Inhaltsverzeichnis für April 2019 in Classics World

An impressive number of automotive related milestones are set to be celebrated this year and the annual British Mini Fair, held at Bingley Hall in late January, helped kick off the Mini’s 60th anniversary celebrations with style. A few weeks later it was Citroën’s turn to pop the corks at the start of celebrations marking a centenary of innovative design and production with an impressive display featuring 100 of the company’s most iconic vehicles at the recent edition of Rétromobile in Paris in early February. Closer to home, 105E Anglia fans are gearing up to mark 60 years since the launch of their favourite car, while a diverse line up of classics, including the MkI Capri, Triumph TR6, Austin Maxi, Aston Martin V8 and Nissan Skyline GT-R, will be celebrating…

The Mini’s 60th anniversary celebrations at the Silverstone Classic event this summer are set to be even more extensive than first planned and new ticket options are now available. Kicking off on Friday, the three-day event over July 26-28 will now feature a special Mini pageant on that first day, comprising an exclusive anniversary track parade on the full Grand Prix circuit, plus a celebratory display. This adds up to a packed schedule over the weekend, which already includes the biggest-ever grid of racing Minis and two recently announced Mini-only racing events. Vast numbers of Minis on show is a theme enthusiastically encouraged by Silverstone Classic’s CEO Nick Wigley. “This is a big birthday for everybody’s favourite little car and we want to encourage all those lucky enough to own…

This year’s Simply Aston event at Beaulieu on Sunday, April 7, plans to be a little bit special, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the marque’s hugely successful DB7. The car that laid down the foundations for modern Aston Martin models will be represented in force on the grounds of the National Motor Museum. In a special area devoted to the model, there will be coupés, Volantes, sixes and V12s, the variety of Aston Martins reckoned to number over 300. A full rolling history from rare early cars to DB9s and Vanquishes will be present for all to see. Some Aston Martin Owners’ Club cars and Chichester’s AM dealer examples for sale will also be there. Visitors’ tickets offer access to other attractions nearby. In the museum itself…

ENGINE HEATERS vs ANTI-FREEZE Living in Canada, I must confess that I’m not a regular reader of 'Classics Monthly' but happened to chance upon a December 2018 copy at a local bookstore. However, I did enjoy the read and will be looking for more copies in the future. In that issue was a request from a Mr. Chris Pinar asking about engine heaters for his 1959 Ford Consul. I’ve lived in north central Alberta for more than fifty years and our temperatures can range from more than +30°C in high summer to less than -30°C in mid-winter. To counter these extremes, we depend upon good quality anti-freeze and engine heaters (better known as block heaters over here). Personally, I’ve have had good success with glycol based anti-freeze, mainly using Prestone…

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE MGA? The curvaceous body lines and how the car drives. WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THE RESTORATION? Stripping off the wings and glass for a bare metal repaint and refit. CAN YOU TELL US THE TIME AND COST OF THE WORK? Four months and £6815. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Completing the change over from left-hand drive and the end result. WHAT REACTION DO YOU GET? Lots of good comments, which is very rewarding. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? It handles surprising well and with the five-speed gearbox conversion can cruise at 70mph without damaging my ears or the engine.…

Although the build quality of cars produced by Mercedes-Benz during the ‘Sixties and ‘Seventies has often been compared to the proverbial Panzer tank or brick outhouse, several decades of soaking up the worst of the British weather will eventually take its toll on the metalwork of even the finest built car. And that’s just what Peter Grieves, the owner of this superbly recommissioned W108 280SE coupé quickly discovered, luckily before he handed over any cash to buy the car. “I was fully aware of the condition of the SE when I bought it”, explained Peter. “The sales person kept on glossing over any comments I was making about the condition of the bodywork and harped on about how the car had once been owned by the Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Starr”.…

It turns out there’s a correct way to build a Land Rover and it’s the exact opposite to the way most people tackle it. Once the bulkhead is in place, I think most owners are just too tempted by the chance to see their Landy looking half roadworthy again, so they fit the front wings and radiator surround, pop the bonnet into place and then stand back and admire their soon to be complete vehicle. Then, when they come to fit the doors, nothing lines up. The secret is to work from the back of the vehicle. The fore and after position of the rear tub is pretty much fixed by the chassis (with some small adjustment for the height at which it sits) and the same is true of…

I’d really like to be working on my poor old Davrian fitting the seat but that job is currently on the back burner. Why? Well, that’s because of the Porsche 944 and its intermittent fault. However, some progress on the 944 has been made though. A good friend of mine, Nick Cleak, is an ace spanner man and an electrical whizz too and he’s been helping sort out a cutting out and non-starting problem on the 944 that we initially thought was down to fuelling. However, after some lengthy investigations it looks as if this isn’t the case. That said, we discovered there was another problem with the fuelling. Although the Porsche is a very quick car, I feel the performance should be delivered in a far more progressive and…

Last month we showed how a small 50p coin sized patch of corrosion close to one of the Saab’s front chassis legs turned into a major repair once the right-hand lower wishbone had been removed. It’s always a heart stopping moment when you get a phone call from the garage saying: “you’d better come and see your car on the ramp and advice us on how to proceed”. And that’s exactly what had happened after our Saab was dropped off at Forge Garage to allow proprietor Tony Blake to check on how far the rust had spread up inside the car’s inner wing. The good news was that the corrosion wasn’t that bad, even though the 50p sized hole had now grown somewhat after the surrounding area had been poked…

Ask the average person in the street to define a ‘classic’ car and the chances are they’ll describe the Mk2 Jaguar. This legendary sporting saloon appears to have everything going for it. There’s the great looks, which have been exploited by the film and TV industry and this has only added to the car’s position in the desirability stakes. The XK engine, particularly in 3.8 litre form, is as legendary as the car itself. The fact that the Jaguar handles well and cossets its occupants with club class-style interiors just makes it a perfect package for many. The Mk2 was launched in 1959 and replaced the original Jaguar Sports saloon which retrospectively became known as the MkI. It was announced in 2.4 and 3.4 litre forms, with the 3.8 litre…

Pretty, isn’t she? The colour is a seldom seen factory metallic shade named Silver Mink. A previous owner made the decision to switch paintwork from the originally specified Caribbean Blue to the perfect hue for the discerning Manchester City fan (ahem!) at the turn of the century, but just as we were about to go to print, I discovered the car was originally ordered from Jack Barclay (the UK’s largest and oldest Bentley dealer) in a handsome finish of navy-esque Exeter Blue. The information is on the order sheet forming part of a huge history file featuring Crewe factory records and sent to me by The International Club for Rolls-Royce & Bentley Enthusiasts. The pages within feature all of my car’s construction and test records, correspondence between Jack Barclay employees…

During the ‘Sixties, the Borg Warner 35 Automatic Gearbox was used in numerous cars. It consists of a three-element hydro-kinetic torque converter and a hydraulically operated gearbox comprising a planetary gear set providing three forward ratios and a reverse gear. Generally, as on the Daimler V8 (from which this particular BW35 is from), a cooler for the hard working transmission fluid is incorporated in the bottom of the engine cooling system radiator and consists of a pipe running through the water-based coolant. The BW35 is generally a pretty reliable unit but as with all auto boxes, after a while it will require rebuilding. Basically, this job is best done under the supervision of someone who has experience working with automatic gearboxes or religiously following the appropriate workshop manual. This month…

Rootes started developing a small car in the mid-’Fifties and set up a team of innovative designers lead by Michael Parks and Tim Fry with a brief to design a car that could accommodate two adults and two children, was fun to drive and have a top speed of 60mph. A Continental-style rear-engined format was preferred and the first result the team produced was an aerodynamic micro car that became known as the Slug. Lord Rootes was not impressed with the Slug’s design; in fact he hated it and didn’t want to see the company’s name associated with what essentially looked like a bubble car. So it was back to the drawing board to produce a bigger design code named Project Apex under the direction of Technical Director Peter Ware…

Ask anyone who knows about cars if they think the Audi TT is a classic in waiting and it’s highly likely the answer will be a resounding ‘yes’. The TT has always been regarded as something a little bit out of the ordinary and when the coupè arrived on the scene in September 1998, the stylish grand tourer was hailed a design icon and instantly filled a yawning gap in the market place between expensive sports cars and performance saloons. The first clues as to what Audi’s new sports coupé would look like were revealed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show when a concept model went on show. With the exception of the addition of a small triangular shaped rear quarterlight behind the doors and a few other minor styling…

Motorsport has escaped its insurance jeopardy, just. The EU Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee (IMCO) recently voted though amendments to a directive that was to require all vehicles to be fully insured, regardless of their status. The amendments include an exemption for motorsport, providing the relief that various organisations had been campaigning for. The EU Motor Insurance Directive, borne out of the Vnuk ECJ judgement in 2014, where a Slovakian was injured by a reversing tractor on private land, still has distance to travel through EU Parliament. Subsequent campaigns by the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA), Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), and a consultation by the UK government in 2017, have promoted change. This, as well as various voiced opinions from around the EU, has resulted in…

WHERE DO I GET STARTED? Although the MGA has been out of production for many years there are plenty of places where you can get advice. Spare parts are also generally available, which makes any project fairly straightforward for experienced restorers. There are also several owners clubs in the UK, including the MG Car Club www.mgcars.org.uk and the MG Owners’ Club www.mgownersclub.co.uk. The MGA was available with several engines and two body styles. Open-topped MGAs are worth a lot more than closed models. There is little difference in values between the 1.5 and 1.6 litre editions, but Twin-Cam versions attract a premium. Finding a car in original condition may be difficult, as the majority will have undergone some sort of modification. This can include replacement mechanical components, like a non-matching…

Last month I left off having wrapped up the bodywork on the E-Type for a while when the Healey 3000’s freshly painted substructure arrived back from the paint shop. To put the big Healey back on the road this year, I’ve agreed on a six-week turnaround with the paintshop to transfer the painted tub into a rolling running shell ready to have all the outer bodywork fitted and painted. This timescale is hopefully achievable, as most of the parts I need are to hand. So this will be a build of new and renovated parts onto a fresh shell – a lovely experience. Collecting the shell was brilliant and seeing the paint in daylight brought it to life. I’d gathered a few mates and after a bacon roll and car…

On my last ‘To-do list’ I included ‘Take alternator off’. This was because at certain driving speeds the red light on the Allard’s dashboard came on suggesting the unit wasn’t charging. We tested the alternator and it was working, but I had my doubts and thanks to Colin Anton the unit was sent to electrical engineers Curd Brothers of Tunbridge Wells who tested it. They thought that one of the diodes was faulty, so repaired it accordingly. It came back very quickly but with all that’s going on with my winter projects I’ve not got it back on the car yet to see if it’s any different. Over the Christmas period I’d allotted time to the cars, as it was ‘king pin strip down time’ on the grey Allard P1.…

It really was a case of bad timing when the battery on the 1989 XJ6 finally gave up the ghost on Christmas Eve. The big cat’s power source had been playing up since the weather got really cold but I’d hoped it would last out until spring. After starting the car with jump leads I drove straight to Halfords, bit the bullet and bought a new battery with a three year guarantee. Changing the battery on the XJ40 is a quick and easy job, so about ten minutes after I got home the job was done, but of all the times for the car to let me down! The accident damaged Sovereign has been repaired and is now back from Vernon Frances at Stripping Services Ltd (www.strippingservices.co.uk). Whilst the car…

The poor old Triumph Stag was probably the ultimate display of how our beleaguered car industry could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. When a MGB cost £1300 and a Mercedes SL over £5000, the idea of a lovely looking V8 powered two-plus-two roadster for just over £2000 would have been irresistible. Sadly, the wrong people were in charge and thus the poor Stag never stood a chance. Triumph were a company that could come up with some outstanding ideas but could rarely put them into production without a catalogue of woe. Sure, the Herald and 2000 were good solid designs and the 1300 was a clever little car but when they tried their hand at making the Stag and Dolomite, it all started to fall apart as the…

The Hillman Imp along with its Singer, Sunbeam and Commer Van derivatives always played second fiddle to the Mini and thankfully that includes the list of MoT failures. As good as the Mini was, it could generate an MoT failure list that Tolstoy would be proud of – you name it and it can rust or wear out. The Imp was a better car than the Mini in many ways and despite its less that glowing early reputation, the list of issues – the pneumatic throttle and potential head gasket problems – were much less than the disaster area the early Mini was. They were also better made in the Rootes era and less prone to galloping body rot. Even so, there are a few areas to check come MoT…

Atop-notch Lotus Elan reminds you of that old beer commercial. It looks good, sounds good and by golly, it does you good! And the handling’s not half bad either. With the 1958-63 Elite, which looked great but was expensive to build and not entirely bug-free, Colin Chapman learned some useful lessons about making a more commercially viable sports car. The result in October 1962 was the Elan, with a new backbone chassis frame supporting a beautifully balanced, timeless shape that was smoothed off with a pair of retractable headlamps. Price at launch was £1095 in tax-saving kit form, or £1499 for a factory built car. EVOLUTION Initially a 1498cc Ford Classic engine with double-overhead camshafts was used; however by early 1963 this had been replaced by an over-square 1558cc DOHC…

The organisation that would go on to evolve into Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s original parent company, was formed in 1915 as an aircraft research laboratory headed by Chikuhei Nakajima. In 1932 this establishment was reformed as the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a manufacturer that would go on to become an important producer of aircraft for Japan’s war effort. The country’s industrial base was left in tatters after the Second World War and a post-war reorganisation in 1946 resulted in the remains of the Nakajima Aircraft Co. being re-established as Fuji Sagyo Co. Ltd. Although Fuji Sagyo’s first vehicle was a scooter called the Fuji Rabbit and produced out of redundant aircraft parts, new financial legislation passed by the Japanese government in 1950 required Fuji Sagyo to be split up into individual…

Subaru developed the BRAT pick-up truck from the 1.6 litre all-wheel drive Leone Estate to satisfy a growing demand for light duty utility vehicles in the US. The name BRAT is an acronym and stands for ‘Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter, although the model was better known as the Subaru 284 in a lot of export markets, including the UK. Oddly enough, Subaru never officially sold the BRAT on its home turf and from 1981 the 1.6 litre engine made way for a more powerful 1.8 litre flat four. The BRAT/284 continued to use the body panels from the original Leone even after a revised model had come on stream in 1979, although the pick-up’s bodywork was finally revised in 1982. The 284 proved popular with UK farmers and market gardeners…

Subaru introduced the unconventional looking SVX to compete with the Mitsubishi 3000GT and the Nissan 300ZX and power for the sporting Subaru coupé came from a 3319cc horizontally opposed 24-valve flat six pushing out a very healthy 230bhp. Styling was a mixture of efforts from the studios of Giugiaro and Italdesign combined with home grown Japanese touches, such as the car’s odd looking window-within-a-window side glazing. With a UK price tag of almost £28,000, the SVX may have been an expensive oddity on these shores but it was fast and came with a lot of technology for the day, including anti-lock brakes, electronically controlled all-wheel drive and an all round independent suspension set-up.…

TRICKS OF THE TRADE Surviving a banger auction and how not to get ripped off IT’S NOW JUST OVER 30 YEARS since I first bought a car at auction – May 1988 to be exact. The first one was a dog rough 1977 Cortina but I talked about that thing a few months ago. West Oxfordshire Motor Auctions (WOMA) in Witney was the place to be to buy and sell all kinds of detritus. They’re still going and have definitely moved away from the banger market but back then, it was all a bit of a challenge. The strokes that were pulled by traders were quite superb. Metros and MkIII Escorts were surefire winners, well, almost. The first Metro I bought was a beige ‘W’-plate 1.0L with that weird terracotta…

The Classic Car Loan Project, now in its third year, has more cars than ever ready and waiting for new keepers to enjoy. The scheme offers younger drivers the chance to have a classic car to drive, free of charge, for up to 12 months. Following the NEC Classic Motor Show in November, a 1949 Alvis TA14 saloon owned by Alvis club member Jack Meredith and a 1997 Volvo 740 Estate loaned through the Volvo Enthusiasts’ Club by Sean Skeet have joined the fleet. These join a Ford Model A, 1934 Morgan Super Sports three-wheeler, 1934 Austin Seven saloon, 1936 Austin Seven Ruby saloon, 1949 Alvis TA14 saloon, another three-wheeled Morgan from 1951, 1956 Ford Anglia, 1960 Vauxhall Victor saloon, 1968 Morris Minor Traveller and a 1983 Austin Maestro. In…

PROFESSIONAL SPRAY GUNS Sealey’s new range of high quality professional spray guns is ideal for automotive refinishing. Incorporating a two-stage trigger control, the gravity fed spray guns feature a 600ml plastic feed pot; while the suction feed spray guns (not illustrated) have a 1000ml aluminium feed pot. All models have an adjustable spray width and fluid flow. The recommended air pressure for the gravity fed guns is 50psi with an air consumption of 2.5-3.5cfm. The suction feed guns use 3-4cfm with a recommended air pressure of 57psi. These spray guns are suitable for use with water-based paints and maintenance tools are supplied. For further details or to view Sealey’s range visit www.sealey.co.uk or alternatively call their customer service department on 01284 757500. DIGITAL TYRE INFLATOR The Ring RTC1000 Rapid Digital…

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS CAR? That it’s so good to drive and it takes me back to my youth. WHAT REACTION DOES IT GET? People are always keen to talk to me about it. Everyone seems to like a Mini. WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF THE RESTORATION? Probably when it came back from painting for the final time and I could start reassembling it. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? That it looks so good and is period correct. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? There’s something quite special about the way a quick Mini drives. It has a connection with the road that is quite remarkable.…

Gordon Brown, the owner of our featured MGA, is a retired joiner by trade and also a former stock car racing world champion. “I got into the sport in the late ‘Sixties, when I bought an old Anglia 100E and started competing in events. I ended up driving the car, while my pal looked after the mechanical side of things.” Stock car racing was a popular sport and used to attract large crowds. Apart from enjoying the thrill of racing, Gordon learned to hone his mechanical skills. “Although the saloon cars were similar in performance, the competitors were looking for an edge,” explained Gordon. “We were always fine tuning the engines and skimming the heads, so you tended to learn a lot about what makes a car really tick.” By…

As many of you will recall, I’m a member of the Triumph Sports Owners’ Association, Queensland branch (TSOAQ). Each of Australia’s major States has its own branch of the club and takes turns to organise an annual get together of members from all States. 2018 was Queensland’s turn and our organising committee selected a resort just beyond the State’s southern border into New South Wales to reduce the travel distance from those driving from the south. It was a beautiful resort in a spectacular location but we laughed at the frequent notices around the lush grounds warning guests to be aware of the possibility of snakes, which were on the move at the time. Whilst such warnings are pretty standard for locals, we thought the signs could be a bit…

With the Lowlight Minor providing reliable service and the days starting to slowly draw out again, I’ve decided to leave the heating jobs for the time being. This means I’ll probably revisit these tasks at the tail end of the summer, which no doubt will be here before we know it. There does, however, seem to be a number of ways to improve the Minor’s heater, but these require a bit of research and some fabrication. So it’s probably best not to do this job in a rush without all the parts to hand. Meanwhile, back in the warmth of the shed, work continues on the van project. Dad and I have been focused on cutting out rusty metal and welding more patches to the cab and rear body sections.…

Stag prices have gone up as well as everything else. Realistically, ten to fifteen grand is enough for a really good example – not concours, but nice and useable with the hardtop. Some are asking over £30,000, which is just silly – sorry, but I’ll have the last of the R107 500SL’s for that sort of cash. We found this very smart Brooklands green 1976 Stag Automatic on Ebay and with a fresh engine rebuild and an upgraded cooling system it looks to be a good bet. It’s a post 1974 MkII car of course with the original alloy wheels and black vinyl trim, just as it should be. It looks arrow straight with good chrome and what looks like a stainless exhaust – I bet that sounds nice. The…

Compared to a MkI Escort, the Imp was tricky to work on. Compared to modern stuff, it’s not. The Imp engine is not unreliable – it just needs a modicum of maintenance. A good radiator that’s regularly cleaned from underneath to keep the silt and leaves out, plus good antifreeze is about all you need as long as there are no underlying issues. The engine is easy to remove and nice to work on, as it was properly engineered and not some knife and fork cast iron lump. Head stud threads can strip but the alloy was good quality and a machine shop can repair most things. Suspension and brakes are all quite easy to work on and the Imp is also easy to upgrade. A set of good quality…

Developed under the code name P-1, the company’s first four-wheel passenger car required a name, so the company’s CEO Kenji Kita started casting around for a suitable moniker. With no suitable suggestions coming forward Kita decided on the name Subaru, the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster and the new model was subsequently called the Subaru 1500. Launched in 1954, production of the 1500 was unfortunately hit by supply chain difficulties and only a handfull of these four-cylinder powered cars were ever built. Despite the very small numbers, the idea was good and power came from 47.3bhp OHV 1.5 litre inline-four similar to what was used in the Peugeot 202. Later cars used an in-house developed engine, the L4-1, which was 20 per cent lighter. The Subaru 1500’s drive…

The first generation Justy was introduced onto the Japanese market in 1984 and was basically a widened and stretched version of the Subaru Rex Kei sized car. Power came from a lusty 997cc inline three-cylinder engine, although European models produced from late 1986 came with a more flexible 1189cc three-cylinder engine. A choice of either front or all-wheel drive was available and body styles included a three-or five-door hatchback. For the 1989 model year Subaru revised the Justy and gave the car a more rounded body style. The revised Justy was now available with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission as a cost option. Production of the first generation Justy ended in 1994 and it was replaced with a completely new model based on the Suzuki Swift.…

The Impreza eventually took over from the outgoing Leone and period road testers profiled the new all-wheel drive Subaru as a very capable smaller version of the Legacy. Engine options at launch were between a 1597 or 1820cc flat-four and the high-powered, turbocharged rally bred Impreza WRX (World Rally Cross) version was praised for its high performance, excellent handling and practicality. Originally introduced in 1992 in Japan, then shortly afterwards in Australia and Britain, the WRX featured a turbocharged flat-four 2.0 litre engine producing 155 kilowatts of power (208hp). Not all versions of the WRX were officially offered in the UK and specifications tended to change annually to allow homogenisation of a variety of engine, transmission and chassis components developed for rallying. The most powerful WRX was the 1997 introduced…