Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Yarp. He's had to seek assistance on this one - 9excellence has provided the above info I believe.

The metal inner splined steering column, runs on a metal bearing that is in a metal outer casing attached to the outer parts of the steering column, ergo a circuit :)
I said that would probably be the method attach an earth connection to the upper outer casing :)

Given a limited number of turns, lock-to-lock, just run a wire to the nearest bulkhead and leave enough slack to wind around the column as you turn.

This can’t be the first time a new steering wheel has been fitted to a 996.

Nah. Shot blasted, primed and 2-pack painted.

Lols, went to look at an MX-5 in a local dealers and the guy could barely be bothered to get out of his seat to get the keys. Told me not to break the window opening it (wtf?) and started banging on about how someone else was interested too. After I'd had a look and came back to the office he told me it was a case of first-come-first-served, refused to take me on a test drive because the forecourt was too icy and said 'no idea mate but it has lots of service history and bills' when I asked about sills and chassis rails.
You'd think he didn't want to sell the car!

Oh dear, and people say a lot of dealers are useless...

how long would a parts washer run off a car battery with an inverter?

I am a novice - all help welcome

Whats the spec of the motor?

mmm good question - two secs

https://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=1313&g=241353&p=176458&istCompanyId=7bed2d1b-ddc3-469a-b48f-8ad2db8ea4ac&istItemId=xxipaqxplw&istBid=tztx&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PX%20-%20DT%20-%20Shopping%20-%20Generics&utm_term=4582558307028093&utm_content=Motorcycle%20-%20Accessories&gclid=CPnfgbPqhNgCFVeZGwoddGYDjw&gclsrc=ds

it's one of these, but I can't find anything

the sealey unit that looks the same is 25w 230v

you also need to know how many Amp Hours your battery is

then you can calculate with something like https://www.donrowe.com/power-inverter-faq-a/258.htm#how_long

heroic. thanks dude. so I should get most of a day out of it. now to get an inverter

I am keen to use it without running the genny all day - it is a beast

Yes, however apparently there are 9 iterations of column, of which mine is the first- remarkable for being non-PSM and both non-grounded and non-groundable (plastic bushings used throughout).

Options are to replace the entire column or plan b. We're going for plan b- a spacer for that original wheel.

Single DIN, sat-nav equipped car radio's that look the part in a 90's dashboard - what have you got for me chaps?

This offering is from Porsche - likely a re-badged Becker:

Quite spendy.

Some early Porsches had a strip with a copper ball on the end mounted to rub on the column at the bulkhead and act as a ground, long shot but might work?

Your Becker not working anymore?

I put an excellent and appropriately styled Blaupunkt in my W124.

It's not picking up radio at full strength- which is annoying as it has two tuners on board, designed to enable seemless hand-off between antennae as you go between areas.
What this means is that Radio 4 (for e.g.) has a "thirp/thirp/thirp" in the background which is very annoying. But not all the time.

I'll get the Becker serviced if I can, it's very fitting for the car.

Radio must be annoying. Can't understand why anyone uses in car satnav now when phones are so good and Google is crunching realtime traffic data for route optimisation etc. I use one of those magnetic systems that clips into the air vent to hold the phone..

This. So much this. And a head unit that does Bluetooth. Add in decent voice control (sorry that Android wronged you Neil, so you don't have this) and you are living the dream. Hello BBC 6 Music.

I even have such a setup in the MG now (cigar lighter Bluetooth FM transmitter gizmo). Works flawleasly, even in Pirate FM heavy South London.

50 quid bluetooth enabled stereo, smartphone and a spotify account.

Needs to look the part - this is OEM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmkdW9O6iwY

Nein!