Índex per May 2016 a Practical Classics

‘Government funding for apprentices is available’ The historic vehicle movement is estimated to be worth between £4.3 billion and £5 billion a year to the UK economy. That figure was £1.6 billion in 1997 and £3.2 billion in 2006 – we’re in a genuine boom industry. And yet, out of 98 restoration companies asked by the FBHVC in 2014, 92 agreed there was a need for a training programme to bring new life into the sector. Good intentions from the FBHVC and the support of its patrons is not making enough of a difference – yet. Of the 216 general Further Education colleges in the UK, we think only one is running car restoration apprenticeships. The problem is money. Colleges will not put on a course unless it pays them…

OSBORNE’S BUDGET From April 1, 2017, Vehicle Excise Duty exemption will become rolling, permanently, on a 40-year basis. Previously, after the 2013 budget, the exemption was to be revised annually, however this years budget confirms it. ASBESTOS EXEMPTION FOR CLASSICS The sale of classic cars containing asbestos was, until recently, technically illegal. With many older classics using asbestos the FBHVC were seriously concerned about the ban on sale of items containing the substance. In December 2015, an agreement was signed exempting heritage cars from the ban. SCRAPPAGE PHOTOS EMERGE The furore caused by the emergence of a new set of photographs from within the Bedfordshire scrappage car storage site has had repercussions. An online petition to save the site’s classics from their fate has reached over 34,000 signatures at the…

In response to an enquiry prompted by an opinion column, a respected classic car insurance company is now providing cover for the humble Vauxhall Vectra. Hagerty International was prompted to provide cover when a collector read the article by Sam Skelton. The article, posted on Hagerty’s website, proposed that Nineties family cars were the next sector the market ought to embrace. ‘The column was published over the weekend, and on Monday morning a client phoned us asking if we could cover his collection of nine Vectras!’ says Hagerty’s Tim Sawyer. ‘As a collector he matched our customer profile, so having checked with our underwriters, we were able to tailor a policy to his needs.’ We have to wonder: are there other Vectra enthusiasts out there in classic-land?…

1 How did it start? Members of the RM Club, Riley Register and Riley Motor Club were spread thinly across Scotland so club meetings were small. The solution was to open up RM Club gatherings to all Riley owners. The Scottish Riley Enthusiasts group was formed in 1991 to bring members of the three clubs together. Hence our badge with three thistles on it. We now have around 140 members. 2 What’s the deal? We have five areas, each of which organises outings and events in which any Riley owner can take part and there’s an AGM. In addition we have an eight-page monthly newsletter, plus a website and Facebook page (tinyurl.com/jkftn2y). All for £11 per year (£13 for joint membership). 3 What’s in the club? Members’ cars range from…

NEIL’S OTHER PROJECTS Capri 2.8i The grey 2.8i was a one owner from new genuine barn find Neil bought a few years ago. One of his favourites he had it for barely six months before selling it, ‘great car and a shame to sell but I needed the cash for a new house,’ explains Neil. STU’S OTHER PROJECTS MkI Capri This was a MkI Capri that Stu owned during the Eighties, it gradually gained many of the tasteful customising additions of the time including bodykit with side skirts and louvered rear window blinds. ‘The streets used to be full of cars like these,’ chuckles Stu.…

‘Among the Volvo’s many quirks was a steering lock that locked while driving’ There are journalists in new-car world who regard it as their right always to have a road test car. Or, even better, a long-term test car. Since becoming freelance in 1998, though, I’ve always had a daily driver of my own for times when the free-car fairy isn’t smiling on me. I’ve just added up all my long-termers: 26 of them since I started auto-scribbling in 1984. Some were great, some were forgettable and some were shockers. One has never gone away. The first two were short-term long-termers from my point of view, cars I inherited from earlier custodians and which were nearing the end of their time with us. Both were owned by Motor magazine, rather…

It’s a birthday party, a development check and a giant test all rolled into one. We have gathered GT6s first and last, along with three other cars that took the ‘baby coupé with a big six’ story forward. Starting out from the post-industrial estate that sits on the old Triumph site in Coventry, we’re taking roads familiar to Triumph test drivers in the Sixties and putting the cars through their paces along Fosse Way then up and down Fish Hill near Broadway. It’s a classic testing route of sweeping, deceptive bends, one which will sort out this particular six pack and give us the answer to the question: can the GT6 still cut it? Let’s fire up the sixes and travel through time. ‘Curvy, compact femininity. It’s aggressive, but with…

This month, Assistant Editor James Walshe and myself visited Telford Group Ltd to investigate its welding school. We entered the day with very different levels of prior experience. I weld regularly, though am totally self taught. The Skill Shack instructional videos were a great help and allowed me to to improve my technique, but I still lacked confidence. James, on the other hand, had never welded before and was nervous as to how the day would pan out. We were greeted by the incredibly friendly team and introduced to Paul, who would prove to be a very patient teacher. The MIG welders we were using were Telwin TechnoMIG ‘Synergic’ machines, meaning that only the metal thickness needed to be specified for the machine to work out the rest. I was…

1972 Triumph 2000 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 135bhp (est) Torque Sufficient Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d 0-60mph Unknown Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Stiffer rear springs fitted, steering column replaced. 1 (DAY) TIME 182 (£) SPENT 300 MILES Also in Matt’s garage 1968 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE The time has come for this awesome car to move on. 1994 FORD MONDE0 1.8 GLX Nothing exciting to report! ‘It took a few goes to line the steering wheel up correctly’ I recently attended the annual MG & Triumph Spares Day at Stoneleigh. After a few years in the doldrums this now-combined event seems to on be the up once again and I managed to pick up a few small but satisfying bits and bobs. Chief of these was a nearside door mirror for just…

1972 TriumphGT6 MkIII Engine 1998cc/6-cyl/OHVPower 98bhp@5300rpmTorque 108lb ft@3000rpmGearbox 4-spd manual+o/d0-60mph 10.1secTop speed 112mphFuel economy 25mpg Work done Setting up a new camshaft in the GT6 engine. 4 (Day) TIME 600 (£) SPENT 0 MILES Also in Nigel’s garage 1970 TRIUMPH TR6 Stuck in the garage, blocked in by an engineless GT6. 1977 RELIANT SCIMITAR My daily transport while the engine is out of the GT6. The engine is out of the GT6 at the moment for a ‘refresh’, which will be covered in a full tech feature in a future issue of PC . By refresh, I mean I’m hoping to have caught it before the bores and crank are so worn as to need reboring and regrinding. ‘What’s so complicated about timing a cam?’ you may ask. The standard…

1975 Jaguar XJ-S Engine 5343cc/V12/OHCPower 285bhp@5500rpmTorque 294lbft@3500rpmGearbox 4-speed manual0-60mph 6.7secFuel economy 15mpg Work done Suspension rebuilt, seats refurbished, exhaust fitted. 3 (days) TIME 3k (£) SPENT 0 MILES Also Matt’s garage 1960 MORRIS MINOR CONVERTIBLE There’s light at the end of the welding tunnel at last. 1969 MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER Damaged pulley removed, awaiting replacement. 1970 MORRIS MINOR TWO-DOOR SALOON Mothballed for now. Back soon 1974 ROVER 2200SC New engine soon, I promise. My previous saga closed with the Saint’s XJ-S still in many pieces. The subframe was only just being refitted having been rebuilt with new bushes, mounts, springs and brakes, and time was ticking. We had three days left to get the car ready for its unveiling at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show. With the…

1 Keep it covered Rust Bullet silver paint will protect the block. Looks good, too. 2 Delicate work The cylinder head took longer to paint than the block. 3 Nice and shiny! A glimpse of how the new alloy rocker cover will look atop the Peerless’ repaired cylinder head. 4 A worthwhile investment Try painting that hefty lot without a rotating engine stand! It’s much easier and safer to use such an aid. 5 Bearing up One of the two degraded bearing caps. They will not be refitted. 6 New clips, please Final items fitted to complete the brake calipers.The project is now progressing nicely on the whole.…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Trolley jack, axle stands, oil pan, spanners and screwdrivers, a long steel bar or lever, test lamp or multimeter, grease gun, oil can. Carburettor mixture If you haven’t done so recently, check the carb float level and make sure it’s clean internally. Adjust the mixture and idle when the engine’s warm. Check the ignition timing first. Brake servo If your car has a servo, make sure it functions properly and check for vacuum leaks. Oily patches Look for oils stains on your garage floor. Investigate the sources of any leaks. Spring has arrived and better weather is just around the corner. Probably. If your classic’s been tucked away over the winter, now’s the time to put it back where it belongs – on…

Stuttgart Retro Classics was a fascinating insight into the European movement. retro-classics.de/en Welding course at Telford Welding School was a chance to enchance my skills. See p86 for more info. The Maxi’s bodywork finally gets the attention it deserves and my panel making skills get a workout. Our washing and detailing Skill Shack filming session was informative –I’ve been washing my cars wrong! Easter weekend was spent in the workshop doing another heart transplant on my Rover P6.…

Autopaints Brighton expands Our David Soul, Hemingway Chrysler restoration partners, Autopaints Brighton, have expanded with a second showroom in Brighton, following the increased success of its online shop. They expect the new main road location to draw in additional trade. Contact details remain the same: www.autopaintsbrighton.co.uk or 01273 328698. Brooklands Revival boost Brooklands Museum has been granted £1million by the UK Government as part of its Re-Engineering Brooklands project. The Museum is planning to revive its track and aircraft factory at a total cost of £8million. The plans include the moving of the Bellman Hangar to restore the original 1907 finishing straight. For the first time since 1939 the banking, finishing straight, clubhouse and paddock will be able to be seen together. Fastback future Alan Hart’s unique Triumph Stag fastback,…

New PC Bookazine The latest Practical Classics bookazine is now available in newsagents and most supermarkets. The Ford Cortina bookazine is a compilation of our favourite MkI and MkII Cortina features, and will cost just £6.99. A special collectors’ edition will be available for £20, signed by Ivan Bartholomeusz of Ford Heritage UK. Win Dynamat for your classic! We have teamed up with car soundproofing geniuses Dynamat to offer you the chance to win a range of prizes. The lucky winner will be able to completely Dynamat their car; second and third prizes being £75 and £25 to spend on Dynamat. To enter visit www.unbouncepages.com/ win-dynamat Good luck!…

Original Interceptor & FF £150 It is a premium product, in a limited edition of 500 hardback copies… and boy is it worth it. As you would expect from Richard Calver, this is comprehensive and full of surpises. Must have big Jensen reading. www.joc.org.  uk Jaguar – All The Cars £40 ISBN: 9780857333490 This is the fourth edition of Nigel Thorley’s guide and, once again, it is an excellent introduction to the cars of Jaguar. It now includes the current crop of JLR produce and maintains the production values of previous editions. www.veloce.co.uk Build Your Own Engine Coffee Table £9.99 (AMAZON) ISBN: 978-1-845848-84-2 If you want to build your own engine coffee table then this is the book for you. Tips for different engines and sizes, it is the comprehernsive…

Tell us about your club If you run a club and you want to be in the mag, get in touch. If you’ve got a major event, weekend or tour coming up, we want to know about it. We want to hear about club changes, heroes deserving recognition and regional, multimarque clubs, too. Email practical. classics@bauermedia.co.uk or ring the office. Club Hero: Chris Chantrell The Wolseley Owners’ Club’s David Ashburner has nominated Chris Chantrell. He says: ‘Chris answers the club’s technical queries and regularly drives long distances to help people with their cars. He fixes problems on members’ cars at shows and is a Forum administrator. His restoration of a 1967 Wolseley 18/85 is online and has helped hundreds of members with their cars. We’re grateful and lucky to have…

Club members: get stuck in! It’s a fact that more club members are needed to get stuck in. Active members are the lifeblood of all classic car clubs but it’s often left to a tiny nucleus of members. If your club is looking for volunteers to set up or man a stand at an event this year, don’t just assume someone else is there to step into the breach – put yourself forward! Classic disaster Jeff Needham runs Phoenix Fairs auto jumbles and has bought an intriguing picture. He says: ‘A Los Angeles car show was hit by a huge fire in 1929. Four tents over 150,000 square feet allowed 35 companies to each display 300 cars – all of which went up in flames. If anyone knows more about…

What is the most unfairly maligned car? People say Alfas are unreliable, but my 1976 Alfetta GT was one of the best handling and most reliable cars that I have ever owned. Mike Ray The Princess is better than its reputation suggests, but some people just have to bore us with their – usually inaccurate – knowledge of how bad they were. They’ve never owned one, of course – just read it somewhere. Kev Davis Anything with a K-Series engine. Everyone assumes it’s rubbish, but it’s a lovely engine with loads of lowdown grunt and it’s easy to replace the head gasket. Lee Bridge My parents had a Maxi before my dad had a long line of Cortina company cars. My sister and I used to sleep on the flat…

After the love and care lavished on these cars it’s surprising when Neil hands me the keys to his 1600GT and says ‘enjoy.’ As with any Ford of the era, every control is right where you expect to find it, and nothing confuses. Inside it’s a sea of black vinyl and the dashboard is alive with dials. The tall gearstick makes for a long throw between gears but with the easy revving engine you don’t need to cog swap much. I note that the tachometer reads to 7000rpm without any redline limit showing. The long bonnet furthers the sporty feel and although the Capri is tiny by modern car standards you still need to be aware of swinging it out too far on right hand turns. Contrary to what you…

‘A drawling lackey read me chunks of text from the DMV website at random’ I’ve bought a 1960 Chevrolet Corvair and I’m planning to drive it from one side of the USA to the other. I’m more accustomed to buying cars in countries where I have no grasp of the language – or even the alphabet. This makes researching and prearranging the bureaucratic side of the purchase tricky. Transfer of ownership, tax, insurance and other legal trifles are arranged in an ersatz manner upon arrival. Thus far, a little creative thinking has never failed to provide a workable solution. I once tried to apply for temporary Turkish citizenship to register an Anadol A8 in my name. When this failed, I resorted to a letter of attorney that gave me the…

I expected it to be terrifying – in truth it’s rather fun. You start under the bonnet by opening the petrol tap. There’s no fuel pump – it’s gravity fed. Back inside, check the gear selector is in neutral and push the starter button. Release the handbrake and apply a little throttle, but be ready to steer in case the front wheel isn’t pointing dead ahead. Acceleration is reasonable. Dip the clutch pedal – it has about two inches of travel – and push the gear lever down again for second, third and fourth, giving it a little rev between cogs if it gets reluctant. The rear suspension is stiff, but the brakes are decent and it can turn within its own length so parking is easy. This is one…

‘I drove the first styling exercise over from Turin’ Fred Nicklin’s career spans test driving for Jaguar, Jensen and Triumph, where he was Chief Test Driver and responsible for development testing of the GT6. He’s worked with motor industry legends including Raymond Mays, Harry Webster and Spen King. Fred recalls the early GT6 development well: ‘My first experience was flying out to Turin to collect the GT4 styling exercise from Michelotti and drive it back to Coventry.’ This initial prototype was created in 1962 after Triumph sent a Spitfire 4 to Michelotti’s design house in Turin. Ted was impressed from the start. ‘When I stopped overnight in France, a crowd gathered round to admire the car – it was beautiful and they had never seen anything like it.’ That design…

WED APR 13 Charterhouse Auctions, Royal Bath & West Show-ground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset (charterhouse-auction.comcharterhouseauction.com) WED APR 20 H&H Classic Auctions, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambs (01925 210035, www.handh.co.uk) FRI APR 29 South West Vehicle Auctions’ classic sale, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset (01202 745466, www.swva.co.uk) SAT APR 30 Barons Auctions’ International Ford Show sale, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey (08454 306060, barons-auctions.com) WED MAY 11 Brightwells, Easters Court, Leominster, Herefordshire (01568 611122, www.brightwells.com) SAT MAY 21 Bonhams Aston Martin Works Service sale, Newport Pagnell, Bucks (020 7468 5801, www.bonhams.com/cars) SAT MAY 21 Silverstone Auctions, Wing Building, Silverstone Circuit, Northants (01926 691141, www.silverstoneauctions.com) THU JUN 23 Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions, Athelhampton House, Dorchester, Dorset (01963 363353, www.dvca.co.uk)…

We had been looking for a classic car to compliment our Sixties Sherman folding caravan for around 18 months. My wife Channa and I loved the design of Saab 96s and the relative quality compared to British-built cars of the same era. Then one night she spotted a rather quirky ad for a Saab 96 V4 called Erik (after the legendary Erik Carlsson). Even better the car was MoT’d and only 35 miles down the road. It was advertised for £2595 and we paid £2300. We got a load of spares thrown in and the owner also serviced the car for us. We now need to get the car ready to be used: I plan to fit rear seat belts, replace all the (original) hoses, and also fit a period…

1970 Jensen Interceptor II Engine 6313cc/V8/OHV Power 330bhp@5000rpm Torque 425lb ft@2800rpm Gearbox 3-speed automatic 0-60mph 7.4sec Top speed 136mph Fuel economy 14.4mpg Work done Engine and box – in… exhaust – on, carb – on. 14 (day) TIME 2769 (£) SPENT 00 MILES Also in Danny’s garage 1950 RILEY RMA Restoration started at last. 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Thanks for the advice… restoration pending. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Report on new driveshaft fitting next issue. 1976 VAUXHALL CAVALIER Exhaust gasket and clutch bearing about to be fitted. 1978 ECCLES TOPAZ Is for sale… buy it for £250 and drive it home from the Beaulieu Spring Autojumble. 1992 SAAB 9000 2.3 TURBO Is still immobile while S&D do the rebuild. Home soon. There’s nothing like a deadline to focus the mind, and it’s…

1988 Citroën CX 25GTi Turbo 2 Engine 2500cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 168bhp@5700rpm Torque 2171b ft@3250rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 7.8sec Top speed 137mph Work done Uncovered project CX. Then retreated quickly ... 1 (day) TIME 0 (£) SPENT 0 MILES In James’ garage 1982 PEUGEOT 104 GL Bit of welding and all’s well. 1983 AUSTIN AMBASSADOR VP The devil’s own Ambassador. Peering above the duvet at my phone, the weather app blinked back at me with worrying news. This stormy night was delivering epic amounts of rain and I couldn't stop thinking about my project CX. I have two, you see. One lives in the warmth of my garage, while the other- a very rusty GTi Turbo - has been living on my mate's farm in Gloujtershii n i%spection is long overdue.…

1 Triumph cam timing To set up the cam, I used the lobe for the inlet valve on Cylinder No.1. 2 Dial gauge With No.1 piston set roughly to TDC, I zeroed the dial gauge on the piston crown and bolted the protractor to the crank nose. A pointer was improvised from stiff wire. 3 Finding TDC The engine was rotated clockwise then anticlockwise so the dial gauge moved exactly one revolution, marking the protractor each time. The angle between the marks was about 10°; true TDC is at the midpoint. 4 Dial gauge on top of pushrod Working the same way as when finding TDC, I set the cam so the lobe was exactly at maximum lift. 5 Aligning cam sprocket Removing the cam sprocket and turning it round,…

‘Time away from the project did wonders for me’ Engine 1598cc/4-cyl/DOHCPower 114bhp@6500rpmGearbox 5-speed manual Danny’s welcome in the March 2015 issue of PC revealed that JLO the Triumph Dolomite – which has failed to make it to any trip due to catastrophic failures over the past few years – would be at the NEC for the Resto Show and be driven onto stage as part of the PC Parade. This was the first I’d heard about such a plan and panic ensued. She had sat outside the workshop since failing to be finished for the Winter Warmers adventure to Cumbria. My attempts at creating my own wiring loom, retaining the ECU and injection from the original MX-5 lay in tatters as I just couldn’t make it spark. Time away from…

This month, I’ve been obsessing over hose clips. I realised I’d never previously lavished my museum of hose clips with the attention it deserves. It’s traditionally been housed in a dusty cardboard box under a workbench, into which I plunge my hand and rummage whenever a hose clip of a specific size is needed. I was moved to action by the diminishing success rate of this technique. I spread my hose clips out in order of size and groomed out substandard specimens. I identified gaps in the collection, ordered high quality stainless steel replacements and sorted the shiny hoard into six plastic tubs with clearly-labelled size indexes. I’ve since enjoyed removing and replacing coolant hoses with newfound confidence.…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Basic toolkit, gasket sealant, new gaskets and oil seals. Tightening plates Nipping up sump and cover plate nuts/bolts a little may compensate for a flattened gasket. Be careful not to overtighten them, though. Don’t ignore Keep your eyes peeled for gearbox, axle and steering box leaks. They can quickly run damagingly low. Spot the leak Clean and degrease oily areas, then run the car up to temperature and look for the source of the leak. Back in the days when all cars were more-or-less incontinent, a luxuriant patch of oily tarmac glistening in the morning dew outside your house was a sign of prosperity. Nowadays, it’s looked on as anti-social and a nuisance. Also, a crust of oily gunge on engines and transmission…

Sam Glover TECHNICAL EDITOR You name it, Sam’s probably owned it, broken it and worked out how to mend it. John Simpson MASTER MECHANIC Big John has worked at the greasy end of the motor trade since leaving school. Theo Gillam TECHNICAL EXPERT Theo teaches automotive engineering and makes amazing things in his shed. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS Ed keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He’s never owned a modern car. Nigel Clark WEEKEND TINKERER Nigel’s DIY achievements rival those of many professional mechanics. Kim Henson CLASSIC CAR GURU Kim’s been restoring cars for over four decades. BMC vehicles are his speciality. Guide clips Broken guide clips can often be replaced with cable ties. Insulate rods Use foam padding to keep control rods out of direct contact…

Skill Shack with Practical Classics is a great way to learn restoration and maintenance skills. If you are a DIY enthusiast it is your gateway to ‘live’ skills acquisition, helping you to develop what you already know and to improve your workshop skills with our expert tutors, all of whom have years of experience working on classic cars. Each video course allows you to watch and learn anywhere, at any time, from any device. Once you pay it is yours to watch and rewatch - pause the action and go over the most challenging sections to make sure you get it right. You work at your own pace and in your own way and you can watch as many times as you like. With Skill Shack you are assured of…

I’ve always loved all things Fifties America. When I saw the Ford Consul Capri, it instantly reminded me of a mini Chevy Impala. I loved the fastback shape, the horizontal fins and those five stars along the grille. I recently found a photo of myself at Bromley Pageant with the first Consul Capri I ever saw. It was 1989 and I was 21. I’ve owned two of them since then. After the first (a standard blue 1961 model) I bagged myself a modified 1963 Capri with an RS 2000 engine. The brakes weren’t up to the job so I paid for servos to be fitted! I remember well, those fine chrome touches, the slim window line and the pillarless view from the driver’s seat. Mine could take corners rather well…

If your club’s contact details have changed, please let us know! A 750 MOTOR CLUB 01379 741641 AC OWNERS’ CLUB 07768 363250 AMERICAN AUTO CLUB (UK) 0845 644 0345 www.americanautoclubuk.com AMBULANCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY www.southambpres.org.uk CLASSIC AMERICAN AC (GB) 020 8286 1120 PRE -’50 CLASSIC AMERICAN 01530 831170 AEC SOC yellowayreliance@hotmail.com ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA REGISTER www.giulietta.com ALFA ROMEO OC www.aroc-uk.com ALLARD OWNERS’ CLUB David Moseley, 19 Bramham Gardens, London SW5 0JE ALVIS OWNER CLUB www.alvisoc. org ALVIS REG 01509 412289, www.alvisregister.com ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY OC 0121 459 0742, www.siddeley.com, www.siddeley.net A-SERIOUS (A-SERIES ENGINED CARS) http://aserious.freeforums.org ASSN OF OLD VEHICLE CLUBS OF N IRELAND 028 9146 7886, www.aovc.co.uk ASTON MARTIN OC 01865 400400 AUDI 100 COUPÉ S CLUB GB 01702 461513 AUDI OC 07788 588449, www.audiclub.co.uk CLUB AUDI…

‘There are positives to take from the scheme’ Craftsmen with traditional skills are still retiring from the classic car industry faster than they can be replaced, according to both the FBHVC and PCs’ own survey of restoration businesses. More alarming still, efforts to bring more young people into suitable training have had only limited, localised success. Twenty specialists spoke to PC and their views reinforce the findings of a survey commissioned by the Federation in the 2011. These include a shortage of young people keen to join the trade, and in particular shortage of skilled panelbeaters and trimmers. This is despite a concerted effort in 2014 by the FBHVC and supporting patrons to address the issue with the creation of a new apprenticeship focused exclusively on classic vehicle restoration. ‘We…

Which classic car do you own? 1 Morris Minor 2 MGB 3 Triumph TR2-8 4 Land Rover 5 MG Midget 6 Triumph Spitfire 7 Mini 8 Mazda MX-5 9 Jaguar E-type 10 Jaguar XJ6 HOW OLD ARE YOU? FOR HOW LONG HAVE YOU OWNED CLASSIC VEHICLES? ARE YOU MALE OR FEMALE? DO YOU PERFORM YOUR OWN SERVICING? ALWAYS: 59.4% SOMETIMES: 21.8% RARELY/NEVER: 18.8% Which of your first cars do you wish you’d kept? 1 Ford Escort 2 Ford Cortina 3 MG Midget MOST POPULAR CLASSIC CAR CLUBS Morris Minor Owners Club. ...............................................7.2% Triumph TR Register .......................................................................6% Jaguar Enthusiasts Club ..................................................5.8% MG Owners’ Club ........................................................................5.3% Triumph Sports Six Club .................................................. 3.6% Mercedes-Benz Owners Club......................................................2.5% Jaguar Drivers’ Club ..........................................................2.1% Club Lotus .....................................................................................2% BMW Car Club ..................................................................1.3% British Mini Club ..........................................................................0.9% HOW MANY…

Rockingham Speedway NN17 5AF First Thursday of the month Rockingham Motor Speedway is launching a monthly social to be held between April and September. Sarah Thompson says: ‘The new meetings will run from 6pm-9pm and be largely static, but a £10 fee buys three sprint runs with prizes for the winners. £85 buys unlimited time during a two-hour open pit lane session on the 1.97-mile International Super Sportscar Circuit. Places are limited and must be booked in advance. www. rockingham.co.uk…

16 SAT APR BIRMINGHAM Pride of Longbridge in Cofton Park, B31 2BQ (www.prideoflongbridge.co.uk). LONDON Waterloo Classics, Lower Marsh Street, SE1 7RJ (www.waterlooclassics.com). 17 SUN APR YORKS Ripon 4x4 & Vintage Spares Day, Ripon Racecourse, HG4 1UG (www.4x4sparesday.co.uk). HANTS Spring Alfa Day at Beaulieu, SO42 7ZN (www.beaulieu.co.uk). NOTTS Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, NG24 2NY (www.newarkautojumble.co.uk). 23 SAT APR NORTHANTS Silverstone Spring Start, Silverstone Race Circuit. Event heralds the opening of the Vintage, Pre-war and Historic motor racing season for the majority. (www.vscc.co.uk). 24 SUN APR YORKS Huddersfield Autojumble, HD1 1RG, free parking for classics (www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com). WARKS South Midlands Classic Car Meet, Stratford Armouries Museum, CV37 0JA (01789 242468). MIDDLESEX Classic Ford day, Whitewebbs Museum, EN2 9HW (www.whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk). 30 SAT APR LINCS Lincoln Autojumble at RAF Hemswell, DN21 5TJ (www.lincolnautojumble.com). SURREY Italian…

They’re here… Just two tiny Cherries hardly gives us a clue to the 400 UK dealers Datsun had by 1980, or the burgeoning appeal of a new Cherry’s standard equipment, economy and reliability – all for only £2399. Bonkers Triumph’s Dolomite/ Toledo history is very peculiar. The Triumph 1300 (short tail) and 1500 (long tail) were launched in 1965 as FWD cars, reappeared with RWD in 1970 and ’71 as the Toledo (short) and Dolomite (long). From ’76, they were all Dolomites. Smörgåsbord Can you imagine any Sainsbury’s car park with only one Volvo estate in it nowadays? It cost little more than an equivalent Granada, so the Margot-and-Jerry image and superb build quality charmed middle-class buyers in ever increasing numbers. Sainsbury’s car park, Lordshill, Southampton, 1980 If you’re aged…

‘I’ve always had a thing for old Volvos, having owned several over the years, but the one I’d always aspired to own since I was 11 is the 544. When this one came up for sale in September last year, I knew it was the one. It was imported from Sweden in 1993, and is largely original. I’ve had a little bit of bodywork done in my ownership, including re-spraying one rear wing, but it’s a nicely segmented car so it’s easy to do a little at a time. It’s an honest, original car even down to its rubber floor mats and it wears its few scars and scratches with pride. I’m planning on taking it over to Holland in September for a big classic Volvo event – I hope…

BRING BACK STEELIES! Anyone visiting a classic car show today could be forgiven for thinking that all Sixties and Seventies cars wore RoStyle, Minilite or Wolfrace wheels, when in fact most just had steel wheels and hubcaps. Even the most mundane cars have spoked alloy wheels and low profile tyres these days, so wouldn’t it be nice to see more of the original steel wheels on our classics? Jon Dwyer, Buckingham Keeping it real I enjoy most classic car magazines, but none of them stacks up against the quality of your publication. Do you know why? It’s because Practical Classics is about people, not just cars. It’s amazing how much an old car can become part of the family and hold such treasured memories, and your magazine is a true…

Morris Minor Pickup I snapped this Morris Minor Pickup in Llandudno recently, loaded up with cast iron fireplaces and old window frames. Jonathan Johnson, Ashbourne, Derbyshire Limos These ‘limos’ are in regular daily use by the owner of a small hotel in this quaint Asian town. Both seemed to run well and sounded pretty good. Mark Flynn Austin Westminster Spotted in Leamington Spa this Austin Westminster is sitting at the garage I use. Phil Parker, Leamington Aston Martin DB2/4 Its not very often you see a DB2/4 let alone two! The red grille one is from Portugal, the second is owned by a garage owner in Berkshire. Steve Beeson, Reading Autobianchi I recently spotted this Autobianchi on the Island of Capri in Italy. It had cane side and rear panels…

1 SEPT 1995 Work begins The gearbox needed replacing so while the engine was out Stu decided to replace some parts – it quickly turned into a full rebuild. 2 MARCH 2001 Interior stripped With the interior removed the rotten floorpans were replaced with fresh items. 3 APRIL 1996 The end is almost in sight Once back from the paint shop the Capri’s reassembly is well underway. The decals are in place and next to go on is the vinyl roof. 4 MARCH 2001 Engine work again The engine was first rebuilt including new camshaft in 1996, this time around the block and head were skimmed and new bearings and oil pump fitted. 5 MAY 2001 Final vinyl Local trimmer Dale Dodge fits a vinyl roof to the Capri. Following…

Thirty years ago I commuted every day from home in Hove to Crawley, where I was working on local newspaper as a beady-eyed, bushy-tailed cub reporter. The journey was often made in the 1960 Austin Cambridge that I still have, though I would happily nick the MkI Vauxhall Astra office pool car. Extracting this would often mean the man who ran the neighbouring organ/music shop having to move his delicious Opel Monza coupe, which often led to words. At the time the A23 was not all dual carriageway, and contained the infamous ‘murder mile’ accident blackspot, so in bad weather, and on Fridays, I usually caught the proper slam-door Class 421 train, changing at Three Bridges. There was no tapping into mobile phones or laptops then of course, but while…

Austin Mini Cooper S We can’t reveal the location of super rust hunter, Jack Brands’, find this month but we can share your pain over cars like this genuine Cooper S, underneath a collapsed roof. Austin A50 Van You can still just make out the ‘Flying A’ on the remains of the bonnet of this Austin A50 van. When Jack began hacking the brambles here there was absolutely no way of seeing it at all, and upon discovery noted the original engine had been replaced by one from a Wolseley. Ford Lotus Cortina MkI Almost unbelieveable but this really is a genuine Lotus Cortina, one of just 3301 produced. An eye-watering sight, there’s little to salvage now. Austin Maxi 1750 More bramble hacking uncovered an Austin Maxi 1750 that could…

‘Private sellers haven’t caught up to the change in the market’ The past month has seen a busy round of UK auctions, which on the whole has been pretty healthy. Sales rates have also been about average, while prices achieved are now more in line with estimates they’d previously struggled to reach. But there were still a few surprises like the near-£44,000 Escort Mexico. But two marques in particular have been noticeably suffering: Ferrari – always first to respond to market changes, up or down – and Porsche. Or at least those on the air-cooled side of the great divide. Most auction houses have struggled to shift half the Porsches offered, which when overall sale rates have been 70 per cent plus is a notable dip. It may be that…

1973 Opel Manta A Coupé Price: £10,000 Only 70,000 miles. Stored for 30 years until 2015 and in mint condition. MoT’d. Comes with original wheels as well as the alloys pictured. 1986 Lotus Excel Price: £6950 Much recent restoration work has been completed after being off the road for 14 years, including new headlining – lots of receipts. Now ready to go. 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SE Price: £3500 Fastidiously cared for by an enthusiast owner for the past 12 years. Has still only covered 76,000 miles. There are just a few niggling faults to sort now.…

Even a basically tidy car that’s been in storage for years should be treated as a project, because recommissioning a Bentley can take a lot of time and money. Get it done professionally and you’ll easily spend £5000. These Bentleys are very different from the cars usually featured in these pages because they are incredibly luxurious; we like cars that you can fix with a spanner, a screwdriver and a hammer. Inexpert fettling on a Bentley risks you having to remortgage your home to pay a specialist to put things right. In short, don’t jump into buying a project without thinking things through very carefully. The engines are straightforward enough and beautifully engineered, but their sheer heft can make working on one tricky. The mechanicals are relatively easy to work…

1971 Citroën Ami 8 Engine 602cc/2-cyl/OHV Power 31bhp Fuel economy 42.3mpg At last the Ami has been treated to the onceover it should have been given in the first place, after its discovery in a farmyard. Fresh from snowy winter adventures and having eaten a second alternator and developed another running problem, it was time to call for some expert advice. A couple of days poking about the car with Barry at the Bourne Citroën Centre was enlightening. He has been fixing Citroëns his whole life and in between swooning over a customer’s Bijou and an outrageous flat-four engined 2CV, I was rewarded with a range of new skills in maintaining my Citroën, from a genuine enthusiast. As is normal for a 2CVbased vehicle, you can throw single spanner at…

1980 Volvo 343 Engine 1397cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 70bhp@5500rpm Torque 80lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox CVT 0-60mph 17.2sec Top speed 90mph Fuel economy 27mpg Work done Serviced, fettled engine and brakes, replaced tyres, MoT’d. 2 (days) TIME 430 (£) SPENT 10 MILES Also Sam’s garage 1969 VOLGA M21 Just delivered from Moscow. Great daily hack potential. 1982 WARTBURG 353 Engine’s still not quite right. Next on the fettling list. 2011 CITROËN C15 Blue tractor enamel awaits. ‘The master cylinder had shot its load into the servo’ You can’t get the parts, you know.’ This phrase is often uttered at classic car events. The utterer shakes his or her head sadly and their audience nods understandingly. I’ve always dismissed it as an unimaginative excuse for not getting on with a project. Almost anything can be…

1959 Peerless GT Engine 1991cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 100bhp@4800rpm Torque 117lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d Top speed 120mph 0-60mph 10.8sec Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Engine block prepared and painted. Cylinder head painted. Bearing and caps sourced. 8 (hrs) TIME 200 (£) SPENT 0 MILES Also in Gary’s garage 1980 SAAB 99 TURBO Ex-factory press car awaiting a full restoration. ‘I had no intention of breaking a new shell to find out’ Bored! Flash rust looks worse than it actually is, but the block came up well after some elbow grease. As previously mentioned, I have always been reluctant to rebuild an engine that is likely to sit and fester in a dark garage corner while the rest of a car is restored. Having played my own game of patience…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY Timing chain Now is a good opportunity to inspect the timing chain for signs of wear or damage. Parts renewal If you need to, always renew camshafts, bearings and followers as sets. You will need Feeler gauges, timing chain tensioner tool, cam alignment tool, 3/8 in UNF half-nuts, magnet, micrometer, cam cover gaskets and copper washers, lock-wire or lock-tabs, gasket sealant. Cam cover Don’t overtighten the cam covers or they’ll crack. Fit new copper washers and gaskets, with gasket sealant. The XK engine that started powering Jaguars in 1948 is a marvel of engineering and a thing of beauty. Being a straight-six, it’s inherently smooth and balanced. Its free-flowing twin-cam head, generous displacement and ample tuneability make it pretty pokey. It’s also well-built and capable of…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Wheeling machine, set of anvils, brake cleaner, microfibre cloths, rubber band for top wheel, safety gloves, bossing mallet and sandbag. Take your time Use the anvil with the shallowest curvature possible and apply the minimum of pressure to avoid marking the metal. Set pressure Adjust so that the metal can’t be slid sideways: this is light pressure, which is used for smoothing. Tighten slightly to medium pressure for forming. Gloves Wear lightweight safety gloves to avoid inadvertently cutting yourself on the metal. A wheeling machine is a fast and highly effective means of putting compound curves into sheets of metal. It squeezes the metal to make it thinner, thereby increasing surface area and producing curvature or crown. The theory is the same as…

My Lada 2105 had its driver’s window smashed many years before I bought it. It’s operated by a cable and drum rather than crank arms and this had clearly confounded the repairer. It more-or-less worked, albeit with an unpleasant grinding noise. When the glass finally dropped inside the door with a sonorous thud, I was forced to investigate. The displaced cable had cut the centre neatly out of the top pulley, then gone on to saw most of the way through the substantial axle. The cable itself was impressively unscathed.…

How to clean and revive classic leather trim £6.99 – 1 class Learn the basics of leather cleaning and revival: how to keep the patina, make it look superb and protect it for the long-term. You will also learn the techniques and products used to revive a leather interior. How to recolour faded leather trim £6.99 – 1 class Learn how to recolour and detail leather seats, to get a new look interior for a fraction of the price of a retrim. You will also learn the correct way to recolour and protect the newly recoloured trim. How to make and upholster new door cards £6.99 – 1 class Make your car’s interior look like new with this simple upholstery project. You’ll learn the secrets and techniques required to assess…