About 12 years ago the start-up I co-founded joined an accelerator programme. One of my takeaways from my time spent there (I was still running another business) was the phrase “JFDI”, short for “Just f***ing do it.” I think it is fair to say I have reached the JFDI stage on this project.

In April we are getting a load of building work done. This building work starts in the place I have currently stored a bunch of the body parts stripped from the car: bumper, wheel arch liners, etc. I need to clear this area, which means I need to have the car reassembled by April.

Fortunately, there has been progress while I’ve been quiet on the blogging front. That was for all the usual reasons: work, family, despair at the lack of variety in my life under lockdown. Mainly work though: thankfully that has been good, keeping me busy but funding this adventure.

Which leads me neatly to a confession: I have rather lost track of spending on this project. Or rather I had. What started as a passion project, and an educational project for my daughter, has become increasingly closely aligned with my work. In fact, it has helped me win some very interesting business. As a result my accountant advised me that my investments would constitute a legitimate business expense. Which was great, until he told me how much I had spent…

For now, let’s just say that it is more than I imagined. When I’m done, I shall publish a budget based on what it would cost to replicate my project. But I shall say now that I might not be brave enough to share what I’ve actually spent. Though thankfully, I can say that the business it has helped to bring in more than covers the costs.

Anyway, back to JFDI. What has happened in the last two months?

• I’ve got the board fixed after a few attempts and my inverter now seems to be working fine (this one sentence hides a lot of pain)
• I’ve overcome some issues with the resolver, which works out the position of the motor rotor (this sentence hides hours of swearing)
• I have my charger mostly working (ditto)
• I’ve made almost no progress removing the rear subframe… (Malcolm Tucker would blush at the swearing involved here)

And this is the real JFDI moment: this weekend, without fail, I will get those stuck bolts out. My epoxy-based scheme failed. Miserably. So I have filled the fuel tank with water. And I will be getting the welder out, to weld on some hex studs I can use to spin them off. With luck, the heat will also help to free them.

Then there is some refurbishment to do. I have bought kits to refurb both sets of brakes. I could probably do with new bearings but those can wait for now. The rear subframe needs a really good clean and a coat of paint. And all the brake lines need redoing.

Both sides of the rear spring mounts still need welding up – once that fuel tank is out – and there is a little repair welding to do at the front right corner. Then there are some brackets to weld in for the power steering pump – one is in and the other two are made and in primer.

Then it can all go back together. All of that. In a month. When I’m flat out with work. The only option? JFDI.