As I had come across so many issues with the front lights, I thought I would see if I could find anything equally as poor at the back end of the car. I started with taking off the last piece of fibreglass trim just under where the rear hatch sits. 4 screws would generally take about 2 minutes. However, this is not a "normal" car. I keep forgetting that it has been standing 11 years. 2 screws came out with no bother. The other 2 required a bit more work and eventually were unscrewed using pliers after attempts with screwdrivers and drill drivers failed. I threatened to use the Dremel cutting discs, but was able to get them moving with sheer brutality instead.
The rear lights were next. Of course, just undoing a few bolts is easy... Yup, the old issues of car that has been standing 11 years raised its ugly head once more. Several of the studs snapped in their mountings and 2 of the screws had to be cut off with my old buddy Dremel. Once this was done however, the lights lifted out with a bit of persuasion and I was able to split them on the workbench. One looked horrible, the other looked worse... I am not sure if I will be able to modify the lenses to support new studs somehow or if I will need new lenses. No harm in trying I guess.
I also tried to undo the t-piece that holds in the spare wheel. And of course it had rusted to the glassed in nut which then broke its mounting and just turned. And of course there was no other way to remove it than to cut it out. So out came the Dremel again. I cut the rusted nut off, but I'm not sure I am going to use the t-piece again - I may come up with something different. Watch this space on that one.
The petrol filler pipe needed to come off too. This had 3 screws to remove. 2 were easy. 1 was not. Brutality happened again. Dremel cuts... I am undecided whether to try to find another TR7 cap or not as mine's broken. Any suggestions as to what else might fit and look "right"?
Finally I won an ultimate engine steady on ebay which will help with keeping the engine in the car. It has been modified slightly by someone cutting part of the side panel off, but it's certainly usable and it only cost a fiver. I'll tidy it up and go from there.
Old faithful. Goodbye old friend...

New sounds. Bigger speakers too...


Rear hatch panel out.

Butchered screws

Rear lights out. Looks weird without them.

Light units before splitting.

... and split, looking ugly. This was the good one.

This was the not so good one... What's been growing in there???

"Hump" where the spare wheel t-piece broke off. Neatly cut open with Dremel to retrieve...

...broken and very rusty bolt.

Dremel cuts!

Fuel cap (broken) and pipe

Modified engine steady. Needs new bushes and a tidy up.
