Leaderboard

We have put together a quick Christmas video. Merry Chrismas everyone and we hope to see you in 2021

With the boot floor finished it was time to refurbish the boot lid, it originally had a small steel flap which hinged down to extend the boot floor and with the lid opened against a canvas retaining strap gave a significant increase in carrying capacity. The inner lining had seen better days and my father had removed the flap long ago but for some unknown reason it was still in an old shed complete with it's chrome hinge. The rexine was removed from the flap, the rust sanded off and new vinyl glued on, the hinge was eased off and straightened and a new panel made from 4 mm plywood and again covered in vinyl. When not being used it is popped against the boot lid. The aluminium protectors and the retaining lugs were still usable. The nearside door was next for attention and needed a new section where the lower hinge attached as the original was split and the screw holes were stripped, simply screwing the split together and plugging the holes didn't look as if it would work so a rather rough piece was cut, bolted and glued to the upper frame and screwed and glued to the bottom door frame. Only the front half of the plywood lower section remained but it was used as a rough template and a full length piece was cut and sanded to shape but when placed against the frame I only had about 1/8" of aluminium on the leading edge to fold back over. Took a few tries and checks of the frame to realise it was made of 9 mm ply and not 12 mm - a total waste of a good piece of 12 mm plywood ! That was soon corrected and then screwed and glued to the frame. These doors are quite interesting, the triangular black piece actually hinges up and provides a straight door top for using the sidescreens and when cut away doors are required an armrest unfolds and screws to the top of the cutaway The finished door, with new rear and lower panel and original armrest and flap in leather. The lower hinge was non original and I found some hinges of the correct depth and width at Vintage Supplies which had to be cut to length and drilled but they fitted perfectly. The threaded plate in the door top was stripped so a new one had to be made and the offcuts from the hinge did the job. Just as well as my aberdonian tightness did cringe at paying over 40 quid each for them, the offside door was better and only needed a new piece of ply and all the trim.

A couple of issues of Popular Mechanics magazine from 1970 arrived today They are of interest because they contain small articles on the Otline model 249 hedge trimmer and the Amp Champ generator. Information sourced from David (factory)s post on this forum

Brilliant, Joseph. BTW. Another year or so and you'll be as tall as your dad. Merry Christmas.