Looks good. Where did you source the material?
Ditto: what material did you use?
I ordered some colonial grained vinyl for a Ford Model A from an antique Ford supplier,but. it actually got shipped from Eckler’s Corvette in Titusville Fl. Same grain as the British Everflex vinyl, I believe. Not quite correct as original dash vinyl. Nice material with cloth backing, so, I used a cloth dampened with acetone and wiping the cloth backing, it peeled off. The vinyl was more flexible now, enabling it to be stretched a little and glued. Sorry for the rant! I think they sold it by the foot, so 2 feet by 54" was more than enough. A few small wrinkles in the corners, but, I don’t do this everyday either. Old vinyl peeled off pretty good using the heat gun, then used spray foam to repair some of the foam and sanded with 80 grit paper.
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You can do better than that Jeff ! …… I’ve seen it
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I saw it as well, that’s funny 
It is the sign of a well planned and executed weekend that begins with a brim full tank and ends with the low fuel warning light flashing as the car is garaged. This weekend’s shenanigans included visiting Goodwood racing circuit for the annual E-Type track day.
I didn’t take my E on track, that’s not what it is for - it is a Grand Tourer in the old tradition. So the boot/trunk housed a wicker hamper containing our lunch. Others can thrash theirs, as one or two did, but mostly cars were driven around the track within their driver’s ability, rather than to the limits of the car’s ability.
I had been at the track earlier last month, but other cars were in the paddock then. And they were being thrashed.
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As it ought to be!
Great pics!
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Going for Botox, Dino?
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Got my Blaupunkt Frankfurt AM/FM stereo back form a local Houston area repair shop this afternoon. It has been intermittent for 20 years. They fixed the poor connections and lights inside and ragged speaker wiring. Sounds really good for a 1968 radio. Tomorrow I will heat shrink wrap the connections on the car wiring and put the console back in.
David
68 E-type FHC
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Wow! Stereo! That’s quite valuable in Europe nowadays. I have a 1972 version in my V12 E-type, but only mono. 
Cheers!
I am still chasing my tail on the overheating issues with my Series III V-12. I have checked off a lot of issues, while fllushing everything. I think I am down to the Thermostat diversion function. Clearly the coolant is not properly diverting through the radiator, which remains much cooler than the engine at warmed up operating temps. Further, I have observed that the lower portion of the radiator is much cooler than the top while running after warm up. Measuring 180 F at the top and only 130 on the bottom tank. The engine is all above 200 F. At this stage, if I wind it up to 2500-3000 RPM, the engine temp shoots to full overheat and will boil if I do not shut down. I am serioiusly thinking of blocking off the diversion circuit and using conventional thermostats to force ALL coolant through the radiator. Any suggestions on new thermostats would be appreciated. I can not think of a way to observe the pump flow without just taking it off for rebuild. I have verified that there are no obstructions in the hoses, which have now ALL been replaced.
I would run the car without the thermostat to see if the radiator has clogging of any degree. This would be a clear indication that the radiator needs to be serviced or replaced. Also please check the oil stick to make sure it does no look like light chocolate milkshake.
How can you tell if you have a bad head gasket?
How to Tell If You Have a Blown Head Gasket
- External leaks of coolant from under the exhaust gasket.
- Overheating under the hood.
- Smoke blowing from the exhaust with a white-ish tint.
- Depleted coolant levels with no trace of leakage.
- Bubble formations in the radiator and overflow compartment.
- Milky discoloration of the oil.
Say a prayer before you take a look, because it could be very expensive to replace the head gasket. Lets hope it is something simple like the water pump or radiator…
I did the exhaust in coolant test. Negative. But, I can redo both tests. I verified the water pump is functioning well. I am zeroing in on thermostats functioning as required and will reflush the brand new aluminum radiator. Who knows? Maybe something migrated to the new radiator? The rest of system seems clear. I’ll find the problem one way or another. Just appreciate any ideas that may lead to an answer. No, I’m not excited about a head gasket, but if that’s a problem, I’ll fix it. Rick.
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I bought the car from the original family. The Heritage Certificate says the first owner was British Motor Cars of Santa Cruz CA and I have the original sales receipt when they sold it to that family for $6633 plus tax and registration for $7016 total. That receipt says…Car sold as equipped except provide spare wheel and tire. My guess is that the dealer installed the Blaupunkt before they offered the car for sale. The speaker wiring does not look to me like something the factory would have done.
David
68 E-type FHC
Hi David,
No I don’t think the factory ever installed any Blaupunkts. In almost every country in Europe there were import duties and taxes so all extras were usually added later. Our 1973 Volvo 144L didn’t have any radio until xmas 1976.
Cheers!
Rick, what is your definition of flushing? What I suggest, if you have already not done so, is to open the various hoses and then Use a garden hose in different openings to ensure a free flow of water out the others. Some time ago, some one had a v12, they indicated they flushed the system, but they still had a clogged lower hose. Obviously they were not getting free flow through that hose.
Just a suggestion.
Tom
Depending on how it’s done, a flush can actually cause the radiator to clog. Reason is that deposits that are freed up from the block can end up clogging the tubes. A subsequent flush won’t help that. Also, Barr’s leak is a terrible idea, I don’t care what it says in the Jaguar FSM.
If the thermostats aren’t the problem, do as Tom suggests. Remove the lower and upper hoses. Stick a garden hose right into the top of the radiator, and make sure it flows freely out the bottom. While the hoses are disconnected, make sure you have a clear path through the lower hose.
Hi all,
Well after three years, last weekend we finally had again a local Lahti Classic Motorshow, I think ca 20.000-30.000 visotors AND we celebrated 1st of May! 
So today, after a few weeks break I drove to the cottage, no snow anymore so I took the E!
Cheers!
(As you can see I took our ca 9 month old cat with me)
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