Scottie, much obliged - fingers crossed that your engine rebuild goes well. Possibly cheaper to buy another engine?

Possibly Tas, but its too late now, I have given him the green light.
At least afterwards I will have a good revvy little engine I can thrape about a bit!

Sorry to be a bearer of bad news, but a grand plus vat is £1200.

Plus the extras they usually add on at the end.......

Scottie - Keep the faith, as I'm sure getting your car back on the road will make it seem like money well spent. :cool:

Also, if it makes you feel any better, the Triumph specialist I used in West London recently charges labour out at £89 + VAT per hour.

And I still thought they were worth every penny.

Good luck, Paul. :)

Thanks Paul, I agree with you about cash well spent 'cos at the moment, I have a piece of junk that doesn't drive, a pretty piece of junk mind you, but it WILL be worth it when its all done.

Hey Scottie, all has been very quiet for a while. Any news - good or bad? Hope you're okay.

Good bump, I had been wondering the same.

Hope you get it back on the road soon!

Overdue update
 

Ambi-TAS
Barber
and Car Snapper Thanks for the concern and interest!

I really do appreciate it! It was a bit of a surprise to see my thread on
the front page again and even more surprising to see that somehow its
clocked up well over 300, 000 hits!!

I did not realise that the A352 was so popular!

Health-wise I am fine, work-wise ( XK orientated ) I am a total disgrace
to this forum!!! I have done absolutely NOTHING all winter!!

Yesterday a friend of mine said “in two weeks time it will be April” “I
think you should do something on the XK” And of course he was right.

So I ordered a new water pump for the “new” engine, (which at present is
outside wrapped up in blankets and waterproof sheets)
I spent several hours clearing out the shed next to the tent where the XK
lives, with the intention of transferring the engine to the shed so I can
prepare it for installation.
Painting it a nice colour, putting new plugs in it, putting the dizzy on etc,
bolting on the new water pump, (when it arrives) complete with painted
housing. All that sort of stuff.

So that's where I am at present, I am making an effort, but after being in
denial for so long over the XK it's taking a bit of getting used to!
I always seem to have several other projects on the go at the same time,
so its a bit of a juggle to prioritise and fit them all in, but I am going to
have to do the XK.

Watch this space...............

Hope it all goes well - good luck

Scottie, great to know that you have a plan about to kick in. Hooray, it will be great to see pics of the car on the road again.

Good to hear from you. Your build diary has been fascinating, and I'm not surprised you have such interest. You have certainly inspired me, though I'm considering something that, given my much more limited experience, will be something more of a challenge!

A wise man once told me that you should finish one project before starting the next.


What rubbish, having multiple projects is the spice of life!!!

Scottie - Just in case you (or anyone else for that matter) needs some motivation...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXcRSXZQfUk

Good luck, Paul. :)

Loved That Video!
 

Thank you for the video Paul!
I have only just seen it. It is indeed a good inspiration!
Like the man says. it may not be "real" or, ( in my case) as fast and powerful,
BUT it looks and sounds the same, and most important of all
IT GIVES YOU THE SAME FEELING!!
Good luck to all you A352 builders!!

Scottie

Hi Scottie, I've scrolled back through pages to page 100, and the only reference I can find is that it's 'industrial colour' - can you tell me (just out of interest) what brand/type of paint you've used. Like the result BTW

Hi Scottie,
I have recently found your story,and spent days reading it from start to finish. May I say, you are an inspiration to anyone with an ounce of soul and ambition!
I must tell you about my experience on my 1500 triumph engine following the build of my Frogeye Sprite replica. I had taken the head off to check the condition, having never run the engine before. I had finished the build, and used a MG owners club Gasket set to rebuild the engine. It went onto two cylinders after only 20 miles! I stripped and rebuilt that head three times before I discovered the problem. I had been supplied with gaskets for the flathead 1300 engine, which will not seal the 1500 recessed liner engine. After fitting a genuine Payen gasket, and retorquing when hot, no more problems. This was a very well known problem back when Midgets and Spitfires were everywhere, but I was not aware of it. Like you, I became despondent about the car, but decided to sort it out, and Im so glad I did. Hopefully, you will find time to sort your wonderful creation out, as I would love to see it myself!

Bernard,
Ex RAF, 22yrs
Six kitcars
Three Homebuilt Aircraft

I must apologise for not being on this thread for weeks and weeks,
so sorry for that!
I still have not put the bloody engine in the XK, that will most likely be in the spring now.

Mitchelkitman : I take it you are wanting the colour and type of paint I used on the XK?

I have the old original tin in front of me now, and it says on the tatty label " BLGN 18 "MAC 5"
It came from a company called "Border Automotive"
I asked for "A really dark British Racing Green" and this is what they gaved me.
I was told it was the modern replacement for celloluse and it
was air dried, I sprayed it outside on my driveway, and got the usual flies, grass and rubbish stuff stuck to it, but it cleaned up pretty well. The tin cost me about £35 which has to be a record for a spray job like I ended up with!

I put two or three coats on so I could mop it back to a good shine which worked well, I mopped through to the primer in a couple
of places but you have to look close and hard to see that!

Chipsairhead: Thank you for your kind words!

I wonder if having rebuilt my 1500 head (when the head gasket went) I wonder if that's why it overheated faily quickly down the road?
Anyhow I now have the trusty and proven 1300 mega-revver
which will eventually find its way into the XK so hopefully should not have any further trouble!!