The instrument binnacle was every bit as tricky as I thought it would be. The keen-eyed may have noticed a larger diameter scribed into the plywood dashboard. This was where I hadn't noticed that the fly cutter's tool had come loose when I was cutting out the rev counter's orifice.

I used the same tool to cut the holes in the aluminium - and despite very carefully measuring and setting up, they still came out a gnat's too big, making the bezels a loose fit. I soldiered on, not wanting to do the whole exercise again.

I stabilised the bezels in their positions with some silicon sealant. Before that came the business of aligning and cutting the rectangular holes and then the centre holes for the tell-tale lights. Those went well.

The only visible mistake was the mounting holes in the wrong place. I can cover those with an aluminium embellishment secured by the actual mounting bolts.

It looks well enough in situ (though I notice I've put it on upside down) and along with the turned panel for the steering column adjustment, will be a pleasant contrast to the American Black Walnut veneer....

... that hasn't arrived yet but a message from the vendor says it's on its way.

In preparation for the rebuild of the Series II Morris Six engine, Mr Holmes has supplied me with a complete set of brand-new standard liners - still in their original Leyland boxes. These will go with my set of new standard pistons - another haul from the Holmes Emporium.

Included in the package was this starter motor - a Lucas M418A but with a 256445 casting which I can't seem to match up with anything. It may be Alvis - possibly a pre-war Speed model - but if anyone recognises it, please let me know.

A couple of aluminium solar panel battery covers were a welcome break from the frustrations of the binnacle. If you haven't got an air rivet gun, get one immediately. Not one dodgy rivet and in a tenth of the time it would have taken to hand rivet - well it would have been a tenth of the time if dopey hadn't forgotten to remove the protective covering before rivetting - cutting around rivet heads is a tedious business.

In preparation for the Winter's icy blasts, I've installed an 8Kw caravan/lorry cab heater in the workshop. Made in China, the instructions for its use were without equal in the world of manuals. Navigating the digital display proved impossible.

Nevertheless, I switched it on. Nothing. Hmm. Removing the cover, I noticed air bubbles in the fuel line maybe preventing the igniter from activating. Following bleeding, all was well. After fifteen minutes, I had to turn it off - too hot to work! Pleased with this new addition, I emptied the tank and refilled it, adding litre marks to the sight gauge. Worth the effort.