One Alpine step forward - one back ?

Dull grey day but I decided to do just one job on the Alpine - I'd left it out so I could do something after all. So today's simple task was the replace the door striker. It's a strait swap for the one on the car ...

How it got broken I'm not sure but that's just collateral damage. I had to take the door panel off to get to it and worked out how it came off - in retrospect I could have done it without doing that if it had just been a strait swap ... and I'd know what to do. However the issue was that the casting of the new one was too thick. A problem with remanufactured parts. So I had to 'slim' it e.g. grind it thinner.

That took several hours to do and it really only just fits to be honest but it works.

I put everything back together - using the new springs and replacement part I had bought but realised I still need one more an inner chrome escutcheon for the slightly larger door handle. Oh well. Worse though I also noticed a bit of a problem with the door bottom.

Not sure how that has happened?

Anyway I decided we needed a run in the gloom and to top up with fuel so we did. Fun - although the roads seemed very slippery - oh and I locked up the brakes stopping quickly.

Back home it was quite dark so I tested the lights and the indicators. The front off side indicator is not flashing at all - that might explain the rear flashing at twice the speed. The near side - side light is a bit dim and the ammeter light is still on when it should be off.

I guess the next jobs will be electrical then.

As to the month end miles - well the Talbot won followed by the Aston.