captain_70s

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

So. No signs of continued HGF over the last 100 miles. A mix of A-road motoring and a few 65mph motorway blats. Temp once went up to the 2/3 mark after bombing down the motorway for 20 miles and then coming to a dead stop in traffic but that's to be expected when it's 25C... It never went higher and once we were moving again dropped to 1/2.
Currently have a Payen gasket sat on the shelf, just in case.
On to the exhaust blow. Tightening everything did fuck all so it seemed like the manifold gasket had blown.


Yes. I'd say that is done.
Managed to pry the detached manifolds far enough off the studs to post the new gasket in without having to take off the carb/downpipe. Which was nice.
With the exhaust blow fixed the car was now running and idling properly as well as not sounding like a farting tractor.
A new issue was the oil warning light flickering on at idle... I thought it sounded a bit rattly but I'm known to err on the side of paranoia and Triumph SC units tend to sound like a washing machine full of stones at the best of times.
Today I rigged up the oil pressure and compression testers despite dissolving in the heat.




That's fine for a bitsa engine built by a monkey. The pressure switch is set at 5psi so it's just fried. I'm going to rig up an actual pressure gauge 
Currently waiting on the rain washing off this Sahara dust or whatever the fuck it is...

Nothing much to report lately.
Been busy at work and post FotU I've not been majorly arsed.
Acclaim is in the garage, new fuel pump is located, just needs a power supply sourcing from the switched ignition side. Need to refill my gas bottle so I can weld up a new mount for the wipers.


Re torqued the Dolomite's cylinder head. Only two nuts were appreciably loose although one did managed over one revolution!
Ran it up to temp and it's seemingly no longer pressurising it's coolant. Massive exhaust leak though, one of the nuts/clamps for the exhaust manifold had simply vanished and another was spinning loose. Reinstalled but it still sounds like I'm running open headers, so will require some further fuckery.

Moved to the front of the driveway for ease of test driving...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

I think late September was about the last time I was arsed doing fuck all.
The Dolly had a run out around Northumberland during Twixfest.



It was then driven into the garage and forgotten.
The has Volvo continued to rack up daily driver points (for the very few car miles I do these days).

A major issue for the WBOD was lack of a heater blower motor. The resistor having failed and then the motor seizing solid not long after. Naturally both a unobtanium. I acquired a 940 motor which seemed to be the same with a different plug and then couldn't be arsed fitting it, because summer.
Then winter came so I went to fit it.

Ok. So the blades are marginally bigger so it's a very tight squeeze to get it in but then... Wait. It won't screw into the housing?

Naturally, the threads on the 940 motor are deeper and incompatible with the 740 housing.
I pondered options for a while and eventually concluded with destruction.


It's now an interference fit aided with tape. I may go back and make up some sort of bracket so it's less likely to fall on to Girlfriend_70's feet if we hit a pothole...
I've got a Volvo 850 resistor which is similar-ish to the 740 one. I'll have to make up a loom adaptor though, which I can't be arsed with, so it's all or nothing as far as fan speeds go.
More critically it's pulling badly to the left, is eating the outside edges of the front tyres and the exhaust is blowing at the mid section. So for now it's laid up.
The Acclaim is in the garage.

I've fitted a electric fuel pump to replace the original (unavailable) mechanical one. It's the sort usually found on upgraded MGBs/Morris 1000s and the like.

Powered by a relay that takes a signal off the ignition control module wiring. So it only runs when the ignition is on. It works well and means it fires first turn of the key as the pump brings fuel up to the carbs without spinning the engine.
I also made up a new mount for the windscreen wiper which had collapsed into the bodywork.

Here is a crude representation of the metalwork where the wipers mount.
T
The red is what I would call the bulkhead and is a few big panels with minimal holes.
The yellow is presumably a reinforcer of some description, it has quite a few big holes pressed in it despite not obscuring anything, presumably to save weight.
The white is a "cup" which holds the wiper spindle. As seen here...

So, the white cup is welded to the yellow panel along one edge, the yellow panel is spot welded to the red bulkhead directly under the windscreen.
You might think that the force of the wiper spring and the linkage moving around would cause quite a lot of stress on such a small area, and you'd be right, as while 99% of the yellow panel was minty fresh the area where the "cup" was attached was rotten. As it'd fatigued the wiper had started wiggling around adding to the fatigue and multiplying the rusting.
Grand. So, how to repair? The best method would be to remove the windscreen and dashboard to remove the scuttle panel to get access. Well, the screen is already cracked in one corner and they're notorious for shattering on removal (making spares rare) and the seal is perished and also unobtanium (The last known supplier of Mk2 Civic screen seals ran out a couple of years ago and announced no more would be made due to worn out tooling and lack of demand).
Right. Fuck that then. Screen is staying in. 
Second option would be to cut the scuttle panel out without removing the screen. Suspect the heat/flexing caused by removing big chunks of metal in the proximity of the screen could well break it. Let's not do that either.
So. Keyhole surgery through the fresh air intake grille it is.





That's as far as the pictures go. The plate had way too much flex in it to hold the spindle steady and my attempts to add strengthening ribs made a mess. Especially as the welder decided wire feed was optional and would only move wire about 15% of the time I pulled the trigger. 
In the end I added another plate here:

The curve was needed to clear the wiper mechanism but also acted like a big spring to hold the "cup" in place. 
Ultimately, while it was sturdy and not structural, the repair looked like shit so you don't get to see it.
So with a new fuel pump and functional wipers we had a functional car, yes?

No. Not really. After being laid up so long the electrics have gone a bit... sporadic. The light switch on the stalk now has dodgy contacts so various lighting circuits will just randomly stop working. I'm hoping I can strip it and clean it, but if not I think I have a spare stalk somewhere...
Oh. And it immediately blew a hole in the centre section of the exhaust.
Also it wouldn't idle. Ran fine on choke but when choke was off it'd die instantly. Suspect the idle circuit is blocked...


So the next step is cleaning up these carbs full of unobtanium rubber seals. Just waiting on some JIS screwdrivers landing...
Once the current wave of repairs is complete it'll be 4 SAIL as, with having a works van for commuting, it just never gets used. The Volvo eats motorway miles and the Dolly is the go-to smoll saloon, the "very reliable car on classic insurance" is no longer a requirement. Lack of use is the cause of most of its recent issues - Dried out fuel pump diaphragm, corroded electric contacts, water sitting in the lowest section exhaust.
This leaves the Dolomite as the most dependable vehicle on fleet, as it always starts on the button and just goes. How times change...

22 front, 24 rear. Even on the Sprint!
Much discussion on the Dolly forum, as those pressures make the car pretty crap to drive but deviation could invalidate your insurance.
I suppose the compromise would be a set of period correct Pirelli Cinturato tyres from Longstone at £120 a corner...

I treated myself to one of these after having a look at the one @dome has 

What an amazing piece of kit, wish I'd got it ages ago.
I changed some exhaust hangers on the Clio.


The exhaust heat shield needed removing to adjust the handbrake and it just undid with my new ratchet.

I've been doing little bits as I've gone along as it is an excellent little car. All this was in preparation for today and resulted in this.

That will do.
Underneath needs a clean up and rust proofed for the future and I'll probably refresh some of the suspension bits as I go as it all seems original from 2001.

Top speed is irrelevant. I had the Dolomite at an indicated 85mph (probably more like 80mph) and it was shit. Loud, light steering, crosswinds trying to shift it a lane over, 6mpg in 20w50.
You do top speed once for a laugh and then never again.
Realistically you're not going over 55mph. I wouldn't even take the thing near a motorway - it's a shit place to be in a Triumph Acclaim, let alone something with three wheels.
Carb needles and ign timing are also irrelevant until you can actually test drive it as the book figures are all based on a fresh engine and petrol that no longer exists. The Dolly drives significantly better tuned by ear and feel over the book values.

Top speed is irrelevant. I had the Dolomite at an indicated 85mph (probably more like 80mph) and it was shit. Loud, light steering, crosswinds trying to shift it a lane over, 6mpg in 20w50.
You do top speed once for a laugh and then never again.
Realistically you're not going over 55mph. I wouldn't even take the thing near a motorway - it's a shit place to be in a Triumph Acclaim, let alone something with three wheels.
Carb needles and ign timing are also irrelevant until you can actually test drive it as the book figures are all based on a fresh engine and petrol that no longer exists. The Dolly drives significantly better tuned by ear and feel over the book values.

Top speed is irrelevant. I had the Dolomite at an indicated 85mph (probably more like 80mph) and it was shit. Loud, light steering, crosswinds trying to shift it a lane over, 6mpg in 20w50.
You do top speed once for a laugh and then never again.
Realistically you're not going over 55mph. I wouldn't even take the thing near a motorway - it's a shit place to be in a Triumph Acclaim, let alone something with three wheels.
Carb needles and ign timing are also irrelevant until you can actually test drive it as the book figures are all based on a fresh engine and petrol that no longer exists. The Dolly drives significantly better tuned by ear and feel over the book values.

Top speed is irrelevant. I had the Dolomite at an indicated 85mph (probably more like 80mph) and it was shit. Loud, light steering, crosswinds trying to shift it a lane over, 6mpg in 20w50.
You do top speed once for a laugh and then never again.
Realistically you're not going over 55mph. I wouldn't even take the thing near a motorway - it's a shit place to be in a Triumph Acclaim, let alone something with three wheels.
Carb needles and ign timing are also irrelevant until you can actually test drive it as the book figures are all based on a fresh engine and petrol that no longer exists. The Dolly drives significantly better tuned by ear and feel over the book values.

The rear wing comes in two sections. The front section fits quite easily, however I had to think hard about fitting the rear. I had a look at @juular's post and saw the fight he had. I decided to try another approach and trim the repair panels down, keeping as much of the original as I could. This is one benefit of a small welder: it is hard to get too much heat into it.

The repair panel for the inner arch is flipping expensive if you can find one. So I decided to make it some from some cheaper rear wing panels. This were a pig as they are double curved and then I didn't take any photos of the panels I made!! You get the idea from the below though

And the final result