I realised this as I sat at the traffic lights with a whippet looking at me from the back window of the car in front. Years ago, when I was quite small, a whippet called 'Alfie' used to visit our house on an almost daily basis. We didn't know where he came from, nor where he went. Alfie never made a sound. As a breed they don't seem to say a lot.

The first bits of the body were attached to the chassis today - not without the usual fiasco with rulers. I've no idea why I drilled the hole just adjacent to the handbrake lever..... but I'm sure it'll come in handy for something. Anyway, I'm glad to be getting on with a bit of woodwork as it makes a change from metal bashing and as it's more or less a cut-and-fit job, that makes it all the more fun.

I've inserted the temperature probe housing in the top hose - I'm not over fond of all those Jubilee clips, it would have been better to have extended the aluminium pipe from the top of the radiator but I didn't think about it at the time.

And I've got my fuel tank cylinder rolled so I've plenty to get on with over the next few evenings. But I couldn't resist doing a bit more woodwork first.

This is just a start and in the absence of a jig, gives me something to hang the ash frame on. The firewall will act as the datum for the rest of the construction. Like the Austin, I think I might lengthen the bonnet panels so that they end aft of the firewall to give access to a tray for tools and all the electrics. I hate not being able to get at anything so it's as well to try to design things for ease of maintenance.

And talking of electrics, Sparks and I have been going round the houses trying to get the indicator set-up right so that it's the work of a moment to install and is an easy retro-fit to any other car - trying to make it completely fool-proof is proving to be a bit of a trial. Anyway, my Hillman tourer needs a set, Learned Counsel piped up that he wants a set for the Jowett Jingle Bell and one or two others have said, 'Coo, got any more of those Guv'nor?' Anyway, I think I'm almost there and will soon be able to announce to the world that the WrightWay signalling system (incorporating hazards) will soon be seen on superior motor-cars everywhere. And if this project is as successful as the others I've from time to time developed, I'd better make room under the stairs for the boxes now....

Encouraged by the firewall although I've got to take it all to bits for trimming up and putting a sheet of stainless steel over the front of it, I jigged up the position of the instrument panel and whacked in a few floorboards. The first one has the hole for the gear lever and the rest, to the bulkhead position behind the seats, took only a few moments to cut.

Buoyed by this progress I changed tack and marked up the fuel tank ready for putting the joggle in the join.

I still can't think why I drilled that hole in the wrong place - I must be barking.