What a week. It feels like more than seven days since last Saturday. On the whole it's been quite a successful week and many projects have been completed. A few more have got to the almost complete stage or are onto the final snagging list. Next week should see a little change in the workshop as vehicles go home.

The Rover P4 that had come in for replacement door steps and one door hinge ended up being with us for two months as more and more horrors were revealed as the rust was cut away. Even now the car appears to be sticking to the workshop like a limpet. It failed it's mot ( not too badly but enough to need to put the call out for some mechanical spares). The hope is that the re-test will happen this week and the old Rover will be ready for it's next rally. Having driven this one around the yard I can really see the appeal. It's a different experience to the P5'S which seem to glide along. The P4 is much heavier and touches like the huge handbrake leaver make it feel like a real vintage experience. So much nicer now it doesn't smell of rotting carpet!

 On the other end of the scale, the visiting BMW M3 ( now up for sale) has had it's small patch of welding completed and has been in for under body treatment with Dinatrol. The car did put up a bit of a fight as the wheel nuts had been put on by someone (not here) with an air ratchet. Not good. The locking wheel nuts sheared off when it came to undoing them at the dinatrol bay. When replacing the wheel nuts this time, the nuts were done to the BMW settings. Over tightening is quite dangerous and someone actually died a few years ago because the over tightening caused the studs to shear at speed.

 Slow progress is being made on the 1934 Rover 10 hp. We did think that the body shell was due to return from the blasters earlier last week but it was just a false alarm. The owner of this car has put many hours in with various mechanical jobs and other parts of the work have been farmed out to specialists locally. There's now more of this car on the projects page.

 The Spitfire MK3 is a project that really is beginning to find it's feet now and the new panels are going on at quite a pace. You have to be careful of these Triumphs as they tend to sag as panels are removed but this one has retained it's nice even panel gaps. I'm looking forward to sending it away for painting very soon.

The other Spitfire in at the moment also is going very well. the 2 litre Spitfire ( MK3 Spitfire with 6 cylinder engine shoe horned in) is going together well and We are now waiting for the final components such as wire wheels to complete it. It's due to be shipped to California for the summer and possibly film work back here later on.

The Sunbeam Talbot has also seen action this week. It's owner has finally tracked down a new fuel sender which means the tank can go onto the car which means that the fuel lines can be connected and the car started up ( once the carb is back). Next week the car is due to go in for under sealing.

 Also due for under sealing ( and cavity waxing) is the Triumph Stag. This car should be back with it's owner very soon but we do have a small list of jobs to do and the odd snag to sort out- particularly in the wiring dept which is all British Leyland quality and therefore rather temperamental.

 We have a new visitor in the shape of the red Spitfire 1500 that was completed last year. It's partly in for a period hard top to be restored and fitted and a small list of snags and improvements. It's also in for a blowing head gasket. I'm a bit surprised at the latter- the engine re-build was thorough. I suspect head torquing was to blame but we will be getting the head checked out to make sure that it isn't warped.

 We will be waiting with bated breath next week as it's a possibly that the engine and bonnet for Gov the Rover P5B will be back with us on Friday. This will mark the beginning of the final jobs in what has turned out to be a slightly traumatic restoration. It feels good to see that it is turning out so well at last.

 The RS2000 that's bee sitting idle will also with any luck be re-started next week. We have been waiting for some time for  a special tool to be made up and now for the final panel to be posted. It looks like everything will be  arriving at the same time here.

For me the week was disrupted by my wife's car behaving badly on the M23 in the rush hour. I needed to get to Reigate for 8.30 am and was shall we say slightly pushing Natasha's MK1 Spitfire on a bit. At nearly 50 years old it didn't like it very much and as I approached Gatwick the cockpit was engulfed in steam. Not having a sense of smell makes this quite scary as without smelling you can't easily tell if it's steam or smoke that you can see all around you. The condensation on the glass said it all and the car limped on to Gatwick Airport McDonald's where a nice man from the AA lent me his mobile so that I could call the AA to rescue me!