Table of contents for January 2017 in Practical Classics

‘A passion shared gives such great fulfilment’ They say we’ve all got a book in us. Mine would be about the Citroën CX and the complete history of post-1989 Marillion, ‘The Fish-free Years’. Another chapter pretty much wrote itself recently, when my dad and I paid a visit to the Citroën Conservatoire in Paris – the company’s collection of rarities and landmark production vehicles. We swooned. We gasped. We tried to compose ourselves, as did the other similarly gleeful members of the Citroën Car Club, which had organised the trip. I was studying a staggeringly accurate scale model of the 1974 CX production line when a tall, middle-aged gentleman in Citroën overalls approached me. A curator of the collection, Pierre Blind retired when the nearby Aulnay factory shut in 2012…

ESTABLISH IDENTITY FIRST  The DVLA has increased its requirements for vehicle inspection prior to issuing a V5C to include cases of vehicles that have been laid-up. PC recommends that if you are beginning a project, you wait for the V5C to arrive prior to strip down, or the DVLA may have difficulty establishing the vehicle’s right to its identity. THE END OF THE ROAD?  The FBHVC is worried that the wording of the Government consultation regarding driverless vehicles infers that there may come a time when driven vehicles will no longer be allowed on the highway. TRICKY CHARACTERS  The online MoT system will only accept alphanumeric characters as part of a VIN number. Owners of vehicles with non-alphanumeric characters such as / or * have reported the DVLA has queried…

Former Triumph stylist David Keepax has passed away. Responsible for all Triumph instrumentation from the TR6 onwards, his dials with vertical numerals at 20mph intervals were daring for the Sixties yet have been almost universally copied. David also styled the changes to the Triumph 1300 that led to the Dolomite and Toledo ranges. TR7 fans will remember him for creating the ‘Keepax’ alloy wheel fitted to late examples, while he also created the dashboard for the Triumph Stag. This dashboard influenced the interior design of the Dolomite and 2000 ranges, leading to a family ‘style’ for the Seventies. David’s funeral was held on November 11, 2016. Triumph historian John Clancy said: ‘His instruments influenced motor car manufacturers all over the world and his work was still being plagiarized until very…

How to Improve: Triumph TR5, 250 & 6 ISBN: 978-1-845850-13-5 £27.50 If you’ve got the previous revised version, there’s probably not enough extra in here to make it worthwhile for you. However, if you haven’t it’s the go-to guide for anyone looking to upgrade their TR. If you’ve got the previous revised version, there’s probably not enough extra in here to make it worthwhile for you. However, if you haven’t it’s the go-to guide for anyone looking to upgrade their TR. MT veloce.co.uk The Classic Saab 900 ISBN 978-1-4456-5373-0 £14.99 Triumph 2000 – Defining the Sporting Saloon ISBN 978-1-4456-5563-5 £14.99 A couple of new books about these two sensual saloons. The Classic Saab 900 details the design, development and production history of this swish…

FRI-SUN, DEC 2-4 GLOS Merlin Events Christmas Cracker; tour of Devon (merlinevents.com). SAT, DEC 3 YORKS Rufforth Auto-jumble at Rufforth Park, YO23 3QH (www.rufforthautojumble.comrufforthautojumble.com). CUMBRIA Lakeland Historic Car Club meet at the Lakeland Motor Museum, LA12 8TA (haynesmotormuseum.comlakelandmotormuseum.co.uk). SUN, DEC 4 SOMERSET Breakfast meet at the Haynes Museum, BA22 7LH (haynesmotormuseum.com) YORKS Midlands & Yorkshire Classic Car Club’s classic car meet at the Black Swan, Brandesburton YO25 8RG (eastyorksclassic.com). HANTS Classics on the Quay, Southampton, SO14 5QL (facebook.com/classiconthequay). THURS, DEC 8 LONDON Italian car meet at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (ace-cafe-london.com). SUN,DEC 11 NOTTS Normous Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, NG24 2NY (newarkautojumble.co.uk). TUES, DEC 13 LONDON Classic car meet at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (ace-cafe-london.comace-cafelondon.com). SAT, DEC 17 LONDON Waterloo Classics, Lower Marsh Street, SE1 7RJ (waterlooclassics.com). SUN,…

Cambridge confessional It happened many years ago. The decision to nick my stepfather’s slate grey Austin Cambridge A55 while he and my mother were abroad on holiday wasn’t made lightly. I was 16, had no driving licence, no insurance, wasn’t going to risk putting-up ‘L’ plates, and knew I would be risking a charge of ‘taking and driving away without consent’ if I got caught. What’s more, having only had one lesson,I couldn’t actually drive. The clincher was finding my stepfather’s car keys in his jacket, which I found hanging in his wardrobe, just where he’d left them. There was no going back. That first afternoon, I drove to my girlfriend’s place of work, as smug as you like, to give her a lift home. She was utterly gobsmacked to…

There are many different tasks when restoring a classic car and the skills required are not always intuitive. So if there’s an aspect of restoration that turns out to be beyond your ability, it’s natural to turn to the services of a specialist. Dave Hurst didn’t fancy doing that. When it came to restoring his Anglia he wanted to do everything himself, so he went back to school. ‘I’d already done a 14-week City & Guilds in Car Body Repair,’ says Dave. ‘When I saw the Anglia online in June 2006 I was undertaking a Paint and Finishing NVQ and I wanted a classic I could take into college to work on.’ The Anglia therefore became a rolling restoration: ‘It never came off the road,’ explains Dave. ‘I continued to…

‘Who could fail to love a mid-Thirties Wolseley with its Art Deco dashboard’ Throughout history, it’s really the most simple ideas and discoveries that have transformed people’s lives. Slicing bread, fitting round wheels to make carts go faster, discovering that mould makes jolly nice penicillin; launching Practical Classics – just a few examples. You would have thought that after all these years every aspect of the classic car movement and its future has been debated and acted upon. But now a club has come up with seemingly the most obvious solution to a most worrying issue – how to persuade younger people to take on and love prewar classics. It is true to say that the vast majority of enthusiasts don’t go for cars older than they can remember from…

Aston Martin DBS V8 This amazing star find was unearthed by a gardener friend of reader Darren Blant when he was called to perform some serious undergrowth clearance at the house of an elderly lady. The Aston dealers in Derby recently came to view the 1972 car, as they had looked after it some years before. They’ve now bought it. £50 STAR FIND Can you do better? Send your high-res images to practical.classics@ bauermedia.co.uk Jaguar XK140 Carter West from Canada noticed this Jaguar XK140 Fixed Head Coupé laid up outside a self-storage unit parking lot in Oregon, USA. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I Phil Wilson of Cockermouth was amused to see this blooming Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow MkI in a garden centre in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Eire. Vauxhall…

SAT NOV 12 Anglia Car Auctions’ classic sale, The Cattlemarket, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (01553 771881, angliacarauctions.co.uk) SAT DEC 3 Classic Car Auctions, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Leamington Spa (01926 640888, classiccarauctions.co.uk) SUN DEC 4 Bonhams’, New Bond Street, London. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/cars) WED DEC 7 H&H, Chateau Impney, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire (01925 210035, handh.co.uk) WED DEC 7 Bonhams’, Olympia, London SW5. (020 7468 5801, bonhams.com/ cars) THU DEC 8 Brightwells’ Modern Classics, Easters Court, Leominster, Herefordshire (01568 611122, brightwells.com) TUE DEC 13 Barons Auctions’ Christmas Classic, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey (023 8066 8413, barons-auctions.com) WED DEC 14 Essex Classic Car Auctions, Tolleshunt Knight, Essex (01702 416153, essex classiccarauctions.co.uk)…

1972 Citroën D Super Price: £9900 Imported from New Zealand so is right-hand drive. In lovely condition and has been looked after by renowned DS specialists Pallas Autos. 1986 Fiat Panda 1000 Super Price: £1200 An unrestored original example with only two owners and 31,000 miles on the clock. Just two honestly displayed bits of bubbling on the rear arches. 1946 Wolseley 8HP Price: £5495 Restored over two years by the current owner who bought the car 18 years ago and has since covered 16,000 miles in it.…

Kevin Price founded the Volvo Enthusiasts’ Club in 1989 and has owned nine 850s over the years, including Rickard Rydell’s Touring Car. He says: ‘I have two T5-Rs to restore, plus various other Volvos. The 850 is superb – it’s comfortable and reliable and I’ve done a lot of miles in mine.’ SELECTED SPECIALISTS Brookhouse Volvo, Ipswich. 01473 218806, classicvolvoparts.co.uk Charlwood Automotive, Surrey. 01293 863535, charlwood automotive.com David Pengelly Autocare, Notts. 0115 978 1117, dpanottingham.co.uk Formula Cars, Somerset. 01823 661200, formulacars.co.uk Independent Volvo Services, Herts. 01462 683200, independentvolvoservices.com independentvolvoservices.com PFS Parts, Northants. 0844 800 2742, partsforvolvosonline.com partsforvolvosonline.com…

1972 Triumph 2000 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 135bhp (est) Torque Sufficient Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph Unknown Top speed 112mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Drove it, put petrol in it, repeated the process a few times. Broke it… TLC required. Also in Matt’s garage 1971 VW KARMANN GHIA Safely tucked away after a summer of fun. Winter improvements planned. 1994 FORD MONDEO 1.8 GLX I’ve moved house and bought a diesel – the Mondy has now gone to a new home, too. The Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run is a humdinger of an event, not one to be undertaken lightly or without sufficient preparation. It is also very addictive… which is how I came to be sat in my 2000 at Knebworth House at 6pm on the evening…

1967 Volga M21 Engine 2445cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 80bhp@4000rpm Torque 130lb ft@2000rpm Gearbox 3-speed manual 0-60mph 30.3sec Top speed 80mph Fuel economy 21mpg Work done Overhauled fuel, ignition, cooling and braking systems. Also in Sam’s garage 1954 PANHARD DYNA Current pub transport of choice, despite rattly engine. 1960 CHEVROLET CORVAIR Arrived from the USA. Awaits a long-overdue service. I recently surmised that a Volga M21 would be a perfect daily hack. They’re over-engineered in a pleasingly tractor-like way, they’re nice to drive and they’re difficult to lose in supermarket car parks. I bought an unadulterated example in Russia for the purpose. It was imported via a convoluted means, turning up late one night in the back of a Lithuanian lorry. A cursory probe revealed it to be pretty good. Most M21s have…

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…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Pins or wire brush bristles, foot pump or compressed air, kettle, bleach and limescale remover, screen wash. Heater trick Replace the hose from the washer bottle with a longer section and coil it around a heater hose to create heated washers. Clear pipes Use a conical adaptor in a hand or foot pump to gently blow through pipes. Screen wash Use good quality screen wash. Some additives can attack older pump impellers. If your impeller is swollen, soaking it in clean water can reverse the effects. Low winter sun, dried road salt on the windscreen and a barrage of traffic spray can be a tedious combination. It’s made particularly dismal if your windscreen washers emit nothing but a badly-aimed dribble of fluid. It…

A Rover enthusiast has reunited the major players in his P5B’s life, at the place its first owner first saw it, the factory where it was built. Martin Robins was joined at the Jaguar Land-Rover factory in Solihull by Sandy Yates; son-in-law of its first owner David Fairweather. Also present was Brian Clark, the man who looked after the car for its first 37 years. When David passed away in 1994, care passed to son-in-law Sandy. Sandy was only too aware of how treasured David’s car had been and kept an equally careful watch over its condition. ‘My father-in-law had a 3-litre saloon and this car, which he collected from here, at the factory, rather than our local dealer Rossleigh of Dundee.’ says Sandy. ‘He only ever drove the Coupé…

I popped into Woolies, the company that makes most rubber seals, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. I went to the Beaulieu 100 Club annual dinner, the the first run for my new Rover 820E post MoT (above). The Triumph 2000 took me to the NEC Classic where it was in the Leeds College resto theatre. The Jensen was also at the show on the PC Resto Show stand. I promise to have it ready in time (gulp). After studying detailing at skillshack.co.uk, I got to practice on my P4 with the guys from Pro-Valeters.…

Best of British British Car Day is organised by the Toronto Triumph Club and was held on September 18, 2016. In its 32nd year, the event hosted 1000 cars including a Marcos Mantis, a Daimler Ferret scout car and an Aston Martin Lagonda. For more information visit torontotriumph.com Apprenticeships put at risk Government proposals are threatening the FBHVC classic apprenticeship programme. The guidelines suggest stewardship of the apprenticeships must be in the hands of organisations similar to the course subject.…

Donington Historic dates announced Dates have been announced for the 2017 Donington Historic Festival. The event, which hosts historic motor racing across a three day schedule, will take place from Friday April 28 to Sunday April 30. Tickets are to be on sale from late November, visit donington historicfestival.com for more information. Marc Haynes 1968-2016 Marc Haynes, CEO of the Haynes International Motor Museum, has died aged 48. Wheelchair-bound from the age of 5, Marc suffered from a degenerative spinal disorder called syringomyelia. He later became the MSA’s first paraplegic competition licence holder. A thanksgiving service was held at Sherborne Abbey on November 21, 2016. New PC Special With everything from Seven to Esprit covered and a foreword by Group Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales, the Practical Classics Guide to Lotus…

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Round Britain Reliability Run, and several of the PC team either took part or were on hand at various points along the way to cheer on those wanting to pack 2000 miles of driving into 48 hours. Put on by Club Triumph, no fewer than 133 examples of the marque took part. Over £500,000 has been raised since fundraising started in 1990; £69,000 has been raised so far this year, with funds going to Guide Dogs UK. club. triumph.org.uk…

Variable Variant? The Type 3 is very much a Beetle underneath but better use of space and slightly improved aerodynamics made them feel more modern, as did an extra 100cc for the VW 1600 version in 1965. We think this is a 1600, going by the position of the fuel filler. Voluminous Victor These beasts were once common due to their superb load capacity. Did any other large estate come with such a range of engines? You could struggle with 1599cc, survive with 1975cc or surge with 3294cc. Burford, Oxfordshire, 1972 Burford is a well-preserved old market town about 20 minutes west of Oxford, on the edge of the Cotswolds. If you turn north up the A361 off the roundabout with the A40, the view down the High Street is…

Name a good classic investment… Unmolested early Nineties Rover 216 GTI 3 door with the 130bhp Honda twin cam for me! Would give a VW Golf GTi 16-valve a run for its money back in the day. Andrew Pullen Any of the Rallye Peugeots must be a good choice. The Puma has to be at the bottom of its price curve now and I’d keep an eye on the BMW MINI too. Maybe a bit to drop yet, but I reckon early cars and the Cooper S will go up eventually (like them or loathe them!). Dave Robertshaw The Volvo C70 is one to watch, There were only 5,000 MkIs imported into Britain during its life. They were almost totally hand built at Volvos Uddevalla plant in Sweden, it is…

the revs up and feels like it could hold its own against many sporty modern cars. There’s decent space inside – especially for such a small car and the seats are comfortable and supportive. It gets a little bouncy over the bumpy bits though so it’s important to remember the Anglia is a little A gentle drive up the road proves it’s a pleasant little car, with great handling and positive steering that goes where you point it. It feels planted and inspires confidence beyond what you’d expect from a car of this age. Then I take Dave’s advice to ‘give it some’ and accelerate hard through the gears. This is a quick little car once you get lower than normal, but it does everything well and delivers fun in…

‘We mess with the manufacturer’s suspension settings at our peril’ Last month I wrote about the joy of driving a classic car that feels as it is supposed to feel. Some cars in our hobby may not quite feel that way, judging by examples I’ve driven over the years for magazine features. Often, it’s the dampers that are to blame. I admit that I’m a bit of an obsessive about dampers, or shock absorbers as they are often, but incorrectly, called. A car that rides badly, crashing over bumps, or bouncing and heaving and pitching over humps, or feeling choppy and fidgety and never settling, soon wears you down. And as roads get worse, so suspension shortcomings are laid bare like never before. I have sold cars because I can’t…

‘Running old cars makes for a much more interesting life’ Recommending cars to other people is dangerous; those hot picks you’ve been espousing the virtues of can stick in your own head as well. That’s my excuse, at least, for recently buying two cars we’ve run in the ‘Practically Classic’ slot over the page…and coming close to a third. The driving force for this buying action came when my ‘sensible modern’ Saab 9-5 estate – the newest car that I’ve ever owned – proved more hassle than a classic by breaking in a way so expensive it just wasn’t worth fixing. Old habits die hard, and one of my old habits is running several older cars at once in the belief that it leads to a much more interesting life…

1991 Peugeot 205 Trio S Engine 1124cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 60bhp@6200rpm Torque 65lb ft@3800rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 14.5sec Top speed 102mph Fuel economy 50mpg Work done Vehicle bought and assessed. Service work commenced. Also in Kim’s garage 1938 AUSTIN BIG SEVEN Has been out and about on several runs. 1938 STANDARD FOURTEEN The most recent drive was an enjoyable 100-mile round trip. 1955 AUSTIN A50 CAMBRIDGE Long-term restoration; re-assembly re-commenced! 1956 AUSTIN A50 CAMBRIDGE (DE LUXE MODEL) Several happy outings in 2016. 1959 AUSTIN A55 CAMBRIDGE MKII Awaiting full restoration; some ‘big bits’ bought! ‘The underbody is remarkably rust-free’ The phone rang; it was a long-standing automotive pal, who I shall call Jeremy as that’s his name. The conversation went like this… Jeremy: ‘Hello Kim, would you like another classic?’ Me:…

1970 Triumph TR6 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 150bhp@5500rpm Torque 164lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual + overdrive 0 – 60mph 8.2sec Top Speed 119mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Fettling of the TR6 petrol injection system. Also in Nigel’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH GT6 MKIII Going well, following recent attention to the trunnions. 1977 RELIANT SCIMITAR GTE What can I say? It’s going well and getting plenty of use. ‘The TR now starts and idles much better than it did’ Choke Make sure the choke returns fully when pushed in, or the car will not run smoothly. Recently, the TR6 has been getting harder and harder to start. After a few turns the engine reluctantly coughs and runs on two or three cylinders then reverses off the drive sounding very poorly. It takes…

1999 MGF Engine 1796cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 145bhp@6000rpm Torque 128lb ft@4500rpm 0-60 7sec Top Speed 130mph Fuel Economy 36.3mpg Work done Bought, repaired alternator, MoT secured, replaced lights. Also Matt’s garage 1970 MORRIS MINOR Resto still progressing slowly. 1992 MINI MAYFAIR No more recent works. ‘It didn’t take an expert to realise that this car had been well cared for’ My Eunos had been a great daily classic for nearly 18 months, but the new clutch that it needed when I bought it was finally slipping. Added to this, an over-enthusiastic £5 carwash had turned bubbling sills into gaping holes. Clearly, the obvious thing to do was to declare it SORN and buy another car in need of work. The car in question was a 1999 MGF owned by a family member,…

My diesel Citroën C15 convincingly imitated an engine failure while driving up a steep hill. It suddenly lost power and ejected a cloud of white smoke. Roadside investigation revealed the problem to be laughably trivial. Its mindbogglingly overcomplicated emissions control system includes a large vacuum-operated butterfly valve at the airbox inlet. This had stuck closed. The engine idled perfectly, but revving it generated a vacuum in the airbox. This was strong enough to cause it to slurp up oil from its breather system. Disconnecting the valve restored normal operation… in fact, it made it faster.…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Trolley jack, axle stands, oil pan, AF spanners and socket set, screwdrivers, long lever, test lamp or multimeter, grease gun, oil can, clean rags. Hinges & catches Sparingly lubricate all hinges and catches with engine oil or aerosol grease. Wipe off excess. Wheels and tyres Inspect the tyres for wear, cracking or other deterioration. Make sure the wheel nuts are tight. Tyre pressures vary according to size – so consult your manual. If the figures are only given for crossplies, add 4psi for radials of equivalent size. The Cortina MkI is brilliantly not clever. Ford was keen to build on the success of the Anglia 105E and applied many of its virtues to a larger family car – the ‘Consul Cortina’ as it…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME MONEY You will need Good screwdrivers, degreaser and paint brush, fine wet-and-dry paper, multimeter, battery, jump leads, vice, hammer. Lubricate Use copper grease on screws, pivots and the shoulders of the casings when reassembling. Use a little engine oil on the spindle bushes and the spiral thread of the pinion gear. Basic tests A multimeter will identify broken windings and shorted insulation. Keep clean Give the starter a good clean with a paint brush and degreaser before starting work. Clean internal parts throughly before reassembly. A slow, noisy or unreliable starter motor is massive nuisance. If it’s left to deteriorate to the point that it turns at snail’s pace or ceases to function, it’ll disable your classic altogether. New or reconditioned replacements are available off-the-shelf for a…

If your club’s contact details have changed, please let us know! A   750 MOTOR CLUB 01379 741641 AC OWNERS’ CLUB 07768 363250 AMERICAN AUTO CLUB (UK) 0845 644 0345 www.americanautoclubuk.com AMBULANCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY www.southambpres.org.uk CLASSIC AMERICAN AC (GB) 020 8286 1120 PRE -’50 CLASSIC AMERICAN 01530 831170 AEC SOC yellowayreliance@hotmail.com ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA REGISTER www.giulietta.com ALFA ROMEO OC www.aroc-uk.com ALLARD OWNERS’ CLUB David Moseley, 19 Bramham Gardens, London SW5 0JE ALVIS OWNER CLUB www.alvisoc. org ALVIS REG 01509 412289, www.alvisregister.com ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY OC 0121 459 0742, www.siddeley.com, www.siddeley.net A-SERIOUS (A-SERIES ENGINED CARS) http://aserious.freeforums.org ASSN OF OLD VEHICLE CLUBS OF N IRELAND 028 9146 7886, www.aovc.co.uk ASTON MARTIN OC 01865 400400 AUDI 100 COUPÉ S CLUB GB 01702 461513 AUDI OC 07788 588449 , www.audiclub.co.uk…

Reece Burrows may be just 15 years old but he’s already the proud owner of a 1955 VW Beetle. He’s also already set up his own Facebookbased club, the South East Classics Club, which attends gatherings in the south east of England. Reece told PC: ‘The club was set up in May 2016 and now has almost 150 members. A family club for all classics in the south east, we’re always looking for new shows to attend. There’s no focus on any marque in particular; if PC readers think they’d like to be involved just log on to tinyurl. com/zlqn6xt .’…

• By the time you read this, The XJS Club should have signed up its 1000th member at the NEC Classic Motor Show. The club’s Martin Gliddon says: ‘Owners pay a one-off £10 for lifetime membership, which transfers to the new owner if the car is sold.’ • The Morris Minor Owners’ Club and E-Type Club have successfully completed marathon tours of the UK in aid of Marie Curie and Prostate Cancer UK respectively. As we went to press the fundraising was ongoing, but the Minors had accrued £565 and the E-Types £56,000. • The Ford Sidevalve Owners’ Club is working with Ex-Pressed Steel Panels to produce new panels. fsoc.co.uk…

‘The Mini is just like me – super happy!’ 1983 Mini 1000 Stephanie Green, Lichtensteig, Switzerland I bought this car a year ago and fell in love with it. It’s just like me – super happy! I probably would have chosen a Mini Cooper if I’d had the money but now, having got this one, I would never change it. I love the beige trim – it’s like a grandpa interior! I’ve only seen one other car in this colour and that’s the Austin Ambassador I’ve read about in PC. I drive it a lot and covered 4000km in it during 2016. It’s great in the mountains here. There’s a cool pass and I always take the Mini that way so I can race up the hills! ‘It is a…

MG Magnette ZB A very tidy MG Magnette spotted in Ullapool recently. It was on Belgian plates and would be ideal for classy and relaxed touring. Fin MacKenzie, Inverclyde Fiat 500 I have just returned from Sardinia and I spotted this Fiat 500 Giardiniera in Jerzu. We saw Fiat 500s on most days, but this was the only estate that we saw for the entire two weeks that we spent on the island Stuart Bankier, Berwick-upon-Tweed BMW 700 I recently saw this lovely rear engined BMW 700 in Kapuvar, Hungary. It must be a daily user as it was spotted on two separate occasions parked up in local supermarket car parks. Andrew Axnix, Bradford Ford Fiesta MkI Spotted in Corfu Town. What it lacks in crash protection it makes up…

1 APRIL 2007 Hold the front… door Corrosion around the door hinges behind the front wings proved extremely tricky to get at until Dave carefully sliced it out. A nice job he made of it, too. 2 OCT 2007 Paint your wagon The Anglia is transferred to the spray booth at Dave’s college where he applies three coats of self-mixed Aqua and white. 3 MARCH 2008 More power The original 1200cc engine was replaced with a 1500 unit that Dave rebuilt, with performance upgrades along the way. 4 MAY 2008 A clean bottom After getting the underside of the Anglia perfect, Dave reworked the suspension and painted every component black. 5 MARCH 2009 Inside story The last task was a partial interior retrim, completed in 2015. Sound deadening, new door…

‘The twin-rotor Lada 2101 had Lotus Cortina-beating performance’ The press traditionally reports that NSU, Mazda and Citroën were the only carmakers to mass-produce Wankel engines. Wrong! Lada designed 38 Wankels between 1974 and 2004. They were fitted to track and rally cars, boats, aircraft, motorbikes, ekranoplans and a raft of automotive prototypes. They were also fitted to a number of Lada production models. The dream of Wankel motoring was still alive in the early Seventies. Mazda and NSU were making a fist of it, Citroën was yet to launch and abandon its Birotor, and a multitude of other manufacturers had Wankel development programs. Lada was late to the party. Soviet research institutions had toyed with unlicensed Wankels since the early Sixties, but it was not until 1974 that a dedicated…

1991 The Volvo 850 makes its world debut at the Stockholm Globe Arena, replacing the preceding 740 and 760 ranges. 1992 The 850 saloon goes on sale and is offered with two petrol engines: a 2.5 and 20-valve 2.0. GLT is the only trim level available. 1993 Estate debuts in GLT form with 2.0 or 2.5 petrol engines. 850 Turbo launched with a 225bhp 2.3-litre engine. Becomes the T5 in 1994. 1994 850 2.0 and 2.5 are now available in SE and GLE forms as well as the existing GLT.…

You won’t find many people restoring a Volvo 850 yet; to most people an 850 project means either recommissioning a car that’s been standing for ages or creating a fast road or track car, as there’s a surprisingly large number of go-faster products available. If you’re in the former category, there isn’t much to fear; most jobs are within the realms of the DIYer. Earlier cars tend to be easier to work on from an electronics point of view because it’s easier to trace faults with the engine management system. However, an onboard diagnostic tester or Volvo Scan Tool aren’t costly at around £50 and can be used to get the car to tell you what’s wrong with it. If you’re buying an 850 to tune it then you’ll be…

1962 Rover 80 Engine 2286cc/6-cyl/OHV Gearbox 4-spd man + o/d Power 77bhp@4250rpm Torque 124lb/ft@2500rpm 0-60mph 22.4sec Top speed 85mph Fuel economy 24mpg Work done Bodywork rescued. Tyres and linkage guard changed. Also in Danny’s garage 1950 RILEY RMA Roof material removed. 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER I have new panels, doors and a bonnet. More next time. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Had a brilliant time at the NEC Show. Shiny! 1977 VAUXHALL CAVALIER More weekend jaunting. 1987 ROVER 820E I’ve always loved the early 800s. Now I have one. 1992 MERCEDES 200TE Misfire cured. Now for sale. 1992 SAAB 9000 TURBO Really fast and really good. ‘Finding solid metal was a cause for mad celebration and mild panic’ The ferry was booked and so were the hotels – Switzerland was waiting for us…

1945 Austin Sixteen Engine 2199cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 64bhp@2200rpm Torque 108lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual Top speed 75mph 0-60mph 18.6sec Fuel economy 22mpg Work done Tank popped, strip begins. Also in Guy’s shed 1948 CONNAUGHT L2 Bought it! 1954 MORGAN PLUS 4 Did the Chateau Impney hillclimb. 1900 RENAULT3.5HP Did the London to Brighton. Safely installed at Fins ‘N’ Chrome’s workshops in Fareham, the barnfind Sixteen was about to be stripped by boss Jeff Marshall and myself when I received one of those phone calls that leaves you split down the middle. Mintex, the brake people sponsoring our project, wanted the car to join a line-up of motors at their display at the Goodwood Revival Race Meeting. It would sit alongside an Austin-Healey 100S, Connaught L2, vintage Bentley, and Brabham and Cooper…

1 Fuel pressure The metering unit and injectors need fuel delivered at a constant 100-110psi. The TR scraped through at 100psi. 2 Checking injector spray pattern I pulled out each injector in turn. The tip should project a neat cone of fuel mist. 3 Injector sealing Engine off, I pulled all the injectors out and stuck them in a pot to catch any fuel leakage. Turning on the fuel pump caused three injectors to dribble. Not good. 4 Cleaning the injectors I took off each injector and blew through with compressed air. This opens the tip and clears any dirt. The injectors were refitted and bled 5 Checking fuel spray again This time, as I pulled out each injector there was a perfect pulsed cone of fuel. 6 Balance the…

1992 Eunos Roadster Engine 1597cc/4-cyl/ DOHC Top speed 112mph Work since last report Welding repairs to sills. With the ‘F on the road, it was time to get stuck into the poorly Eunos. A quick call to my friend James Bacchus gave me an extra pair of hands one weekend and it didn’t take long to pull the gearbox out, swap the ruined clutch with an new three-piece kit and get it all back together again. Next on the list of jobs were the sills. MX-5s rot out in front of the rear sill just in front of the rear wheel, and mine was no exception. There was no point not doing this properly, so it was out with the angle grinder. With all the rot gone, I was able…

Bond's post-war Minicars were intelligent minimal designs. They both predated and outlasted the bubble car craze, continuing to develop all the way up to 1966. All were powered by two-stroke Villiers engines, mostly tiny single-cylinder units. The company had its own foundries and was self-reliant for every aspect of its engine and gearbox production, the only exceptions being bearings, seals and chains. By 1955, the Villiers name had appeared on two million industrial engines and one million motorcycle engines, with factories in Australia, France, Sweden and Spain churning them out under licence. The Bond’s engine was mounted ahead of the car's front wheel. It pivoted with the wheel on an ingenious steering mechanism and drove it by chain via its three-speed gearbox. [A] CHAIN CASES The two large ovoid cast…

DIFFICUL RATING TIME MONEY Avoid explosions Beware of the risk of flammable fuel vapour when working on the tank. Disconnect the car’s battery before you remove the tank and keep sources of ignition away. You will need Basic tool kit, paint brushes, duct tape, folding workbench, hosepipe, draining receptacles. Wear protection Use appropriate protective equipment when handling the tank treatment chemicals – overalls, nitrile rubber gloves and safety glasses are essential for certain steps. Check mounts Ensure all tank mounting components are in good order. Replace ailing rubber seals or cushioning strips. Classic fuel tanks can rust readily. This quite often happens from the inside out, so you might know nothing about it until external symptoms start to manifest themselves. Petrol leaks are the most extreme example, signifying that the…

While it’s true that we’ve come a long way from our bigoted male dominated past you really can’t beat a look back at some of the world’s most preposterously sexist car adverts. I went for a rummage in our archives and this one in particular made me chuckle. Clearly, according to Dodge in 1949, the woman existed unquestionably to please her man. To ask permission, to sweet-talk him and even – according to the ad – ‘praise his genius’ for allowing you to indulge in the pleasures of Wayfarer ownership. I’m not a militant feminist in the slightest, but you do still notice a mildly sexist undercurrent in 2016 – certain men, for instance, assuming we know nothing about either buying or repairing our cars. Or driving, as was absolutely…