Colin Lindsay

Over here it seems to have gone by-the-by, every kind of plate is displayed these days and I think a lot of the current younger Police Officers have given up on enforcing it, although it's probably still ticket-able. We have plates reading as single words or names that bear absolutely no resemblance to what they're meant to be, and there's no way those go through MOT every year. They're taken off and replaced for the test. We also have a lot of modern cars on black and silver plates. Technically they're meant to be reported to DVA and if reported three times the number can be withdrawn - pricey if it's a personalised plate - but it rarely happens. The person making the plate is also liable for prosecution but again they don't put their name or business on the plate, as required by law, so they're never identified.

Very true; in all of my recent moderns I've had to replace discs; currently the Mondeo needs rear discs as they're warped. They seem to warp at the drop of a hat.

You're THAT Jeff? Never realised.

Next step (given that the sprayer has STILL not turned up) was to address the rear leaf spring. I've already restored one a few years back that was packed in grease, wrapped in black bin liners and salted away, but here's another one for renovating. This is the fixed-spring convertible version. First step is to strip it down and see what state the components are in. The convertible spring has eleven leaves and four spacer tubes. The wet marks are grease, so there's only surface rust, but the rubber buttons are very distorted and need replaced. Note that the bottom leaf is actually two; one slides inside the other so that the end bushes are completely surrounded by two thicknesses. The spacer tubes and through-bolts are beyond saving, but thankfully there are replacements available, and new rubber buttons too. The clamps are there to prevent any forward or backward movement of the leaves around the centre pivot. Biggest difficulty was replacing the two spring eye bushes. This leaf of the spring simply slides out once the centre bolt is removed, so you're working on one leaf only which is a lot lighter than the entire spring. A bit of judicious pressing with a vice, socket and bolt slid the highly distorted and worn rubber centre out. This is a seat spacer which fits inside the housing; a socket of the same size as the metal outer allows tightening of the nut and bolt to draw the bush down into the socket. All that remains is the outer steel ring which has to be hacksawed out. It won't move any other way - heat, penetrating oil, a drift and harsh language all failed. With a good coating of grease the new bush can be pushed back in with a bench vice. The spring eye will expand slightly as it goes in, so once it's lined up it goes straight in. Slide this leaf into the other as before. After that realign the leaves with the centre dowel through the hole and insert the rubber buttons onto the relevant leaves; they'll stay in place under the weight of the leaf on top until you can tighten the bolts and spacer tubes. I usually grease each leaf before replacement to ease movement and prevent corrosion. On the top leaf you'll see the word 'front'. Amazing thing is, it's usually either at the back, or printed upside down. I've no idea if it makes any difference other than the orientation of the spacer tubes and bolts, so I always reassemble with the nuts to the rear in hope that it lessens corrosion although they also get plenty of grease too. After that, tighten the centre bolt; you'll need to compress the leaves down with g-clamps and if the centre dowel starts to rotate - which it might if it's greasy - clamp it gently and carefully in a vice or use a stud puller to grip it, but avoid damage if you can - it has to seat fully into the diff. After that, refit or store as required. Another job done! One thing I've done in the past is to wrap the spring tightly with Denso tape, or other grease-impregnated tape; this stiffens it up but also keeps corrosion at bay for much longer. Just leave the centre section and the spring eyes clear, and tie off the ends of the tape with wire twists. Many cars of the period used gaiters on the leaf springs, so this has the same effect. Just as an update, here's the Denso tape applied; three inch tape would in one continuous loop from outside to inside and back again.

Repaired to destruction. Join the club, I've got a long-service award for that.

Oooh! Eagle eyes! Now you've highlighted that, same area of the right-hand pic, closeup with thumb, shows a definite 'lump' but can't see exactly what.

If I remember correctly there was one for sale on eBay some months back to which I linked here in the forum. "Very few genuine convertibles survive. The majority of those for sale today are conversions." Guess which he was selling...

Yes, I binned my Greenstuff pads within a month of fitting. I didn't like them at all. I don't have any NOS 1960s pads in the garage, as I don't know what they're made of, so won't be fitting them to the Herald when it gets that far, neither the type 12s nor the type 14s.

I just remembered I had this one on the shelf in the garage under the cobwebs and dust. This was a home-made kit bought quite a few years ago and possibly fitted to an MG Midget or an early Mini - I can't remember which long-gone car now but I think it dates from the mid-80s if not earlier. Interesting thing is that the earth cable is red (2nd from left), power is green/red going by the stub of the original loom but then black on the shared terminal, and the green cables control the speed with grey to the variable switch. What is there about these thingies that they require a red earth?

We lost an old gentleman from over Markethill way recently, he made walking sticks with Army regimental or Police badges set into clear resin spheres at the handle. I never asked his technique, nor the materials he used, but I got him a lot of custom over the years - you supplied the badge and he did the honours.

Now, now... I'm sure it's really a quality product. Just like the spell checker.

Never used it on the wood but it's a great stiffener / reinforcement for the rear of early fibreboard dashboards.

Mine of course would have to be awkward and is a C-TEK X5 3600 or something like that. I don't use it on a battery in the car but always have spares on the shelf which are kept topped up. I just hang it on the wall on a hook over the shelf. The only problem I've found is the push buttons for settings have become erratic, so it takes maybe five or six good presses before the lights change to the preferred setting.

How to save £269... reach across to the switch and go: on... pause... off...pause... on...

Those instructions only show three wires, red black and green... and that one of yours has four of different colours, and not UK standard either... so I wouldn't even know where to start. There's absolutely nothing on the Net bar that Aussie one for sale on eBay.

Interestingly, neither had the Frogeye Sprite - nor external doorhandles either - and they sold a lot of those! Almost 50,000 of the Mk1s.

I read the advertising that claimed the GT6 had a 'short cranked gear lever' but I've never yet compared Herald and GT6. Now you've put that thought in my head...

I'm not making light of a serious event, but I've got the feeling that whoever put the cladding on Grenfell was saying: "Go on ahead, put it on, it's been fine up until now, who'll ever know..." It's only when things go wrong that everyone starts to ask: why?

Awe, I forgot my umbrella....

That's occurred to me, too - if it's not connected to anything now, just pull it out before it gets caught round something.

The Standard 8 also had no boot originally, with access from the rear seat area. I presume that by the time the fastbacks / GT6 were made, any kind of road-going car needed the opening rear hatch in order to appeal to the public.

Oh Gawd we're back there again. I think we can rule out the transparent variety from that selection... A steady hand and good paint will soon touch that in. I hope that wasn't the one from eBay that the seller was asking over £40 for? Incidentally there's a slight difference in gear levers between the Herald and GT6; Herald is originally 121487 and the GT6 is 146906, and the latter is possibly bent at more of an angle - very slightly, but enough to make it an individual part that anoraks might notice.

Hello Alberto, welcome, and that's a beautiful MK1. It appears to be RHD? I drive one myself and I believe the fuel consumption is around 28 miles per gallon - 44km per 4.5 litres (approximately); it varies depending on the driving I do, and I use the overdrive a lot, but it's not as economical as my modern car. Do you have overdrive fitted?

I'd guess it's coming from the rear - the MK1 and Mk2 tank outlet emerges bottom left looking from rear - then looped up through here and along the chassis via the centre tunnel, but how it follows the chassis is anyone's guess! It's not the original routing and I'd definitely not put it through the chassis the way it is.

You're sure - definitely, positively sure - that the oil is all drained and the sump is empty, then you remove something and gallons pour out. It takes an amazing amount of old towels or kitchen roll to mop up even a pint. Been there! Re the diff oil - Paddocks are selling a diff oil, Dynolite, that's 85 - 140 which they reckon is a good replacement. Used in Maseratis and Jaguars according to Moss.