... so to speak.

I'd been meaning to put the wing and step support on for a while but I was aware that it might lead only to injuries to the shin. We'll wait and see - I've tied a bit of rag around it, so that might help. As I was bolting this on to the chassis, I looked up and saw on the shelf a flexible exhaust joint. If I can find my two spare exhaust flanges, I can turn the inner diameters to fit each end of the joint, weld them all together and that'll help take a lot of the strain from the downpipe once the rest of the exhaust is attached.

I've made a clamp for the rear end of the downpipe but got it a bit wrong so may have to redo it later in the week. I should pick up a couple of bends (enabling the exhaust to route under the rear axle) from the tube bender tomorrow and with those I'll be able to finish the exhaust. I've filled the engine with oil - just under 6 litres - and also filled the cooling system to check for leaks. The Ambassador's Daughter stood by ready with a screwdriver to tighten up any jubilee's that I'd missed (two).

As the weekend was so nice, it presented an opportunity to roll out the car and take a couple of pics. I was getting a bit concerned that the body line at the back was going to be a bit tricky to get right - easy as it would be to follow the top longeron straight down to the back. It's essential that the line from behind the seat, drops away in a gentle curve and that I'm not distracted by the straight line which exists. I imagined that if I covered the top of the rear deck with a thin ply before putting the aluminium on, it would help to create the shape and give the 1.2mm ali I'm using a bit of strength just where Miss X is most likely to dump her handbag. I've got a couple of sheets of 1.2mm aircraft quality ply to do the job. Aircraft quality ply is boil-proof.... so that's handy?

It's coming on. If I'd completed the exhaust bracket, I might have started up but, a) the welding equipment had been commandeered,

and b) there was a tight-trouser competition going on in the yard and although the horses don't seem to care a hoot about a bit of noise, their owners can tend to the fractious.

The good news is that, in looking under the bench for a bit of metal to make the exhaust bracket, I pulled out two original Hillman front wing supports, two headlamp bar attachments and the headlamp stalk clamps as well.

I'd had them blasted and painted in readiness some time ago and had completely forgotten about them. I plan to weld the upper friction damper brackets to the base of the supports and use the holes in the chassis already drilled for the brackets to secure both items. That'll put the crossbar a swire in front of the radiator and the lights at a good height, away from flying stones.

I've still got to step up to the plate on the upholstery; that's not so easily forgotten.