tyres and tank - ouch

It is just as well I haven't kept accounts! No way would I have set out on this project if I had realised the real costs involved!

On Roly's advice I have been talking to Longstone Tyres (who supply classic tyres) - to Dougal, to be precise. Dougal really knows his stuff and appreciated right away my issue about wheel size and J type scale, when he looked at Morris JBs and Austin 101s on Google images. He says that there was a tendency towards the end of the 1950s to fit 15" wheels rather than 16"s, which is why some late model vans and cars have wheels which look odd in their over-sized wheel arches.

He understood when I said I wanted as high a walled tyre as possible.He said that my best bet is Avon Super Safety 640-15 cross-plys, which come in at £129 + VAT each. With tubes etc I am looking at a bill of £870!

WOW!

Also, it took my mechanic contact well over a year to get round to doing the metalwork on my fuel tank, and when it came back he said it still needs to be lined. I feel a bit mis-led on that because I thought that would be included, but quite honestly, I just got sick of waiting for it, so I cut my losses and got it back.

He had farmed it out to someone else who owed him and it has had a substantial lump of lead used to patch it up - I hope to goodness it doesn't fall out, first bump. So, I need to order a tank lining kit from Frost, who are still waiting for the Metal Ready to come in, as they are short of stock. That's another £60 to find, but it will be satisfying if I can have tyres on wheels and tank lined before the end of the school holiday.

I figure it shouldn't be long, then, before I have the wheels on the chassis and should be in a position to lift the restored engine in and start the Meccano exercise....bolting panels on etc.