We didn't manage to start the Minerva :-(

Bill came round this afternoon as planned and we had a good play with the Minerva. But we didn't manage to start it. We cleaned the plugs and the points, checked the electrics out and made sure that there was a nice bright spark wherever there should be one.

We worked out how to hotwire it so that we had the ignition circuit live, but the starter bendix gear wouldn't slide out. In the end we removed the starter (and that entailed removing the floor and the oil filter of the Minerva) and cleaned it so that the bendix gear would slide out, but the starter still wouldn't turn over. After dismantling it, we found the cause as well. While the vehicle has been standing, there's been a slight oil leak and it's dripped inside the starter motor and fouled all the coils. 8 or 9 years of standing hasn't done it much good and I need a new starter for it now.

But it does fire up though - I tried it on the starting handle and not only is there plenty of compression I got it to backfire twice - that with my bad arm as well and now it is even worse.

I freed off the clutch pedal too. Simple lack of use. I took off the grease nipple heated it with a blow torch to melt away the old manky grease, refitted the nipple and pumped a huge load of grease into it. That's quite nice now.

I had a mind to invite Bill in afterwards for coffeebut he was in a hurry to get away. But no matter. I had spent the morning tidying up in my room and fitting a couple more bookshelves so that the place is so much tidier now, so some good will come out of it all.

Tomorrow is shopping. I think that I'll go to Commentry, and then go for a swim at Neiys.