Post 38: Home but much work to do

26th April 2019
Post 38: Home but much work to do.


Well at least the car is home after 5 moths on leave!  I have been asked a lot since the home coming - How long before the cars on the road Dave?  That's a good question - certainly not as long as a chap I met at AH Spares about 7Months ago - he said his took 7 years - that's just too long for me and the 2 years I have been going (5 months in the bodyshop lets not forget) seems a long time to me, any how whats the to do list look like? Lets see:

1. Wings have to be removed with the doors to put the trim between the wings and the body
2. Boot needs trimming and washer bottle fitting
3. Need so wheels and tyres
4. Windscreen needs fitting along with the wiper motor
5. Interior trim needs installing/making
6. Seats - need to claim them back from the trimmers and fit them
7. Seat belts need fitting
8. Roof needs to be check fitted and installed
9. Doors need fitting along with the trim
10. Door jar trim and locks to be installed
11. Lights need installing and connecting
12. Bonnet equipment needs fitting
13. Boot needs fitting along with the locks
14. Badges and chrome to be fitting
15. Carpets - lets not forget them
16. Overdrive unit solenoid needs fitting
17. Tunnel panels need fitting
18. Steering wheel and switches need fitting
19. Steering and brakes needs check over and setup
20. Side screens - need fitting
21. Mirrors to the doors
22. Heater connections to be made
23. Exhaust to re-fitted
24. Bumpers and closing panel to front
25. Polishing, polishing and more polishing

That lots seems a bit like a mountain to climb!


There has been action though so lets see what I have done so far. . . . . . . Lets start with the wings.


Remember the car came back with them all fitted and aligned, damn shame they all had to be removed to be able to fit the stainless steel beading finisher strips between the wings and the body :( but there it is - lots of potential to screw things up right now.


Started with the rear wings.  I used the original beading, although not perfect I felt they had survived this long and deserved to have their day so will live with a few marks on them but I think they look good in any case.  For fun I popped the rear reflectors back in and tried a rear lamp!




Left Rear wing installed with bead



Right rear wing installed with bead

Front wing installed with bead

Couldn't resist having a play at the front end too - his face is coming back. . . .

Eye Eye - I see you

A bit of bling back on the car

Windscreen came next.  Now bearing in mind that the windscreen was previously fitted to the car for the roof fitting exercise I was confident in refitting it - I should learn that with old cars it just doesn't go like that and it didn't. 


We struggled for a day with gaps either side and having to pull the screen down to the body with force but the rubber seals just were well "not having it".  So having spent a fair sum on the dashboard trim panel we removed it and cut about 7mm off the edge to the windscreen sticking the trim back afterward - not that happy about it but was the only way to get the screen to fit.

Hers the dash panel fitted - in fact before we cut it - but you cant tell

And with the windscreen mounted

All of a sudden I think I have a car in the garage not just a piece of junk!  But wait did the roof fit?  Well after cleaning the bright work up some . . . . I think the answer was yes.