Innehållsförteckning för January 2022 från Practical Classics

Lamborghini Countach £60 ISBN 978-1-910505-63-2 Lavishly illustrated and packed with information about this incredible car, which is now approaching its 50th anniversary. The Countach’s spectacular design and unique engineering are explored in depth, including analysis of its Bizzarrini-designed V12 engine with forward-mounted gearbox. Maintainance and restoration are explored too. evropublishing.com Mini Cooper £15.99 ISBN 978-1-398103-40-5 Learn the story of the Sixties Mini Cooper in the words of its original designers, developers and drivers. Based upon over fifty face-to-face interviews carried out by the author over more than a decade, this book quotes the Mini Cooper’s designers, developers, and professional race and rally drivers plus a host of contemporary owners. amberley-books.com Ford Maverick £25 ISBN 978-1-787116-69-6 Charting the development history of America’s first sub-compact, this book offers an enthusiasts guide into…

Admittedly, we were a tad overwhelmed. Demand from subscribers for tickets for our limited numbers meet was so high that we had to work on a first come, first served basis, but it was worth it. The sun shone on the day, the bacon and coffee was well appreciated, and the atmosphere was second to none. The Practical Classics workshop isn’t exactly picturesque, but we have been in the same place for almost 20 years now, so it is full of history and echoes of restorations past. It is ‘home’ to us and like all good homeowners, we want to share where we live with others. The last time we had an open day was back in 2002 when current editor Danny still had his black Spitfire, dark blue Landcrab…

Thoughts on the Austin 3 Litre? I’d love to have one of these here in California. It might be literally unique. Nobody here would care that it’s a posh Maxi. They’d never have seen a Maxi either. Geoff Kirkpatrick I have a neighbour who still uses his as a daily for his gardening business. Period roof rack with a ladder and tools sometimes attached. Glorious. Here he is snapped while driving past my shop in Hitchin not too long ago. Felix Camfield-Walker My dad used one of these to try and rip a tree out of the garden of his house in the mid-Seventies. He wasn’t particularly a fan of the 3 Litre, but BL had claimed they had a very strong shell and dad had a tree and a…

I have just sold my 2011 Fiat 500 Twinair, the little pale blue car I bought in 2014 because I loved its intriguing engine and the way it suited the most convincing of all the retro-inspired remakes. It was a proper modern, zero road tax on account of its officially low CO2 emissions, exempt from London’s congestion charge, compliant with London’s ultra-low emissions zone. Yet I hardly ever drove it into London, and when I did it was outside congestion-charging hours. In fact for the past three years I have not driven it much at all, perhaps two or three thousand miles a year. Then the engine management light flashed up a couple of times. Each time the fault code was cleared through the diagnostic port, but my local garage…

Really hot stuff! Back to the Eighties at CCA’s Resto Show sale REVIEW The 74 cars offered at H&H’s October sale was a low number by current standards, but the catalogue was a strong one with very little padding, so they sold well, three-quarters finding new homes. Some of the prices achieved were strong too, like the £8100 paid for a last-of-line 1976 Humber Sceptre – the last model to wear the historic badge. It had a lot of good points, such as just four owners in 45 years, a recently replaced vinyl roof, recon steering box, Spax dampers and re-lacquered wood trim inside. However, the 54,000 miles showing was only ‘thought genuine’, and some panel and trim alignment disappointed. Though obviously not that much – the result was well…

1956 Ford Consul MkII Price: £12,950 Very smart and original car that’s only done 62,000 miles and never been restored. You might want to have a bit of a chat about the asking price though. 1950 Morris Minor MM Tourer Price: £11,995 Keen price from a dealer for a rare ‘lowlamp’ Tourer. Restored around ten years and 12,000 miles ago, and well cared for since. 1996 Vauxhall Calibra 16V Price: £3750 Two-owner car that was well specced with heated leather seats when ordered. Much history and said to be unmarked and rust-free. Very scarce today.…

1995 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R V-SPEC (R33) Adam Kingscott, Lincolnshire According to Adam, his GT-R is ‘largely’ standard... except it makes 450bhp! 2004 RENAULT CLIO V6 (P2) Steven Pack, County Durham One of the slightly less barmy Phase Two cars, but Steven’s Clio V6 is still a handful. 2009 FIAT PANDA 100HP Paul Reid, Aberdeenshire Few machines are better suited to the wild roads of Aberdeenshire than Paul’s 100HP Panda. We can help… So many cars here that we to have on our drives. Call us to discuss your requirements, so we can help turn your modern classic dream into a reality.…

Regular readers might remember that a couple of months back, I picked up a Skoda Fabia vRS from Scotland with a view to it being my next Modern Classics-style project. The good news is that, after much spannering by my mate Pete Dane, it’s now in possession of a new MOT, and I’m happy to be able to say we’ve saved another one from the scrapper. It was a bit of a journey for Pete getting it through, though, with the car’s front suspension in a state of complete disarray. There were neareradicated front bushes, components that had parted company from each other, and a front spring with more breaks in it than a click-bait Facebook video. If nothing else, it shows that even when they’re in a state of…

James Walshe DEPUTY EDITOR 1987 Citroën AX Engine 1124cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 55bhp@5800rpm Torque 66lb ft@3200rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 12.8sec Top speed 100mph Fuel economy 72.4mpg Work done Not much so far, but calls to pals have revealed a few leads on available engines. Need to decide if I stick with 1124cc. Also James’s garage 1985 CITROËN CX 25 GTI TURBO Effortlessly (and swiftly) wafting around the country. 2001 FORD PUMA 1.7 Almost ready for the big engine transplant. 2004 SMART ROADSTER Enjoying occasional use. Service due soon. 2004 CITROËN BERLINGO 2.0 HDI Having fitted a camper conversion with bed, the adventures have begun! I know, I know… another broken Citroën. But what am I supposed to do when I’m alerted to another one that’s destined for the scrapheap? I already…

Matt George PRODUCTION EDITOR 1972 Triumph TR6 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power Enough Torque Sufficient Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph Unknown Top speed Undiscovered Fuel economy 25mpg Work done Recalcitrant o/d solenoid replaced; speedo operation restored; engine oil/filter replaced; gearbox oil replaced. Also in Matt’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Camshaft swap job was hit by ‘mission creep’ – full story next time. 2004 BMW 330d A fresh set of front discs and pads have solved an annoying judder under braking. After trying my hand at upholstering interior trim last time (PC, December 2021), I was then able to move onto some more greasy jobs. When the TR was restored ahead of a return to the road in 2019, I replaced the original A-type four-speed manual gearbox with a later J-type manual…

Matt Tomkins PROJECTS EDITOR Our resident workshop puppet master, Matt has Morris Minors and A-Series engines in his blood. This month Re-started on his Austin Seven’s bodywork. Martin Domoney WORKSHOP EDITOR Former JLR technician, Martin, knows his modern classics inside and out. This month Found out just how rusty his turbocharged MX-5 is. Theodore J Gillam ENGINEERING EXPERT Former Motor Vehicle lecturer and classic fiddling perfectionist. Has a love of compression ignition. This month Rebel repairs continue in the shed of delight. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He s never owned a modern and will keep it that way. This month Adjusted the final drive in his Wartburg 311 gearbox Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s driveway achievements rival those of…

ED’S JOB CARD UPGRADE TO SILICONE FLUID Today I’m changing from DOT 4 to silicone brake fluid. Before that, though, I’ll show you how to overhaul a brake system and get it ready for the change. Then I’ll demonstrate a tried-and-tested way to efficiently refill it with silicone fluid – you’ll waste very little and you should end up with a good, firm pedal. + Reduced repair requirement No need to change the fluid every two years Large saving of time and money over several years - Overhaul will take a couple of days Large-ishinitial outlay on parts and fluid How tough? You’ll need: ► Workshop manual ► General tool kit ► Brake union spanner ► Syringe and tubing ► One-way bleeder ► Seals/cylinders ► Hoses and pipes as needed…

Westfield founder dies Chris Smith, historic GP racer, engineer and Westfield Sportscars founder, has died after a long battle with cancer. Smith’s career began in 1982, when he decided to design and build a replica of one of his alltime favourite race cars, the gorgeous 1956 Lotus XI Le Mans car. He founded Westfield the following year. Vauxhall staffer retires at 90 A Vauxhall staffer who joined the firm as an apprentice in 1946 has decided to retire, aged 90. Brian Webb, now a Baylis Vauxhall Group administrator, has owned a number of Vauxhalls across his 75 years of service, the first being a Vauxhall Velox in 1956. He was gifted a Rotary watch in recognition of his long company service in 1970; he still wears it today. AE86 parts…

1964 JAGUAR MkX MIKE WILLS-WOOD One family, one extraordinarily pampered Jag My father, Malcolm, had a Jaguar Mark IX, a white one, which he’d sold in order to buy a new Ford Zephyr Zodiac in 1963. It was the only time he was without a Jaguar in his life. We always had two cars in the household and he had bought the Zodiac because he felt he needed something more practical – it wasn’t long before he wanted another Jag. So, on January 13, 1964, dad part-exed the Zodiac to get £900 off the price of his new £1785 Opalescent Maroon automatic Jaguar MkX at Imperial Motors of Cheltenham. We lived in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, the MkX was used to commute to my father’s practice in Ebbw Vale, 25 miles a…

FUEL FURY CONTINUES I think there is a lot of scaremongering going on about E10 petrol. Remember when Unleaded petrol first came in? The doomsters were predicting damaged engines and burnt-out valve seats, but most of these fears never materialised. Likewise, with E10 petrol. As I see it there are two main issues. Firstly, will the engine run and perform OK on E10? Secondly, will E10 attack fuel line components? From what I can tell, in regular use things should be absolutely fine. John Wakefield, via email Right royal gearbox wine The Prince of Wales has a 51-year old Aston Martin and recently admitted on television that he often runs it on surplus English white wine and whey from cheese making. How does he manage to do this? Is it…

My dad has never been very good at taking time off. As a boy he learned the meaning of a hard day’s work on the family farm and, as a man, who became a father and mobile mechanic, he shouldered his personal and professional responsibilities tirelessly. The beginnings of a work/life balance reboot came in 2019 when I asked him to take a ten-week ‘break’ so that we could travel across south east Asia to Everest Base Camp together in the MGA. He said yes. Not instantly, but eventually. It was to be a self-organised and unsupported adventure of extremes; high altitude, low temperatures, border crossings, inevitable breakdowns and terrain that should make us want to turn back. In February 2020, man, woman and machine were ready to go. ‘It’s…

‘Admittedly, I bought the first car I looked at’ For some time I have been pontificating in this column – most recently in the September 2021 issue of PC – about returning to my roots and buying another Minor. So I am pleased, let’s make that proud, to announce that it has actually happened. After a mere 21-year break there’s a Minor on my fleet, my ninth. And it’s a cracker! But I probably wouldn’t have a column to write if its arrival hadn’t involved a deal of luck, coincidence, man-maths and breaking almost every car-buying rule I’ve ever laid out in print. What quite literally set the wheels in motion is a planned house move that – fingers crossed – is set for next June. That will provide the…

James likes the… OTHER ONE Despite my research for this guide, I would struggle not to hanker for the spaceage 2007 FN2 Type R instead. It’s like a cross between a Star Trek shuttle and a training shoe. All Type Rs are special though. Once you’ve tried the EP3 or any VTEC engine Type R, you’ll end up feeling like other hot hatches are just a bit… meh. Matt G likes the… ORIGINAL I’d go for the EK9 version, which was the first to proudly wear the Type R badge that has since become legendary. Launched in 1997 and based on a three-door JDM coupé SiR model (EK4) of the sixth generation Civic, it was Honda’s idea of a small car that was capable of high performance on the circuit.…

Kettle on… time for some tall tales from the PC workshop Danny Hopkins EDITOR 1950 Riley RMA Engine 1496cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 55bhp@4500rpm Torque 76lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 25sec Top speed 78mph Fuel economy 26mpg Work done Work done Full nut and bolt rebuild, respray and restoration including bodywork, roof vinyl and engine. Also in Danny’s garage 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Will get some love soon. 1966 ROVER 2000 SC Useful sunny day classic 1971 MORRIS MARINA Did we finish it at the NEC? 1971 INTERCEPTOR Still living at Griffin Classics. 1981 TRIUMPH TR7 Returned to original owner. 1999 MGF 1.8 A delight to drive. Love it. All change on the fleet… a real shift around. The Renault 14 is now with a new owner and might well appear on a…

Nigel Clark CONTRIBUTOR 1977 Reliant Scimitar SE6A Engine 2994cc/V6/OHV Power 138bhp@5000rpm Torque 192lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph 9.4sec Top speed 118mph Fuel economy 27mpg Work done Saggy driver’s seat base repaired. Also Nigel’s garage 1970 TRIUMPH TR6 Needs attention to dribbling fuel injectors that are causing difficult starting and high emissions at idle. 1972 TRIUMPH GT6 MkIII Still searching for an overdrive adaptor plate to complete its uprated transmission. 2002 BMW 325I TOURING My neo-classic daily is going well, but will soon be due for an oil and filter change. The Scimitar’s original blue velour and vinyl interior trim has stood the test of time well. After 44 years, it all still looks tidy and fresh, though of late there has been a problem with the well-used…

THEO’S JOB CARD INJECTION PUMP OVERHAUL A worn-out or out-of-adjustment injection pump can spoil the diesel experience, a professional overhaul, phase and calibration costing many hundreds of pounds. We’ll be stripping down a typical CAV-Bosch in-line pump, assessing its condition, replacing parts as necessary, and carrying out basic mechanical adjustments. Pump phasing and calibration should really be undertaken by professionals with specialist equipment but it’s possible to make adjustments yourself to ensure accurate phasing, and by using the previous calibration settings and a little patience and ingenuity, it’s possible equalise the plungers’ output to promote smooth running. How tough? You’ll need: ► Hand tools ► DTI Gasket set ► Bearings ► Shims ► Pumping elements ► Delivery valves ► Test tubes ► Calibration fluid ► Home-made wedges ► Handle/drill ►…

SAT, NOV 20 LONDON Waterloo Classics, SE1 7RG (waterlooclassics.com). SURREY Four Counties Car Club meet, Bletchingley Arms, RH1 4PE (tinyurl.com/d4crab8m). SUN, NOV 21 NOTTS Newark Autojumble, NG24 2NY (newarkautojumble.co.uk). KENT Mid-Kent jumble Lockmeadow, Maidstone, ME16 8LW (midkentsautojumble.co.uk). WARKS Land Rover Show Stoneleigh, CV8 2LG (greatbritishlrshow.com). THUR, NOV 25 ESSEX Chelmer Valley Meet, The Lodge, SS11 7QT (chelmervalleycarmeet.co.uk). SAT, NOV 27 BEDS Classic Cars at the Dukes, LU7 0AA (thedukes.uk.com). LONDON Waterloo meet (waterlooclassics.com). SUN, NOV 28 WORCS Classic Cars at The Old Waggon and Horses (DY10 3NX (thenewunnamedclassiccargroup.co.uk). TUE, NOV 30 LONDON VAG Meet at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (london.acecafe.com). THUR, DEC 2 ESSEX Club Triumph Eastern meet. All classics very welcome CM3 2EA (clubtriumpheastern. org.uk). SAT, DEC 4 SURREY Four Counties Car Club meet at The Bletchingley Arms,…

For years now, Practical Classics has been championing the people’s car – the real world classics we all remember and the kind of faithful four-wheeled family members once parked on our mum and dads’s driveways. All of us have our life events intertwined with these old cars and, now they are classics, they would certainly have many a story to tell. If only they could speak! Your Stories gives you and your classic a voice. It’s where the amazing tales each of our cars has to tell can be told. Whether it’s the story of one car told through the people that have owned it, or from an owner who has been with their car from new, Your Stories gives light to the legend. Drop us a line if you…

There was much good news at the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs AGM, but I also noticed that people and things have changed. Firstly you didn’t even need to go to the British Motor Museum to watch what was happening. So live streaming isn’t in fact anything to do with waterways containing lots of fish. Federation president, classic Jaguar fan and former Labour party leader Sir David Steel, sent a message after the meeting, He had enjoyed it. Despite being hundreds of miles away. You could even watch in your local pub, a public bar-full of folk quaffing Old Peculiar and hugging each other while cheering riotously when good news was announced, and maybe booing at mention of the DVLA or E10 fuel. Federation chairman David Whale was applauded…

Peugeot 504 Cabriolet London-based classic car spotter Tor Sparrow has been out rust hunting in Hertfordshire, searching for classic relics. He found a fantastic rarity – a Peugeot 504 Cabriolet – outside a rural garage, with the car clearly having been ignored for several years. A LHD Import, it looks complete, straight and reasonably sound. Citroën 2CV In the London borough of Haringey is a 1980s era 2CV6 hidden away with some motorbikes and scooters. These two are privately owned and not for sale, sadly. Triumph Dolomite Tor’s journey also revealed a half-covered Triumph Dolomite slowly deteriorating outside a house near to the 504 find. No doubt it’s ready for a sentimental restoration – one day. Toyota Corona A private property in North London stores a few classics that are…

SAT NOV 27 Historics at Brooklands, Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, Surrey. (01753 639170, historics.co.uk) SAT DEC 4 W B & Sons, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne. (0191 268 9011, wbandsons.com) WED DEC 8 H&H Classic Auctions, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire. (01925 210035, handh.co.uk) THU DEC 9 Brightwells’ classic car auction, Easter’s Court, Leominster, Herefordshire. (01568 611122, brightwells.com) FRI-SAT DEC 10/11 Mathewsons, live online, Thornton-le-Dale, North Yorkshire. (01751 474455, mathewsons.co.uk) SAT DEC 11 Classic Car Auctions, Stoneleigh Park, Warks. (01926 640888, classiccarauctions.co.uk) SAT DEC 11 Bonhams MPH, Bicester Heritage, Bicester, Oxfordshire. (020 7648 5801, bonhams.com/departments/MOT-CAR) TUE SAT 14 Barons Auctions’ Christmas Classic sale, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. (023 8066 8413, barons-auctions.com)…

I needed a frugal ‘easy user’ and Jeremy Townsend answered my prayers. This little 90,000-mile A-Class has a gearbox ECU fault, but runs and drives. I’ll get it fixed and then enjoy one of the cleverest designs of the late Nineties. I’ve already had a Smart FourTwo, and this is the baby Merc’s slightly bigger brother. I paid scrap value and it drove home… just. So now I have to find the right specialist, sort the gearbox out and then become a two Merc man – see Bangernomics on page 88. ASKING PRICE £200. PAID £200… and enjoyed a nervous drive home. VERDICT Few cars are cleverer or cheaper right now.…

It seems you’re more likely to find one of the Evo models for sale and they’re currently rather more expensive than the 8v and 16v models. Those early cars are thin on the ground but values can only go up thanks to rarity and reputation. Nice 8v cars are fetching £25,000 while you can add £5k for a 16v. Once into Evo territory, things start to get expensive. Forty grand gets a good Evo 1, but mint ones are going for much more. A decent Evo 2 starts at £45,000 and the best are now into bonkers territory for most. Project Integrales might look tempting, but keep in mind how difficult some parts are to find these days.…

I arrived fairly early to the luxury car game. I’d had enough of front-wheel drive VWs by my mid-20s and fancied something a bit more mature. The opportunity arose to buy a BMW 525i (E34) saloon for the princely sum of £250. This was during the age of insurance premiums that weren’t three times the cost of the car, so I could even afford to get it on the road. The problem was keeping it there. Its 168bhp B25 inline six-cylinder engine was a revelation to young Vollans who, to that point, had been used to thrashy little four-pots. However, keeping up with the Beemer’s thirst on a junior journalist’s salary proved challenging. It was well worth missing the odd night out though as every time I clambered in and…

Ed Hughes CONTRIBUTOR 1988 Lada Samara 1300SL Engine 1289cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 65bhp@5600rpm Torque 71lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 13.3sec Top speed 91.8mph Weight 900kg Work done Rebuilt gearbox; overhauled cooling system; various other minor jobs Also in Ed’s shed 1978 LADA 1200 SALOON Remarkably dainty handling considering it is on the standard set-up. 1979 LADA 1600ES (ON LOAN) Somewhat cumbersome due to increased offset of dealer-spec alloy wheels. Lada’s front-wheel drive project began in the early Seventies with a prototype small car. Though crudely executed, it had the nascent styling cues that would later make the Lada Niva so well-proportioned. Nicknamed ‘Cheburashka’ after a cute teddy bear-like children’s character from Soviet television, it was made not for production, but to experiment with FWD transmission and CV joints. In 1976, meanwhile,…

NIGEL’S JOB CARD STRIP, INSPECT, REBUILD Today we’re rebuilding a noisy gearbox from a Triumph 2500. This four-speed all synchromesh gearbox was fitted to a wide range of Triumph’s larger models during the Sixties and Seventies. Paul Hughes of 2Spec Transmissions will show us how to strip, inspect and reassemble the gearbox. How tough? You’ll need: ► Basic tools ► Bearing puller ► Hydraulic press. Specialists: ► 2Spec Transmissions 2specgroup.co.uk Will take: (HRS) 5 Will cost: (£)230 DIY saving (£)300 PAUL HUGHES OF 2SPEC TRANSMISSIONS – A SPECIALIST VIEW This big Triumph ‘box is capable of high mileages before needing overhaul but eventually, bearings will get noisy and synchromesh will wear. It’s not an unusual ‘box to strip down and reassemble, though there are a few quirks. The clutch release…

Prices are researched from several sources, including clubs, auctions, the trade and advertisements online and in print. 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 full rebuild, but may be driveable and MoT’d. PLEASE NOTE You can’t value any car without seeing it – don’t buy blind. Russ says ‘Buying and selling should be fun, but sometimes, it’s a nightmare. Follow these three rules…