VA969 Mike's Early Sprint Restoration.

[Howard81]

I say stonechip and Minosa. It's what Leyland should have done...

[JPB]

A local Somerset-owning concours d'état contender and Counties CC member has only just had an appeal heard in his favour after the judges (at national level) marked down his score for not having topcoat in the engine bay of his '53 example, even though no Devon, Dorset or Somerset ever came with shiny paint in there, only beige epoxy primer.
I would say do it shiny, to appeal to the punters more and those Autoglym judges really didn't know overgrown hair from an overdue bowel movement, so they'd probably mark a Dolomite down for being finished in primer, even if it's epoxy on top of anti-stonechip; IMHO the ideal solution.

That said, if the concours game isn't what you plan to do, then finish the car the way you like better. Top flight d'état competition is intense, to the point where only steel may be used for brake pipes, OK, common sense on the back axle of any car with sliding cylinders anyway, but throughout the car for the top scores.

[tonybsa]

hi,mike,cracking job so far.regarding the underneath,do what you think gives the best chance of preserving the car for the future,its more important that these cars should survive for future generations to enjoy,than rebuilding them with poor rustproofing because uts original!

[Jon Tilson]

The divergent experinces here are surely down to how the cars came about. I cant vouch for the dutch ones but surely the antipodean ones were assembled from CKD and painted as the Aussies wanted to.

Our UK ones were painted on the line in body colour. How well was surely down to who did it. I have 2 early pimentos and and early saffron one, all dating from year 1 of production. They were all body colour everywhere except the transmission tunnel, which is bare metal.

Jonners

[SprintMWU773V]

I'd treat the car to best rust proofing you can get even if it might not be 100% original, protection for the future would be myu number one concern. Not that I imagine you'll be out in all weathers in it. Don't forget though that Red Oxide Primer is not nearly the same as it was back in the 70's!

I'm voting for stoneship, primer and Mimosa 2 pack. I don't think it would detract in the slightest from the absoulutely stunning work that is taking place.

[Purplebargeken]

Agree with what you are doing mate.

If it was mine, I would consider covering the tranny tunnel with some of that sound insulating stick on stuff..... ah yes, Dynamat or similar. That's just me though

[Purplebargeken]

Ahh, fair enough. Should be a belter of a car.

[tonybsa]

hi mike,re the heat shield on the transmission tunnel,mine is also one of the first 2000 sprints,and was also screwed with self tappers in the same way as yours.

[straylight]

Mike, if you had any convenient pics of the tunnel heatshield, could you post them up please ?

thanks

stu

[straylight]

thanks Mike. I've fabricated the starter heatshield out of stainless and was going to do the same with the tunnel heatshield. The bulkhead heatshield is still in aluminium and fibreboard (asbestos ?). Very interested to see how the tunnel shield fits up.

actually quite mild here, 23 for christmas day.

stu

[triple tango]

I've found a tail light resistor while having a tidy up, do you still need them?

[JPB]

I've found a tail light resistor while having a tidy up, do you still need them?

Any chance of measuring it before it goes off to Mikey B, please? I want to decrease the value of the one in mine as some people seem unable to see the brake lights when I've the tail lights on, I'm sure it's going high with old age, even though that's unlikely given its construction, the handbook doesn't give the correct value..

I mean, should it really read at 80 Ω?

[triple tango]

ok will do

[sprint95m]

some people seem unable to see the brake lights when I've the tail lights on

That's not handy especially since Dolomite brake lights are located in a relatively low position.
It is possible to bypass the night dimming relay (disconnect its earth wire) to achieve the same bright brake lights as later post 76 cars.

I also fitted an extra brake light in the back window of my car.

[triple tango]

it reads 5.7 Ω