‘Rustproofing my 2000 makes me want do the same to all the cars’

lines, the highest SAE specification petrol fuel hose available. The outer part of the hose is made from nitrile rubber with a thin flexible layer of fluoro-elastomer in the bore, which provides an exceptional resistance to sour petrol plus methanol and ethanol additives.

The hose has a working pressure of 100psi and is suitable for use with both carburettor and fuel injected cars… I’m very glad to have it.

The old hoses – only six-years-old – were cracked and badly degraded from the inside out. No wonder there was debris trapped in the filter. Shocking, and potentially deadly. We fitted new stainless steel fuel hose clips which clamp with an even concentric force (unlike Jubilee clips).

Only now did Mike get started on the job I'd originally gone to him for! After a thorough clean, of every orifice, including the extraction of original factory sound deadening, he donned the safety kit and got cracking with hot Dinitrol ML. It was injected into the doors, into the entire chassis, sills, box sections, inside the boot and into the inner rear quarter panels. A day later, the vapour cleared, I had a Triumph 2000, ‘Harold’ – my forever car – looking perfect and thoroughly protected so it will stay that way for years to come. Mike doesn’t go the extra yards, he goes the extra years. I doubt I will ever have to give this car another major bodywork overhaul, not in my lifetime anyway. So, the Triumph is ready for the year ahead, but it was also ready for winter. I can’t tell you the difference it makes driving to a New Year’s

Day meeting knowing that, however much salt the council wants to use on the roads, the classic I love will be safe.

Next jobs? The twin carbs absolutely need a rebuild, I’ve got a bottom ball joint needs sorting and… here’s the biggy… front and rear bumpers need rechroming. Eeek.

Trouble with all of the above is that I now want to do the same to all my classics. Fitting a new exhaust last week to the 205 CJ made me nervous. I could almost hear the thing rusting! ■ danny.hopkins@practicalclassics.co.uk

SECOND OPINION Having an expert examine your classic is so important in our post-mot era.

Hoses looked Ok-ish on the outside, but inside… unsafe.

Just better all round. Danny is back in love with his car.