Let there be light!
1972 MGB GT
It’s funny – I’ve spent most of my life peering out at the world through two tiny windscreens (spectacles, to you and me) and barely give them a second thought. But if either one of them ends up mucky, smeared or scratched, suddenly they’re the most annoying things in the world.
Which is why I’m glad the ’B GT’s new windscreen has finally settled into its new home. The old one was still keeping the MoT testers happy, but there’s a big difference between viewing the world through a tired windscreen and a brand new one. It’s long overdue! There’s been plenty of other work going where CKE 303K is concerned, including remedying the lack of light emanating from behind the Smiths dials on dark winter nights. It turned out that the problem was caused by a combination of corroded terminals behind the dashboard and two blown bulbs. It’s a bit of a fiddly job to sort out, but there’s now a warm glow where before there was only blackness.
The loose overrider on the front bumper was easily remedied with a fresh bolt, but the real work has been focused on the driver’s door – specifically the years of scratches that had accumulated on the window. Wrexham-based Welsh MG Centre came to the rescue on this one, supplying a secondhand replacement – complete with rubber seal – for just £50, which looks a lot clearer than the increasingly scruffy original item.
Simister Sr has also been giving the driver’s door some love and attention, paying particular attention to some of the dodgier paintwork. Happily it no longer looks like it was painted by a short-sighted drunk in a welding mask.
The upshot of all this is that the Bumblebee is looking a lot better than it was before the festive period. But the real test will come when it heads back to the MoT testing station for its annual check-up in a couple of weeks.
I just might leave my glasses off for the results of that one!