Whilst checking the front indicators of Amélie the earth wire snapped off on one side. As both earth wires were in poor condition, I've decided to make new ones in a thicker gauge of wire as I have some lying around. Then I discovered that not one of the M5 nuts would undo, being rusted solid to the M5 bolts. The hexagon heads of the bolts fit snuggly into hexagon recesses in the plastic indicator surround so I resorted to cutting the nuts off with an angle grinder. I then discovered that the earth strip inside where the bulbs are were pretty cruddy.

So to cut a long story short I've bought new M5x25 hex head bolts and nuts, cleaned up and hammerited the three-legged metal brackets which go inside the wing, and cleaned up everything, spraying lots of silicone grease around. With new earth leads and loads of Waxoyl once the indicators are back in the wings, they should last a good few years yet especially if I decide to make up some vinyl covers to protect the vulnerable back from the rain water and muck flung up by the front tyres.

It's this anal attention to detail which is why her restoration is taking so long, but the part I enjoy the most. Making small improvements to make the car more reliable. Fortunately I haven't found any bodges yet.

Good work, I had the same problem for my last MOT and dealt with it by welding the earth terminal to the three legged clamp at the back, removing the earthing wire completely.

Once I have money I plan to rebuild it in a similar fashion to your fix.

There comes a time when it's a lot easier to accept the inevitable and just replace the whole light. They're not exactly expensive.

I lost track of how much time I wasted trying to regularly resuscitate the rear lights on the Acad before bowing to the inevitable and buying new 'uns. Life's too short.

I'm sure you're right but I hate for things to defeat me. This afternoon I got the FOS indicator to work and then started checking in the repeater. The wire was live until it almost reached the repeater. It seems it's earthed to the wing through it's miniscule bolts. These snapped off when I tried to unscrew them. Now whether I bother to drill out the stubs, tap new threads and try again, or give up and buy new repeaters, I'm not quite sure. My heart says repair them, my head says buy new ones.

I look at it this way, if you buy new, you're keeping a trader going, and one day, you'll really need them...

Well I'm retired so time is no problem for me. If it takes half-a-day to fix one sidelights/repeater, so what. I enjoy doing it and in a way which is a slight improvement on what left the factory.

As for keeping traders going, that reminds me of the repeated plea to spend more in our High Street shops to keep the shop keepers happy, but for me, at a time of recession and on a limited income, the last thing I do is to spend unnecessarily. I can see that if time is short, it's best to throw something away and buy new but where's the fun in that?

No, a few hours in my workshop, in the warm and listening to old cassettes, I'll soon have those indicators/repeaters going

Just finished and now have both front indicators and repeaters working.

With the indicators, after grinding off the nuts, I cleaned up the indicators and used new plated M5 hex headed bolts, nuts and washers.

With the repeaters, I snapped off the tiny M3(?) nuts, then drilled out the remains (4.2mm) and tapped M5 threads. Cleaned everything up, refitted and used short M5 screws and washers. Sprayed silicone grease to all of the internals, grease and Waxoyled everything else.

Everything now working as it should do .