The purists will hate me but it is fully functional. Correct more often than twice a day! Does not look out of place IMO. Other aspects of the car are proof that even Leyland built cars will take bad repairs in their stride for years!!
Damn The Purists!!! Looks very good, and functional to me. Or as My father always said "Form follows function". Or in layman's terms, "Make the Damn thing work", then worry about what it looks like! Dad was a very intelligent, and very direct, about things. JTS 71 Mach1
The dark blue one has been on a 300km shake down run and a couple of club runs now. Major problem was the hedluights - very 1970's! All now replaced with +100% globed Narva units. Had to re-install the inner bowles and pack up the outer headlamp mountings but at least I can see the road at night now.
It also needed new alternator brushes - done. Corrected some horror 'repairs' (I use the word loosley) to the fuel system. At least my clock keeps good time!
I want to replace the interior light globes with LED units so I don't burn out the old plastic lenses with heat at shows and runs with the doors open. There is no provision to turn them off - only on. The radio/CD player installation is also the worst on the planet. I need to fix that before the next run/show!!
Now running LED interior; boot (trunk) and reversing lights. HUGE improvement. Will have to do the same to my MINIs and her Mach 1.
Found some more horror repairs but working through them.
Restoration tip: Once clean a LIGHT drssing of baby oil transforms old plastic lenses. They regain some colour and their optical qualities are restored. Every plastic surface I have treated with a light dressing has been improved by a huge amount. Masks light cracking and re-water proofs. Bang for $ second to none!
I have replaced the rear seat with a set re-trimmed in velour and have a pair of same coloured fronts to go in. the fronts are not original but have better back support and head restraints.
I have pounded the front floor pans back to flat as some expert used a hoist on them rather than the jacking points. Last major poject will be the fuel system. I will post 'Before' and 'After' pictures. Worst of all the PO actually paid real money for this 'repair'. I would not have had the nerve. I gues that is why I'm broke and he has a business.
I will add a picture of my 'Chrome Baby' from home.