Indice dei contenuti per March 2018 in Practical Classics

In late 2017 the Fédération International des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) published its much anticipated 117-page ‘Charter of Turin’. The document covers topics from paint repairs to much more controversial theories on what makes a car historic, and it’s these thoughts that should make us sit up and take notice. Why? Because FIVA influences government policy on classic cars in many countries. Its recent re-defining of historic vehicles made the headlines when it ruled out classics with modifications, or those in daily use. This time FIVA’s Culture Commission president, Roberto Loi, wants better-than-new ‘mint’ restorations to be thought of as modified: we wouldn’t do it to a Greek temple, he argues, so why do it to a car? Many car owners will baulk at the unthinkable idea that their immaculately restored…

MODIFIED CLASSICS MOT-FREE Good news for lightly tweaked classic cars as the the Government has, at last, clarified the kind of modified classics that will still need an MoT certificate. The Department for Transport (DfT) says modifed classics will be allowed MoT exemption, as long as the changes were made more than 30 years ago. Substantial changes to a car’s engine, axle or chassis will mean it will have to be tested but less significant tweaks will not affect exemption. It’ll be a rolling 30-year exemption and replaces the fixed 1988 date that was previously proposed. The process is one of self-declaration so owners only have to declare their car as a Vehicle of Historic Interest if they wish it to be MoT exempt. Vehicles registered on a Q-plate, as…

Matt T says ‘As a former winner, this is close to my heart. Please take the time to vote.’ If you’ve been impressed by one of the restorations featured in Practical Classics during 2017, don’t keep it to yourself. Let us know by voting to see your favourite at the 2018 PC Resto show. Practical Classics Restorer of the Year remains the only classic car restoration competition of its type in the world. It celebrates the Herculean efforts of those who lock themselves away in garages and workshops to bring classics back from the brink and return them to the roads. By voting you will choose the car that will go on display on our stand at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show with Discovery, which will be…

Club magazines often throw up fascinating snippets about what might have been; here’s one we hadn’t seen before, spotted in the Triumph Dolomite Club’s monthly mag ( triumphdolomite.co.uk ). It’s a 1300 estate prototype built by Carbodies, which had previously been commissioned by Triumph to turn the 2000 saloon into something more practical. However, while the big estate became a production reality, the smaller model didn’t manage the same success. Just the one car was built – a runner that didn’t get beyond the prototype stage. Who knows, maybe this little gem is stashed away somewhere, just waiting to be discovered……

We recommend… ‘I’m aiming to get along to Race Retro at Stoneleigh Park. The live rally stage outside gives this event real atmosphere, too.’ SUN, JAN 28 ESSEX Coffee & Cars at the Museum of Power, CM9 6QA (museumofpower.org.uk). NOTTS Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, NG24 2NY (newarkautojumble.co.uk). STAFFS Mini Fair at Bingley Hall, ST18 0BD (britishminiclub.co.uk). HANTS Classic car meet at the White Lion Antiques Centre, Hartley Wintney, RG27 8AE (thewhitelionantiques.co.uk). WED, JAN 31 YORKS Micro Maniacs monthly meet at the Railway Inn, Rodley, LS13 1NR (micromaniacsclub.co.uk). SAT, FEB 3 YORKS Rufforth Auto-jumble at Rufforth Park, YO23 3QH (rufforthautojumble.com). CUMBRIA Classic car meet at the Lakeland Motor Museum, LA12 8TA (lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk). SUN, FEB 4 WORCS Peterborough 4x4 & Vintage Spares Day, PE2 6XE (markwoodwardclassicevents.com). SOMERSET Haynes Museum breakfast club, BA22…

As far as many classic car enthusiasts are concerned, Harris Mann is The Man – the one behind the Triumph TR7 design and many other strokes of automotive genius now in the proud and caring ownership of so many Practical Classics readers. Now close to his 80th birthday, we have a cuppa with one of the biggest names in British carmaking. Q Where did it all start? ‘In 1954, I joined Duple Motor Bodies as an apprentice draftsman and five years later I became a bus body stylist. Later that year, in 1959, I moved to America for a few months to spend some time in the Raymond Loewy design studios, which was an incredible experience as things were so much more exciting over there. I spent eight months in…

Show us your classic projects for 2018! I have more projects than running cars! I hope to get a start on this one but I can’t see it being finished within the year. John Green I’m about to start on the new project car: my 1971 VDP Princess 1300. Unfortunately it is too damn cold out here though in Ontario, Canada! Austin Cowley A 1953 Jowett Bradford Lorry that has been off the road since 1977. Fingers crossed for its return to the road this year. Alan Bartlett My 1985 Austin Montego 2.0HLS is one of only four showing on ‘How Many Left’. Been off the road since 2000, most of that time was spent in a field. It will eventually receive a nut and bolt restoration. Edward Davey Hope…

Ford Zephyr Spotted this lovely Ford Zephyr in the Coral Bay area of Paphos, Cyprus. Just love the black dice, bench seats and column change. A pleasure to see it in use, still showing an English registration. Eynon Shawe, by email Austin Allegro I saw this absolutely pristine Austin Allegro estate in a multi-storey car park in Bournemouth. It looked like a regularly used and much cherished motor. Eddie Boutland, Bournemouth 1974 Viva I spotted this Viva in the town car park while on holiday in Orkney. Looked solid but plenty of patina! Graham Munro, Kemnay, Aberdeenshire Bristol K-series This was taken near the Ringstrasse in Vienna. It seems just yesterday that these were the newest Bristol buses on the road. David Barrett, Worcester Austin 1300 I saw this lovely…

‘Addressing one problem very often creates several others’ Quick and simple jobs on classic cars have a reliable tendency to escalate into long and complicated ones. Many an engine rebuild has been initiated by an oil-change – and many a restoration has been prompted by prodding a solid-looking sill with a screwdriver. The causes are manifold. Over its extended existence, a classic car has had the opportunity to amass a rich tapestry of problems. It’s likely to have survived a prolonged period of dormancy or a number of years of being treated as a worthless banger – or both. Poor servicing, lazy or inexpert repairs, hard use, disuse, hapless modifications and simple age-related decay all take their toll. Addressing one problem very often creates several others. Seized threads, snapped studs…

REVIEW Time for revival Plenty of projects on offer at ACA’s first 2018 sale With no UK auctions to report on this month, we’re instead looking forward – to Anglia Car Auctions’ opening sale of 2018. We’re particularly interested in this sale as alongside the shiny stuff in the photos, ACA is also offering a much higher than usual number of project cars. There are too many to go into here, so check the online listings at angliacarauctions.co.uk  – we’re going to focus on some classics that hopefully don’t need work. The Cortina MkIII shown is one of three on offer, a two-owner 1600 XL distinguished by being visually standard but running a 2.1-litre Pinto engine with twin Webers and a five-speed gearbox. It’s offered at no reserve.…

1987 The 480 arrives in the UK, powered by a 1.7-litre fuel-injected engine. 1988 The 480 Turbo reaches the showrooms. 1989 An automatic gearbox and a catalytic converter are now optional, the latter at no cost. A manual sunroof becomes standard. 1990 All 480s get a cat. The Paris Blue special edition arrives. 1992 Normally aspirated 1.7-litre engine is superseded by a 2.0-litre and all cars get colour-coded bumpers. The Two-Tone limited edition is released.…

Jerry Thurston Find son number two his very first car. That was the task. Simple? Well maybe. What he really wanted was a Renault 5 (I have tutored him well) but if he couldn’t have that then it at least had to be cool and have some classic potential. Cheap-ish insurance would be a must for me, too. No pressure then! Little really ticked the boxes until a dealer internet auction site (accessed thanks to my motor dealer brother) turned up a 2001 Peugeot 106 Independence. Offered via a Leicester main dealer as an end of the line part-exchange the 106 looked pretty good at first glance, the exterior was smart and although it wasn’t mentioned in the advert text, it also had a factory sunroof (I could just make…

‘The chuff-chuff noise up front was traced to a failed exhaust gasket’ UP IN ARMS Removing the trailing arms was a simple task but required a bit of force! 1976 Triumph 2500 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 132bhp@5450rpm Torque 146lb ft@2000rpm Gearbox 3-speed automatic 0-60mph 11.4sec Top speed 107mph Fuel economy 20.2mpg Work done Oil changed; MoT test passed; suspension bushes replaced; ignition barrel and headlight switch replaced. Also in Matt’s garage 1971 TRIUMPH TR6 Engine at TRGB – more soon. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Tucked away in the lock-up. 1992 TALBOT EXPRESS Made it to Paris and returned loaded with cheese and wine! 1997 BMW 318IS Better to have loved and lost… has now gone to a new owner. You’ll recall my TR6 project was bought on something of a whim, as…

1982 Wartburg 353 Engine 993cc/3-cyl/2-stroke Power 50bhp@4250rpm Torque 69lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 18.7sec Top speed 87mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Replaced crankshaft, replaced crankshaft again, serviced, MoT’d, registered. Also in Sam’s garage 1979 VOLVO 245 Winter tyres fitted for added snow-drifting prowess. 1994 ŠKODA FAVORIT Brake overhaul has escalated into a weld-a-thon. My first Winter Warmers plan was a miserable failure. I bought a grim LTI Fairway taxi for £550 from a chap in Bristol. I’d fancied another FX4 for years – but, back at my workshop, I concluded that I didn’t fancy this FX4. The horror show of chapped rubber, rusty metal, sagging fabric, looseness, leakage, seizure, degradation and despair that confronted me caused the logical part of my brain to step in and order that…

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 teaches 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. DIFFICULTY LEVELS One to two spanners An easy job that’s well within the reach of…

You will need Trolley jack, axle stands, oil pan, AF spanners, long lever, soft mallet, test lamp or multimeter, grease gun, oil can. Hinges and catches Lubricate all catches and hinges. Don’t forget the bonnet hinges at the front. Tyres Examine the tyres for wear, damage and deterioration. Investigate uneven wear. Pressures: 185VR15 Pirelli Cinturato – 36psi front and 38psi rear; 185VR15 Michelin XVS – 32psi front and 32psi rear. Shock absorbers Inspect all six shock absorbers for leaks. Bounce each corner of the car to test their function. It should rebound then settle. What’s it like to work on? The E-type’s price tag may put it in the exotica category, but in engineering terms it’s quite straightforward. Routine servicing is well within the capability of an enthusiast. The huge…

12in Hydraulic wheel skates £96 each cjautosheywood.co.uk Here at PC we’re used to pushing dead cars around, but in a tight workshop space, it is often a challenge to get them exactly where we want them . These skates from CJ Autos Heywood make life easier. Simply expand the skate around the wheel, turn the valve on the jack and pump, the skate moves together lifting the wheel clear of the floor and onto four casters, two of which can be locked, enabling the car to be moved wherever required. Each skate is rated up to 680 kg and is suitable for up to 17in wheels with a maximum 330mm tyre width. Buy a pair or complete set of four and you’ll wonder what you did without them.…

Come to the Live Stage and see us bring this 1954 2CV back to life after forty years off the road… The Morris Minor celebrates 70 years in 2018 so we’ve brought back the ‘Lowlight’ we rebuilt in 2017. Our project Westminster is nearing completion and will be showcased on the FBHVC stand. You’ll be able to see an automotive hero on our stand – the Standard Ten we saved from scrappage. Our Matt George rescued this TR6 from the USA and it’ll be on display at the show for all to swoon over.…

Stars at large Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead are among the celebrities at the PC CC&RS in March. They’ll be on the PC Live Stage and in The Workshop. Plus, Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars’ hosts, Drew Pritchard and Paul Cowland will be taking the covers off their new Quest TV show. Clubs assemble A whopping 157 clubs will be transporting their workshops to the NEC in March. Some of those you won’t have seen before are the Audi Owners Club, Porsche Club Great Britain, The Daimler and Lanchester Owners Club, the Land-Rover Series One Club and the Viva Drivers Club. All will be working on club projects, live. Barn fresh This year’s barn finds display with Carole Nash Insurance features numerous rescued cars, including an Austin A35 and…

Welding 21st century style TELWIN 170A MULTI-PROCESS WELDER WITH ACCESSORIES £597.60 This machine allows great versatility in the use of various types of materials (steel, stainless steel, aluminium) and in all possible applications, from maintenance to installation works. The SYNERGIC adjustment of the welding parameters makes the product easy to use and gives excellent results, also suitable for the less experienced operator. It can be used to MIG, TIG (DC Lift), braze, and MMA weld, and comes with a Euro torch fitting so the torch can be changed if required. Light and compact, it can be easily carried into any workplace, both inside and outside. weldingsuperstore.co.uk Matt says ‘We use the previous model of this unit in the PC workshop and love it. It’s well built and handles all we…

In my view there’s no better way to start the year than with the sights and smells that a packed classic meeting brings. The New Year’s Day gathering at Brooklands brought together one of the most diverse collections of classics I’ve seen in a long time. Vintage Bentleys rubbed sholders with Land Rovers, which in turn towered over Minis and hot hatches. I even had chance to catch up with friends of PC Peter and Gina Haas who had driven their Morris Marina estate all the way from Switzerland for the event. Brooklands itself was also different, with the finishing straight freshly reopened.…

First chukka ‘Here we have a mix of traders and civilians’ VW changed itself and its market forever in the mid-Seventies, launching the Passat, Golf, Scirocco and Polo within two years. The little Polo in particular set new standards for small cars. Super saloon? The Fiat 131 seems almost exotic nowadays, but was just a foreign Cortina to these fellows. At least this one is a Supermirafiori with a twin-cam engine, though with only 1.3 or 1.6-litres, it was still well short of 100bhp. British Car Auctions, Blackbushe, Surrey, 1980 To everyone at Practical Classics this looks like a fantasy day out, but to these chaps in corduroy, denim and flares it probably held all the interest that an auction full of two year-old Hyundais and VW Tiguans holds…

Snapping up a bargain Brit Inspired by Craig Cheethams purchase in the December 2017 issue, I had to have a Rover 75. For just £500 I bagged this beauty with 12 months MoT. All leather and all the toys (working). Is the 75 the biggest bargain around at the moment? Matt Hindmarch, via email Ed: We’re big fans of the Rover 75, its a very capable car and a delight to own. Joining the Golf club Your assessment of Eighties hot hatches vs British sports cars ( PC , February 2018) brought back memories of turning up at the VW dealership to buy my first Golf GTi. I had traded in a standard GL model, having bought that car to replace my aging MGB GT in the late Seventies. The…

‘Nellie still lives’ 1954 Ford Thames Joseph Flynn, via email As over 25 years have passed since it last was included in your magazine it was time for an update. The Ford Thames, 'Nellie', owned by my dad Desmond featured in the Reader's Restorations section of the July 1992 issue. The updated pictures show that we still enjoy our wee van and, now the next generation of Flynns have arrived, hopefully they will, too. Over the years it's needed the usual maintenance, some engine work, a clutch, brakes and exhaust. It has only needed minor body work repairs in the intervening years which is testament to the excellent job that was done by my dad in 1990/91. As I write this, my dad is trying to…

‘Someone from the financial or property worlds must be able to facilitate things’ There’s nothing like a healthy dose of cynicism to cleanse the mind and make me feel grumblingly happy in my comfort zone. It’s cold. Most classic cars are unaffordable. Interesting scrapyards, traditional garages and empty barns perfect for storing old vehicles (including buses) are being cleared for commuter cul-de-sacs with names like The Rustings. We have lost Chuck Berry. A Vauxhall Victor I once owned, registered 7671 MU, has fallen victim to numberplate plunderers despite apparently being the only base-model FB left. A lovely original Thirties house close to my own unmolested property has been blighted by uPVC double glazing. And the local bakery has closed after 125 years. On top of all that, I failed in…

Austin-Healey Sprite MkIs What a sight for Austin-Healey fans! It’s a pair of Frogeye Sprites, with more Spridget/MG bodies behind. These are in a yard near Dolan Springs, Arizona, USA. Mark Timmer and brother-in-law Don Ottosen sent this winning batch to us. Morris Minor Pickup Here we have a Morris Minor pickup with chrome wheel trims and a Triumph Spitfire behind, both mixing it with more conventional American tin. Datsun 240Z Baking in the Arizona heat, this Datsun 240Z is in good shape for restoration, with new fenders included. The Morris Minor on the right shows the collector has a love for British classics, too. £50 STAR FIND Can you do better! Send your high-res images to practical.classics@bauermedia.co.uk Hillman Super Minx Another relatively well-preserved classic in the shape…

In the auction close season this winter, I’ve been tasked with bringing the PC Price Guide up to date with something like another 150 entries, mostly what you’d call modern classics. Equipped with a wish list from the boss, I set about tracking down cars sold and for sale to provide the data for all those new additions, and it provided a few sad surprises. We’ve grown used to the idea of post-Eighties cars being better rustproofed and generally more durable, with engines and gearboxes that will routinely rack up 200k without much more than servicing. Despite the best efforts of time, salt and banger racers, enough older everyday classics like Cortinas, Allegros and Morris Oxfords have survived to keep us quiet but some of the newer cars I’ve been…

Kevin Price is honorary president and founder of the Volvo Enthusiasts’ Club and has owned more than ten 480s. He currently owns two, including the Celebration pictured. Says Kevin: ‘One of the most appealing things about these pint-sized shooting brakes is how compact they are – it’s like a shrunken 1800ES. ‘The 480 is also very useable, but it’s a shame it’s strictly a four-seater. These cars were very costly new and I didn’t think I’d ever own one. When I did finally buy one it was full of problems, but I stuck with it.’ ‘What’s shocking is how many of these cars were scrapped in such a short space of time. Volvos are meant to survive for decades, but the 480 hasn’t.’ OWNERS’ CLUBS 480 Club Europe, volvo-480-eu-rope.org volvo-480-eu-rope.org…

Danny Hopkins Cost neutral motoring in cars of character – I had become so blasé about the whole thing that I decided to venture near a computer after a slightly sozzled Sunday afternoon. What happened next should be a lesson to all of us. My rosé-tinted wine spectacles told me that the £550 Saab 9-3 advertised on Gumtree, with minimal pictorial content and sparse wordage, would be an excellent purchase. My wine brain told me that I would buy it for my wife as a replacement for her Ford Ka, she would love me for it and it would be a perfect machine for summer family days out. It had to be a bargain. I phoned the seller, agreed to buy it and went to bed thinking ‘that’s Christmas sorted…

Dead? The Reverend James Walshe reads the V4’s last rites… but he’s hoping for resurrection. 1971 Saab 96 V4 Engine 1498cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 65bhp@4700rpm Torque 85lb ft@2500rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 16.5 sec Top speed 93mph Fuel economy 35mpg Work done Exhaust and tyres, brake master cylinder, head rebuilt. Also in James’s garage 1971 CITROËN D SPECIAL Gotta have attention soon... It was all going so well. With our Winter Warmers’ road trip to Yorkshire just around the corner (see page 66), almost every part of the Saab had been replaced or refurbished - except for the engine. It had been dormant since 2012 so with care, we slackened the fan belt, pulled out the spark plugs, replaced the oil and spun the engine over. With some gentle coaxing from Tomkins,…

1969 Morris Minor Convertible Engine 998cc/4-cyl/OHV Power TBC Torque Unknown Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph Hopefully Top speed Anyone’s guess Fuel economy Some Work done Panels flatted back and polished; tyres developed and chosen; wiring loom purchased. Consider my Minor mojo rekindled. I had told myself that my convertible Morris Minor would be finished by the end of 2017. With so much of the hard work already done, and the car on the ramp in the corner of the Practical Classics workshop, how hard could it be? As the new year chimes rang in 2018, though, I was forced to face the reality that life, and other projects, had got in the way. Very little had actually happened on the car in the past few months, it still sits as a…

If you bought a large French car in the Eighties or Nineties, there’s a good chance you also bought one of these. The Peugeot 505 and Citroën CX used this engine in 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre form. Renault put it in the 18, 20, 21, 25, Espace, Fuego, Safrane, Trafic, Master and – in diesel form – the 30, giving it a lifespan that ran from 1977 to 1996. The version seen here is a 2.2-litre example from a Citroën CX TRS. This efficiently-designed all-alloy engine was the product of an alliance between Peugeot/Citroën and Renault. It came to life at Douvrin, a small town in northern France. The same factory built the little ‘suitcase’ engine used in the Peugeot 104 and related small hatchbacks, plus the Douvrin V6 shared with…

You will need Metal bucket, plastic bucket, plastic flowerpots, plaster, sand, cat litter, planks of wood, hole-saw, steel pipe, hairdryer or air pump, bowls and tubs, fine sieve, blender, nails and wood screws. Take your time Nothing about casting can be hurried. Patience and care are essential. This is not a quick way of creating new parts, but it is highly satisfying. Beware of dust Quite a lot of the processes involved here will send up unpleasant airborne dust. Wear a mask whenever you’re mixing dry substances. Next time… Our furnace really will melt aluminium to pouring temperature, fuelled by no more than barbecue charcoal. We’ll show you how next issue. Melting aluminium and pouring it into moulds sounds like an ambitious thing to attempt in your shed. However, it’s…

Well what a whirlwind that was. I drop tools in California, get on a plane to the UK to host onstage at the Classic Car show, NEC. I then blink, and I’m back on a plane, and into the Wheeler Dealers’ workshop. This year the NEC show stood out to me for so many reasons. It was a chance to step out and meet British fans of the world’s biggest car restoration show on TV. I knew I could be in for some stick because in the USA we’re already watching the new show, some weeks before the UK. But true to form the car fans at the Birmingham event put aside any gripes and focused on the car stuff. Mike Brewer and I were met with generous acceptance. The…

Prices in this guide are researched from several sources, including clubs, auctions, the trade and advertisements online and in print. These 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 complete rebuild, but might be driveable and MoT’d – candidates for restorations. PLEASE NOTE You cannot accurately value any car without seeing it in the flesh. Don’t buy blind. KEY auto: automatic con: convertible lhd:…

If your club’s contact details have changed, please let us know! A  750 MOTOR CLUB 01379 741641, 750mc.co.uk AC OWNERS’ CLUB 07768 363250, acownersclub.co.uk AMERICAN AUTO CLUB (UK) 0845 644 0345, americanautoclubuk.com AMBULANCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY southambpres.wordpress.com CLASSIC AMERICAN AC (GB) 020 8286 1120, classicamericanautoclub.co.uk/ PRE -’50 CLASSIC AMERICAN 01530 831170, pre50aac.com AEC SOC aecsociety.com ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA REGISTER giulietta.com ALFA ROMEO OC aroc-uk.com ALLARD OWNERS’ CLUB allardownersclub.org ALVIS OWNER CLUB alvisoc. org ALVIS REG 01509 412289, alvisregister.co.uk ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY OC 01225 723809, siddeley.org A-SERIOUS (A-SERIES ENGINED CARS) http://aserious.freeforums.org ASSN OF OLD VEHICLE CLUBS OF N IRELAND 028 9146 7886, aovc.co.uk ASTON MARTIN OC 01865 400400, www.amoc.org AUDI 100 COUPÉ S CLUB GB 01702 461513 audi100coupes.angelfire.com AUDI OC 07788 588449 , audiclub.co.uk CLUB AUDI…

Danny says ‘Have you ever visited any of these places and had a great time in your classic? Then put your vote in now.’ The route of an epic road trip – to discover the most exciting place in Britain to take a classic car – will be revealed at the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show with Discovery (March 23-25). Voting is now open and enthusiasts are being asked to vote from a shortlist of 30 destinations, as suggested by PC readers (see below). The top ten locations will then form the route of the next PC road trip with Footman James. The list of 30 destinations ranges from the Ace Cafe in London to Warwick Castle, with dozens of other extraordinary places across England, Wales, Scotland and…

SM £45 ISBN 978-1-787111-25-7 The SM was Citroën’s flagship car, but it wasn’t an easy ride. This heavily illustrated book explores the company politics and the car’s journey from its Geneva launch in 1970 to the end of production in 1975. veloce.co.uk Mercedes-Benz SL & SLCL: 107 Series £40 ISBN 978-1-787111-30-1 The definitive study of the Mercedes-Benz 107 series built between 1971 and 1989, this book contains year-by-year coverage of all the road cars as well as detail of the cars’ competition history. veloce.co.uk The Classic Car Adventure £19.99 ISBN 978 1 47389 641 3 This illustrated anthology of articles deals with a variety of classic car-related subjects and crosses many marque boundaries in the process, from Bugatti to British Leyland and far beyond. pen-and-sword.co.uk…

After a four-year break the Vintage Sports Car Club is set to return to Donington Park on June 24, with a Historic Festival. A spokesman said: ‘The new Historic Festival will offer a unique blend of authentic Vintage, Pre-war and Historic club motor racing. The VSCC will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its first stand-alone race meeting, which was held at Donington Park in April 1938, with an event befitting the occasion. The race card will include some that competed 80 years ago.’ See what the VSCC is up to in 2018 at vscc.co.uk/page/events…

IN THE NEWS Figure skater Robin Cousins wins a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Back home, Alton Towers opens, MG’s Abingdon plant closes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Metro starts operating and the pre-decimal sixpence is finally withdrawn from circulation. AT THE FLICKS The Empire Strikes Back rules the box office in 1980, taking roughly double what the next-most popular releases manage . But perhaps the most startling bit of trivia comes from the showing of a movie on TV. Live and Let Die sets an all-time UK TV audience record when 23.5 million people tune in to watch it on ITV on January 20. IN THE CHARTS John Bonham’s death marks the end for Led Zeppelin, Ian Curtis’s suicide finishes Joy…

Escort MkII and Escort MkIII Giuseppe Romano, Italy The year 1975 was a very special one for me. In May of that year I bought the Orange Escort MkII from Udine’s Ford dealer. It is a limited edition, for Italy, with a 900cc engine. On November of that year I met a young girl, and we got married in 1978. With her and my new MkII we had several summer travels to southern Italy. Then, in 1986, with our two sons, we felt the need for a more powerful car. I found a used 1982 Ford Escort 1300 MkIII, with around 40,000 km on the clock and shortly after we bought a little caravan, too. We exploited the MkIII extensively, using it to go not just to southern Italy for…

‘In big freezes in the Seventies, tyres were narrower and treads cut better’ It is snowing as I write this on the Herts/Bucks border. Yesterday it snowed much more, eight inches deep around my house by the time I woke up and a foot on the hills nearby. It just happened to be the one night in months, years even, when I hadn’t put the Stiletto in the garage because its space was occupied by pieces of my Singer Le Mans in mid-brake overhaul. Time was when I would have then gone straight out for a drive, Imps having excellent traction in the snow thanks to the engine’s weight over the rear wheels and a great ability to perform powerslides, but one reason I resisted the temptation was the downside…

1965 Hillman Super MInx Price: £2600 Externally in good condition and MoT’d to August; runs well, too. Needs interior work like carpets and attention to the seat stitching. 1991 Nissan Figaro Price: £5500 Has done 89,000 miles but always maintained regardless of cost and still runs perfectly. The hood is in good condition, while there are just a few wear marks to the seats. 1973 Triumph Stag Price: £10,995 Now in excellent condition after extensive restoration work including a complete replacement engine from Rimmer Brothers. Also has a new soft-top and freshly polished alloys.…

1970 Jensen Interceptor II Engine 6313cc/V8/OHV Power 330bhp@5000rpm Torque 425lb ft@2800rpm Gearbox 3-speed auto 0-60mph 7.4sec Top Speed 136mph Fuel economy 14.4mpg Work done Dispatched Jensen to PALE Classics to be finished. Also in the shed… 1950 RILEY RMA Living with Theo for winter. 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Sleeps in a tent – half done. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Reliable, brillliant and soon to need a gearbox rebuild. 1983 VOLVO 340GL VARIO New toy – see Marketplace. 1986 FORD SIERRA 1.6 My winter chariot – see p66. 1987 MAZDA 626 COUPÉ Still needs steering cowling. 1992 SAAB 9000 CS HPT Next project in the queue. The Jensen will be finished this year… because I’m paying a very nice man to do it. Paul ‘Lewi’ Lewis is getting on with the task of…

‘The familiar clunk of a tired UJ was unmistakeable’ 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 New differential bearings and seals fitted. Differential carrier bushes replaced. Also in Gary’s garage 1980 SAAB 99 TURBO Ex-Saab press car still awaiting total restoration. The polished P grille I mentioned last month as being my (fictional) bringer of bad luck has, I hope, done its worst. The new head gasket is holding well and the engine is running better than ever again. So much so that I came within four wheels of having the car being driveable. Almost. Polishing the P grille was no small task, and I spent close to three hours rubbing it…

Disconnect battery Remember to do this before working on your classic’s electrical system. Alignment Align the fog light after fitting. Stand some distance behind the car and adjust until its intense beam catches your eye. You will need Wire, wire cutters, crimp terminals and crimper, drills, grommets, centre punch, fog light, illuminated switch or switch and telltale. Quality crimping Use a decent crimping tool for reliable connections. Is a fog light a useful thing to have? You’ll think so next time you’re feeling your way along a dual carriageway in dismal visibility. Wide roads inspire confidence in incompetent drivers and classic tail lights are often almost invisible until the following car’s right on top of them. A fog light, therefore, is a wise investment of a few pounds and an…