... or just getting older...

... but going up to the workshop in 30kts of freezing wind is not getting any easier as time rolls on.

The Great Collector's Talbot hood is nearly done, having been expertly sewn together by Lynda. The 'Hidem' banding was difficult at first, but once a technique had been established (introducing and twisting a large flat screwdriver blade to open the gap wide enough to let the head of the tack pass without catching the beads) it was still a job where a third hand would have been, er.. handy.

The Bedford lorry needed its brakes bleeding with fresh fluid. Happily, none of the nipples were seized so the old fluid (full of water) was soon flushed through. The bleeding kit which has a tube with a non-return valve in one end, was a significant help.

Next came the clutch adjustment - it being almost all the way off the floor at the pedal before biting. Taking up the free play to the book's recommendations looked easy enough until trying to get a spanner in behind the release lever after slackening the locknut (arrowed). It didn't make any difference in any case, so a new clutch is probably required.

I popped in to see Awkward and noticed a new addition to the local fleet - a Ford Pilot. This, the Riley RM, and the Alvis TA14, were always on my it-would-be-nice-to-have-one-of-those list. Having noted that the distributor on the Ford is buried behind the bottom of the radiator, I'm having second thoughts.

The interior is plain, but appealing - column change being a favourite for me...

... and something I learnt; the script atop the radiator cap, 'EnFo', stands for 'English Ford'.

I was all set to attend the annual run-out to Ufford in East Suffolk and with Awkward, decided to hook up the Lambda sensor, the vacuum gauge, and the timing gun to make sure all was as it should be. Well, it wasn't. For a start, the vacuum advance was seized in its housing and discovering a leak in the diaphragm, explained why.

Moving on to the carb, the next snag was the jet adjusting nut which when turned, didn't seem to be doing anything. Dismantling the assembly revealed it to be seized on the jet holder. A bit of heat freed it off and a new spring now prevents over-adjustment. The cork washer which sits in the jet assembly alloy spacer had shrunk to nothing with age, so a new one, after an overnight soak in oil, sorted that out. The car now runs perfectly.

I had a bit of work to do on an Airstream caravan during the week, and always on the lookout for interesting ideas - especially with the challenging shape of the doors on the new Special, I noticed how the Airstream's door hinges are cranked. Whilst allowing the door panel to follow the curvature of the body, the arrangement also accommodates the flange that keeps out the weather.