Table of contents for December 2023 in Practical Classics

Classic car ownership (and enjoyment) lends itself so seamlessly to charitable good works, they are perfect partners. That’s why we carry so much of the good news we get sent in in every issue; Craig Cheetham’s Charity Heroes pages are always bursting with goodness. But this issue it’s all gone a bit bonkers. I am off on the Italian Job raising money for ButtleUK, Matt George took part in the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run in aid of the Huntington’s Disease Association, Craig himself has just returned from his Beauly to Beaulieu marathon drive and, as you can see, we have been descended upon by the Morris Minor Owners’ Club, which is on its own mission to raise money for Marie Curie on the run up to the Classic…

Imissed the lads' superb day out playing with synthetic petrol at Motor Spirit last month (Practical Classics, November 2023) as I was driving across Europe in my 2CV – each mile fuelled the old-fashioned way. The evidence is perfectly clear when it comes to our planet’s health and, while we must seek a solution, I’d also like to carry on enjoying my trusty 2CV without having to re-mortgage the house to do so. ‘We must keep an eye on the top brass’ The noble endeavours to develop alternative fuels, such as those of Zero Petroleum (see p86), are immeasurably valuable to the Earth and to our hobby. It’s exciting to know that the stuff really works, too. The cost of converting classics to electric will inevitably drop as the technology…

Back in 2014, Carl Baldry was watching a TV documentary in which actor Idris Elba entered a Cannonball Run Rally. Little did he then know that it would become the catalyst for an initiative that – in 2023 – took total donations for charity to over £300,000 in nine years and seven events. ‘It actually came to me watching TV one night,’ said Carl, from Wellingborough, Northants. ‘I was watching the actor Idris Elba doing a Cannonball Run across America. I put a comment on my Facebook feed, saying 'who's watching this? I would love to do it.' And before I knew it my feed went crazy with people saying 'I'd do it, I'd do it, I'd do it’.’ By the end of the week, 12 of Carl’s friends had…

Be safe, be seen… LED STOP & TAIL LIGHT UPGRADE FOR SPRITE MKI £71.99 The Austin-Healey Sprite MkI, and many other cars from that period, were equipped with the Lucas L549 rear lights. They look good, but were notorious for having no reflector,and facing the bulb at the back bumper, instead of back down the road. That combination resulted in dangerously dim tail and brake lights. The solution comes via this simple upgrade from Better Car Lighting. Simply remove the bulb, clean the backplate, plug in the new high power self-adhesive LED red light panel and refit the lens. The new LED unit creates three times as much light and all of it goes in the right direction. The electronics in the plug- in bulb adaptor ‘tell’ the LED unit…

As 2023 draws to a close, it's almost time for us all to trek to Birmingham for the annual season closer, the NEC Classic Motor Show. This year's theme is 'Perfect partners', to celebrate the many relationships in the classic community, including the show working with headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance for the past decade. Show Director Lee Masters said: ‘The theme is predominantly designed to challenge the car clubs and exhibitors to interpret in their displays and stands at the show. However, we also wanted to thank and celebrate all the amazing partnerships that are formed in our community. All the usual features will be there for you to enjoy: a huge autojumble, a live stage, a restoration theatre, lots of cars for sale, plus the Lancaster Pride of Ownership…

My husband used to own a 2016 Ford Mustang V8 and I never forgave him for selling it. I thought at the time – one day I am going to own one. The red Mustang was advertised in a magazine and, when I saw it, I thought I could afford that. I already owned a Fiat 500 convertible and once I had sold that, I bought the Mustang.  It was imported to the UK in 2005 and I am only the second owner. The man who imported it was American and then went back to live in America and left the Mustang in the UK. He then decided to sell it. The car came with a file full of original receipts and has so much history, both American and British.…

Thank you for the magazine, seems like the most ‘real’ car magazine dealing with the foibles of the hobbyist doing a lot of their own repairs. I personally work on a lot of Citroëns for our club members (Citroën Club of Minnesota, check our website), but I do and own many different cars from old Buicks to Volvos. I read with interest all the issues in relation to the ULEZ regulations you have, in many states in the US we don’t have any regs at all so far… here’s hoping. Anyway, here is a picture of some my cars. My 1960 Fiat 2100 sedan in the background, 1978 Dodge Monaco wagon (ex-Arizona police), and behind it a 1948 Buick Roadmaster.…

We were looking for a cheap run around for my wife when she told me that she had seen the Alfa on eBay, to which I replied, ‘anyone who knows anything about cars will tell you that Alfas are trouble, let alone ones on an auction site!’ Despite this, I confessed that I had always wanted an Alfa. Anyway, that was 10 years ago and the 147 has turned out to be the most reliable car I have owned (who knew!) and started a trend of Alfas being our daily drivers. Upgrades include 16in Teledial wheels, stainless exhaust, K&N filter, fully stripped and repainted underside, new lower Koni springs all round and a lovely red leather interior. The Mini actually belongs to our son, Joe (14). We bought it as…

C/D: CONCOURS/DEALER COND 1: GOOD COND 2: AVERAGE COND 3: ROUGH 2024 marks 30 years since the last steel-bodied, full-size Jaguar saloon was introduced. The ‘X300’ was a wonderful mixture of classic and modern, with looks harking back to the original 1968 XJ, but with Nineties driving dynamics. A motor car couldn’t get much better – or could it? Well, after just two years of X300 production, Jaguar gave us the car the X300 was meant to be at launch, with the new V8 engines from the XK8 sports car and an entirely new front suspension set-up that turned an already brilliant car into an unbeatable one The ‘X308’ facelift is, to my mind, the best all-round car that Jaguar ever made – and it seems that others are starting…

Well, what do we have here – four of the greatest modern classic GTs of the past 30 years? Absolutely. And an imaginary wallet bursting with cash to blow? Yes! This month, we’re asking if these four have retained the talents they were all championed for back in the Nineties and early Noughties. They all look better than ever, for sure. All have smooth, perfectly formed shapes from nose to tail – none more so than the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It could have been mid-engined but in 2000, incoming boss Ulrich Bez switched the focus to a front-engined, rear-drive machine clothed in a mixture of steel, aluminium and composite panels shaped by new design chief Henrik Fisker. It remains a superb steer in 2023. Similarly stunning to look at…

We’re all too familiar with the concept of a ‘World Car’ these days. There are numerous examples of models designed to work just as well over here in Europe as in America, but that wasn’t the case in the late Seventies. Chrysler had seen what Volkswagen was doing with its Golf and wanted a slice of the action; the Horizon was the result. Car of the Year in 1979, it was all looking rosy for the little car from Poissy. However, a lack of funds pre- Peugeot merger, meant the Horizon barely changed throughout the Eighties, leaving it outpaced by the likes of GM’s Astra and Ford’s Escort. Sadly, these days, surviving Horizons with either a Chrysler or Talbot badge can be counted in single figures.…

Shear joy Since hitting the road in March, James's 2CV has been to France twice and all over the UK with no issues… until now that is! 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 50mpg Work done Gearbox fettled. 2 (hrs) TIME 0 (£) SPENT 659 MILES Also in James’s garage 1989 SAAB 900 TURBO Will it start after so many years? See next month. 2003 CITROËN BERLINGO HDI Recent trips to Manchester, Cornwall and France. 2004 SMART ROADSTER Time for an oil change and a new set of tyres. Some might say an idea first thought up in 1936 would be irrelevant today, but the passing of time has revealed some…

My late grandpa’s Ford Focus MkI, the car that I fondly remember picking me up from school as a kid, has been off the road now for over a year, having been retired to a dry barn just weeks after its last MOT and deep service. I’ve been enjoying using the chromey classics over this time, while a check of the incredibly comprehensive service history showed that the cambelt, replaced in 2012 when the car reached ten years-old, was due for replacement once more. Other commitments meant that this sat on the back burner and the little Ford remained unused. You can read about the specifics of the cambelt change in our weekend workshop feature on p128, but alongside this deep and involved job, which I combined with swapping the…

I’ve inherited my mum’s Beetle Cabriolet and have endured all sorts of spores, sodden carpets and steamed-up driving in wet weather. There are gaps around the hood’s rear window and the fabric looks faded, mossy and porous. How do I go about making it watertight once more? THEO'S JOB CARD HOOD REPAIR AND REPROOF This sounds like several separate jobs: re-bonding the glass rear window to the fabric roof; cleaning off the detritus; re-colouring the roof so it doesn’t look faded; and finally waterproofing it. This all depends on the roof being in sound condition, of course. We’ll use the Renovo Soft Top Reviver system for cleaning, conditioning/dyeing and waterproofing the fabric, after using a glass-bond adhesive on the screen. How tough? You’ll need Hood cleaner Hood dye Hood…

The Kop Hill Climb has been a thing since 1910, when motorcyclists would converge on the steep, twisting slope to test their machines’ prowess. Cars were introduced to the Buckinghamshire event the following year and, as its reputation grew, so did the number and quality of the entrants: Malcolm Campbell, Raymond Mays, Henry Segrave and Count Zborowski all competed. But after a spectator was injured in 1925, no further permits were issued by the RAC for high-speed contests on public roads. Fast-forward to 2009, and the Kop Hill Climb was revived as a non-competitive, moving celebration of the history of the car and the motorcycle. It drew a superb variety of pre- and post-war cars and bikes for a combination of static displays and demonstration runs up the famous hill,…

THIS MONTH WE LOVE... morrislubricantsonline.co.uk Fresh into the PC workshop from the slippery gurus at Morris Lubricants is this Multivis CST SS 10W-40, a synthetic based engine oil formulated to provide the best level of engine protection for both petrol and diesel engines. Multivis CST SS 10W-40 promises to protect camshafts, critical valvegear and bearings from wear, as well as helping to control rust and corrosion that can be an issue in older cars that aren't used daily. As Danny glugs the liquid gold into his last-off-the-line Frontera (pictured), he can be confident that the oil is perfectly suited to the build tolerances of both petrol and diesel engines of this era, with the heavier oil film ensuring effective sealing of piston rings and liner, ensuring maximum compression and power,…

Anglia Car Auctions is offering for sale a unique collection of original design and concept drawings from John Worker, a designer who was at the centre of the British car industry from the late Sixties through to the mid-Seventies before setting up his own consultancy. The images include some little-known and fascinating ‘what might have been’ proposals for British Leyland vehicles such as the 1800/2200, Mini, Marina, Allegro and Princess as well as later Chrysler models, the Aston Martin DBS V8 Ogle, and buses, tractors, trucks and trams.…

The Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register (STAR) has saved a 1939 Sunbeam 3-Litre. The club's John Donegan comments: ‘The elderly owner was getting desperate and was considering scrapping the car despite it being in very good condition, so the club stepped in and saved it, getting it up and running with the help of STAR volunteers. Had the club not intervened the 3-Litre would have been lost forever.’ With the Sunbeam now running, it was sold to club member Sarah Burnett, who says: ‘Since acquiring the car we've undertaken a number of tasks in readiness for the open road. Most jobs have been around electrical issues, which have been hampered by all the wiring colours having faded to beige. Further work will include a brake overhaul, plus bonnet and boot repairs.…

T his year marks 127 years since the first London to Brighton Run took place. The cars will be flagged off from London's Hyde Park between 7am and 8.45am on November 5, with more than 350 vehicles – including bicycles and motorcycles– then making the pilgrimage to Madeira Drive. There will be a stop at the halfway point, at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley (RH10 6YZ), and all cars are expected to be assembled in Brighton by 4pm. All cars are pre-1905, except for two Cadillacs that date from that year. veterancarrun.com…

I actually bought this car new for £848 in 1968 and drove 213,000 miles in it before she finally packed up. It’s a very rare twin carb MkI, only built for five months. I used her for business for the first 100,000 miles towing a trailer, then for the next 20 years she was the family car. After her retirement, between 1990 and 1997, I spent seven years rebuiding her, renewing everything and doing the whole lot myself except for the respray, which my mate did for me. She has covered about 38k since then and is still going strong. I've been a car mechanic all my life, so I just maintained everything myself and did it carefully with proper intervals. That’s why it has lasted so long – there’s…

What have we here then? ‘It’s a 1989 Skoda Estelle that I bought two years ago after the previous owner passed away. It had only done 16,000 miles when I bought it off the back of a recovery truck outside my mate’s garage, but it had been off the road since 1998. Body-wise, what you see today is how it was when I bought it, with the odd scrape and dent here and there, and a replacement rear quarter after it was written off in the Nineties, but generally it was solid and sound. I got the standard 1172cc lump running soon after picking it up and was surprised to find after not much tinkering that all the electrics other than one fog light worked without much trouble. I ran…

‘Problem is, it’s a bit of a thief magnet’ 1973 Ford Capri 1.6 Clare Arnold, Kensal Rise I bought this nearly 15 years ago for a grand on eBay. I’d always liked American muscle cars, and this was the closest I could get! The owner was a panel beater, so he’d worked on the bodywork. The inside looked like it had been stored in a barn. It still does a bit. I got another old Capri that this poor young guy had bought, and it was just a wreck – but it had some good parts that I was able to take off and use to improve this one. She’s far from perfect, but I do love her. The problem is, I don’t use it so much now as I…

Driver’s block. I doubt that you’ve heard of it before because it’s a phrase I made up myself. As the thing that disconnects me from my mechanical muse and the terminator of my descriptive talent, when it strikes, it thwarts enjoyment behind the wheel. The last time that it hindered me, I’d been handed the keys to Budapest-based KAMM Manufaktur’s soulful Porsche 912c, a lightweight prototype restomod of a 1968 vehicle that’s been making headlines ever since it debuted back in the autumn of 2022. By the PR officer’s estimation, around 250 pieces have been published about it in the press. After returning to its home turf for tweaks over the winter, the 912c came back to the UK for more tarmac-hugging with the media this summer – their feedback…

The value of many a pre-war car has stabilised in recent years. Among them is the iconic Traction Avant – a masterclass of pioneering design and engineering justifiably touted as the world’s first modern car. Given what it represents, and how rewarding they are to own and drive, André Citroën’s majestic masterpiece is now startlingly good value. Whether it’s a four-cylinder model or the 6-cylinder car like this French market 15/6 (badged Big Six in the UK), owned by Citroën enthusiast Bernie Shaw, a drive in any version of the Traction Avant is a revelation. For starters, you sit much lower than expected. With front-wheel drive and therefore no requirement for a propshaft Citroën Car Club, citroencarclub. org.uk tunnel, the roomy, elegant, low-slung body was a direct result of the…

C/D: CONCOURS/DEALER COND 1: GOOD COND 2: AVERAGE COND 3: ROUGH The MR2 is 40 years-old in 2024 – and is therefore classed as a historic vehicle at last. With the MkII (W20) being 35 and the MkIII (W30) turning 25, the noise around Japan’s first mid-engined two-seater will be loud, hence its place here. The MkI emerged in 1984 into a golden period of sports car design. It has modern era mechanics without excess bulk, complexity or driver meddling. The handling is computer game good and behind your head sits one of the best four-cylinder engines in existence. Based on the premise that economical motoring shouldn’t be dull, it is a thrill to drive, with the 1587cc twin-cam engine whisking you along while you get on with exploiting the…

PC POPS IN TO... Last month in these pages (PC, November 2023) we showcased the exciting new biomass-derived synthetic fuels on sale through Motor Spirit at Bicester Heritage. But biomass is only one way to produce the building blocks of synthetic fuels, as demonstrated by Zero Petroleum who have, on the other side of the site, set up their ‘Laboratory Zero’ technology centre, a crisp, almost clinical contrast to the heritage engineering going on elsewhere on the former bomber base which wouldn’t look out of place as the set for a Bond villain’s lair. Zero’s chemical building blocks are sourced using renewable electricity (from wind or solar) to split hydrogen atoms from water through a process called electrolysis, while carbon capture technologies trap pollutants from the atmosphere and put them…

Type R Hondas are rarely (if ever) rubbish, but even in such esteemed company, the Integra DC2 still stands out. The first official Type R to land on UK shores, it seemed an unlikely candidate at first glance in 1997. Part of Honda’s range since 1985, in both hatch and saloon guise, there hadn’t really been a properly hot Integra to that point. The world was going mad for hot hatches, leaving the two-door coupé in the shade. With soaring insurance premiums in the Nineties, the underwriters effectively called time (for a while at least), leading to a coupé revival, with the third-generation Integra (DC2) being one of the era’s best. ‘Flat out, the Integra Type R could hit 145mph’ Typical of Honda, the Integra Type R was far from…

The bewildered mutters from traditional Porsche fans, following the launch of the 924, were silenced in 1982. It might have only boasted a bit more power than it’s Audi-engined cousin, but all 161bhp of the 944’s ponies came from the Stuttgart stable. Its new slant-four engine – based on half a 928’s V8 – was 100 per cent Porsche and, when twinned with the 944’s aggressively flared arches, left little room to mock. The 944’s talents are legion. It was developed during a period of successive fuel crises, so it was efficient. It was also surprisingly practical, with a vast ‘boot’ area under its glass ‘hatch’. These talents are nothing however, compared to its ability to take corners. With perfect weight balance – always absent from its lauded 911 sibling…

Back in 2005, a man called Mr Tank bought himself a secondhand car. It was only the second car he’d ever owned and – being someone who really looked after his things – he had no intention of selling it. Ever. Sadly, the Mayor of London had other ideas and this summer, Mr Tank’s Audi A4 1.8 SE found itself ignominiously passing through the block at British Car Auctions in Enfield, cast aside as a victim of ULEZ despite having been a faithful servant to its loyal owner for 18 of its 28 years. At an entirely unexpected £300, my bid was enough to become the car’s third owner. My good friend, Sam Osbon volunteered to pick it up for me on his day off, so for the price of…

Practical Classics and Amazon have been partners for all our fantastic Fixing Up projects so far, with Amazon the official sponsor of the TV show. We all know how good their delivery service is, but we reckon the Amazon Basics tools and consumables have been superb. The affordability and quality combined makes it all worthwhile. So, if you enter our free prize draw, you’ll be in with a chance of winning a load of Amazon Basics tools like ours. Also partner in our project was Bosch, who supplied the parts we needed for our Golf GTi. It’s premium quality kit and especially for the Golf, for which a great deal is still available. If you do win ‘kit corner’, you’ll be rewarded with Bosch parts for your own classic or…

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 your love of classics start? 'My dad was a mechanic, and my mother was a nurse. So, when I was little, I had to go to dad's yard since I couldn’t stay in the hospital waiting rooms. Dad worked on classic Rovers and when I was old enough, would help him with mechanical work or bodywork, rubbing down whole panels and prepping for paint.' Tell us about your cars! 'I bought Muttley the Mazda MX-5 recently. Bought cheap from a gent who imported him from Japan. I've replaced all four discs and pads, removed the hard…

There's no better way to get kids interested in cars than by getting them hooked while they're young, so if you have children or grandchildren, get along to the British Motor Museum this half-term. The museum's Emma Rawlinson comments: ‘Between October 21 and November 5 we'll be running exhibitions, interactive classes, science shows and a treasure hunt, all based around the museum. On October 22 and 30, ambassadors from MOD Kineton will be offering visitors the chance to participate in STEM activities and during this period we'll also be running workshops to allow children to create their dream car of the future.’ Full details of what's happening, plus entry fees can be found at britishmotormuseum.co.uk.…

To subscribe to PC go to greatmagazines.co.uk/practicalclassics PRACTICAL CLASSICS // DECEMBER 2023 37 To understand how this Ford-Triumph hybrid came into being, we need to understand a bit about its creator. Mathew Roberts is a serial Triumph owner and restorer; he reels off a list of nine Triumphs he’s owned over the years, plus several MGFs. Mathew explains his love of Triumphs started in childhood, with an aunt who drove a Spitfire MkIV and allowed him to ride top down in the back, an experience from which he’s clearly never recovered! Combine his passion for Triumphs, his taste for tough restoration projects and his professional life, which includes qualifications in both mechanical and electrical engineering, he was destined to do something totally innovative with a Triumph. And so it began…

I have been into BMW Isettas for about 20 years, but fancied a BMW 600. It is thought only eight were imported to the UK in 1958, so they are quite rare. Luckily, I was offered one that had been imported from Indiana 16 or so years ago. It had been part restored, but the chap realised he was not going to get it finished as he was getting too old to continue with the restoration. The body had been restored, but the rest needed considerable work. The engine needed a rebuild and the gearbox needed to be replaced, but there are none available. I managed to get a BMW 700 gearbox and adapted it to fit. All the dampers were either seized solid or didn’t work at all, all…

I bought this in Coventry, then it spent 10 years sitting in a barn before we actually got enough parts together to restore it, and it’s been back on the road about 14 years. The blue is the original colour, and we added the white (which is the correct shade for the year) just to break it up a little bit. I built it in order to go sprinting, so she's got disc brakes on the front, and radiators in the front – all the period mods really – but I don’t do sprinting any more, so I just use it as a road car. Little trips out and a couple of classic car tours for myself and the other half to enjoy. It's just nice. It’s fun, and it…

This is a proper, proper find. It's just turned over 25,000 miles and it’s been garaged all its life. We've got all the history with it, all the service receipts – even the matching worksheets from the main dealer’s workshop. The wheels are genuine OEM, an optional extra at the time. It’s a pre-facelift car, and there are only 121 of them left in the country now. They’re starting to disappear, but I’ve had 17 of them! We’ve used them for junior rallying, the Formula 1000. We started off by building five, and they’d often do two rallies in a weekend. You should see the abuse that 14-16 year-old kids can give them, but they still come back for more! At the moment I’ve just got two – this one…

Except for digging out your old DVDs and putting them in alphabetical or subject order, there is nothing quite as satisfying as saving a classic from definite destruction, or even an uncertain future. Whether the cutting torch has been lit or a friend wants to pass on a mouldering wreck, at some stage there you are, a knight with a borrowed trailer and a bit of cash. A piece of history saved for appreciative future generations or a run to Lidl. A successful hunt, and maybe intricate negotiations have won you the prize. Well done! Working on classic car publications means I have received many a phone call to the effect that a site must be cleared by Friday or the Hispano Suiza gets it. With increased use of home…

Ford Falcon 500 estate, saloon and Chrysler Valiant Original barn finds Down Under! Stephen Haines has unearthed a big collection of assorted relics in New South Wales. These Aussie giants are (L-R) Ford Falcon 500 Estate, Ford Falcon saloon, and a Chrysler Valiant. £5O STAR FIND Can you do better! Send your h¡gh-res images topractical.classics bauermedia.co.uk VW Transporter A much sought-after split-screen VW Bus alongside a much older Twenties/ Thirties-era car, rusty but dry inside another barn full of scrap metal. Holden FC A Holden FC (1958-60) rusting away in another barn. The cars kept inside are in far better condition than those out in the bush and could all be restored. Toyota Corolla The cars outside, like this early Toyota Corolla, are in far worse condition and possibly beyond…

C/D: CONCOURS/DEALER COND 1: GOOD COND 2: AVERAGE COND 3: ROUGH Incredibly, 2024 marks both twenty-five years since the Honda S2000 entered production, and fifteen years since it went off sale. Which is reason enough to celebrate this underrated gem of a modern classic roadster. Thanks to a compact and lightweight four-cylinder engine, mounted entirely behind the front axle, the S2000 was endowed with 50:50 front/rear weight distribution, making for superb handling characteristics. Speaking of the 2-litre engine, it truly is a peach of a powerplant, complete with the clever VTEC system that became synonymous with Honda from the Nineties onwards. VTEC (standing for Valve Timing Electronically Controlled) is a system designed to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine, resulting in higher performance at high RPM,…

C/D: CONCOURS/DEALER COND 1: GOOD COND 2: AVERAGE COND 3: ROUGH 2024 marks 65 years of the Mini, so expect a year of celebrations of this remarkable car. It is a classic that embodies the much-overused term ‘iconic’, and rightly so. The Mini took the world by storm, its gears-in-sump design changing small car packaging forever, while the rubber cone suspension and wheel in each corner layout meant the cars proved themselves both around town and in competition. But while values of Minis revel in the uplift that comes from a cult following, the booted cousins that are the Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf remain the thinking person’s choice. It’s also a big year for the Wolseley Register, it’s 60th anniversary, in 2024 - so with celebratory events planned for…

BODYWORK Later cars were galvanised, but they can still rust for France. Get underneath for a good look. ENGINE Early units rattly but charismatic, later petrols smoother, with diesels sturdy and frugal. GTi engines need careful inspection. WHAT TO PAY PROJECT £500-£2000 GOOD £2000-£17,000 EXCELLENT £4000-£27,000 TECH SPEC Engine 1905cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 105bhp@6000rpm Torque 104lb.ft @3000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual Top speed 115mph 0-60mph 10.6sec Fuel economy 32mpg LIVING WITH A 205 How easy to work on ■■■■■ Parts availability ■■■■■ Running cost ■■■■■ Performance ■■■■■ How Why you want one As time marches on, hair gets greyer, wrinkles advance and we start to make that awkward ‘eugh’ sound when we sit down. Yet the Peugeot 205 never seems to age at all. So ‘right’ was the Pininfarina styling when it…

Why you want one The XF was styled by British design legend Ian Callum, developed at Jaguar’s Coventry design and development centre in Whitley, and built up the road at Castle Bromwich. If you’re after luxury and refinement in something you can use daily, there’s a whole lot of panache, refinement and charisma in one of these. While this svelte, sophisticated 21st century Jaguar very much straddles the line between future classic and modern classic, we reckon that it’s the perfect time to seek out a well-cared-for survivor. For starters, it feels like a Jaguar. It’s a lot less ‘retro’ than its predecessor but it retains subtle styling flourishes taken from classic Jags of old, such as the oval mesh grille reminiscent of the ’68 XJ. The XF is similarly…

The cold light of day can be a funny thing. The grim realisation that you’ve bought something online unsuitable the night before can be tough to deal with. Now, I think it’s time to fess up – Ibuy far too many cars after a hard day at the coalface, unseen and usually after being egged on. Last month there was a BMW 320d Convertible I’d done a deal with a mate for my nice Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Well, it seems like a case of the morning after the night before has come to pass. Before you think the worst of me and say ‘I told you so’, in this case, my mate Neil is having the regrets, having deciding that the Benz wasn’t for him. Now he wants his BMW back.…

TO ENTER – practicalclassics. co.uk/fixingup. Episode 1 -Open October 1, 2023 to October 31, 2023. There is one prize bundle, consisting of NOCO Boost HD, NOCO Recharge, NOCO Genius, Amazon Basics 14-piecc insulated tool set, Amazon Basics 4-piece pliers set, Amazon Basics 122 socket and spanner set, Amazon Basics Screwdriver set, Castrol Classic Oil 20w/50, Castrol GTX Oil 10w/40, Castrol Magnatec Stop Start, Bosch Brake Fluid ENV6, Bosch service kit for your classic including filter, windscreen wipers and plugs. Terms and conditions can be found at practicalclassics. co.uk/fixingup.…

PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! See p52. BRILLIANT BUG How to buy the best example of Tom Karen’s wedgy wonder VR6 LANDCRAB We meet the man who dropped a VW V6 into his Morris 1800 2CV BIRTHDAY James marks the tin snail’s 75th with an epic Alpine adventure PLUS Pages and pages of buying, restoring and maintaining classics. Plus, we meet the man who restored his Mini Open Classic to perfection and also get the story of a unique Vauxhall Silver Aero. There’s a guide on how to buy the best example of MG’s V8-powered 75, plus advice on tyres, valve clearance adjustment and upgrading your classic to take on the winter weather. JANUARY ISSUE ON SALE NOV 22 Practical Classics (ISSN 0957697, PE 9080) is published monthly…