... of the 1927 Hillman Roadster was hinged front mudguards.

So, when this happened....

... obstacle-free access to the offending core plug was gained by....

... undoing a few bolts and folding back the wing, so clearing a path to the engine bay. A small collapsible stool - an optional extra at 1/3½d, ex-works inc. postage - provided the 'amateur mechanic', both 'a comfortable working height' and, 'a guard against the spinal woes associated with motorcar maintenance'.

And staying with tall stories, you may recall, 'If I Remember Correctly', my entry about the artist, Randy Regier. New pictures of Anna Isaak's nearly completed racing car, as it was 'discovered', have emerged.

The care taken to carry off this thought-provoking, but gentle deception, is self-evident.

The car is described in the sales blurb as 'nostalgic automotive folk art' and [it] 'would be the focal point of any car collection'. I agree with the former sentiment, but I think the vendor does the piece a disservice in trying to cover all the bases. Anna Isaak's racing car would be, without doubt, the centrepiece of an art collection devoted to automotive art, but as part of a car collection, the whole point of the exercise is lost. It's not about the car, it's about how our perceptions of history can be so easily manipulated and Regier has demonstrated this with his trademark integrity and humour. The details of the sale can be found on findclassiccars.com.

This is the T9 gearbox. All five forward gears and reverse select easily, and I'm told (and have read) that the box is more or less bullet-proof. Nevertheless, the consensus on stripping the box and renewing bearings - because that's what you'd like to do for good measure - is that, unless you know what you're doing, leave well alone. Fortunately, both the oil seals - one at each end - can be replaced without taking anything apart.

This is the Morris 6 MS bell-housing for which I'll have to fabricate an adaptor plate for the T9. The Ford bell-housing is a little deeper than the Morris's so it's not going to be a straightforward job mating the two - even without the probable clutch complications. I've also decided to use the Series II Morris engine instead of the Series I. The former has an extra water gallery running along the manifold side of the head which was, I believe, designed to increase the volume of coolant available to the head as the sodium-filled valves were having problems with less than cared-for cooling systems. The Series II also moved away from what I understand to be the semi-syphon/low to zero pressure system on the earlier series. As I intend to work in a supercharger, albeit set at low-ish boost pressure, every extra bit of coolant is going to help. An electric pump coupled to a thermostatically controlled radiator fan will be an added insurance. I think I'm correct in identifying the Alvis engine's blower (see 'An Eye Opener') as a short-nose Eaton M62 and further research indicates that this model should, uniquely, fit the bill.