Índex per August 2023 a Practical Classics

Why do we bother with heritage? What is the value in old stuff? Is looking back something that has any value? Of course if you are reading this you already know the answer. With classic cars alone it’s a £7bn per annum answer, but still some people don’t get it – or worse – don’t understand why other people do get it. We’ve just returned from an incredible visit to the Isle of Man where the Heritage infrastructure is extraordinarily rich. From steam trains to mining museums via a working Victorian tramway and horse drawn trams, it is a playground for fans of anything old. Once the tourist team on the island work out how to sell the proposition, then you’ll have to hold back the hoards. Unfortunately, right now,…

Spin me right round… COMBINATION RATCHET SPANNER SET £107.74 This lovely new combination ratchet-ring/open-end spanner set from Laser Tools includes 12 spanners in sizes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19mm. These spanners offer the convenience of a ring spanner but combined with the bi-hex (12-point) ratchet ring and a 72-tooth ratchet mechanism, just 5° of movement is required, allowing fasteners to be turned quicker and making them ideal for use in confined areas. Manufactured from durable chrome vanadium with a fully polished chrome plated finish, they’re supplied in a storage case that can be hung on the workshop wall or laid flat in a toolbox drawer. Part no: 8511. lasertools.co.uk Under the sea LANOSHIELD ANTI-CORROSION SPRAY FROM £17 (500ML SPRAY) Developed by Ashton…

It's the Isle of Man’s best kept secret. Alongside the TT races and the amazing scenery there’s a third string (or leg) to the island’s bow, its transport and industrial heritage. Man is home to the world’s oldest tram… you can take a trip on it, 15 miles from Ramsey to Douglas on a fully functioning tram network, while there’s even a route up a mountain. It has the last surviving horse tram service in Europe (one of two in the world) and a functioning steam railway, too. The island also plays host to the largest water wheel (still working) and built the smallest car (factory still there). It’s a miracle these artefacts and activities still survive in a place that is 30 miles by 11, but they do and…

‘We’re a meeting of mint Minis’ 1999 Mini Cooper Works S Sport 5, 1971 Mini S MkIII, 1995 1275cc Balmoral Edition, Francis, 1971 Mini Cooper S Hanika Farrant, Adrian Kermode, Roy Hall, Francis & Carolyn Lob, Douglas 1999 Mini Cooper Works S Sport 5: When they stopped producing the Mini, John Cooper turned about 50 into the Cooper Works S, and a mere handful of those cars had a five-speed gearbox. This is one of them. It has had one lady owner from the south coast, and it’s spot on – an absolutely lovely thing to drive. 1971 Mini S MkIII: This one is un-messed with and totally original, with Hydrolastic suspension and shock absorbers on the front. It’s a beautiful car, with no issues whatsoever, and no new panels.…

Crack open the Tizer Lite and enjoy this scintillating tale of love, battle, music and almost unworldly happenings. In 1953, a Morris Oxford MO and a Rover P4 were sold by wonderfully named dealership TH Nice in Ely, Cambridgeshire, telephone number Ely 42. Their gleaming black coachwork was matched only by shining chrome, and dazzling smiles of the doting new owners as they cut through swathes of Austin Chummys and prehistoric lorries as kings of the Fenland roads. In 1972, when Peter Skellern was rocking them in the aisles with You’re a Lady and the Rowntree’s Nutty Bar was introduced, the MO was taken off the road. I acquired the vehicle, registration DEB 262, in 2007. The planned serialised restoration didn’t happen and the car ended up in various storage…

1974 Opel Commodore Rust hunterRussell Wilcox is often searching for classics around Gloucestershire and has sent in a big haul, beginning with a shabby Opel Commodore from 1972 (but 1974-registered). This one is on SORN, but looks ripe for recommissioning and returning to the road. Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 By the Eighties, the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT had black plastic body upgrades and became the GTV 2.0 (dropping the Alfetta name). This one is frilly round the edges and in need of TLC, but it’s complete. 1966 Bond Equipe A forlorn ’66 Equipe on a driveway. Not as rare a sight as you might expect in the UK, because its glassfibre body prevents rust and allows longevity. Steel-bodied contemporaries would have dissolved decades ago. Austin Allegro and Rover P4 A…

The cars you see here were cooked up for vastly different reasons but all share a common aroma… and it’s the overpowering stench of lunacy. This was the crazy Eighties and naughty Nineties, after all. Supercars and rally legends were plastered across bedroom walls at a time when a tail spoiler and alloys on the family car meant everything. We’ve got three front-engined V8 nutters from Blackpool, Newport Pagnell and Kentucky – plus a German legend and a French troublemaker. All are stupidly quick and all were built to rock your world. Only a tiny handful of V8 Zagatos were made and it’s certainly the most exotic car here. Yet, at a fraction of the cost, the TVR 420 SEAC is every bit as quick. There’s unexpected handling finesse to…

Matt George PROD EDITOR 1972 Triumph TR6 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power Enough Torque Sufficient Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph Unknown Top speed Undiscovered Fueleconomy 25mpg Work done Headlamp wiring replaced; interim PDWA fix effected to restore braking performance; grumbling water pump replaced. 4 (days) TIME 40 (£) SPENT Also in Matt’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 What looked like a leaking radiator turned out to be the drain plug. A quarter turn fixed the leak – phew! 1993 VOLKSWAGEN T4 CAMPER Sold to a lovely couple who are over the moon with it, renaming her 'Betsy'. 2004 BMW 330d Recently took on transport duties for a family holiday to Cornwall. I have thoroughly enjoying getting out and about in the TR of late, coincidentally as the UK experienced a mini heatwave…

Matt Tomkins WORKSHOP EDITOR Our workshop puppet master Matt has a penchant for restoring British classics in particular. This month A recurrence of head gasket woes for the Ninety. Theodore J Gillam ENGINEERING EXPERT A former lecturer with a love of compression ignition engines. This month Picked up some tank sealer for his Lea-Francis project. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS A former teacher, Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. This month Steering blitz on the 1979 Lada 1600 has made it positively nimble. Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s driveway achievements rival those of pro mechanics. He’s our resident Triumph and BMW expert. This month Has been enjoying his new BMW 330i. Rich March PRO BUFFER New recruit Rich runs UK Detailing Academy and is an expert…

Major milestone Seventy five years of the Minor celebrated by club Seventy-five years ago, at Earls Court, the Morris Minor was unveiled. The Morris Minor Owners Club has a year of celebrations in 2023, with a number of gatherings at both national and local branch level in the UK and overseas. They come after the club’s national rally on July 1-2 at Chateau Impney, which attracted 1000 cars. It was a celebration of both the model and the marque, with Morris celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2023. Voted Britain’s Favourite Classic by PC readers (PC, December 2016), the Minor continues to benefit from great club and specialist support in 2023 and, thanks to myriad developments throughout its production, a late model Morris Minor remains one of the most usable classics…

An extravagant weekend The Gloucestershire Vintage & Country Extravaganza at South Cerney Airfield (GL7 5QD) will be taking place on August 4-6. This gigantic weekend has been running near Cirencester for almost half a century and we've been on several occasions; more than 1000 vehicles are promised. Billed as a family event with plenty to keep everyone entertained, there's a live arena, free vintage bus rides, birds of prey displays and much more, including our favourite attraction of all: ferret racing. There's much more besides, as you'll find at glosvintage extravaganza. co.uk. GOLDEN OLDIES ON THE LOOSE Veterans set to va-va-voom! Can't wait until November to watch lots of really old cars going for a drive? Then you're in luck, because following last year's very successful inaugural Summer Veteran Car…

LETTER OF THE MONTH My Malvern motor is a workhorse! I loved the recent letter in PC about whether you can use a Morgan in winter. Before I had it shipped out to join me in New Zealand, the last UK trip in my Morgan 4/4 was over the Pennines to Cumbria. With my mum in the passenger seat, I lost sight of the edge of the road due to falling snow and slid off. This was in the days before everyone had a mobile phone. Luckily, a doctor went off next to us, so we huddled in her car. Naturally I was wearing a WW2 flying jacket and helmet so, when the snow plough made it through (four hours later…), the driver said: 'Bloody hell, it's Dick Dastardly!’ Luckily,…

Peugeot 306 GTi6 Engine 1998cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 167bhp@6500rpm Torque 142lb ft@5500rpm Gearbox 6-speed manual 0-62mph 8.5sec Topspeed 135mph Economy 35mpg MG Maestro 1600 Engine 1598cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 103bhp@6000rpm Torque 99lb ft@4000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-62mph 9.6sec Topspeed 109mph Economy 34mpg Austin Allegro Engine 1747cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 75bhp@5000rpm Torque 100lb ft@5000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-62mph 8.5sec Topspeed 96mph Economy 35mpg MG ZS Engine 2497cc/V6/DOHC Power 177bhp@6500rpm Torque 177lb ft@4000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-62mph 7.7sec Topspeed 139mph Economy 30mpg Sunbeam Stiletto Engine 875cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 51bhp@6100rpm Torque 52lb ft@4300rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-62mph 16.1sec Topspeed 88mph Economy 38mpg These compact family cars all celebrate a significant anniversary in 2023. Okay, not quite the ZS, but since it's the hot version of the now 25 year old Rover 45, the ZS represents the very ethos of our…

Acomment recently posted on social media by the high priest of modern classics Paul Cowland got me thinking… and more than a little bit confused. He’d clearly just enjoyed a day out in a pristine MGB, and he’d exclaimed that he couldn’t understand why the Abingdon doyen was so ‘underrated’. Now anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a bit ambivalent about BMC’s Sherpa Coupe, and that I don’t quite ‘get’ it. It’s not that I don’t like it, but – if anything – I find the world’s most highly-regarded (and specialist supported) classic car a little bit overrated. Which is kinda the opposite of what Paul is saying, I guess, and we can’t both be right, surely? I think I get what he was saying – on…

THEO’S JOB CARD XUD CAMBELT SWAP The cambelt is an important service item on an interference engine. The PSA XUD7, 9 and 11 diesels are such engines (displacing 1769cc, 1905cc and 2088/2138cc respectively) and were fitted to all manner of vehicles, from the PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) range as well as FSO, Rover, LDV, Honda, Suzuki and Hyundai, to name a few. We’re going to replace the cambelt, tensioner, idler, water pump and oil seals on a Citroën BX’s normally-aspirated XUD7 engine: other variants may differ in detail but the underlying theory remains similar. How tough? You’ll need Workshop manual, cambelt kit and oil seals, range of hand tools, locking-tool set (ideal), impact wrench (if necessary),solvent,thread-lock, torque wrenches. Specialists Euro Car Parts, eurocarparts.com Will take (HRS) 6 Will cost £50- £150 Cash…

We choose our favourite quarter-century ground-breakers from Audi, Ford, Rover and many more! PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! Find out how – page 48 ALFASUD RESTO Could there be a more challenging car to revive? A tale of tin-worm FANTASY FORECOURT We go back 70 years and choose our favourite Fifties sensations BUYING GUIDES How to buy a Dolomite Sprint, and a very surprising Volvo coupé The tale of a Ford Capri revived by its owner, a cherished TR7 and a countryside jaunt in a Jowett to celebrate the Bradford firm’s centenary. There’s the very best in classic technical tutorials as the PC team show you what they’ve been up to in the workshop and beyond! SEPTEMBER ISSUE ON SALE AUGUST 2 Practical Classics magazine, ISSN 0957-6975, (USPS…

‘It took us to our wedding earlier this year’ 1971 SUNBEAM STILETTO Dale and Jane Bishop, Doncaster This car was laid up in the back of a garage in 1986 and before that was a one owner from new vehicle. It came to me because they knew I would do right by it, and it’s just been back on the road for a few months now, for the first time in 35 years. The first run was actually for our wedding – I got it ready to get us to the church on time, then last weekend it did a classic tour and didn’t miss a beat. I’ve actually got 14 Imps or Imp variants, and I have had them all my life, we were an Imp family I was…

Making it home after an ambitious drive in my MGA never fails to mobilise a satisfying rush of accomplishment and relief – but making it across a real, proper finish line in my red roadster is something I’m set to experience for the first time this summer. As I write, on the eve of my non-competitive taster of hill climbing at Shelsley Walsh, the de rigueur of the high momentum driving style required is making me nervous indeed, and although the event isn’t timed, my personal expectation is to attempt to tackle the course at a reasonably nippy pace. Having ticked off some of the UK’s most challenging inclines in the A, most recently Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, I have full faith in the car’s ability, but as…

WHAT TO PAY PROJECT £1000-£1500 RUNNER £2000-£5000 EXCELLENT £8000-£12,500 TECH SPEC Engine 1565cc/4-cyl/OHC Gearbox 4-speed manual Power 66bhp@5000rpm Torque 82lb ft@3000rpm Top speed 92mph 0-60mph 16sec Weight 1010kg Why you want one One of the most practical ‘practical classics’ ever, this stylish Renault sold by the bucketload to shrewd owners who adored its chic looks, spacious cabin, comfy ride and robust mechanicals. An over-excited Renault proclaimed it to be ‘an entirely new breed of car’ at launch in 1965 with period brochures boasting of ‘dynamic lines and adaptability’, and ‘seats to luxuriate in, silence to think in and performance to exhilarate in’. Giddy language aside, the company was quite correct about its claim of advances in automotive design, the R16 quickly proving itself to be one of Britain’s most popular…

Why you want one Jaws dropped when the supremely sophisticated E31 was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989. The aggressive, distinctive shark-nose of earlier BMWs was gone – replaced by a svelte, aerodynamic new shape. The car had been in development since the early Eighties and initially completed in 1986 but, ironically, the launch was reportedly delayed due to strong sales of the 6 Series. That car was indeed an impressive piece of kit but, once launched to an impressed press and public, it was clear the new BMW coupé was aimed at a more upmarket crowd. It's a powerful thing, too. You’ll find a V8 or V12 under the bonnet and seemingly endless thrust from a car that will, if it has been cared for, be…

1 Exterior equipment Jetwash and hose – Consider reducing the water pressure for delicate areas. Foam lance – For applying chemicals. Mitts and brushes – A variety to suit each area. Buckets – For holding your shampoo. There is merit to having a second one with just water for rinsing your mitt and brushes. Drying towels. RICH’S JOB CARD CURATE A DETAILING KIT BAG If the internet is to be believed, there is so much choice in the variety of tools, products and methods involved in cleaning your classic that it becomes quite a daunting prospect at times. In a world of 'pH neutral this', and 'synthetic lambswool that' our new resident detailing wizard has put together a simple guide of necessary items that will, at least, get you started…

The Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners’ Club (RSSOC) has been going for more than 50 years, providing a unique place where people of all ages can come together with the same love for the various models of the reliant Scimitar in one place. It has local meetings around the country on a monthly basis where all are welcome, and members can also attend a number of larger events each year. With motorsport history in mind, the club is gathering at its Scimfest sprint meeting at Curborough, Staffordshire on August 17-20, with many different cars taking part in the sprint meeting on the Sunday. All are welcome to attend for a fantastic event with concours, autotest, traders and autojumble. It will give an opportunity to meet up with old friends, meet new…