0048 - The dramas continue !

Time to install radiator, fan, and lots more
14th April 2018

Pax door in place

The troublesome latch

After the excitement of starting the engine for the first time, Steve then had to leave, with the plan to return next Monday to get everything finished (carbs tuned, and the engine run up to hot, and a test drive) once I have installed radiator, fan, and a number of other items - Including charging the battery fully !!  Andrew started work on the doors.  First we had to fit them in place - Albeit temporarily as they have to be removed again before we fit the front wings.  While one person can remove a door, you need 2 people to put them on - Holding the heavy doors at the correct angle is a full time task while the other person gets the hinge screws started. Once the doors were on, we basically spent the next 3-4 hours trying to get them to latch properly.  Every test shut needed all parts to be fitted, and then any adjustments required filing all the holes to suit, so each adjustment takes about half an hour.  By 6 pm it was starting to get dark and we had been going non stop for 12 hours, so even though the doors are still only shutting onto the first latch, we called it a day.

0047 The engine starts !!

Tuesday 10th April
Its been a long time coming, but we finally get there !

Steve working on the engine

Work on the many small items on the car has been so slow that I haven't had a lot to take photos of or to blog about, and was originally going to include the engine start up in that last post.  But then I realised that this is such a momentous occasion in both Gidget's rebuild and also our overall preparation for the Peking to Paris that it really should have its own space - So here it is !  And true to form, if you think the start was just a matter of turning the key, then think again - As usual with Gidget, it involved drama after drama !

0046 The boot won't lock !

6th April 2017
Nothing else wants to fit either !

Fitting rubber seal around boot

As you have all seen, we are so close to having a complete car again, and that is why this past week has been so frustrating !  Nothing seems to fit right, and parts which seemed to fit previously now are having to be removed because as we fit additional parts, they no longer fit !!  Aaargh ! This is such a frustrating business ! As you know, I worked on the boot lid last week, and after 3 days eventually got it to where it would more or less close.   Having chosen a rubber seal sample that looked likely to fit, I set off to Clark Rubber to get the required 3 1/2 metres, which seemed to do the trick.  Fortunately it is possible to look inside the boot from the passenger cell, through the spare wheel opening behind the seats, and through this I could see if any light was still coming in, and unfortuanately it was, all down the right hand side. That isn't going to be is held firmly closed.