Colin Lindsay

Rear bumper looks good... Interesting that the burnt area is behind it.... almost as if it tried to crawl out of the flames...

Heralds were never designed for high speed, so handling probably won't be Formula 1 standard, or even Spitfire standard...

I remember being amazed that a relative's Renault 5 Campus had no temperature gauge, just a warning light. With a gauge you could see minute movements of the needle and if it approached hot, you checked it out before it got to the red. I always felt that once the warning light came on, you were already in trouble.

The large grommet around the wiper rack shaft is usually large enough to slip an additional cable / pipe through; on my GT6 that's the way I route the pipe for the oil pressure gauge.

Early hubs were for type 12s, and used a carrier bracket which bolted to the upright; later cars were all one piece. Both will take type 12s but only the later hubs with the chamfered edge will take 14s without fouling. Early hubs to left below, later to right. As well as the caliper bracket using different spacing for the caliper, does it use the same spacing for the mounting bolts to the vertical link?

I can't remember how I fitted mine all those years ago - it's been removed since and regreased - but I don't remember taking all the insides out; must go out later and see what access I have. If you have difficulty getting the socket onto the nut due to restricted space you need a slim socket - they're usually quite thin-walled and a lot longer than a normal socket - but they're designed for spaces like this. I have quite a few and usually bought for one job only (the top bolt on a Landrover TD5 starter motor, for example) but sometimes it's the only option. Just as an aside I found this photo recently, so if you think the Triumph is awkward....

Easy done with an angle grinder, if you don't mind vibrations when up to speed; properly done with a lathe, or else buy later hubs.

I've posted this before regarding the same sort of query but my local Tyre Fitter tells me that modern tyres are a different product to those of the 1960s, and recommends all of mine should be inflated to around 30. I run the steel-wheeled GT6 at that pressure with no problems.

Don't worry, you're not alone...I have to hoover after sandblasting, or before painting... in fact I was recently using it for the area of tarmac just outside the garage door... so hoovering the drive is probably worthy of a bit of ribbing...

Good thinking. You can get some really terrible bearings out there, and you'll end up, as I did, throwing them away for better versions. Ten minutes changes bearings and you know it's been done, so one less thing to worry about later on.

I'll agree with Pete and Nick; much easier to do with the roof off. Nearly impossible to get it properly seated in around the glass otherwise, and you're effectively working upside down if it's still in the car, so difficult to get good curves on the outer contours. Very sore on the neck, not to mention the nerves!

Wait until you fit new UJs and THEN find one on the floor.

It's a different model, I know, but on the early GT6 the lip is crimped tight right the way round.

Well, that was a hard morning's graft, but I think I've made progress. The entire front end of the Herald was removed - not an easy job on my own - and the bonnet turned upside down for a judicious reshaping of the rear end of the wheel arches where they were hitting the bulkhead before the gaps were correct. This seems to have had the desired effect and along with some careful adjustment of the mountings has led to the best panel gap I've managed so far. The curve at the top of the bonnet, just above the silver trim strip, was badly damaged when the car was found and it was reshaped by a bodyworker but sadly not on the car, so it's a slightly different profile to the door edge. I don't think I'll worry too much. If you look at it from the right angle, you don't see it at all. One thing that I do see, and it's glaringly obvious to me - being me - is that the bonnet bends upwards on the top panel; you can just see here that the N/S screenwash nozzle has all but disappeared. The bonnet did this on both sides originally, so I seem to have cured one side; all I need to do is remember the technique and do the same on the other side. I don't yet have the bonnet stay-bars fitted, nor the counter-balance springs, which were distorting the bonnet the last time they were fitted, but as I'm on a high this morning, I'll leave things as they are for now. The Herald is now looking ready for front valance, grille, mirrors and overriders again. If only I could finish the engine rebuild and get that fitted... which should have been completed whilst the bonnet was off, otherwise it's a lot of delicate work with a hoist and a huge sigh of relief when it goes into place without removing a lot of paint first.

Unless the cable is slipping? It's just a thought, but you may find that the cable isn't properly seated so is producing less force at the speedo end than it should be. It's the only explanation I can think of, if nothing else has been touched. Possibly, if you drive it further, it may slip even more, or it may reseat itself in which case you're back to 20% over again.

Caliper and hose obviously; disc is probably warped, pads glazed and I'd not risk either - you could have the disc checked but they're cheap enough to replace; similarly yes you can work on the pads but it's simpler just to throw them away and buy new. For the price of a bearing I'd do that too, and the felt seal comes with that. I doubt if anything else has been affected, so that should be your total shopping list. You'll be bleeding the fluid anyway after the work. I've found in the past that sometimes a part which you think is fine causes problems, way out of proportion, later on and you'll wish you had replaced and got it over with.

Two things: be careful with that as it caused me a few embarrassing breakdowns (in front of BBC camera crews too!), when the rotor arm fell off repeatedly due to an ill-fitting collar preventing it from seating properly. You may think it's seated but once the engine gets up to revs, off it goes again usually wrecking the cap too. Secondly: can you post photos? We may be able to spot something that you haven't seen.

Clive's right: think plastic rather than metal or paper for thicker shims; no rust, for one thing. The rubber seal for the rear of the door catch on the b-post (Heralds) is no longer available; easily made from an old inner tube, cut to shape; but if you need to shim it then plastic is the way to go.

No idea, but I did get a free chocolate biscuit too.

Isn't that why they fitted a front spoiler to later models? They used to lift off at the front...

I'm assuming Herald 13/60 since you mention a t-switch? Just off the top of my head and based on other models - switches are usually pull for on, push for off... in the 1200 for example or my GT6 one pull / position is for lights, which are then controlled by the stalk on the steering column; it controls side lights and main or dip beams, but on or off is from the switch. The second pull / position is for dashboard illumination. I have an entire shelf full of manuals and not one of them describes the operation of the 13/60 lights; plenty of 1200 versions but not much help! I'll continue to check through them and report back.

Maybe I'm just lazy but my local tyre depot will do 4-wheel tracking for about £15, and free if you buy a tyre, so I just call in and have a coffee whilst watching someone else do the work.

You can use any kind of stainless steel cable, usually from a bicycle shop; they won't rust through so take the remains of your old one to any cycle shop and see what they have. Most replacement cables are the same quality; they're good enough for the job but all pretty much the same.

I've given up on the tub spread until I can find a method of keeping the passenger side steady whilst only bending the driver's side, so have started on the bonnet. I bent one of the bonnet adjustment bars - thankfully off the car - whilst freeing it up with a spanner so had to blast and repaint another. The bonnet is fitted, but not adjusting as far back as it should and there's a large gap at both scuttle and doors. The adjuster has now been repainted and fitted, but the bonnet still will not play ball. There is one clear problem; the wheelarches are too far back and are hitting off the bulkhead. I think a judicious reshaping, maybe even trimming, of the rear edge is in order. The area of the centre seam sits further back than the rest and if that is bent inwards - sorry, reshaped - then I may have enough backwards movement. Half an inch will do and a good hammer and dolly will give me the required room, hopefully with no damage to the paintwork that can't be hidden by a fresh coat and the rubber seals that go over this bit. i think it may be the passenger side only, but I'll have a bit of trial and error first. Here's an interesting development - the bonnet sits high in the middle, and lifts up before it moves back so that I cannot get a proper line - I adjust it, it moves forward, I move it back, it moves forward again... so in order to get some further freedom of movement, I undid both stays and the counter springs. The bonnet immediately slid into place with no problems and if the wheel arches are adjusted, looks to be as good a gap as there's ever been, subject to raising the bonnet half an inch and slight adjustment of the curves backwards into the contour of the door. Why is the counter-spring fighting against the bonnet fitting? I need to work out why, so that when I come to refit it, I don't end up with the bonnet being pulled forward again. It's fitted correctly, as far as I can see, but I know there are different springs for model and year, so will have to confirm that I'm using the correct versions. Still, it's a big step forward.

Certainly looks like clips for wiring of some kind, and they're also on my 1962 1200 convertible bulkhead so I'm happy they're meant to be on the 1967 model I'm working on at present (but not on the 948 saloon). Not that I'm really worried if they should be there or not; I'm more concerned that I've routed something in the wrong place. The Herald version of nipples, then, everyone has them whether they use them or not...