Table of contents for January 2024 in Practical Classics

As a group we give so much of our time to making good things happen. I know this is a bit of a sweeping generalisation, but I’ve always found it to be true. It’s one of the reasons Craig Cheetham never has any trouble filling his pages in the Charity Heroes section of the magazine. We join in as best we can at PC with a variety of endeavours, usually profiling and publicising other people’s good works but often doing a bit of fundraising ourselves. We’ve restored cars and sold them off for charity, we’ve made our own donations and now, in this issue we are fixing up a car for auction, a 1972 Rover 3500. It’s been donated to the magazine by reader Stephen Dix and will be sold…

Daman Thakore, an Indian businessman, has made a 10-week journey to Britain from Mumbai in his 1950 MG YT. Travelling via Dubai, Iran, Azerbaijan,Turkey, Bulgaria, the Adriatic Coast, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and France, Daman reached the UK on October 28 before receiving a reception at the British Motor Museum the following day. The car, named ‘Lal Pari’ has been in Daman’s family for decades and, describing the motivation for the trip, he explained: ‘Our adventure journey with Lal Pari, or Red Angel as we lovingly call her, has been from bedtime stories since I was three to real-life journeys now. Lal Pari spreads happiness and joy wherever it goes and we wish to share that with the rest of the world.’ Daman was met at the British Motor Museum by…

This is a ‘British Open Classic’ edition of the Rover Mini, so it’s quite rare. I believe there were 1000 made for the UK market, and when we put this one back on the road in 2017 there were about 300 left. I’d restored a few cars before, but this was my first Mini resto, and I didn’t fully realise what I was letting myself in for. It turned out to be a real Fred Flintstone car – totally rotten floors – and the engine hadn’t been started, so it was a gamble. A heap of rubbish to be honest! But we had it back on the road in about a year, so not too bad. It all happened in my garage. With the help of my son-in-law, I dropped…

We’re all obviously aware of the poster boys at the top of the classic car tree. Our jaws drop often at the prices they go for at auction, too. From an S1 E-type in its purest and most desirable form to the original Golf GTi MkI, we’ve all seen how they’ve achieved the heady heights of ‘iconic status’ with prices to match. But what of their relatives… those models in the shadow of such greatness? Here, we assemble a group of classics that, while a step behind in value, are just as captivating. The biggest E-type changes had already occurred in 1964 when the 3.8-litre S1 engine was bored out to 4.2-litres and the Moss gearbox replaced by an all-synchromesh Jaguar unit that was easier to use. The S2 E-type…

2003 Jaguar XJ8 (X350) 3.5 Engine 3555cc/V8/OHC Power 262bhp@6200rpm Torque 254lb ft@4250rpm Gearbox 6-speed auto Top speed 150mph 0-60mph 7.3sec Fuel economy 26.5mpg Work done Car rescued, resold and BMW delivered. Also in Danny’s shed 1953 JOWETT JAVELIN One of the most intoxicating cars ever. 1971 MORRIS MARINA 1.3 Still needs finishing. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Sleeping for winter. 1977 RELIANT SCIMITAR SE6A I can’t get the ball bearing into the selector! 1991 PEUGEOT 205 CJ Needs new front suspension 1995 MITSUBISHI GTO Off to a new home. Loved it. 1998 BMW 735I My dad’s new motor. 2004 VAUXHALL FRONTERA 2.2DTI Proving to be useful. It was meant to be dad's forever car. Seven years ago I found my old man an X350 3.5-litre V8 Jaguar saloon. It was a car…

The TR Register Car Club has been enhancing the ownership of Triumph’s TR sports cars for more than fifty years. The club enjoys a huge variety of events both across its 53 local groups and nationally. Touring is a huge part of club life with trips, tours, and weekends away both in the UK and abroad. The club owns the first right-hand-drive TR. Known as TS2, after her commission number, the car is available for members to use for promoting the club and the Triumph TR marque. The technical support is second to none with a vast amount of knowledge shared on the club’s Forum, within its award-winning glossy A4 magazine, TR Action and throughout a programme of technical seminars. Not only is there a bespoke insurance scheme tailored to…

Practical Classics is celebrating the 60th birthday of the Rover P6 with a very special example, one that you can buy. The 1972 3500, with only 54,000 miles, has been donated to the magazine by reader Stephen Dix for one very specific purpose, which is to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. ‘I’ve owned it for 20 years and it’s a lovely example, but now it’s time for it to go on a new adventure,’ Stephen told PC. ’I’ve been inspired by the magazine’s amazing support for charitable works, in particular Prostate Cancer UK, so I thought this would be another way to raise money.’ The P6 will be lightly recommissioned and go on a road trip with the magazine before being entered into the ICONIC Auction at the Practical…

Nominate! Do you know someone aged 16-25 who is aspiring to work with classics? Spending weekends with them, or a club hero? We want to hear from you: visitlancasterinsurance.co.uk/ competitions/bright-young-sparks and get nominating! How did it all start? 'Dad always had a classic car restoration project. My earliest memory is of a Morris Traveller. Helping him with his projects from a young age was what really sparked my passion for cars. Seeing my friends and family’s amazing reaction to the transformation of the cars really does make all the blood, sweat and tears worth it.' Tell us about the 'B 'My 1979 MGB holds a lot of sentimental value for my wife, her family and of course myself – which makes me love it even more. I have done a…

‘Each year, millions of pounds are wasted on unwanted gifts. Pick from these instead.’ The Nutcracker METRIC/STUBBY/STAR SPANNER SET £110.95 This 30-piece metric/stubby/star ring-spanner set would make a great gift and features not only both regular and stubby length spanners, but also includes a set of double-ended star profile spanners from E6 to E24, designed specifically to fit Torx® bolts. Manufactured from high-quality chrome vanadium steel with a mirror polished finish, these spanners promise durability and precision, while being neatly organised in an EVA foam tray, designed to fit roll cab drawers. Metric standard sizes included: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22mm. Metric stubby sizes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18mm. These are all…

FREE EXCLUSIVE PODCAST FOR SUBSCRIBERS… SUBSCRIBE TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL. Driving my 1972 Triumph 2000 west along the A14 I am struck by two things. First, that my Michelotti-designed forever car has never been home to its birthplace and second, how extraordinarily competent it is. Given the way in which the 2000 arrived it has no right to be. In 1963, with Triumph recently acquired by a bullish Leyland Trucks, a cash influx saw ‘Project Zebu’ become ‘Project Barb’ and achieve production readiness in only two years. To launch from drawing board to prototype in that time was unheard of – the Triumph 2000 has no right to be this good. The fact that I am holding my own in the rush hour, in the rain, in comfort…

On April 12, 1991 my grandfather sat at his typewriter and composed a letter to confirm his purchase of FSK 302. On paper, it was a matter of business. With silver garters just above his elbows to hold his shirt sleeves in place, I imagine him tap, tap, tapping away, reserved in his enthusiasm, as he committed to his decision about the MGA in writing. In actuality, it was a dream realised. Sealed, ‘Yours sincerely, Ray.’ Thirty-two years later, the ripple effect from his sending of that single piece of correspondence is still being felt. Helping to lift the gloom after his passing, FSK worked her magic on my life and my career, but more recently she has cast her spell on someone else. That someone is a woman called…

Machine Mart is Britain’s biggest specialist supplier of tools and machinery. It was founded in 1981 by John Clarke and now has 65 stores all over the country. Still with its HQ located in Nottingham, with 42 years of successful operation behind it, it’s almost as old as PC! We joined marketing gurus Liam Kent and James Lewin for a trip around one of MM’s leading stores. Brightly lit and brilliantly laid out, a trip round MM is never a chore, it being full of everything that makes Machine Mart so great… an avalanche of quality car restoration and maintenance kit. As we walk round and ogle the hardware James describes MM’s commitment to keep stores open. ‘We are fully committed to ‘live’ shopping as well as our online delivery…

As part of my day job as editor of Parkers, I need to review the widest possible selection of the latest models. It hardly takes an Einstein to work out that we’re living through a period of great change, with battery-electric and hybrid vehicles being launched at such a rate that getting behind the wheel of something new with just an engine in it feels like a novelty. The shape of cars is being transformed, too. Simple hatchbacks, estates and saloons are fading away as the march of the SUV-inspired crossover shows no sign of slowing. Just how dominant is the family SUV now? Traditional model lines like the Ford Fiesta and Mondeo have made way for the Puma and Kuga, while Volvo recently announced that it would no longer…

James Walshe DEP EDITOR 2004 CITROËN BERLINGO 16v Engine 1587cc/4-cyl/OHC Gearbox 5-speed manual Power 109bhp@5750rpm Torque 108lb ft@4000rpm Top speed 106mph 0-60mph 11sec Fuel economy 37mpg Work done Clutch; catalytic converter; starter motor; service. Also in James’s garage 1985 CITROËN 2CV6 Epic road trips and daily driving. It’s unstoppable! 2001 SMART CITY- COUPÉ Perfect shopping car. Feeling like I should take it on an adventure though. 2004 SMART ROADSTER Winter tyres fitted and ready for the snow! We’ve all got our quirks, haven’t we? Certainly, many are baffled by my fondness for small, unfashionable French vans. The latest addition to my Berlingo fleet, while virtually identical in colour and spec to my ‘keeper’ (a diesel Multispace known as Mr Cropley), is a petrol engined model sold to me by a…

PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! See p70. John Hump He's owned it from new. We meet a legend and his Rover 600 TR4A comeback Triumph fan Dave Lowden goes back to school to restore his TR Restos and revivals! From barn find to show ready, all the action from the PC workshop We tell your stories – from the revival of a Subaru Impreza to probably the UK's most perfect Peugeot 205 GTi, plus there are tales from our own workshop where we get busy with the welder, look at ways to improve your classic’s heating system and find the best way to deep clean your cabin. FEBRUARY ISSUE ON SALE DEC 20  Practical Classics (ISSN 0957697, PE 9080) is published monthly (with an extra 'Spring issue in…

Starting HANDEL Matt Tomkins on why originality really does matter… I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve not always understood the fanaticism that some owners have for originality, as I’d generally rather have a usable classic than a concours car. Returning a car to original specification by removing useful upgrades such as radial tyres in favour of OE spec crossplies, or halogen headlights for potted glow-worms, thus making the car less capable on the roads of today has always seemed counter intuitive to me. But my ongoing barn-find Mini revival (see p108) and the 19,000 mile from new, unrestored and exceptionally original 1923 Austin Seven AB tourer that has just celebrated its 100th birthday at the Great British Car Journey (p10), have changed my perspective somewhat, particularly when that…

Miranda's all heart In 1998 the Morris Minor Owners' Club realised that the Minor arrived in the same year as Marie Curie (1948), and since then the two organisations have worked together to raise funds. The MMOC's Rosie Hamilton comments: ‘On five occasions we've used a car donated by a club member to tour the UK, raising money along the way; so far we've handed over more than £100,000 to Marie Curie. This year's Minor is a 1963 two-door saloon named Miranda and she has spent the year visiting MMOC branches and Marie Curie centres across the UK, and along the way more than £5000 has been raised. Thanks to her yellow livery she never fails to raise a smile.’ You can find out more about Miranda and her exploits…

‘Experts make our lives better!’ I read with interest the article by Nick Larkin (PC, November 23) in which he laments the skills that are vanishing as the older generation cease to be with us. Unfortunately, this is only too true and so many expertly skilled people are leaving a huge hole in our collective abilities. Not far from where I love is a gearbox specialist called Stephenson’s Transmissions, which opened in 1973. Five years ago I lost reverse gear on my Humber Sceptre, so I removed the 'box and took it there. As soon as old Mr Stephenson clapped eyes on it, he asked: ‘Rapier or Sceptre?’ He explained how a special tool was required to strip these gearboxes and sure enough, he reached to a dusty high shelf…

Truffling through my archives, I chanced upon a book full of car photos including a Jaguar MkI, Austin Sheerline, Vauxhall Cresta PA, Renault Dauphine and Bond three-wheeler. I’d bought it while researching a feature 30 years ago. However, rather than devouring the contents before putting the book down with a nostalgic sigh, I approached with trepidation. The cars were mainly twisted wrecks, after real life accidents featured in 1960 publication Battle of the Roads – The Brutal, Stark Story published by the Daily Mirror ‘in the interests of saving life on the roads of Britain.’ The paper had run an exhibition of the same name in London with crashed vehicles etc. ‘This book will shock you. That is its purpose,’ says the introduction. Job done. Some of the pictures featuring…

Jaguar E-type A rare cache of corrosion dotted around Istanbul, as found by Gino Campaner. Where else in the world might you find a Jaguar E-type being used as a flower bed? One of the most surreal Rust In Peace entries that we’ve ever seen! Jaguar XJ6 Series III Gino found another abandoned Jaguar, and this XJ6 Series III has a very advanced case of rot with every panel showing huge rust gaps from being derelict for decades. Audi 80 A ‘young timer’ modern classic to ponder over; this Nineties Audi 80 is sitting on the seafront in Skiathos, Greece, as spied by Martin Leonard. Alfa Romeo 75 A long-forgotten Alfa Romeo 75 1.6IE spotted while on holiday in north-west Corfu by Bub Napoletani. It does look rather rescuable, with…

WISE BUYER Why you want one Perhaps it made sense in the first years of the 21st century, in a world when car makers were experimenting with all kinds of bonkers designs, and this madcap MG is certainly in the category of ‘what were they thinking?’ However, that’s just a reason to love it more nowadays, isn’t it? For right or for wrong, when BMW sold Rover off, MG Rover decided to create a range of cars that offered sportier versions of Rover products with more youthful appeal. First came the Peter Stevens designed MG ZT in 2001, which got stiffer suspension, larger wheels, and lower-profile tyres. But they went a whole step further with the ZT 260 in 2003. MG didn’t have a modern V8 of its own, so…

1970 Triumph 2.5PI Engine 2972cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 132bhp@ 5450rpm Torque 153lb ft@2000rpm Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph 9.7sec Top speed 110mph Fuel economy 21mpg Work done Wiper function restored; gearbox topped up in hope of coaxing the overdrive into life; RBRR completed! Also in Matt’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Has been out and about to mark a big birthday – see p24. 2004 BMW 330d Recently playing second fiddle to the older cars in the combined George fleet. After months of careful preparation, the date was finally upon us… Friday October 6, and with it the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run 2023. Some 102 Triumphs of all shapes and sizes gathered in the grounds of Knebworth House throughout the afternoon, as team members signed in and eagerly awaited the…

EXPLAINER WHAT’S SO CRITICAL ABOUT CLEARANCES? In an overhead valve engine, as the camshaft rotates a cam follower, or tappet, moves up and down on each cam lobe. In each follower sits a pushrod which in turn moves a rocker up, which pivots to push down on the head of a valve, compressing the valve springs and allowing the valve the open at the correct time. A small clearance between valve and rocker is critical for smooth and efficient running of an engine. Too small and the valve could be held open when the engine heats up and components expand, leading to loss of compression and potential valve and cylinder head damage as combustion gases pass the partially open valve. Conversely, too wide a gap will lead not only to…