Colin Lindsay

Hasn't someone come up with one of these in all metal? I thought I'd read of an improved version somewhere recently but as usual can't find it now....

Mark's right, you don't usually drain, just replace. Use fresh fluid to push the old stuff out, but if you're emptying the master cylinder don't refill it, just let it empty out. Once the new one is replaced then just refill and pump out of each corner - as Mark says, start with the one furthest away and work closer to the master cylinder until it all looks bubble free and clean. I'd avoid silicon fluid unless you're intending a rebuild of the entire system with new components.

But, if used on the road, do they affect your Insurance or liability in the event of a claim?

Grew up with them on the streets here in Northern Ireland, although we had Ferret Armoured RVs rather than Humber Scout Cars. I'll bet not many kids got to play in Saracens and Humber Pigs! The army used to park in a layby opposite my house and we'd bring them in for tea, which meant we had the vehicles more or less to ourselves for an hour or so. One of them was destroyed in a landmine explosion outside Benburb in 1972, which my father took me to see as I'd known some of the soldiers in it.

That's beautiful, Algy, a lot of work has gone into that.

I bought two of those last year at Stoneleigh, to be honest it was about all I bought... but good on flat panels or bodywork. For other bits such as half-shafts, if you can clamp the grinder and rotate the axles against one of these you can get a good finish. Don't forget the goggles!

I misread that and was wondering how on earth you'd get a 4WD wheel on a Triumph....

I'd agree with Clive, check the timing. It may be failing to advance properly so going out of sync with higher revs and therefore not sparking when it should, but when the revs drop it drops back into more or less correct time.

Is it unreliable at present? I'd have thought that with electronic ignition and alternator it should be on the button. Just keep the bits that are fitted well serviced, and you'll not really need many upgrades unless you intend to thrash it. More modern shock absorbers, maybe upgrade the brakes - slightly! - but it all depends on what you have fitted at present. This is certainly the place to ask!

Last one I dismantled, the bolt was curved to clear the column, and would only fit in one specific orientation.

Nah he's just nuts. And bolts.

Dunno, what's he driving?

That's interesting, but I can't see how one solid and one rubber does anything positive - two solid mounts should grip the rack; if it slides then there's something not right. The alloy mounts were intended to remove the sloppy feel from worn rubber, which allowed movement. Any benefit from one rubber mount will be cancelled by the opposite solid mount which will still grip but will also allow vibration through the rack, while the rubber won't grip anywhere nearly as solidly as the alloy mount so will still allow a degree of rack movement - the only way it wont is if it's sufficiently wide to butt against the brackets on the rack, in which case it will stop movement in one direction only and you need the same on the other end to address both directions. I'm actually going for poly mounts on my 1200 in place of the solid mountings solely for the reason of the nylon button on the rack, but haven't run rubber mountings on any of my cars in many years.

Did he notify Swansea? Time for an MJ song: "It doesn't matter if you're green or blue...."

Not a whiskey fan, myself.

A lot of the winkers on the road round here wouldn't use either trafficators or indicators. Anyway if we're reinventing hand signals, we need them for the following phrases: What side of the road are you meant to be on? Do you want both sides of the road? Do you know what 'give way' means? You can't really be parking there? Do you want me to open the boot so you can get closer? Yes it's another bl**dy cyclist. Yes, I really AM a pensioner and I DO drive this slowly. Suggestions, please......

Not the Quasimodo joke???

Yes, the panel is held on by nyloc nuts on captive bolts in the capping which come down through the metal frame; the entire thing lifts off as one piece.

This one is intended to be resurrected... but I think it's too far gone for that. The early bonnet top might be saveable... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222874906980?ul_noapp=true

Say nowt, it's all fully original down to the tyres, or else the original bits are lying in your garage.... I knew that car 30 years ago, it was blue and black then, it just looked green in the bright sunlight.

Just buy left handed keys. My father's first car was a Rootes Group Hillman Minx, floor dip and built like a tank. One of the front kingpins sheared outside my school and he left a huge gouge in the road surface which went on for yards. I remember him repairing the bodywork with Pop-On sills and a rivet gun....

Didn't you have the man with the red flag walking in front of you?

Roll on Brexit!! We can have real paintstripper, and real paint that evaporates in minutes, not dries in about three weeks....

Is he that East European guy? I gave up on paintstripper a while back and just sandblast everything these days. Anything too big to go in the cabinet goes to the local shotblaster.

Thanks for that link, due to that and a little vod I'm now £43-odd worse off. You got me at a relaxed / weak moment....