With a few days of sunshine and warmth to look forward to, it was time to crack on with the jobs I'd been shirking.

The new brake pipe was one such, and I surprised myself by how quickly I got it done and without bending the pipe the wrong way - which is my usual trick. I haven't re-bled the braking system yet, so I didn't quite get to the end of the job without being distracted by...

... the Buick dynastart. With the various bits cut out and drilled, I was again surprised that the mounting bracket matched the bolt holes in the chassis without me having to tweak them with a file.

With a smear of grease on the vertical shaft, the system works well. The spring has been pre-loaded to ensure the lever's return, but I'm going to incorporate a locking system so that the dynastart can be constantly engaged or released from the flywheel. I've listened to several learned opinions on the wisdom of constant engagement and the potential for heat build-up on the friction wheel, and my thinking is that when smoke and flames appear through gaps in the floorboards, the dynastart can be disengaged - then everyone's happy. The lever itself will have to be cut and adjusted so that the arm remains below the floorboards - it sticks up at the wrong angle at the moment.

I'm not convinced about the heat scenario as the dynastart is in the airflow, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Just before I went to Abu Dhabi, we were getting all the Humbers running in time to attend the club's annual event, this year held locally. The little 1919 10hp Humber, usually good for 40mph, could hardly stagger up a small incline once we'd got it going. Counsel noticed that there was a patch on the downpipe glowing red hot. My diagnosis was a blocked exhaust. There was some opposition to this theory as compressed air could pass down the pipe seemingly without restriction. I chopped out the silencer and took the ends off. The rockwool stuffing was thick with oily carbon, though the perforated pipe was clear. We'll pop the downpipe back on and see if there's any improvement. If there is, then my theory is correct. The only other thing it could be is if somehow the timing has become totally retarded. It would have the same symptoms, but I would think the glowing would be at the manifold.

The Humber event was blessed with perfect weather and an idyllic setting. There were driving tests, the most amusing of which was with a bucket over the driver's head, the passenger had to give instructions to navigate a slalom course.

A V-twin Humberette caught my eye. With an almost identical body to the Hillman tourer I once had...

... this 6-cylinder Humber was also a favourite. The rakish, somewhat American lines, I found very appealing.

News from Mr Laken included pictures of the Wolseley 1500 gearbox that he's adapting to fit his 6/80. I hope to report on the conversion's progress.

I have at last had a ride in The Great Collector's new Alvis 12/60 - a TL model I'm informed. It goes very well and feels like a car capable of keeping up with the traffic.

I tried to replicate my snap with the picture I have of Pa's identical Carbodies 12/60 - it wasn't so sunny on that day in 1948.