Sorry —

I have a pull switch instead of the “start” position on the ignition key switch — (too much time around Ed — I had to make it act like a “real” TD or like my Bugeye — just a mechanical 2 contact pull switch that applies 12v to the starter solenoid ….

My key has just 2 positions on/off for the ignition — overkill?  — yea…[Read more]

To all of you FORD TDr owners out there — (especially our expert in residence — Billnparts — )

I’m having starting issues with ManyPenny — it starts but only in certain positions of the crankshaft (I think)

Here’s the rest of the story:  When I pull the start knob, the engine may turn over a bit and then come to a halt.  When I release t…[Read more]

I got mine from eBay for around $75.00 with shipping included…something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-seats-install-Universal-2-dial-5-level-seat-heater-kit-heated-seat-kit-/151119425748?hash=item232f6b70d4

Mine came with 2 each  5-level controls (left and right).  This one on the eBay link has a single switch body with 2 sections (…[Read more]

Great idea — I ordered one of these Bluetooth amps to add to the center console that I am building for ManyPenny.

My Ford-based TDr seems to have room in front of the shifter for fire extinguisher, cup holder, heated seat switches, and this AMP — I hope.  So your post about this little amp is timely.

By the way,  thanks Billnparts for s…[Read more]

Hey Bill,

You may want to remove that “Race it == Break It == Fix It == Repeat” sticker from the side of your car…. or just keep the part that says “Race It == Repeat”  and skip the Break it == Fix it steps………..

As Royal says, — and I paraphrase — “now you have a winter project”

But it drives and no chassis damage — and you know…[Read more]

Wow Ed,

It looks like you went to the Spaghetti Factory and got a take out order of wiring!!  At least our cars are without CPU, ECU, PEU and other stink’in electronic modules to have to sort out….

When do we get to see the finished product?  It would be worth an autumn trip up to the VA mountains to get an early look at your creation (…[Read more]

After messing with inaccurate gauges for quite a while, I went with VDO small gauges (much less $$ than Smiths and lots of choices in dial face style) and I wimped  out and purchased an inexpensive Speedo & GPS sender and Tach off of eBay ( less than $100 each).  The Speedo and Tach are not period correct but they are accurate and easy to r…[Read more]

OK Roy, so it’s tongs and not tweezers & it’s knackered and not messed up & it’s sorted out and not worked out…

…and it’s a bonnet and not a hood & it’s packing and not gaskets/”thin rubber thingies.”  I’m starting to get it.

I guess that means Ed needs to  add some German vocabulary to his daily chats about his fine new Porsche Spyder kit a…[Read more]

Ok Roy, I will simplify — I’ll get rid of the sugar cubes and the sugar cube tweezers and change the label “Diorama” to something more descriptive  like “Scene depicting  a happy British Motoring Couple having their CUPPA while parked at that special overlook on the Welsh Coast” or maybe even “Time for Tea” or simply leave the scene unnamed and l…[Read more]

Hmm — I forgot about my 12 volt tea kettle —

I need to go find it, the English Bone China cups & saucers, sugar tweezers and drive-in tray so I can put them in the back of Manypenny  for my next drive around the block!!

Happy Jack

Hey Bill,

It sounds like the fender bender was REALLY a fender bender!!

As to the wipers, I could talk about the special wiper motor I installed, or I could talk about the neat way I changed the auto park circuit to make them park on the right —

— or I could admit that I did not hook up the auto park feature and I decided to park the wipers…[Read more]

While I was supposed to be working on figuring out how to mount the wind wings on Manypenny, I got side-tracked with coming up with a way of mounting my “signature” pocket watch/stopwatch panel on the car.  By the way, as a nod to modern technology and keeping from having to wind the pocket watch, I found a quartz battery powered one that looks…[Read more]

WOW!!  I guess I just need a metal lathe, a TIG welder, a metal brake, a white board so I can do some geometry and trigonometry  (tangents and squared and stuff) and about an extra 10 years to learn how to use it all…

…or I can just take a set of wiper arms from a 1971 VW, pull off the bottom mount sections, attach them to a set of TRICO o…[Read more]