Sun, 12 Oct 1997

4 shiny clean gleaming wheels on the wagon

Spent most of the day on my back staring up into spaghetti junction behind the dashboard on the IX. I wish I hadn't! - (Shipwrights disease - here we go again) All (!) we wanted to do was find out why the indicator indicators weren't working. Along the way to ultimately discovering the flasher unit in the engine bay is slightly defunct (the terminal what drives the dash repeaters is dead) we found:- 1. The fresh air vent drain has rusted out totally, the rust having split the rubber drain tubing into smithereens. 2. The clock had no power cable attached (but still didn't work when we put one on!) 3. Both windscreen washer pipes are not attached - just as well we didn't get the vacuum system working - we would have had very wet feet! 4. The right hand heater vent flap spring has sprung off this mortal coil and is nowhere to be seen. 5. The radio, which has not worked for years, was found to be set for 6V! - now wonder it kept blowing fuses! - switched it to 12V and we have music... 6. I will have to remove the radio to get at oil pressure dash light (groan) 7. Most of the 3 layers of birds nest coconut fibre soundproofing is shedding fibres like a horse moulting. 8. The 'panel' light under the dash is working! a new lamp did the trick. BUT, ahah! - the left door switch was on permanently, the switch body having broken off it's mounting. Took off plate and inserted lots of spindly bits of wire, hooks, screwdrivers, forceps - anything to catch that switch!

John had just read this lot and has said "They'll (ie you guys) think she's a wreck!" She is most certainly not!

Got the switch - phew! and dismantled it - This car is amazing - *everything* can be dismantled and rebuilt - no pop-welded plastic parts which shatter in your fingers, no sealed units, throw-away parts - it can all be serviced. It's a "how-does-this-work?" fanatic's dream! Out with the soldering iron, withdrew the old scabby frayed wire ends and re-secured the wire to the contact ring. The switch body was a problem though, the casting had cracked. Never mind! out with the Araldite "super strength" . It is now curing in the vice. Tomorrow she'll have both door switches working. - Now, what about those rear seat 'C' pillar lights? - that will be another adventure no doubt. By the way the horns still work!

While waiting for the kettle to boil I sanded off the front number plate backing plate and gave it a couple of coats of spray satin black paint - very smart looking now (shame about the rest of the bodywork... Ed.)

9. The speedo - yes, found the cable, removed it and ran the car down the drive - it turns! - so the problem lies inside the speedometer itself - oh dear. We'll leave that for another day... 10. Rim embellishers - three are now fitted, using new hose clips with small screw bodies. She looks so good with them on. The fourth? - well, a few years ago, John had to find a new wheel as the original cracked (from one of the holes). It was ostensibly the same. Not so! - when we came to fit the last embellisher it wouldn't quite fit. The wheel had a different shape (still round silly!) - blast. Now we have to swap it over with the spare (which is an original). 11. There is no number 11...

Tomorrow is Monday and seatbelt day! - only 7 days and we'll be with the madding crowds at the rally... Now, we must get the engine bay clean, re-polish the chrome, scrub the whitewalls... oh the joys of Jags

Channel IX

Saloons

MK VII-IX