15th March.

Tuesday saw me down to MNR to correct the rack problem. The problem seems to be there are two different lengths of ali extensions for different uprights and also different length Ford rack arms! Marc turned the extensions down and when I got home they fitted excellently.

Rest day Wednesday waiting for NEDL to come and change our electric meter. I opened the garage door and worked on the car while I waited and some how still managed to miss him! He must have sneaked past to put the leaflet through the letterbox!

A good day, I fitted the front shockers which I thought where too long but they settled down once I had them in. I ordered some P clips off ebay the other night but only needing 3 to hold the front wiring under the scuttle I made some out of a ali strip so I could crack on getting the engine in.

Before too long, around 30 minutes the engine, box and prop shaft where in place. Hmm, why doesn't the left hand engine mount fit? The left side engine extension is pulling the rubber mount towards the engine and not seating correctly. I soon found out the gearbox bellhousing is resting on one of the chassis tubes. Its the one that runs across the bottom of the footwell and is cutout on mine to get the gearbox in. It has been capped and all I can think is that the mounts were made before the chassis was finished off. Its got a big snot of weld on it so I'm thinking about the angle grinder fix at the moment. Problem is its all nicely powered coated and I don't want to spoil it. I'm thinking about it at the moment as I may be able to raise the gearbox mount to clear it.

I said before that I didn't want to keep lifting the engine in and out and it was to be a once only install? Well, its coming out again as the arc of the clutch arm is exactly where my rear brake pipe is and touching it. It will have to be rerouted. I really couldn't have lined it any better to touch if I'd tried!!

I pushed the car outside to configure the engine install and couldn't resist taking a picture.
1 hour after the above picture it had engine and transmission with the front shocks on as well.