Got the oil pipes from Cropredy yesterday, thanks David, swapped out the leaking one in about 20 mins, really easy, the unions came apart with minimal force, the biggest problem was getting the spanner into the confined space enough to get leverage.

To fit the lower pipe I need to jack up the car and I was short of time so I'll pick that up when I next do some stuff on the car.

The autopsy on the pipe revealed corrosion, the pipe is flexible, the rubber outer skin had perished, allowing the metal braiding to corrode and weaken the pipe. It had become so inflexible that it felt like metal.

Problems on my list to sort:
Temp gauge - get reconditioned/recalibrated
Oil pipe - replace second one
Slight scuffing sound from nearside front wheel on right hand bend.
Tighten handbrake
Cure leaking gearbox sump

Got the car out of the drive this morning and noticed a small pool of oil beneath the engine, on investigation the connecting pipes to the oil filter are at fault. One of them has a small leak, not around the joints but on the body of the pipe. Strange because they are made of metal, are not chafing against anything, and show no corrosion on the outside. I am reasonably confident that they have not corroded from the inside as they contain oil....so I'm scratching my head a bit as to the problem.

Anyway, as the leak is fairly small I still drove to work and have bandaged the leaking area with some rubberised tape.

I've called Cropredy for replacements, one pipe has been located (sod's law it's not the one that's leaking) and are trying to locate the other.......I will conduct the necessary autopsy as to the cause of the leak when I've replaced them.

Mileage 182,087

Successful trip to Cropedy music festival at the weekend, didn't count the miles but it has to be 80 each way. Rained all weekend, so the terrain was ugly. No problems though, and we breezed through the mud on our way out. The car looks like I've been 4x4 off-roading.

It was a tight squeeze to fit everything in, tent, beer, dry clothes, wife, dog, chairs, and the obligatory 1/2 boot full of tools and spare parts.

Exhaust leak fixed, car running as smooth as it ever has, lovely burble of the V8 now re-instated.