Lagonda Rapiers

4 minute(s) of a 484 minute read

While possibly/probably meaningless to most if not all of you those photographs that I posted on December 23 are in fact invaluable to me as I start to re-assemble the gearbox. I will not attempt to explain but they are worth to me more than all the thousands of words that have been printed or are about to be printed in learned handbooks on the subject of ENV 75 Pre-selector Gearboxes. While the only comment that author of one of these yet to beproduced could make was "That I should clean-up my work bench !" There is NOTHING that he could say that was of any more use to me than this set of half a dozen photographs. The fact that he would not offer any advice other than I should wait some indefinite period of time until his book was finished when I could buy one.
I  will be amazed if even one of the hundreds of "enthusiasts" who eventually do buy this no doubt glossy volume, do more than glance through it before adding it to their collection of "important books".
Messy bench or not I believe that I could be counted among the two or three people who MAY have some practical use for such a book. Even then rather than sit on my hands while I await breathlessly for this so called "bible" to be produced I will get on with the job of rebuilding my transmission.  
Meanwhile I think that I will manage to do quite well without it.
One of my personal friends is supposed to be doing a set of technical drawings for this book. Sadly in all the years I have known him, he has never finished even one of the projects he has started.

1-6-2019

While almost anyone can recognise all the major components it is the little things that count, fortunately while it reflects on my own limited ability, I did take the precaution of taking some photographs, messy untidy and scruffy workbench not withstanding, that will hopefully remind me where some of the smaller parts that are easily overlooked go when rebuilding my gearbox. Younger people with excellent memories will not have this problem. I did also take the precaution of ordering a new set of Centraliser springs. You will note there are three different versions of the centralising spring holders. It is important that each go into the correct position facing the right way, although you will not need me to tell you this. I am grateful to Peter Meyer who has told me the simple way of compressing these (springs) when reassembling the bands.
Just as a matter of interest I have just measured the size of my work bench so you can compare it with your own.
Mine is 36 inches long and 18 inches wide. Virtually all my work is done on it. I have a 4 inch (offset jaws) vice mounted at one end.It has a single Florescent tube mounted on the wall above it. For more light I can open the single rear door. Air conditioning is controlled by opening or closing the main front door. There is one other (Floro tube) light in the centre over the (single) car space.
 
People who are shocked/horrified by the conditions I work under can stop reading now.