I've refurbished the heat insulation that covers the heater box, using successive thin coats of black acrylic paint as suggested elsewhere on this forum (was it by WarrenL? I can't remember). This helps to hold down fraying fibres and looks smarter than before, but more importantly ensures that the heat from the heater matrix is then routed into the passenger compartment, rather than radiating away under the bonnet. Conceals the nicely restored heater box, but makes a difference in the amount of warmth enjoyed in the cabin. Even if it still takes quite a while to warm up in there on a winter journey!
A mate who is a machinist is turning me up a replacement for the Magstar centre cap I lost back in the summer, in addition to refinishing the three I still have which were scuffed and dented. Next step will be to find someone who can make the badge for the centre caps. I have a cunning plan for a subtle but stylish modification, watch this space...
I'm still plagued by an oil drip below the engine. I think it is coming from the drivers side valve cover, and I have a theory that it is leaking there because my engine lacks the crankcase breather at the back of that cylinder head. In his wisdom the previous owner blanked it off. How does the factory-fitted breather pipe fit into the head? Is it an interference fit, or is it glued in place, or retained from the inside? Does anybody have one spare for me, I have beer tokens here waiting!? Would it be a case of removing the valve cover to get at the blanking plate, or could I drill into it to then fit the missing breather? Access looks restricted, although an angled compressed air drill might fit in there...
Also, the engine idle speed sometimes seems to settle higher after a spirited drive than at first start up. Pending an accurate replacement rev counter (my recent replacement is reading approximately double what I think is a real figure!) I can't give a figure, but it seems to swing from an ideal between 600 and 800rpm up to 1000 or more if I come to halt after a faster run. Not always, but now and then. Any ideas what might be amiss and how I should rectify it?