Table of contents for January 2019 in Practical Classics

Behind every panel of shiny paintwork and twinkle of sparkling chrome at the NEC was an owner – be they current or in the case of the auction area, prospective. And behind every owner is a club. Or so you would think… ‘I don’t bother with car clubs,’ I heard one gentleman bark loudly to his friend. ‘It’s all politics and squabbling.’ Unfortunately, this is often true and who would blame him, if that is his experience of an organisation supposedly dedicated to the pleasures of ownership? ‘Don’t be an armchair critic. Get off your bum!’ I witnessed the arrival of a non-member at a club event last summer. He was immediately set upon by members who criticised his ‘incorrect’ choice of wheel trim. We subsequently watched his sad departure.…

MAJOR SURVEY ON CLASSICS The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs is asking owners of classic vehicles in the UK for help with its latest major study. The FBHVC wants to find out more about the cost of owning a classic. The organisation says it’s part of its ongoing objective to shape the future of historic vehicles in the UK. You can take the survey online at fbhvc.co.uk CLASSIC BANKING Cambridge & Counties Bank has unveiled a new lending process to help enthusiasts purchase their dream classic. The bank is offering bespoke deals for classic and vintage cars valued up to £1.5m as well as multiple purchases for collectors. CAR SHARE What’s dubbed ‘Airbnb for classic cars’ has been launched to offer commitment-free ways to enjoy classic vehicle…

Rover Cars £9.99 ISBN 978-1-787112-39-1 A collection of 300 Rover pictures from 1945 to 2005 with every model illustrated and described along with a brief history. Includes car-derived vans and Rovers that didn’t make production. veloce.co.uk Austin Cars ISBN 978-1-787112-19-3 £12.99 A full-colour, comprehensive guide to all Austin cars built from 1948 until the end of production in the 1990s, with an informative history, detailed model-by-model comparisons and technical information. veloce.co.uk Classic Car Bodywork Manual ISBN 978-1899238330 £17.95 This much-loved manual has received a refresh. It details everything from traditional skills to latest techniques including panel beating, lead loading, plasma cutting and paint stripping. tinyurl.com/BodyManual TRUMPed! MGCC TOP TRUMPS £5 Specially commissioned by the MG Car Club, this unique take on Top Trumps contains 30 iconic MGs from the earliest…

Ever heard of a Bristol 500? Us neither, but we have now thanks to one being sold through the Bristol Owners’ Club’s newsletter. The vendor, Ken Robinson, told us: ‘Based on a 1937 Fiat Topolino, the car was restyled by Bristol Aeroplane Company MD Sir Peter Masefield in 1957/58. It had a Perspex roof and was intended to be a prototype. I bought the car in 1997 from Sir Peter along with the original conversion drawing.’ Visit: boc.net…

SAT-SUN, DEC 1-2 MANCHESTER The Greater Manchester Museum of Transport Christmas Cracker, M8 8UW (gmts.co.uk). SUN, DEC 2 BUCKS Milton Keynes Classic Car Club monthly meeting, The Giffard Park, MK14 5QN (tinyurl.com/yb49pwrf). SOMERSET Haynes Museum Breakfast Club, BA22 7LH (haynesmotormuseum.com). MON, DEC 3 LONDON German Car Meet at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (ace-cafelondon.com). SUN, DEC 9 NOTTS Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, NG24 2NY (newarkautojumble.co.uk). OXON Autojumble at Exeter Halls, Kidlington, OX5 1AB (woodclass.com). ESSEX Autojumble at Navestock Village Hall, CM14 5SD (woodclass.com). CORNWALL The Cornwall Vintage Vehicle Society Christmas Cracker Run (cornwallvintagevehiclesociety.com). TUE, DEC 11 LONDON Classic Car Night at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (ace-cafelondon.com). THU, DEC 13 LONDON Italian Car Night Ace Café, NW10 7UD (acecafe-london.com). SUN, DEC 16 DORSET Transport of Yesteryear classic car meet, Top…

It’s a year of shock and scandal, with the deaths of US president John F Kennedy and the first Moors murder victims, plus the Profumo Affair and subsequent resignation of Harold Macmillan due to ‘ill health’. IN THE CHARTS The Beatles. That’s about all there is in 1963. Imagine dominance like this nowadays: the Beatles LP Please Please Me spends 30 weeks in a row at number one in the album charts. It’s finally knocked off top spot on November 30 when a new LP arrives… called With the Beatles . AT THE FLICKS An African-American handyman is wandering through Arizona when he bumps into a flock of German nuns. They hit it off and he builds them a chapel. It’s hard to…

RIP Whizzo – a true racing gent I was saddened to read of the passing of Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams. I first met him when attending an under-17 car club in 1974/5 at Finmere, where Barry assessed our abilities, or lack thereof, to drive a car. He was a great mentor to everyone. I recall him turning up in a Toyota Celica Mk1 and enthralling us all as he did doughnut after doughnut, clockwise and anti, around a tyre. He got out to cheers from us teenagers, telling us not try that with dad’s car, which brought forth a lot of ‘don’t even think about it’ from parents. My father and I followed his racing career and whenever possible got to local circuits where he was racing: Silverstone, Donnington etc. We’d…

My dad owned an 1100 – which was one of the more reliable ones he had. As a child I was always fascinated by the thermometer speedo. Enson Ricky I once had five at the same time, but I’m down to three at the moment. John Arkley My dad’s first car - which he then proceeded to roll into a field on the way to a Rory Gallagher concert! Paul McAleer My first car was a Morris 1100. Alas a wheel fell off going downhill, and a brake pipe sheared... it was a choice of in the hedge or down a very steep hill with three wheels and no brakes. The hedge won. Jake Blight I had a British Racing Green Morris 1100. It was my first car, a gift…

1935 Austin Seven To the west of London is a peek into the scrapyards of yesteryear, sent in by Tony Mealing from High Wycombe (Technical Representative at the Austin Ten Drivers’ Club). This Austin Seven from 1935 displays admirable patina and doesn’t look beyond redemption. It would be wonderful to think that somebody will give it some much-needed TLC and get it back on the road again. Triumph Renown These sorry remains are that of the razor-edge bodied Triumph Renown. Earlier 1800 Saloon 18T cars were upgraded to a 2.0-litre block to become the 2000. We are told this one has now been sold. Austin 8 Saloon An Austin 8 (1939-48) minus a running board. The cars here are either chopped up for parts or salvaged and sold on for…

1 My biggest fail Having completed everything, bar the paint, Liam couldn’t resist taking it out for a spin. ‘The RAC helped remove a seized brake caliper the day before; I replaced it with a new one, and the lad put the wheel back on. However, I didn’t know he’d used wheel bolts that were too long and they worked loose. I was doing 60mph when the nearside front went past me. I phoned Kelly and she turned up – to shout at me. The alloys had just been freshly painted.’ 2 My best bodge ‘The Bendix braking system is what killed many early Mi-16s. Some get rid, but I wanted to keep it all original. It has two servos and is a nightmare to bleed accurately, taking 22 steps.…

Fifty years ago, a group of politicians, designers and engineers transformed the world with a machine that flew passengers in comfort at the speed of a rifle bullet. My father, Jeff, was one of them. At 23, he joined the team responsible for the systems, panels, wiring and racking that supported all of Concorde’s electrical control systems – from the nose cone to the tail light. With us for the afternoon, it’s his first time back here in more than 40 years. In the shadow of the Brabazon Hangar, we take a stroll outside former offices that are now empty, overgrown and boarded up and find what’s left of No.8 Drawing Office, where Dad worked alongside an array of talented engineers. ‘There were hundreds of drawing boards in long rows…

Nothing breeds success as a classic like the combination of sportiness and commercial failure. The FTO has lots of both: a rev-happy 197bhp V6 and dismal sales everywhere. Mitsubishi didn’t even try here until it was three years old, though some had already arrived as grey imports. Now there are just 92 left on UK roads, with at least the same on SORN. You can probably pick up a good one for a little over a grand.…

The car that inspired my love of Minors was bought by my dad in 2005. A totally original 1957 four-door with less than 18,000 miles, it had been in collections across Anglesey all its life. I had always dreamed of owning it one day. I even bought my own Minor and became heavily involved in the MMOC. I told dad that if he ever wanted to sell it to give me first refusal. Recently I got that call. The day I collected it was the first time the car had left Wales since 1957. I plan to detail this family heirloom, now with 23,000 miles, for next year’s show season. I’ve had the wheels sandblasted and repainted and fitted a set of period-correct tyres. I’ll take the engine and ‘box…

The club’s CL Register Captain Clive Henderson says: ‘The entry-level CL500 starts at £2000, but you’ll probably spend at least £5000 making it reliable. Best budget at least £6000 for something reasonable. The best CL500s go for £12,000. The CL55 AMG is priced a bit more; naturally aspirated cars go for £7000-£15,000 while supercharged models are more like £9000-£18,000. The CL600 is somewhere in between; decent cars start at £8000 with the best examples at £15,000. There are a few low-mileage CLs but facelifted ones are rare. Values are dependent on condition rather than specification, year or even mileage.’…

Anthony Sack, Bristol I first saw my Vauxhall Astra for sale at £1400 in the local car supermarket clearance section but I wasn’t going to pay that, as it looked a bit tired. Some weeks later, the price dropped to £420 as the engine management warning light had apparently lit up. That’s more my kind of price so I took my code reader along and plugged it in. The fault was cured with 90 minutes of work, mainly cleaning out 95,000 miles of diesel exhaust gas recirculation gunge from the air intake pipes: two squirts of carb cleaner into the MAP sensor and normal running was restored. Other than routine maintenance, nearly three years later everything’s fine and it has never missed a beat. So fine in fact that I…

Accuspark accuspark.co.uk Automec automec.co.uk Autosparks autosparks.co.uk Bromsgrove Engine Services bromsgroveengineservices.com CBR Motorbodies cbrmotorbodies.co.uk Draper Tools drapertools.com Doug Taylor (chrome) dougtaylor.co.uk Duckhams Classic Oils classic-oils.net Formhalls Vintage and Racing formhalls.com Hamilton Classic hamiltonclassic.co.uk John Spencer (paint) 07976266936 Longstone Tyres longstone.co.uk Sealey sealey.co.uk The RM Club rileyrmclub.org.uk UK Detailing ukdetailing.com…

1970 Morris Minor Saloon Engine 1275cc/4-cyl/OHV Power Plenty Torque Unknown Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph Yes Top speed Sufficient Fuel economy 42mpg Work done Replaced rotten roof section, fitted axle mounting points. Also in Matt’s garage 1960 MINOR CONVERTIBLE Been to Minor’s birthday bash. 1969 MORRIS TRAVELLER Still raising smiles all round. Last month I began the most terrifying rust repair I’ve ever attempted – removing a section of my Morris Minor’s roof from the middle of the rear screen to just above the boot aperture . Then graft in a replacement piece I’d sourced from a car long since scrapped. I’d cut the hole, made a template and trimmed the replacement so that it more-or-less fitted then walked away for a couple of days to attain automotive zen before the…

1972 Triumph GT6 MkIII Engine 1998cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 98bhp@5300rpm Torque 108lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph 10.1sec Top speed 112mph Fuel economy 27mpg Work done GT6 front wheel alignment measured and adjusted to perfection at home. Also in Nigel’s garage 1970 TRIUMPH TR6 Suffers from being boxed into the garage by my other cars. 1977 RELIANT SCIMITAR GTE Now sharing daily driving duties with the BMW coupé. 1998 BMW 328I COUPÉ Still driving beautifully after a recent service and clocking up plenty of miles. The x little GT6 xx is now xx handling ) better than ever! We’re all aware that correct alignment of the front wheels, or tracking, is critical to how a car steers and to the life of the tyres. Every manufacturer specifies wheel alignment, usually…

1985 Lada 1200 estate Engine 1198cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 62bhp @5600rpm Torque 64lb ft@3400rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 18sec Top speed 85mph Fuel economy 34mpg Work done New tyres, steering correction, general engine faultfinding. Also in Ed’s garage 1964 WARTBURG 311 Paper-thin exhaust makes for especially exciting sound effects these days. 1969 WARTBURG 353 TOURIST Supposed to be a winter-only car, but I can’t resist driving it all year. 1976 ZAZ 968A ‘ZAPOZORHETS’ Still confined to the shed in disgrace after inexplicable crankshaft goings-on. 1978 WARTBURG 353W Also slumbering in the barn as it awaits its turn. Previously, I’ve been able to look people in the eye and say that I suffer very few automotive disappointments. No longer. The Wartburg 353 and the Zaporozhets (see recent Sagas) were just a sample of…

I suppose everyone has a hobby after they retire and, in my case, it has been car modification. I wanted to do something completely different and in the case of this Rover 75 pick-up, I aimed for a total one-off creation. Obviously, Rover never built one and I couldn’t see anybody else trying it! It came from the idea of the materials that car manufacturers no longer use when building vehicles. Hence the combination of wood, vinyl and metal. I did all the work myself over the course of many months in my workshop at home. It took a fair bit of planning and, being a perfectionist, accuracy was important. For example, the original tail lights were too high for the pick-up rear end so after some research, I decided…

My dad had Visas in the Eighties, so it was great to celebrate 40 years of it with the Citroën Car Club. I was lucky enough to once travel aboard the actual Concorde on display at Aerospace Bristol (see p70). I’ve been deciding whether to paint my new project CX (see p102) with cost being the major obstacle! Oddly near my home, I stumbled over a car which Sam Glover tried to drive back from Germany. David McWilliams – who sold me my old project 2CV – made me this model of the car, complete with correct plates and Practical Classics branding!…

Allard opens up Allard Sports Cars has opened its doors for a rare open day as part of a celebration of the marque. Numerous cars were on display at the Gloucestershire HQ, including classics and the new JR and J3 models. Magic wagon puffs again The iconic Austin Maxi, nicknamed Puff the Magic Wagon, has taken its place in the largest collection of historic rally cars ever assembled in Britain. Driven by Bron Burrell and Tina Kerridge in the 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally, the Maxi was one of the stars of this year’s Lombard Rally Bath and was joined by 120 other classic rally vehicles. Pre-war racing for youngsters A new trophy aimed at encouraging younger people into pre-war motor racing has been announced. It’s a partnership between Riley…

Surrey nod for Mike Hawthorn More than 100 pre-1959 classics filled the streets of Farnham, Surrey, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of local hero Mike Hawthorn becoming the first British racing driver to win the World Championship. Some 4000 people watched cars such as Hawthorn’s 1955 Le Mans-winning D-Type Jaguar and Riley Ulster Imp. Hole hearted There is good news for classic drivers in the latest Budget, because £420m has been allocated to fix pot holes. Local councils will get the cash in 2019 after a record number of claims by drivers affected by the poor state of the country’s roads. Jezza spotted Jeremy Clarkson has been seen in Doncaster driving a Cortina. Owned by PC reader Steve Brandreth, his 1600E was the same model as the one Clarkson’s father…

There wasn’t always a bundle of breakfast clubs, which is why Mark Fishpool set up his own. He comments: ‘I was having to drive 50 miles to find one, so I set up a monthly meet. These free gatherings are open to classic vehicles that are at least 20-25 years old; every month we get 100-150 cars, scooters, hot rods, classic commercials and motorbikes turning up. From October to April we meet on a Sunday at the Stibbington Diner (PE8 6LR); during the summer it’s a weekday evening at the Five Horseshoes at Barholm (PE9 4RA).’ More details at tinyurl.com/ydy8emgh .…

It was so close. Had it not been for a servicing delay, the Maxi of Burrell, Ozanne and Kerridge-Reynolds could have made it all the way to Mexico. Now Bron plans to finish the job with the same car. Q What led you to motorsport in the first place? I was into horses, so I had to learn to drive the horse boxes. But when I went to secretarial college, aged about 18 or 19, I found out there was a racing school at Brands Hatch. So I went trundling along there in my mother’s car, a Hillman Minx estate, and told them I wanted to drive single-seaters. One day, along came Jim Clark and Graham Hill, and I asked Jim if he’d drive me around the circuit and show…

I have a 2000 BMW E36 Compact. It’s covered 175,000 miles, has a full service history, drives like new and has loads of options including an electric fabric roof (£2000 back in the day). All this for £500! Nick Lynch I bought this 68k MG ZR for £550. It’s happily done 150 miles a week in traffic for the past two years. Darren Smith 2001 Pug 306 HDi, bought for £400 14 months ago. It’s done 15k miles in that time and it’s cost me a clutch and a brake light switch. Grab one while they’re still affordable! Jonathan Clewer Land Rover Discovery 1 200TDi. It cost £300 to buy and zero fuel cost for 80k over five years as I ran it on used cooking oil. Simon Lane Mazda…

‘The DS is the perfect daily driver’ 1974 Citroën DS 23 Pallas Andrew Renwick, Sheffield The DS is a car that creates conversations, wherever you go. It's the perfect car for potholed road surfaces and brilliant out on the motorway. My friends Dave and Stephan (pictured) agree too. I also have a Triumph Stag, Land Rover Series 2, Porsche 911 SC, Renault 16TL and have just bought a 1957 Dauphine. However, the DS was simply the obvious choice for a long journey. I bought mine with advice from the Citroën Car Club and it's the perfect daily driver, too. ‘I use the Fiat when my modern car breaks’ 1983 Fiat 131 Mirafiori Jason Hodgkinson, Essex My gold 1400CL attracts bags of attention! Despite their rarity, around 50 Mirafioris regularly gather…

1 JUNE 2010 Accident damage After the Midget is hit from behind Ken repairs the damage, but is now thinking about undertaking a full restoration. 2 DEC 2015 Rust was hiding Within a month Ken’s aware there’s serious rot in several places… here’s the base of the offside A-post. 3 AUGUST 2016 Engine goes back in The rebuilt engine and Ford gearbox repainted and ready to be placed back in the Midget. 4 SEPT 2016 Handmade panels Here’s one of many repair panels Ken made. This is for the sill by the rear wheelarch and was hand-formed from the old door skin. 5 FEBRUARY 2017 Rolling down the road The rolling shell goes off for the topcoats of paint. Ken had got the body into primer and all the panel…

Early last year, we ran a story on modern reinterpretations of much-loved old cars, comparing the new ones with the originals and attempting to judge how well they kept the spirit ( PC , April 2018). And now, for one week only, my driveway has been host to the latest entrant in this retrofest: the new Alpine A110. I’ve been looking forward to driving the new A110 ever since Renault revealed the plan to make it. We’ve wanted a new Alpine ever since the wonderful, and unappreciated, A610 finished production back in 1995, although Alpine’s Dieppe factory has stayed busy making Clio V6s, the Sport Spider and various other hot, or niche-model, Renaults since then. There was a time when the original A110, a lightweight car with glassfibre bodywork, a…

OWNER Liam Kelly has had many automotive jobs. It was a 405 GRD company car that set Liam on the Mi-16 path. PEUGEOT 405 MI-16 The biggest restoration project Liam has taken on. Bought via eBay and found in a field with another non-runner. PEUGEOT 307 HDI The daily driver and workhorse of the family. Hidden in the garage is the next project – a 106 GTi dubbed ‘Asbo’. PEUGEOT 306 GTI-6 ‘Roary’ belongs to Kelly, Liam’s better half. Had to have some boy racer gear stripped off including a huge Scooby exhaust. Liam Kelly stands outside his house, arms thrown wide in welcome, and then he only goes and says it: ‘Welcome to the PeugeotDome.’ As introductory lines go it’s a good ’un. Apt too, given the presence of…

A fair chunk of my life revolves around valuing cars, be it producing various magazines’ price guides, being part of Hagerty Insurance’s ‘Live Valuations’ team, or betting the next round of tea with fellow pundits on what the next car will sell for. It’s quite an engaging task, but one that’s not without its stresses, as people rely on your accuracy to some extent. But given the nature of buying and selling cars, it’s almost impossible to be 100 per cent accurate. And if you are today, the shifting sands of the market mean that the price you give may not be right next week. With details of the exact car and sales left out in deference to those involved, I recently came across a perfect illustration of that. At…

SAT DEC 1 Classic Car Auctions, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Leamington Spa, Warks. (01926 640,888, classiccarauctions.co.uk) SAT DEC 1 Bonhams, New Bond Street, London. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/cars) MON DEC 3 Bonhams Collectors’ sale, Olympia, London. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/cars) TUE DEC 11 Barons Auctions’ Christmas Classic sale, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. (023 8066 8413, barons-auctions.com) SAT JAN 12 Silverstone Auctions’ Autosport International sale, NEC, Birmingham. (01926 691141, silverstoneauctions.com) FRI JAN 25 South West Vehicle Auctions, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. (01202 745466, swva.co.uk) SAT JAN 26 Anglia Car Auctions’ classic sale, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (01553 771881, angliacarauctions.co.uk) THU FEB 7 Bonhams, Les Grande Marques du Monde, Grand Palais, Paris, France. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/cars)…

1963 Austin A40 Price: £5999 Uprated for events like Le Jog, with rebuilt 1293cc Midget engine and matching gearbox and disc brakes etc. Rear rollcage. 1951 Plymouth Belvedere Coupé Price: £12,000 Restored in Texas and comes with full history including all owners. Later Dodge wire wheels, disc brake conversion and alternator. 1990 Mini Cooper RSP Price: £9995 Older restoration of one of the 1650 Rover Special Products cars built to reintroduce the Cooper. Great condition and recent unleaded cylinder head.…

Power play Early CL600s and the CL63 got an M137 V12 engine; later ones and the CL65 got an M275 V12. After eight The CL500 and both versions of the CL55 (naturally aspirated, supercharged) got an M113 V8. There’s no shortage of cars that cost plenty when new but that are now available for buttons; the problem is that in many cases running costs can be high for these cars. Take the Mercedes-Benz C215 CL; vastly expensive and very exclusive when new, you can now buy one for £3000. But buy badly and it could cost you thousands. Effectively a two-door coupé version of the Mercedes S-Class (W220), while the four-door saloon was offered with six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and started about £40,000, the CL came with V8 or…

Having bought a Mercedes-Benz SL500 five years ago, Geoff Garton immersed himself in Mercedes club activities. Says Geoff: ‘I’d always fancied a CL, but as I’d already had a V8 Merc this one would have to be a V12. These cars are fast, refined, luxurious and very understated. They’re thirsty too; I average 19mpg and single figures in town. I do about 3000 miles a year and it’s cost about £2500 per year in maintenance, but that average should reduce over time as I get on top of everything.’…

There’s no shortage of £2000 CLs, but good cars start at £6000. A project CL risks massive bills and avoid anything fire- or crash-damaged. The high cost of some Mercedes’ parts plus the CL’s complexity means some CL’s are too expensive to fix and are scrapped for parts. Pattern or reconditioned items can be found which can slash running costs without cutting corners. For certain jobs you might need the Mercedes Star diagnostic kit to set things up; the CL has several ECUs and components that have to talk to each other. However, you can do more DIY on these cars than you might think; people are frightened to do things because of the CL’s complexity and the crowded engine bay. A car that’s been laid up is likely to…

1975 Citroën CX 2200 Engine 2175cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 110bhp@5500rpm Torque 123lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 11.6sec Top speed 115mph Fuel economy 30mpg Work done Purchase and inspection. The long list of parts is under way. Also in James’s garage 1988 CITROËN CX 22TRS Still draining its own battery when left overnight. Grr. 1998 MAZDA 323F V6 Had dent repaired. Then reversed into gatepost. Idiot. 2003 CITROËN C5 2.0 HDI ESTATE Just moved house utilising the enormous boot. Seriously, the best £250 I’ve ever spent. 2004 SMART ROADSTER Preparing for an Arctic adventure. More news soon. I’m a sucker for cars facing uncertain futures anyway, but when a really early example of your favourite car of all time pops up in a Lincolnshire field, what is one to do? With significant…

END PLATE 1 Brushes and bushes The end plate houses the carbon brushes. These pass the current from the supply wires to the commutator. Recessed into the centre of the plate is the spherical bush in which the spindle runs. Tech Tip The circular hole in the brush-holder shows a good length remaining here. 2 Check brush length Degrease the brush area with an artist’s brush and solvent. Keep the solvent out of the bush. Trial-fit the commutator to see how much length is left in the brushes. They’re usually barely-worn. 3 Oil bush Lubricate the bush by oiling the felt ring around it. Use a light lubricant such as sewing machine or air-tool oil. The tidiest way to add oil through the small holes is with an artist’s brush.…

Air filter Clean the filter housing and replace the element every 24,000 miles or if it’s visibly dirty. Cooling system Check the radiator, heater matrix, expansion tank, pressure cap and all hoses for damage, deterioration and leaks. Flush and refill with fresh antifreeze at least every three years. There are drain plugs on each side of the engine and under the radiator. Alternator belt Check condition and tension. Deflection should be around ½in (13mm) under firm finger pressure halfway along the longest run. Accelerator linkages Sparingly lubricate all moving parts. Wear is a common problem. Remove the air filter assembly and check for wear and play, especially in the ball pivots at each end of the shaft running towards the front of the car from the left-hand side of the…

Prices in this guide are researched from several sources, including clubs, auctions, the trade and advertisements online and in print. These 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 complete rebuild, but might be driveable and MoT’d – candidates for restorations. PLEASE NOTE You cannot accurately value any car without seeing it in the flesh. Don’t buy blind. KEY  auto: automatic con: convertible lhd:…

Power Tool Bundle 20V CORDLESS HAMMER DRILL/ IMPACT WRENCH/ANGLE GRINDER/ RECIPRICATING SAW/PALM SANDER COMBO KIT PROMOTION PRICE: £419.94 (LIST PRICE £717.78) On promotion at the time of press, with a saving of 41 per cent, this Sealey combo kit is the perfect Christmas present for any restoration enthusiast. The cordless tools are powered by a 20-volt battery and are ideal for making your restoration project that much easier. Also included are two batteries, a charger and stackable tool box. sealey.co.uk Got any ’ose? AEROFLOW PERFORMANCE STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES AND FITTINGS FROM £13.19 Aeroflow Performance now offers the option of stainless steel hose end fittings, produced from 304 grade stainless steel, which provides superior strength and durability. The fittings are available in a range of different sizes and…

Held on October 28, this year’s National Restoration Show at Stoneleigh Park, Warks, is an annual fixture that’s been shrinking for a while. It’s all about quality here, so we bought bits for our winter projects and caught up with people from the classic car scene. Top work from the Rover Sports Register, Triumph Dolomite Club and Armstrong Siddeley Owners’ Club for getting their hands dirty throughout the day. See restoration-show.co.uk…

For years the TR7 has been the poor TR family relation, so the TR Register has employed Wedge enthusiasts to promote Harris Mann’s masterpiece. The Register’s Wayne Scott told us: ‘The Wedge Team will boost the profile of TR7/8s, investigate parts availability, answer members’ enquiries, build, maintain and share the archives and records while producing great content.’ Acting chairman Allan Westbury added: ‘The TR7 needs help to ensure its long-term survival. This team will raise the profile of these underrated TRs.’ tr-register.co.uk…

Atlantic Crossing The influence on Vauxhall of GM’s American styling fads peaked on the F-type Victor and the PA Velox / Cresta (further below). Fins, chrome, wraparound screens… it was fun on the Cresta but all a bit much on the dumpy 14ft Victor. Classic or not? Ford’s Consul Classic models suffered an ironic fate, as they’re less well-loved as classics than any other old Ford. The last unsuccessful Ford for a while. Roll over, Rover You’d need an O-level in Rovering to tell the difference between a pre-war Rover Twelve and a post-war version… disc wheels was about it. This remarkable place must have seemed like a glimpse of the future when it opened back in 1963. Cars could be stacked in bays in a most efficient use of…

I’m afraid I love my heated seats and heater. My Land Rover will stay in the garage till Spring with the Jeep and Morris Minor. Simon Holland This pick-up. It’s a 5.2 V8. James Ellis I’ll be using my Fiat Panda 4x4. Nothing comes close to it in the snow. Harry Robbins My winter hack is a 55-plate Kia Magentis, currently stickered up for a charity rally I’m doing. Nick Prosser I only have one car and it’s a 21-year-old Rover 45. Duncan MacCrae I don’t need a 4x4. Just my Fiat Punto on winter tyres. It’s absolutely great on skiddy lanes in Scotland. Len Thompson…

MG’s Midget is always a fun car to drive with lively performance belying its small engine. Ken’s is no exception but the biggest hurdle – especially if you’re tall – is squeezing in under the steering wheel. Once you are seated, everything falls to hand other than the ignition key slot –which is hidden away on the column. By far the best addition to this restoration is that modern Ford gearbox. It may be heresy, but having five allsynchromesh gears – each ratio perfectly spaced – transforms these little cars. Acceleration is great. Even uphill the Midget keeps pace with modern traffic. The brakes are also excellent. The steering is light, thanks to that standard-sized steering wheel, and very precise – in fact the entire car feels tight and new.…

The ‘dealership that time forgot’ in Castle Gresley, South Derbyshire, closed for business in 2002. It’s been a lucrative source of internet clickbait and space-filler for local newspapers ever since. Its closing stock of unglamorous secondhand cars – a Vauxhall Astra MkII, a Cavalier MkIII, a crusty Beetle, a Rover 800, a Lada Samara, two Metros and a Maestro, a Volvo 440, a Renault Master and a battleship grey Škoda Favorit – attracted dust and photographs, then gradually vanished as enthusiasts or, more likely, breakers, dragged them away. By 2014, only the Cavalier, Maestro, Rover and Škoda remained. It was at this point that the establishment came to the attention of my friend Paul Johns, who’s an inveterate Favorit-fancier. Where the unenlightened had seen a poor example of a worthless…

He’s immensely proud of the whole car, but the 14in alloys stand out for him. ‘They were horribly pitted and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to restore them. It’s a bit cheeky, but I got a job at an alloy wheel restoration company to learn how to and a perk was being able to do my own. They have five coats of colour and ten coats of lacquer, so are more like 16in now.’ Originally a flat Silver, Liam went for Opel Silver to add a bit of sparkle. And how long did he last in the job? ‘Two weeks.’…

Lancia Beta Coupé Betas seem to finally be shaking off their vastly exaggerated reputation for rust and being judged for what they are. £5000-£6500 for a good one is still a bargain for a fizzy twin-cam-engined Italian coupé. Mercedes SL R129 We’d expected this Nineties drop-top to have pulled out of its depreciation phase by now, but maybe they are too good for their own good – the large number of survivors is more than keeping a lid on prices.…

The CL is a generously proportioned classic; at five metres long and 2.1 metres wide (including door mirrors) you need a big garage to house it. The CL can achieve 20+mpg, it’s easy to drive, and it fits four with luggage. Maintenance can be costly; the later CL600 has a twin-spark engine so that’s 24 spark plugs to replace every 60,000 miles.CO2 emissions are at least 299g/km which means any CL registered after 1 March 2001 costs £315 per year to tax; any registered before costs £255 per year.…

CL500 Engine 4966cc/8-cyl/DOHC Power 306bhp@5600rpm Torque 339lb ft@2700rpm Top speed 155mph (electronically limited) 0-62mph 6.3sec Consumption 22mpg Gearbox 5/7-speed auto Length 16ft 5in (5.0m) Width 6ft 10in (2.1m) Height 4ft 4in (1.40m) CL55 AMG Engine 5739cc/8-cyl/DOHC Power 355bhp@5500rpm Torque 390lb ft@3150rpm Top speed 155mph (electronically limited) 0-62mph 6.0sec Consumption 21mpg Gearbox 5-speed auto Length 16ft 5in (5.0m) Width 6ft 10in (2.1m) Height 4ft 4in (1.40m) CL55 AMG (from 2002) Engine 5439cc/8-cyl/DOHC Power 500bhp@6100rpm Torque 516lb ft@2750rpm Top speed 155mph (electronically limited) 0-62mph 4.8sec Consumption 21mpg Gearbox 5-speed auto Length 16ft 5in (5.0m) Width 6ft 10in (2.1m) Height 4ft 4in (1.40m) CL600 Engine 5786cc/12-cyl/DOHC Power 367bhp@5500rpm Torque 390lb ft@4250rpm Top speed 155mph (electronically limited) 0-62mph 6.3sec Consumption 21mpg Gearbox 4-speed auto Length 16ft 5in (5.0m) Width 6ft 10in (2.1m) Height 4ft…

Danny Hopkins It’s probably important to get the awkward bit over and done with. What is a ‘modern’ Audi doing in PC? Well, the answer is simple. It’s not modern. The A6 Type 4B, built on the VAG C5 platform, was introduced in February 1997 and the Avant version went out of production in 2005… that’s 13 years ago. It might look contemporary but that is a by-product of the slippery nature of its design – a drag coefficient of 0.28 never looked so timeless. Cars like this are not being made any more, so no apologies for introducing it into the emerging classic pantheon. When neighbour Alastair told me he was selling, I was immediately interested. I had been after a grown-up car for a while and in particular…

1959 Peerless GT Engine 1991cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 110bhp@4800rpm Torque 117lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d 0-60mph 10.8sec Top speed 120mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Boot lid locking plate fitted, hub-puller made, car driven. Also in Gary’s garage 1980 SAAB 99 TURBO Ex-Saab press car in need of a ground-up restoration. If you recall my tale of the Britool hub puller I bought at Beaulieu Autojumble last year, then I have updated news. It’s no longer Britool 1066, it’s now a Strettool ©. Knowing the internal thread would not fit the large outer thread on the Peerless’ rear hub (TR3), I decided to adapt it to fit, in the hope it would exert plenty of force precisely where required to pull the hub. Engineering wizard Brian Davage had loaned me…

You will need Degreaser, brake cleaner, compressed air, rags, Loctite 243, assembly lubricant, grease, engine oil, piston ring pliers and compressor, circlip pliers, torque wrench. Cleanliness tips Clean all tools before work. Use lint-free microfibre cloths. Wear gloves to protect you and the engine. Wrap the block in clingfilm when you’re not working on it. Prepare block Clean up all the mating surfaces on the block before you start. Clean the core plug recesses with a rotary wire brush in a drill. Avoid flash-rusting If you’re using a water-based degreaser, use hot or boiling water for final rinsing to minimise flash-rusting. The sexy bit has arrived. Up to now, there’s been the tedium of cleaning, measuring, thinking, expenditure, more measuring and more cleaning. As is true of many things in…

If your club’s contact details have changed, please let us know! A  750 MOTOR CLUB 01379 741641, 750mc.co.uk AC OWNERS’ CLUB 07768 363250, acownersclub.co.uk AMERICAN AUTO CLUB (UK) 0845 644 0345, americanautoclubuk.com AMBULANCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY southambpres.wordpress.com CLASSIC AMERICAN AC (GB) 020 8286 1120, classicamericanautoclub.co.uk/ PRE -’50 CLASSIC AMERICAN 01530 831170, pre50aac.com AEC SOC aecsociety.com ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA REGISTER giulietta.com ALFA ROMEO OC aroc-uk.com ALLARD OWNERS’ CLUB allardownersclub.org ALVIS OWNER CLUB alvisoc. org ALVIS REG 01509 412289, alvisregister.co.uk ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY OC 01225 723809, siddeley.org A-SERIOUS (A-SERIES ENGINED CARS) http://aserious.freeforums.org ASSN OF OLD VEHICLE CLUBS OF N IRELAND 028 9146 7886, aovc.co.uk ASTON MARTIN OC 01865 400400, www.amoc.org AUDI 100 COUPÉ S CLUB GB 01702 461513 audi100coupes.angelfire.com AUDI OC 07788 588449 , audiclub.co.uk CLUB AUDI…