Beware the "non stepped" side. I was sold a pair of driveshafts. I couldn't get both CVs into the diff, one would pop out when I fully pushed teh other one in. Turned out the non-stepped side was a couple of mm too long (specifically the chamfer at the end) and it took a while to get the correct version.  Saying all that, I lent a spare CV to a local, I really ought to see if he is still around as I should probably get it back. I have brand new genuine Rover puter CVs I got from Rimmers for not much cash when they were on clearance, but it seems the innner CVs wear more for some reason.

That’s good then. Must be the earlier VLSD I think? The one I have does not take the stepped splined type…. Which was annoying having gone to the trouble of finding a pair (though only one side has the twin spline IIRC?). You might well find that provided the outer  casing with stepped spline isn’t too worn in the ball tracks you can swap the guts with those from a compatible non-stepped version.

Due to my R160 being a VLSD it needed a specific ‘double nosed’ inner cv joint on one side and a conventional cv on the other.  I sourced a second hand set and put them in and it’s made it a much nicer drive i gave it a good search and could not find any new ‘double nosed’ cv joints anywhere. Alternatively you can put conventional in cv joints on both sides but you loose the L in your LSD function

Ooooo that’s a great idea.    for a small trifling extension to my garage

I got a bat box, which at first glance isn't anything car-related...but considering that my new garages are playing a little loosely with the permitted development guidance, it's useful insurance against being told to take the things down if anyone gets too jobsworthy about it 😄

Got a calendar vor my workshop. Main theme is dogs (Dackel) and cars  .    

I got this tee shirt from the in laws.  not sure who prompted them ?! I got a new race suit but that is combined birthday (November) and Xmas present.

Well, the Christmas stuff is more or less over. Just 4 guests left at our place (plus a small, polite, dog) Many gifts have been exchanged. I got 2 car related items, a "budget" panel beating set, more than adequate for my skills. Plus a snow foam sprayer, which I believe is to encourage me to wash cars a little more often.... Anybody else get car stuff?  (other highlights include a half decent table saw, a very compact Fulton brolly, and some decent winter socks)

It's a shame you're not closer to the fens to try my seat solution.  It's a Frankenstein of mx5 rails with DIY brackets to fix a lotus Elise/exige/vauxhall vx220 seat.  The seats are hard to find cheap, and aren't everyone's cup of tea as there's very little padding, but if you're the right shape they are excellent, light, and can be made very low.

when I changed the gearbox in the Herald for the untested 3 rail J type OD box, it worked fine apart from the OD sticking so as I was about to go on a trip took  the solenoid out of the original good box and fitted it to the box in the car and it worked perfectly. Move forward a year and I thought its time to clean and fit new O rings to the original solenoid, so between playing the host with our Christmas guests I had  a short time in the garage. Looking at the faulty  solenoid I realised its missing the circlip from the front! So was it never fitted or is in in the gearbox....