Table of contents for June 2017 in Practical Classics

We all love our own classics and most of us have had a classic ambition at some point. A vision of the car we really, really want. Mine was the Jensen Interceptor. It was a want based mostly on the Corgi model of the car I played with as a kid and the simple fact that in Top Trumps, the Interceptor usually beat any other card. I’ve made my dream come true by buying a wreck and almost bankrupting myself in the process of restoring it. No complaints… I blubbed like a baby when it started up for the first time at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show. Money well spent. Our cover car this issue is another dream come true. I think it might be the first…

I love watching car shows, but not for the shiny exotic driving sequences or even the history. I like it really dirty. When we go into the workshop on Wheeler Dealers or back to Fuzz’s place on Car SOS … THAT’S when I lean forward and really get into it. Car SOS Uncut is brilliant because it allows more time to see Fuzz and his team at work. Best of all though, and to me the daddy of all live action classic filth fests, is Skill Shack. Forensic, detailed and always useful, Skill Shack is my chosen addiction. I even have it on in the kitchen when I am cooking. My wife likes that! Now that it’s…

The bulldozers have arrived outside London’s last oval motor racing circuit, after it closed its doors for the final time. Following five decades of thrills and many, many spills, Wimbledon Stadium is to be demolished to make way for 600 new homes and AFC Wimbledon’s new football ground. Campaigners had argued the unique circuit should be preserved after the loss of other London ovals such as White City, West Ham and Walthamstow. Wimbledon Stadium opened as a greyhound racing track in 1928 and became a regular venue for short oval racing in 1962. More recently, some of the spectator stands were closed for health and safety reasons and despite a battle to preserve the complex, the site is set to be flattened. The stadium featured most famously in the film…

'This is my contrasting pair of mighty Italian stallions’ 1993 Alfa Romeo 164 V6 3.0 24v Super, 2004 Maserati V8 Coupe Cambiocorsa Nick Willey As a former employee of the Fiat group where I was a Director for 13 years during the Eighties, I became an enthusiast for all cars Italian. My devotion to Italian cars was enhanced when I was given an Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 Super to drive for a weekend. When a 164 of the same spec came up for sale two years ago, I snapped it up. Having spent many thousands of pounds bringing it to the condition that you can see here, it is now time for me to let another Alfa Romeo enthusiast enjoy it. People admire the Pininfarinadesigned profile, and the magnificent V6…

1 MAY 2007 Interior laid bare Complete stripdown ready for the first attempt at paint and a retrim reveals glassfibre dashboard structure. 2 JULY 2007 What lies beneath The paint is all off, bare metal reveals past restoration work to wheelarches and more. 3 DEC 2007 Missing parts recreated Complete glovebox assembly, with lock and key, was handmade in Italy. 4 APRIL 2011 Take a brake, feel the suspense Andrew rebuilt all the running gear himself. He did much of the electrics and rewiring, too.…

More than 40 years before Tesla introduced its autopilot system, Lord Hailsham was invited to step into the driving seat of an exprimental car, developed by the Road Transport Laboratory. Remaining completely unruffled, he read a newspaper while the car hurled itself around a track at 80mph. Scientists had tried using a Standard Vanguard but the Citroën’s hydraulics proved to be more compatible with the new technology. Further development led to an automatically guided Mini and a Cortina in 1969 but the project was cancelled a year later.…

Don’t leave it too long because we think BMW’s sleek Nineties E36 is going to leave its mark. Already the M3 version is moving back up into the teens in value. At the moment you can still bag really nice 318is models for under three grand, but those are getting used up fast. So maybe time to snap one up. Bear in mind they are quite colour sensitive, with the darker hues working those lines best.…

We’re a bunch of mates in a shed, helping each other restore our cars. What could be better than that?’ John Carrahar has been a member of the North East Restoration Club since 1992. ‘I come down here twice a week, turning up at half eight and often it’s five o’clock before I go home!’ The club was formed in 1971 by a group of enthusiasts who acquired a derelict workshop. The building was repaired, the rubble cleared and the hunt for anything from ramps to metal benders and drills ended with a fully kitted out facility. They’ve even built themselves a cafeteria and club room. It’s a social club with car restoration at the heart of it. On the morning PC turned up, John and pals Michael and Kevin…

SAVED FROM SCRAP 1998 Range Rover P38 2.5DSE Overfinch Diesel 197,890 miles. Differentials were damaged, automatic gearbox was sticky. Coolant pipes needed replacing. Electrics. Lucky to be alive. BOUGHT FOR: £500 PRE-PROD RARITY 1994 Range Rover P38 4.0 V8 Manual 134,000 miles, keycode lockout, ABS system failure, no MoT. Sat for four years off the road. Final MoT work carried out by Avenger 4x4. BOUGHT FOR: £1000 Calum Brown The second-generation Range Rover takes a kicking from classic enthusiasts, especially those who worship the early offerings from Solihull. It may look like a Metrocab that’s been on the pies and hold more electrical gremlins than a frenzied Tamagotchi, but slipping behind the wheel of a P38 silences all the criticisms’ from bandwagon-thriving sleepwalkers. I should know – I used to…

1977 Reliant Scimitar SE6A Engine 2994cc/V6/OHV The car hasn’t been running quite as well as usual. Nothing major, just a bit hesitant when the engine is part warm, a slight cough on progression and a lumpy tickover even when fully warmed up. Last time this happened it was down to a bit of rusty sediment in the carburettor. The Ford Essex V6 is fitted with a Weber 38 DGAS twin- choke carb. The fine jets and tiny passages that make up the idle circuits are very sensitive to blockage. But the answer is straightforward. With air cleaner removed, I took the top cover off the carb float chamber to reveal the jets. Sure enough, there was a little rusty sludge at the bottom of the float chamber. After unscrewing the…

What does it do? The Auxiliary Air Control Valve’s job is to fine-tune the idle speed of a fuel injected engine, much as you’d do by screwing the throttle butterfly open or shut by hand. It doesn’t regulate the mixture – just the volume of air taken in. Control system The valve does as it’s told by the ECU. If the ECU’s receiving false signals from one or more sensors, it’ll send wrong instructions to the valve. If the valve’s internals are clean and it moves freely, it’s probably OK. Electrics Make sure the multiplug is secure and clean inside. Check wires for fraying or brittleness. Damage to insulation will lead to internal corrosion. Hoses Some valves stand alone, but others are attached to the manifold with a sealing O-ring.…

 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’tbuyblind. KEY…

Blackpool is coming to Warwickshire in July, and then South Wales later in the year. The reason? 2017 marks 70 years of TVR. To celebrate such a momentous occasion fan Mark Webb is preparing a huge gathering at Chesford Grange in Warwickshire on July 7-9. Special guests will include Martin Lilley, Oliver Winterbottom and Chris Schirle along with John Mleczek who will be hosting a ‘found footage’ factory film show on the Friday night. Celebrations have already started elsewhere. In March a low-key event was held in Blackpool, where TVR built cars between 1947 and 2006. Attended by Martin Lilley, who owned TVR from 1965-82, a cake to celebrate and launch the year’s events was cut at the Morrisy Hotel. Martin Lilley revealed that: ‘The TVR Car Club is planning…

It’s knowledge that counts, and that’s something Woolies aren’t short of. Almost any seal, strip or clip for any car is in this emporium hidden in the east of England. We walked in with a box of rotten old window rubbers, door seals and window felt for our Westminster project, unsure they’d be able to help with this rare classic. Almost immediately, we were furnished with the required parts, off the roll and with advice on fitting, too. As well as what we needed for the Westie, Woolies also stock a range of material, fixings, fittings and trim for headlinings to carpet. It’s places like this that ensure a future for our hobby, with stock and knowledge to suit most applications.…

We love national rallies; they’re the perfect opportunity to see cars that attend just a few events a year. Most clubs have now revealed dates, so here are the big bashes we reckon you should be heading for. Things kick off with the Singer Owners’ Car Club on June 9-11 in Cheshire and the Daimler Lanchester Owners’ Club in Surrey; the Triumph Roadster Club’s day is at Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire on June 11. The following weekend (June 17-18) the Standard Triumph marque day takes place at Santa Pod as part of the Retro Show, with several associated clubs. On June 24-25 the Austin Counties Car Club will descend on the Shuttleworth Collection near Biggleswade; from June 30 to July 2 the Standard Motor Club will visit venues in Warwickshire. The…

Several club magazines recently covered an event that was one of our favourites too: a gathering of cars whose metalwork originated at the Pressed Steel factory. The Triumph Dolomite Club’s David Rudland says: ‘My Dolomite was among around 80 classic vehicles that converged on the ‘Magic Roundabout’ in Swindon, to celebrate 60 years of the Pressed Steel plant in the town. Marques included Jensen, Jaguar, Honda, Rolls-Royce, BMC, Rover and Triumph. From the latter was my Dolomite 1850, a 1300 and also a Toledo.’ See the whole thing on video at tinyurl.com/zhajqwp…

1991 Proton 1500 I saw this Proton in a supermarket car park. I’ve seen this car around quite a bit… it’s in daily use with an older couple, and still has its original local dealer sticker on the back. Mel Holley, Peterborough Fiat 850 The climate here in Bari is hot and dry, which means that older cars really don’t suffer as much as in northern countries. I see this mint Familiare buzzing around town all the time. David Mullen, Bari, Italy Lada Niva This Niva is in daily use here in the Netherlands. You don’t see many of them around anymore. Andrew McCreary, Amersfoort Fordson Vans I liked the old Fordson E83W in Memory Lane in April as it reminded me of a picture of a couple of these…

It’s red, sleek, Pininfarina- pretty and visually perfect, and of course the roof is down. The electric fuel pump ticks, the engine fires up with the sound of two smooth straight-sixes in stereo from the Ansa exhaust pipes. And we’re off, propelled by 3.3 litres of Gioachino Colombo-designed V12 sending its efforts to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox with first gear off on a dogleg to the left. The lever slices firmly through the gate’s exposed slots, second gear needing extra care when cold in typical old-Ferrari fashion, while the big dials, the Italian labelling and the view over that expanse of bonnet trigger every Mediterranean fantasy ofa dolce vita .Tryto think objectively… and then you realise that the structure is impressively stiff and…

‘A 26-year-old was given custody of a 1929 Ford Model A – it’s a brilliant idea’ The fact that one of my favourite ever cats has just died (farewell BP, 2000-2017) reminds us that nothing and no-one is here forever, and eventually fate will force us to surrender the keys to even our must beloved classics. It would be nice to think that vehicles we have lavished so much care on will continue to survive, for, what is now a little bit of a cliché, future generations to enjoy. Or at least have to put up with. This will, however, especially in the case of older classics outside the main radar, not happen if owners merely keep the cars to themselves and not spread the word about them. Hence the…

Matt says ‘I’d love to get my hands on any of these and use them ‘as is’. It would be sacrilege to paint them… in my humble opinion of course. Austin 12 This month’s winning set of cars was discovered by Malcolm Humphries. He spotted them in a barn while on holiday in Sri Lanka. Leading the pack is a fairly tatty Austin 12. All the cars look saveable. MG Magnette III/IV As well as this MG Magnette II/IV the collection also apparently includes the Rolls-Royce the Queen used on her last visit to the island . Everything here is for sale. Jowett Javelin The owner runs a restaurant deep in the interior of the island and has a collection of cars next door in the barn, including this less…

I’d recently sold my Rover 214 Cabriolet – a kind of love/hate relationship; scuttle shake made the car feel like death warmed up over bumpy roads. Then I spotted an ad for this 1979 Accord. I saw it, drove it, and fell in love with it. There are only about half a dozen first generation four-doors left in the UK, and mine being a two-speed Hondamatic is even rarer still. They rotted worse than BL cars, but this one has been rustproofed. It has only done 32,000 miles and spent most of its life on the Isle of Wight. The foldback Britax sunroof was fitted when the car was new. It did come with a few foibles, like stalling at junctions. Luckily CJ, a friend in the HondaKarma club came…

A Holy Grail for Vauxhall fans and one of the least successful cars ever produced by General Motors. From the bulkhead forward it is Vauxhall Royale and from the back it is first generation Carlton. Now only ten are known to still exist. This one popped up on eBay and hasn’t seen a road since the Nineties. When it didn’t make its reserve I negotiated with the seller. There will be more on this later in the year but right now I am desperate for panels… if anyone can help then please get in touch. ASKING PRICE £800 PAID £515 VERDICT It needs valances, wings and a respray.…

‘ Regular high-speed runs will minimise many S-Type problems’ Catch The bonnet’s safety catch can corrode and seize in the open position, which means it can fly open at speed. Pipework Steel brake pipes corrode. Copper replacements can be fitted for £70 per section. Coil packs The V6 petrol unit is bulletproof, but coil packs fail on pre-2002 cars. A new set costs £250 and they take an hour to fit. The ’box The gearbox is supposedly sealed for life but it needs a service every 60,000 miles at £400 – it’s not a DIY job. Servos Brake servos can fail as a result of water ingress. A new servo (fitted) will set you back about £600. Latches Make sure the door latches work properly – they fail readily, especially…

OFFERED BY A FRIEND IN THE TRADE 2002 Rover 75 2.5 Connoisseur SE automatic 102k, belts last done at 55k. Connoisseur spec, leather, cold AC, cruise control works, box shifts lovely. Natty little pop-up blind in the rear window. Sam Skelton I’d never been quite sure about Rover 75s. On the one hand, I like the junior Rolls-Royce vibe, but on the other I worried that it might come off as a little bit too much – a bit ‘Trafford Centre’ as a friend of mine is fond of pointing out. So I decided to borrow my mate Craig’s 2.0 Club for a week to see if I liked it. Then I was offered this car by a pal in the trade. The timing was perfect. Despite a big fleet…

2002 Renault Avantime V6 Engine 2946cc/6-cyl Top speed 134mph Fuel economy 24mpg Work since last report New belts, tyres and fluids Buying a cheap Renault Avantime is about as high a risk an endeavour as can be attempted by an automotive adventurer. Actually making it home in mine was a battle won. With no evidence of cambelt replacement on the big V6 I pressed go with local specialist Ben Le Marquand, surmising that a man who speaks Avantime would be able to complete the task in about a quarter of the time that I would. Ben would also be more likely to spot any other maladies while doing so. And maladies there were. In the end Ben ended up replacing a rear hub, rear light cluster and sorting a few…

1 Stripped down With the unit apart, a broken return spring was clearly at fault. Replacement was simple. Disassembly is the reverse of these steps. 2 Grease is the word Cleaned and inspected for pitting; bore treated to rubber grease. 3 Taking the plunge Seals were OK, so the cleaned plunger was refitted with a new spring. 4 Circlip of life New spring and plunger in place, then the actuating rod went in. With gentle pressure to the yoke, the retaining washer dropped below the groove for the circlip, which then slips in to hold it all together. 5 Reassembly With the cylinder on the car, the fluid reservoir went on. The connecting pipe was replaced as a matter of course. 6 Let it bleed Once filled with fresh fluid,…

1965 Rover 2000 Engine 1978cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 90bhp@5000rpm Fuel economy 25mpg I shouldn’t have done it, really. Done what? Buy a lovely white 1965 Rover 2000 on the rebound from the sale of my grey 1967 one. I’d wanted a simpler life with fewer old cars and no storage charges, but the ultra-early P6 was just too tempting. Then reality got in the way – you know, taxes and dull stuff – and it had to go even though I never got the chance to have as much fun with it as I’d had with the grey one. I reckon its buyer got a bargain and I made a small loss, given what I’d spent on it. It now lives in Lincolnshire with two later P6s and a new owner called…

You will need Multimeter, petroleum jelly, basic tool kit. Check earths Don’t forget to check all earths, including the connection between the starter’s body and the bellhousing. Keep off the clutch Start the car in neutral with your foot off the clutch. Pressing the clutch will load the crankshaft thrust washers before the engine oil has started circulating properly. Nuts Ensure all major terminal nuts are made from copper or brass. Turning your classic’s ignition key and hearing a solitary click, a feeble whir, half-hearted cranking or a deathly silence makes one’s heart sink. This is most likely to happen late at night and in the rain – which is generally why getaway drivers keep their engines running during heists! Repeated lacklustre starting performances are often attributed to a knackered…

A 1960 Bentley S2, owned by legendary Kinks frontman, Sir Ray Davies, will go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions’ May Sale on May 13. The very car – chassis 001 – that helped Subaru secure a third consecutive manufacturers’ title in 1997 will be offered for sale by H&H on June 6. The three restoration projects taking part in eBay Car Challenge 2017 have been revealed: a 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto, a 1974 VW Camper and a 1964 Land Rover. A Limited Edition TX4, one pof the final 300, will be at the London Motor Show. The ultimate send-off will take place at Battersea Park between May 4-7. The Practical Classics Jaguar MKII special publication has a few limited edition copies signed by Fuzz Townshend still available. Visit great…

Drive it Day, Pride of Longbridge, the Bicester Scramble and our own Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show all reported record numbers as 2017 appears to be the most active classic year for a long time. Over 2000 vehicles attended the Bicester event. Managing Director, Daniel Geoghegan told PC: ‘We are over the moon with the numbers, and our traders all reported good activity.’ It was the same story at Pride of Longbridge, held in gorgoeus spring sunshine on April 15. A staggering 6500 cars populated Cofton Park in Longbridge for the annual celebration of all things Austin, MG, Mini, Rover or Morris. The PC show at the NEC had record numbers and interest in the year’s upcoming festivities is intense. The Festival of the Unexceptional, on July 22,…

‘Many people have expressed concern at the proposals’ Classic enthusiasts have expressed worries about renewed calls for older motorists to retake their driving test every three years. It comes as an online petition calling for retesting received 250,000 signatures. It was set up by Ben Brookes-Dutton, after his wife was killed by a car driven by an elderly gentleman in 2012. Geoffrey Lederman (now 85) mounted a London pavement at an estimated 50mph in his 1982 Mercedes-Benz 380SL after mistaking the car’s accelerator pedal for the brake pedal. But with numerous classic enthusiasts aged 70 and above, many have expressed concern at the proposals while Neil Greig, Director of policy and research for IAMRoadSmart (formerly the Institute of Advanced Motorists), believes it would be unfair. He says that older drivers…

Triple Webers WEBCON DCOE TYPE MANIFOLD SET FOR TRIUMPH GT6 £462.42 Part number: MT0091 Webcon has reintroduced the now very rare triple manifold set to allow fitment of Weber DCOE carburettors or throttle bodies to the ever-popular Triumph GT6 and Vitesse six-cylinder. It is supplied with studs, nuts and soft mounts, as well as the major linkage components, and features the correct stepped manifolds required to clear the sloping bonnet of the GT6. webcon.co.uk Matt says ‘This is great news for owners, as it saves months of searching for rare second hand parts, and because it’s from Webcon you know it’s quality.’ Swift and precise ’SWIFTY’ CNC PLASMA CUTTER FROM £2995. ( £5995 WITH PLASMA SOURCE INCLUDED) If you’re the sort of person who likes to create your…

1980 TR7 The car responsible for hooking Chris on TR wedges, now passed on (along with the bug) to son Rob. 1981 TR8 Like most genuine factory-built TR8s, a US-market car, but properly converted to right-hand drive. CHRIS AND ROB TURNER TRIUMPH WEDGES FOREVER Chris bought the blue TR7 in 1994. ‘Straight away I thought it was the best thing ever,’ he says. He admits to owning nine Triumph wedges and has carried out four complete restorations. He is also Chairman of the TR Drivers Club, having been ‘persuaded’ into the position. Son Rob (right) has been exposed to club life from an early age. 1980 TR8 ‘TRIPLE C’ RALLY CAR Cars and Car Conversions project built on a budget to be competitive. Hands up who remembers Cars and Car…

Most of our restoration tales in PC involve a car rescued from ruin and gradually built back up into an object of history-infused beauty. This one is a bit different. It’s about starting with a £30 BSA Bantam and ending up with a truly fabulous Ferrari. Here, it’s trading up rather than smartening up, all to the backdrop of simultaneously building up a successful business in fitting out high-end offices. Then, having got the dream car, the dream car turns out to be not quite so dreamy after all. That’s where the restoration part kicks in. We can all wish to own a classic Ferrari and a mid-Sixties 275 GTS has to be near the top of anyone’s desire tree. Andrew Seward certainly thought so, but he never expected the…

2014 Tesla Model S Engine Dual Asynchronus AC Power 416bhp@8600rpm Gearbox 1-speed direct drive 0-60mph 2.8sec Top speed 155mph Weight 2100kg 1973 Citroën D Super 5 Engine 2175cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 125bhp@5250rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 11.8sec Top speed 114mph Weight 1343kg ‘Just as the DS was in 1955, the Tesla is unlike anything else on the road today’ The self-driving car is a new thing, right? Wrong! The Tesla you see here – the support vehicle for this epic DS rescue mission – is equipped with ‘autopilot’ but it wasn’t the first. Beneath the tarmac of the M4 in Berkshire is a cable, laid in 1960 by engineers from the Road Research Laboratory. Put there before the motorway was opened to the public and running unbroken for nine miles between Reading…

The Morris Minor Owners Club has organised a fabulous week on the continent for its members every year since 1984. Dubbed ‘Minors on Tour’ (MoT for short), it is regularly attended by over 80 cars and 2016 was no exception. The adventure started well. I would be in Tom Morris’ modified convertible (1275cc engine, Type 9 gearbox, telescopic dampers and 15in Minilites) and Craig McCarthy and Bobbie Norton, (recently engaged) would be in ‘Cilla’, Craig’s 948 four-door saloon (disc brakes, 1098cc head, HS4 SU carb and modified exhaust). Having pulled out all the stops to get both cars ready, with a week to go we were confident that we’d remembered everything. Then came the phone-call. Craig was at the British Embassy having misplaced his passport. So we stole his car…

Porsche 924 Turbo Now all Porsche turbos are hot property. Hot on the tail of the 944 Turbo, values of its 924 cousin have rocketed. With three-quarters of UK survivors currently off-road, this should shake a few more out of their lock-ups. Alfa Romeo ‘916’ GTV Sporty Alfas always go up in price in the end, and though still slipping slowly, GTVs must bottom out soon. So this is a good time to sniff out low-mile examples. The ‘V’ will be first to rise , but don’t ignore a good TS.…

Corrosion There are some really nice S-Types around but there are lots of horrors, too, especially early cars, many of which have structural corrosion. Trim levels Most normally aspirated S-Types came in standard or SE flavours. The latter has an auto box, leather trim and a multi-function steering wheel. Quote from Lancaster Insurance 45-year-old male, postcode SP2, 5000 miles per year, garaged, second car, car club member. 2007 Jaguar S-Type Type R valued at £10,000. Brought to you by Lancaster Insurance. Call for a quote today on 01480 220071. Ever since the demise of the original S-type in 1968, Jaguar had just two relatively costly models to sell – a big saloon and a grand tourer. What it needed was a high-volume compact saloon, but there wasn’t the cash to…

I grew up in the Nineties and our family holiday destination of choice was usually Cornwall. Volkswagen camper vans and Beetles were seemingly everywhere – the surfer lifestyle is still indelibly tied in with such vehicles – and as a nine-year old I was beguiled by the Beetle’s cheeky styling and the unmistakable ‘wub-wub’ of the VW flat-four. Fast forward a number of years and I finally splashed out on a Beetle of my own. It was a modified example and, while I enjoyed owning it, I eventually sold it due to the massive 2110cc motor being unsuitable for regular use. I still appreciate a tastefully modified Beetle, but equally I have had my eyes opened to how satisfying a stock model can be on a daily basis. The sheer…

OFFERED DIECTLY BY THE BRAIMS 2000 Subaru Legacy GS Auto 2.5 litre, 114,000 miles. Running but requiring work for MoT. Former owner loved it and so did the Braim family, so I’ll look after it with care. Danny Hopkins When you hear about a car that needs help it’s extremely difficult to turn it away. When you hear about an emerging classic that’s rare, practical and potentially huge fun, it’s virtually impossible. So when I get a call from Patrick Braim telling me that his sister’s old 1999 Subaru Legacy GX was in need of rescuing from potential stagnation, I jumped at it. The car had been her pride and joy before she sadly passed away and the family wanted it to go to a home that would firstly, get…

1988 Citroen CX 22 TRS Engine 2165cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 115bhp@5600rpm Fuel economy 29.8mpg Work since last report None. I’m ignoring her. Talk about spitting your dummy out! With the D about to hit the road, my beloved CX decided that, for the first time in years and right on cue, she would fail catastrophically. There was no reason to suspect the CX would have any issues transporting me to Surrey, where the chaps from Citroen Classics were waiting with essential DS parts. On the way back up the A1, just short of the Black Cat roundabout, a deathly rattle was followed by an almighty burst of steam. All the hoses were attached so short of patience, I called the AA. A short while later at the Bourne Citroën Centre, one big…

AX STATS 246,238 MILEAGE TODAY 231,000 MILEAGE BOUGHT ZERO COST PER MILE I acquired the car in March 2016. It was advertised on the AX Owners’ Club forum as free car. I already had an identical project car, but this looked a much better proposition. The only issue was that its owners (who had bought it new in Bristol in 1990) moved to the south of France in 1996 and had taken it with them. I also had no idea of the mileage at the time, and discovered the car’s legendary past when unloading it from the transporter it arrived on. The best thing about this car is that it’s a Citroën AX, a car maligned for flimsy build quality and flaky mechanicals. Wrong. It’s still going strong, still doing…