Colin

Hi Gary, Thanks for the pdf For some reason it won't open for me (message about content restriction!?!). Might you please try again? Or e-mail it to me; colinwinn1@hotmail.co.uk? Thanks, Kind regards, C.

Thanks Colin! Good advice. I shall pluck up more courage to poke around to locate those holes by feel!

Having cleaned and where nec renewed connections, I tucked the bonnet front wiring into a commercial, pre-split flexible conduit and wrapped it with self-amalgamating rubber tape (B&Q). Will help prevent any potential movement chafing and slow atmosphere ingress (& therefore connection oxidation). Shame I broke the 2 side cable supports off (but they've been bent back & forth dozens of times anyway!). Now need to remake those before other issues! Thanks for all help.

Chaps: collectively . . . Many thanks ('push notifications not working still!). For clarification (my red herring, sorry); 'tis only the passenger q'light vent which actually appears twisted. But I consider that, a seperate issue! Re driver's door, I have often thought the'bubble' seals to be incorrect - I am really grateful for the pointer to the correct product - that, in itself, will make life so much easier, I am sure! It's always seemed to 'bounce back', not shut after these were fitted (1st partial reno, decades ago). I also think I will invest in a set of new hinges. It is simply impossible that after 50 years of yanking, slamming and bashing that they are not worn. As usual, chaps, grateful. Best, C.

Colin L; you are, I think, saying none of that combination of holes is internally threaded to receive my button threaded bolt?? From your photo I can't see that it would even be possible to get behindthem to strategically place a fixing piece (spire nut etc)? I may have to leave it! I can't justify taking a new headlining apart for the sake of a coat button!! I'll have to hang my coat on the aerial, like the others!! 😉

Here I go . . . (😉); Firstly, I fully accept that I should have gone back to the chap to whom I gave my Herald Saloon to renovate. After renovation, one of the main 'gains' I was hoping for was a better door fit. On successful door skin replacement, he sent me a video showing how easily the door shut (roof and all trim off at this point). Nice easy click shut. I was delighted! Of course, I hoped that would remain the case, once everything had been refitted. It turned out not to be the case. Very sensible that this chap was becoming VERY tetchy about wanting to 'finish' off the car to the level I really wanted, I felt that the detail elements remaining and outstanding were things I could probably do over time and I was glad that she was metal where metal needed to be and with a good paint coat. He even would have had me drive it from his premises without correctly functioning lights and, particularly, indicators! So, since the draught excluder has been refitted, the rubber check-strap unit refitted, neither door opens easily or shuts nicely. I rely on window down, arm out and pull in hard from outside, effectively. I have tried myself, on cloths and two trolley jacks, to adjust, retighten, adjust, retighten all the variables in the equation but still can't get a nice shut. I think I could improve this if I had two pairs of hands available to me, but I have to accept this I do not have. Before my getting to it, the front pillar was hitting the rear of the rain channel. But that affected the horizontal fit lines. After my first fiddle, when pulled 'to', my driver door has taken to just hitting the lower rear door shut aperture, but is a decent fit at the rain channel area. However, it won't settle on the door catches - the rear of the door is clearly too far back and just slicing the face of the door catch and the top of that catch, has, over the years, been worn down - so there were clearly issues in the past, too. Neither does there seem to be the extent of door catch adjustment I would like. I have bought some new door hinge gaskets - they seem very thin compared to whatever has been used is concerned. But the correct gaskets, would, I think, make the door vertical orientation correct. I have of course, been unable to adjust all the elements in this equation, tighten everything I have loosened off, then walk away to try it. What I did tends to loosen off - but I can't tighten and hold the thing in position whilst doing that! Of course, all of this is doing nothing for the paintwork (paintwork that Club Royal Blue spray cans now seems too dark for - another minor gripe). Would it be recommended for me (50 year old car) to change the driver's side door hinges - they are bound to be worn - AND are there any other suggestions anyone can make in order to make a decent fit? I could, for example, ask if there is a 'thinner' draught strip round the door aperture. This was replaced on first reno works decades ago. Maybe the original was not so substantive?? Cheers!! C. P.S. the door pillar on the passenger door seems twisted. Is that just a matter of adjustment or has it been bent (dropped in the workshop?).

Oh! That sounds problematic, given the headlining was renewed and is in situ - shan't be able to get behind it - needed to 'feel' the entry screw hole and pierce the headlining to insert the button threaded bolt.

Bloomin' 'eck, guys . . . I turn the 'notifications' on but have missed most of the first 50% of your replies! It's clear there have been many permutations, over the years. I can see the temptation (for me, too), of boarding the back of the aperture over, so as not to be able to see a hessian finish (ashes & sackcloth etc!). As the dropping of the rear seat only requires unscrewing two lower nuts of studs (quick, if you place a spacer on the long-ish threads), it is/would be really quick to drop the rear seat to slide summat large in . . . nice photo, Colin L. Colin L & Paul H:- again many thanks for the photos of button coat hook screw locations. Clearly it is NOT a captive nut as I thought. Just a threaded raised 'bump'. I shall need to do some gentle pushing and prodding to find the screw hole - Colin L - I can see your photo; shows two large holes and one smaller to the left. I assume you think my button screw should fit into the left hand, smaller threaded hole? Best, C.

Nevertheless, very entertaining! 😃

Thanks Johny, It's clear to me now that such a finish was standard. I was thinking of boarding, too! C.

Thanks, Trigolf! It dawned on me when re-covering that it was almost like skimping and somewhat unfinished!! C.

Gents:- 2 things:- 1) My 1970 1147 saloon car's recently been renovated. The company concerned missed putting back the coat hook that sat just over the nearside rear side window and the roof has had a new headlining. So now I can't figure out where the receiving captive nut is, along the window's length or how far up - I have been unable to detect its location by pressing/poking with my finger! Can anyone tell me/does anyone have a roof currently not installed who can measure and report back where it should be located, please? 2) Before renovation, the car was covered over in a barn for a decade. Recently, my dear wife helped me strip the old, mickey-nibbled hessian off the back of the rear bench seat and having bought some similar & appropriate hessian, stitch the new into position. In 35 years of ownership, I have only ever known the seat to have this hessian visibly exposed, especially when seen from within the boot, of course. But it did cause me to wonder if this was the original finish for said seat? Is everyone else's seat finished with this hessian? Or am I missing a vinyl back covering or similar?? There. I said these were daft matters!! All thoughts gratefully received as usual 🙂 Best, Colin.

Great information, Colin - I use the small flat screwdriver method - but a correct tool to do a job is always a bonus! 😉 C.

Hey All, As usual, many, many thanks for all assistance and technical know-how rendered. Today, I finished dismantling, cleaning every last aspect of, and, renewing where necessary, all the under-front-bonnet light connections. The earth was shockingly corroded - I even threw the old bullet connector away and replaced it. After the remaining dismantling and cleanings were completed, I connected the battery again and 'hey presto' - lights as should be - and same for the speedo full beam jewel indicator functioning correctly. I thank you all for your help - the upside is I improved the under-dash cabling and now know more about the switch & its system; Now have a younger dash light switch; Have tackled the under-bonnet wiring (which I've been putting off as recent renovation had them covered in stone chip blacking and old insulation tape); And am at the point where I can remove the other dash units so I can sand & re-lacquer it. Cheers, All! C.

Thank you, Colin & Non-Member! Not sure where the Headlights Earth is situated! I have just rammed my head under the dash and checked out what is connecting to the column stalk. Colin, I think this is commensurate with your description. As follows: 2 no. Brown/Red (NR) to stalk switch Brown/Blue NU 1 no. thick Blue/Red (UR) to stalk switch Blue/Red 2 no. Blue/White (UW) to stalk switch Blue/White Sounds about right . . . ?? C.

OK Folks; Spurious thin grey wire conundrum solved. Don't think it was me, but certainly someone has had a fiddle in the past. For some reason that grey wire was connected as one of the two blue/browns which connect to terminal S1. I've re-made it and marked it up as blue-brown. Talking of blue/brown, I also found the bullet connector end of one blue/brown pretty much out of its connector to the remainder of the loom, so that was pushed back in nice and tight - I thought, "I'll bet that was simply the issue - a dodgy wiring connection. But no. So, my switch is now all as should be wiring-wise. Tried again - nothing but sidelights again, even on main and dip setting. I've taken a cursory look at the stalk lighting switch. It operates nicely ("feels OK"). Speedo Blue 'jewel' indicator that normally shows full beam on, is on for both Main and dip beam settings. I DO now have a decently working multi-meter. Where do I test (that I can get to easily) to check where the problems lies? I've read back through the suggestions . . . Non Member:- I'm not sure how I can test the stalk connection you refer to (Quote "Either way, my bet's on the wire from the dash switch to the column switch, which is separate from the wire that feeds (from the same dash switch terminal) the side lights"). Which wire do you mean? As far as I can see in the car, the stalk has: Blue/Brown, Blue/Red and Blue/White, wiring at the top switch (column top) end. I can't see Blue/Brown as connected from this stalk switch as it exists in reality in the wiring diagram (item 12), though! There doesn't appear to be a Brown/Red (which would be its power, right?) to that switch! Any further thoughts, anyone? Cheers, C.

Ta! I think my real next step is to find that which Colin L had - and I seem not to have - the 2nd elusive blue/ brown wire!!

Colin L; Hi! And thanks!! How great to have a switch with terminals marked! I have just noticed my old switch is, too! And I note "S1 to the bottom of the pic has the power out to lights, brown and blue" really has two reasonably heavy gauge wires - see mine as was fitted? Just the one 'proper' gauge wire and then that spurious lightweight grey! Do we have fuses? Too light a wire would surely blow a fuse under full load at some point?? Best - and thanks! Colin

Hi Chaps:- I have (at last) taken receipt of a new Dashboard Light Switch (no headlight problem above) I have accessed the switch by pulling out the ash tray. With my new working multimeter, I measured the resistance through the old switch and actually all parameters were acceptable. But on the basis I had new to replace 50 year old, I thought I'd fix the new one in. Two probs - one to note for anyone else is doing the same :- 1) when tightening the wiring via the screws into the terminals, the tightened screws cut the wiring and the cables nearly came loose. I'm glad I noticed it as if it'd happened while the car was travelling, goodness only knows where those cables would have been rubbing against and shorting across. I think this is because the receiving surface inside the terminal appears slightly concave and the edges of the screws basically severe the wire strands. This I can get around by soldering a small spade onto the wires, and letting the terminal screws compress the spade end, not the wire stranding. 2) For some reason - and I only know of one owner before me and I certainly can't recall doing this myself - a thin grey wire was connected to the blue/brown wire terminal. I currently have no idea where this goes to and it was, for some reason, connected with a 'choc' block connector - so clearly an amateur fitting. I note there is no grey wire showing on the circuit diagram to or from the dash switch (thanks to my departed Dad for marking that diagram up for me!). Iain T:- if you did take or if you still have your dash off (mine will have to come off to be re-lacquered), can you confirm the wiring you have to the dash light switch rear, please? We can describe the terminals as being at 10 o'clock, 2 o'clock and 6 o'clock, when looked at from the cabin side of the dash looking forward, with the bulbous hump/protruding section on the switch at the top at 12 o'clock position. I have Brown/Red at 10; Brown/Blue AND wierd thin grey to 2 o'clock and twin red/white wires together in the 6 o'clock terminal (photo). Wagger:- I had a quick look at the dip switch on the column - on cursory inspection didn't see any evidence of melt-down. I will report back as soon as I have installed the new switch successfully and if I can try it out without blowing myself up, see what does/doesn't work - and if I can figure out what this rogue grew wire is up to. Cheers, chaps.

Hi guys, I know I should really be doing the diagnosis work you've all kindly spoken about! I've ordered a replacement (thanks Matthew, for your offer). Thanks for all reminders as to what the 2 position switch actually does, too! You'd think I'd know, wouldn't you??!! Gonna fit it first and then see where I am with things - After 50 years, it could probably benefit from a new switch mechanism!! Will keep advised! Just hoping it's nothing I did when fitting Club hazard switch 😉🤣 Best, C.

Hi Iain, Thanks. But I've been behind the dash. I've had her 35 years, so all alterations are mine! Yes, it is a rat's nest!! 🤣 Good luck with yours!

Thanks Wagger. My gut feeling is the switch has gone open circuit. My Clarkes Multimeter I can't trust the readings from - it doesn't read as it should. Trying to find a replacement switch; all the usual suspects say o.o. stock!

Hi All, Been poking around to see why I have side, but no headlights dip or full. I renewed a blown sidelight bulb - both now working. Can’t find any loose/broken wiring. Had a look for any loose/disconnected under-dash wiring from the sidelight/main beam/dipped steering column stalk. Nothing untoward there. As you all know the dash light switch is a two-position switch; - First pull position, sidelights only; - Second position, dipped or main beam (dependent upon stalk position). When you consider it's the only moving part of the whole circuit and this dash switch has pulled out and pushed in countless times (50 years old), I am wondering (even though I squirted WD40 along the switch shaft into the mechanism), if there’s wear and tear within. It’s quite slack in its two-position movement tbh. But still no headlights on, full or dip, at any setting. Only sides. I wonder though . . . here, might be a further clue:- when the dash light switch is pulled out to the second position for full-on headlights (dipped or main beam, stalk dependent), I note the full beam, ‘jewel’ light indicator within and part of the speedo/mileometer unit is on all the time, whether the column stalk is set to main OR dip. When functioning correctly, I normally only see that blue jewel light on at main beam and it should extinguish the next stalk-down position at dip. I do not need ignition on to operate side/headlights as you all know. Is the dash jewel light telling me there’s a dash switch fault?? Thoughts appreciated. Regards, Colin

Hi Gents, Many thanks for those advices; Sorry for tardy reply - I thought I had asked for notifications of replies, but didn't see any! I think they stopped working together - suggesting a feed cabling issue. I shall be looking at the whole lot from the stalk down (yes- a 1970 1147 - 3 position lever stalk - sides/main/dipped ((or similar order)) ). I was under the dash when installing the hazards - might have disturbed summat . . . Had a quick look at the dash lights-on switch rear, under the dash, the other day. All looks intact. The column stalk feels positive and with no change to normal. But my gut tells me there is/are some poor original wiring connections at front of bonnet - I think it has been re-connected and tucked up several times over over its 50 years! ATM, it's all shrouded in still-sticky under-bonnet stone chip coating with insulation tape under and round the cabling. I feel there may be a few 'choc' block connectors involved, too! I will attempt some investigation soon and report back.

Hi Chaps, As you all know I'm v. dim - a bit like my sealed beam headlight units which have, in tandem, decided to pack up. Haven't driven at night or evening, so their only use has been to 'flash' people on in narrow road situations. The units don't appear blackened ('blown, burnt out') and I haven't fiddled with the wiring, except for installing the hazard switch (still all good). Sidelights operate, although one bulb had also blown (hope not a red herring). Might it be that by 'flashing' folk, I've surged the lighting, specifically headlights dipped or full beam - or maybe one blew and surged the other to blow, too?? I would, anyway, like to upgrade them at some point, but I read in here that Club Wipac halogens require relays and I have no idea what they're all about or how to go about it. Cheers for any thoughts. Best, Colin (Herne Bay)