I'll not use it. Unlike the headlights, I like the old comforting glow of a filament bulb in the sidelights.

I never knew they were Ds! Always thought they were Js. You learn something new, as they say... but they were all 3.5D until the Vitesse came in, when the 2-litres got 4.5J. Even the early estates had 3.5D but a heavier duty version, supposedly marked HD, which I've never seen. 13/60 estates got the 4.5J as did the GT6 Mk1.

You would think they go behind the metal to prevent water getting in and the two metal panels possibly making contact but, no, they go on the inside of the wheelarch and just hang down against the bulkhead.

My MG Metro Turbo did that; tight left hand bend and the stuff just sprayed out.

I know, as Andy says, that the later light units had no divider, and those seem to be the predominant version sold these days, but I do like the divider, for no other reason that it's not as common. There I go again. I tried a few pics a minute ago, just to show how the larger bulb of the indicator drowns out the sidelight - but again, maybe not a bad thing as it will be more noticeable to oncoming traffic rather than a weaker bulb competing with the white sidelight. Sidelight only in left photo below, indicator only to right; both photos just the single bulb illuminated and not both. The indicator almost illuminates the entire thing. One thing I have confirmed, though... I don't like the LED sidelight...

That's why I was wondering; if it can't be reversed why go to the extra expense of cutting a hole and edging it in copper?

That's why your major orifices are about three feet apart and point in opposite directions, so you can smoke and fart at the same time without any danger.

Yep, the old sixpenny bit or tanner. Brian May is not the only guitarist to use them, but he actually had a quantity minted with his own head on them and gave them away at concerts to fans.

I wouldn't trim the block, just in case, but as for the gasket... can you lay both gaskets down, one on top of the other, and see how the holes line up? There should be a matching hole in the head, as Nick asks, but one thing, just out of curiosity - that other oil way to the right in the top photo appears to be sealed / blocked / uncut - I'm assuming that's normal but wondering why the gasket is cut at that point?

I'm hoping so - the rest of the wing looks almost factory. I'm going to straighten the wing, trim, bend or remove the metal behind as necessary, so that it looks perfect against the line of the valences, then fit the closing panels against that, and adapt those if required. The biggest problem is the outer wheelarch which is welded up under the wing lip and hard to access (and almost £100 to replace!). I'm stalled by the bad weather at present, if I grind with the doors closed the smoke alarms go off very easily, but if I open the doors all manner of things like leaves blow in. I'll leave it until the weather improves, hopefully early next week.

Chic's excellent for panels and repair sections; but I had thought Paul wanted the alloy tread plates for the topside?

Cos I only have one! I had to brave howling winds and all sorts of nasties to run out to the garage and confirm, but yes I have one old unit - in amazing condition, given that all the rest are holier than Thought for the Day; so it's possible I could swap the wiring over, but that would leave one side super reflective and the other dimmer. I tested one against a spare battery and the orange light from the indicator is just cancelling out the sidelight - however does it matter when driving? It means the indicator is more visible when turning especially with oncoming traffic, and if they don't see that, they'll never notice the white sidelight. I'm going to test the small LED bulb too to see how the light pattern is affected, provided it works as an indicator bulb and activates the flasher unit.

I'm just in the process of doing exactly that, cutting and shaping the lid of a biscuit tin... I'll glue mine in with Tigerseal. I'm just glad I have an old version to use as a guide.

My GT6 (4.5J steel wheels) is on 165/70 and the Herald on the same 13inch 4.5j wheels runs on 155/80.

That must ruin his strings, even if he could get a 6p coin... or does he tape three 2ps together? Of course he's been around for a while now so it could be a sixpence. I use quite a light plectrum, one of the triangular versions, so that if it moves round during play you just go to the next point, but I need flex. Anything too heavy and inflexible is no use to me. It has to give.

Pity he only starts at the 1300 engines; I'd like to see if I can fit a later Mk2 1200 head to a MK1 block. (He also has a photo of rear vertical links that I was looking for earlier in the month, but gave up... so have downloaded it now)