Happy New Year 2025!

In the Year 2525 2025…….Project Mildred is still alive. And I hope it will thrive.
Hopefully all of you had a good holiday season and a good start into the New Year. Even without much time tinkering in the garage for the last two weeks I can certainly say I did. Just before Christmas I was able to pick up Mildred’s freshly painted inner doors and the door skins. The idea was to assemble them just before New Year’s eve – but it was too cold for this. Additionally, a perfect Christmas present from my family – a Bambu lab 3D printer – required me to spend time aquiring new skills.

Timing for this could not have been better. For the last three years I spent most time in January and February with wiring tasks. Exactly a year ago I tried out an Intermittent wiper options. It wasn’t working the way I wanted it. In the meantime I found a better solution – but figuring out a good mounting point for this was a problem. This looks better now and one of my next articles will go into detail about it.

When starting the Year 2024 I was hopeful that the work on Mildred’s bodyshell might get finished. Even though the dolly with the shell is in the bodyshop for four months now – not much happened. But coming back to the sony lyrcis – the twinkling of starlight might not be so far far away. Once I have the door skins assembled they should be able to get started on the sills. And I also decided – if there is no progress on the bodyshell until summer – I will start looking for other options/another workshop to get this finished.

Looking back onto 2024 there was clearly progress on some projects in the garage. The engine test stand is complete, the heater box(es) are done and Mildred’s entire suspension finished and tested on Maggie. This year the wiring loom with the many extras I added should be completed. Maggie’s rear axle will need to overhauled. The 18V581 engine should come together in the spring time frame and will also be tested and tuned on Maggie. In turn Maggie’s Ford T9 can be serviced in the second half of the year

In 2024 we did fewer trips and events compared to 2023. Bonn-Barcelona-Baleares and the British Odessey were the highlights. For the coming year the schedule is filling rapidly. Stoneleigh Park, Hero Challenge One, Morgan im Schloss, Rally Wiesbaden are already certain. Summer vacation plans are less clear. Hopefully, there will be the 8th British Classic Rallye and would really like to be navigator for the RAC Rallye for the Tests 2025 but I don’t have a driver yet.