Mr Slightly-Strange has supplied me with the components for a 6-cylinder version of the MegaJolt Lite ignition system.

Quite a lot of it comprises readily available Ford components. The beauty of this system is that I can put the coil block anywhere, so I'm thinking I can have a very shiny (at first) copper tube containing the plug leads running vertically up the side of the block. I could arrange for the leads to be espaliered - that would be a splendid sight.

The castellated wheel which the Hall sensor looks at (for the missing tooth) I shall attach to the inner portion of the crankshaft anti-vibration wheel which in turn is bolted to the crankshaft pulley. The outer section of the balance wheel is separated from the inner by a rubber fandango which would mess up the timing under load and on the over-run.

Mr Slightly-Strange's 'T' Coupé is coming along nicely and looking fast just sitting there.

It has installed a very early flathead with white metal bearings.

In the struggle to get the torsion bar fittings into the new Riley front subframe, I've had to make up some special tools. The sequence I've adopted is to first install and secure the bush spacer in the outer tube. Then to slip one of the rubber bushes over the splined tube whilst positioning the other rubber bush at the front end of the outer tube. The splined tube is pushed into the outer tube so that the forward threaded section just locates in the second rubber bush.

The threaded bar (I used M18 and wouldn't try anything smaller) is then fed through the assembly and the long silver stepped mandrel positioned square to the rubber bush. The nut is then done up and that pulls the whole shebang into position - or nearly.

As the inner tube gets closer to exiting the front rubber bush, the silver mandrel is exchanged for the shorter grey one which allows the splined portion to come through into the cap. The whole operation takes about 3-4 hours a side. Why? Because the tube is so tight in the bushes that I've found that the only way to make progress is to wind everything up as tight as it will go, leave it for 10 minutes or so, and then release the tension before winding it all up again. Each operation moves the inner tube more or less ¼", so it's a good game played slowly.

Those 10-minute intervals weren't wasted as I made up a set of exhaust manifold studs to have a look at the twin carb layout. There's a 'Home' and an 'Export' style of air filter for the engine, each having a different intake manifold.

I seem to have accumulated multiple sets of carbs for some reason, but no actual filters. That's not a problem as the set-up of either probably wouldn't fit under the bonnet in any case so I'll make my own.

Or have none at all and get some intake flames going to liven things up.