PETROL AND PAINT

There had been a strong smell of petrol from the back end of Stella ever since I acquired her, but driving back from the Cotswold, the other weekend, our first long drive in the Stag, with the roof up and a full tank of fuel, the smell was too strong to ignore any longer.

A couple of days later I saw black fluid leaking from the boot and it was time to investigate, with the carpet and boards out of the boot, the problem was immediately apparent. On the top of the now exposed tank the fuel sender sits in a a recess and that recess was full of petrol, there was a groove where the petrol had run down into the bottom of the boot and had started to dissolve the underseal, which accounted for the black colour of the leaking petrol.

A small pipe also protruded from the tank over this recess and attached to it was the remains of a short length of stopped hose. Maybe this was a return for a fuel injected car. This little bit of fuel hose had almost completely disintegrated, but was soon replaced with a new length with a bolt screwed into the other end and clamped. No more leaks, but it took several hot days with the boot lid left open and the floor boards and carpet left out to air to get rid of the smell.

With the good weather I decided now was the time to do some paint spraying. I started with the inside of the drivers door. The door card was flapping about and many of the clips that secure it to the door had rotted away. I ordered new clips and plastic plugs but before I fitted the new plugs I rubbed down the small amount of rust that surrounded the lower holes, primed and painted in Rover White, but generally the door was in pretty good shape and evidently WaxOil has been sprayed internally.

 

The tape that wrapped the cables supplying power to the electric window, radio speaker and puddle light was coming unwrapped and looked very unsightly. I stripped off all of the tape and inserted the cables into a length of split corrugated plastic sleeving, which was inserted right into both the door and the jamb. Now the cables are both safe from chaffing and nice and tidy.

I could no longer bear the sight of the tatty air cleaner box, so off came both halves and after some serious sanding I resprayed them with primer and finally with Ford Dove Grey paint, I have never properly mastered paint spraying, but they are good enough.

I haven't refitted them as I am awaiting a new rubber seal that goes between the two halves of the air box, but in the meantime I have polished up the cast ali elbows that connect the carbs with the airbox. the photo shows the bottom one, left elbow, polished in contrast to the top one still awaiting  the treatment. I won't be so ashamed of the engine bay, once it is all back in place.

Along with the airbox seal, will be new cam cover gaskets, then I will remove the covers, clean them up and respray in silver. Also a new leather MotoLita steering will be arriving, it won't be long before I get that fitted.