As the week kicked off, the team faced the all-too-familiar challenge of waiting on parcels stuck in Paris—no updates on tracking since Friday, which was mega frustrating. But true to form, the team pushed on, shifting focus to key jobs that could still move the project forward.
They began by working on harness mounting points (not seatbelts!), refining the setup and prepping the rear prop shaft install. A damaged heater motor plug was flagged and temporarily bypassed, while the vacuum hose system for the vents was finalized—foot-warming feature included!
Since the roll cage interferes with the usual heater control location, Chris and the team custom-rigged controls using old-school choke cables. Next up, new wiring conduit was passed through the bulkhead to handle additional switch wiring.
Thanks to eurospare, a correct-sized flange for the front prop shaft arrived, allowing the team to grease and fit it. That set off a series of upgrades including harness angle fittings, battery cable routing, and the long-awaited dashboard fabrication using rivnuts and custom-fitted aluminum.
Later in the week, a much-anticipated rear prop shaft finally arrived—marked for “Helen,” but clearly for Purdey! For the first time, the full technical team was in the workshop together, including Jonathan and Chris, who brought rallycross wisdom and insights into harness placement and dash layout.
New wiper arms from eurospare were fitted, more battery cables were routed with P-clips and conduit, and the rear prop shaft was installed. With improved earth leads for solid connections, the team prepared for the big moment: firing up the engine and getting Purdey to move.
She started—and drove out of the garage under her own steam! The moment was surreal and filled with joy.
But it wasn’t without hiccups. The team had to re-bleed the clutch and brakes. They installed the bonnet for the first time but encountered interference with the header tank. Cue the latest in “Items You Never Thought You’d See on a Land Rover Build”: Avon pink lipstick—to help mark where the bonnet touched.
After lowering the Ali Sport header tank, the bonnet finally closed properly, and Purdey’s face was reassembled. A beautiful sculpture from artist Denise, inspired by Helen and Purdey on their Dakar journey, brought some heartfelt emotion to the workshop.
With the CT (French MOT) test approaching, the team is balancing two job lists—Santana Trophy and Dakar. A new waterproof cubby box was introduced, and layouts for switches and mandatory test elements began.
The team remains focused, energized by progress, and grateful for the support from Eurospare and friends like Jonathan and Chris. There’s still a lot to do, but this was a big week.
Watch the episode here