New Project

[mikeC]

Presumably that's an Australian-built body, in which case original factory colours hardly apply!

[ColinB]

All lights wired up and working on their respective switches. I have to work on the wiring as I'm sure it would give Brian nightmares as its rather untidy but I hope I can improve on that. I used a Series Land Rover brake light switch wired up to the ignition circuit. I made a crude bracket and it fits well between the hook in the bottom of the brake pedal and the rear engine mounting plate. As the exposed end of the sliding switch is quite close to the bracket I put a couple of layers of insulating tape along the bottom edge of the bracket to make sure it couldn't short across the gap (although I doubt if that was really possible).

[ColinB]

Driver's side front seat repair is going quite well: I used 1mm mild steel and welded it to the good metal on the original back (when I say welded I mean in my very amateur way!) To secure the repair more fully I folded the edge around the thick metal rod that forms the outside edge of the seat back. Much better than my first attempt so I think this will be OK when nailed and screwed into position. I made a jig from the passenger's side to make sure the rake of the back was correct this time.

Once I have completed this repair I can take the seats and the leather off to the trimmers and then get to work on the headlining.

[Phillip]

Looking good, Sir!

It's coming together nicely...

[ColinB]

Just a bit of timber coating and drilling air holes and the front seats are ready for the trimmers. Rear seat back already done.

[ColinB]

Seats off to the trimmers. The ones I used previously seems to have gone out of business, retired probably, but I have found a new firm run by two brothers only 40 minutes away in a village called Pidley. They were recommended by a member of SOC and are very busy, which is a good sign. Their forecast date for doing them is January 2021 which gives me a good horizon for doing the headlining, door cards and carpet; hopefully Rob Roan will have the front screen fabricated by then too.

[telco.2]

Things are looking good Colin!

[ColinB]

Finally started working on the headlining having thought about it for far too long! It is, however, always good to think about something you have never done before, and a few things have crystallised in my mind: despite what the Haynes Interior Restoration book says you do not sew pleats into the headlining, but rather you sew separate hangers onto the fabric; my wife noted that the hangers are secured with a zig-zag stitch so it has sideways stretch; and I have noted that the scraps of original hangers left on the car leave about 1/2" hanging below the roof cross members which gives a lot of wriggle room on their placement as the slack can be taken up fore and aft.

Based on the remains left on the original roof there were only two hangers so I have cut out two strips of 2 1/2" fabric and Linda has tacked those into position. We will go out tomorrow and buy some grey thread and she tells me her sewing machine will do a zig zag stitch to secure the hanger strips.

[jeans_old_man]

Ah! You should by fine now that you have an expert on the job.

[telco.2]

What a wise comment!!! Bill

[ColinB]

Headlining half installed. Not yet tacked along the sides or cut to size but it’s coming along OK.

[ColinB]

Further progress.

[telco.2]

What a super job! Well done.

[Phillip]

One word Colin: WOW!

It's coming along nicely now!

[ColinB]

Working on the lower lining behind the rear seats. What an awful job: there is nowhere to get in a position to wield a hammer properly. Had I thought this through I would have constructed the seat base after doing this as I could then have stood on the ground around the differential. Still it is coming together slowly and the first window opening looks neat enough with its wooden surround just placed in position to show the final effect. The window templates I had already made have proved to be invaluable for holding the material in place while I went through the necessary contortions to knock in the tacks.

I'm not sure if the commercially available Hidem will be wide enough to cover all the tacks, but if not we will run up a piece of the headlining material (with seams both sides) a bit wider than the Hidem and place that beneath it when installing it.