A good day.

I started by fitting the prop shaft.  I am conscious that I do not know what way round it goes though so I didn't hammer over the locking tabs, I will check first.

I then checked the timing to see if I could get it running a little slower on tick over.  I later discovered that I hadn't tightened up the distributor.

Then the first attempt at driving the car:

I discovered the wobbly distributor and then this:

I used an old toolbox to lean against and sat on some bits of wood as I don't have a seat yet so the ride was probably a bit difficult to judge but I did get some initial thoughts.  The suspension and steering work nicely.  The engine needs some proper fettling as the revs are too high and the engine is making a hell of a noise.  The clutch felt soft, too soft;  I am already wishing I had installed a new one.  The brakes need a lot more bite.

It felt good though, really good.  It is almost exactly ten years to the day since I started working on this 100 and I have now driven it.  That is great stuff.  I am a very happy man.

So feeling happy with myself I get the car back in the garage and start one of those jobs I've had on my things to do list for ever, drilling out the bonnet hinges to fit a clevis pin.  Whilst doing that I start to look around and then notice stuff:

Basically I have got weeping going on everywhere.  Well it feels like that.  The engine looked like it had done 80 000 miles not a few hundred metres.  I have a set of core plugs but I think I'll try bashing the existing ones in a bit more before I replace them.  I also think I'll try and tighten the cylinder head down and see if that can stop some of the weeping.  Sometimes it feels like one step forward and 2 backwards, but not today.  I have waited 52 years to drive a Healey 100, happy man.