NEC Prep Pt 1

NEC Prep?  What's all that about then?  Well, I have been persuaded by the show organisers of the Triumph 2000/2500/2.5 Register to have Libby in all her unfinished glory on the club stand at the Classic Car Show at the NEC in November. Planning with diaries and we find I have 3 days clear to work on the car between now and then. All the plans have been made with trailers, days off work and borrowing Craig's Range Rover again to help move it, so it would be good to make sure I do the things required to get her there!

Day one today. Sam's on a day off, so she took the girls to her parents for the day, so onward!

First thing, it would be good to have a handbrake that works so the car doesn't just roll off the stand! One final piece of brake pipe to make and fit, that's done along with fitting the front half of the new handbrake cable. Next job for later is to bleed the brakes, then I can set the handbrake and the car should stay put!

 Towing the car on a trailer without a bonnet catch could be a bad idea, so that was fitted and the cable reinstated. I had intended to fit this after the engine went in, but its only 4 bolts to take it out again when we're ready for that. Then spent a pleasant hour setting the bonnet height and getting the catches lined up.

 Next job, glass. If it rains whilst its on the way there or back it would be bad if the car isn't at least watertight! So, fitted the tailgate glass. Had a NOS screen seal and a NOS chrome trim piece. Swine of a job, very fiddly, but I'm very pleased with the result. Just needs cleaning to get rid of all the white stuff you get on old rubber, but its in!

 Then it was back to fitting the headlight assemblies. I wasn't happy with what I had done last time so I took them out, fettled and refitted properly. The issue is that the pop rivet gun (even the extra long one I bought to do the job!) couldn't reach the rivets as the out frame of the assembly is in the way. I had previously removed the front frame, riveted, then replace the front. But I couldn't get to the split pin that hold it together properly so they were a bit loose. This time I removed them, did the rivet up right, then bolted them in place instead. Much better.

 The windscreen is hopefully being fitted next weekend, so in readiness for that I fitted the A post internal trims. One of the quickest and easiest jobs ever!

 Next problem... front windows. In order to get the car on and off the trailer and onto the stand I need to have the drivers window open to move the steering wheel, but then close it again for the travelling. Only problem is they are electric and the electrics are not finished enough to connect a battery to the car. Previously when fitting the windows the door trims were off so getting power to the motor was easy. So, bit of investigating by the window switches and I found the feeds to the windows. Couple of short wires made up, and now I can put the window up and down with a jump pack!  Got to do the same with the sunroof next too.

Final job of the day done in the garage as light was fading. Fitted the clips round the rear window for the stainless trim. I was planning to fit the estate glass today but after fitting the new seal to the glass it really doesn't want to fit in the hole anymore! Hoping its just me being daft, but I am also hoping for some expert help next weekend from the expert windscreen fitting who is coming to help me!

 When I agreed to have the car at the NEC, I wrote a list of things to do, things to buy, things to paint and things to drop off and be powder coated. So, the windscreen top vent trim, gearbox cross member and fan shroud are at the powder coaters, but as for the rest of my list............ I don't seem to have got very far! I think I may have been optimistic in what could be done, but right now as long as the glass is in and the brakes work....... I'll be happy at that!