Today, I took my 75 in for its MOT, and it sailed through, two advisories, that i knew about, Rear Discs are getting low, plan to do those later, once the weather warms up, and a very slight blow, on the front exhaust join, that i just can't seem to stop, i've remade the joint, several times, I might just change the section anyway, to return the car to standard spec.

Now that the 6in of snow that was on top of the car has long since melted, thought I would fire the old girl up to get fluids moving etc. Even though I had forgot to disconnect the battery back in October when I covered her up, she fired into life first turn of the key!! Mechanically very sound but the next step is welding the sills that were stripped and rust proofed inside last year. Belated Happy New Year all btw.

What a (&*^*#@ job to try to change the exhaust rubbers with the backbox on it, the bracket has broken, trying to change the bracket now for a new one. Hard job without the proper tools. I am hating the car now. pfff. sorry, bit steamy here.

Replaced the rear springs with Bilstein ones, as the originals were badly corroded.

Next week, the brakes.

Just picked up Connie from the bodyshop and she's looking like the accident never happened . She also passed her MOT retest so very happy.

I got a replacement free headlamp from my old pal Colin 2 diesels just in case the lamp insides couldn't be fixed. I'm pleased I did as the lamp unit was completely split in half once it was removed from the car !

Got the near last thing I need to change the clutch, slave cylinder and timing chains for my MGZT 260. Pump truck should be the last thing when I'm ready

After noticing a lack of demisting over the Christmas period I booked the car in my garage for an air con service last week. I was slightly concerned something disasterous had occurred. But fortunately it was a slight lack of pressure, now resolved with a re-gas and the spending of £60. According to the garage it is now cooling down to 7.6° C....:cool:
Thinking about it, I last had an air con service in July 2019 before I went to France on holiday, so it was due after 3½ years.

De-iced my door catches.

Car opened up fine and started first time in the sub-zero conditions about 7 o'clock this morning, but when closing the doors (I had gone in passenger side as well to retrieve de-icer) the car still thought one was open.

Few squirts of de-icer in the mechanism there and then got us going, followed up by some silicone spray for protection when I got home tonight.

Still, all things considered the car is now holding up well on its' second winter of doing my everyday commute, 10,000 miles since October 2021.

Took Banana for a run up to Torquay and home. Collected some spares from Matt Darke. Will sort through the bits and see what there is.

Used the tourer to rescue my son and recover his (K series engined) Rover 25 back home this evening after it broke down, head gasket blown in a big way!
Shame really as he only passed his test two weeks ago and he is still at the 'driving about everywhere' stage.
The car has only just clocked 56,000 miles and showed no signs of HGF until tonight, I'm hoping it's just an elastomer failure of the gasket - no signs of mayonnaise in the oil or under the filler cap yet, but clouds of coolant-smelling steam from the exhaust and from the oil filler with the cap removed and engine running, no pressurisation of the cooling system, but the coolant is being consumed rather quickly (definitely not an external leak).
Just hope no damage was done, he did note the temperature gauge 'shot up' to the red section, but then fell back to normal a few minutes before, but as it had then stayed in the normal position thought nothing was wrong.
Just defrosting my fingers now!