Because I'm changing the interior spec' of the car by adding door capping, I needed to reshape my door cards to the shorter dimensions of those used with the capping. The diagram above shows the size and shape that they need to be, and as mine were the larger type I had to measure them and cut them down to size.



This was easy enough to do once the panel had been marked out, although a jigsaw would have been quicker. I lent mine to someone a couple of years ago and have forgotten who has it, so it was out with the old hand saw followed by a little shaping with sandpaper.

The foam was then added and the new material stretched on top. The stuff used isn't vinyl like the originals by the way, it's a type of cloth fabric which is rubberised on the back, so is completely waterproof and can be wiped down when it gets dirty. I made a careful job of each door card, using 4mm staples to secure the cloth to the rear.



It's important to check that your staples are no longer than 4mm, or they will come straight through the panel and stick out of the front! Also, to turn a tight corner as below, neatly I found it easier to cut several little nicks in the cloth at the radius, then fold and staple each segment in turn.



The other side and the back doors were done at the same time and offered up to the doors to see if the capping would also fit, it did, but I still need to order some captive fixings for the door interior into which the capping screws fix.





From inside the car it's all starting to come together now, as I had previously done the kick panels and parcel shelf in the same material. The only thing that I wish I'd done different is to pop those bubbles in the wire mesh when I painted it!



Hopefully by the end of the week I will have figured out what I'm doing with the seats. I'll get some new foam then possibly rebuild them with their old covers, before adding some sort of seat cover to match the red interior. I'm still undecided about the roof colour, I'm leaning toward red if I can get something similar, otherwise it's grey I think.

Lovely job and great colour... did you use a spray adhesive on the panel before you fitted the fabric...?
I used to use that 3M stuff.

Great result either way.

Due to a number of reasons I've fallen a little behind this week with the work needed to complete the car. The main issue has been finding some decent thickness of foam to replace the tattered remnants that adorned my seats previously.
Mrs Nail however has played a blinder, by making up some stretchy red seat covers to go over the original Citroen ones. I had put the original grey Citroen covers through the washing machine first, but they still looked shabby and really need to be replaced.

As a stop-gap measure to get us on the road then, this rear seat cover (the first of the set) was made. While I have my reservations about the durability of the material used, they should last until I can afford a new set of purpose made replacements. Shown in the photo's just slipped over the bare frame, so without the seat padding and cover which will plump them up, I still think they look great.

brilliant work as usual. does Mrs Nail fancy earning some money by making me a set? haha

I was unsure of whether to make a post today as I'm in the grip of a real bad depression. It's something that I have no control over, and have simply learned to live with over the years, but it can often cause me to examine exactly wtf it is I'm doing with my time, and my life.

Disenchantment, that's what it is. I have tried to do something positive today by fitting the newly prepared Quillery steering wheel in order to combat those negative feelings that have taken hold, but even the result of that job didn't have the desired effect. In the photo above there is the standard wheel that I had repainted to resemble the earlier model, and in the pic' below is the real deal.



The Quillery is a nicer wheel for sure, it feels a lot better in the hand, it's also slightly larger too so it should make the steering that little bit quicker, but all I'm left feeling is 'was that slight difference worth all the time, trouble and expense of finding, buying, and restoring it?
You'll also notice that I haven't yet fitted the coloured speedo' face that I prepared earlier. At the moment I just can't find the will to undo all the dash panel again for a minor detail like that, I will at some point no doubt, but not just now.

I'd much prefer to get the car on the road asap which is why I attempted to bleed the brakes in readiness today, only to find that no matter how I pumped the brake pedal the damned fluid level didn't drop in the reservoir. I'm using the same pedal box and master cylinder so presumably they are set up to match each other, and with the push rod correctly engaged in the master cylinder aperture as it should be, yet not even the slightest pressure develops. Maybe I'm doing it wrong as I've never bled brakes from completely empty before?

All the brake lines are empty of fluid due to having been renewed of course, so I would have expected the master cylinder to empty down gradually as the air currently in the system was compressed by the injection of fluid, but no, nothing. I find it incredible that I've come so far only to lose my mojo right near the finish, that's like a marathon runner sitting down and having a fag at the 24th mile. Maybe I'm tired, maybe I'll feel better tomorrow, but for today the garage has been closed, I think I need to sleep for a while.

Yes.

Definitely.

You've done an awful lot to be proud of here, and entertained and educated us by letting us follow your progress. You're quite entitled to rest on your laurels and have a few days off until the mojo returns.

Re the brakes, an eezi bleed would probably help get them started, or failing that open a nipple and leave them for a while, see if gravity starts the fluid on it's way.

Old-Nail,
no contest as to which steering wheel...

About the brakes, have you checked that there is free play between the pushrod and the master cylinder's piston, just in case something got disturbed during the swap?
Around a millimetre is needed, otherwise the ports in the cylinder won't be uncovered.

If that's OK, maybe try disconnecting the pipes at the cylinder, since brake fluid should leak out of the cylinder under gravity if everything's working as it should.
Start with the one which is easiest to get at.

ken
( @ Joolz,
Apologies if there's any duplication, had started typing this just before 'Ashes to Ashes' kicked off. )

Great Quiller wheel, love it.....

With regard to the blues, I reckon you are at the hardest stage of any rebuild (mentally the hardest, not necessarily physically) The small stuff just begins to piss you off.....and it feels like it will never get there....I reached this stage with my KMZ in March 2007 having done a full rebuild, and I haven't touched it since even thinking about it makes my cringe with guilt.....it is still sitting unfinished

If it helps, all I can say is don't give up, push on, you are nearly there and it will be so worthwhile.....

Keep it up.