I am now tucked away in Chamonix for a week's snowboarding holiday which is no hardship.  It gives me time to reflect on what I need to do next to get the car running.

Fuel system:

Remove the tank and check the drain plug, trim the outlet pipe and drill the holes for the rear section of the wiring loom and the spare tyre retaining bracket.  Refit the tank and connect the fuel pipe and fuel gauge wire.  This really shouldn't take very long.

Exhaust:

Make a bracket to connect the rear pipe to the middle exhaust mount.  Connect the pipes together without exhaust paste.  Trim the rear of the pipe so that it doesn't hang out too far.  It has been suggested that I wrap the front section of the pipe, I'll look into that.  I also need to connect the front bracket to the engine and the down pipe.  This really shouldn't take too long as the exhaust has been trial fitted and is essentially there.

Electrical:

Make a battery mount.  Fit battery, battery cables, engine to chassis earth strap, fuses and check the wiring for shorts etc.  I am going to tape up any unused leads on the wiring loom such as the wires for the lights.  Fit the wiring to the gearbox/overdrive.  This lot could take a few days at my current work rate.

Odds and sods:

Fit the throttle return spring.
Make a new abutment for the choke cable and install it.
Fit the oil pipe and washer to the gauge.
Fit the radiator temperature plug.
Fill with oil/water.
Check timing.
Check oil pressure.
Start

Do a dance, have a beer, post a video on Youtube, Instagram and send a copy to the BBC.

Once running:
Rebuild the drive shaft so that the arrows line up and fit the UJs.  Send it off for balancing?
Fit the handbrake cable and lever (new pawl?)
Bleed the brakes
Fill the differential with oil
Connect clutch linkages
Fit a seat

Double check all nuts/bolts are tight.

Drive

I had given myself the target of getting the car running by Christmas when I installed the engine at the end of the summer holidays.  Obviously I've missed that but I don't feel like I am a mile away from it so I don't feel bad on myself.  There were a lot of things to buy and that hampered progress a little.  Now that Santa has been and gone with wonderful generosity I don't need to buy very much for a while.  In fact that list I have just written only has diff oil, brake fluid, handbrake pawl and the balancing of the drive shaft to sort so not too bad at all and certainly not a barrier to success at this stage.  So, what about the end of February for a little spin then?  No, ok, how about Easter?  Yep, that seems reasonable.

I am convinced that the overdrive will not work straight out of the block so that will take some fettling and ultimately, time.

Once it has been for a run I need to get all the panels out of storage and then work on getting the filler done, now that will be exciting.  Getting it running will also be very exciting.

Snatched a bit of garage action here and there over Christmas.  Started by fitting the cut-off switch.

Santa was kind to me this year.  I also received an exhaust and a pile of small bits and pieces that will enable me to plough on at full speed.  I can only think that I have been a good boy this year.

The exhaust was the wrong item though which gave me an excuse to visit Moss in London and change it, all sorted below.

The front section fitted really nicely, nothing else did though, oh well.

Taking a rest at the end of a long hard day in the world of Healey restorations.

The only negative was that I managed to crack the petrol pump when I screwed it into the car, damn.  Now I do have the original pump and it looks the same so I could swap the offending part if the crack develops into something more substantial but for now I am blocking it out of my mind. Ho hum,.....

Been busy being festive so haven't had that much time on the car recently.

I have drilled the holes for the battery cut-off switch and am waiting for the paint to dry before fitting it.  I used a multi meter to establish how the switch worked and realised I didn't understand how the wiring worked in this area so I posted a help question on the Austin Healey Experience website where some patient sole explained the blindingly obvious to me.

My wife saw the finished dash for the first time today and thought it looked great, that was a good moment.

Having fitted the overdrive relays on the left so that I could fit the new relays on the right I made a cage for them to protect them, I had visions of using the parcel shelf and accidentally placing something metal on it and then shorting across the terminals.  No worries now.

The USB socket is in and looking reasonably subtle, I hope.  Pleased it has its own cover which helps with the camouflage.

Choke cable and wiring fitted.  Very fiddly to do and very stiff to use.  The damn bolt/clamp that I made (which took a lot of time) broke so I am back to the drawing board on that one, oh well.

Having realised that the dip switch wiring was unclear as to which way it should be connected I posted the question on AH Exp. site to be advised that the switch should be mounted from the outside of the footwell.  It took a bot more grinding but I am pleased with the result, looks much cleaner now.

I am going to have another go at the choke cable fixing clamp today and then fiddle some more whilst waiting patiently for Santa with my fingers crossed that he delivers the pump, exhaust and battery.  I would be getting it running between Christmas and the New Year but we are going snowboarding on Saturday so it'll have to wait.  I can tell that I am seriously into the car at the moment as I love going to Chamonix snowboarding but it feels like an inconvenience, the life of the spoilt!

Yesterday I started work on the last of the engine bay wiring by drilling the distributor drive shaft and fittings a new retaining pin then installed it.  I soon realised that to get top dead centre on number 1 cylinder I needed to turn the engine over by using the nut on the end of the crank.  This is a large nut and I didn't have a spanner big enough so I decided to modify the biggest one I did have.  Now the only troubling thing is that I had already modified this spanner for a previous job and I can't remember what the job was; I have a little worry that I am going to do something later on and be really annoyed with myself that I didn't use a different spanner.  Anyway, it worked and I found TDC and installed the distributor.

Next up, the plugs and leads.  Frustratingly, I only have 5 of the little brass washers that set the copper centre wire to the contact strip in the cap and I need 6 (4 plugs and either end of the HT lead) which is a real pain.  The reason it is a pain is that they are only 35p each but by the time I pay packing and postage it'll be well over £5 and that just annoys me, being stupid is really costly in life.

Everything in except the lead from the distributor to the coil which is made.

Starting to think about what to do to get it running.

I need to fit the parcel shelf so that I can install the choke cable and once done I think that is that.  I know I have a bit of wiring at the back to do, such as fitting the battery cut out switch and indeed the battery itself.  I also need to run the last few pipes in the back to the petrol pump from the tank and install the tank retaining straps.

I also need to fit the exhaust and fill with oil and water.  Fit the final linkage in the clutch assembly.  Engine to earth strap.  Adjust and tighten the throttle linkage.

The oil, exhaust and battery are all coming care of Father Christmas so I have no choice but to wait for those.  Hopefully I can get everything else done by then so that I can get it running asap.  Feels very exciting.

Started the weekend with the distributor.  I have had to modify the base plate as the one I bought was incorrect, not unsurprisingly.

All back together and looking good.

When I try to fix the drive shaft to the distributor I realise there isn't enough clearance and so I will have to drill it in a different location and fit a new retaining spring.

I drift back to the wiring and create little mini looms for the dashboard interment lights, lovely work.

All ready to connect up.

In a bid to future proof the car I have added two little fuse boxes to provide safe power to the things I'll need to enjoy the car.  One box is switched and one live permanently.  Now what I need is:

Halogen lights  (2 relays)

Capacity to have an electric fan  (1 relay)

Double USB charging port for iPhones

Cigarette lighter

Capacity to have a radio

All in all I decided a long time ago to incorporate this lot into the wiring from the start so that I don't have a lot of odd wires running around.  I have run the required wires to the front of the car and hidden them with cloth loom tape.  I don't think it will stand out to the casual observer once the car is finished.

The dash all wired up and complete, very pleased.

I then fit the choke cable.

 Only to discover that it is too short.  Then I realise that I have fitted it in the wrong place, flaming idiot.  Time to sit on the sofa.

Spent the morning soldering and connecting the wiring loom to the dashboard instruments.  Very enjoyable.   I didn't't think to take any photos though for some reason.

I also loaded up the knobs for the dashboard with white paint and left them to dry.

 I realise that I don't know what leads to connect to each of the light switch that is operated by your feet to switch between high and dipped beam so I put a post on the forum.  Nobody has come back yet and it occurs to me that I could actually work it out if I could be bothered.

The bonnet lock pull has turned out well but the choke is less good.  A bot more practice needed.

Yesterday I spent some time on my motorbike so only got to the garage in the afternoon.  I polished the dash, again and then fitted it and the gauges.  It looked wonderful only to the realise that I had damaged it during the installation process.  Off it came and then out came the rubbing down paper and off I went again.

I contemplated buying some Healey horns but by the time I did they came in at about £100 and they are not the original type either.  eBay is my friend, two horns for £11 delivered.

Today I did a few bits of soldering and then headed off to see John to get my distributor put back together.  It took a bit of fiddling but we got there in the end.  Getting closer to starting that engine.

A lovely day in the garage, if a little cold.  I gave the dipstick and fan another coat of paint and thinned it a little this time so that it would flow a little easier and it worked.  I finished off the wiring at the front by mounting the wires to the brake switch and routing the headlight section of the harness along the top of the cross member.  Then I began fitting the radiator.  It went in remarkably easily.  So in my English car I now have a Chinese made radiator to compliment the Polish oil filter.

The newly painted fan looking wonderful.

I then fitted all the hoses.

I know I have the distributor to sort out but I can't actually think of anything else I need to do on the front end to get the engine running other than fill it with oil and water.  Oh, and the choke cable but I need the dash on and all the gauges done before that will happen, anyway, happy days.

I'll finish with a lovely red dipstick.

Had a lovely Saturday in the garage pottering about.  Started by sanding down the fan and dipstick before painting them Flame Red.  It had two coats and looked lovely.

Then I set about neatening up the boring harness now that I had the tool to install the bullet connects. It was a therapeutic job but took ages, as ever!

Tomorrow I think it is time for the radiator to go in and the hoses to match, can't wait.