Table of contents for September 2019 in Practical Classics

Vauxhall Heritage Open Day was great, Luton Fest of Transport just as good. Thank you to the marshals! Fundraising for the Hemingway Chrysler project with David Soul. I’m in Starsky’s seat, by the way. I commuted in my Interceptor once I had given Nutmeg a walk. It cost £35 for the round trip. Bargain! I chauffeured my friend’s daughter to her prom in the Riley. She looked much better in it than I did. My local: the Croydon Classic Car Show reunited me with an old friend – the Spitfire we restored in 2015.…

The theme of the 35th anniversary Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, has been revealed as: Top Trumps. The idea is that visitors to the show will be able to revisit the iconic card game in a variety of ways as they explore the various displays. Headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance, will be launching a special edition pack of Top Trumps at the three-day show, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 8-10 November. As part of the theme, clubs and exhibitors will be able to create a ‘Top Trumps’ card to act as the vehicle’s info board displaying five key facts. Not only will this create the biggest pack of Top Trumps ever, it will also give visitors a potential 15,000 motoring facts to enjoy. You can even play the game…

There aren’t enough really big Vauxhall shows, but one that’s quickly gaining traction is Vauxfest, which this year will be held at Billing Aquadrome on August 31 and September 1. The man behind it is Richard Watt: ‘All Vauxhall, Bedford and Opel models are welcome, but instead of having club stands it’s an event for individual entries. It’s also aimed at families with the great facilities that Billing has to offer. With an autojumble, plus several cars from the Vauxhall Heritage collection, it should be a great weekend.’ More at vauxfest.co.uk.…

The British Motor Museum at Gaydon was absolutely buzzing on July 7, for the BMC & Leyland Show. Supported by no fewer than 28 clubs, a raft of anniversaries were celebrated including 60 years of the Farina saloon, Mini and Triumph Herald, 90 years of the BSA Front Wheel Drive plus 30 years of the Rover R8. We’ve never seen so many TR7s in one place, there were no fewer than seven Austin 3 Litres on the owners’ club stand, plus there was a brilliant display of historically significant rally machines courtesy of the Historic Marathon Rally Group. See more at britishmotor museum.co.uk .…

Carlton class The Carlton name was used on Vauxhalls from 1978 to 1994. But in Opel form, the cars were the Rekord E, then Omega A. In the Lada Bizarrely, in New Zealand, Lada Rivas were distributed by the Dairy Board – they were received in payment for mutton and butter imports to the USSR. The trade arrangement lasted until 1990. Cult of Colt When Japanese giant Mitsubishi started importing cars into the UK in 1973, it was under the Colt brand. The switch to the parent company’s Mitsubishi moniker came in the early Eighties. Extra, extra! The 1983 Renault 18 American was so-called because it was packed with lots of US-style extras, such as alloy wheels and posher upholstery. The next year’s ‘American 2’ came with central locking and…

I own a 1972 2.0 GT and a 1980 2.3GL estate, but if I had to choose, it would be the MkIII. Maybe! Paul Tame This one! The blue whale – it used to be mine and I still regret selling it. John Ross I miss my ’68 GT in Aubergine with Rostyle wheels. Stolen and sold by my own father for beer money. A night in the pub for a car worth about £8k at the time. Sean Byrne MkIII’s remind me of my dad, so have a special place in my heart! I had lots of IVs and Vs in the Nineties when they were dirt cheap. Pete Smith All of them but a Taunus fastback would have been a nice option on the UK fords books Calum…

‘Engine out to revise previous mistakes' 1954 Morris Minor Series 2 Paul Behoo, Stamford I’ve owned this car for around 18 months and in that time I have performed a fair amount of refurbishment and general tidying. I took the engine out fairly early on in my ownership and treated it to a thorough clean, paint, a new set of gaskets throughout and a duplex timing chain. Although it’s running a 948cc engine – itself an upgrade from the original 803cc unit – it’s mated to a 1098 gearbox. Whoever completed the conversion had clearly not been too up to speed with it when they did it, because they had left the original 948 pressed backplate in position, so the clutch felt very strange indeed. I swapped the backplate, flywheel…

1 MAR 2015 Strong! Crossmember was replaced, meaning the car was rigid enough to be mounted on a rotisserie. 2 MAR 2015 Sill time Car on the rotisserie – inner and outer sills were replaced. 3 JUL 2015 Strip show Slowly but surely, the car’s structural integrity was restored from inside to out. This is Phil’s favourite pic of his car, ‘naked’. 4 SEP 2015 Looking good Rotten rear suspension mountings were cut out, with yet more new metal being let into place. 5 JUN 2016 In the frame Phil refurbished and painted the front subframe unit, ready to fit to the car. 6 APR 2017 Hole in one Having been stripped and rebuilt by Phil, the 2-litre lump…

Just in case we suddenly start beginning to enjoy ourselves or even worse, express any hope for the future, we’re constantly reminded that these are terrible times. Terrorism, political uncertainty over this Common Market thing we joined, knife crime, carrier bags killing the world, global warming, shops closing and (most of) the Spice Girls performing again in concert. We are expected to live through all of this. Apparently today’s young people spend their time ‘Facetiming’ and pretending to be vegans despite clandestine visits to Five Guys, while worrying in case they might get a chill, take a nasty tumble on a cracked paving slab or hear a Jim Davidson joke. ‘Organised by Leon, the rally raised an amazing £1700 for good causes’ Not like when we were kids, playing in…

Peugeot 301 Lodged next to a mid-Seventies Ford Capri MkII is this totally complete Peugeot – a 301 model, which shares its name with a current Peugeot compact car (aka the Citroën C-Elysée). Only 70,000 301s were made from 1932-36. Mazda RX-7 James Lavender was on holiday in Great Yarmouth when he stumbled across this 1984 Mazda RX-7 parked up at a disused warehouse. Sadly, the glass sunroof had been smashed in, leaving the interior open to the elements. Rolls-Royce 20HP John Wilcox spotted this Roller (possibly a 20HP) near Porthmadog, Wales. It may be connected to local Rolls-Royce dealer, The Real Car Co Ltd, so its fate could be very positive. Peugeot 201 Next to a Ford Anglia E494A sits a Peugeot 201 with fine orange patina. Known as…

VISIT FACEBOOK MEETS DIARY ON PAGE When the founders of the East Coast Retros – a bunch of mates from the Ipswich area – decided to get some of their cars together one evening, little did they know how massively the whole thing would take off. Part of a growing number of clubs that don’t require membership, the group nevertheless monitor participant activity closely to ensure everyone enjoys their regular gatherings to the full and the online chat afforded to the club by a stream of social media outlets –particularly Facebook, which sees more than 6000 users following the East Coast Retros page.…

‘Had a lot of the German cars offered sold quite cheaply?’ Is Brexit starting to affect the classic market, perhaps even just on some kind of subliminal level? Don’t worry, I’m not going to go all political on you. PC is somewhere we come to escape from all that. But something struck me while picking through the results of Brightwells’ recent Leominster sale. Let me explain. It was a decent sale, with an interesting mix of affordable classics, and produced a decent result, too: just over three-quarters of the 170 cars offered were sold. To put that into context, currently any classic car auction house that tops the two-thirds mark will consider it has done OK. So all was well and good, but something was niggling at the back of…

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 Steering box adjusted; horns and indicators wired in; bypass valve fitted Also in Gary’s garage 1980 SAAB 99 TURBO Ex-press car now awaiting full restoration. I signed off last month having fitted the steering column control head, only to discover it was missing a special clamping olive at the steering box end that prevents it turning with the steering wheel. I had also ordered the same for my customer’s Peerless, as it too was missing, and only came to light when I stripped his steering box for a refurbishment. The timing was perfect as it provided me with unparalleled access to the internal workings. This…

In the previous instalments of our Essex engine rebuild, we stripped everything down then measured and inspected all the key components to see if they were within the tolerances stated in the manual. This left us with a shopping list of bits that needed replacement, a pile of bits to reuse and a pile of bits that needed machining. We gave the latter pile a rudimentary clean and carted it to a machine shop – in our case Owlesebury Crankshaft Service in Winchester (ocservice.co.uk). OCS started by carefully measuring all of the components and checking the availability of the oversize/ undersize parts required. The key reason for having the block machined is to remove the wear in the bores by machining them oversize to accept larger pistons. To finish off…

One of the most anticipated restorations in recent years is nearing completion. The initial engine start-up of one of the Consul GTs used in The Sweeney, NHK 295M, was conducted in early July at Mid Beds Vehicle Restoration Services Ltd. The Consul is one of the original cars from the TV series and hasn’t run since mid-1989. It has been owned by its current keeper since 1988 and is now in the workshop at MBVR Ltd, who are putting the motoring icon back together. In the first three television series’ of The Sweeney, several Ford Consul GTs were used for filming, of which NHK 295M is one. A Granada MkII 2.8iS was used for the final season. All came courtesy of Ford, whose instinct for product placement was second to…

Mini 60 Years RRP £24.99  ISBN: 978-0-760363-99-7 These 176 pages of Mini-filled excellence tell the iconic story of the Mini in this, its 60th year. From its revolutionary introduction to the popularity of its new-generation models, this book has it all. amazon.co.uk Mini Scrapbook £20  ISBN: 978-1-907085-94-9 In another celebration of the Mini’s 60th year, the story of this car is broken up into accessible nuggets and aided by a collection of archive and contemporary photography, illustrating just what makes the Mini so special. porterpress.co.uk Armstrong Siddeley Motor Cars £14.99  ISBN: 978-1-445685-99-1 Another 2019 anniversary, Armstrong Siddeley turns 100. David Welch tells the story of the marque and its models, sprinkled with interesting anecdotes ranging from the complex company history to remarkable journeys achieved by intrepid Armstrong Siddeley owners. amberley-books.com…

WED, AUG 7 BIRMINGHAM B5000 Barbers Classic Car Meet, B78 1SY (b5000barbers. com).(shelsley-walsh. co.uk). FRI-SUN, AUG 9-11 BERKS Retro Festival at Newbury Showground, RG18 9QZ (retrofestival. co.uk). HANTS VW Transporter Weekend at Beaulieu, SO42 7ZN (beaulieu. co.uk). SAT-SUN, AUG 10-11 E YORKS Driffield Steam & Vintage Rally, YO25 9DN (driffieldvintagerally. co.uk). GLOS Tortworth Vintage Rally, GL12 8LF (shakespearesrally.com). SOMERSET Bridgwater Classic & Vintage Show, TA7 8QR (bcvc.co.uk). SUN, AUG 11 CUMBRIA Dales & Lakes Historic Vehicle Day, LA11 7AB (classicsoversands. org). HANTS Breamore House Classic Car Show, SP6 2DF (classicmotorshows. co.uk). LANARKSHIRE Biggar Albion Rally, Biggar Farmers’ Showfield, Biggar, ML12 6AY (albion-trust.org.uk). LINCS P6 Rover Owners’ Club National Show at Burghley House. Open to all classics, PE9 3JY (p6roc.co.uk). LINCS Boston Classic Car Club Show at Graves Park, PE20 1LR…

IN THE NEWS Farewell to the one-pound note…… at least in England. The paper currency had been around since 1797, but Bank of England printing ceased in 1984, after the introduction of the coin equivalent the previous year. It ceased to be legal tender in March 1988. In Scotland, pound notes are still going strong. AT THE FLICKS Rain Man was the year’s big movie, both in terms of box office and critical acclaim. It grossed $354 million across the globe and won an Oscar for Dustin Hoffman, plus further Academy Awards for  Best Director and Best Picture. There’s a lovely 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible in it, too. IN THE CHARTS Were they? Weren’t they? Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan’s schmaltzy duet Especially for You in November sparked rumours that…

I still use an E34 BMW everyday, but would love the Alfa. The E34 is still the pick of the bunch for reliability and DIY though! Clifford Auld Love the Jag, Rover 800 or the big Vauxhall, but I will stick with my Audi 100, thank you very much. Ian Nesbitt I think the XM must hold the record for the most windows a car ever had. It had 14 separate panes of glass. I’m not normally a fan of more modern classics, but I’d take any one of those. Edward Lloyd All lovely motors that earned their place in car history! For me, the Rover 800. I know most of the other cars have better build quality or more status but i love the looks, story behind the Rover…

1969 Morris Minor Convertible While out and about in London, I spotted this clearly well-looked after Minor Convertible. Mike Diggins, London 1979 Ford Escort This Escort estate is a 1.3-litre model that’s in tip-top condition. I saw it in Birchington-on-Sea, near Margate, while I was taking a stroll along the prom on bank holiday weekend. Paul Parsons, Southborough, Kent Reliant A daily-driven Reliant seen recently in Holt, Norfolk. The lucky owner uses it for regular shopping trips into the town centre. Andrew Cunningham, Norfolk 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom I came across this lovely Rolls-Royce parked near McDonalds in Eastbourne recently. Being used – as it should be. Stylish, too. I was impressed! Roy Warren, East Sussex Velorex We came across these Velorexes at Rievaulx Abbey. Only one of the crew spoke…

Broad, softly-padded seats are the order of the day and the driving position is old-school hot hatch: upright, arms splayed around the wheel. The engine fires readily and we’re away, with the Williams soon reminding me how anaesthetised cars have become. Here, the steering seduces you with delicately-wrought feedback, while throttle response is instantaneous. Plus, the stubby gear lever moves fore and aft in a satisfying fashion – it’s exquisitely tactile. The engine is an absolute knockout, too: gruff and throaty, with a hearty midrange punch. Figures of 0-60mph in 7.8sec and 130mph are barely warm-hatch territory today, but the proof is in the ‘feel’ behind the wheel. At just 990kg, the Williams still seems swift – particularly  when you reach a tight and twisty road. On narrow lanes, the…

In the previous issue you read about a clutch of Eighties executive saloons revisited three decades later. Most were obvious enough but one seemed a fugitive from a higher plane. That fugitive was the XJ40-generation Jaguar XJ6, wearing a downmarket disguise of cloth trim and plastic wheeltrims, but clearly a posh boy at heart. It was good to drive an XJ40 again. Last time I drove one was in the early Noughties, when I took the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust’s own example to show its chief creator, the late Jim Randle, as part of a tale of both reminiscence and missed opportunities for sister publication Classic Cars . I also got to drive some very early XJ40s when they were new, including Motor magazine’s road test cars. I saw one…

1990 Volvo 240 GL Price: £4500 With the current owner for 25 years and always garaged overnight. Under 69,000 miles and, as a GL, it has the leather interior. 1957 Austin A35 Price: £4750 Looks a good price for a restored one of these, especially the sportier looking two-door. Only used on sunny days since completion. 1970 Fiat 500 Lusso Price: £14,750 Restored by Lamborghini specialist and fitted with tuned 650cc engine and synchro gearbox. Rare Borrani wheels and well rustproofed.…

‘Projects that need a lot of work cost from £2000; you’re better off buying something from £4000 that will need less work, or for £3000 you could buy a tatty car that’s clinging to an MOT. Good Beetle saloons are priced from £5000, but you can easily spend double this or slightly more on a late Sixties saloon. Cars from the late Seventies are less sought after which is why they go up to only £8000 or so. If you fancy a cabriolet you can double all of these values, with superb open-topped cars fetching as much as £25,000, although only the best are worth more than £15,000.’…

Craig Cheetham I may have a compulsive urge to buy every car I see that looks interesting, but I’m delighted to say I’m not alone, and that the other person I know with the same disorder is 12 years younger than me so is still in the early stages. Sam Osbon, this is what you have to look forward to… a yard full of cars and an insufferable need for more that you clearly don’t need. So when Sam advertised his Citroën Xantia on a Facebook group frequented by like-minded individuals with the words ‘would consider a swap’, the deal was done in the first email exchange. We’d been here before over a Fiat Multipla, so there was no question of trust. I liked the look of Sam’s Xantia, he…

John likes... THE ROOMY ONE I always thought the MG ZT-T was a lovely-looking car, so I bought one, as you do! It was always regularly maintained and the only problem I had was a leaky inlet manifold gasket, so an easy repair. I thoroughly enjoyed my five years of ownership of the car – plus, it won ‘Best Z Series’ at the MGCC concours for three years running! Matt likes... THE BARGAIN ONE I’ve never owned either a ZT or its Rover 75 sibling, largely because both models are still classed as being ‘too young’ for my classic insurance policy. Which is a shame, as I’ve driven enough of both over the years to know that, if you can seek out the proverbial ‘good un’ then you’ll enjoy motoring…

1970 Morris Minor Saloon Engine 1275cc/4-cyl/OHV Power Plenty Torque Unknown Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph Yes Top speed Sufficient Fuel economy Who knows? Work done Engine rotating parts machined and balanced. Also in Matt’s garage 1960 MORRIS MINOR CONVERTIBLE Is leaking oil all over the garage floor. Proper investigation required. 1968 AUSTIN MINI COUNTRYMAN New-old stock subframe and two repair panels found at Beaulieu Spring jumble. 1969 MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER I must get around to re-proofing the wood soon. 2001 CITROËN C15 Split CV boot swap was far simpler than anticipated. 2002 FORD FOCUS Now freshly serviced and tucked away in the garage for summer. It was at the Goodwood Revival in 2018 that I took my Morris Minor’s engine block, crankshaft and pistons to the Owlesbury Crankshaft Services exhibition stand…

1980 AMC AMX Engine 4228cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 110bhp@3200rpm Torque 209lb ft@1800rpm Gearbox 3-speed automatic 0-60mph 10.8sec Top speed 109mph Fuel economy 22mpg Work done Dug out of the woods; general bringing it back to life… Also in Matt’s garage 1971 CITROËN AMI 8 James Walshe’s old ride now my daily transit. 1979 PEUGEOT 504 DIESEL AUTOMATIQUE When was the last one you saw not on fire on the news? 1984 FORD FALCON UTE Next up for bodywork. 1987 BMW 535IS So much classier than this garage deserves. 1988 HOLDEN COMMODORE Ready for paint! But also needs a diff fitting. 1989 FORD FALCON GL I am still waiting to finish the turbo build. 2000 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER All business, no dramas. Still a loveable place to wile away the miles, though. This all…

TMWL Slim Spanners Price: £139.97 lasertools.co.uk We’ve had this spanner set in the PC workshop for some time now, and it’s proved to be incredibly useful on many an occasion. This set from Laser Tools (part no: 6996) contains ten ultra-thin, open ended spanners that are ideal for lock nuts and other tight spaces such as gland nuts on shafts and pipe fittings, or a very narrow hex on a stud or shaft designed to hold it still while another fastener is removed. The set is presented in a foam tray which is designed to fit in a tool box or roll-cab drawer, keeping the tools safe and always ready to hand.…

Loan classics out and about Young drivers in the latest round of the Classic Car Loan Scheme, who took on their loan classics in April, have been racking up the miles. Furthest travelled is Richard Saunders, who took a Morris Minor to Le Mans. Find out more at classic loanproject.co.uk . Volvo unearthed A Volvo 145 estate that had been in storage for 30 years is now on display at the Lakeland Motor Museum. The car was donated to the museum by the same lady who donated her Humber Hawk estate to the museum earlier this year. She has since passed away. More info at lakelandmotor museum.co.uk . Holiday wheels! Hertz Hire has teamed up with Garage Italia to reinvent the Fiat 500 as the ‘best hire car for summer’.…

Bristol @ 40 The Bristol Classic Car Show celebrated its 40th birthday June 22-23, with an array of cars – from Morris Minor to the winning car from the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix on display. Visitors flocked to the much-loved event and show sponsor Footman James’ MD David Bond said he was ‘thrilled to see enthusiasts turning up in their thousands’. Armstrong @ 100 years The 100th anniversary of Armstrong Siddeley was marked in style on July 14 at Boundary Park in Coventry. Cars present included the last Siddeley ever made and Sir Malcolm Campbell’s car that has been partially restored by the club. The event was the largest gathering of Siddeleys in the modern era. Ultimate Guide @ WHSmiths Our special ‘Ultimate Guide to the Cars of the 1960s’…

You don’t need a high-performance classic to enjoy the freedom of a well-organised track day. The problem is that many ‘classic’ track days allow anything to take part which is why the Minispares event on Wednesday September 25 at Cadwell Park should be a corker. Minispares’ Gavin King told us: ‘The day is open to all classic Minis and derivatives, while other classics with an A-Series engine are welcome too.’ Full details are at tinyurl. com/yyzkpclo.…

To mark the 30th Anniversary of the MX-5 and 25th Anniversary of the MX-5 Owners Club, this year, the club’s Annual Rally is on course to attract around 3000 MX-5s. This will make it the biggest MX-5 anniversary anywhere in the world, and certainly the largest the Club has ever staged. Best bring your walking shoes to the British Motor Museum on Sunday September 15. From Stunt Shows to Show and Shine, tech workshops, live music, leading MX-5 specialists, club area stands, circuit driving challenges and even a limbo competition, there will be plenty for any avid MX-5, Eunos Roadster or Miata lover to enjoy. The club is welcoming the designer of the original MX-5, Tom Matano, to the event. Visitors will be able to meet Tom and a few…

Stirring emotions in us all I always look forward to receiving your excellent magazine through the post and have done for many years. Classic cars stir emotions in us all with the most ‘bland’ cars to some, giving joy to others. I grew up being transported around in a 1.3 Morris Marina saloon and can vividly remember the day that we collected our brand new Morris Ital. It was parked next to a new Rover SD1 that I remember my Mum and Dad looking at saying how beautiful it was. Then going to school in an Austin 1100 MkII automatic. My scout leaders having a Montego 1.6L and a MkII Fiesta Holiday in Maritime Blue, a car I promised myself (aged 12) that I would one day own. When I…

For me, it would have to be an Audi 100 Coupé. Dickie Braithwaite I got my dream car earlier this year – a Series One Rover 3500 V8. Every time I get in it, I’m just as excited as I was the very first time that I drove it. Cameron Burns Either a ’65 Mustang notchback or an early Porsche 911/912 Sid Bennett A Jaguar XJ220 or a Ferrari 355 Spider – or a 288GTO. Or, just having my XKR working would be nice! Gareth Cooper Go BIG or go home! 1970 Chrysler 300-H (Hurst edition) The horizontal surfaces are similar in square footage to the USS Nimitz – and so is the fuel economy. Andy McEachern…

Crusty car parts, battered antiques, motoring curios, broken motorcycles, dirty postcards, British weather, good beer, good beards, international eccentricity, mud, rust, music, revelry, a smell of stale petrol and an array of cars for sale that seem mysteriously more appealing than they would elsewhere. I can only be talking about the Beaulieu Autojumble, yes? Nein! I’m talking about the Bockhorn Oldtimermarkt. I’ve often asked Beaulieu visitors from mainland Europe to recommend other autojumbles of similar calibre – and Bockhorn has always been the most widely trumpeted. At this year’s Spring Beaulieu, myself and fellow stallholder Eleanor Chubb decided that the time had come to infiltrate. My 1960 Chevrolet Corvair was chosen as our means of transport on merit of its adequate state of fettle and ability to cruise at motorways…

VISIT PEMBROKESHIRE-CLASSIC-CAR-CLUB.CO.UK SHOW FIRST SUNDAY IN JUNE PLUS REGULAR MEETS THROUGH THE YEAR Formed in 1983, this hugely active club is open to anyone – even those who don’t own a car – and currently attracts around 100 members with no cut-off age for cars. The annual membership fee helps to pay for events, the club newsletter and essential equipment (branding etc.) and social gatherings. With committee meetings held each month during winter, the club’s big annual event takes place on the first Sunday in June – money raised going to a charity chosen by members. Last year they donated £7500 to a local hospice, an Autistic charity and local Cancer Support.…

VISITLOCKSHEATHCLASSICCARCLUB.CO.UK A number of local enthusiasts noticed an abundance of classic cars in the area and decided to form a multi-marque classic car club. The idea was to create an interesting meeting forum to exchange advice and tips, collectively show off people’s cars and generally have some fun. Informal meetings take place at the Strawberry Field Tavern, The Locks Heath Centre on the second Thursday of each month at 7.30opm – everyone is welcome to bring their classic car!…

VISIT SILVERSTONESOCIAL.CO.UK SHOW REGULAR MEETS AND SHOW AT TURWESTON Another incredibly varied club, Silverstone Social classic car meets are free to attend and are open to all. Pre-1997 cars are preferred, but anything interesting is welcome; and ‘welcoming’ is the feeling that greeted us when we turned up. Founded by Scott Temple in 2016, the club’s focus is very much on the locality of Silverstone Circuit and the many car enthusiasts living in and around the area. The range of events and venues throughout the year are varied, and there’s a buzzing, thoroughly active Facebook page.…

1956 Riley Pathfinder Engine 2443cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 110bhp@4400rpm Torque 135lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4 speed man + o/d 0-60mph 16.8sec Top speed 100mph Fuel economy 20mpg Work done Engine taken to Formhalls. Also in Danny’s garage 1951 RILEY RMA Did its first prom! 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Show car, and still superb. 1980 TRIUMPH TR7 Driven around Britain… a cooling issue has emerged. 1987 MAZDA 626 COUPÉ Out of the tent soon. 2002 ROVER 75 1.8T Parts car, £150 to you sir. 2002 PROTON WIRA 3500 miles, new battery and exhaust. Great car. 2004 FREELANDER 1 Big LRO mag wheels added until the nice Falkens arrive. I’ve been quietly rebooting my Pathfinder over the last two years. In moments when one of the other sulking projects has thrown its spanner on the workshop…

2004 Smart Roadster Coupé Engine 698cc/3-cyl/OHC Power 82bhp@5250rpm Torque 81lb ft@2250rpm Gearbox 6-speed manual 0-60mph 10.9sec Top speed 111mph Fuel economy 55.3mpg Work done Replacement springs, dampers, bushes, thermostat and sump, plus a service. Also in James’s garage 1980 CITROËN DYANE Rustproofing and paint complete, reconstruction commences! 1988 CITROËN CX 22TRS Effortlessly wafting around the countryside (see p60). 1997 VOLVO 850 ESTATE New tyres and ABS sensors have improved it. 2003 VOLVO S80 D5 The best £300 I’ve ever spent. Months of preparation went down the drain in the spring, when plans for a trip to the Norwegian Arctic in my Roadster were thwarted by a failure that could well have sent it off to the great scrapyard in the sky. This was annoying because, after 13 years of ownership,…

1972 MGB GT Engine 1798cc/4cyl/OHV Power 95BHP@5400rpm Work done Oil pressure issue resolved. Last month saw the rebuilt engine being fitted, but not a flicker of any oil pressure on the gauge. A fiddly morning removing the sump revealed the problem: the pump gasket had twisted as I located the pump. With a new gasket in place, oil pressure was achieved within the first 10  seconds of cranking. A schoolboy error, but one that demonstrates the importance of spinning an engine over with the plugs out before starting up. A 5p gasket could have cost me the engine.…

Sam Glover TECHNICAL EDITOR Sam has broken down in a gigantic variety of classics over the years, then worked out how to fix them. John Simpson MASTER MECHANIC Big John has worked at the greasy end of the motor industry since leaving school. Theodore J Gillam TECHNICAL EXPERT Theo taught automotive engineering and makes amazing things in his shed. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He’s never owned a modern car. Kim Henson CLASSIC CAR GURU Kim’s been restoring classics for over four decades. BMC vehicles are his speciality. Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s driveway achievements rival those of professional mechanics. He’s our resident Triumph expert. BMW 1502 Why are my brakes locking solid? Q I’ve overhauled my BMW 1502’s brakes.…

In the April 2019 issue of Practical Classics , we showed you how to make a simple repair patch using hand tools and some scratch-built formers. Now, we’re going to move on to making all the sections that go together to make a wing of the sort fitted to Fifties, Sixties and Seventies cars. We’ll look at how it’s made, what shapes you may need to create and what types of repairs you might need to undertake. We’ll be using a range of tools explained in previous Bodywork Basics features – but we’ll also show you alternative DIY methods. Most mass-produced wings would have taken seconds to make, flat sheet steel having been placed between male and female dies, aligned with reference points and pressed into shape. Even so, it’s…

Prices are researched from several sources, including clubs, auctions, the trade and advertisements online and in print. 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 full rebuild, but may be driveable and MoT’d. PLEASE NOTE You can’t value any car without seeing it – don’t buy blind. Russ says ‘Buying and selling should be fun, but sometimes, it’s a nightmare. Follow these three rules…