Petrolheads

28 Oct 19 Windscreen and headlights

Andy from Wiltshire Windscreens came over to fit the Windscreen following some issues over the last fortnight around the weather and a rubber seal from a supplier which did not fit. This time however, the weather was good and all the kit fitted (with a bit of grunting, and a minor modification) and the windscreen is now in and looking fantastic. I have to hand it to Andy, he did a fine job, was great company and charged a very reasonable fee.

  • Thump, thump, Andy bashes the seal on
  • One more clout should do it
  • Fitting the tricky trims
  • All done, but Andy can’t help tweaking the rear screen (which he fitted previously)

Paul had also come up to help me for the day. I wanted him to look at the o/s headlamp since I could not fit the bevel and it was causing me annoyance. We played around with the other unit (the one not fitted) and sort of worked out how it went on. We concluded that the unit was too tight to the seal to allow the bevel to hook up to the securing lip, so reluctantly removed it for a refit. I had used very short bolts because I didnt want the bolts protruding into the wheel arch, but on relfection I had gone too short and now the assembly didn’t work. While inspecting the lamps, Paul was recalling his days working on his Triumph 2500 that he had in his youth. Helpfully, he could still remember how the lamps went together and he did a good job dismantling and cleaning the unit which then looked much more presentable. After a quick visit to Halfords to buy some bolts, we assembled the lamp units in situ and to my delight, the bevels fitted. We weren’t completely sure that the lamps are as securely fitted as they need to be, but this was a step forward and like a lot of things on the car, once something is on, it can be endlessly fettled, and probably will be.

Next job was to refit the grille which had to be removed to maximise the reach of the crane for the engine install. Refitting the grille was relatively easy, although its a tight fit and it was better to do this now, than leave it in the kitchen to annoy Helen.

On a roll from our success, I asked Paul to work with me on sorting the bonnet release which wasn’t operating. I wasn’t happy with the cable routing, so we altered it by hanging a clip off the last wing bolt which held the cable more securely. Having Paul’s input, as well as extra pair of hands to hold the cable while I tightened the securing nut was invaluable and on testing, the bonnet release worked as it should.

  • Paul getting intimate with the MG
  • What a smart looking vehicle
  • Two happy middle-aged men and an MG

So a really successful day and some more milestones achieved. To quote the Beatles, I get by with a little help from my friends.

1 Sep 19 Clean machine

Wait a minute, thats not the MG. Correct. It’s back to School week for Helen, teachers all around the country are wondering where the last six weeks holiday have gone and it only feels like five minutes since they broke up. Helen wanted her car cleaned for the new term, and as the local sweat shop was closed, it fell to me to do the job. I started by clearing the interior of all the accumulated rubbish and then gave it a thorough hoovering, includng the mats which of course I removed. I then dusted all the crevises with a soft brush and wiped over all the surfaces with a matt interior cleaner. I don’t use loads of it, just enought to actually clean as well as dust. Moving to the exterior, I gave it a thorough soaking with a hose, then a gentle soapy brush wash with car shampoo, followed by rinsing again with the hose. For the wheels I didn’t use any special product, just one of those large glove microfibre thingies made of what looks like green Wotsits. The brake dust came off okay with a good soaking and a gentle rub of the glove. I did an initial dry of the car with a large mircofibre cloth, then went around again to completely dry the paint, excepting those annoying drips that appear when you are not looking. Moving to the exterior glass, I treated it all with a Bluecol product that is supposed to negate the need for wipers, a bit like Rain-X. I had forgotten I had this until someone at a BBQ recently mentioned it so I thought I would dig it out and reapply it. The Jazz has a huge windscreen and a panoramic roof, so there is lots of glass to treat, but also to benefit from the beading up that is supposed to occur. Will also reduce wear on the wipers too. I then gave the paint a quick spruce up using a hydroscopic detailer (Brand = Chrome) which I was bought recently by a friend who works at a truck stop. Apparently the Truckers all rave about it and it seems to go on and buff off easily enough. Sadly, although the car is only five years old its amazing how many little chips and scrapes its aquired. None which really need doing, unless we were being really picky, but just one of those things. By now I was getting hot in the early Autumn sunshine and Helen appeared to critique the job. She spotted a few smears here and there which I rubbed off and gave me a pack of Simoniz interior glass wipes claimed to be smear free. These worked okay, but I am not a fan of throwaway wipe types things usually. Anyway, on finishing the Jazz, I was pleased with the result. Didn’t progress the MG one jott, but the pearlescent organy-brown Honda looked suitably glossy outside, so I consider that enough of an effort to warrant recording here. Hope you’ve all had a good summer. Happy Car washing and restoring.