Three weeks since I posted on this and I am pleased to say I have got precisely . . . nowhere!
Lots of work Monday to Friday and swmbo (rightly) insists that Sundays are our day, so only Saturday to do anything really. First Saturday I knew I had two small jobs to do on both my car and the wife's, probably a couple of hours but no more, until my daughters partner turns up with his Ford Monscrappio. Power steering fault he says. Turns out he needs a new cv gaitor on the NS as the cable tie had cut into the old one. The reservoir had a tiny crack in it so had to fit another from the scrappies. Next Friday I get a call from him to say he's now got a Vectra 2.2dti and can
we have a play on Saturday. He turns up early Saturday morning (not like him). He's swapped the Monscrappio for a Vectra . . . with a knackered engine . . . and will I give him a hand to swap it with the one in the boot.

Sunday dinner before that's sorted - she's not happy!
Bloody snow this weekend so apart from starting it up and moving it up and down the drive I've done nowt!
Good part is the welding is booked in for Tuesday morning and from there to be sprayed so should have it back for Thursday. Not so good part is the interior. I've had no luck in finding a decent cloth interior and am now more seriously looking at full leather.
My intention was always to have the car finished before it went back on the road but it's not good to have it stood on the drive so I've decided to put the car back on the road from April. It will also help me to check a few other things.