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Body - Interior
The body - interior - was not too bad, although it was very dusty and smelt damp.  The roof lining was well beyond recall and has been removed to allow the roof to dry out.  All painted surfaces have suffered badly and will need stripping & repainting, however all the windows and mechanisms, though stiff, seem to be in good order.  The plastic on the steering wheel has split and is fouling the turn indicator switch and the  rear window  has leaked behind the back seat . . . . . .
Oct 03 click for larger imageclick for larger imageAs found - 25 years in an open-sided shed on the edge of a wood in a remote valley

 Body Interior was dirty and had a lot of surface corrosion
Oct 03 click for larger imageclick for larger imageFront seats needed a lot of cleaning and leather preservative

 Corrosion in rear wheel arch will have to be dealt with .....  (but see below) 
Oct 03 click for larger image click for larger image Roof lining had a squirrels nest (judging by the remains of nuts found) and was rotten so was removed.  The wood structure, however, appears to be in good condition.
Oct 03 click for larger imageclick for larger imageThe sliding roof lining was very moth-eaten so was removed, although the hessian padding remains for the time being
Dec 03 click for larger imageclick for larger imageThe  rear window  appeared good but it was leaking behind the back seat.  Although the seat was OK the trim was very rotten !

 The  doors  will need attention but they will be one of the last things to be tackled.

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Dec 03
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Mar 04		 click for larger imageclick for larger imageDashboard - all the  instruments  were removed and refurbished.  The needle had corroded off the petrol gauge which now has the needle off another gauge.

. . . . . and the dashboard, though still scruffy, looks much better !
Apr 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imageThe interior light houses a double contact 12v 6watt bulb.  Remove the glass dome carefully by unclipping the circular ring.  Repaired April 08 see below.

The gear lever had to come out to fit the new (fibreglass) gearbox cover, so it was painted.
Apr 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imagea further look at the remaining interior trim showed that it was beyond recall so it was taken out - it literally fell apart and some of the thin ply supports were in very poor condition.

the petrol filler grommet was beyond recall - none available from the Austin Ten Drivers Club so one was ordered from Vintage Autos.  (see  boot & fuel filler  page)

Apr 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imageA huge amount of debris was removed and the wood and metal treated to Finnegans black paint to deter further decay. 

It now looks clean but rather bare without the interior trim.  The inside of the fabric roof was subsequently sprayed Hammerite black and most of the marks and stains disappeared.
Apr 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imageThe split in the rear wheel arch already has a repair section underneath so the crack was just filled with fibreglass and painted over.

At last - the board under the back seat could be replaced after the dampers and petrol tank had been replaced.

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May 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imageThe pedals will need new bullseye rubbers -  if I can find them !

Found !  The  ATDC Spares  sell some very nice bullseye rubbers (Jan 05)
Jun 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imagefollowed by the back seat - and the Lichfield starts to look like a car again.

close-up of the upper back seat fixing; these two brackets had been bent over for many years, which had meant that the seat was not fixed at the top.
Sep 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imagethe glove locker lining was well past it, being dirty and all panels damp damaged.  It was cleaner to remove it and the accumulated gunge and apply paint . . . . .
Sep 04 click for larger imageApart from a small section on the left the locker is complete and doesn't rely on the lining for strength or shape or things falling out.
Sep 04 click for larger imageclick for larger imagethe dash was loosened and strips of thin card pushed in so I could get a clean edge for painting - but . . . . .

. . . . the instrument panel has retained its patina and only been lightly oiled !
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May 05 click for larger imagea new interior mirror looks smart and gives a better view through the little back window than the non-original one in the car.

a new external rear-view mirror has also been fitted  (see  body exterior  page)

May 05 click for larger imageclick for larger imagea very good original sunvisor was sourced from eBay - the original had allowed damp in between the laminations.
Apr 06 click for larger imageclick for larger imagethe front foot-well panels were way past their best; the worms had to hold hands to keep them together.  So they were replaced by thin 3-ply - this is old paint used up on the unseen sides.

when replaced, the panels were nailed on the outer edges and a single nut & bolt prevents the remainder from rattling against the bulkhead. Colour isn't right in this view !
Aug 06 click for larger imageclick for larger imageAs winter approaches, the draughts invited some form of sealing.  Originally felts were on the bulkhead side of the pedals; easier to fit inside the car !

and then the carpets went back in - cosy !  (but see also  Gearbox Cover  for later improvements)
Apr 08 click for larger imageclick for larger imageThe original wires to the internal lamp flexed every time it was used; after 73 years they broke.
Apr 08 click for larger imageThe wooden plinth was removed for painting and the light repaired using modern flex wire (hidden by the plinth) for the last 6 inches.
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