Scimher

Yes, I think by the time you get a service kit, etc., it hardly seems worth it - the old ones can go to whoever for reconditoning......The front, offside one has a propensity to stick on......

Thanks, gentlemen - Type 14 it is then.......At least I know what replacement parts I need to order... Re. 'axle stand' - I tend to agree.......especially after reading, a good few years ago, that an average of 20 people per annum die under jacked-up vehicles........you can't be too careful. In mitigation, I can say that the rear wheels were chocked, handbrake on & in-gear & the (good quality) trolley jack had a substantial piece of wood between it & the front chassis member to spread the load & she was parked on level concrete at the top of friend's drive....Also he was close-by....She was jacked just long enough to get the wheel off, have a few quick pics. taken & then wheel back on & back on all-four. I was careful re. positioning & had I had to get under her for any reason, most certainly an axle-stand would have been employed...😄

Thanks, Rob - so I can take it that these are Type 14 front brakes then......I was pretty sure that they were but it is so long since anything was done to the brakes - (they desperately need some attention now, though!)...Can the Type 16 calipers that you mention be substituted for the Type 14?

Although it is likely she rolled out of Canley in Oct./Nov. of '64, Rob, & was registered for the road on a 'C' plate in early Feb. of '65, she is very much a 'bitsa'....I did try to do a search on here as to the differences in 12 & 14 types but it threw up a whole raft of threads about everything. I vaguely recall that the difference can be ascertained by how something is attached....with the vertical link being mentioned??

The brakes could certainly perform better - despite front discs the brakes are dreadful..!! Currently, the offside front brake binds occasionally, although having done several short runs in the last few days, it does seem to have improved things. I was going to hand her over to pro.pal, Andy to revitalise the whole braking system but skilled amateur pal, Mike thinks we could clean & recondition the calipers - the jury is still out at the moment! On this occasion there is no axle stand, purely & simply because I was careful to keep from getting my head under the car when taking the photos, so there was no more risk than there is changing a wheel after a puncture at the roadside... 

Today, in the lovely weather, I painted the front footwells of Little Sis - (tomorrow, hopefully, the rear ones!) I also took some photos of the front, nearside brake assembly & wonder whether you, very kind, experts, can tell me whether she has Type 12 or 14 front brakes............I'm pretty certain they're 14, but can't remember....I didn't take any measurements, I'm afraid.  

...I used her today with the excuse that I needed to take some stuff to the recycling depot, about 3miles away, in the warm spring sunshine. All good - when I got back I tried the light switch as she was nosed into a wall & I would be able to see the headlights if they came on..............they did, first time with no problem! I'm just wondering if, with the warm, dry weather, that it may have been damp, a touch of oxidisation, lack of switch use.....etc., etc. We'll see how we go on with it.....

Well, as you may have gleaned from another thread, 'Little Sis' now has her trailing arm anchored & there is a heavily-reduced chance of me doing a 'Fred Flintstone' in the near future. Also, the driver's seat only seemed to be held in three places - not the front offside, so the constant movement created metal fatigue at the back, nearside anchorage point, adjacent to the transmission tunnel... ....Now for some rotary wirebrushing & some rust-inhibiting paint, etc....(Huge thanks to Mike for his herculean efforts!!)

Thanks Rob - just me getting confused then......(sadly, not unusual, these days!...😆)

...Thanks for the response, guys - the funny thing was that once the lights had come on at the garage...(I used the headlights)...they didn't blink or flutter once on the way to the chipshop - a distance of 2miles.......But, as you say, I guess that it's just a case of checking & cleaning connections....Isn't the switch what is known as a 'rheostat' item - I think that just means 'complicated'...!! 🤣

Having collected 'Little Sis' (late '64 1200 conv.) from my wonderfully kind friend, Mike, who has repaired the trailing arm mounting & driver's floorpan..(see relevant thread).. I drove her to my equally good friend's garage unit. He was impressed by what had been achieved. As the light was going, I decided to switch the sidelights on before driving off......nothing happened!! I jiggled the knob (as the actress advised the bishop to do!!) & kept twisting it on & off.......the lights came on & stayed on. The column stalk seemed to be working fine. I drove up to the local chipshop to get chicken & chips, started her up & no lights! This time, no amount of fiddling worked!! As I was only about a quarter of a mile up the hill from where I live, I took a calculated chance & set off down the hill (reasonably well lit...) The Law of Sod ensured that about a dozen vehicles were coming in the opposite direction whilst we were sat motionless waiting to turn right; a rather forlorn RH indicator winked away, with me praying that some huge juggernaut (of which many use this road...) wasn't going to choose that moment to come thundering down the hill & steamroller us! Of course we had several headlight flashes from the oncoming vehicles, who, no doubt, were wondering whether either of us were fit to be on the Queen's Highway!! To add insult to injury, after I breathed a sigh of relief, having finally ducked into the parking area, I was just about to switch off the engine, when the headlights came on of their own accord!!! I know she has a sense of humour, but I was not impressed with the little minx, that's for sure - & after all that surgery from her Uncle Mikey, as well..!! Soooo, ladies & gentlemen, if you are still with me, what is the likelihood of the switch being defective, as opposed to one of the three? wires having a bad connection in the teminal? I've had a look on ebay & there is a used switch assembly deemed suitable for a Herald, MGA, TR2/3....I had a good look at it & it seems to have the same brass connections at the back that a household plug/switch has...(It ain't cheap, that's for sure!!)  

Crikey! I was lucky - a few years ago, 'Little Sis' was parked up between Dec., just before Christmas, & April while I psyched myself up to change the offside wheelbox. I took a punt on what I assumed to be a used Herald wheelbox on ebay.....I won the auction for £7, I think, & I set about trying to fit it at my pro. friend's garage premises: for company, moral support & help (hopefully!) if I needed it. Well, I'm proud to say that I did most of it myself - friend must have been impressed because he finished it off for me without any bribery or outright begging on my behalf! 😅 I remember lying on my back, feet over the top of the seat, 'sprottling' (...that's the word!) right up under the dash.............I also broke or damaged summat inside the wiper motor & had to fix (bodge!) that...I don't know how, but the wipers are still working to this day, whereas they were tangling up before. Complete stroke of luck that it was the correct wheelbox for the car - but, the best thing was the wheelbox turned out to be 'NOS' from what I could see!! 😏...........Actually, no, the best thing was I put her straight in for her MOT - & she passed, without a retest, for the first time since I had her!!  

......Lovely - that looks ideal... Thank you very much for looking it out, Antonia, & posting the photo - I shall send you a 'personal message'...

Thank you very much, Antonia - that is very kind of you...

...A longer-range shot of the nearside floor area showing the removed piece of metal & the resulting access 'hatch'... As instructed, I acquired a piece of plate about a foot square & about two to three millimetres thick for the necessary repair...That's where we're up to at the moment. More to follow...   (While I'm here would anyone have a reasonably priced steering rack - I lost out to one that has just been sold on ebay - I had put a bid on it & then forgot when it was finishing............It sold for 60p more than my bid - final price, 25quid!! Very annoying!) 

The 'chunk' lying on the rear, nearside floor...

...A longer range shot of the same view...

Close up through the 'hatch' of the offending area looking towards the back of the car on the passenger side...

...Chunk cut out of the interior to give access....(a technique used by the Reliant Scimitar fraternity to access chassis' for welding repairs without having to lift or remove the body - the 'chunk' is then fibreglassed back into position.......or, in this case, welded back....OR an 'inspection hatch' could be created - there would be no real weakening of the structure!)

...The outrigger is not pretty but, fortunately, the majority seems sound...