Well it's been a while... I have had no motivation to get into the Manroom so I just haven't been in there - for about 5 weeks! So, having had a clean up, I looked at a few of the little jobs that I can be getting on with whilst waiting for the weather to warm up enough for me to spray the car again.
I had a look at a couple of interior bits that will need work, primarily the rear-view mirror & sun visors. The mirror itself is ok, but the light's internals are rusted and useless and the lens has had its retaining clips damaged. My first thought was to build something up where the original light was, but I thought that I would also look at replacing the whole unit. I discovered that these came from a Fiat 126. As there's not too many of these left around today (the engines are popular with the Classic Fiat 500 brigade), I thought it'd be unlikely that I would find anything. Yet good ol' eBay came up trumps. It was slightly more than I wanted to pay, but hey, the chances of me finding another cheaper would be nigh on impossible. Just waiting on delivery now.
The sun visors were also in a sorry state, having been damp in the past, as well as being subjected to some orange overspray (Oops, my bad). My first thought was to replace using some from the same seller I got the mirror from, but his ones looked much the same condition as mine. As I like a challenge, I think I'll have a go at remaking/rebuilding them. At least I know they should be relatively simple...
I had a stroke of luck when helping my friend Tink clear out his garage. He'd been storing a few Mini bits for a friend and there was a sump guard there. My driveway has a few bumps on it, so I asked how much he wanted for it. The text reply was that he couldn't sell it too me - he could give it to me instead, on the condition that I bought cakes in for Tink's garage nights. Guess I'm going to be getting fatter.
Finally, I have pulled out the gear selector as it will need to be extended. Originally my Midas had a remote gearbox and a Cooper S engine, and thus did not have the original extended factory rod change unit. My plan is to cut the steady rod at the lever end and the selector rod nearer the gearbox end so once extended they do not clash. I have cut some 1/2" ID steel tube to a 4 3/4" length, allowing me to sleeve the rods at 1/2" each end of the tube, giving me the 3 3/4" required. The rods have been marked out - I just need to cut and weld them now.
Rear-view mirror ok, but light and switch is knackered. Replacement unit ordered.
Sunvisors showing the after effects of overspray and damp...
... on both sides. Time to get creative!!
