Índex per November 2016 a Practical Classics

‘Any Vitesse is a usable, desirable classic’ There are plenty of big birthdays in 2016; 1966 appears to have been a good year for them. But among the Interceptors, Hunters and Cortina MkIIs is another, the lairiest Vitesse of the bunch, the MkI 2-litre. The Vitesse first hit showrooms in 1962, as a 1600cc sports saloon and convertible, derived from the popular Herald. After four years on sale the 2-litre version entered production in September 1966. The smooth, torquey six-cylinder engine was shared with Triumph’s 2000 model and instantly gave the Vitesse a substantial power hike. The four-seater saloon suddenly had performance to easily match sports cars such as the MGB, encouraging Triumph’s marketing gurus to coin a new strapline ‘the two seater beater’. The bigger engine was matched by…

Clarke CTJ2500QLG 2.5 Tonne Aluminium Garage Jack £167.98 machinemart.co.uk This is our ‘go to’ jack. The Clark CTJ2500QLG Aluminium ‘Racing’ Jack weighs only 25kg and is suitable for use with vehicles up to 2.5 tonnes in weight. Featuring a steel and aluminium chassis with anodised finish, the CTJ2500QLG is super strong and bizarrely light. It features a twin piston pump for quick lifts and is simple to use and raises from a super low 100mm. Fitted with a soft touch rubber contact point, this jack can lift to a maximum height of 465mm without damaging the underside of a classic, while the hard wearing nylon wheels offer smooth, low noise movement around the garage.…

One Friday afternoon in 1966 Irv Gordon of New York collected his brand new Volvo 1800S. By Monday morning it was back at the dealer! But Irv wasn’t unhappy with it, he’d just come back for his first service at 1500 miles… And so began a story that has fascinated petrolheads and record-watchers since; as Irv Gordon’s Volvo now holds the record for the furthest-travelled car. As of August 2016 it has travelled over five million kilometres, or 3.1 million miles. ‘It cost $4150, and I had $4200 to my name – but I’d wanted one since seeing it Road and Track .’ Irv may have spent virtually all his savings on the car, but he’s had his money’s worth! While Irv is convinced the 1800S…

After being postponed from May, the third Atomic Festival took place in August – and what a blast it was! More of an American Fifties weekend than a dedicated car event, Atomic brings together the best music, fashions, culture and classics from the post-war period. Rock ’n’ roll acts, lines of Yank metal, drag racing (courtesy of the Vintage Hot Rod Association) and a vintage fairground made for a fabulous couple of days at Sywell Aerodrome, Northants. Tickets aren’t cheap, but the weekend is brilliantly done, so it’s still top value. More at atomicfestival. co.uk…

IN THE NEWS Riots return to Brixton, south London, while over in Auckland, New Zealand, French agents bomb and sink the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior. America’s most famous road, Route 66, is decommissioned, leaving it as a series of minor routes connected by nostalgia. But look to the future – the first UK cellular phone network is launched by Vodafone and Microsoft release Windows 1.0. AT THE FLICKS Highest grossing film of the year? Back to the Future , which sent Michael J. Fox and a DeLorean back 30 years to 1955. Scarily, it’s now 31 years since Marty McFly hit the big screen, taking more than $200 million in America alone. Lowest grossing film of the year? Colonel Redl , starring Klaus Maria…

MODERN CLASSICS CAN ROT AS WELL As an MoT tester, I read Danny’s tale of woe with his ZT-T with interest. A number of ‘emerging classics’ seem prone to corrosion after 10 years or less, the Jaguar X-Type being another example. So your readers might be interested that Danny’s MG is not an isolated issue. I recall patching up my 1965 Mini with beer cans in the early Seventies, so perhaps nothing has changed! I endorse Danny’s decision to buy a ZT – they’re excellent cars. Gerry Gibson, by email TOP DAY WITH TOP 100 Many thanks for the invite to your Top 100 shoot. It couldn’t have been better! Not only did you find the most amazing collection of 100 cars, it seemed most of the owners were like-minded…

Volkswagen Beetle I spotted this 1303 in Stavanger, Norway. It looked in great condition and was being used daily. Aidan Chatland, Hertfordshire Ford Transit MkII I’ve noticed a local family using this immaculate Ford Transit MkII as a sort of minibus every day for a good few years now. Geir Ytreland, Tuscany Ford Transit MkI This van is used in Armier Bay in Malta, to launch boats, hence the front tow hitch. Mike Mansfield-Corbett, Chester Auto Union 1000S I spotted this for sale locally. It’s the first one I’ve ever seen – and it was sitting on a forecourt! William Bray, Kent Volvo PV544 I found this ‘rat look’ Volvo in Mora, near Lake Siljan, in Sweden. Dr Ödül Bozkurt, Brighton Rover SD1 MoT on the seat shows it was…

‘Why do I look at ads for cars that I dare not buy?’ John Simister has been at the heart of British motoring journalism for more than 30 years. A classic enthusiast, he owns a Rover 2000 and Sunbeam Stiletto. Have I ever bought a non-new car that didn’t need something doing to it? And then needed more things doing to it than I’d had the imagination to realise? No. Even my two-year-old Fiat 500 Twinair had to go straight to the bodyshop because the supplying dealer had dented a sill and failed to remedy two lightly-scuffed wheels, and then I ended up replacing its front struts with aftermarket Bilstein B4s because the Cofap-Marelli originals were so rubbish. Old cars – and even not-so-old ones – have a way of…

Ford Cortina Super MkII Engine 1498cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 64bhp@4500rpm Torque 89 lb ft@2500rpm Transmission 4-speed manual 0-60mph 20.4sec Top speed 82mph Price economy 27mpg Price new £800 Value now £7495 Hillman Hunter Engine 1725cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 74bhp@5000rpm Torque 96lb ft@3000 rpm Transmission 4-speed manual 0-60mph 14.6sec Top speed 90mph Fuel economy 26.5mpg Price new £837 Value now £5000 Fifty years ago there were only two cars of choice for any self-respecting fleet buyer. The FC Series Vauxhall Victor already seemed redolent of the early Sixties of Shane Fenton & The Fentones, the Morris 1100’s boot was too small and as for the Austin A60 Cambridge/Morris Oxford Series VI; these were cars for rural cabbies and tweed-jacketed geography teachers. The only real options were the Ford Cortina MkII and the Hillman Hunter. The…

Gunky What came out of the engine resembled oil but was probably as effective as treacle. 1983 Austin Ambassador VP Engine 1994cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 101bhp@5250rpm Torque 120lb ft@3250rpm Transmission 3-speed auto Top Speed 99mph 0-60mph 14.4sec Weight 1250kg Work done Engine rebuild, new brakes, hoses, carb, suspension. Also in James’s garage 1971 CITROËN AMI Thrumming along happily. 1988 CITROËN CX Service due. No time! The Devil’s Ambassador is putting up a fight. Her reluctance to start is becoming a worry and for every stride forwards, we take a clumsy stumble backwards. I suppose it’s normal for a car that has been off the road for a quarter of a century… snoozing in a West Midlands garage, her internal organs deteriorating as each year passes. You can’t just leave a car for…

‘By comparison to moden setups, they emit a yellowish glow’ Aligned Using a garage door is a handy way of DIY headlamp alignment 1977 Reliant Scimitar SE6A Engine 2994cc/V6/OHV Power 138bhp@5000rpm Torque 192lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d 0 – 60mph 9.4sec Top speed 118mph Fuel economy 21mpg Work done Fitting halogen headlights and relays to the Scimitar. Also in Nigel’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH GT6 MKIII After over 15 years of my GT6 leaning slightly to the right, I finally levelled it out by shimming the rear diff mounts. The Scimitar’s twin headlight set up may have been considered good enough back in the Seventies but for long distance night time jaunts today, I’d mark the lighting set-up as ‘4/10, could do better’. With dark winter nights approaching fast,…

‘I eventually decided what was needed was a great push’ 1964 Wartburg 1000 Engine 992cc/3-cyl/TS Power 45bhp@4200rpm Torque 71lb ft@2200rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 22sec Top speed 82mph Fuel economy 30mpg Work done Refurbed seats, fixed gearbox and freed seized piston rings. Also in Ed’s garage 1979 LADA 1200 The alternator’s a smouldering ruin – how on earth did it work for so long? 1972 MOSKVICH 427 Starter motor has an internal short-circuit – crank handle to the rescue! Do you want to buy my Wartburg? That’s not a phrase you hear very often. I hear it more than most, though – and I occasionally succumb. On this occasion, it was to a 311 saloon, sold new in Czechoslovakia in 1964. I drove it back from the Czech Republic in…

Panhard created one of the pillars on which the modern motorcar was built. ‘Systeme Panhard’ describes the front-engined, rear-wheel drive, front-wheel steering layout that we all take for granted. The firm made gracious tourers and saloons with large sleeve-valve engines in the Twenties and Thirties, but in post-war years it changed tack dramatically. The first air-cooled flat-twin appeared in the 1946 Dyna, designed with significant input from front-wheel drive pioneer Jean-Albert Grégoire. The engine grew from 610cc to 745cc, then to 851cc as Panhard hit its stride with the all-aluminium Dyna Z in 1954. It boasted the highest bhp per litre capacity of any mass production engine of the time. It later offered up to 60bhp in the PL17 saloon and 24 coupé. [A] CYLINDERS The aluminium barrels have iron…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Heavy duty MIG or arc welder, metal cutting saw, tape measure, protractor, centre punch, step drill, angle grinder with cutting, grinding and sanding discs. Fine adjustment Only one stand needs to be fully adjustable to make the pair perfectly level. You can thus make a pair of stands from a single builders’ prop. Add rubber Protect the top plates with rubber to prevent damaging painted surfaces under the car. Shopping and cutting list • 2 of 510mm builders’ prop outer • 2 of 510mm builders’ prop inner • 6 of 450mm 50x50x5mm angle (legs) • 6 of 80mm 80x6mm flat bar (feet) • 6 of 190mm 50x6mm flat bar (leg braces) • 6 of 330mm 50x6mm flat bar (leg girdles) • 2 of…

A growing number of people are reporting issues with getting more modern classics accepted onto classic insurance policies. Our sources within the industry were quick to reassure PC readers that modern classics are welcomed. However, care is being taken to separate real devotees from those simply after an inexpensive insurance policy and to ensure that premiums for genuine enthusiasts can remain competitive. While black number plates have become tied to tax exemption and are now applicable to cars over 40 years-old on a rolling basis, the MoT Testers Manual still states that they should only apply pre-1973. A new version is being prepared but this may cause confusion for 1973-1976 cars presented for test on black plates. The FBHVC has clarified that injunctions intended to prevent or restrict car cruises…

Fantastic Beaulieu Autojumble. Sold some stuff and had a brilliant drive down with the chaps. Goodwood Revival was as busy as ever. A good excuse to drive the 2000 and dress up like a grocer. Gave my daughter Emma the keys to the Riley. She’s helping with the resto… rust removal included. Started work on my Rover P4 80 with the help of the Rover Sports Register and specialist JR Wadham. I’ve commited to having my Jensen done for the PC Resto Show in March. Will be at the NEC in November.…

Electrify your experience A Helsinki-based company will convert any classic car into an electric vehicle. e-Drive Retro has already completed a conversion based on Triumph’s GT6, and claims that its conversion process can benefit any classic. e-driveretro.com Classic SAAB reunion SAAB enthusiasts are arranging a meet for old members of the SAAB Owners Club. If you were a member during the Sixties or Seventies Alan Lawley would love to hear from you with a view to a one-off get-together. For more info email Alan at alan lawley75@gmail.com PC’s Campbell connection Gina Campbell will make a special appearance on the PC stand where the Jaguar XK150 owned by her father Donald will be on display. It’ll be the first time Gina has been reunited in public with the car and forms…

SUN, OCT 9 WORCS Shelsley Walsh Breakfast Club (advance tickets only), WR6 6RP (shelsley-walsh.co.uk). NORTHANTS GTI Festival at Santa Pod, NN29 7XA (vwaction.co.uk). WARKS International Jaguar Spares Day at Stoneleigh Park, CV8 2LZ (jaguarsparesdays.co.uk). SUSSEX Amberley Museum Historic Transport Gathering, BN18 9LT (www.amberleymuseum.co.ukamberleymuseum.co.uk). SURREY Motorsport day at Brooklands Museum, KT13 0QN (brookland museum.com). WORCS Classic Car & Motorcycle Show at the Three Counties Showground, WR13 6NW (classicshows.org). SHROPSHIRE/WALES HRCR Scenic Tour of Ludlow and the Welsh Marches (ludlowcastlemotorclub.comludlowcastlemotorclub.com). TUE, OCT 11 LONDON Classic Car Night at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (ace-cafe-london.comace-cafelondon.com). THU, OCT 13 LONDON Italian car night at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (ace-cafe-london.com). S AT, OCT 15 LONDON Waterloo Classics, Lower Marsh Street, SE1 7RJ (waterlooclassics.com). S WALES Driver’s Seat Autumn Tour: Pontypridd to South Wales (07583…

‘My Beaulieu tat pile gathers mass over the year like a rusty compost heap’ Sam Glover spends his spare time breaking down in exotic locations around the world. He also tries to maintain a fleet of 50 obscure classics, from Anadol to Žuk. The Beaulieu International Autojumble is a spectacular waste of time. Thirty six thousand people gather in a moist field and exchange large quantities of automotive wreckage for small amounts of money. Nevertheless, there is no other event that I hold closer to my heart or that leaves me feeling warmer and fuzzier about Europe's classic car community. Beaulieu has become my Glastonbury. It’s a tonic for the soul, if a little hard on the liver. The 2016 event was the 50th International Autojumble and the fifth at…

WED OCT 12 H&H Classics, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambs. (01925 210035, handh.co.uk) SAT OCT 15 Silverstone Auctions’ Porsche sale, Wing building, Silverstone Circuit, Northants. (01926 691141, silverstoneauctions.com) WED OCT 19 Essex Classic Car Auctions, Crowne Plaza Resort, Maldon, Essex. (essexclassiccar auctions.co.uk) TUE OCT 25 Barons Auctions’ Autumn Classic sale, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. (023 80 66 8413, barons-auctions.com barons-auctions.com) FRI OCT 28 South Western Vehicle Auctions, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset (01202 745466, swva.co.uk) SUN OCT 30 Classics Central, Bedford Autodrome, Thurleigh, Beds (0115 975 4030, classicscentral.co.uk) FRI NOV 4 Bonhams’ London to Brighton sale, New Bond Street, London. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/cars) S AT NOV 12 Anglia Car Auctions’ classic sale, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (01553 771881, angliacarauctions.co.uk)…

Dave Lee is the Escort RS Cosworth Registrar for the RS Owners’ Club. He says: ‘I’ve always had an RS Ford of some kind including Escorts and Sierras – now I’ve got one of each. Unlike many owners I’m not into total originality though; I prefer to have some sympathetic upgrades to the brakes, suspension and engine. As a club registrar I do valuations and offer technical help – I don’t claim to know everything but the amount of knowledge within the club is immense – between us we can find the answer to anything Cosworth related.’ SELECTED SPECIALISTS Burton, Essex. 0208 518 9136, burtonpower.com Graham Goode Racing, Leics. 0116 244 0080, grahamgoode.com Matt Lewis Motorsport, Staffs. 01543 379524, mattlewismotorsport.co.uk Grove Garage, Essex. 01708 726518, grovegarage.com Motorsport Developments, Blackpool. 01253…

1970 Interceptor II Engine 6313cc/V8/OHV Power 330bhp@5000rpm Torque 425lb ft@2800rpm Gearbox 3-speed auto 0-60mph 7.4sec Top Speed 136mph Fuel economy 14.4mpg Work done New calipers designed and made - underside sorted. Also in Danny’s shed 1950 RILEY RMA The stripdown begins… 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Undergoing inspection. 1962 ROVER 80 Barn find to autobahn in three weeks – possibly! 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Revved to Revival and back without missing a beat. 1977 VAUXHALL CAVALIER My Beaulieu ‘Jumble’ taxi. 1992 SAAB 9000 TURB0 New Vintage Tyres are top. 1992 MERCEDES 200TE SL Shop to fit new loom. Still my wife’s classic of choice. 2001 MG ZT PROTOTYPE Facilitated the family holiday to France in style. The Interceptor is a very heavy car. It is also a very fast car. It is also,…

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 Replacing gearbox seals and release bearing sleeve carrier. Installing narrow belt conversion kit, modified flywheel and new clutch. Refitting engine and gearbox. Checking bonnet alignment. What a sight for sore eyes – the Peerless finally has its engine and gearbox back in. As restoration milestones go, this is up there with other big moments such as finishing the bodywork. With my customer’s Lancia Zagato still in the workshop, I devised another way to fit the engine rather than wait any longer. The block and tackle was moved from the workshop where I had built the engine to next door, where the Peerless is stored. After…

1949 Morris Minor ‘Lowlight’ Engine 918cc/4-cyl/SV Power 29.5bhp@4400rpm Torque 37lb ft@2400rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-50mph 36.5sec Topspeed 62mph Fuel economy 36mpg Work done Door bottom repaired, bonnet and boot stripped to bare metal, filler work started. Elsewhere, the engine work continues as before. This month’s workshop sessions have seen continued progress on the bodywork of the Ruby car, with a couple of unpleasant discoveries. The bonnet was in primer and had a couple of rust spots grinning through. Needing to know what lay beneath, it was out with the paint stripper and scrapers. Corrosion greeted us all over – it was a good job that we’d chosen to investigate. Applying the dual action sander, it was soon back to shiny metal and rust converter applied. The next session saw another…

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. DIFFICULTY LEVELS One to two spanners An easy job that’s well within the reach of…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY Controlled heat Use a soldering iron to heat cables and nipples – never a naked flame. You will need Wire cutters, soldering iron, flux, solder, cable, nipples, oil or grease. Clean cuts A decent pair of wire cutters is needed to cleanly snip multi-strand cables. Bike cable Cheap and readily-available bicycle brake and gear cables can be adapted for light automotive applications. Almost all classics feature a number of control cables. They typically operate the bonnet release mechanism, heater controls and choke. The throttle of many classics is also cable-operated. We don’t tend to give the cables any thought until they jam or break – but when this happens, the effects range from annoying to immobilising. Avoid trying to force uncooperative cables into action; they can…

Triumph TR6 The Complete Story £35 ISBN 978-1-78500-137-6 The TR6 story is well known, but we particulary enjoyed the chapter on the racing exploits of Kas Kastner and Bob Tullius in the US. crowood.com Mazda Rotary-engined cars £40 ISBN 978-1-845849-43-6 Marc Cranswick has come up trumps here – his 192 pages include history, tech and practical guides. It’s a one-stop shop and a fascinating read, even for non-rotary petrolheads. veloce.co.uk Sprite and Midget Past and Present £14.99 ISBN 978-1-4456-5553-6 Terry Horler is THE Midget expert and you can tell. Expert insight from a lifetime of passion for a single make. amberley-books.com…

When bricks got sporty We reckon we can make out the ghost of a ‘GLT’ badge, meaning that this is the most rampant version of a famously stolid car. But is it a 140bhp fuel-injected 2.3-litre four-pot, or the 2.7-litre V6 automatic that made only 1bhp more? Primitive people carrier Volkswagen had been offering multi-seat, sliding door vans for 30-odd years when this picture was taken. This T3 Caravelle is larger than a modern people carrier, but then it carried more people. Teutonic tough-nut This tall German is a Mercedes-Benz L406 D, we think. The same thing is called an O309 when it’s a minibus and there were ten different engines available. You still see these durable workhorses as camper conversions – quite possibly what this is. Clifford’s Tower Car…

‘My husband sold my old 2CV when I was on holiday’ 1986 Citroën 2CV6 Dolly. Christine and Gerald Tanner, Wells When I was on holiday in the Eighties, my husband Gerald sold my old 2CV and bought a CX Familiale with the money – the one with seven seats. I was furious! He eventually made it up to me when he bought me this ‘Plums and Custard’ Dolly model. We go all over the place in it, in all weathers – which is more than can be said of his beloved Morgan, which stays indoors most of the year! ‘It looks just like the car I idolised when I was a kid’ 1988 Citroën AX 11RE William McElhinney, Malmesbury My first proper exposure to the Citroën AX was back in…

Have you taken your classic back to its birthplace? Rover 75: it’s a brilliant car and Longbridge still has loads of atmosphere. Melissa Bianca Kennedy Not yet, but it’s a great idea for a road trip. Steve Quinn Would love to take my Carlton GSi to Opel in Germany. Mick Mundell Do it, Eurotunnel and about a four-hour drive. It’s easy and well worth it. Jonathan Warnham Hoping to take my Omega to Russelsheim next year… Richard P Hooper OK if you have a car made in Britain, France, Italy or Germany – those with a Japanese classic will be spending a bit on petrol! Duncan Macrae No, but I would love to do that in a classic Mini or Beetle. Cameron Thomson Took my Skoda Felicia back to Mladá…

Nick Larkin has appeared in many classic car (and a few bus) publications since 1989. He joined Practical Classics in 1996, and remains a regular contributor. Marlborough in Wiltshire boasts Britain’s second widest high street, is mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086 and has nothing to do with cigarettes. Cardinal Wolsey was also ordained a priest there in 1498, shortly before his family designed its first splendid car. (Memo to self – check that spelling of ‘Wolsey’.) The Polly Tea Rooms opened in 1912, and today you can get Prosecco High Tea for two for £47.95. Old Marlborough College boys (now £9610 a term) include John Betjeman and Chris de Burgh and butchers still serve scrag end on request. So you’d imagine that you could happily leave an Austin…

Down-at-heel down under This mouth-watering line-up was found on a road trip in New Zealand by Graeme Coll from Auckland. His godfather Steve is a Practical Classics reader and was eager for Graeme to send them to us. Matt says ‘The number of unrestored British classics abroad surprises me. Hopefully owners clubs will help these ones live again.’ Somersets and Wolseley 6/99 Two more Somersets and at the end of the line a rather nice looking Wolseley 6/99 showing that the owner is attempting to look after some of the vehicles. Austin A40 Somersets The top photo shows two Austin A40 Somersets to the left, a green Morris Minor centre stage and (also in the above pic) two more Somersets beyond that. Thousands of Morris and Austin cars went to…

‘The market is settling back to where it was two years ago’ There are two points in particular that I want to cover in this issue, both arising from the same event. Firstly, you should never miss Bonham’s annual Beaulieu Autojumble sale. It is usually stuffed with all the cars that they don’t want dirtying the linen jackets and pink trousers at their Goodwood Revival sale, normally held the following weekend, which translates into the kind of cars we are interested in. Secondly – and we saw it to great effect at Beaulieu this year – while the market is settling back to roughly the level that it was at two years ago, a lot of sellers are now being persuaded to offer cars they really want shot of at…

I tracked down my ’86 Uno 70SL via the Fiat Forum. The SL has lovely tweed trim, and the most comfortable seats I’ve come across. I always thought it the best Uno trim level, but more importantly my Dad bought a 70SL new in 1986. There are only four left, and this is the only one taxed. I paid £950 and the car was delivered from Yorkshire for the price of a return train fare! Paint is original apart from the bonnet where something was dropped on it. Mileage is just over 18,000 with service history to back everything up. Send your buying story to: russ.smith@gmx.com…

1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Price: £12,000 Genuine UK RHD car with less than 43,000 miles on the clock from new. Bodily restored in 2012 with photo album to prove it. Recent service. 1976 Morris Marina 1.8 Super Price: £4500 Good home wanted for show-winner with only 5800 (really!) miles in the hands of two owners. Rustproofed from new and remarkably original. 1986 Porsche 924S Price: £4500 Just 98,000 miles and completed rust-free and rustproofed body. Recent clutch, timing belt and tensioners. Only two cracks in dash.…

There are crashed and rusty Cossies out there, but the term ‘project’ in this context is about upgrades for added power or usability for a lot of buyers. However, don’t make too many changes, and make sure any modifications you do make are reversible – buyers increasingly value originality above all else, so the market for heavily tweaked cars can be rather limited. When it comes to boosting power, the most popular route is a Stage 1 conversion that costs £700 and yields an extra 30-40bhp. This involves a remap, new actuator and uprated injectors. If you’re looking at a car with tired, damaged or missing trim – a stolen/ recovered car, for example – think very carefully about how you’re going to replace it because much of it is…

1967 Volga M21 Engine 2445cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 80bhp@4000rpm Torque 130lb ft@2000rpm Gearbox 3-speed manual 0-60mph 30.3sec Top speed 80mph Fuel economy 21mpg Work done Found, bought, imported. Also in Sam’s garage 1954 PANHARD DYNA Engine’s developed a rattle. Further engines acquired. 1973 MOSKVICH 412 I must get round to retrieving this from Poland. 1979 VOLVO 245 Daily hack. Soon to be outmoded by a Volga. 1996 RODACAR Finally passed an MoT.UK registration applied for. I’ve accidentally become a Volga M21 specialist. These kitsch Soviet saloons have been part of my life since I dragged a right-hand drive estate from a barn in 2008. They bred like Siberian weasels in my workshop. There were five at one point. I’m a good way through the restoration of the earliest known right-hand drive saloon…

1916 Ford Model T Engine 2897cc/4-cyl/SV Power 22.5bhp@1600rpm Torque 82lbft@900rpm Transmission 2-spd epicyclic Top speed 45mph 0-60mph Depends on the hill Fuel economy 20mpg Work done Richard Skinner of Tudor Wheels and Practical Classics are restoring this 1916 car in its centenary year. The rear axle on a Ford Model T is reasonably straightforward in appearance. A standard straight-cut crown-wheel and pinion set-up, standard looking axle tubes – in fact, it all looks very simple – WRONG. The restoring and setting-up of a T rear axle is labour intensive, involves a lot of precision and has to be completed in accordance to the drive-shaft assembly (prop-shaft assembly). Poor old Dakota Katy (not Colorado Kate – a paperwork error dictates) arrived rolling remarkably easily for a Ford T. I immediately checked…

‘For now, though, I can declare the shell finished once and for all’ 1960 Morris Minor Convertible Engine 998cc/4-cyl/OHV Power TBC Torque Hopefully sufficient Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60 Maybe Top speed Hopefully raised Fuel economy Who knows? Work done Rust stopped once and for all with a trip to Rustbuster. Also in Matt’s garage 1979 TRIUMPH DOLOMITE Awaiting attention, someday. 1992 EUNOS ROADSTER Requires a clutch before it can be used regularly again. As alluded to in my previous saga, with the welding on my Minor’s shell complete, it was time to look into rust prevention for the future. Having undertaken such a comprehensive body restoration, it would be foolish not to protect that considerable investment of time and money. With underbody protection there are two primary options available: a…

I recently bought a Russian saloon shod with huge alloy wheels. They’d been fitted by hammering out the old wheel studs and poking bolts through the hub flanges from behind. At the rear, the fitter had welded the bolts to the outer faces of the hub flanges to stop them rotating, causing the brake drums – and wheels – to sit a few millimetres proud and at squiffy angles. At the front, they’d welded the bolts to the outer faces of the brake drums – thus rendering them irremovable. Genius.…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Basic hand tools, clean rags, fuel can, fuel hose and clips, fuel pressure gauge (optional). Inspect lines Make sure all hose clips are tight. Check rubber hoses for splits, perishing or damage due to contact with sharp or moving items. Use proper clips Always use fuel pipe clips of the correct size for the hose. Avoid universal worm-drive clips. Hunt for filters Small gauze fuel filters can usually be found at the tank pickup, in the fuel pump and in the carburettor inlet. Check these are all clear. If your car has a flat spot, lacks top-end performance or pinks badly, you’ll probably start by taking a close look at the carburettor. If you find nothing awry, you’ll move on to the ignition…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY Stud upgrade If the threads in the alloy suspension arm are stripped, oversize coarse-threaded hub mounting studs are available. They require the holes to be drilled out and retapped. Locknuts Always use new Nyloc nuts to secure the hubs and halfshaft flanges. You will need To remove and replace hub: basic tools, socket set, torque wrench, vice. To rebuild hub: powerful press, mandrels, dial gauge. Keep it together Loop wire around the UJ yokes on each end of the halfshaft. This will prevent the halfshaft separating at the splines as it’s removed. The ‘big Triumph’ independent rear suspension system is a classic design in itself. It was introduced with the new Trumph 2000 saloon in 1963 and went on to be adapted for the TR4A, TR5,…

I grew up around Triumph TRs, so the seeds of interest were sown from an early age, but evocative adverts such as this one only served to increase my appetite for ownership. I’ve got a stack of them at home and this TR4 offering is a favourite, encapsulating, as it does, the joys of TR motoring. Wind in the hair, sun on your face and, the all-important factor – a pretty girl by your side. Well, it was the Sixties after all. ‘Simmering power. Burnished walnut.’ What’s not to like there. By the time the TR4A went on stream the torquey four-pot had grown to 2138cc, while the dashboard hewn from English walnut was a luxurious improvement over the painted metal dash of the TR4. Triumph was happy to shout…