Funnily enough, the system i was on about with the tiny fan is also early 80s tech - the same system was used from launch in 1986 (although i think the Climate Control became available about 1988 on the car i'm on about) so in that respect they're contemporary. Strangely it looks like the A/C is R12 although R134a was already commonplace by then.
I'll try listening for the hiss with the engine running but in fairness i've not heard any hissing at all from anywhere, makes me think if there is a vac pipe off the ECC it's more likely to be the engine bay side of the bulkhead or perhaps a hose is kinked somewhere.
Forgot about the auto-adjusters and winding them back in!
Hopefully they'll be ok and if not a few good squirts of WD40 and perseverance will do it. Worked on the bonnet hinges anyway!
Not sure if it has a cat on it or not, the guy i got it from said the cat had been replaced recently but i see no sign of Lambda sensors or the timing belt which was allegedly renewed 3 years ago!
If it does have a cat it will certainly be coming off! Already decatted my 95 827 coupe (legally and it will pass the MoT!) and my 93 827 Sterling (that one i can swing even without an LPG conversion because of the change over grace period) and i see no reason at all for cats in the first place. Granted they remove certain nitrates (nitrites?) from the exhaust but they replace them with H2S - hydrogen sulphide gas which is even more deadly and often much more quickly! Hence drive round the M25 at 3am and you know where the traffic jams have been because of the smell of rotten eggs, it's hydrigen sulphide gas in the atmosphere.
Also prefer the idea of roughly 15% improvement in power and economy and of course the V6 howl/growl being a bit more vocal!