Not too much progress over the last couple of weeks, but found a spare hour today to make up the brackets and mudguard stays. A bracket has been welded to the brake hub which the stays will bolt to. certainly not over-engineered, using 8mm tube for the stays but so little weight so should be fine.

Two pieces of thin plywood cut to the right radius with polystyrene bonded between them forms the mould. The polystyrene was then scraped out to form the 'hollow' and then covered with filler to allow it to be sanded smooth. Packing tape has been used rather than paint to save time. All that is needed is to wax the tape

 First one, three more to go! Will need trimming down in width and length, plus a little sanding but glad to say it released from the mould with out destroying it.

......And the cardboard templates. Drivers side done, now the passenger side.......

About time I had a floor to sit on so have brazed up a lightweight frame from thin angle to add support. The floor will be made from fibreglass sheet and over-clad with thin aluminium. Cardboard templates will be the next job.

I have had no luck finding suitable mudguards with the correct radius for the 15" wheels, so have made up a mould. With the narrow tyres I think close fitting ones will look more the part, with the front ones mounted to the hubs to turn with the wheels.

Another milestone reached!
Air in the tyres, petrol in the tank, a piece of chipboard resting across the chassis to sit on and we are away! The first drive up and down the driveway to the amusement of the neighbours, and to my amazement I could lock the wheels (well the front ones at least) with modest pressure on the brake pedal. A bit of a shock to find reverse where first has been for the last 30 years of driving, but all three forward gears could be selected.















OK OK So it has been a while since I have posted, but over the last few months a few more jobs have been done. A prop-shaft was sourced from a later Ruby with 'proper' UJ's. This was cut down and rebuilt with new joints at a cost of £7.00 each. Not bad, my sort of price. The handbrake (lever from a mini) has been cabled up with a 'closed loop' arrangement which runs around a couple of pulleys mounted on the axle casing, seems to work fine. There was no way that the battery was going to fit in the rear as intended, so is now placed in the passenger side. Perhaps a few months behind target but any progress is good progress I keep telling myself............