Table of contents for August 2024 in Practical Classics

So, what’s the red car on the cover? It’s a Paramount, one of only 10 built at the factory in Swadlincote and a car that now has pride of place in the Great British Car Journey, only 20 miles away from where it was put together. Great. But why is it on the cover? Simple. Our friend Steph from idriveaclassic chose it. There’s a very important point to be made here and one that, I hope, will give renewed optimism to all owners of older cars and the clubs which represent them. As Steph, along with many younger classic car fans, is as keen – keener even – about cars from an era she cannot remember as she is about the cars which you would expect a younger enthusiast to…

hbbody.com (via autopaintsbrighton.co.uk) Ideal for bringing faded paintwork back to life or as a finishing step after a respray, we were blown away this month at the speed with which this high-performance, one-step polishing compound worked its magic on the faded roof of Matt Tomkins’s Traveller. Designed to cut and polish simultaneously, it’s a real time saver. Promising to eliminate deep sanding marks and scratches from P1500 without burning, and suitable for use with all modern types of topcoats, it’s a product which really does seem to do exactly what it says on the tin.…

A deep clean of the Sunbeam 1000hp’s gearbox has just been completed by engineers at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. The three-speed gearbox sat next to Land Speed Record driver Sir Henry Segrave, with the bevel drive behind and spur gearbox in front. The revival of the unit is the latest task for the workshop team during the restoration. The gearbox and bevel drive, which bolts on to its end, have been gently taken apart and cleaned, with new parts such as a gasket being made by hand. Inside the gearbox, the oil had set like treacle, so the unit is having to be soaked for a week in a tank of hot water and detergent solution to ‘unglue’ working parts, before they can be cleaned and restored. Practical Classics will feature the…

A PC subscriber is behind a new classic car show in September to be held in memory of his late wife. In conjunction with Ipswich-based Bridge Classic Cars, Paul Jenkins will be raising money for the Alan Morement Memorial Fund (AMMF), which funds research into fighting Cholangiocarcinoma – a rare form of cancer that affects the liver and bile ducts. Paul’s wife, Sue, passed away last August. ‘Cholangiocarcinoma is often poorly diagnosed,’ said Paul. ‘AMMF aims to get the message out to everyone so that doctors and medical professionals are aware of the symptoms.’ The event will take place at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ on Sunday September 8, 2024, from 9.30am.…

The Crash Box and Classic Car Club of Devon is set to hold its annual automotive extravaganza at Powderham Castle near Exeter, on July 13-14, with around 1500 vehicles expected to take part. Incredibly, this year’s weekend will be the 49th such event since the Historic Vehicle Gathering was first run, and the man in overall charge of it is Mike Overfield-Collins. He told us: ‘One of the main attractions will be a display of affordable modern classics covering the period from 1986 to 2003. The Modern Classics section was introduced to show the appeal of more affordable cars of interest that were once a common sight on our roads, but which have survived only in small numbers, and once again we're expecting this to be very popular. In previous years entries…

Spring and early summer is a time of optimism for classic car owners; it’s when many old cars are gently awoken from their winter slumber and well-prepped for another summer of warm hazy evenings, adventures on B-roads and at classic car shows. (Yes… sunshine is wishful thinking if you're in the UK and have looked out the window lately). Now annually signalling the commencement of road trip season, the annual ‘Drive It Day’ encourages owners of all classics to whip off the dust sheet and get back on the road – be it for journey to the local car show or a practice for that pan-European charity trip you’ve got planned. First held in 2005 by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), it raises awareness of the historic…

The Sierra was my dad’s car originally. He bought it cheaply, as a £500 banger, and just sort of ran it into the ground as you generally do with a daily hack that just does the job and you don’t really care about. It was proper Bangernomics motoring – not something we expected to stick around. After a couple of years’ faithful service, my dad, John, put it in for its MOT and it failed on quite a few things, so that was it as far as he was concerned – game over, the car’s job was well and truly done. But rather than scrap it I asked him if I could take it – I knew it needed a lot of work and welding mostly, but I’d always fancied…

It’s June and we’re at a 60th birthday celebration. A friend of ours tells me of the plight of some other friends and their broken down car. They have a bungalow just outside Alicante, Spain, which they frequent regularly and the couple, Michaela and Dave, have two dogs, Oscar and Murphy who always travel with them. Anyway, I was told that Dave and Michaela’s car had failed on the return trip to the UK a few days before and it was pretty much terminal. So, Dave ended up flying home while Michaela and her dachshunds returned to San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante. As with every trip abroad, there was insurance in place but sometimes it doesn’t quite cover every eventuality and I was told that getting Michaela back to the…

Why you want one The Renault 5 is back! An astonishing 50,000 people pre-ordered the all-new electric R5 E-Tech when it was launched earlier this year, with deliveries expected in 2025. Sure, the new car dwarfs the diminutive original but it’s not hard to join the dots. There are nods inside and out to both early generations of the 1972-1996 supermini – from the exterior shape to the interior details. The connection – at least from a style point of view – is entirely deliberate. Why? Because the Renault 5 is a French cultural phenomenon, a former European bestseller and a slice of well-loved street furniture here in the UK for more than three decades. The chic Seventies original was given the green light after Renault spotted doodles by designer…

We’ve become so used to seeing these Sonic Blue and gold burbling rally brutes that we sometimes forget – at least I do – that there’s much more to the Impreza than that. The range encompassed everything from pedestrian and practical saloons and estates, with as much pretension to world rallying as your average over-Seventies Honda owner, all the way up to the flame-spitting WRX STi. If you wanted something even more special and a bit feral, Subaru was happy to oblige, with a dizzying array of limited editions that evoked the firm’s greatest gravel goliaths. One of the lesser known was 2007’s RB320. So called to honour the late, great English rally champion Richard Burns – hence the RB part of the name – the 320 moniker referred to…

My previous tales of woe and frustration over my Saab project have prompted a healthy response from fellow and enthusiasts for whom restoration isn’t a walk in the park either. As I pointed out, it’s supposed to be fun and… well, this one hasn’t been at all. The bodgery of past owners means it has been a case of chasing the filler and replacing it with good quality metal – something workshop guru Clive Jefferson has done beautifully. Yet… it still looks a bit cosmetically challenged. Nothing I can do about that, but I have begun to rebuild the interior and tackle Saab’s typically droopy headlining issues. Next will be a replacement of the Saab’s hoses, belts and other aged mechanical items. Will it be ready for some summer road…

I’ve been a classic car nut for pretty much all of my life and early on used beaten up classic and vintage cars as daily drivers. However, as soon as I became a motoring journalist, classic cars for me became more about work – they were something that I wrote about, but didn’t necessarily own anymore. So, recently, I went searching for a classic I could just get in and drive as my everyday car – and the Lanchester LD10 is an itch I've wanted to scratch for a very long time! Many years ago, my friend Roger and I found an LD10 in a local garage and took a fancy to it. This little old lady shuffled out of the house and told us it was her son’s car.…

It’s almost ten years since we last asked the question and it’s 20 since we first asked, so now it’s time for the big survey once again – what is Britain’s favourite classic? Keep an eye on our social media and also on the next issue of the magazine for instructions on how to vote and where. For now it’s time to spread the word. ‘It’s fascinating,’ says PC editor Danny Hopkins, ‘seeing how the classics you vote for change. In 2016 the Rover 75 was in the top 20, in 2004 the Rover 75 was still being made!’ The competition will be open to all cars, whatever age and whatever make. It will lead to a list of the top 100 favourites as voted for by you. There will then…

Why a P1800? ‘You could say I’ve got history with them. I’ve owned about 35, so I know these cars inside-out. I used to buy a good one for 500 quid, drive it for a bit and improve it, then sell it on for £600 and so on. I even ran the 1800 Register for the Volvo Owners’ Club for a while. Then, in the mid 2000s, I sold my last two to fund a house move and concentrated my car energy on other projects, including a JPS Capri that I still own.’ Where did you find this one? ‘I was browsing Facebook Marketplace one day when this popped up. It was identical to the first one I had, so sentimentality crept in and I thought ‘I’ve got to at…

1 JULY 2013 Why the body didn’t collapse is a mystery. The floor and much of the boot floor was totally rotten. Sills were shot, holes everywhere. 2 OCTOBER 2014 New sills, reconstructed doors and the complex rear arch repair all testament to Simon’s new body restoration skills. 3 JULY 2015 Holes on either side of the bulkhead made the LHD to RHD conversion simple. Simon simply bent the pedals to fit. 4 SEPT 2015 The E-type is now RHD. Dashboard conceals a lot of wiring with the fuse boxes nestling behind the central instrument panel finished in period aluminium, with those early flick switches. 5 OCTOBER 2016 The final job was to fit a suitably retro radio. Simon has cunningly fitted a Bluetooth amplifier next to it, utilizing the…

Albert Looms, car breaker, has closed after 104 years in business. It’s enough to send any classic fan into meltdown. That’s without looking at the history – social as well as factual – of this wonderful Derby-based institution. Right until June 8 you could turn up with your toolkit and remove things from cars, including (the remains of) a Rover P6, MGF, Rovers 600 and 800, MGB, Jaguar XJ6, Austins Maestro and Montego and Volvo 340. Clearing the site then began. The tyres and battery side of the business, selling new and used items was set to continue while stocks last, until August 7 at the latest. Looms originally scrapped items from the railways including steam locomotives and then from Rolls-Royce, including RB211 engines. Surprisingly, car breaking didn’t come until…

Lancia Gamma Coupé Engine 2484cc/4cyl/OHC Transmission 5-speed manual Power 140bhp@5400rpm Torque 153lb ft@3000rpm 0-60mph 9.4sec Top speed 120mph Fuel economy 21mpg Weight 1290kg Jensen Interceptor Engine 6276cc/V8/OHV Transmission 3-speed auto Power 325bhp@4600rpm Torque 425lb ft@2800rpm 0-60mph 8.3sec Top speed 139mph Fuel economy 11mpg Weight 1976kg Peugeot 504 Coupé Engine 1971cc/4cyl/OHV Transmission 4-speed manual Power 106bhp@5200rpm Torque 124lb ft@3000rpm 0-60mph 11sec Top speed 111mph Fuel economy 24mpg Weight 1165kg Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC Engine 4520cc/V8/OHC Transmission 3-spd auto Power 225bhp@5000rpm Torque 279lb ft@3000rpm 0-60mph 8.8sec Top speed 134mph Fuel economy 18mpg Weight 1195kg Fiat 130 V6 Coupé Engine 3235cc/V6/OHC Transmission 3-speed auto Power 165bhp@5600rpm Torque 184lb ft@3400rpm 0-60mph 10.6sec Top speed 116mph Fuel economy 19mpg Weight 1610kg BMW 3.0 CSi Engine 2985cc/6-cyl/OHC Transmission 4-speed manual Power 200bhp@5500rpm Torque 199lb ft@4300rpm 0-60mph 7.7sec…

Why you want one Jaws dropped when the Calibra made its first appearance on motor show plinths across Europe in 1988 – at a time when talking drag coefficient numbers was, briefly, all the rage down the pub. Thanks to the work of GM boffins Cherry and Schnell, the long-awaited Manta replacement boasted a Cd figure of 0.26 and while those concept car looks are getting better with age, the Calibra’s straightforward Cavalier MkIII mechanical bits give it masses of appeal today. Don’t be fooled by those pub bores who’ll tell you it’s just a Cavalier in a party frock though; because it isn’t. The Calibra is a lot more talented than its saloon sister, with upgraded suspension and performance to rival the likes of the Corrado, Celica et al.…

That day when it all goes wrong… we’ve all had them, just some are ‘wronger’ than others. It started after I received a last-minute invite to an important work event, a meeting with the minister of state at Bicester Heritage to discuss the future of our hobby. Guy Lachlan, boss at the Heritage and Classic Vehicles Alliance, suggested that I bring the Marina for the Minister to inspect, and I accepted… it would be important to balance it against the collection of high-end classics that would inevitably be gathered at the former RAF airfield. The morning arrived, I donned a nice smart shirt and my very finest trousers and headed off. The Coupe still has a few snags but was genuinely driving beautifully, the sun was shining – a rarity…

This month, I'd originally aimed to strip back the underside of the 2000 and ultimately treat it to a fresh covering of rust protection coating ahead of the planned bodywork repairs. I’d even managed to pick up a nice big box of Armaguard Epoxy Mastic coatings from the clever chemists at Rustbuster (see p16) in preparation for doing so. However, and as is often the case when working on older cars, things went in a different direction fairly quickly once I’d got the Triumph up in the air on the two-post ramp in the Practical Classics workshop. While scraping away at the years-old and oil-caked layers of incumbent underseal, I happened to notice that one of the rear coil springs had snapped, leaving the top coil unattached. I’ve barely driven…

Suspicious of any ‘improvements’ governments wish to make to our hobby, I was somewhat sceptical when I got a call from the Department for Transport announcing a call for evidence surrounding the classic car world. Following various schemes and ploys to scrap older vehicles, I cautiously agreed to an interview with Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper at Bicester Heritage. His aide signed off the final exchange with what he considered a light-hearted request: bring a classic car. I’m a serial procrastinator, especially when it comes to odd jobs on the car. I’ll often wait until the arrival of a sunny day; but with a distinct lack of sunny days so far this year, I had a list longer than the weekly shop for my fleet of classics. Mulling…

If you’re the sort of person who leaves a car show early at the slightest sniff of rain, you probably won’t want to move to Scotland. I’ve just returned from the annual John O’ Groats rally and the weather was hilariously bad. Held within sight of the famous signpost and the nearby mist-covered islands of Orkney, hundreds of visitors spent their Sunday being thoroughly pelted by heavy rain and blustery winds that flipped brollies inside out and blew candy floss clean off the stick. But did anyone care? Not a bit. The field was packed with a glorious array of cars, vans and tractors soaked with rainwater as enthusiastic visitors arrived in their droves to shuffle around them all to admire the gleaming paintwork and beaming faces of the owners.…

A scruffy, 26-year-old Defender 110 pick-up could be one of the most important exhibits at the ever-expanding Great British Car Journey museum in Derbyshire. Bought in June, as the 104-year-old Looms scrapyard shut its gates for the last time, the Land Rover is to be kept in the state in which it was recovered. ‘It wears its scars with pride,’ owner Richard Usher told PC, ‘and every one tells the tale of the 1000s of cars this old rig moved round the yard.’ The Landie is to be added to the expanding fleet of cars used for the Drive Dad’s Car experience where visitors can enjoy a spell behind the wheel of a classic. ‘It will be a memorial to working Land Rovers and a reminder of something we have…

A young cancer survivor raised over £10,500 for Cancer Research UK and the Addenbrookes Hospital Charitable Trust by driving the length of the British Isles in a motorised pig. Nathan Lister from Rickinghall, Suffolk, drove the Citroën ‘Pigasso’ from John O’Groats to Lands’ End in May 2024 to celebrate his 25th birthday – one which he may not have lived to see without the work of the two good causes. He is very lucky to be alive after being diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021. ‘I had started feeling really tired and breathless at work.’ he said. ‘But after a blood test, I had to attend West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, before undergoing 12 rounds of chemotherapy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.’ Nathan, a self-employed farmer,…

Giving things a lift LASER TOOLS NEW JACK RANGE FROM £91.44 (2-TONNE) Laser Tools has introduced a brand-new range of trolley jacks that range in size from a neat 8.8 kg unit with a two tonne lifting capacity to a mighty 46kg example that can lift up to four tonnes. Model number 8835 is a compact, short chassis, trolley jack, with a two-tonne lifting capacity, suitable for use on cars and light-duty commercial vehicles. It features a lifting range from 130mm to 330mm, has a removable pumping handle, and is fitted with a carry handle for ease of transportation. Its small size and light weight make it ideal to keep in the boot. 8836 is a low-entry trolley jack, just 85mm high at the jack pad. Weighing just 12kg, it…

ACROSS 1 Classic Land Rover model (9) 6 They briefly revived production of the Siata Spring sports car in the Seventies (4) 8 Noted derivative of both the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Giulietta (6) 9 Follow-up to the original Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (7) 10 Luxury brand behind the LS 400 saloon (5) 11 A six-cylinder Oxford-based Morris model which arrived in the mid-Fifties (4) 12 Short word for RPM (4) 13 A word we connect with economy, injection or tank (4) 14 Mitsubishi Lancer-based models from Proton (4) 16 _ Africa, it was home to the popular Volkswagen Citi Golf (5) 17 A Rochdale convertible (7) 18 Which name did Maserati resurrect in 1992? (6) 19 First, second or third, for example (4) 20 _ Port, well-known Vauxhall factory (9)…

★★★★★ ‘PC continues its high standards and I devour it every issue.’ Paul Skilleter – subscriber ★★★★★ ‘A huge thank you to you and all involved in the amazing Practical Classics magazine. It’s a wonderful read, not biased or snobby… you guys cover it all.’ Jonathan Ruff – subscriber BENEFITS OF SUBSCRIBING ▶ Save 23%* off shop prices and get FREE UK delivery. ▶ Receive bonus content and the exclusive monthly PC Tea Break email and podcast from editor, Danny Hopkins. ▶ Resto stories, news, tech advice, listings, guides and tests… PLUS all the latest tales from the Practical Classics workshop! ▶ Classic adventures, real nostalgia, Modern Classics, inspirational columnists and exclusive offers and extras. ▶ FREE Digital access through our dedicated Practical Classics app where you will find past…

The YouTube popularity explosion in the classic sector has been quite spectacular. Over the past ten years, engaging, live-content creation, led by new personalities, has emerged in a whole variety of classic contexts. This is where a new generation of classic car fans live… younger fans especially. So, who are the big players in the sector? If Practical Classics was a YouTube phenomena (actually we do have a channel as well), what would it look like? We have come to visit the Great British Car Journey to meet the personalities that attract the followers. It’s a brave new world, but those passions are just the same. It’s time to see what makes them tick and to get a bit of guidance on how to access what they do and maybe,…

A head of the 2CV’s MOT this year, I whizzed over to my mate Barry’s Lincolnshire garage to pick up a new constant velocity boot. Mine had torn, which was a little disturbing as I’d only replaced it a year ago. Closer inspection revealed some cracks in the rubber and a split, which had naturally allowed all that lovely grease to depart the joint. Completely my fault, as I’d bought cheap ones when the car was put back together at the NEC last year. I’ve wrestled with CV boots before on numerous cars, but a 2CV’s item is thankfully a doddle to replace. I never got the chance though; having whipped the wheel off, Barry’s son Pete muscled in and had the job done in minutes. ‘I ain’t got time…

Our dear old Land Rover has seen plenty of use of late, and the thoroughness of its recommissioning has proved well worthwhile. Back in 2022, following a trip to Land Rover parts suppliers Britpart (PC, June 2022), the old bus received a great number of new parts to complement the significant amount of welding required to get it roadworthy. It received new brakes with discs, pads and callipers, shoes, drums and cylinders, pipework and flexis; new suspension with dampers, turrets and springs; the steering swivels were later replaced and the lighting has since been upgraded too. At the point of its revival, however, we limited the game of parts darts on the engine to a new head gasket (which has since failed and been replaced once more), as the initial…

IGNITION My car stops after 30 minutes! Q My 1978 Vauxhall Viva conks out after 30 minutes' running. It starts off fine, then misses, cuts out and finally stops. I've noticed the coil gets very hot. Mark Mountfield, York Ed says A We'll generalise, starting with the hot coil. Is the car over-charging? You should measure about 14.5V across the battery with lights off, engine running fast. If the voltage regulator fails, the increased voltage pushes excess current through the coil, overheating it and causing failure. Next, check the points gap. Too small a gap, and the coil stays 'on' much longer than it should during its normal cycle, which overheats it. Now measure the resistance of the coil between + and - terminals. For points ignition it should be…

EXPLAINER WHY CLEAN YOUR ENGINE BAY? If there is one thing that makes your car the one that people home-in on when surrounded by a sea of similar models, it is being brave enough to open up the business end and proudly show off your classic’s innards for the world to see. Knowing how to carefully clean and present each part, accentuating contrasting materials, to make everything stand out individually will draw the eye in a far more pleasing manner than a load of dull and faded hoses and corroded metals. In addition – as our cars are renowned for having the occasional ‘nervous wee’ – cleaning and maintaining your engine bay will make fault-finding much easier. It is far easier to identify a leaking gasket on a clean part…

PAY LESS AND NEVER MISS A COPY! See p54. Traction Avant at 90 Last minute resto as we join a mass convoy to France Golf guide How to buy, revive and maintain your very own Golf MkI Railton resto Stunning 21st century take on a Thirties racing legend PLUS All the restoration action from the PC workshop where we get stuck into our own projects – from Austin Seven and 2CV to Morris Minor and Volvo C70. There are tips aplenty from our team of experts who are serving up advice on restoration and servicing. Meanwhile, there are also pages and pages of your cars, news and the latest barn finds in Rust in Peace. No other magazine does all this! SEPTEMBER ISSUE ON SALE JULY 31 MISSING US ALREADY?…