Índex per August 2016 a Practical Classics

DON’T SUBMIT TO CRUSHING DEFEAT A number of motor vehicle insurance policies now allow the insurer to have the final say on whether a car will be written off and how it should then be disposed of. Check your policy documents thoroughly. CLASSIC BODIES COUNT? The DVLA has revised its criteria for the retention of an original vehicle identity when a car has been off the road for some time or restored from parts. According to the DVLA’s latest advice the bodies of separate-chassis cars are now part of the official criteria list. DVLA RECORD INCOMPLETE The DVLA database will not allow several cars to be correctly registered; while the Make field can be manually entered the Model field cannot. The FBHVC is in discussion with the DVLA to try…

A Palestinian man living in the Gaza strip was so besotted by a 1927 Mercedes-Benz S-Type he saw in the street that he has built his own unique replica completely from scratch. Munir Shindi, 36, took two years to painstakingly fashion the replica from used car components and trim imported from the US. His creation sits on a Mitsubishi chassis and is powered by a 1.6-litre Mitsubishi four-cylinder engine – rather less glamorous than the real thing’s 6.7-litre six-cylinder motor. When asked why he did it, Shindi said: ‘I wanted to prove that it could be done and that nothing is impossible.’…

Porsche 914: An Enthusiast’s Guide £16.99 ISBN: 978-1-78500-151-2 An excellent guide to the VW-Porsche 914-series, with details of production and rare variants. For anybody new to the marque, this is a great first step for information. crowood.com On Virtually Every British Car… Wilmot Breeden £15 ISBN: Not given A fascinating account of Wilmot Breeden and the UK car industry, supplying everything from locks to bumpers. Scores of fascinating nuggets from Peter Weston – a great read. wilmotlockman@gmail.com How To Power Tune Jaguar XK 3.4, 3.8 and 4.2-litre Engines £19.99 ISBN: 978-1-845849-60-3 If you’re looking to breathe on your XK-engined Jag, make this your Bible. Des Hammill knows his way round the long-lived unit, and there are numerous nuggets of gold plated advice for engine builders. Buy this and watch your…

S AT, JULY 16 LONDON: Waterloo Classics, Lower Marsh Street, SE1 7RJ (waterlooclassics.com). SAT-SUN, JULY 16-17 W MIDS: Classic Nostalgia at Shelsley Walsh, WR6 6RP (shelsley-walsh.co.uk). SUN, JULY 17 WARKS: Old Ford Rally at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, CV35 0BJ (britishmotormuseum.co.uk). DORSET: Sherborne Castle Classics and Supercars, DT9 5NR (clas-sicsatthecastle.co.ukclassicsatthecastle.co.uk). LANCS: Fleetwood Festival of Transport, FY7 8PN (tramsunday.co.uk). CORNWALL: Wheels 2016 at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wade-bridge, PL27 7JE (wade-bridgewheels.co.ukwadebridgewheels.co.uk). W MIDS: Classic car day at Walsall Arboretum, WS1 2QA (classicmotorshows.co.ukclassicmotorshows.co.uk). S AT, JULY 23 BEDS: Revs and Rhythms classic car show at the Robert Bloomfield Acedemy, Shefford, SG17 5BU (07811 168548). WORCS: Thrill on the Hill: Morgan day at Shelsley Walsh, WR6 6RP (shelsley-walsh.co.uk). NORTHANTS: Festival of the Unexceptional, NN12 8QH (unexception-alcars.co.ukunexceptionalcars.co.uk). SUN, JULY 24 CHESHIRE: Classic Car…

Ever taken your classic to its namesake? Just posted this shot of my Tatra 613 with the Tatra Mountains in the back ground. You know what’s coming, don’t you…? Otokar Dudas Might be difficult for a BMW driver! Oh no, I forgot – they can drive up the M1, M3, M5 etc. I once had a photo of my Buick Century in Century Drive, Milton Keynes, but that’s not quite right is it? Jezz Green I once owned a Fiat Regata and seriously considered taking it to the Henley Regatta – but then I thought better of it! Mark Smith I suppose I could take my Rover P5B to Battersea Dogs Home… Ed Ludbrook I have a Sunbeam Alpine and live in the Alps… and it’s sunny ATM. I also…

‘It had a siren with a wide repertoire. We'd have been fools not to buy it’ Plan A had failed. We’d intended to drive from western Poland to Belarus in my right-hand drive Moskvich 412. Instead, we’d driven from western Poland to eastern Poland and steamed to a halt with a ruptured head gasket. We coaxed the car a few miles to a workshop in Lublin and considered Plan B. Kris Radzikowski, Vladimir Vozovik and I were heading to Retro Minsk – Belarus’s most prestigious classic event. We were expected in three days. It was the evening before a double bank holiday weekend, so the chances of buying a gasket set and negotiating a head skim in time were nonexistent. Alternative transport was required. We had at our disposal a…

S AT JUL 9 H&H Classics, Chateau Impney, Worcestershire. (01925 210035, handh.co.uk) TUE JUL 12 Barons Auctions’ Connoisseurs’ sale, Tattersalls, Newmarket, Suffolk. (08454 306060, barons-auctions.com) WED JUL 13 Brightwells, Easters Court, Leominster, Herefordshire. (01568 611122, brightwells.com) SUN JUL 17 Charterhouse Auctions, Sherborne Castle, Dorset. (01935 812277, charterhouse-auction.com) THU JUL 28 H&H Classics, Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derbyshire. (01925 210035, handh.co.uk) FRI JUL 29 South West Vehicle Auctions’ classic sale, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. (01202 745466, swva.co.uk) SAT/SUN JUL 30/1 Silverstone Classic sale, Wing building, Silverstone Circuit, Northants. (01926 691141, silverstoneauctions.com silverstoneauctions.com) THU AUG 18 Brightwells’ Modern Classics sale, Easters Court, Leominster, Herefordshire. (01568 611122, brightwells.com)…

The biggest issue with restoring a Cortina MkII is the cost of parts. Even modern reproduction bits are getting very expensive. Graham Bird explains: ‘What few factory panels crop up cost hundreds – an original aluminum bonnet strip recently sold for £880 and a mint rear-view mirror recently sold for £600.’ Bonnets are particularly difficult to find in good condition, while much of the brightwork gets battered and is almost impossible to revive. On top of that good petrol tanks are getting extremely difficult to find these days. Some reproduction panels are available from Ex-Pressed Steel Panels – they’re made to a very high standard, but availability can be patchy because they tend to be produced in batches. Don’t assume that any particular panel will be available to you –…

the road that sounds or looks the way an Alfa Romeo Spider does, with that glorious V6 soundtrack adding a rich, exciting feel to the experience. Although this car is French registered, re-registering it in the UK costs a few hundred pounds and This must surely be one of the most cunning buys we’ve come across. Prices have begun to rise on these ultra-desirable modern classics and with Simon spending so little on it, evidently it has been a worthwhile gamble. There’s nothing else on will only add to its appeal in a market that currently hankers after the V6 model. As you’d expect, the V6 is a bit thirsty and general running costs are a little steep but find a trustworthy Alfa Romeo specialist and they’ll look after you…

2016 Eden Mehari Engine Lithium-iron-phosphate battery Power N/A Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph N/A Top speed N/A Range 75 miles Charge duration 4 hours Also in James’s garage 1978 AUSTIN MAXI Faulty brake servo ruins everything. 1988 CITROËN CX 22 TRS Fixed – just a broken wire! It’s Abingdon, circa 1973. You’re an MGB nut and before your very eyes, you are watching your beloved sports car rolling down the production line amid the clatter of tools and frenetic workforce chatter. Alternatively, you might prefer to be in Fifties Detroit, witnessing the birth of your cherished Cadillac in a fog of sparks and smoke at the Clark Avenue plant. Imagine for a second the thrill of being able to go back in time and watch classics rolling along the line, from…

1949 Morris Minor ‘Lowlight’ Engine 918cc/4-cyl/ SV Power 29.5bhp@4400rpm Torque 37lbft@2400rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-50mph 36.5sec Top speed 62mph Fuel economy 36mpg Work done Body panels trial fitted, welding repairs carried out, shell assesed and a plan formulated. This year the Morris Minor Owners’ Club celebrates 40 fabulous years since its formation. This ruby anniversary couldn’t pass without some celebration, and celebration it’s got. A key part of the festivities is the build of a very special car; this 1949 ‘Low-light’ Series MM. It’s not the car that’s special, though. As the celebrations this year show, it’s the people that make the club what it is. This project is a catalyst, an endeavour through which older members can pass on skills to young members, helping them gain confidence to do…

1982 Wartburg 353 Engine 992cc/3-cyl/TS Power 50bhp@4250rpm Torque 69lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 18.7sec Top speed 87mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Stripped the fuel tank, rebuilt the carburettor, replaced the fuel pump and replaced the fuel pipework. Also in Sam’s garage 1954 PANHARD DYNA Getting a lot of use between bouts of gentle fettling. A massive pleasure. 1967 VOLGA M21 Now has fuel, ignition and cooling systems. Just needs clutch and brake hydraulics. 2001 CITROËN C15 Racking up miles at speed. ‘The petrol was thick, brown and smelled funny’ The range of ways in which classic cars can break never ceases to amaze. Electrical systems redesign themselves overnight, clutch plates melt and rubber seals depolymerise. Plastics shape-shift as they get old. Mechanical parts miraculously disappear, then turn up…

1978 Triumph Spitfire 1500 Engine 1493cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 71bhp@5500rpm Torque 82lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d Top speed 101mph 0-60mph 11.3sec Fuel economy 29mpg Work done Clutch engagement issue sorted (at last), indicators and speedo made to work properly. Nifty A local machine shop opened up the flywheel centre bore to make it fit new application. It’s been a while since my previous report ( PC , January 2016), but progress has been made with my Spitfire project. A weekend was used up removing the engine and gearbox from the car yet again as I was still trying to find out the reason I wasn’t able to select any gears while the engine was running even though they worked perfectly with the engine switched off. I had a suspicion that…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY Safety Wear thick gloves if working with laminated glass – it splinters when it breaks. You will need Soap and brush, blunt screwdriver or strong plastic spatula, strong thin cord, windscreen sealant. Suction pad A small suction pad may be useful if you’re working alone. Soap trick Household soap and a paintbrush will help the seal to slip neatly into place. Removing and refitting the front or rear screen of your classic is easy enough to achieve at home with basic tools and a bit of patience. The job may not be enjoyable – but the results are. You’ll need get the screen out to replace the glass or the rubber, obviously. The screen aperture is also a prime rust area. The hurdle of screen removal…

Problem: Moskvich head gasket death in eastern Poland… two days before we’re expected in Belarus. Solution: Drive to Gdansk and buy an FSO Polonez ambulance. It’s got flashing lights and everything. Nocturnal improvement session brought small steps forward and several larger steps backward. This rear tyre gradually changed shape as we drove. We stopped and bought a matching pair of new ones. Essential medical supplies are loaded on the Polish side of the border. See p46 for the full story.…

DVLA record incomplete The DVLA is refusing to add over 40 classic marques to its online database, resulting in frustration for classic car fans who cannot access their cars via the Vehicle Enquiry System. The FHBVC is liaising with the DVLA to try to resolve the issue, but has so far reported no success. Have you been affected? Get in touch with PC and tell us how. Haynes man finally retires The founding curator of the Haynes Motor Museum is retiring after 31 years. Michael Penn was the first curator at the exhibit, which opened in 1985. He will continue in his role as chairman of the World Forum for Motor Museums. haynes motormuseum.com…

Gamma’s 40th The Lancia Motor Club has taken part in a worldwide celebration of the Gamma’s 40th anniversary, including a road run through the Turin area that was two years in the making. Highlights included a talk from the Gamma’s designer, Aldo Brovarone. PC launches new bookazine The latest in our bookazine range will go on sale later this month. The Practical Classics Guide to the Mazda MX-5 will cost £6.99, with special limited collectors’ editions – each autographed by MX-5 project manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto – available at £19.99 Lucky Seven An Austin Seven Boat Tail Tourer project has sold for more than the value of a completely restored car. Two bidders ran it up to £18,500 in the sale held by Richard Edmonds in Gloucestershire. The completed car will…

There’s something quintessentially English about holding a classic car gathering in the grounds of a Tudor stately home, complete with moat. If that sounds like your cup of tea, get along to this beautiful setting on the first Sunday of the month; Middleton Hall is near Tamworth in Staffordshire. You don’t need to book; just turn up and pay £4 per car, which entitles you to entry into the main hall and grounds, the walled garden plus a variety of other buildings, both Tudor and Georgian. Things kick off at 11am and last until around 4pm. For more info call 01827 283095 or log on to middleton-hall.co.uk…

Ever since it burst onto the scene a decade ago, the annual French weekend at Prescott Hillclimb has offered a carnival atmosphere. This year, the weekend also featured an Italian day (dubbed La Vita Rossa) so there was twice as much fun – the venue buzzed to Fiat 500s and Fiat X1/9s as well as 2CVs and Renault 5s. With track action all weekend plus numerous clubs in attendance, we spent the entire two days there and still didn’t get round it all.…

IT’S MY MATE’S CAR! I knew Alec Walford, the man who converted Theodore Gillam’s Princess to diesel power – we were at school together. He went to Paxman Diesels and ended up as its chief governor designer. I joined the Controls Division in 1968 or so and consulted Alec around 1972 about putting a Commer TS3 diesel into my Jaguar MkX. He talked me out of the idea and took me for a ride in the Princess; the performance was most impressive. I saw him at various times at shows as he had a collection of vintage stationary engines. We later lost touch when I worked abroad, but I am pleased that the old Austin is in good hands now. Terry King, Long Melford, Suffolk Same concept, but a different…

This restoration was selected for both the quality of the work and the ingenuity of the restorer in completing it. As well as appearing in Practical Classics it is also entered into Britain’s most prestigious car restoration competition, Restorer of the Year. The competition runs for 13 issues and includes each restoration story featured on the pages of this magazine in that time, at the end of which the best cars are chosen by you, the readers of Practical Classics. Watch this space for further information on Restorer of the Year 2017!…

SIERRA COSWORTH RS500 OWNER Peter and Bryony Giddings have owned this immaculate RS500 for nine years. It is probably the best original ‘500’ in the country. BUYING TIPS First check it is a genuione RS500. A full service history is a must and modifications are a minefield. An RS500 can rot as badly as a standard Sierra. Pay particular attention to rear chassis legs and check under the body kit. PRICES Prices for useable cars start at £20k and the best cars can now fetch over £60k. LOTUS CARLTON OWNER Vauxhall Heritage – Luton. It is nice to see a manufacturer really taking its heritage duties seriously. BUYING TIPS More prone to rust than a standard Carlton and with rare, flimsy plastic bodykit that crazes for fun. Check carefully everywhere.…

‘You can’t beat the feeling of piloting a big Rolls-Royce’ I was lightly glazing over, thinking of tea, as yet another ‘auction filler’ square-shaped Rolls-Royce was offered to the bidding public. In this case it was an early Eighties Silver Spur in OK condition, but nothing special. Then I realised people were bidding on it, and though it only made just over six grand, it did sell, and they often don’t. So I started to take notice, and at other sales too these previously ignored big Rollers and (even more so) their Bentley cousins are starting to be bought. And I think there’s a logical explanation. Unlike the rest of the classic market, values of these big, thirsty beasts have stayed largely static over the past few years. Yet anyone…

1959 Austin A40 Farina MkI Price: £2250 A 57-year-old A40 that looks like this and has never been welded is like finding the Turin Shroud in your laundry basket. A great buy. 1972 Rover P6 3500S Price: £4750 This looks like very reasonable money for a sought after manual version of the V8 Rover, especially as it has a new gearbox. 1965 Singer Vogue Price: £3700 An older restoration that still looks the part and has only had two owners from new and done just 35,000. Only needs a set of carpets to finish it off now.…

1992 SAAB 9000 2.3 Turbo Engine 2290cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 200bhp@5200rpm Torque 243lb ft@2000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual Top speed 143mph 0-60mph 7.6sec Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Bought. Ignored. Gearbox rebuilt and new clutch hose fitted. Service. Also in Danny’s shed 1950 RILEY RMA Being taken apart bit by bit. 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Does anyone have a spare bodyshell? 1970 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR Door handles rechromed and rebuilt 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Went to Beaulieu… miles of excellence. ‘Sam had 121mph out of it. Hence no tread. Youngsters!’ Never buy a car from a colleague… ever. Of course I’ve always ignored that advice and so again, with Sam Skelton’s SAAB 9000 Turbo, I have voyaged into the realms of workshop danger in a car that was in the hands of a known personage. The…

1959 Peerless GT Engine 1991cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 110bhp@4800rpm Torque 117lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d 0-60mph 10.8sec Top speed 120mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Oil seal conversion and crank fitted using the original bearing caps after all. The Triumph TR four-cylinder rear crankshaft oil seal has a reputation for incontinence. Hardly surprising really given both the age of these units and their reverse scroll seal design. A proven conversion kit has been available for some years, based on a split seal and new seal housing. In my most recent saga, I showed how Hamlins Engineering removed the scroll from the crank to create the correct 63.5mm diameter required for the oil seal conversion… so it was finally time to begin the rebuild proper. Doing the splits My first task…

1972 Triumph GT6 MkIII Engine 1998cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 98bhp@5300rpm Torque 108lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual + o/d 0 – 60mph 10.1sec Top speed 112mph Work done GT6 Rotoflex universal joints replaced, differential rebuilt and refitted. Also Nigel’s garage 1970 TRIUMPH TR6 Trapped in the garage while the GT6 was immobilised. ‘I removed the diff… to find a stray pinion tooth in the bottom’ Life in the Clark garage sometimes feels like it’s taking on the dramatic formula of a soap opera. Regulars will recall the last episode featured the GT6 but closed with a cliffhanger… what had caused the loud bang, followed by a rumbling from the back of the car? I was clinging to the belief that the fuss was caused by nothing worse than a failed universal joint. With…

1 Doomed carburettor The inside of the float chamber had dissolved in a most alarming fashion. 2 Ectoplasm The Monkey Metal had been reduced to soft aluminium sludge. 3 Crusty fuel pump The pump was full of biological silt from the tank. The metal parts were starting to corrode badly. 4 Bottoms up! The last pint in the tank bore little resemblance to petrol. The creamy head shows that water’s present. 5 Chemical purge Commercial chemical stripping flushed all evil from the tank. Zinc primer is applied to the outside after rinsing with thinners. 6 Situation monitoring A slightly Heath Robinson pipework arrangement allows a large filter to be fitted before the pump, so a close eye can be kept in the quality of the fuel that’s going into it.…

Sam Glover TECHNICAL EDITOR Sam has broken down in a gigantic variety of classics over the years, then worked out how to fix them. John Simpson MASTER MECHANIC Big John has worked at the greasy end of the motor industry since leaving school. Theodore J Gillam TECHNICAL EXPERT Theo teaches automotive engineering and makes amazing things in his shed. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He’s never owned a modern car. Kim Henson CLASSIC CAR GURU Kim’s been restoring classics for over four decades. BMC vehicles are his speciality. Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s driveway achievements rival those of professional mechanics. He’s our resident Triumph expert. DIFFICU LTY LEVELS One to two spanners A simple job that’s well within the reach…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Trolley jack, axle stands, oil pan, metric spanners and socket set, screwdrivers, feeler gauges, test lamp or multimeter, oil can, grease gun, brake cleaner, brake drum puller. Steering type Worm-and-sector steering was fitted to early Tractions. Rack-and-pinion arrived in 1936. Fuel system Check all pipework and connections for leaks, deterioration, insecurity and routing near hot or moving parts. The flexible hose under the rear of the car is prone to decay. Find a manual There are widespread detail differences across the Traction family. Track down a manual with data and specific processes relating to your exact model. The ‘Traction Avant’ was decades ahead of its time when it made its debut in 1934. It had a low-slung monocoque body, front-wheel drive, hydraulic brakes,…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Multimeter, timing gun, fuel pressure gauge, sable paint brush, meths or carburettor cleaner, LED and resistor. Find a manual A good manual’s a big help. All systems are similar, but there are key differences. Multimeter A simple model is sufficient for basic EFI test work. Basic tests A scattergun approach to replacing components is an expensive way of working. Carry out the simple tests in this guide to identify – or at least narrow down – the fault. No Lambda? Cars without catalytic converters sometimes don’t have Lambda sensors. Electronic fuel injection is basically a brilliant idea. It neatly replaces the engine’s distributor and carburettor with a computer-controlled ignition and fuel system. It ensures optimum efficiency in all conditions and improves performance and…

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…

The hole story CLARKE DRILL PRESSES FROM £191.98 So you need to do a lot of precision drilling during your restoration? We recommend the addition of a drill press to your workshop. It’s amazing how often they come in handy, and it guarantees a nice straight hole exactly where you wanted it. The new Clarke presses feature a table that can be swivelled right through 360 degrees and tilted to 45 degrees, to accommodate almost any job. Chuck capacity 3-16mm, and it features 16 speed settings up to 2770rpm. Again this is a budget item from Clarke, bringing professional kit within the budget of the home restrorer. Just don’t tell your mates you’ve bought one or they’ll all want a go. machinemart.co.uk Sam says ‘The PC Workshop pillar…

It’s easy to lose sight of how easy we have it in the UK as car enthusiasts – we have a great network of clubs and specialists. As the Panther Car Club reminds us in its latest magazine, it’s not the same everywhere; in Thailand a J72 has been seized because the owners haven’t paid the requisite 300% import duty. Club chair Val Bridges comments: ‘Some corrupt monks bought the car with donations to their monastery and claimed it was a kit car by converting it to run on LPG. The J72 will be auctioned off, although this might not happen for several years yet.’…

If you’ve got a Vauxhall, Opel, or anything else related to these GM brands, make sure you get along to the annual VBOA (Vauxhall, Bedford, Opel Association) weekend at Billing Aquadrome on July 16-17. More than 2500 cars are set to take part, from classic Fifties tin to more modern models such as VXRs and SRis. This year is the 33rd running of the event. The Opel Manta Owners’ Club’s Simon Peckham comments: ‘The Saturday is given over to each of the 30 or so clubs attending to do their own thing. then on the Sunday the arena comes alive and we all take a closer look at each other’s cars. More info is available at vboa.org.uk…

IN THE NEWS The UK suffers it s fair share of tragedy, enduring the Dunblane massacre, an IRA suitcase bomb in London’s West End and much larger bombs in London’s Docklands area and in Manchester. The latter was intended to disrupt Euro ’96, the football tournament taking place at the time, with a match between Russia and Germany due to take place in the city the following day. England, of course, exited following a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final with Germany. AT THE FLICKS To anyone much beyond 30 it probably seems shocking that the following titles are now 20 years old: Independence Day , Mission Impossible , The English Patient and Mars Attacks . One in…

‘Fuel economy, space, safety – these are nerdy, old-school virtues’ It used to be a lever. Then it became a switch. Now it’s just a dab or a swipe on a smooth, unyielding touchscreen. It’s great, isn’t it? So many functions in a new car controllable by nothing more complicated than a smooth screen able to detect capacitance in your finger. Once, this technology seemed an impossible sci-fi dream. Now we all have it, if not in cars then on our well-groomed, well-dressed phones. Many new cars let you adjust parameters such as air-con settings on a touch screen. It’s so simple: you take your eyes off the road, go to a settings menu, select ‘climate’ or similar, continue looking at the screen to make sure you’re about to swipe…

The TR3A’s driving position is comfortable in a vintage kind of a way. My legs are stretched out horizontally towards the pedals and the huge steering wheel is almost in my lap, with the column pointing directly at my chest. It’s all reassuringly Fifties, with large dials and minor gauges and pull switches in the centre of the dashboard. Firing up the engine elicits a gruff bark from the exhaust. There are no body rattles and no scuttle shake once I’m on the move – the suspension soaks up bumps without fuss and the steering rack is sharp. It’s an ‘as-new’ on the road experience and miles away from the feel of many tired Triumphs I’ve driven. David’s uprated engine is unquestionably the star of the show though. We won’t…

Austin Seven collective Gordon Phillips recently received a phone call which prompted him to visit a Gloucestershire farm full of various different Austin Sevens – a find that makes him champion of this month’s Rust in Peace! He found two Rubies – one from 1935, the other from 1939 – a 1930 saloon and the remains of a 1930 boat-tail two-seater (see below right). 1930 Austin Ruby boat tail Three of the Sevens are in a 1000-year-old former church. The bat tail has just been sold for a whopping £18k (see p8 News). The cars were stashed here about seven years ago but they have to be moved because the church is about to be restored. 1930 Austin Ruby saloon The tax disc on one reads 1958. Gordon says they…

Offer just about any classic with under 30k on the clock these days and you should be sniffing at least close to a five-figure result. So why did the stunning 29,000-mile 1979 Lancia Beta 2000 saloon – bravely offered at ‘no reserve’ – only sell for £4704? This was, after all, a car with effectively two-owner history, most recently renowned Beta aficionado Andy Collins. That in itself is a recommendation. The blame seems to fall on its automatic gearbox. Though more widely accepted now, they don’t seem quite right on Italian cars. But this was still very smartly bought. At the other end of the scale was a 68,000-mile 1999 Fiat Barchetta. This was the second of these to sell recently at auction for notably above expectations so I sniff…

When my local motor factor muttered the phrase, “Oh, I know of an old car” I knew I was in trouble. I popped round to take a look; it was a bright yellow 1978 TR7. The owner, Michael, bought the car in 1981 and ran it as his daily driver until he took it off the road in 1996 to restore it. He did much mechanical work including engine rebuild and five-speed conversion, restored the body and painted it Ford Daytona Yellow. Then the restoration stalled and it was left in the garage. I was smitten but knew it would be too expensive. But I had to ask. £200 – how could I haggle with that? The rebuild was straightforward: bolting it together from boxes of parts. Eight weeks later…

Graham Bird bought his first Cortina MkII – a 1600E – back in 1973 as everyday family transport. He says: ‘I have had several Anglias and Cortinas over the years and I bought another MkII 1600E, which I’ve still got, in 1995. I’m only its third owner and the car has done just 72,000 miles but it was restored in 1990 during which time it was treated to a pair of new front wings and a respray. It’s also had a new clutch but other than that it’s needed only routine maintenance since it was restored. Now I use it mainly for shows and club rallies.’ CLUBS AND SPECIALISTS Aldridge Trimming, Wolverhampton. 01902 710805, aldridge.co.uk Burton Power, Essex. 0208 518 9136, burtonpower.com Ford Cortina MkII Owners’ Club (Members only, fordcortinamk2oc.co.uk)…

Why on earth would you not want to drive a car with one of the greatest engines in automotive history? As a fan of anything Mercedes-Benz, this choice was at odds with my usual desire for bulletproof build but I read once that in order to be a genuine car enthusiast, you have to try an Alfa Romeo at least once in your life. I’m not sure I agree with that, but then I have been keeping an eye out for a suitable car ever since. From talking to owners, I found out that Alfa ownership doesn’t necessarily need to be a traumatic experience either, as reliability tends to improve with age. By that logic, I figured the issues with whatever classic Alfa I bought would have been ironed out.…

1974 Rover 2200 SC Engine 1978cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 91bhp@5200rpm Torque 111lbft@2750rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 11.5sec Top speed 100mph Fuel economy 20mpg Work done Valve clearances set, valve and ignition timing adjusted, mixture set, heatshield manufactured, oil and filter changed, new cam cover gasket. Car sold. Also in Matt’s garage 1969 MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER Off to Scotland soon… 1970 MORRIS MINOR TWO-DOOR SALOON Plans are afoot for a top spec engine build some way down the line. I, July 2016). The bearings showed very little wear, which tied in with this story, but alas when warm it initially ran like a pig. It ran OK from cold, but as soon as some heat got into the engine it was dropping down to three cylinders at most. Damn. Could the curse of…

1 Taking it easy Split seal fitted with the spring and eased onto the journal. Finding the best way for the crank to sit determines seal position for fitting, too. 2 Straight down to work A straight edge across bearing cap faces sets the height for the seal housing. 3 Cranking up The crank and new seal positioned in the upper half of the housing. 4 Skim work Carefully removing 2 thou of excess metal from the back of the 10 thou thrust washers. 5 Regular checks A vernier caliper used regularly to check for the correct size achieved. 6 Tightening things up With the crank fully fitted, seal housing is tapped to a flush fit and bolted tight.…

1977 Reliant Scimitar SE6A Engine 2994cc/V6/OHV Power 138bhp@5000rpm Work done Removed, restored and refitted the original Reliant steering wheel. Whisper it oh-so quietly but the Scimitar continues to give great service… and it’s needed to with the GT6 out of action again! Yes, it requires plenty of super unleaded and an occasional top-up of 20w50 but nothing more complicated than that has been necessary recently. So this month I’ve treated the Scimitar to a non-essential improvement… call it a reward after months of sweet-running while doing its duty. The original interior is generally in excellent condition, except for the steering wheel. The satin-black paint has lifted as over the years, as rust pits have developed on the steel spokes. Delightful patina some may say but with the rest of the…

2004 Izh Oda 1.7S Engine 1699cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 85bhp@5000rpm Torque 98lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 15sec Top speed 102mph Fuel economy 34mpg Work done Ignition timing and carburettor float level adjustments; throttle linkage improved; a good thrashing. Also Ed’s garage 1979 LADA 2101 In use as a ZAZ substitute. 1993 ZAZ TAVRIA Clutch failure closely followed by throttle cable disaster. ‘The Izh managed 100mph on a flat stretch… a definite improvement’ The story so far: fellow Eastern Bloc crackpot Julian Nowill and I are on a mission to drive a Russian Izh Oda to the UK. We set out at 5am from Moscow, dithering our way out of the city with barely another car to contend with – fortuitous, as our satnav thought we were on the Black Sea coast.…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY Steel stock We’ve used new steel in readily-available sizes, bought from our local stockholder. You could cut costs further by using scrap steel. You will need High output MIG or ARC welder; angle grinder with cutting, grinding and linishing discs; chop saw, hacksaw or plasma cutter; electric drill; step drill and hole saws; measuring tools. Fasteners Many processes involve vibration so ensure Nyloc nuts or spring washers are used thoughout. Bargain rams Hydraulic rams are readily available on the internet. Our 8-ton items were £34 apiece on eBay. Getting to the underside of your classic is key to undertaking all sorts of jobs. There are many ways of making the underneath bits of your car more accessible. A jack and axle stands, an inspection pit, or…

Being at the wheel of without doubt one of the most desirable cars ever made is obviously going to make the driver of this Sutherland Green Austin Cambridge very happy indeed. But hang on, that man looks madly delirious, which is somewhat worrying. Has he decided that only flowers can be his friends, and started naming them all? Mind Muriel doesn’t fall out of that open window! No wonder the lady stallholder, who bears some resemblance to contemporary TV garden expert Percy Thrower, (and could possibly be him), looks concerned at the way he s pointing at her pansies. Until this ad appeared, dissenters thought the most exciting thing an Austin Cambridge owner would ever do was to wolf down half an extra half macaroon for Sunday tea!…