Table of contents for September 2023 in Practical Classics

I’ve been writing about classic cars since 1997, so this issue has a particularly bizarre main feature for me. The cars of 1998 were the subject of spy shots when I was a fledging hack, and so, in many ways, they do not feel like classics at all. And yet they are. Think about it. In 1998 a 25 year-old would be a car built in 1973 – nobody would contest, even back then, that an early XJ6 or a Dolomite Sprint wasn’t a 'proper' classic. Time marches on and we need to recalibrate our brains to reflect that passage. Even if you don’t feel a nostalgic zing for the Audi TT or Smart car, we cannot argue that their place in the classic firmament isn’t justified. The fact that…

Following an exclusive unveiling in London, the British Motor Museum is the first host for the all-new Triumph TR25. The first new TR for over 40 years broke cover in July. Created by Makkina, the concept car is now on display, sitting alongside its original inspiration – the record-breaking ‘Jabbeke’ Triumph TR2, MVC 575. The design of the Triumph TR25 is a bold, ultra-contemporary interpretation of the ‘Jabbeke’ car that broke the land speed record for production cars under two litres in May 1953. With a deep-rooted commitment to craftsmanship and innovation, UK-based design house Makkina managed to get the permission and the blessing of BMW Group who own the rights to the Triumph name and it’s TR badge. Stephen Laing, Head of Collections at the British Motor Museum said…

Showtime in Boston The Boston Classic Car Club (BCCC) Annual Show is one of our favourite local events, because it’s free to enter and variety is guaranteed. This year’s bash will take place at Hubberts Bridge (PE20 3QU) on August 13. John Simpson, chairman of the BCCC, told us: ‘We’ll have about 500 vehicles taking part. Sarah Crabtree is doing the prizegiving, and the Dream Belles will be performing music from the forties through to the seventies. There will be plenty of catering and an autojumble too. Classic car entries are free but must be booked in advance; log on to boston classiccarclub. org.uk for more.’ DEVON TEASE Informal event success It's 18 years since the Devon Branch of the Morris Minor Owners’ Club launched the Exmouth Classic Vehicle Show,…

Reading PC really is like having a group of good car friends over! EMAIL OF THE MONTH I’m currently recuperating from surgery (22 weeks so far) and I have to say that receiving my regular copies of Practical Classics while in hospital was an eagerly awaited event. It’s like having a group of good friends around for a chat each and every month! Please do not underestimate the value of the pleasure and enjoyment that your magazine brings to so many people. I had some incredibly dark and lonely moments while in hospital and being able to pick Practical Classics up gave me a welcome distraction and has encouraged me to get well – and enjoy my new acquisition. It’s the Austin Allegro 3 once owned by Danny Hopkins –…

THE RESTORER Max Willcox is a qualified mechanical engineer. He moved to the Midlands from his native Cornwall, working for Jaguar Land Rover for ten years. Since leaving the automotive industry, his passion for cars has returned! AS FOUND Max Willcox has enjoyed working on cars and driving since before he was old enough to have a licence, starting by building a buggy for off-road trials from a VW Beetle chassis he was given. His love of all things automotive clearly comes from his father, who owned a Lea Francis 2.5 Litre Sports that remains in the family and has been restored by Max’s brother, while Mr Willcox senior restored a 1932 Riley 9 Special many years ago. It was little wonder that Max eventually turned to restoration when looking…

Rummaging through old photos in the Larkin archive, I stumbled upon an inspiring find (below right). I haven’t any idea where the image came from – Ithink it was originally in a box of pictures saved from the skip in the Nineties, but it bristles with late Twenties charm. The enigmatic, rather jolly mystery lady certainly looks fun company for an afternoon picnic, with transport for several provided by the mystery motor she’s leaning on. We’d all have salmon paste sandwiches, tea, scones and victoria sponge, served from Bakelite things on the comfort of a tartan rug and to the accompaniment of a wind-up gramophone blasting out Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra. Maybe my new heroine was called Hortense and had a dislike of radishes. You could imagine…

Bedford Beagle A fine stash in New Zealand from our contributor Tony Mealing, pick of the bunch being a rusty Bedford Beagle which has been off the road for some time but holding its ground amicably. Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce Alan Green correctly thought that we might like to see this 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce, in residence on the driveway of a local smallholding for many years, on SORN and not forgotten. Valuable and rare classics like this are what we love to see Alan! 1995 Lotus Esprit S4 Andy Wallace saw a corroding Lotus Esprit outside a house in Brighton on a New Year walk. Despite its woeful appearance it’s showing on SORN and has not been overlooked. Morris Oxford Morris Commercial J-type Standard…

Chevrolet Corvette V8 Engine 4639cc/V8/OHV Power 195-283bhp@5000-6200rpm Torque 260-290lb ft@3000-4400rpm Transmission Three or four-speed manual or two-speed automatic Steering Recirculating ball Suspension Front: independent, wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, leaf springs, telescopic dampers Brakes Hydraulic drums Top speed 133mph 0-60mph 6sec Alfa Giulietta 750-series Engine 1290cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 53bhp@5200rpm Torque 69lb ft@3000rpm Transmission Four-speed manual Steering Cam and peg steering box Suspension Front: independent, wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, coil springs, radius arms, telescopic dampers, A-bracket Brakes Hydraulic drums Top speed 88mph 0-60mph 19sec Bentley S-type Engine 4887cc/6-cyl/IOE Power About 155-197bhp@4000-4500rpm Torque 330lb ft@2500rpm Transmission Three-or four-speed automatic Steering Worm and roller Suspension Front: independent, wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, telescopic dampers, leaf springs Brakes Hydraulic…

‘It’s one of the most beautiful small hatches ever made’ Danny heads back to Alfa for a base model 147 with a few issues Danny Hopkins Thanks to Hugh O'Neill I have, once again, completely failed not to buy another car. His old 147 had sat on the drive, with no realistic prospect of getting back on the road, for a couple of years and it was time to move it on. He had bought it in 2016 with a bent tailgate for £300 and sourced a rear hatch in the same colour from a 2-litre 147, which he swapped over before giving the car to his son, who then swapped over the leather seats from another 147. O’Neill the younger used it for a year or so until the…

As the Austin Allegro celebrates its 50th birthday, a former Leyland employee has revealed a remarkable stash of Allegro brochure and publicity transparencies – outtakes from 1973-74 – that he rescued from a skip in 1975. ‘My desk was in sight of the print department, and I saw all these big envelopes being turfed out,’ Ian Elliott told PC. ‘All these negatives and trannies were being binned, so I rescued them.’ The transparencies include some stills taken during the filming of the Allegro TV ads that featured the notorious quarry sequences. ‘I believe the launch TV commercial was filmed in these settings, with Allegros leaping all over the place, and probably bursting a few Hydragas units in the process!’ Ian just missed the Allegro launch; he was then working in…

Parliament Square, London, summer 1961 No wonder the owner of the green Morris Minor here is sinking to his knees in despair; his car has picked what must be one of the worst possible places for a tantrum. The location is Parliament Square, right in the centre of London. Fortunately, with this being the heart of the political establishment, the police have responded to the incident in force, with the officer in the white smock on point duty directing traffic while his colleague looks with bemusement at the errant Moggie’s interior. But what could be the matter with 669 KMK, an early Morris Minor 1000 Series III that was no more than five years-old when this picture was taken? Is that a cloud of steam escaping from underneath, or something…

‘It got us to the church in time’ 1950 Sunbeam Talbot Alpine MkI 90 Coupé Chris White and Janet Morgan, Uxbridge We had an old friend who bought this car brand new in 1950, just for weekends, but he didn’t really enjoy driving it, so when he became unwell it was put in a garage and there it stayed. When I was a teenager getting interested in cars, I asked him if he’d ever consider giving it to me, and a few years later he said I could have it on the condition that I take his daughter (my godmother) out for a drive in it once it was restored. Then he started driving again! He bought a Dolomite and lived till he was 90, by which time I’d had…

This month’s PC cover feature (see p26) about quarter century motors was one of those that was both heartwarming to read and had me feeling my age. Of the quartet highlighted, the car that really excited me was the Ford Focus. Here was a car that ended up being a UK bestseller and proof that British buyers weren’t afraid of buying something avantgarde, as long as it was fit for purpose. And, boy, was it that! Long story short, it was just brilliant by whatever metric you threw at it. Ford had been turning around its conservative image, but this was something else entirely. After the dross that was the 1990 Escort it replaced, the Focus was a paradigm shift into the desirable – and for years, Ford didn’t look…

Why did you fit it? Scraping ice from both the inside and outside of the windscreen will be a familiar task for those of you who use your classics through the winter. A heated screen uses electrically heated elements within the glass to melt the ice at the a click of a button. Heated front and rear windscreens are now available on the aftermarket for a great variety of classics from Pilkington or marque specialists. What was the hardest part? Getting the screen in was a serious challenge given the cost of the glass as well as the relatively unforgiving nature of it as a laminated windscreen. Laminated screens will put up with a lot less abuse and flexing during fitting than their older, toughened, counterparts however these more modern…

OVERVIEW Ever since Belgian engineer Étienne Lenoir invented the spark ignition engine and patented the spark plug in 1860, petrol engines all over the world have needed plugs. Without that vital electrically produced spark at the tip of the plug, no carefully calibrated mixture of petrol and air can ignite to drive the piston down the cylinder and turn the engine’s crankshaft. Whether it’s fitted in an aeroplane, car or lawnmower, no petrol engine can generate power without functioning spark plugs. The spark plug has been continuously developed since its invention and modern plugs are made to exacting tolerances, though the basic design remains the same. The spark plug’s body screws and seals into the cylinder head, high voltage is supplied to a central electrode from the ignition coil, and…

PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! See p48. Allegro guide Allegro turns 50 this year. We show you how to buy the best Beaulieu or bust! We take part in classic camper capers at the Festival of Rust Fantasy Brits From Morris Traveller to E-type, we choose the best of British PLUS Restorations galore! We find out what it’s like to restore a Renault 5 GT Turbo from the man who did one by himself in his shed, while there’s a stunning 21st century interpretation of the Rover P5B. There’s loads of workshop action next month, when we take a look at wiper faults, hazard lights and dish out some handy tips on basic servicing and car washing. Meanwhile, you’ll find advice on buying a Vauxhall VX220 and meet…

No more loose ends FERRULE CRIMPING TOOL £65.54 If you’re modifying your wiring loom, you might find yourself in need of a crimping tool capable of fitting wire ferrules. The right-sized ferrule, properly crimped, will give a strong connection without the need for soldering. These four-tooth crimping pliers can apply various sizes of ferrule, and the tool comes complete with a carry case and a box of 1200 ferrules ranging in size from 22AWG/0.5mm2 to 7AWG/10mm2. Part no: 8592. lasertools.co.uk Get your wings TRIUMPH 2000 REPAIR PANELS £VARIOUS Triumph 2000/2.5 owners with cars that are suffering from crispy front wings can now purchase a range of new repair panels, available from Triumph fan Lloyd Reed, who already produces the full arch sections and half wings amongst a host of other…

Time whooshes by, doesn’t it? To some of you reading this, 1998 was just yesterday. To anyone else who remembers being alive 25 years ago, it’s entirely possible you felt the same way about 1973, too. But look what happens. As sure as the sun rises, a new generation of enthusiast arrives on the scene and suddenly… you feel just that little bit older. At car shows, in social media groups and car clubs across the land, younger enthusiasts in 2023 are now at the wheel of some cherished 25-year-old motors. Here, we present to you a selection of them as chosen by our writers – all of whom have themselves discovered the joy of the Nineties in recent years. The key to the survival of cars from this era…

The Jowett Car Club is 100 years-old in 2023, which makes it the oldest single-make car club in the world. That’s a pretty good excuse for a party and so, when club rep Chris Spencer asked if I might like to come along to the birthday bash, I said yes, straightaway. Any club that is still thriving 70 years after the last car was made must have a secret worth knowing, and I fancied finding out what it was. I also fancied a bonding experience with one of the breed. I wanted to turn up to the party in Bradford’s finest, so I asked if anyone could lend me a car. A week later Chris delivered a gorgeous 1954 Jowett Javelin De Lux to the PC workshop and handed me…

Murray Walker was famous for making on-air gaffes. ‘I don’t make mistakes,’ the excitable late commentator once said, ‘I make prophecies that immediately turn out to be wrong.’ It was a foible of his art, and it endeared him to the British public, but when a man with a microphone mis-diagnosed my MGA with a failed head gasket recently I didn’t feel very forgiving. I’ll set the scene. After two faultless but strenuous climbs up Shelsley Walsh hill, FSK 302 had established a proven track record of conquering the topographic challenges that characterise the oldest motorsport course in the world. Utilising every unit of the approximate 80bhp available to her, FSK hauled her near one-tonne kerb weight, plus passengers, up the track, which gains a height of 100m over a…

WHAT TO PAY PROJECT £800-£1500 GOOD £3000-£6500 EXCELLENT £9600-£12,000 TECH SPEC Engine 1998cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 127bhp@5700rpm Torque 122lb ft@4500rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual + overdrive Top speed 116mph 0-60mph 9.2sec Fuel economy 33mpg Why you want one For starters, Triumph based its 1973 Sprint on one of the best-looking saloons of all time. Already perfectly proportioned from nose to tail, outwardly the hottest of Dolomites got some subtle upgrades, including alloys and a vinyl roof. The Sprint’s pedigree lies under the skin though, where you’ll find a 1998cc version of the slant-four with a 16-valve head, sportier gearing, lowered suspension, and bigger brakes. Built to take on Alfa, BMW and Ford, a Dolomite Sprint feels every bit as entertaining as a 2002ti or RS2000, but brings an air of unique sophistication, and…

hy you want one History has shown that some mainstream models disappear long before they get the chance of attaining classic status. How many examples of the Alfasud, Audi 100, Avenger and Fuego died unnoticed in the local scrapyard? It's happening even faster in this disposable world, despite cars being capable of lasting so much longer nowadays. So many charismatic turn of the century curiosities can be found languishing at the local scrapyard… including our 'Wise Buy' this month. The Volvo C30 is the very last in a line of elegant Volvo sports coupés – sharing its distinctive glass tailgate design with the P1800 ES and 480. Why the last? Because nobody wants coupés or three-door hatches anymore. They’ve been replaced by chunky SUVs in a market obsessed with size…

THEO’S JOB CARD STRIKE YOUR FIRST ARC Being able to repair the metalwork on your car will save you lots of money in the long run for relatively little outlay. Correctly welding the thin metal cars are made from doesn’t require the same skillset used for other processes, or even MIG/MAG welding thicker structural steel, and it's easy to achieve professional results very quickly. We’ll show you a couple of welding sets you might buy, what else you’ll need to buy in terms of process and safety, and how to get started. SAFETY FIRST Cover anything that could start fires or be damaged, cover all glass, and don’t weld near the fuel tank. JOINT CHOICE Butt joints are the strongest but are more fiddly to set up. Once ground down,…

The Singer Motor Club focuses strongly on all things Singer and aims to promote enthusiasm for, and interest in, all aspects of the Singer marque, from the birth of George Singer in 1847 through to 1970 when the last Singer vehicle was manufactured. All Singer enthusiasts are welcome, and the club fosters a sense of enjoyment and friendship between Singer people worldwide. An excellent magazine, The Mascot, is published on a bi-monthly basis and pub meetings take place routinely in various parts of the country. Out and about Since its inception the Singer Motor Club has organised annual National Rallies, usually in July, taking place over a long weekend and including visits to places of interest to suit all tastes. On the Saturday evening the annual club dinner takes place,…