13/60 Estate Bites Back!

There I was feeling all smug over finally getting around to swapping the mechanicals over on our Estate, and the resultant period of reliable motoring that would hopefully follow. Imagine my delight then that night after popping into my local petrol station on the way home to find out that the gearbox I had fitted a couple of hours ago had no reverse! To be honest there wasn't a lot wrong with the gearbox that came out, just a weak syncro, but as we had been led to believe the engine and box had been fully rebuilt in the donor car, I swapped them both over as a complete unit regardless. I had thought initially that it was just a selector problem so left having a look at sorting it until yesterday afternoon. Taking the top off the box revealed otherwise however, no teeth on the reverse idler. What to do? We try and knock off a little early on a Friday to catch a swift pint in the local with a few mates, and to be honest no-one likes working late on a Friday, it's just not cricket! As I had the tunnel off anyway, and the box partially disassembled the decision was made, swap the box back to the one I took out the day before. Clocks running, pervy latex gloves pulled on all surgeon like, air tools fired up, with the extra incentive of that nice pint of Carling waiting as a goal, just like 'Ice Cold In Alex'! Twenty minutes later it was all done, and I even had time to change a couple of leaky heater hose's. It was great to be involved in the usual Friday Canley Classics 5.25 car park Grand Prix, there can be few things more depressing than being left behind on a Friday!