Lord save us from amateur mechanics

There was a time when any fool could repair their own plumbing and rewire their house, the government in their wisdom have legislated so that only professionals are allowed to do the more safety conscious jobs, but any fool can buy a jack and a set of spanners and fix car brakes.
I have just checked the brakes on the 1200 before I put the new wheels and tyres on, and found out why the handbrake didn't feel so good, on both sides the brake shoes were fitted incorrectly and on the nearside none of the horseshoe clips were fitted so the wheel cylinder was floating free and the handbrake mechanism to. I see that the front brakes look new, the next job is check that out and see what horrors if any lie there.

I wouldn't want to stop people like me (unqualified) with 38 years experience doing stuff, but if you buy an old car for goodness sake don't trust anything till it's been checked!!

1200 update

Well the floors are welded up, not too much about five small patches, everything is stripped back to bare metal and the undercoat is on the floor.. One good job was completed today with the help of a neighbour, he re-tapped the threads on the 13/60 manifold, which I should have really done before putting it in the car, We fitted studs and the downpipe with the last three brass nuts I have in stock, the gasket had to be adjusted with a file but altogether a successful day.

Tomorrow if the undercoat is dry (it's a bit thick in places) I will paint the floor with triumph white, strip the rear brakes replace what's necessary and refit with the new wheels and tyres. I know I'm gonna get some stick for putting alloy slots on it but it's my car now.....

Next jobs. Set the timing, fill the engine and gearbox with oil, overhaul the gear change mechanism and refit it with the gearbox cover.

Starter woes and Engine in

Getting the 1200 going is causing a few headaches, when I first got it there were obvious problems from the beginning with starting, the starter was loose and not at all happy. When I took the engine and gearbox out I was shocked to see the state of the starter dog and the ring gear, they were total write off's, I found a starter in the spares pile tested it the old fashioned way with jump leads and a battery, all was well so I cleaned it up and made it look pretty with a coat of paint. Low and behold when I went to fit it today I had problems getting it to fit, it was then I realise that a foreign (mini?) starter had got into the garage and this one was too small.
Kicking myself for not checking i checked the pile again and found another starter, checked this one and great it's the right size, but the teeth on the dog were not the best, what the hell it's my last one I thought and while cleaning it I noticed the starter dog was split along it's length ....mutter mutter.
Fellow enthusiast Pete Jevon to the rescue and another not so worn looking starter fitted, yet another delay to getting the beastie going. Thanks to Jayson who has helped with bits from a 13/60 he is breaking, exhaust, manifold and clutch slave have been invaluable, and TJ for gaskets when everyone else was shut!!
I was working on the 1200 yesterday and finally got the engine and gearbox fitted, new clutch, engine + gearbox mountings, new exhaust manifold gaskets, oil pressure switch, a secondhand dynamo, fuel pump and distributor were added. I have to fit the exhaust, set the timing up statically, then fit the engine earth lead and finish all the other connections. Can't wait to hear it running, and hoping for no nasty surprises!