We can start now!

Today the news you've possibly all been waiting for.....we have a runner, repeat we have a runner.

But as ever, not without a trauma.

The day started with a check of the fuel tank and supply lines to the carburettor. The tank, including the filler neck is sound, unusually so for any Polo, but especially so for one that has stood idle so long. The supply lines are plastic so has survived well up to the filter, where they change to braided rubber hoses. These had perished, so were cut out along with the filter which was filthy, a replacement all ready to go on waiting in the parts stack. Before that though a blow through the main supply line to the tank with the air compressor revealed it was blocked at the tank end. Any fuel residue that had remained in the tank must have gummed up since the car was laid up, but I suspect there wasn't much - the tank was completely dry when we picked the car up. With some fresh fuel in and the airline attached the fuel was soon bubbling, showing the tank was now clear, and indeed when the airline was removed gravity pushed fuel as far as the new filter.

The first 100 ml or so of fuel was dirty smoky grey which I caught in an old yoghurt pot. For anyone undertaking such a task at any time, be advised that yoghurt pots do not make good receptacles for petrol - the bottom melted out in less than a minute! At least it gave me time to see the new fresh fuel coming through though.

New hoses attached between the filter and the pump, and from the pump to the carb and it was time to attach the battery borrowed from the Focus project to crank the Polo over. She has already had a new air filter, new plugs and leads, and we have had her running off easy start fed direct to the carb, so we knew she would run now providing the carb was clear.

With Thomas cranking the engine and myself watching proceedings at the working end attempts were made to start the car properly for the first time in 12 years. The engine didn't so much as burst into life as burst into flames, as fuel leaking from one of the hose joints caused external combustion, the fuel ignited by number four spark plug, the lead of which had come loose. Better to discover this now rather than later in the project or once we were on the road.

With the flames rapidly dowsed a close inspection of the fuel supply lines revealed a split in one of the new sections I'd just put on. The hose was new old stock, so how it had got nicked whilst in the shelf is a mystery, but it had got a split just prior to where I'd trimmed it to length. With that length of hose condemned and replaced, and all joints rechecked and tightened it was time to try again.

Thomas was cranking the starter, and I could see the filter now filled with clean fuel, the fuel must be reaching the carb, I reasoned, but the car wasn't firing - and then it dawned on me - Thomas is 17. He has never even seen a manual choke, let alone had to use one. With a quick explanation and after a few false starts due to the sticking cable the choke was duly applied...….. and the little Polo rattled into life. Juggling the choke and some further cable adjustment had her settle down to a nice tick-over, and with just a haze of blue grey smoke from the exhaust. No nasty noises, no smell of over-fuelling, not running rich or lean, nothing seems to need adjustment. Next step, once Eurocarparts deliver the filter, will be an oil change. With fresh oil maybe the blue haze will disappear too.

A milestone day that will spur me on to get the gearbox swapped. As a reward for staring we have treat the Polo to it's own battery, taking another £48 from our rapidly dwindling funds. I started in the last half hour or so of todays time allocation the replacement of the rotted out battery tray, so that teh battery will have somewhere solid to sit. More to do on that tomorrow.