Table of contents for February 2023 in Practical Classics

Adventures come in many shapes and sizes. Some are pretty straight forward, such as our blast to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales in this issue. We managed to cross every single one of the car-friendly passes in the fells in what truly were ‘product test’ weather conditions involving torrential rain, sleet and freezing temperatures. It was epic. Less obvious however are the individual adventures that we all face with our classics every day. There have been times when I have tried something new in the workshop, and failed, to begin with. The first time I ever used a MIG welder was an adventure. With my tutor, and welding jedi master, Russ Smith helping me to fail and then fail better, my journey back in 2001 from numpty to novice…

Predictions of a slump in classic car values are yet to materialise, if Silverstone’s NEC sale was anything to go by. But it was worldwide interest in post Eighties classics that drove the numbers, with over 1468 registered bidders from as far afield as America, Hong Kong, Dubai, as well as a lot of European interest. Rob Hubbard, Sales Director, told PC: ‘The international interest was the biggest we’ve seen with a strong presence of Europeans.’ The six world record prices were for a 1989 Jaguar XJ-S 5.3 V12 Convertible with only 100 miles from new (£131,625), a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII MR FQ-400 (£72,000), a 6000 miles from new 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300SL (R107) (£75,375), a 948 miles from new Ford Focus RS500 (£99,000), a 357 miles from new 2009…

Not one little bit – many! 23-PIECE BIT SET £29.57 There’s nothing sexy about a bit set, but one thing which makes this new offering stand out is the clever little fold-out case that it comes in. When folded it’s a neatly compact design, and when opened up it can be laid flat or hung up on a wall. Simple… but we like that. Inside you get a magnetic bit holder plus various Phillips, Flat, PoziDrive Hex and Star bits with 16x 1/4 in shanks, and four longer Philips screwdriver bits with quick chuck ends. They’re made from impact-grade steel, and compatible with any cordless drill or electric screwdriver. Part no: 8424. lasertools.co.uk Keep moisture out of your petrol CASTROL ETHA-GARD £14.95 PER 250 ML If modern petrol is causing…

It had been a long-held dream for Philip Ackers to restore a Jaguar E-type himself. However, the road to the stunning 1966 Series 1 you see here wasn’t always straightforward. By 2018, the search still hadn’t yielded a suitable candidate, as Philip explains: I'd been looking ‘across the pond’ for a dry state car. I couldn’t find an S1 that looked the part, so I ‘settled’ for a '72 S3. It was an original example that hadn’t been used for twenty years, instead sitting in a private collection awaiting restoration.’ Typically, as soon as he’d bought the S3, a ’66 S1 came along that he liked… so he bought that one, too! ‘The plan was to get the S3 roadworthy and use it for a year while working through any…

►Why did you do it? Modern cars are equipped with anti-lock braking, big, vented discs and huge servos to lighten the pedal effort. Even modest modern family hatchbacks can match the acceleration of classic sportscars. It’s no wonder that today’s traffic conditions and driving styles pose a few challenges for drivers of classics. Upgrading a classic’s brakes will help deal with the cut and thrust of modern roads, and is pretty much essential for a classic daily driver. ► What’s being done? First, I will make sure the standard braking system is up to scratch. Classics from the fifties onwards should pull up promptly in a straight line if the original brake system is properly maintained. Once the original system is in good order, we will consider a few simple…

COMING UP! PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! See p54 Buying guides Bag a BMW Mini now, or get a Ford Zephyr MkIV in your life The best restos One of the oldest Cortinas and an Emmerdale star’s Rolls-Royce Winter epic PC’s adventure goes viral as we pit 40 classics against the fells! PLUS The best tech section in the business: carb overhaul, how to machine polish, cure brake judder and future-proof your fuel system – along with workshop sagas that will make your hair stand on end. Plus, we lust after five aspirational and extraordinary winter-friendly classics, meet a Wedge Austin Princess Limo and that’s in addition to all the other regular stuff that makes PC famous. MARCH ISSUE ON SALE JAN 18 Practical Classics magazine, ISSN 0957-6975,…

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery+, welcomed 69,324 attendees to Birmingham’s NEC for the annual season finale of the classic car community. Around 300 car clubs embraced the show theme of ‘Part of the Family’ with displays filling the seven show halls. An estimated 3000 vehicles were there, including the newly-restored Wings tour bus, Andy Saunders’ ‘Deja’ custom build and a collection of restomods curated by Jonny Smith’s Late Brake Show. Celebrating its 30th year of Dream Rides at the NEC, the Sporting Bears Motor Club added £35,767 to its fundraising total which, the Bears revealed at the show, has now exceeded over £3m. Richard Morley from headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance Services said: ‘This year truly summed up what our community means to so many, being part of…

It's that time again. Great home restorations are at the heart of everything Practical Classics is about, so with our partners at Adrian Flux Insurance we are, once again, celebrating the work of some incredible shed heroes. We have scoured the nation to bring you the stories behind the very best restorations, whether they lurk behind closed doors or take pride of place at shows, and now it's time for you to choose your favourite so that we can reveal your choice of Restorer of the Year. It's the only competition of its type, and this year we'll be going even further to make sure the best of the best are celebrated. Once you've chosen your favourite from the restorations listed here (see them in full at adrianflux.co.uk/blog/series/restorer-of-the-year) we will…

COME AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Vintage Stony back for another year If you want to start off the new year by doing something good for local charities, you need to get along to Vintage Stony. One of the many volunteers behind the event is Adrian Cole who told us: ‘Vintage Stony has been going for 13 years, and it has grown to the point that we welcome more than 400 classics into Stony Stratford, just north of Milton Keynes. Entrants come from all over the UK, and we always get a decent selection of pre- and post-war classic cars as well as motorcycles. The day runs between 9.30am and 2pm, and at mid-day we will hold a minute's noise in memory of event supporter Simon Diffey, who was killed in…

Every year the Practical Classics team pitches its workshop skill (and purchasing nous) against a real test, a big winter expedition through tough terrain. Usually there is a budget constraint but this year, the guys thought it would be more enjoyable to take their core classics with them. No £500 rot boxes here then, only our cherished cars. There was still plenty of jeopardy though. James had to build an entire 2CV the weekend before we set off in order to make the start line, Danny joined late because he had a list of Alfa tasks to complete in the workshop and Matt had to play Russian Roulette with an MGB GT SU fuel pump he knew was less than healthy. The others were on safer ground. Matt George has…

This MKII GLi was given to me in December 2016 by the bloke that had sold me my Cavalier MkI 18 months previously. He'd seen the restoration that I'd done on the MkI and basically he wanted the same for his MkII, so I took it on. It was a runner to start with, but then I laid it up and prepared for battle. On the surface of things it didn’t look too bad but the rear arches, sills, rear quarter bottoms and rear valance had previously been ‘repaired’ just by riveting panels over the rotted-out originals and then covering the lot with filler. Not good, and other similar repairs were done everywhere. The closer I looked at it, the worse it got. The tear-down was a long and detailed…

Use it or lose it. It’s a stark warning issued by Mark Wilsmore, the owner of Ace Cafe on London’s North Circular road, which has been a popular hangout for rockers, bikers and petrolheads since 1938, but it’s a timely clarion call to support the small businesses, and the entrepreneur enthusiasts who set them up and take them on, at the heart of our community. The burden of the pandemic and now soaring energy bills threatens their survival and I fear that without help, some, perhaps many of them, will be forced to shut down over the winter, reduce their operating hours or close completely because they won’t be able to trade profitably. ‘It is no secret, and it will not be a surprise, that with continuous cost increases for…

WHAT TO PAY PROJECT £1000-£2500 RUNNER £2000-£5500 GOOD £3000-£16500 TECH SPEC Engine 2597cc/6-cyl/OHC Power 136bhp@5000rpm Torque 151lb ft@3750rpm Transmission three-speed automatic 0-60mph 10.7sec Top speed 117mph Fuel economy 28mpg LIVING WITH AN SD1 How easy to work on ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Parts availability ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Running cost ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Performance ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Badge A marque that’s loved more than ever, and the SD1 has a dedicated club. Engine The six-cylinder unit was known for the camshaft’s oil feed becoming blocked, which would cause the camshaft to seize. The cambelt would then snap, resulting in the usual bent valves. Why you want one Whenever Rover unleashed its most ingenious designers, the results were always spectacular. From the flawless engineering quality…

The Classic Motor Show is the indispensable end-of-year outing for every UK enthusiast. If you’ve never been, why not!? It’s rightly considered the close-of-season highlight, with the NEC’s huge halls crammed with around 3000 classic cars. A feast for the senses and a great way for roughly 300 car clubs and nearly 70,000 members of the public to get together. One of the highlights this year – and every year – for many (myself included) was Silverstone Auctions’ paddock. I wandered around, catalogue in hand, window shopping and helplessly trying to do man maths – often coming up short. One machine that made me plead for that lottery win, was this 1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. A car that’s graced more teenage boys’ bedroom walls than Samantha Fox and Kelly…

Ah, the joy of modern classics. In the old days, we’d use rubbish expressions like ‘future classic’ when describing something interesting that’s less than 20 years-old. But now that we all have our sounding board, our scene, it’s so much easier to justify some of the car choices we make, no matter how suspect they may seem to some. We can call them ‘modern classics’. However, it’s also fair to say that some cars become pukka classics sooner than others. You’ll know exactly what I mean – the first time I laid eyes on the current Alpine A110, I knew it was a classic the moment it came off the production line. Somewhere down the line, all cars make it as classics. There’s no better illustration of that than the…

Starting HANDEL Shall we celebrate tax dodgers? Maybe not, says Danny Hopkins I honestly don’t know anyone whose primary reason for owning as classic is because they can dodge paying tax. The people I mix with, the real enthusiasts I meet, whose passion for older cars leads them to own one (or more), are fuelled by nostalgia, a sense of history, a love of brilliant engineering and respect for design. They love their classic because it enriches their lives. They come from all backgrounds and demographics and the fact that at 40 years-old or more their classics are road tax free, exempt from ULEZ and don’t have to have an MOT is a 'benefit', a recognition of the fact that old cars take time money and effort to curate. Historic…

Nominate! Do you know someone aged 16-25 who is aspiring to work with classics? Spends their weekends with them, or is involved in a club? We want to hear from you: visit lancasterinsurance. co.uk/competitions/ bright-young-sparks to nominate. Where did your interest in classics start? 'I've always been interested in vintage and retro styles since I was very young. I remember when I was around nine, wanting to own an Austin Seven as I loved how they looked. Instead, when I was around 20, I started to like the Sixties/Seventies and I knew that the first car I wanted would be a classic car!' Who was the driving force? 'Certainly, both my parents were. They had grown up when these cars were considered ‘modern’ and consequently, I think that passed down…

Winter Warmers prize update! You can live out your own adventure with these prizes from Classic Lodges Hotels, who own both the stunning Lakeside Hotel on Windermere and the historic Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, where the PC team end up in next month’s epic blast through the stunning Yorkshire Dales. WHAT YOU COULD WIN! A TWO-NIGHT STAY – one night at Lakeside and the other at the Old Swan in Harrogate. Bed and full breakfast, dinner for two on first night, cream tea on second day, two tickets to Lakeland Motor Museum. There are also THREE RUNNERS UP PRIZES of a £50 Classic Lodges voucher, valid for 12 months. Scan the QR code or visit the Classic Lodges offers page at classiclodges.co.uk/special-offers to enter. The Lakeside Hotel, Newby Bridge Resting…

The massive success of one stand at the recent Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show was a surprise to a good many people, not least the club running it. Forming the centrepiece were two Morris Oxford MOs and a Wolseley 6/80. Three postwar classics which even a devotee such as myself has to admit don’t normally have a mass appeal to young people driving around in their woke wagons with heaters and everything. In this case, however, enthusiastic youth were gathering around like at a Take That concert. Sadly, this wasn’t all due wasn’t all due to these cars being magnificent examples of Nuffield organisation, later British Motor Corporation, magic. I have to reveal that substantial bits of Mercedes Benz, Chevrolet, Ford ‘and, oh my giddy aunt, Subaru have been attached…

Granada MkI 2300 Saloon Fords Galore! It's an all-Fords special this month from legendary RIP detective Jack Brands, at a secret location in the east of the Netherlands. A Granada MkI first – this saloon is a 2300 model in dark green. Granada MkI Coupé This is a basic L model with a ‘sold’ sticker on the headlight. The owner had passed away, so the collection had to be gone quickly before the tenure on the shed expired. Danny says ‘Finds like these are so important. It keeps the pool of restorable cars topped up and makes sure another generation of fixer-uppers is ready to go. Thanks to Jack for sharing with us.’ Granada MKII Another of the MkII Granadas. Most cars in the collection are relatively rot-free having been…

COST NEW £15,950 VALUES NOW £2450-£14,250 1963 105 Giulia Spider ENGINE 1567cc/4-cyl/DOHC POWER 91bhp@6200rpm TORQUE 96lbft@4000rpm GEARBOX 5-spd man SUSPENSION Front: independent, double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar; Rear: live axle, coil springs, radius arms and A-bracket STEERING Recirculating ball BRAKES Disc front, drum rear TOP SPEED 107mph 0-60MPH 9.5sec COST NEW £2448 VALUES NOW £47,500-£70,000 1990 Spider Series 4 ENGINE 1962cc/4-cyl/DOHC POWER 120bhp@5800rpm TORQUE 116lbft@2700rpm GEARBOX 5-spd man SUSPENSION Front: independent, double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar; Rear: live axle, coil springs, radius arms and wishbone STEERING Recirculating ball BRAKES Discs all round TOP SPEED 119mph 0-60MPH 9sec 1972 2000 GTV ENGINE 1962cc/4-cyl/OHC POWER 131bhp@5500rpm TORQUE 134lbft@3000rpm GEARBOX 5-spd man SUSPENSION Front: independent, double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, coil springs, radius arms and wishbone. STEERING…

THEO'S JOB CARD THE BOTTOM LINE The automotive refrigerant R134a used in classic cars is a fluorinated gas (F-gas). The Environment Agency (EA) banned its sale to anyone not certified for servicing mobile air-conditioning (MAC), later allowing the purchase of F-gas by uncertified persons for the purposes of filling/topping-up only. While this is technically the case, it would be irresponsible for me to recommend anything other than for DIY mechanics to take their cars to an F-gas-certified specialist for work relating to the refrigerant. How tough? Will take You’ll need… ► Thermometer ► Multimeter ► PPE ►Goggles and suitable gloves ►A range of hand tools THANKS TO Fen Air International Ltd., fenair.co.uk (trade only) Motor Parts Direct, mpdonline.co.uk Will take (HRS) 1-3 Will cost (£) 10-100 Cash saved 20 (£)…

THEO'S JOB CARD AIMS AND OBJECTIVES By the end of this workshop session, you should be able to describe the main hazards associated with lead-acid car batteries, identify the potential harm that might be caused, and state the ways in which risks can be minimised by following correct procedures and by using personal protective equipment. You should be able to list the tools required and state the procedure for connecting and disconnecting the jump leads in order to minimise risk of harm to yourself and others, and the risk of damage to the cars involved, specifically with regard to modern classics incorporating electronic equipment. How tough? You’ll need: ► Nitrile gloves/safety specs ► Jump leads ► Another operational vehicle/battery ► Jump pack ► Basic hand tools ► Vaseline/battery terminal grease…