If you put in the hours, you get the results. The axle is back in (and full of oil), the hydraulics are completed and bled and the engine is back out. The seats and windscreen have been refitted, so it all looks a lot more like a car again. Unfortunately the handbrake mechanism is still proving troublesome, firstly because the axle rests on it when the suspension is on full droop, and secondly because you can't adjust it once the fuel tank and boot floor are fitted.

The job list now looks like this:

1. Finish the handbrake linkage, test and adjust.

2. Fit fuel tank and complete pump wiring.

3. Refit boot floor, fuel filler and rollover bar.

4. Refit nearside rear wing.

5. Change gearbox speedo drive to match new diff ratio.

6. Fix oil leak from oil pump.

7. Refit engine and gearbox, remembering to fill gearbox with oil.

8. Refit steering column.

9. Tap cylinder head for a hot water takeoff for the heater.

10. Bolt down cylinder head and rockers, set valve clearances.

11. Refit starter, alternator, exhaust and throttle bodies.

12. Fabricate a new battery tray and fit battery.

13. Refit coolant and oil hoses, fill with oil and coolant.

14. Source longer throttle cable and fit.

15. Refit gearstick, transmission tunnel cover and gearknob.

16. Replace top balljoints (boot splits were an MOT advisory)

17. Get the ECU mapped!