No, not yet. Tackling The Great Collector's Alvis carbs, one of the things that Awkward pointed out was that with the throttle closed, the jets weren't at the right height in the jet block. We were effectively running on partial choke.

Noting this, I revisited the Special's carb, and it was just the same. In the book, the top of the jet has to be a small amount below the top of the jet holder; mine was more than twice the recommendation, even when correctly assembled. The only way of reducing the gap was to slim down the brass washer which sits in the bottom of the jet nut.

I decided to plug the hole in the exhaust bracket rather than make it again.

Progress was interrupted by the collection of an immaculate Morris Minor van - the latest addition to... well, need I tell you. To all intents and purposes, it's a brand-new van. Lots of new panels, a rebuilt engine, and, though not original, seats from an Austin Metro - a sensible mod if you want to go more than a hundred yards in a Morris Minor.

I snapped up a couple of old panel beating hammers on ebay during the week. They pop up every now and again and are gone in a moment, usually at some silly price. £25 the pair seemed like a good deal to me.

After the disaster with the brake fluid because the cap of the pressure fandango didn't fit properly, I decided to adapt the existing cap and have another go. In the come-in-handy department lurked a length of air line with the right connectors. Thinking ahead for a time when the pressure kit wouldn't be available, I would have to pump up the system with a bicycle pump.

Pa bought this Rudge Whitworth bicycle in 1935, just before he went off to do his apprenticeship at RAF Halton. It's been in the family ever since, and I'm the current custodian. I'd just changed the tyres and tubes and now I had everything I needed to complete the new tool.

The other end of the air line now sports a bicycle tube valve, and after testing, the outfit was passed fit for purpose. More on the brakes anon.

As the copper rivets I'd ordered had arrived, my attention turned to the steering wheel. I had some suitably thin boards of ash and some small blocks of mahogany to face the two sides of the 3mm steel blank.

I was mulling over how I would bond the wood to the steel, when a chum poked his head around the door and challenged me to separate two pieces of wood that he'd stuck together with a particularly strong double-sided tape. I couldn't, and there was my answer.

A couple of hours in the clamps to make sure of the bond, and the assembly was ready to be shaped.

It was a slow process as it had to be done by hand.

A lick of teak stain was followed by multiple coats of sanding sealer. I'm undecided about the high gloss finish of guitar varnish - I'll hold on that for the time being.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Mr Laken has been eyeing up the supercharger's shaft and...

... in the time-honoured tradition, the mounting of its supporting pillow block was approximated in CAD - Cardboard-Aided-Design.

The plenum, which is the conduit between the blower and the inlet manifold, is probably going to be a stainless-steel fabrication. The tricky bit will be designing the internal structure of the plenum to achieve the most efficient and smooth transfer. Won't be long now!