Living on the ceiling...

A short visit today to start the process of putting stuff back on 326 rather than bringing it home! Having taken the tools - ceiling hook and shod lever thing (very heavy) - off the roof when it was refurbished last Easter, they spent the next few months propped in a corner in the barn. With half term here, I thought that it really was about time that I did something with them so brought them home to refurbish.

The ceiling hook was in good condition and after a quick sand of the wooden handle and metal hook, the wood was oiled with linseed oil and the metalwork painted with black smoothrite. The lever was very much in worse condition with some of the woodwork rotten - that earthy smell as enourmous amounts of wood were sanded off. There's still some rotten wood left as I didn't want to remove the metal from the wooden handle so I removed what I could then put lots of linseed oil on. Once the metal lever had been stripped and painted, I then left them in the box room for the oil to soak in in the warm.

Anyway, before term recommences, I popped down to put them back on the roof and very neat they look. I also shoved the canvas salvage sheet back in a locker too. One less thing clogging up the flat!

The shod lever - the weight is incredible!

The ceiling hook:

Dancing on the ceiling....

Well, after having not even visited 326 since the end of October, I figured over breakfast that it would probably be good to see if it was still there, let alone give it a run. So armed with the tools, the 4 lengths of Duraline hose and the large aluminium collecting head that have been sat in my lounge for months, off I went.

Good news - it was still there! So, after turning the engine over with the starting handle to ensure that it wasn't seized or the piston rings hadn't rusted onto the cylinder, I connected tha battery and after about 8 second or so, it sprung into life as good as it ever has been. I drew it outside to make use of the light and kicked off by opening all the lockers to air them.

While it was sat running, the first job was to replace the missing charger and heater socket covers that were missing by the driver's side door. I have been after these for ages and managed to liberate a set recently - many goddesses had them removed altogether. I must say, they look much better than the gobs of silicone sealer that were filling the holes!

Once that was done, I checked the brake fluid then set about replacing the offside rear sidelight lens and installing the rest of the LED bulbs. Job done, much brighter!

Then it was time to juggle the hoses and add the 4 duraline coils, two 45 mm and two 70 mm. As I bought - needlessly -  more canvas hose, I now have more of the bloody stuff than I ever need so the 4 coils displaced are now in another locker (filling it) which shouldn't have hose in at all! Anyway, all the useable hose is now in the rear locker ready to squirt water in the summer.

After a good run, I knocked the engine off then had a go at squeezing the collecting head in. Goddesses never really carried these so finding a space was a little problematic but the offside rear locker next to the hose ramps seemed as good a place as any:

Then, I also threw the proper goddess fuel filler funnel that I bought last year in, so that's not far off all the kit back!

That done, I fiddled with the rear blue light which was turning rather lazily by losening the screws on the motor and adding a little oil to the reflector bearings - hey presto, much better. Then I popped the ceiling hook and other roof-mounted tools into the car, reversed 326 back into the barn and set off for home for a spot of theraputic sanding, oiling and painting.