As is the way, a promise of little work and a quiet week turns into all hell let loose at the end of the week with three big days thrown in.
I managed to have a quick look at the gear linkage in the dusk but try as I might I couldn't get one end to clamp on and I couldn't get the other end to come off.
The rubber on the linkage
looks to be in decent nick but, obviously, that's no guarantee that it will actually do its job. So I resorted to getting underneath yesterday, after work, with a set of large multigrip pliers and squeezing that hard until I thought the veins in my neck were going to burst. Nothing.
I slowly pulled myself out from under the car, moaning and winging, and with my back crippling me eventually stood up - well bent over half crippled - to see my younger brother stood there in tears sniggering at this
decrepit old git (his words). He asked what was wrong, I told him, he got underneath the car with the multigrips, and was back out giving me the damn things back in no time at all.
"There you go, old man, done! All clamped up and ready but how long it'll last who knows, cause it's knackered - and the other two don't look too good neither."
I didn't know whether to thank him or smack him round the head with the bloody multigrips. Cheeky sod . . . me . . . old!
Took her out for a short drive this morning and they have held together but only time will tell. Making up a new rod is still the plan but finding the right rod to marry up is the priority.
The test is due at the end of this month so I'm going to try to get her in this week. She should pass - but you never know.
(Going to have to learn how to post a capture of the page)
Unlike last year when she failed on a fair amount of welding needed to the inner sills this year she sailed through. The only advisory is towards the rear subframe which has excess rust and really does need seeing to this year. It needs removing and cleaning up, along with the entire underneath.