My next project "La Petite Chanteuse"

4 minute(s) of a 82 minute read

According to Jim O'Clair "Tech 101" in today's Hemming's on line Motor News "We all have coffee cans or mayonnaise jars full of miscellaneous hardware in the garage that were extras or leftover from a previous project" 

This being so, anything I have said above is "old news" for which I unreservedly apologise. 

The new "News" is that the Singer project has been sold and is on its way north with an interstate enthusiast.

Bj.

11-26-2013

With the Singer gone and out of what remains of my hair I can concentrate on preparing the Lagonda Rapier for next years European trip. While hardly "vintage" todays task is to install a Mobile phone/i pad charger socket into the trim adjacent to the passenger side glove box. The charger has a 12V DC input and 5 V 2.1A output. To install it will entail removing the trim panel, cutting a 30mm hole in it and connecting the socket up to the fuse box, also conveniently on the passenger side inside the bulkhead. The other task is to replace the four flange gaskets on the exhaust headers but as I have just ordered 8 new brass 5/16 BSF manifold nuts that will have to wait for a day or two so more on them later.

Bj.

Further to the above some more photographs for you delectation.

The first two are of the phone charger socket in place. The next is inside the tool locker at the rear of the parcel/luggage space behind the seats. The first one is with this closed showing some of the essential touring kit including a fire extinguisher, the very British "Shooting Stick"/Umbrella, (the handle opens into a seat). The clip secures the hood/top bows when in their customary place, the square length of timber with the green painted "handle" is the dip stick for the petrol tank. (The gauge only shows the contents of the top half of the tank).

The pleated "seat"is in fact the top of the battery box which doubles as an occasional seat for a third passenger on very short journeys. Underneath this along side the battery is a space holding hand cleaner, spanners to fit the battery connections, a roll of toilet paper and a test lamp, a battery post wire brush, a "Swiss Army" pocket knife and a emergency Yellow plastic waterproof "poncho".

Finally inside the tool locker; the copper mallet is for undoing the "Knock-on' wheel nuts. The rolled up piece of green vinyl is the radiator "blind' to block off the bottom third of the radiator is excessively cold conditions, then there is the folding jack handle, a 12 volt trouble lamp, and in the white cloth bag is the compulsory red reflective emergency triangle. Along the bottom is l to r. A wheel chock, a funnel with a (yellow) extension for filling the rear axle, a packet containing a set of new distributor points, a condenser and a rotor button. The white plastic tube contains a stick of two pack malleable emergency repair putty. (Ideal both for temporary petrol tank and radiator repairs.) A tire pump and clipped down in the corner the screw jack. wrapped up in the plastic bag are the two Yellow safety vests required by law in the EU. Missing, awaiting re-stocking, is the box containing a spare bulb for every lamp on the car also required by law in the EU. At any time a policeman may stop you and demand to be shown all the above safety gear. Heavy penalties apply for non-compliance. Also missing is a black plastic bag containing a new spare inner tube.