For all of you that have been kind enough to watch this blog, I have been sidetracked on finishing another project which I needed to get out of the workshop.  However, things are about to get going again.  I am picking up the painted parts for the rear axle this weekend and I promise to get some photos up and move the E forward again.  A trip to Goodwood last weekend served as a great motivator, as there were some beautiful series one cars to oggle.

ok, so whats going on?  well I have to admit that I have another project that I am restoring alongside the E and this has meant that I seemingly neglected 860897.  Not true,   I am still awaiting the painted bits to reassemble the rear IRS, and I have also made up some natty little dollies for transporting the E around the shed.  I bought the basic dolley from Machine Mart and then adapted them to carry the greatest car ever made.  I will endeavour to photograph my application for those that may want to do the same.  However, whilst I am in fact an superb welder, those that spend the time to study the welding on these frames should realise that they were put together by a blind man on a galloping horse as I was in the pub at the time!  Anyway, all is well with the E, and I am hoping for some real traction in the next couple of weeks to get things going once more.  Photos to follow. , but meanwhile here are some of the E before I vandalised it.  It even looks good on a trailer!

Oh dear, not been very active at posting recently I am afraid.  I have been a bit sidetracked on another project and I am still awaiting some bits back from the paint shop for the IRS.  However, I did manage to make up some dolleys for trailing the E type around and will post up some photos tomorrow.  Thanks for watching and I hope to get moving again soon.  

I thought it was going rather well

Wow.  Bent double in the FHC removing the wiring loom, wiper mechanism and heater pipes is a job I am not looking forward to reversing in a few months time.  The loom is quite a bit more involved than I had thought and I am sure its going to take some careful planning to get it fitted back in correctly, well a new one anyway.

The wiper mechanism is pretty fiddly too.  Basically there is a double skin on the E Type bulkhead and the wiper mechanism and the heater pipes fit in between the two and there are three holes about the size of a hand to work through.  Note to self.....make sure the wiper mechanism is greased up nicely when refitting as if it squeaks in action it would be akin to heart surgery to get it out once the dash and wiring loom is in.

Anyway, the old girl is pretty bare now, not much left to remove before the tub can go off to be rebuilt. As I stripped the E down I have thought about attempting the rebuild of the tin work myself, but to be honest, the experts out there are so much better prepared it really would be false economy.  They have the jigs, experience and welding equipment to make it a much better job.  And it will free me to restore and renovate all the bits ready to fit back into the car when it comes back.

I have found another Iconic bit to consider in my competition of the all time favorite E Type part.  The centre dash.

I know all you chaps with 4.2 series one E's will prefer the all black dash. But for me, this is a superb bit of design and was a key element in helping establish the E Type design status. The early toggle switches connect the car with an early time, and illustrate how the E when launched was such an advance on other machines.  More to come no doubt as the rebuild continues.

Its true.....

they did pencil the body number on the back of the dash panel .  Just started stripping the last of the Body Tub and in particular the dash panels.  And as I have read in a couple of places the panels left and right seem to have been tailored to specific cars.

Its coming apart so easily, its going to be a doddle to put back together....I dont think!  No seriously, they are pretty easy cars to strip down and everything has been well thought out.  I will post up a few more photos and update very soon.

A cruncy old box the Moss, but it looks nice now anyway

Here are a few photos of the box and diff as promised  and my new shelves too!

It seems a long while ago

It seems such a long while ago, what seemed like it was going to be obvious when taking the IRS apart now it comes to reassembly seems rather more complicated. There is much frantic flicking through workshop manuals going on!   I mean, I know that the diff sits in the middle of the cage and it has a wheel each side connected with a drive shaft etc, but the devil is always in the detail.  No only joking of course I remember how it goes back together.......help.

Anyway, with this restoration I decided to break the habit of a lifetime and get myself organised.  So to that end I have purchased a lovely set of shelves from Big Dug and fitted out my last empty stable as an E type shed.  When we bought the house, I had 5 empty stables and 4 cars to restore. Now I have 5 full up stables and no cars left in one piece.  Actually, thats not quite true.  I restored an early Range Rover and used 2 additional vehicles as donors, the remains of which are in my stables, so if anyone wants some RR parts please get in touch.  Anyway I am off topic again,  the gearbox also came back from the rebuilders and looks fabulous.  All the bearings, layshaft , seals and gaskets have been replaced, as well as the rubber bush on the gearstick and one syncro and gear unit.  Having decided I like the whine of the old non syncro Moss box, I hope I dont regret it when its all put back together.  The last E I had with a Moss box was almost impossible to drive, and I mean impossible.  I think it was just a bad example of what we all know was a super fine bit of engineering..ha!

Anyway, photos to follow as the rebuild of the IRS comes along, but in the meanwhile to add a bit of variety and to prove that not everything I pull apart never sees the light of day here are a couple of photos of one I finished earlier. I know its not an E type but I like it!  E Type Gearbox photo to follow.