Table of contents for July 2015 in Practical Classics

Ten years ago I bought an ex-RAF staff car. It was a 1938 Hillman Minx that I welded up, rebuilt and repainted in RAF blue. To put a former airman’s car back on the road after 60 years in a shed felt important, because that airman who took it with him into the RAF in 1939, like so many of his comrades, didn’t make it home. After the war his wife garaged her husband’s Minx for the rest of the 21st century – it became her private memorial to her fallen hero. That Minx (GTN 331) is now out on the re-enactment circuit, helping to keep our memories of ‘The Few’ alive. 75 years ago young men, barely out of school, fought in the skies above the south of England…

Another great Beaulieu Spring Autojumble saw close on record numbers. Total admissions reached 15,975, one thousand up on 2014 and the second best attendance since the first ever Spring Autojumble in 1994. Stand numbers were also up at 1176, including over 40 club stands, with 116 vehicles for sale in the Motormart. The Practical Classics marquee was extremely busy with two staff cars being worked on over the weekend. By far the biggest effort was put in by Mark Gray and John Simpson as they attempted to re-engine Danny’s Rover P6 2200SC. The original engine let go in a spectacular way (see Danny’s Saga, p98), necessitating replacement. Sam Glover stepped in with the offer of a 2000TC lump which was brought to Beaulieu and readied for transplant. ‘That was the…

Halfords has reported an 800 per cent increase in sales of dashcams over the past year. Classic insurance firms aren’t yet reducing premiums for those who use them, but enthusiasts have been encouraged to adopt them as it can simplify the claims process by providing evidence. However, a note of caution has been sounded by Hagerty International Insurance, whose Marcus Atkinson said that they should be fitted in a way that doesn’t ‘impair vision or affect the mechanical aspect of the vehicle.’…

The Volvo Enthusiasts’ Club is going from strength to strength, following the successful reintroduction of a major national event for members last year as part of its 25th birthday celebrations. Founders Day, the most recent of which was held earlier this month, was organised by Kevin Price, who launched the club back in 1989. Held at Hartlebury Castle in Worcestershire, the event welcomed all Volvo enthusiasts, not just those in the club. According to Kevin, the show and tour was a great success with a representative selection of models the club caters for. One of only six surviving PV 445 convertibles turned up, as did a British Touring Car Volvo 850 estate and even a 240 pick-up, amid the more common P1800s, 100- and 200-series models. However, this was more…

Louise Kennedy shares her husband Jason’s passion for cars every bit as much as he does. Which is just as well since they currently own 17 classics between them. Italian cars feature heavily, with Lancias being the prominent marque by a significant margin. ‘My father had a garage and drove Lancias,’ says Jason, by way of explanation, ‘so my passion definitely came from him.’ ‘We use our cars,’ adds Louise. ‘Recently we went to Wales in the Aurelia and Italy in the Thema, while we also took the Fulvia to Slovenia. All the cars have to be ready to jump in and drive otherwise what’s the point in owning them? They are all, with the exception of the TVR, rolling restorations and we are constantly fettling them. I explain to…

I’m Nick and that’s my dad Tom in the picture. I’ve owned my Beetle for eight years and it’s my daily car. I like the parts availability and the club scene for VWs, and I’m a committee member of the Lothian Volkswagen Club. Dad often joins me at shows and events and always mucks in. This photo was taken in Glasgow at the start of the 2015 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. The organisers also provide three ‘heritage runs’ after the Monte cars have left. This year we went on the Luss run, on the banks of Loch Lomond. It was quite tricky because the snow fell thick and fast. Fortunately, dad’s navigation skills got us there. He doesn’t own a classic these days, but loves getting his hands dirty. I…

I bought this not knowing what it was. When I sold my JC Midge, someone spotted it in the background of one of my pictures and informed me that it was a Sammio Spyder. The design is based on the 1954 Lancia D24, but it’s built on a Triumph Spitfire 1300. Myself and my grandson Keane did most of the work, apart from the paint, seats and wiring. We made the dashboard from an old piano lid! The seats had to be made as no ‘off the shelf’ ones fitted. The clutch was stuck to the flywheel, but when we got the wiring in we found that the engine was in good condition. We bought some secondhand wire wheels and had them coated in powder chrome, and you can’t tell…

Tech Specs ENGINE 948cc/4-cyl/OHV POWER 37bhp@4750rpm TORQUE 50lb ft@2500rpm GEARBOX 4-speed manual 0-60MPH 30.8sec TOP SPEED 73mph FUEL ECONOMY 40mpg WEIGHT 810Kg PRICE WHEN NEW £586 VALUE NOW £4000 As we arrive for our day’s photo shoot with the little Morris, granddad Bobby and grandson Dean are standing on their driveway in the sunshine with the car they’ve brought back to life, beaming with enthusiasm. It’s obvious how much they’ve enjoyed restoring the Minor and how much pleasure they get from working together. ‘A few years ago, Dean came to me saying he wanted to learn to weld,’ Bobby says. ‘I knew the best way would be to tackle a project together.’ But Dean’s interest had been growing for some time before this. ‘As a youngster, I always remember my…

FLYING… LOTUS EXCEL Looks like the time has come for the Lotus Excel – especially the higher-powered SE version. This is the reliable Lotus, built with lashings of Toyota bits. But it still drives like a Lotus. Bag one now. +20% THIS YEAR FLAILING… BENTLEY BROOKLANDS Such an evocative name makes you want to wax your moustache and don flying helmet. But this is more luxury cruiser than racetrack hero, a Turbo R without the turbo. Now available for under £10k. -6.6% ON LAST YEAR…

Danny says… Bravo for a Bavarian marvel Back in 2000 my first PC staff car was an E21 316. It was spartan and could have been a depressing place to be were it not for the fact that it was brilliant. Built by people who cared, it was also a hoot to drive, particularly on the B-roads of Rutland. I ended up in a ditch near Benefield. My talent failed, not the car’s – the miles before my ‘off’ were some of the best I’ve had. On May 2, 1975 a new car rolled off BMW’s Milbertshofen assembly line. It was modest, compact and not entirely dissimilar to the model it replaced. The fact that this humble machine single handedly changed the small/ medium sized car market might have been…

The TR Register International Weekend returns to the Three Counties Showground, Worcs, on August 7-9. The world’s biggest festival of everything Triumph TR promises another action-packed weekend, this year celebrating the 40th anniversary of the TR7, 50th of the TR4A and 60th of the TR3. The annual Autosolo competition, Meguiar’s concours d’elegance and gymkhana feature alongside arena displays and great family evening entertainment including Adam Night, a comedy hypnotist. Free technical seminars are open to all, if you can break away from browsing the extensive trade show and autojumble. A Triumph ‘Survivors’ display will feature cars that have never been restored. With a free beer and wine welcome on Friday night for all members and ‘an audience with…’ session exploring the story of TR7s in motorsport, it’s a weekend not…

1963 Fiat 850 Abarth ‘We put in an 80bhp competition engine and ‘box over the winter,’ explains Louise, ‘plus new wiring, LSD, upgraded driveshafts and brakes. It was raced in the Seventies and Eighties in the States and sold at Pebble Beach in the Nineties: it’s a hoot on road or track.’ 1970 Fulvia Sport Zagato 1300 ‘It’s got plastic windows and no heater – just ready to race,’ says Jason. It’s always driven to the circuit. Louise has won her class 40 times.’ 1979 Lancia Beta coupé ‘This was our first race car,’ says Louise. ‘Jason has been hugely successful in it, including winning the championship in 1998.' 1965 TVR Griffith 200 ‘This one scares me,’ laughs Jason, ‘it’s chassis no.23, was sold new in Alaska and originally used…

I bought this Polo from my mate Keith, who lives in Northern Ireland. He’s a mechanic and had sorted most of the major stuff, including the suspension, brakes and exhaust. It has only done 70,000 miles and the 55bhp engine is eager off the mark. However, it was in a very tired cosmetic state with lots of rust and mottled paintwork. I don’t have the skills to make it concours, so I thought I’d have some fun instead by painting the boot with chalkboard paint. It’s not a Rat car – I think its more ‘retro-chav.’ I even added the logo of my favourite band Therapy? as they come from County Antrim, just like my Polo!…

I bought this buggy from a local chap in February 2014 after a hard two years persuading him to sell! I’d dreamed of owning a buggy since I was 17. It had been off the road for a while, so I needed to do some work on it. Before I knew where I was I’d totally stripped it. I changed the colour from blue to Ford Electric Orange and painted it in a gazebo in my back garden. I fitted new seats, wiring loom, brakes, lights, custom made fuel tank and the engine received lots of chrome. It passed the MoT in December 2014 and of course, it rained on the way back so I got soaked.…

Tempus fugit, I’m afraid Mike Dean hits a resonant note in Larkin’s Barkin (Letters, May 2015). We are at a time when ECUs, lambda sensors and plug-in diagnostics are uncertain territory for many of us. The trouble comes with that digital, green-figure dash clock sported by many of the cars that Mike doesn’t want including as classics. It just keeps ticking – or whatever it is it does. I bought my first ‘old’ car in 1995, a 1971 MGB GT, so it was 24 years old at the time. If I wanted to buy a period equivalent ‘old’ car today, it would be a 1991 vehicle, and it would be interesting to discover which cars I could buy from that era without any of the ECU-type attachments that many of…

Brightwells had another good turnout on May 13, and another good result, too. Over 75 per cent of the cars on offer found new homes, with plenty topping their high estimates. The big surprise came from a Riley RMF. This was an older restoration from some 20 years and 18,000 miles ago, but it still presented very well and had been on a wedding hire fleet for the past two years. Nicely mellowed inside but with scope for improvement in the engine bay, you rarely see RMFs this good. Perhaps what we saw here was the market catching up with that, but it sailed past the £15k top estimate to sell for a total of £21,280. Anyone hoping to bag a cheap E-type by restoring the V12 fixed-head project offered…

After a better but still below par second sale, Classic Car Auctions has moved future sales from Tuesdays to Saturdays to try and get some more bums on pews. There was certainly little problem with the cars on offer, like the Renault Clio Williams highlighted here. Number 55 of the sought after first run of Williams cars, it was an obviously cared for three-owner car showing 78,500 on the clock. It also wore the rather appropriate plate L55 RCW The £4500-£6000 estimate looked right, but demand would appear to be picking up again as it eventually sold for a strong £6432. Time to update the Price Guide.…

Classic cars are filled with DC electric motors – from windscreen wiper and washer motors, to electric window motors, to the starter motor itself. Electric motors work on the principle of magnetic attraction and repulsion. If a north and a south pole are put close together, they will attract each other. Two north or two south poles together will repel. The basic idea A coil of wire [A] on an axle, is placed between magnets [B] . When the coil is connected to a battery, the current sets up a magnetic field. Depending on the direction of the current, the coil will either be held rigidly in place, or it will flip 180° and be held rigid. To keep it moving, it’s necessary to reverse the current every time it…

The 50th anniversary of Jim Clark’s most successful year has been marked at his home town of Duns in the Scottish Borders (16-17 May). Three-time World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart and three-time Le Mans winner Allan McNish were among those who flooded the town for this free event as some of Clark’s most significant cars were displayed and demonstrated. A highlight was the chance to see Stewart drive his old friend’s Lotus 25 up the usually quiet High Street. Clark won his second Formula 1 World Championship in 1965, along with the Indianapolis 500, the Formula 2 Championship and the Tasman Championship. The event was run by Club Lotus in partnership with the Jim Clark Trust, who look after the Jim Clark Rooms where visitors to Duns can learn more…

How did the club start? ‘A few of us were discussing the need for a new, different club and decided to stop ‘talking’ and do something. So in April 2014 I started the club, with our Facebook page and website running a week later. What makes GranadaNutz different from other clubs? ‘We are a young vibrant club, making it about people as well as cars. We’re sociable and involve every member and their family in taking the club forward. Many people are unsure whether to join clubs, so we’re happy for them show their car with us then join later. Car condition doesn’t matter, as long as it’s a Granada MkI or MkII.’ What were the highlights of the club’s first year? Firstly, it would be the number of great…

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 12-14 CHESHIRE: Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, SY14 8AH (www.cpop.co.uk). SATURDAY, JUNE 13 KENT: Classic and Custom Show at Bexley Grammar School, DA16 2BL (www.bexleygs.co.uk). SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 13-14 SURREY: Double Twelve Motorsport Festival at Brooklands, KT13 0QN (www.brooklandsmuseum.com). SOMERSET: Bristol Classic Car Show at Shepton Mallett, BA4 6QN (www.carsandevents.com). SUNDAY, JUNE 14 DERBYS: Peak Run, tour of Derbyshire (www.derwentvalley-tssc.org.uk). YORKS: East Yorkshire Thoroughbred Car Club East Coast Run (www.eytcc.org.uk). CO. DURHAM: Classic cars at Raby Castle, DL2 3AH (www.rabycastle.com). LANCS: Garstang Autojumble at Hamilton House Farm, PR3 0TB (www.garstangautojumbles.co.uk). LANCS: Classic Car Show and Autojumble at Hoghton Tower, PR5 0SH (www.classicshows.org). S WALES: Barry Festival of Transport, Barry Island (www.ctpg.co.uk). SATURDAY, JUNE 20 BUCKS: Classic Car Show at Tingewick Recreation Ground, MK14 8NU (07764 976774). SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 20-21 WORCS:…

What made you buy a Standard Ensign Estate? I’ve been an Austin A40 Farina enthusiast for decades, but in 1986 I was looking for a larger car that could accommodate the family more easily. It was around about August or September of that year that I saw an advert in Practical Classics for an Ensign Estate for sale in Stourport-on-Avon. What sort of work did you have to carry out? It was just about running when I bought it, although the handling was awful thanks to the condition of the tyres – we just about got it home to Bromley! One thing I quickly learned was that the Ensign is not a particularly easy car to maintain; for example there are 31 grease nipples, plus the overdrive unit also needed…

I like Fords, although I do have trouble getting pictures of them all together as I can only have three at home at any time! I bought my Cortina in 2009 from a member of the Mark Three Owners’ Club, and it’s a very early MkIII. All the panels are original, but I had it repainted in the original Silver Fox colour as the car was covered in surface rust. The interior is bright red everywhere, which is very period. I plan to hand it over to my three-year-old son when he’s old enough to look after it. The MkIV Cortina has been fitted with a five-speed gearbox and electronic ignition. It’s also had a complete engine rebuild. I’ve done nothing to the car and don’t need to – it…

Re Dave Williams’ letter in the May 2015 issue, I was fascinated as a small boy by a friend’s mother’s ‘sit up and beg’ Ford Popular. It was so different to the then current crop of vehicles. I waxed lyrical about it to my father, whose puzzled retort was ‘It’s just an old Ford Pop.’ In my twenties my cars included a Sprite, an Escort MkI, a Midget, a Stag, a GT6 and a Porsche 911, but I never thought of them as classics. Now I’ve turned full circle and have another MG Midget that I do regard as a classic. I now see even MkI Golfs and Escorts as classics. But as for a Rover 200 or a Ford Focus – aren’t supermarket car parks full of them? In…

I spotted this lovely Mercedes-Benz 280SL on the marina at Cala D’or in Mallorca. Kevin Stuttard, Kent My wife Val and I spotted this beautiful ‘55 Chevyin Napier, New Zealand, while on holiday last year. Chris Ellett, Chester I snapped this Lancia at Diano Marina, Italy. Albert Sooty, Genoa, Italy Once a very common find in France, but now increasingly rare. This immaculate Citroën DS was in Normandy. Andrew Batley, Glossop. I spied a couple of nice Austins on a campsite in Ruby Bay, New Zealand. The lorry had been fitted with a steel roll top that transformed it into a motorhome. Peter Warne, via email I first saw this glorious Simca Aronde a year ago in the middle of Nottingham. Don Robinson, Nottingham Send your Spotted pictures to danny.hopkins@bauermedia.co.uk.…

May 2013 Dismantling begins The big stripdown gets underway and the scale of the corrosion becomes clear. May 2013 Feet visible through the floor Fred Flintstone would be proud of this Morris. August 2013 New metal going in Good progress, with sills reinstated. October 2013 Rolled to access chassis legs They always said Minors rolled easily! April 2014 Ready to spray Time to apply the topcoat on Bobby’s drive, and possibly his caravan, too. PAINTWORK A bit of fine weather meant full steam ahead. May 2014 Interior goes in The end is close as the interior is fitted.…

You just don’t find immaculate unrestored original Alfasuds outside of small villages in southern Italy, so to see one that’s spent its life in Surrey is beyond amazing. It helps that this right-hand drive 1.3 Super has only covered just over 19,000 miles, and was stored from 1994 until last year. It still retains its original dealer numberplates and rear window sticker. It has nowbeen sympathetically recommissioned with all-new belts, brakes, filters and so on, and is now ready to go. Anglia Car Auctions has given it an estimate of £5500-£7500. If that isn’t exclusive enough, how about a UK market 1960 Simca Aronde P60 Elysée? That would have been an unusual sight here in 1960, never mind 55 years later. This car is showing 44,600 miles, comes with an…