Sommaire pour Spring 2019 de Practical Classics

Jumble cover Peter James Insurance has launched a facility to offer immediate product liability cover for up to £2 or £5m with no exclusions for safety-critical automotive parts. In English, that means it has designed a policy with the needs of the UK autojumbler in mind. The facility comes in time for the start of the 2019 season. peterjamesinsurance.co.uk. Island America Plans are in motion to build an American car museum, called Route IOW, on the Isle of Wight. The sizeable attraction will feature a diverse range of cars against a backdrop of memorabilia and art. Other attractions will include a 100-seat cinema offering back to back screenings of car themed films and television shows, plus a Fifties style diner, a children’s play area and much more. Mission to Mexico…

Swedest thing Fans of a DAF 44-based Swedish delivery van are appealing for help in sourcing further UK-based examples. The air-cooled Kalmar celebrates 50 years in 2019 and according to the forum, three of them made it to the UK some decades ago but have disappeared. The Tjorven, built between 1969 and 1971, featured special heating to benefit postmen in the cold Arctic temperatures. If you know where any might be, contact enthusiasts at tjorvenforum.se. Ordinary day Applications are open for the 2019 Festival of the Unexceptional, with the rarest of humdrum classics set to gather this year at a new venue in Buckinghamshire. There are fifty places available to those wanting to compete in the concours section of the competition, which takes place at the Claydon Estate on July…

The MG Owners’ Club is the world’s largest single marque car club. Formed in 1973 and covering all MG requirements, the club offers a range of benefits for the MG enthusiast or the owner who simply enjoys running an MG for everyday transport or just for fun. Catering for all the different models of MG, it encompasses the latest models including the MG3, MG GS and ZS models. From its Cambridgeshire headquarters, the MG Owners’ Club publishes Enjoying MG , a full colour monthly magazine full of informative articles and technical advice. This also includes an extensive MG classified section of cars and spares for sale. The glossy magazine also features coverage of national events, car runs and a variety of annual trips and tours carried out…

Currently Scott has two Ferrari F355s, a 456, that Challenge Stradale and three 308s. Two of them are QVs, one is a GTS, two of them ‘need a bit of work’. There’s also a 1969 Porsche 911T, to which he was about to refit a pair of rebuilt original-spec triple-choke Zenith carburettors after our photoshoot. But his garage has also been home to a Porsche 911S plus, when he was just 20, a bright green 912. ‘It had an MoT but it was a deathtrap. It sat in the garden and a tree grew through it – I never finished it. My mum made me sell it.’ And, of course, other Ferraris: a 348 Spider, another 355 Spider, a 360 Spider, a kit-car replica of a Dino and a Testarossa…

My Stiletto has Bluetooth. Ridiculous, really; no-one knew anything about teeth coloured blue back in 1968, when the car was made. It’s incorporated into a deliberately retro-looking Blaupunkt Toronto stereo, two knobs and a display between them. This electronic box of tricks is correctly mounted as per the factory’s stipulation: under the dash on the extreme right, ready to smash my kneecap should the Stiletto ever suffer a severe frontal. There’s a CD player in it, too, and a USB port. Yet, helped by its location low down in the shadows, it doesn’t look too out of place. Have I committed an authenticity crime? I could have fitted a period, fully manually-tuned Radiomobile 80, but there would be no CD player nor even FM reception, which greatly reduces its repertoire…

Most classic owners do a bit of fettling from time to time. Some go way beyond the call of duty and rebuild their cars to as new condition. But there is also a middle way. It will mean your classic runs better, is nicer to be with and will be worth more if you ever decide to sell. ‘50 Fixes’ will give you a structure within which you can make the change from tinkerer to service technician, and in doing so, save yourself a chunk of cash. ENGINE 1 Clear its throat Drive hard, and do it regularly (within the engine’s limits of course), don’t overprotect it. It’s an engine, it is designed to be used to specific tolerances, so driving within the rev range regularly is very important. Do…

Last month’s mild rant was aimed at time-wasting sellers; this time it’s the turn of buyers to feel the force. I really wanted to keep my dad’s old Peugeot 306 long-term, but the seats give my nearest and dearest a bad back, and the dodgy auto ‘box is getting steadily dodgier. ‘Mr Winning Bidder made contact, but then went quiet’ However, it’s still a 47,000-mile car in nice nick, and I suspected it might be worth more than the take-it-off-my-hands price I had in my head. To find out, I stuck it on everyone’s favourite love/ hate online auction site, with a finely crafted thousand-word description of the car’s history in which its various faults were laid bare. If you’re totally up-front, it doesn’t leave anyone chisel room to try…

1967 Triumph Vitesse 2.0 MkI Price: £6750 Bare metal repaint last year, just one chassis patch needed. Engine rebuilt at same time, interior redone. Usual Triumph panel fit. 1987 Peugeot 205 1.1XL Price: £1775 Not a GTI, but these are rarer – just 67 left in UK. 47,000 miles and one family from new, always garaged. Is there another like it? 1989 Renault 5 GT Turbo Price: £14,950 Prices flying for these, even with the wheel on the ‘wrong’ side. This Japanese import is very original with under 27,000 certified miles on the clock.…

How you define ‘practical’ makes a big difference to whether or not the Shadow can be seen as genuinely usable. These are cars that will rack up huge mileages in supreme comfort – there’s ample space for the family and a huge boot too. Performance is continent-crushing and you can even tow with a Shadow; it has been done. But parts costs tend to be high and you’ll be doing well to get more than 15mpg on a run. That’s why some owners have resorted to an LPG conversion. If carried out already, make sure it’s been done properly and that the car comes with the relevant paperwork.…

Rust is the biggest and most likely problem with these cars, but the construction is actually quite conventional, which makes home restorations possible. Parts prices are high but not necessarily outrageous; front wings are £1100-£1200 for example, a boot lid is £500 while rear wings are £380-£1630. However, these cars were hand-made, so fettling will be required to make everything fit. Also, beware of incomplete projects because many bits are very costly to buy, including outright reconditioned bits if you don’t have the necessary parts to exchange. Says marque expert Paul Brightman: ‘A lot of people buy into something that they can’t afford. Buy a barn-find Silver Shadow and you could spend £5000-£6000 just overhauling the brake and suspension hydraulics. But there are lots of used parts available as well…

1980 Lada 1600 Engine 1569cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 75bhp@5400rpm Torque 86lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual 0-60mph 13.8sec Top speed 96mph Fuel economy 27mpg Work done Bought. Recommissioned. Also in Sam’s garage 1954 SAAB 92 Engine stripped and not too bad, cracked piston aside. 1954 PANHARD DYNA Rebuilt engine now in place. Very nearly a car again. 1963 VOLVO ‘AMAZON’ Recently-rebuilt engine running in nicely. 1989 VOLGA 31012 Still working on a delivery plan from Moscow. Results soon, hopefully. 1994 ŠKODA FAVORIT Gloucestershire’s fastest moving object. Binge! Like Christmas, but better. Sam receives a mammoth Red Cross parcel from ruthlessly-efficient Ukrainian parts supplier Lada Power. There’s great pleasure to be had in doing everything to a car in one fell swoop. Removing a large body of parts allows you to address the needs…

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 taught 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…

ACitroën 2CV taken by thieves and stripped for parts has been reunited with its owner after being revived using parts donated solely by fellow enthusiasts. Clare Howarth, who has owned her Dolly for 22 years, says she was overwhelmed by the support from the classic car community, including car clubs and Practical Classics . ‘I was astonished when the car was found and I started to get phone calls and emails from fellow members of 2CVGB and the Citroën Car Club, as well as other classic car owners from around the UK, offering spare parts,’ she said. The cherished 2CV, known as ‘Georgie’, was pinched from outside Clare’s house in Greater Manchester and later discovered stripped to the chassis, shell, engine and gearbox. Intervention by Practical Classics saw an initially…

Allen Lawrence has been in touch to tell us that it’s the 50th anniversary of the Vancouver-based Jaguar MG Club. Says Allan: ‘We’re a very active club as we do a multitude of drives out and we also take part in events around the region. We have a bi-monthly magazine and also have schemes in place to attract younger enthusiasts. Plus, each year we support a chosen charity; we raised over $20,000 in 2018 for Kruise for Kids. All Jaguar and MG owners are welcome; there’s more about the club at jaguarmg.com .’…

Continuing the international flavour, here’s something different for you; this month, Richard Dredge has been to Egypt to top up his tan and enjoy some R&R. Except he spent more time car spotting than sunbathing, as the country is awash with VW Beetles, Peugeot 504s and Mercedes W124s. There are Fiat 124s, 132s and 128s on every corner and Richard even stumbled across a Seventies Toyota Land Cruiser. So, if you fancy topping up your vitamin D, make a beeline for Hurghada or Cairo; Richard sampled both.…

The self-contained gas cushion in the top of the unit consists of a moulded rubber diaphragm with a metal dome over it. Pressurised nitrogen sits inside, crimped in so the rubber is kept away from the atmosphere. At the other end, another diaphragm holds back pressurised Hydrolastic fluid. A flat valve inside this part of the unit acts as a damper. Then there is another diaphragm that seals the fluid in, another one with a bead between that and the piston which is attached to the suspension arm.…

Most satisfying job you’ve done recently? Not finished yet, but spent a happy hour refitting the switches to a newly veneered panel yesterday. Dave Pearce Made some new rear radius arm bearings for my Austin 3 Litre. Neil Kidby Refurbishing the gauges on my ’71 Viva HC. Gilbert Sharkey I refurbished the Lucas starter motor off my 1975 MG Midget. Chris Madge I love a good shotblasting session to rebuild brake calipers. Dave Williams Terminating the cables for the dip-switch on my 1948 Morris recently. Andrew Axnix Scraping a ton of rust and rancid tarboard off the floor of my ’55 VW Beetle Oval ragtop. Fun times indeed… Alsún Ní Chasaide Earliest motor show memory? In 1982 I got to sit in both a Mini Metro and a Cortina Crusader.…

It’s 1984, in the middle of the decade of excess. Ferrari’s new Testarossa is as madly extravagant as a supercar has ever been – all strakes and swoops and imminent Miami Vice superstardom. It’s wide, it’s expensive and it has a flat-12 engine like a Ferrari Formula One car’s but half as big again. Here is Italian automotive aristocracy in its ultimate form. But aristocrats don’t always live a charmed life. Sometimes strange things happen and life takes an unexpected turn. The aristo goes hippy or gets streetwise. Or maybe loses his head altogether. That’s what happened to this Testarossa. It’s headless and rat-look. Meet the Ratarossa. And please meet the man who got it through rehab and back on the road, the man who just can’t stop buying Ferraris…

I suppose most sons would buy flowers for their mother! However, my mum Mary has always admired the XJ-S, so I decided to find one to restore and give it to her for her birthday. It’s never that simple though, is it? Hopes of finding one that only needed a small amount of work was dashed quite early on. I’m not wealthy, so it would have to be a project and I would need to restore it all by myself. It was a bit daunting though – I had never restored a Jaguar before! I found this 1987 3.6 in need of work and took the plunge! Despite completing a Master’s Degree in Classical Music a few years ago, I have always been passionate about cars and in particular, how…

Any production car built after 1920 should be capable of starting, stopping, steering and controlling its temperature perfectly. If it can’t, it’s broken or incorrectly set-up. Thanks to my sheltered existence, I’ve been fortunate enough to work on hundreds of old cars. Here are my most commonly-found problems… Cam timing As reported on page 126, Ed Hughes and I have found this problem to be epidemic. It’s at least one tooth awry in one-in-three cases. Ignition timing Engines that toil sluggishly with retarded timing or pink excitedly with advanced timing are easy to spot and rectify. Mixing-and-matching of distributors or erroneously set-up programmable systems play more subtle havoc. The timing may be bang-on at idle, but the advance curve may make it very wrong indeed at higher rpm. Valve clearances…

On a quiet street on the boundary between Brighton and Hove is a very special shop. Stepping over the threshold is like stepping back in time to a place where shopping for paint meant just that – you went to a shop to buy your paint. Of course, most of AB’s business is handled online, but there is something refreshing about being able to brows the shelves for your bodywork products. ‘There used to be six shops like this in Brighton alone. We are one of the very few left, the only one in Sussex,’ says Director and founder Peter Wilcox. ‘These days, it’s a bit of a unique selling point. On Saturday mornings we usually have quite a few enthusiasts browsing and asking advice. Although it has to be…

Silver Shadow 1965-70 Engine 6230cc/8-cyl Power 200bhp/4000rpm Torque Not disclosed Top speed 115mph 0-60mph 10.9sec Consumption 12mpg Gearbox 4-sp auto (3-sp auto for LHD cars) Length 16ft 11.5in (5.17m) Width 5ft 11in (1.80m) Height 4ft 11in (1.49m) Weight 4659lb (2113kg) Silver Shadow 1970-77 Engine 6750cc/8-cyl Power Not disclosed Torque Not disclosed Top speed 117mph 0-60mph 10.2sec Consumption 12mpg Gearbox 3-speed auto Length 16ft 11.5in (5.17m) Width 6ft 0in (1.82m) Height 5ft 0in (1.52m) Weight 4670lb (2123kg) Silver Shadow II 1977-80 Engine 6750cc/8-cyl Power Not disclosed Torque Not disclosed Top speed 119mph 0-60mph 9.4sec Consumption 14mpg Gearbox 3-speed auto Length 17ft 0in (5.19m) Width 6ft 0in (1.82m) Height 5ft 0in (1.52m) Weight 4930lb (2237kg) Corniche 1967-95 Engine 6750cc/8-cyl Power Not disclosed Torque Not disclosed Top speed 120mph 0-60mph 9.6sec Consumption 12mpg…

Petrolheads always have a list of cars they need to enjoy before they die and Team PC is no exception. With a budget of £500 Matt, Danny and James have gone out to find three ‘bucket list’ cars. Danny Hopkins 1995 Peugeot 306 1.8 XT Auto Back in the mists of time, about 25 years ago, I was working as an actor, role-playing as part of a training scheme called ‘the Peugeot Experience’. It was great fun. I spent months travelling around the country with other actors and facilitators pretending to be an angry, upset or disgruntled customer. In doing so I (hopefully) helped customer-facing Peugeot staff deal with tough situations. One decent payoff of the scheme was the tour of the Ryton Plant that we were granted. I watched,…

1971 Saab 96 V4 Engine 1498cc/4-cyl/OHVPower More than usual…Torque Better than usual…Gearbox 4-speed manual0-60mph 12.5 secTop speed 100mphFuel economy 29mpg Work done Hands shaken and a teary old wave goodbye. Also in James’s garage 1974 CITROËN CX 2200 Sold! More news next month. 1988 CITROËN CX 22TRS Fine again after carb rebuild. 1997 MAZDA 323F V6 Cambelt change due soon. 2003 VOLVO S80 My £300 exec needs some new suspension bushes. 2004 SMART ROADSTER Snow tyres on order for Arctic adventure in a few months. It was – and continues to be – the car that refuses to die. The little monster should have done years ago – either of its own accord or at the hands of infuriated, pitchfork wielding Saab enthusiasts – but here it is… still here…

2002 Ford Focus Engine 1596cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 98bhp@6000rpm Torque 107lbft@4000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 10.6sec Top speed 115mph Fuel economy 40mpg Work done CX Exhaust radiato manifold asy changed, tthoroughly rust-proofed, infuriatingly polished, driven hard.to finxxxxxx Also in Matt’s garage 196O MINOR CONVERTIBLE Tucked up warm and cosy in grandma’s garage. 1969 MINOR TRAVELLER Plenty of smiles per gallon. 1972 MGB GT Engine back from machining. New bits on order from MGOC. Superb! Full main dealer service history, always garaged and in fine fettle. Matt couldn’t let this family car go. It’s a car I never wanted to own. It’s also a car that I couldn’t allow to go anywhere else. My late grandpa bought this Ford Focus when it was just six months old. He garaged and maintained it impeccably over…

1980 Porsche 924 Engine 1984cc/4-cyl/OHC Transmission 5-spd manual Power 123bhp@5800rpm Torque 131lb ft@3500rpm 0-60mph 9.5sec Top speed 124mph Fuel economy 22.2mpg Work done Dragged home; things looked at, prodded, probed and measured; eBay trawled and money spent. Also in Theo’s garage 1955 AUSTIN PRINCESS More Gardner spares bought: bank account in crisis 1963 STANDARD VANGUARD Crispy enough to warrant repair in the Tech pages of PC. The Porsche 924. Looking like a well-used bar of soap fresh from Cindy Crawford’s bath and mechanised by all sorts of bits lurking in the VAG parts bin, the first label it received was that of ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’. Every article written since has tackled the GCSE essay question: ‘924 – pauper’s Porker? Discuss’. Well, if I can afford one, it must be a…

1996 SAAB 9000 Engine 2290cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 226bhp@5000rpm Torque 258lb ft@1900rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 6.5sec Top speed 149mph Fuel economy 26mpg Work done Buying cars, replacing doors, sorting electrics. Also in Gary’s garage 1959 PEERLESS GT Hoping for more progress soon –it has been quiet on the Peerless front of late. On tow Maximum Authorised Mass – also known as Gross Vehicle Weight – is listed in the car’s manual. Blink and January was gone. A month of flu and lurgies for me and the kids. The upshot being the Peerless received scant attention, as other priorities took precedent. One small anecdote worthy of mention was the delivery of a rare TR4A cast exhaust manifold. These are few and far between, and considered the best of the standard TR four-pot…

Hudson started building sturdy, mid-priced automobiles in Detroit in 1909, adding a budget marque called Essex in 1919. This became Terraplane in 1932 and both Hudsons and Terraplanes were assembled in Chiswick, London, through the Thirties. Hudson’s Super Six was an early success. Launched in 1916, its sidevalve straight-six engine developed gradually through a couple of generations. This 1947 engine is the last of the pre-war line, replaced by an all-new unit for the 'step-down' models of 1948. It has some archaic features such as splash lubrication, but superior build quality led to smooth running, dependability and longevity. [A] WATER PUMP The pump's mounted at the front of the engine above the crank pulley. The large pipe meets the bottom hose from the radiator. Another pipe on the casting in…

You will need Torque wrench, dial gauge, vernier calipers, engineer’s blue, small chisel or punch, heavy hammer, soft-faced hammer, press (optional). Buy good bearings Replacing bearings is time-consuming, so buy the best you can afford. Crownwheels and pinions The crownwheel and pinion are a matching pair with the same serial number etched on each. A non-matched pair will generally work well enough, but may not be completely silent. Be kind to bearings Use a mandrel that makes contact with the bearing’s inner track when driving it onto a shaft. An old socket is ideal. It’s not uncommon for a rear-wheel drive classic to have a noisy back axle. It can give rise to an amazing variety of knocks, howls, whines and grinding noises – though hopefully not all at the…

You will need Centre-punch, drill, drill bits and countersink, rivet snaps, hammer, bucking bar, blind rivet gun. Snaps You can make your own rivet snaps by cutting chisels and forming a cup with a drill and burr. Paint first Prime or corrosion-protect surfaces before riveting them together. ‘POP’ rivets POP is a trade name of the George Tucker Eyelet Company. It is to blind rivets what Hoover is to vacuum cleaners. The rivet is often overlooked in favour of welding, brazing, soldering and gluing. There was a time, though, when the rivet was king, holding together everything from saucepan handles to skyscrapers. And it’s still around: aircraft are riveted together to large degree and you don’t have to look far on a car to find some sort of rivet, whether…

As a lifelong Saab enthusiast, it had been a dream to have a convertible version so this was the result! I bought the donor car in 1989 – for £50. It had failed an MoT test on a small amount of corrosion and a worn balljoint, so it was basically a decent example to start with. I had considered having a go with an angle grinder myself but in the end, decided to seek outside help via a fabrication engineer here in Dorset called Chris Platts, who had the right tools to get the roof off very quickly. He had previously experimented with metal girders to provide structural rigidity, but for this car, a 3mm plate was cut and folded from the sills to the centre of the car on…

Prices are researched from several sources, including clubs, auctions, the trade and advertisements online and in print. Prices are reviewed and updated every issue. Our C/D rating is a basic guide to what you can expect to pay (£) for the best examples of a model, a concours car or something from a dealer. CONDITION 1 means well-presented cars that have no obvious faults. CONDITION 2 cars are capable of regular use. They have a current MoT certificate but will need work and/or original parts. CONDITION 3 cars usually need a full rebuild, but may be driveable and MoT’d. PLEASE NOTE You can’t value any car without seeing it – don’t buy blind. KEY auto: automatic cab: cabrioletcon: convertible est: estate lhd: left-hand drive lim: limousine rwd: rear-wheel drive sal:…

1. EAST COAST RETROS (SUFFOLK) The group is run by Michael Carpenter and Reuben Ward and holds meetings at the Rose Pub in Shotley. ‘Attracts up to 200 pre-2000 classics!’ 2. H TOWN CLASSIC & DUB CLUB (HERTS) H-Town Classic & Dub Club is a Hitchin-based club for fans of all classics. It holds regular meetings, ‘To encourage parts swaps, share experience and advice.’ 3. LOCKS HEATH CLASSIC CAR CLUB (HAMPSHIRE) This club was formed in 2011. With over 300 members, it has raised over £13,000 for charity through a variety of annual events. 4. NORTH WEST CASUAL CLASSICS (NW ENGLAND) Formed in 1995, the NWCC group is a friendly, multi-make club. An enthusiastic committee plus over 100 members with a large number of vehicles hold many events, including an…

Inspiring millions of DIY car mechanics in 200-million workshop manuals sold, warm tributes have been paid to Sir John Haynes, who passed away last month aged 80. John’s publishing empire had humble beginnings, when, as a teenager, he rebuilt his Austin 7 and wrote and illustrated a booklet about it. Buying a camera to take step-by-step pictures of an Austin-Healey Sprite, John produced his first Haynes manual with wife Annette in 1966. Since then, Haynes Publishing has produced handbooks for over 1000 models. The Haynes International Motor Museum opened in 1985 and, ten years later, John was made OBE. The Haynes manual for the MGB has been in constant print since it was first published in 1967, a fact noted by PC Projects Editor and MGB owner Matt Tomkins. ‘We…

Bugatti Blue: Prescott and the Spirit of Bugatti £28 ISBN 978-15-26734754 Set in the tranquil Cotswolds countryside, Prescott Hill-Climb has become the home of Bugatti in Britain. In this book, author Lance Cole has captured the spirit and beauty of the cars and location combined. pen-and-sword.co.uk Citroën GS & GSA – Citroën’s Avant Garde Mid Range Cars £33.94 ISBN 978-90-828147-2-9 The story of one of the most revolutionary small cars ever made, Marc Stabèl’s fascinating book on the streamlined 1970 GS reveals all with numerous never-before-seen images. citrovisie.nl Land Rover Discovery – Essential Buyers Guide £12.99 ISBN 978-1-787113-00-8 Marque expert James Taylor shows you all you need to know before you buy a Series 2 Land Rover Discovery. A handy introduction for newcomers to the marque. veloce.co.uk…

The Rootes Archive Centre Trust is moving up a gear with the launch of a monthly car meet. The Trust’s Andy Bye told us: ‘We’re going to open on the first Sunday of each month with the April, July and September meetings focusing on Commers, Hillmans and Sunbeams respectively. The marque-specific days will offer the biggest opportunities to see our collection of archive material since we opened. Each day will run from 10am-3.30pm and while entry is free, donations are appreciated.’ More at rootesarchive.org.…

FRI-SUN, MAR 22-24 BIRMINGHAM Practical Classics Resto Show at the NEC, B40 1NT (necrestorationshow.com). SAT-SUN, MAR 23-24 MANCHESTER Spring Transport Festival at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, M8 8UW (gmts.co.uk). SUN, MAR 24 YORKS Huddersfield Autojumble, Old Market Building, HD1 1RG (phoenixfairs.jimdo.com). SURREY Mini Day at Brooklands, KT13 0QN (brooklandsmuseum.com). ESSEX Coffee & Classics at the Museum of Power, Maldon, CM9 6QA (museumofpower.org.uk). SUSSEX Southern Classics Meet at Roedean Café BN2 5RL (southern-classics.org.uk). FRI-SUN, APR 5-7 SOMERSET VW Weekend at Haselbury Mill, TA19 7NY (haselburymill.co.uk). SUN, APR 7 GLOS Cotswold Classic Car Club monthly meet at Shipton Oliffe Sports Ground, GL54 4HT (cotswoldclassiccar club.com). BERKS Newbury 4x4 & Vintage Spares day at Newbury Showground, RG18 9QZ (4x4sparesday.co.uk). WORCS Malvern Festival of Transport, Three Counties Showground, WR13 6NW (classicshows.org). WORCS…

IN THE NEWS Four black students stage a sit-in after being refused service at a lunch counter in North Carolina, triggering other Civil Rights protests. A State governor called John F. Kennedy accepts his party’s presidential nomination, a boxer called Cassius Clay wins an Olympic gold and an upcoming pop group called the Beatles begin a 48-night residency at nightclub in Hamburg. IN THE CHARTS Every wannabe guitarist develops a longing for a Fiesta Red Fender Stratocaster thanks to Hank Marvin, who (along with the rest of the Shadows) releases the second-best seller of the year with Apache . The Everly Brothers claim top spot with Cathy’s Clown with Cliff Richard in third, giving us Please Don’t Tease . Elvis…

1 My best advice ‘Surround yourself with people who have the knowledge of the project you’re taking on – it’s all free.’ 2 My proudest moment ‘Getting the MoT certificate and driving it, 20 years after it was last driven, and fulfilling my promise to the previous owner that the car would live again.’ 3 My biggest fail ‘The luggage straps behind the seats. There were no carpets fitted when the car arrived, so I put in the soundproofing and carpets that were in the crates, then drilled the firewall for the straps. Next I took it down the road to fill it up with petrol. There was a massive petrol puddle and they had to shut down the forecourt. Luckily, although I’d drilled seven or eight holes, I’d only…

Getting older surely brings with it a greater appreciation for everyday things around us, from the dawn chorus to squirrels in the park and brochures for the Morris Ital mysteriously appearing from under your bed. Maybe it’s trying to cling to the past, but it’s always sad to see buildings with motoring connections you’ve known for years demolished. Westminster Council has agreed that the Brutalist masterpiece that is the Welbeck Street car park, behind Oxford Street. can be flattened, and a hotel built on the site. This is despite the wondrous precast concrete diamond pattern facade, which a study decreed could not be incorporated into the new development; following a petition to the Mayor and opposition from the 20th Century Society, among others. A proposal to incorporate the facade into…

Red dawn… Cold War cars – subscriber Albert Braid from Bicester has noticed we have some affection for Communist cars, so had to make us aware of his recent discovery. The vehicles were found at an abandoned airfield in Krakow, Poland. Wartburg 311 and Dacia 1300 Whetting our appetite with a Wartburg 311 and Dacia 1300 (rebadged Romanian built and re-branded Renault 12) behind. Doesn’t look like it would take much. Skoda Octavia A Skoda Octavia (1959-’71) from Czechoslovakia, quite normal by the standards being set in this collection. Parked alongside is its predecessor the Skoda 440 (1955-59). Tarpan 237 One of several cars completely new to Rust In Peace is this Tarpan 237 (1973-1994). in a shade reminiscent of British Leyland’s ‘Bahama Gold’ Range Rover…

THU MAR 21 Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions, Henstridge Airfield, Henstridge, Somerset. (01963 363353, dvca.co.uk) SAT-SUN MAR 23-24 Classic Car Auctions’ Restoration Show sale, NEC, Birmingham. (01926 640888, classiccarauctions.co.uk) SUN APR 7 Bonhams’ Goodwood Members Meeting sale, Goodwood, West Sussex. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/cars) WED APR 10 Brightwells’ Classic & Vintage, Bicester Heritage, Bicester, Oxfordshire. (01568 611122, brightwells.com) WED APR 10 H&H Classics, The Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire. (01925 210035, handh.co.uk) WED APR 10 Charterhouse, Royal Bath & West Showground, Somerset. (01935 812277, charterhouse-auction.com) S AT APR 13 Anglia Car Auctions, The Cattlemarket, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (01553 771881, angliacarauctions.co.uk) FRI APR 26 South West Vehicle Auctions, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. (01202 745466, swva.co.uk)…

Our son Ben was approaching his 21st birthday and wanted to drive a classic Italian car in Italy as his present. However, car hire companies proved more elusive than websites suggested and some panic set in. Enter Geoff and his beloved 1991 Alfa Romeo S4 Spider. A family friend did some matchmaking and, after a serious interview regarding our intentions, (not your normal haggling transaction) a deal was done. The car had great provenance, imported and restored in the Noughties. Several Swiss motorway stickers reassured us the car would make the 3000-mile trip we had planned: Birmingham – Calais – Lucerne – Milan – Tuscany – Lake Garda – Monaco – Nice – Cannes – Home. The trip of a lifetime, and maybe beginners’ luck, but we made it. We’re…

Paul Brightman and Patrick Lloyd-Jacob set up Royce Service and Engineering 36 years ago. Says Paul: ‘We trained at Jack Barclay then set up our own company to maintain, restore, upgrade and sell Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. We focus on post-war models up to around 2005 – the Silver Shadow is a very important car to us. We’ve invested in all of the equipment to look after these cars and we have the contacts to source the parts to keep these cars on the road.’ SELECTED SPECIALISTS Royce Service & Engineering, Surrey. 01737 844999, rsande.co.uk Balmoral UK, West Midlands. 01562 711114, balmoraluk.com Colbrook, Cambs. 01733 243737, colbrook specialists.co.uk Flying Spares, Warks (used parts). 01455 292949, flyingspares.com Ghost Motors, Kent. 01732 886002, ghostmotors.co.uk Hanwells, London. 0208 567 9729, hanwells.net…

1984 Daihatsu Charade CS diesel Engine 993cc/3-cyl/diesel Power 36.5bhp@4600rpm Torque 44lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual Top speed 78mph 0-60mph 23sec Fuel economy 62mpg (av) Work done Revived; exhumed; serviced; oil and fluids changed; new battery fitted. In Danny’s shed 1951 RILEY RMA Waiting for sunny days. 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Engine out for PC NEC Show. ’71 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR V8 rebuilt at PALE Classics. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Said farewell to Christine. 1980 TRIUMPH TR7 Asleep under a cover. 1987 MAZDA 626 COUPÉ Will be done – soon, oh yes. 1998 ROVER 825 COUPÉ Set for a belt change. 2000 VW PASSAT 1.9 TDI New load-lugger purchased. Barn Find. Bit of a cliché these days isn’t it? Most cars described as such are neither ‘found’ nor have ever lived in a ‘barn’.…

1998 Saab 9-3 Engine 1995cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 130bhp@6100rpm Works done Steering rack brace fitted. As explained in detail on page 92, I bagged myself another Saab in the same week I sold the 96. Such is the draw of the Saab Owners Club, I didn’t want to abandon Saab ownership and in a timely moment of madness, I hopped on a train to Morpeth to pick it up. Despite shiny paintwork, those salty north  east roads have attacked the Saab underneath, so there’ll be a little welding to be done but this era of 900/9-3 has one specific Achilles heel: a bulkhead that cracks. In essence, vague steering and a clicking noise from the wheel indicates trouble. It doesn’t take long to spot the issue, either. Luckily, mine appears to be…