locost_bryan

Nice colour. Plenty of parts availability, can't see anything cracked from your pics. Replacing the old hoses should be easy. While you're waiting, check the electric fuel pump still works. Good luck!

A bit of MDF and a jigsaw? Does look like the panel on mid-60s Chevs, but they're probably just as thin on the ground here.

Perhaps a repro panel from White gauges? 1968 Chevrolet Nova White Heater Control Overlay HVAC - Whitegauges.net

Most of the Jap ones with three levers seem to be set up different, like this one from an early Ford Laser.

Something like this from Midwest Bayless? ... but that looks different to the one here Did Fiat keep changing the layout? Either way, I can only recall 2 sliders in all the Brit and Jap cars I've had, one for heat, one for direction. Except for a Laser that had the recirc lever, but that was a shorter slider

I'd be more concerned about the insurance company tbh, any excuse to avoid paying out. Are there many 1256 engines around? Maybe all the ones pulled out of Chevettes when fitting Gemini twincams was all the rage?

That's an unfortunate quirk of the system, especially as the HC had the 1159 for less than 2 years, and had the 1256 for the other 7 years. However, just making the period tuning mods to the 1159 will make reasonable power anyway.

When Vauxhall fitted the OHC 1800 into the Viva, they also upgraded the suspension, brakes and diff with items from the larger Victor. So any engine swap will likely require similar upgrades, either requiring sourcing a rusty 1800 HC Viva or Magnum as a donor, or a potentially expensive drivetrain swap from something more modern. So the most affordable option would be a mildly worked 1256, that doesn't require any other parts or certifying (iirc 20% extra power before cert required).

Would depend what a certified says needs upgrading, suspension and brake mods might cost more than the engine . If you could find a rusty Magnum or 1800 Viva, then that would allow a straight parts swap and night not need cert. @vivaspeed has a 4AGE in one of his HB Vivas iirc

My dad was an airframe mechanic, he'd be spinning in his grave...

Is that Boeing's excuse for the side falling off?

The driver's side wiper lifts at about 100kmh. Not ideal. The UK solution was to reverse the wipe pattern. It must have been a reasonably common problem in the 70s and 80s, as there were a variety of clip-on aerodynamic aids available. I fitted a pair to mine - they helped but didn't cure it completely.

Anyone seen the Airfix displays at Hornby's Wonderworks? https://www.wonderworksmargate.co.uk/

Smiths fitting instructions say no, needs a fitting on the manifold.

Head restraints were primarily to reduce whiplash injuries from being rear-ended. Introduced in the States in 1968 and compulsory in Australia from 1975. Most Australian cars had them from around 72, my dad's 73 Falcon had the high-back bench seat, and my 72 Marina has adjustable ones.

Headrests weren't a legal requirement then, so they were often deleted from the commercials and povo spec models. Can vaguely remember someone complaining to Fair Go about the base Mirage not having them.

Think the Express was a tax special, where they were sold without the back seat so they got classed as a commercial vehicle with a lower sales tax rate. Then you'd pop into the parts department and buy a seat. Pretty sure the AA ran them as service cars.

BMC stuff seemed to have been designed around 80C-90C. MGB forums claim 90C-100C is fine with modern fuels and oils, and gives the lower emissions and better fuel economy that modern engines (like the 3Y) are designed for anyway.

This thread suggests 180F-220F (82C-104C). 95C (203F) is the midpoint, so sounds about right? Normal Van temp gauge reading (toyotavantech.com)

This thread says close but no cigar Holden - Chev flywheel - Engine - GMH-Torana

Dome or snap fastener or press stud? Try Spotlight or @64valiant

Plenty of legal precedents that you can't weasel your way out of your responsibilities. The courts took the "jointly and severally responsible" line with leaky homes, OSH breaches, employee exploitation. Of course, like with leaky homes, all the small players will try to legally disappear leaving the government or council to carry the can. At work, we had a similar thing with migrant workers employed by an outsourcer's subcontractor, legally we were still responsible for how they were treated.

I think @kws talked about this type of problem on his last Rover thread, had to dismantle, clean and lubricate various switches to get them to behave.

Have you seen this page? Acer Laptop Plugged In But Not Charging? Try These 9 Fixes (technewstoday.com)

Anything happening in Auckland?