NZ Austin A90 Atlantic restoration slowly progresses...

After a long and sometimes challenging haul, due to the current Covid-climate, the newly rebuilt engine for this car is now back in place, with only its ancillary bits and pieces still to be put on.

With Covid having really taken a grip on the planet, just as this engine was put in for reconditioning some 10 months ago, there was no choice but to be patient as parts became harder to source and shipping

times extended markedly, or ceased altogether for a while from some hard-hit industrialised countries.

The focus then became "would we even be able to get the task completed?''... a sentiment shared by many in the 'same boat' at the time in the auto-industry. Then it was realised a 'perspective adjustment' was needed. We were trying to get an old engine reconditioned for an old car that was being done up, while around the world millions of people were dying! We were lucky to still be doing what we were doing. And the end game? Well, it would just be what it turned out to be. Nothing we could do to change that. We had many good people on board trying to get this thing done, we couldn't do better than that...

So on we went with the task at hand and managed to keep moving forward, thanks in part, to our Aussie cousins who were still in good shape like ourselves, with many parts, including a brand new aluminium head, being able to be supplied from just across the ditch. Australian businesses bent over backwards to help keep our project going, and in turn, helping to keep their own businesses going. We are very grateful for their input and glad they were still able to manufacture replacement parts at home, while the northern hemisphere started grinding to a halt in the ability to keep manufacturing. Our local engine reconditioners were also able to save one or two parts that would have otherwise been expensive and hard to get, by some 'canny' machining tricks, that only long-term experience in their industry can teach them.

Finally, a couple of weeks ago, we crossed the finish line...job done! This moment definitely put a few wide smiles on the faces of the people involved locally with this engine rebuild.

There is still a wee way to go with the car, mainly in finishing off the body for painting and generally putting the car back together, but all this can be done locally by Lew Eustace, the car's restorer. There may be a hitch or two with supply of some of the materials needed for completing the upholstery and convertible roof, but we will worry about that when the time comes. At this stage it's just a case of boxing on till the car is hopefully fully completed, or till work is stopped by some supply problem. Either way, the vehicle will be a running, driving unit by then. In the case of work being halted for some time, the car could then be shipped to the owner in Australia to be finished off when the current situation allows.