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Collecting the Kit
Picked up the long-wheelbase panel van at 8am and set off for Bardney once again, arriving around lunchtime. Put the kettle on and had a Cuppa Soup (now there's customer service).
Again I took advantage of the customer's car under construction in the factory as a means of seeing whether my 13" wheels would clear the standard Ford Sierra rear disk brake setup. To my surprise my wheels did actually clear the calipers by some margin, with the handbrake lever being the most extreme point of the caliper and still clearing the rim. This is only due to the fact that I am using 3 piece wheels with spun aluminium rims, which appear to offer similar levels of clearance inside to 14" cast items. At this point it was clear to see again that the rear wheel rims were fouling on the lower upright bolt head and nut and that it would be possible to push the bushes into the wishbones a little and cut down the bolt in order to clear the rims.
While I was at the factory I picked up some of the well priced items needed for the build that Jeremy keeps in stock for his own use, like new Sierra rear calipers, twin remote brake reservoir, balance bar assembly and remote adjuster (actually TAS items) and some braided hoses for the rear. I also left my half-shafts with Jeremy to be shortened.
Everything was present and correct and soon loaded into the van. I was particularly impressed by the neatness and simplicity of the engine mounts and gearlinkage that Jeremy had fabricated. Even more so when he only charged me £200 for over ten hours work, including all the parts. As usually recommended, I took along lots of blankets and straps which did a reasonable job of keeping everything in one piece as I followed Jeremy to his glassfibre contractors down some twisty lanes to pick up the bodywork.
The return journey was similarly uneventful at 60mph and everything was soon unpacked into the garage. What a lot of bits!