Hi All

Thanks for all the suggestions relating = to my lack of handbrake.

I took the drums off and found that the = auto-adjuster levers on the brake shoes were getting jammed under the = threaded rod assembly, so I reset these.

Replaced the drums & manually = adjusted the threaded rod through the hole in the back plate until the shoes were = almost touching the drums (but not quite). Then I re-adjusted the = handbrake cable until the handbrake worked. It now holds the Van on a slope = without problem, I got back about 4" of adjustment on the handbrake = adjuster rod under the car. I also found the footbrake was better too - less travel.

Took the van in for an MOT (the yearly = vehicle test in the UK) and the brakes & handbrake passed AOK :-)

Unfortunately it failed on a crack in = the windscreen, head lamp adjustment, & emissions.

So I've got this weekend to sort these = all out :-(

Then I've got all those little jobs to = do (I keep finding more), get the heater to work, replace the heater cables, = install a stereo, run the speaker wires, install the speakers, get the dash lights = to illuminate the dash, etc.......

Other people on the list are correct, = your van becomes an obsession that eats time and money. So far I've = only driven it about 10 miles to and from the test centre and its = already cost me a fortune. Still its got a = good number plate 'OOK 220 X' which is good karma (& why I probably bought it in = the first place) plus it made me laugh when I drove it (in between my = teeth chattering - I must fix the heater !).

One observation I made, in my wifes GTI I'm always at the back of the line of = traffic, at least now in the van I am always at the front.

Phil

T25 - Still cold.