Practical Classicsの October 2023 の目次

The classic world was rocked this month by the death of former BL Chief Designer, Harris Mann. His automotive vision graced every UK street in the Seventies and Eighties and his influence is obvious even now. Always controversial and often hampered by his professional surroundings, his extraordinary designs will live on in the hearts of anyone who has owned one and in the pages of this magazine. Having enjoyed numerous Allegros, two TR7s, an Ambassador and a smattering of MG Z cars, I have sampled much of what made him great. And 'great' is the word… I have loved every minute of my experiences with his automotive works, including the Marina Coupé, which I still own. Whenever I met him he exuded enthusiasm and positivity, particularly in the company of…

Tributes have been paid worldwide to the man responsible for some of the most memorable cars ever built. Best known for his work at British Leyland, Harris Mann leaves a legacy of design icons, loved by millions. Born in London in 1938, Mann spent his early career working on buses and coaches in the UK and USA before taking up a role at Ford in 1964. He moved to BMC at Cowley in 1967 and then, three years later, took over from Roy Haynes as British Leyland’s Chief Stylist. In a recent interview, (which you can read in full next month) he told it wasn’t an easy start. ‘When I arrived, the Maxi had already been signed off. We all thought it already looked dated before it had even…

If you're an MG fan, you'll be pleased to hear that, although the end of the 2023 classic car season is rushing headlong towards us, there's still time to celebrate this great British marque's centenary at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, on September 30. The day is being put on by the Home Counties South region of the MG Owners' Club, and one of those behind it all is Chris Adamson. He told us: ‘We've had a fantastic response from club members so far, with cars set to come from all over the south of the UK. All ages of MG are welcome at MG100, from pre-war J-Types and Midgets, through the massed ranks of T-Series, MGAs, MGCs, MGBs and Magnettes, to modern classics such as the RV8 and MGF.…

EMAIL OF THE MONTH I enjoyed your cover feature including three of BL/ Austin Rover/MG Rover’s finest in the last issue (PC, August 2023) . It had me wondering where it all went wrong. I have a 1989 MG Maestro Turbo and 2004 MG ZS180 and having owned a 1983 MG Maestro 1600 and 1990 MG Maestro EFi, I can vouch for their excellent engineering and driving quality. I’ve also owned two examples of the VW Golf GTi and apart from perhaps slightly inferior bodies (ie prone to rust) and interior plastics, the BL products were certainly a match in the mechanical and engineering department. Having spent more than 40 years in the world of Corporate Banking (retiring in 2018) I worked closely with many of the major auto manufacturers…

£50 STAR FIND Can you do better! Send your high-res images to practical.classics@ bauermedia.co.uk Chevrolet Master Jack Brands has been scouring the salvage yards of Montana, where the space and climate allow for great rust hunting potential, beginning with a 1936 Chevrolet Master Coupe on an industrial estate. Buick Special Look how immaculately the chrome shines on this 1953 Buick Special and it is hard to believe this 'Special' model was the smallest one that the firm had on sale that year. Packard Standard This patina-laden 1949/50 Packard Standard is still 100 per cent complete; even the hood ornament is still in place. Field of Twenties Dodges Only in America could you happen upon a whole row of surviving Twenties cars, all ready to donate spares like these Twenties Dodge…

These isles have given rise to an admirable plethora of motoring greats. Can there really be such a thing as a ‘greatest hit’ for the British car industry? Probably not, but it’s a fun question to grapple with, so we’ve assembled this drool-worthy assortment to toy with the idea. Would you like the Jaguar E-type, seen here in ultra-desirable Series I Roadster form? Few cars feel so poignant, or so embedded in our culture. Despite its ex-Buick engine, the Rover P5 somehow manages to feel like the most British car here – with the possible exception of the Traveller. If it’s charisma and practicality you’re after, the Morris is bound to tickle your fancy. Thanks to a busy enthusiast scene, with loads of parts and upgrades available, you won’t have…

James Walshe DEPUTY EDITOR 1985 Citroën 2CV Engine 602cc/2-cyl/OHV Gearbox 4-speed manual Power 29bhp@5750rpm Torque 31lb ft@3500rpm Top speed 71mph 0-60mph 32.7sec Fuel economy 45mpg Work done Fuel tank downgraded. Also in James’s garage 1989 SAAB 900 TURBO Work due to start. At last! 2001 FORD PUMA 1.7 Sticking heater valve. 2003 CITROËN BERLINGO 2.0 HDI Ever faithful old donkey. 2004 SMART ROADSTER Performed godson prom duties recently. This past month has been a string of successes and the odd fail – most notably a large puddle of fuel from underneath my 2CV. Lucky for me, the pool appeared at the end of a long weekend in Wales… and not before. It was the car’s first proper outing since the springtime repaint and, in all honesty, I don’t think I…

The wipers on my Triumph Spitfire are terrible. They leave a big area in the centre of the screen smeared and unwiped, plus when switched off they simply stop, without parking at the bottom of the windscreen. Please show me how to get the wipers working properly again. Garry Pyne, Leicestershire NIGEL’S JOB CARD RESTORE WIPER FUNCTION Today we are going to run through a range of problems, both electrical and mechanical, that can affect classic windscreen wipers, from switch to motor to arms and blades. We’re looking at a Lucas two-speed wiper installation, as fitted to thousands of British classics from the late Sixties through to the Eighties.This is also relevant to earlier Lucas single speed electric wipers, and many continental wiper systems too: the Bosch wipers fitted on…

PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! See p52. FUTURE FUEL What’s the deal with alternative fuels? The PC team puts it to the test… in their own classics Practical Classics (ISSN 0957697, PE 9080) is published monthly (with an extra 'Spring issue in April) by H Bauer Publishing Ltd, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, Cambs PE2 6EA, United Kingdom. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150- 15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Practical Classics, World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150-15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. MISSING US ALREADY? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube! Reader resto We meet the man who restored…

Volvo has announced it is turning its back on the UK estate car market, with the news fewer than 10 percent of customers are now choosing an estate or saloon from the current range. Volvo UK says its Special Vehicles department will continue to make the V60 and V90 models available as special order for emergency services but for everyone else, it signals the end of an illustrious history of a model dear to the hearts of Brits who flocked to showrooms decade after decade, captivated by the solidity, dependability, space, and those sturdy looks. The Swedish firm’s symbol of stout middle-class family values first appeared in 1953 with the godfather of the Volvo estate – the PV445 Duett (pictured above). Based on the PV sedan, but with ladder frame…

With our cars, as in life, we often need a helping hand. That’s why, this month, we’re turning our attentions to this long-standing classic car co-operative. It exists to allow petrolheads access to facilities many of them can only dream of at home – and also allows them to support each other, both mentally and with their respective projects. The North East Restoration Club (NERC) was formed in 1971 and pre-dates the modern trend for ‘Men’s Shed’-type charities, allowing enthusiasts to work together and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with finding support among kindred spirits. NERC moved to its current premises in 1973; the buildings and land it now occupies are what remains of the old Blythe Brickworks, established in 1898. The grounds were subsequently purchased by the club and…

Loughborough, Autumn 1973  Oh, look at all that rampaging rust! As the Seventies heads towards its mid-point, some of the cars of previous decades aren’t holding up that well. Our location is Loughborough Central station, just setting up as the base of Grand Central Railway heritage line at this time. No wonder the small boy is being held up to look over the wall; there’s probably something old and fascinating on the other side. It’s the old and fascinating stuff on this side that interests us though. That’s the rear of a Renault 10 poking in from the right, ahead of GOC 24, a 1946 Morris 8 Series E that, remarkably given its extensive corrosion (including jagged door bottom edges), was still going in 1985 according to DVLA records. In…

THE RESTOR Gary Needs started his career as an apprentice lorry mechanic and made his way up, eventually managing a DAF dealership. Last year he took early retirement to spend more time on his projects, including his superb Renault. Gary Needs’s garage is so tidy that you wouldn’t think much hard labour has been done in there. It feels more like a cosy showroom than a mechanic’s workshop, until you notice a lathe tucked in a corner, then the press, and drawers of ordered tools. Then Gary shows you photos of piles of rusty parts – what this Renault 5 Turbo used to look like – and you begin to appreciate what a hive of activity this place must have been. In 1977, Renault had ambitions to create a rally…

This P5B has been a labour of love since my dad and I found it in a garden in the mid-Nineties. It really was rotten as a pear, and if we hadn’t intervened it would almost certainly have gone around a track. So my dad and I set about chopping out the sills, A-, B- and C-pillars, inner and outer wings… the works. The worst of the rot was behind the door catches, where Rover had kindly used foam as a sound deadening material to ensure the doors 'clonked' shut like a Rolls-Royce, which they did, but that foam also trapped moisture and condensation and rotted the pillars from the inside out. Delightful! We also saved another P5 from the same garden, a coupé, which we restored for my dad…

• Reader Rupert Holmes • Time Six weeks • Distance 4500 miles • Breakdowns One We were almost 3000 miles into a six-week round trip from France’s Atlantic coast to the Aegean, via Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania – and needed to be 1600 miles away in La Rochelle in three days. Cruising at 95mph at just over 3000rpm, it was the fastest I’d pushed my Saab 9-3 in a decade of ownership, but to reach the hotel while the restaurant was open, we had most of the length of western Bulgaria to travel that afternoon. I had never planned to own a modern classic – yet alone take one on such a long trip – but the car I bought for £800…

Lisa Stolarski’s The Antique Touring Company offers tours of Detroit seven days a week. Working with her husband, she secured three well prepared and restored Model A Fords to use as tour vehicles – as she says: ‘It’s Detroit – we had to use Fords, right?’. There’s an open tourer (Phaeton) that seats five, a saloon that will deal with the same number, plus a seven-seater Woodie-wagon. The weather and the size of your party dictate which machine you are lucky enough to ride in. For my tour it was the gorgeous 1930 Phaeton, which they’ve named Jupiter. Lisa’s tour takes in every significant automotive site you could wish to see, including the original Cadillac building (now being turned into flats but still bearing the badges of its time as…

Wandering blissfully among cars at the event celebrating 75 years of the Morris Minor and sister classics, I was ushered towards the Wolseley Register’s fine display. ‘We have something for you,’ they said. ‘Ooh gosh,’ I replied. Was it cake, I wondered? Far better. A new book, entitled Wolseley Four-Fifty and Six-Eighty: A Super Profile. Wow, the Six-Eighty is my all-time favourite. Kindly agreeing to sign my copy was the writer, Anders Ditlev Clausager, who explained how the book came about. He’d loved Wolseleys since his uncle bought a new Six-Ninety in 1955, acquiring his own 1954 Four-Forty-Four as a daily in 1972. This was followed by three projects – a1946 18/85, 1954 Six-Eighty and a 1956 Fifteen-Fifty in his native Denmark. All sadly had to go when he relocated…

Classic values & essential buving advice It was a return to the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton for H&H’s most recent sale on 26 July. It had some real gems in the 132car catalogue too, but on the day sold just 59 per cent of them. Disappointing, though currently not unusual. Financial realities are biting the classic market. There’s still money for the right cars though. Like this Volvo P1800S. An early ‘cowhorn’ bumper model, it was restored in 2015 to a standard that has since won it a trophy at a Volvo Enthusiasts Club event. The Ferrari Rosso paint remains in fine order. H&H gave it an estimate of £20-24k, but buyers knew what they were looking at. It made £31,500. The weaker market does mean more opportunity for bargain buys…

More often than not, modern Audi customers seem to favour boorishness over beauty. It’s not a criticism solely levelled at Ingolstadt fans either, the whole gamut of modern performance motoring seems to prefer shouting its go-faster credentials rather than whispering. Perhaps it’s a reflection of our social media dominated society, where anything remotely fast has to sport big wings and arch flares that demand attention like a petulant toddler. But it wasn’t always so… Classy enough to woo Sienna Miller. Back in the early Noughties, Audi prided itself on making a machine that could fly under the radar, yet out-perform all but the fastest of supercars. It’s an Ingolstadt tradition that began with the seminal RS2 and was arguably perfected with the firs-tgeneration (C5) Audi RS6. Epic performance was on…

Afriend of mine said to me recently that there really aren’t any interesting modern classics to buy for less than a grand these days. A combination of the 2008-2010 scrappage scheme, the rise in overall used car values, and a less interesting motoring landscape post 2010 is destroying the once-rich seam of bargain-priced motors that we used to beat the system with, he said. For a minute I found myself nodding in agreement. Our motoring landscape is littered with family crossovers and aggressively driven SUVs, which are beginning to filter into our universe. And none of these are exactly appealing – at least to me. In addition, with prices up across the board, even the least sought-after classics are changing hands at prices that would have raised eyebrows even two…

Brand new for the International Autojumble, the 'In conversation with' stage at Beaulieu will run over four sessions on both Autojumble days (Sept 2-3). The stage will be on the monorail field and is sponsored by Lancaster Insurance. Already booked are Dominic Chinea of Repair Shop fame who will chat about his restoration projects, and Andy Saunders who will talk about his latest creation, Deja, built from parts sourced from the autojumble. PC's own James Walshe will reveal the secrets behind his 2CV revival after it's crash in France last year. Finally, the museum's curatorial guru, Doug Hill will be talking about the fabulous Sunbeam 1000hp restoration project. Doug will lift the lid on the latest news including how restorers working on one the record-breaking gem have uncovered an extraordinary…

I’m spinning around… ELECTRIC SCREWDRIVER £94.22 This new electric screwdriver is a super handy addition to your tool box and will be a real wrist saver when you’ve lots of fixings to undo, while retaining the controllability of a hand held driver. It features a rubber-coated handle for enhanced grip and control and in-built LED torch too, while a quick-chuck system makes swapping bits quick and easy. It’s supplied with a quick-chuck bit holder and eight 25mm long 1/4in-drive bits, including PzDrive Pz0, Pz1, Pz2, Pz3; flat 7mm, and Torx® T15, T20, and T25. Powered by a rechargeable Li-ion 3.6V 900mAh battery, with a charging time of just 60 minutes it has an operating time of approximately 40 minutes. A red light indicates charging, while a green light signifies a…

The Beaulieu Autojumble, these days, has grown into a weekend-long social spree as much as a buying and selling jamboree, so actually staying on the field would be a pleasure – away to truly capitalise on everything the Jumble had to offer. But how? The team had camped before, but this time, each member had a hotel on wheels to add to the excitement. Time to head south then, to the New Forest and a full weekend of filthy fun in three classic campers (of a sort). James in his home-brewed Berlingo, Matt on the roof of an adventurous Landy and Danny in his purpose-built Moho – aMercedes no less. Field of dreams then? Or a total nightmare? Read on. DANNY HOPKINS, EDITOR 1985 MERCEDES TN 207D SIOUX CAMPER Accommodation…

‘Family owned from new, It’s still part of our sons’ 1984 Volkswagen Golf GTi MkII Phil Scott, Norwich This is one of the first right-hand drive UK-spec Type 19 GTis, built in March 1984, and it’s been in our family since new. Back then I was aware of the release of the MkII GTi and my then fiancée had a 1979 MkI GTi, but I hadn't seen another MkII GTi on the road (apart from a German one). Anyway, the leasing company duly delivered, and on April 18, 1984 the car turned up. I joined the GTi Drivers Club, and when we took her around Goodwood for a club track day a few months later, my car was the only MkII GTi there! We used it all the time, taking…

It was billed as 'The British car to beat the world'. Fighting talk indeed from beleaguered British Leyland as it launched its new Austin miniMetro. The year was 1980 and Britain was desperate for a success from its native motor industry after years of gloom. The public wanted the Metro, as everyone (including, eventually, its maker) called it, to succeed. And it did, soon becoming Britain's best-selling supermini. Its best year came exactly 40 years ago, in 1983. So, we have brought together a Metro from that year with most of its key rivals. All appeared in UK showrooms during 1983, with the only one that predated BL's baby, the Ford, receiving a major facelift in its transition to Fiesta MkII. Our other fresh-faced supermini rivals are the Vauxhall Nova,…

• Reader Stuart Dodman • Countries visited Four • Fuel economy 24mpg • Breakdowns None The idea for a drive through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany stemmed from my interest in all things military. I reckoned I could drive to the Panzer Museum in Münster in about seven or eight hours. My lovely Morocco Red XJ40 has a modest 60,000 miles under her belt, is in superb condition and is regularly serviced, so I knew she was up to it. The plan was a long drive to Münster to visit the museum, with a series of shorter drives back, experiencing autobahns via Amsterdam, on to Ghent and finishing in Bruges. I had thoroughly prepared for the trip (or so I imagined!) with a notebook with my…

• Readers Alan, Stephen and Archie • Time Nine days • Distance 5147 miles • Breakdowns None Since 2018 we have been doing events and raising money for Prostate Scotland, starting with the Kilts to Carlo event where we entered the Monte Carlo classique rally, and a Land's End to John O’Groats bash. We were soon looking for our next challenge. Alan had just bought a lovely, clean Volvo 240 with just under 100,000 miles on the clock, so we thought ‘we have a Scandinavian car, why not head to the frozen north wearing our national dress?’ The 240 was first registered on May 21, 1993 and we worked out that we were going to be passing through Gothenburg in Sweden where the car was manufactured…

Why you want one Aren’t you tired of the jokes yet? We are. Five decades after it first appeared, it’s time to brush aside the myths, get over it and regard the Allegro for the unique slice of British automotive history we know it to be. You may be surprised to learn the Allegro has a few unexpected tricks up its sleeve – a set of talents that existing owners have been enjoying for years. For starters, the front-wheel drive Allegro’s smooth Hydragas suspension gives it a distinct advantage on modern potholed roads. Add to that, superb road manners and soft comfy seats. As the original range brochure suggested, you get ‘the spaciousness and luxury of a far larger car’. Sure, the Allegro would have benefitted from a tailgate, but…

Matt Tomkins WORKSHOP EDITOR Our workshop puppet master, Matt has a penchant for restoring British classics in particular. This month: Has been looking into LED lighting solutions. Theodore J Gillam ENGINEERING EXPERT A former Motor Vehicle with a particular love of diesel engines. This month: Demonstrates how to carry out a basic service. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS A former teacher, Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. This month: Completely rewired a Standard 8, adding fuses along the way. Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s DIY achievements rival those of pro mechanics. He's our Triumph and BMW expert. This month: Gets to the bottom of a reader’s windscreen wiper woes in the Big Niggle. Rich March PRO BUFFER New recruit Rich runs the very excellent UK Detailing…

Why did you fit hazards? Drivers know that they should react when they see a car with its hazard warning lights flashing. A classic stranded without them is therefore more vulnerable. It's less likely to be seen from a distance – but even if it's seen, other vehicles will be much closer by the time they realise it's stationary and possibly causing an obstruction. What did you aim to achieve? Pressing a switch on the dash operates left and right indicators simultaneously. There is a variety of ways to achieve this, using one flasher unit or two and different types of switch - but the end result is exactly the same. How did you do it? We've formulated these instructions for maximum simplicity and minimum interference with the existing electrics.…

Some 26,000 Triumph Stags were built between 1970 and 1977 and in November 1979 the Stag Owners Club (SOC) was formed by founder member, Tony Hart. As a specialist in repairing and maintaining Stags, Tony wanted to offer advice from this experience to the many Stag owners he encountered. Since then, SOC has continued to expand its range of specialist advice and support to members, who can benefit from the following… Stag.org.uk is (along with a glossy monthly magazine) the key source of specialist advice and help for members, including an interactive online forum. The following services are accessible by consulting this website. SOC Tooling Fund Ltd Whose sole purpose is to facilitate the existence of tooling in order to reproduce rare or difficult to obtain parts for Stags. Technical…