Peerless GT
More jobs ticked off the list while another gets added
The ongoing rev counter cable saga has returned and is proving an irritation to solve once and for all. All was well with the current one fitted (No.3, or is it 4?) until the morning I had to shuffle cars in the workshop, moving the Peerless in the process. I took the opportunity for a little low speed drive around the yard and left the engine idling for a few minutes. With all the cars rearranged, I parked the Peerless and switched off, only for the engine to run on for a second or two. It’s a common issue for many classic engines, due in part to modern fuels and non-standard timing settings to compensate. High compression is another factor. I didn’t start the engine again until several days later, when I realized that the rev counter wasn’t working. My customary check at the distributor end confirmed another sheared inner cable. Does the cable shear at the same time as the running on? The gauge is not seized. I will all the valve clearances and likely retarding the timing. The mixture might need enrichening but as I’m running richer needles already, I hope not.
Through the looking glass
One elephant in the cabin I can’t do without is a rear-view mirror. All I had was a very corroded aluminium plinth screwed to the dash top.
I’d bought a smart, period mirror with slightly darkened glass at Beaulieu Autojumble a couple of years ago just for the task. It didn’t have a pedestal and in spite of my searching ever since, I’ve not found one suitable. By chance, I came across a titanium bracket in my spares stash. It was an unwanted design prototype and weighs very little.
Being discreet, small and just the right height for my rear vision, I chose to adapt it rather than simply fit a generic chrome item, which I find too narrow and likely to reflect the sun when driving. The bracket was cut in half following the
trial fit of the mirror. I had never cut titanium before but quickly learned that a slow cutting speed and oil to disperse heat build-up is essential. I ruined one stainless steel jigsaw blade in seconds before reading up on the best method. Two coats of matt black paint followed, left to dry overnight. The vertical support bracket idea I had was eventually discarded upon realising I could use the mirror clamp bagged for a few pounds at last year’s NEC Classic Motor Show. The whole assembly was put together and tried in situ. The adjustable clamp is ideal. Fixing the bracket to the dash top was fiddly due to the shallowness of the dash top preventing my drill’s angle drive from being used vertically against the windscreen. Eventually I was able to create two holes for set screws and fit the whole assembly.
The other hurdle overcome this month was fitment of the large bore heater ducting connecting the bulkhead heater box to the LH front inner nose cone. My previously mentioned Mantec Land Rover snorkel section was the perfect fit for inside the wheelarch, where I was able to re-use the original support bracket. Black corrugated ducting connects the pieces, with a rubber elbow from the snorkel, fitted to the heater box inlet. The eventual inline fan will fit behind the front headlamp, pushing fresh air backwards to the cabin, preferably via some kind of particle (bugs and flies) filter. The corrugated section passes through the inner arch into the engine bay, so a seal is required once the inline fan is fitted. It was originally a huge rubber grommet, but I might rely on butyl strip for a superior seal from the inevitable road dirt.
Warning about warnings
I’ll sign off with a word of caution for anyone buying a modern classic with such refinements as ABS and Traction Control. I recently had a VW Golf in my workshop with a steering angle fault. No ABS light was illuminated, although the ABS sensors determine road speed for the steering to function correctly. After a diagnostic check showed the ABS sensor was at fault, I was surprised the ABS warning light didn’t illuminate. Once I’d gained access to the bulbs, the reason was obvious. Some lowlife Herbert had blocked the lit bulbs with black sealant to hide the warning symbols. And that was more effort than replacing the sensor for £15. I kid you not.
‘Fixing the mirror bracket to the dash top was a fiddly job’