The first of many shopping lists

The adventure into the unknown has begun. Our first meeting within the strange world of specialist 'bits for cars'. The entire market is bursting with eccentrics, honest anoraks but also, thieving 'ner do wells'.

Sun.02.04.06. Dave Brown visited the workshop today to finalise how the dashboard could be constructed, suggesting also different techniques of covering the outer edges of the cockpit. The engine side panels are totally rotten and will also have to be freshly made (Oh shite, I am using another motor trade term, ‘fresh’. This phrase is used to describe an older vehicle that is in pristine condition both internally and externally, it has formidable service history as well as provenance: it is said to be ‘out of the box). I am fast metamorphosing into ‘Swiss Tony’. A Burlington is like a beautiful woman, 27 years together, running sweetly for 10 years but then the make-up begins to fade,  the skin blister, the chassis corrodes, the suspension sags and the tyres leak. A complete strip down is necessary followed by hours of welding, tins of body filler, a new drive train but essentially a packet of Viagra could, perhaps, re-kindle the romance for another 27 years.

Chris relentlessly bombarded Dave with a plethora of data rebounding effortlessly from one puzzle to another. Nevertheless, Dave was obviously impressed with the changes he could already observe compared with his first visit, ten days ago, at the farm. When we left the workshop Dave privately commented on Chris’s eccentric, often manic, behaviour. I simply advised him not to be overly concerned as this was typical furthermore it merely represented his sheer enthusiasm and enjoyment.

We later met in the Oak to discuss how and when we should source the major components from ‘Spitfire Graveyard’ in Sheffield. We had already paid an initial small deposit to secure, a new chassis, a re-built front left and right suspension unit and a reconditioned differential. We have since assembled an even larger shopping list but it remains to be seen whether or not Richard may become the chosen supplier. Nevertheless, we do require many other items; a pedal box with master cylinders, a fuse box, coil, handbrake unit, steering rack and column, wiper motor (possibly Sprite), radiator and fixing brackets, rear brake drums and trunnions, seats (Spitfire?), de-mister shrouds, radius arms left and right, a top end with twin carbs, gearbox slave cylinder, petrol tank (Midget), a set of wire wheels and hubs (Spitfire)..etc..etc….