... following discussions with Awkward and other cleverchaps, we arrived at the conclusion that over time, the constant hurling of the starter pinion against the shock absorber spring has caused the threaded holes of the spring's locking bolts (arrowed) to expand, thus allowing them to depart the fix and hide somewhere in the flywheel casing - I still haven't found the bolt and tab washer that first went AWOL, and now there's another set disappeared.

The Great Collector turned up this picture of the starter pinion arrangement, but it's not quite the same as the one we have on the Sunbeam. There's an extra spring - a very fine one - and what I imagine must be a top hat section bush to prevent it getting chewed up by the pinion gear.

This is the exact model of starter that's on the Sunbeam and shows the spring mentioned above must be a later mod. I can't remember where or when I got these books, but four volumes of 'The Motor Car' which deal with vehicles from around 1914 to the mid-Twenties, have been a wonderful source of information. Lavishly illustrated and written for the amateur mechanic, they've always produced the goods when we've got ourselves in a corner - the wiring diagram for the Smiths electrics on the Vulcan for instance. And talking of Smiths, it appears that Rotax and Smiths shared the same design of what we now call a 'Bendix'.

The last job that will complete the six-cylinder Talbot is the covering of one of the dicky-seat cushions. The lower cushion is probably Rexin and I think with careful application of some sort of polish or varnish - perhaps saddle soap - we can replicate the finish on the leathercloth that Lynda - who sewed together the hood panels - happened to have in stock.

If the car were mine, I'd be swapping the Zenith carb for an SU as most of the owners of those models seem to have done. And not without reason; the performance is rather lacklustre with the original carb.

April showers finally showed themselves, so some workshop time was in order.

I've gone back to the original plan of having the dashboard further into the cockpit largely because I realised that the windscreen pillar wouldn't be in the right place if the dash were left where it was.

Some bits of tube and the top of the surround that I cut off a few months ago (as luck would have it, though now rusty, it was still in the scrap pile) saw to the remounting of the board.

And whilst I was at it, I let in the cut-out that will allow the heater to sit further back towards the firewall and so be removable for maintenance.

One more job - to edge a chum's menu boards in aluminium channel - and I think a small Chili Burrito will do very nicely for starters.