For purely cosmetic reasons I’ve cleaned up the crankcases and given them a coat of silver engine enamel. I’m reluctant to opt for bead blasting on such complex castings due to the risk of getting grit into the oilways. An hour spent with paraffin and steel wool before another application of the dishwasher gives a good enough surface to take the paint. Inside the top crankcase I notice the legend ‘Paul 1991’ scratched into the alloy, evidence of a previous rebuild. I’ve now scratched ‘Rod 2002’ alongside it