Time for a Re-fit

Progress might be slow but the finished product will be worth the wait. Well that's what I keep telling myself after a day of seemingly no progress whatsoever!

I only got to do some work on the vehicle after lunch today, but we're now most of the way to finishing the aircleaner brackets and cradle.

I marked and re-drilled for the new orientation of the cradle, bent and re-drilled various brackets to suit and then started work on the straps which will lock over the top of the aircleaner barrel to hold it snugly in place. It is one of those very time-consuming small jobs which don't look very obvious but are pretty important in the scheme of things.

Here are a few pics: firstly the cradle as it will now lie, prior to most of the day's work, and then a few photos of making up the locking straps. I've painted it since these photos were taken and I have some stainless steel over-centre clips to rivet to the straps tomorrow. Then I just have to finalise the lengths of the straps and hooks and Bob's my uncle.

Toodle pip,

John

Here's the aircleaner finally, finally locked into position. I didn't get much time to tinker with the Landy today, so really only had time to finish the locking straps for the aircleaner. Better luck next weekend...

Anyway, I am really pleased with the result. The locking straps and the aircleaner barrel itself still need a little more paint as they are scuffed-up by cutting and filing, but it all looks pretty good. The aircleaner sits very snugly at a good angle for drainage out the dump valve, lies clear of the inner guard and the firewall/footwell and should clear the bonnet alright when it goes on.

That reminds me - has anybody ever tried to buy a dump valve for a 200Tdi aircleaner?? Fifty bucks for that piddly little bit of rubber! I keep baulking at buying one, in the hope that some cheap supplier turns up with one.

Cheerio,

John

Didn't do an awful lot today, but a good thing happened.

For the first time since 2010, the Landy has a bonnet.

I cut the old under-bonnet insulation a little better than in times past, then skinned it with a more resistant top layer of metallic backing. It fits pretty neatly in place, being a nice tight fit with some magnets backing it against the steel frame here and there.

Here are a few photos.

More piccies.

Luckily a mate dropped around today, and he was invaluable in lifting the bonnet on without scratching the crapper out of the driver's side wing - which made up for all the time I lost while we sat around talking rubbish and drinking tea.

One thing I am enjoying on this rebuild is actually ordering correct parts for some jobs. It's not a restoration, but I want an "original" feel - as if I'd owned and cared for the Landy since 1965 (which takes some imagination, as it beat me into the world by four years) and gradually modified it here and there along the way. I guess basically I am trying to get rid of the multiple-owner feeling - all the various dodgy bits of engineering, the layers of paint, the rough bush-fixes and rough cuts and the random parts that bit by bit diminish the vehicle that rolled out the door of Pressed Metal Corp all those years ago.

The epic paragraph above is a way of saying "Check out the nice bonnet stay pin and retaining clip. It's amazing what one can find on the internet."

Getting the indicators and parkers fitted.

Tidying up the wiring along the inner RH wing and out to the lights and indicators.

Attaching the bonnet rest strip.

End of the day's work.

Hey Johnno

Wow, It's looking great. Will be interesting in to see how much noise that insulation attenuates. Ralph went for a long run on the weekend (about 230 miles) and my ears are still ringing this morning:p

Cheers Ian

Thanks Ian,

Yep, she's coming along alright. It certainly will be interesting to see how well the insulation works. That stuff under the bonnet itself was basically there before and did absorb a bit of the engine's rattle. The really big thing will be to see if the insulation behind the engine, lining the firewall, and in the transmission tunnel and under the seat base does the job I want it to. It has to be an improvement on previous attempts, but I have no idea yet just how effective it might be. Stay tuned....

John