[Mick O'Malley]

I've also been very happy with them over the years, but yesterday all I got was complete intransigence from a supercilious jobsworth. Apparently it was all my fault for not buying and having pressed in (at Merlin) their Timken bearings. I lost patience in the end and motored back, pausing at Maynard, who agreed to perform the necessary machining and pressing in. This won't be cheap!

However, a little further down the road I dropped in on my ever helpful welder. His first job for me was to attach the flared end of the donor car's exhaust downpipe to that of my Mini van, into which I'd dropped an MG1100 engine and 'box. It was in '80 or '81 - he gas welded it and charged 40p! Anyway, his two sons now run the gaff and said to bring the Phaeton's frame in (another Dutton Towing Gizmo outing), together with the prepared metal, and they'd do it as a folding money foreigner. This cheered me up no end!

Regards, Mick