Table of contents for February 2016 in Practical Classics

‘The FBHVC is a massive waste of time isn’t it?’ The Federation of Historic British Vehicle Clubs is pretty much permanently on a hiding to nothing. And quite right too. I mean seriously: what has the FBHVC ever done for us? Well: There’s the apprenticeship scheme. It’s in its second year now and Historic Vehicle Restoration apprenticeships have already brought dozens of new apprentices into our business. But of course it’s pointless. Then there’s the big research projects.That’s how we know the classic industry is worth more than £4 billion per year to UK PLC… a useful stat to roll out when someone belittles what we do – but what difference does that make? There’s the work they do in Westminster. Plenty of politicians understand the world of classics, many…

The bomb site dealership purchase is the ultimate in car buying Russian Roulette. And yet, after all these years, I am still partial to an Arthur Daley type flutter… in the rain, with the phrase, ‘I’d prefer cash,’ the deal breaker or not. Anyway there was this Sterling. I clocked it… turned round… parked up. I had bought it before I’d got out of the car. This 825 had started on the lot almost a year earlier at a heady £900 and hadn’t shifted in anything but price. When I noticed (you always notice things driving past a bombsite dealer) it had trickled down to a tempting £295. I was already at the virtual cashpoint. It’s a very late model Sterling with Rover’s KV6 engine and, naturally, I’ve had to…

Most of us leave our classics in the garage when the mercury plummets, but Panther fans embark on their annual Winter Run. The Panther Car Club’s Val Bridges told PC : ‘This two-day event was set up by our French members to prove how usable and reliable Panthers are. As such, the windows and roof stay down whatever the weather! The 2016 event takes place on January 30-31, with a British contingent set to join our French friends.’ See www.panthercarclub.com…

26 MON DEC CUMBRIA Classic car meet at the Lakeland Motor Museum, Ulverston, LA12 8TA (www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk). HANTS Romsey Classic Car meet for pre-’76 cars, SO51 8GE (www.romseyclassiccarandbikemeet.co.uk). LONDON Cold Turkey meet at the Ace Café, NW10 7UD (www.ace-cafe-london.com) 27 TUES DEC YORKS Huddersfield Autojumble, Old Market Building, HD1 1RG (www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com). NORTHANTS Classic Cars on the Piazza, Brackley town centre, (www.brackley northantstc.gov.uk).London Regent Street Motor Show (www.regentstreetmotorhow.com) 1 FRI JAN BEDS Vintage Stony Vintage Car and Motorcycle meet, Stony Stratford, MK11 1BE (www.vintagestony.co.uk). YORKS Midlands & Yorkshire Classic Car Club’s meet at the Black Swan, Brandesburton YO25 8RG (www.eastyorksclassic.com). DORSET: Classic Cars on the Prom, Bournemouth, pre-August 1983 cars. Meet at BH2 5BH 11am. (www.classiccarsontheprom.com) 2 SAT JAN YORKS Rufforth Autojumble at Rufforth Park, YO23 3QH (www.rufforthautojumble.com). CUMBRIA Classic car meet…

‘The aim is to help owners rebuild their cars’ Most online classic car clubs share information through forums, but Totally T-Type sends out a bi-monthly magazine – free of charge. Set up and run by John James and his son Stephen, Totally T-Type 2 has almost 4000 supporters. John told PC: ‘The aim is to help owners rebuild or maintain their cars and to buy spares and services from recommended suppliers at source. Our listings of recommended suppliers differs from other trade directories in that suppliers do not have to pay for inclusion. We are MG T-Type enthusiasts who are passionate about the cars and whose primary motivation is not profit.’ Contact www.ttypes.org…

Beautiful classic. But why did you choose such a rare variant of the Lancia Fulvia? 'I work as a product design consultant, and my designer’s eye probably carried over into my choice of classic. I wanted a Zagato-styled car but Ferraris and Maseratis were out of reach! The beautifully clean lines of Zagato’s Fulvia coupé body and the lovely detailing of the car appeal strongly to me’. How long of you owned your Fulvia? ‘I bought it to restore nine years ago. It was an abandoned project; the body had been repaired and was ready for paint but there was no interior, no engine and no rear suspension. The Lancia Motor Club forum was a great help sourcing missing parts’. How did the restoration go? 'I finished the car and…

'I’ve always wanted a 19 ever since my mum had one. Hers was a standard hatch – I’ve gone a little beyond that, and bought a gorgeous Cabriolet. It belonged to a friend, it was for sale for mates rates and I used a fraction of the money from the sale of my 25 V6 Turbo to buy it in February 2014. It’s got adjustable KW Variant 2 coilover suspension, a Renault 5 GT Turbo steering wheel, phase 2 19 Cabrio Executive door cards, a Magnex Decat exhaust and Clio 172 spec front brakes. I collect old Renaults but this one is very special to me.'…

1 SEPT 2011 New original engine found John managed to source a replacement engine after a chance encounter at a show. He was unsure of its actual condition the vendor’s assurances that it was sound and original turned out to be right. 2 MAY 2014 Feeling the heat John fully refurbished the Fiesta’s heater box, before getting stuck into some much-needed interior deep-cleaning and getting the trim details just right. He found many parts online. 3 MAY 2014 Retired early With all the ancillaries removed John removed the old engine. Its rebore meant it was surplus to requirements and duly retired to a dark corner of the garage. 4 JUNE 2014 Get ahead The cylinder head was stripped down, cleaned and the valves reground. New valve stem seals and gaskets…

‘I couldn’t help noticing seawater seeping through cracks in the ice’ Recently Mrs S and I lunched in a yurt café – a round tent with a woodburning stove inside. It was synthetic, but in colder climes than ours these yurts – and their taller, more conical relatives called teepees – are traditionally made of wool felt. The last time I ate in a felt teepee was in Sweden, just south of the Arctic Circle. It was perishingly cold and the press posse was there to discover how good all-wheel-driven Volvos were in the snow and ice. The theme was ‘Hot as Ice’. British drivers driving on British snow are often unhappy at the prospect, fearing that the slightest slither will inevitably lead to a crash. In the frozen north,…

‘The real fun is in spotting the next bandwagon’ One amusing factor that has helped fuel the booming auction market is what I like to call the bandwagon effect. What tends to happen is that a headline-grabbing example – almost certainly with low mileage, possibly a barn-find – pops up for sale of something that’s either not an auction regular or has been a bit stagnant sales-wise. It sells for a fortune, social media gets all a-flutter, and we journos have a handy news story dropped in our lap. Then two things happen: people who may have taken little to no notice of this model beforehand suddenly realise that they now really want one. After all, at that kind of price (whatever it was) they must be a bit special.…

1972 Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 Price: £4000 Full MoT, 62,000 miles on the clock. Has been upgraded with GB alloys and a later five-speed gearbox. Lovely condition under the bonnet, though the seats need attention. 1972 Saab 99 Price: £4995 Prize-winning and very original low-miler, complete with rare optional ‘soccer ball’ alloys from the factory. New clutch and stainless exhaust system fitted recently. 1977 Honda Civic Price: £1000ono Very rare first generation Civic that was a daily driver up until 18 months ago, but is now in need of some remedial work to bring it back to life. Has done 86,000 miles.…

You will lose money on a Maxi restoration so it’ll defintely need to be done for the love of it. Low values and relatively high parts prices – when you can find them, that is – have written off many decent cars over the years. Any Maxi’s value lies in its bodyshell. Many of the mechanicals can be replaced relatively cheaply and easily (it shares a few of its parts with some period Allegros), but panel and trim availability is poor and when anything does crop up it’s usually very expensive relative to the value of a given car as a whole. That’s why many Maxi owners are handy with a welder; it’s the only way they can feasibly keep their cars in fine fettle. As you’ll have read in…

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 Loom installed, dash fitted, screen fitted, trimmed and engine rebuilt 4 (wks) TIME 2110 (£) SPENT 0 MILES Also in Danny’s shed of delight 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Hibernating. Next outing at the Practical Classics Restoration Show 1976 VAUXHALL CAVALIER GL Will be getting stuck into it as soon as there’s space. 1990 RENAULT ESPACE 2000I New rear seats installed. 1997 VAUXHALL ASTRA Former press car. Now needs exhaust and a service. 1998 ROVER STERLING Most faults rectified… now in daily use and loving it. It’s getting closer. John Barker, of Culverland Classics, has been allowing me to join him for regular Interceptor fettling tutorials as he…

1978 Austin Maxi Engine 1748cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 72bhp@4900rpm Torque 84ft lb@3500rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 14.6sec Top speed 90mph Fuel economy 29.3mpg Work done Recommission and Hydragas suspension displacer re-gas. 8 (weeks) TIME 416 (£) SPENT 188 MILES Also in James’s garage 1971 CITROËN AMI 8 CLUB Noisily racking up the miles and taking me all over the UK! 1985 RENAULT 5 GTL Comfy – sharing the daily commute with the Ami. ‘Ian is dedicated to restoring BL’s lost bounce’ Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll have read about my new adventures in Maxi Land as we prepare to conquer Cumbria. However, I touched only slightly on the troubles I had with the Hydragas suspension, which in itself is worthy of a book dedicated to it, let alone these two pages. Hydragas…

‘So many alterations are required – not good on a deadline!’ 1979 Triumph Dolomite 1850HL (MX-5 unit) Engine 1598cc/ 4-cyl/DOHC Power 114bhp@6500rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual Work Done Engine mounts designed and welded, Bailey Morris propshaft ordered. A trip to Bailey Morris Ltd was the highlight of the work on JLO this month. I arrived with a bit of a dilemma – the Dolomite has flanges on both ends of a two-piece propshaft that mount to the gearbox and differential, with a rather flaccid support bearing in the middle. The MX-5 propshaft, on the other hand, has a sliding joint into the back of the gearbox and is a single piece prop. Operations Director Clive Cocks explained that the original prop was ready for the scrap pile as the joints were…

1968 Volkswagen Beetle Engine 2110cc/4-cyl/OHV Power Yet to be confirmed Torque Enough Gearbox 4-speed manual Top speed Satisfactory 0-60mph Who knows Fuel economy 22mpg Work done Ignition timing tweaked and carburettor balance checked. 1 (day) TIME 150 (£) SPENT 175 MILES Also in Matt’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Front suspension strut overhaul planned, Stag calipers ready to go on. Guilt. It’s a terrible thing. After a summer of fun in the Triumph 2000, culminating in a European road trip ( PC , January 2016), a nagging thought endured at the back of my mind – I need to sort that Beetle! With all the prep work involved readying the 2000 for the aforementioned Club Triumph 10 Countries Run, the VW fell by the wayside a little bit. On top of…

1970 Triumph TR6 Engine 2498cc/6-cyl/OHV Power 150bhp@5500rpm Torque 164lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d 0-60mph 8.2sec Top speed 119mph Work done Some tidying up jobs, with new pinion oil seal, new front suspension ball joint and new gearbox oil filler plug. 1½ (days) TIME 18 (£) SPENT 350 MILES Also Nigel’s garage RELIANT SCIMITAR GTE Loving driving the shiny Scim’. Front suspension bushes will be renewed next month. TRIUMPH GT6 MKIII More daily driving fun, plus oil and filter change. At last, my TR6 has had a bit of garage time. It’s a sound car, but classics hate neglect and a list of jobs has been building, mostly of an oily nature. The engine, gearbox and differential all leak, to the point of shame and embarrassment whenever I park…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME (HRS) 4 MONEY (£) 50 Alternator You’ll need an alternator for either left-hand or right-hand mounting on the engine. You will need Spanners, socket set, crimping tool and connectors, wire, threaded bar and steel tube, soldering iron (optional). Alignment Lining up the pulleys is critical to success. Connections Crimp or, ideally, solder all connections securely. Insulate them where appropriate. The dynamo fitted to many older classics isn’t ideal. Its output is limited, so the car needs a long run to make up for the energy consumed by the starter motor. It doesn’t develop full power until the engine’s turning fast. If the lights are in use along with the wipers and the heater, there’s a good chance the battery is being drained rather than charged. In winter,…

Sam Glover TECHNICAL EDITOR You name it, Sam’s probably owned it, broken it and worked out how to mend it. John Simpson MASTER MECHANIC Big John has worked at the greasy end of the motor trade since leaving school. Theo Gillam TECHNICAL EXPERT Theo teaches automotive engineering and makes amazing things in his shed. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS Ed keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He’s never owned a modern car. Nigel Clark WEEKEND TINKERER Nigel’s DIY achievements rival those of many profe ssional mechanics. Kim Henson CLASSIC CAR GURU Kim’s been restoring cars for over four decades. BMC vehicles are his speciality. Hoses In addition to the problems mentioned below, internal deterioration can cause old hoses to act like one-way valves, causing the brakes to bind…

I am particularly fond of this 1966 advertisement for the Singer Chamois MkII for three reasons, which I shall now explain in more detail. Firstly, as an enthusiast of the Hillman Imp and its assorted badge-engineered siblings, secondly via my undying love of Sixties ephemera and thirdly for the questions it raises as to the copywriter’s state of mind. The latter point perhaps being the most salient one. The past may be a different country, but even in a bygone Britain of nearly five decades ago it was definitely not usual to consider eloping with one’s motor car, even with the lure of an 875cc all-aluminium engine and the potential ‘excitement of lively performance’. As it is, the groom still looks slightly besotted with his new Singer……

We’ve messed around with tin snips and made a mess with angle grinders. It could all have been avoided with some decent shears. This six inch jobby from Clarke has sorted us out and put an end to dodgy cuts. Quick and simple once bolted to the floor or secured to a baseplate, the long handle enables good leverage to be applied, resulting in a clean cut with minimum effort. It’s got a sheet cutting capacity of around 3mm and a bar cutting capacity 8mm diameter (non-treated/hardened metals). What’s not to want? www.machinemart.co.uk…

Radio station CFM broke down on a charity trip to Barcelona so limped into the PC workshop for repairs! Testing the top speed of my CX at Millbrook Proving Ground – 121mph on the banked ‘bowl’ circuit. Lee Boswell’s 1975 Wedge failed outside the NEC Classic Motor Show. Our Tomkins gets him on his way! Here are Tomkins and myself extracting Maxi parts from a skip. The lengths we go to for the cars we love! French cars galore on my drive and it’s the newer German that expires, due to electronic nonsense.…

Classic sales not for UK Both Mercedes and Porsche have launched specialist arms to cater for classic cars, from the restoration of customer cars to the sale of cars direct from the manufacturer approved workshops. Neither currently intends to bring its scheme to the UK. Why didn’t they produce it! PC’s favourite car at the NEC? The Triumph 2000/2500/2.5 Register featured the unique 1963 2000GT Fastback. Plucked from the line at Canley and given to the Engineering Dept it was then sent to Turin for styling by Michelotti. . triumph2000register.co.uk Jaguar launches E-Type panels Jaguar Heritage has launched a new range of E-type panels. Over thirty new panels are available, created by digitally scanning a complete car and reverse-engineering new tooling to suit. Jaguar continues to offer servicing and restoration…

Mark Fishpool’s first Autumn Gathering at Willow Brook Farm was a great success, so he’s now set up a fortnightly classic car breakfast club at Sacrewell Farm near Peterborough. He says: ‘People asked if something could be arranged over winter as they didn’t want to have to wait six months for evening meets to resume. Sacrewell has indoor catering facilities, designated parking and good road access.’ Contact 01733 345734 or 07811 255242. tinyurl.com/qemb7w9…

1 Did you really cook it up over a pint? ‘I started it in 2010 with my brothers Rob and Peter. We were in a pub chatting about old cars and discussed maybe starting a club. We put up some adverts locally and six cars turned up. We now have 42 members.’ 2 What’s the deal? ‘Things are very relaxed and we welcome new members whatever they drive. There’s a £10 annual subscription and while there’s no magazine we do have a website with a members’ area.’ 3 Any interesting cars in the club? ‘Lots of the more traditional classics – Minors, TRs, Spitfires, Stags, Capris and Anglias – plus a Dodge Charger and Chevrolet El Camino. We like anything interesting, but some of the local shows we attend have…

Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bassist in the Beatles, dies of an aneurysm at art college in Hamburg, He’d left the band nine months earlier but remained close to Lennon. A few months later, Lennon marries Cynthia Powell in Liverpool, something he keep secrets from young female fans when the band breaks through. In politics, Harold Macmillan dismisses a third of his cabinet in a reshuffle nicknamed the ‘night of the long knives’. AT THE FLICKS Stanley Kubrick gets into all hot water with his provocative, Lolita . We were also offered Henry Fonda as a politician lying under oath in Advise and Consent and Anthony Perkins doing a bit of Kafka in The Trial . IN THE CHARTS Is this…

Young bucks back in the Eighties would no doubt have felt a marked increase in testosterone when driving a Fiesta Supersport, even if it’s more warm hatch than hot hatch. Wide tyres and sports suspension – which includes a rear anti-roll bar – provide ample grip and the non-assisted steering is light but positive. Power is a little underwhelming but 66bhp makes it feel perky enough and delivers up to 35mpg. The servo-assisted brakes have decent bite and the gear shift is positive, even if first and reverse are rather close together. Best of all though is that sharp MkI outline clad in Sunburst Red paint; it’s definitely the Supersport’s most striking shade. Ford once advertised it as ‘The car that looks as good as it feels as good as…

‘The engine revved more willingly and midrange power suddenly appeared’ I've never liked the Jaguar X300. I wrote them off as overcomplicated, joyless cars for people who drive slowly. I found the combination of retro styling and naff parts-bin interior fittings deal-breakingly offensive. However, a recent experience has caused me to review my appraisal. I found myself owning a 1994 3.2-litre XJ6. A German friend, Mike Sperr, bought it for £310 on eBay and asked me to pay for and collect it. It was unMoT'd and its patchy description suggested significant failings. 'I only want it for the rare factory-fitted tow-bar,' Mike explained. The Jaguar had a full service history and ran nicely. I had a grope underneath as I loaded it onto my trailer and could find nothing amiss,…

Undimmed by the challenging events of 2015, Parisians will flood into the city for Retromobile (Feb 3-7), a 500-car celebration of classics of the kind you will not see anywhere else on the planet. It’ll follow the 2016 Traversee de Paris on January 10, when the streets of the capital will be filled with the sound of hundreds of classic cars in what organisers say is ‘a rolling museum of automotive artwork’. A convoy of classics, to you and I. We’ll be there in a suitable car.…

1969 The Maxi arrives in March, initially fitted with a 1485cc four-cylinder engine and cable-operated five-speed manual gearbox. 1970 Revised Maxi arrives in October with rod-operated gearbox, redesigned dashboard and optional 1748cc engine. 1972 Automatic gearbox option announced for 1750 engine, but not introduced until 1974. Twin-carb HL model 1975 Revisions announced in January include standard heated rear window and hazard lights plus an enlarged fuel tank.…

1967 Rover 2000 Engine 1978cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 90bhp@5000rpm Torque 114lb ft@2750rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 15.1sec Top speed 103mph Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Lots of detailed post-purchase sorting out. 10 (days) TIME 700 (£) SPENT 3000 MILES 1934 SINGER NINE LE MANS Sitting dormant and in bits. Must do something about this 1961 SAAB 96 TWO-STROKE Trips to Ireland and Yorkshire, plus new gearbox mount to fix vibration 1969 SUNBEAM STILETTO Back from the bodyshop and looking simply fabulous. 1987 PEUGEOT 205 GTI 1.9 Sold after 11 years in my care. ‘My hunch was right and the gauges now work perfectly’ I bought my Rover a year ago. You’ve already read about its exploits on the European Car of the Year test day last February ( PC November 2015), but…

1 Out with the old… Ian begins by drilling a hole into a displacer to release any remaining nitrogen and cleans it up with an angle-grinder. 2 New valve A new Schrader valve is sealed with lots of weld and the displacer re-gassed… 3 Seal test … before the pipework is checked for leaks – using washing up liquid! 4 Cradle test Finally, Ian tests each refurbished displacer using a home-built cradle. This replicates the weight of the car to which it will be fitted and ensures that it’s working properly.…

1959 Peerless GT Engine 1998cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 100bhp@4800rpm Gearbox 4-spd manual + o/d Torque 117lb ft@5600rpm Top speed 120mph 0-60mph 10.8sec Fuel economy 28mpg Work done Brake pipes, clutch slave overhaul, inner wing template. 7 (HRS) TIME 12 (£) SPENT 0 MILES Also in Gary’s garage 1980 SAAB 99 TURBO Ex-Saab press car in need of complete restoration. ‘Owners who had removed the valve had no problems’ Last month I began the rebuild of both front calipers by cleaning and painting them. I’m now awaiting delivery of the new pistons and caliper seals. In the meantime, I’ve cracked on with finishing the front brake pipes. The pipe to the nearside (LH) front caliper needed forming and fitting. The rest of the pipes had been used from the Triumph TR3 kit supplied…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME (HRS) 4 MONEY (£) 20 Safety Clean components with brake cleaner to control the brake dust. Overflow Before pushing back caliper pistons, remove some fluid from the reservoir with a turkey baster or put a rag around the top to catch overflow. Locking Note locking tabs and/or thread-lock on dissassembly. Reinstate on assembly. You will need Jack and axle stands, brake cleaner, G-clamp or caliper wind-back tool, rubber grease or silicone grease, brake bleeder, thread-lock, torque wrench, workshop manual. Disc brakes really are marvellous, aren’t they? They convert kinetic energy into heat energy splendidly, so they don’t fade as fast as drum brakes. They’re also simpler by design and they don’t need adjustment. These benefits can be the downfall of disc brakes, however. It’s all too easy…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME (DAYS) 3 MONEY (£) 300 You will need Basic toolkit, socket set, torque wrench, 3/8in UNF studding or factory spring detensioning tool. Lubrication Use tyre soap or silicone grease to fit the bushes. Apply copper grease to threads and shanks of suspension bolts. Bush choice Always use top quality bushes and fit new bolts and nyloc nuts. OEM spec rubber or polyurethane bushes from a good supplier will last for years. Inspection Check your car’s bushes carefully. Any sign of cracking in the exposed rubber ends signals that they will need changing. Bushes are unsung heroes. All the talk is about springs, shock absorbers, balljoints and trunnions – but the bushes that connect a car’s suspension components are just as important. Rubber bushes can be found linking…

TAXING TIMES FOR DVLA Problems with the new online taxation system have led to people being unable to tax their pre-1960 classics. The system doesn’t recognise there is no longer a need for an MoT for pre-1960 vehicles. The FBHVC has been informed that the DVLA is working to resolve the issue. PARTS TALKS WITH GOVERNMENT UNDERWAY Sir Greg Knight MP has met with Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP, to discuss concerns regarding the DVLA’s attitude to historic vehicles fitted with new parts, following complaints from a number of MPs across the country. He said: ‘Just because a historic vehicle has a number of new parts doesn’t mean it ceases to be historic.’ INSURANCE TAX INCREASE There has been an insurance premium tax increase for the fifth time since its…

You and Your Jaguar XK8/R £30 ISBN: 978-1-845848-15-6 Written by a marque expert, this is a complete guide to the big cat coupé. It leaves few questions unanswered, and should be your map of the world when it comes to buying and running an XK. www.veloce.co.uk Morris Minor Owners Club: Celebrating 40 Years £19.95 ISBN: 978-0-953178-41-4 A comprehensive history of the club from its formation in 1976 to the present day. This covers the early days of the club, its myriad events, registers, rare and unusual Minors and more. www.mmoc.org.uk Amazing Barn Finds and Roadside Relics £23 ISBN 978-0-7603-4807-9 Perfect for fans of old US tin, this book takes a look at some of America’s forgotten car graveyards. The photography is excellent, while the author knows and clearly enjoys his…

Classic Renault If you’re a fan of classic Renaults, then be sure to head online and check out the Renault Classic Car Club’s new Facebook page. More information can be found at tinyurl.com/o57w7mo UCCG contacts We didn’t include contact details for the Unnamed Classic Car Group in the last issue. For the full SP check out www.thenewunnamedclassiccargroup.co.uk Club Hero: Lesley Philips This month Tony Lapworth has nominated Lesley Philips of the Stag Owners’ Club. He says: ‘She is honorary Club President, International Liaison Officer and club representative for the FBHVC and Triumph Forum. She also organises club events, manages international tour bookings and visits events all over the UK. She has proved that she’s always available – and a truly selfless lady.’…

Tell us about your club If you run a club and you want to be featured in Practical Classics, then get in touch. If you’ve got a major event, weekend or tour coming up, we want to know about it. We also want to hear about club changes, heroes deserving recognition and regional, multimarque clubs, too. Email practical. classics@bauermedia. co.uk or ring the office. No classics! Roger and Cheryl Reeves’ letter in the 1100 Club’s magazine is rather disturbing. All vehicles over five years old are banned from driving into The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Utrecht from January 1. Break the rule and you’ll be landed with a €180 fine. Go Down Under If you’re a Citroën owner looking for adventure, how about a trip to the other side of…

Tell us about your secret workshop fantasies? Having one… Pete Arundel I’d lose the MG and shoehorn another Interceptor in. Glenn Langridge Thats quite a personal question, Danny. What if they don’t involve cars? Michael Allen My dream would be not having to work for a living and have a large unit with a four poster and all the equipment to let me restore and repair any car I felt like tackling. I fancy being a MkIII Cavalier guru and mass collector and restorer of that model, with a side line to restore a ‘57 Bel Air Chevy. Dave Kirwin More of a nightmare than a fantasy! Alan Bartlett Have to be some small Fords and Aussie Chryslers plus an E-type Jag Dodge Challenger and a Cooper S Gary Taylor…

‘Nothing happened for 15 years – it was subject to so many broken promises’ Many of you will have joined the classic car media in drooling over Morris 1800 YJO 71R in all its glorious Wedgeness at the recent NEC Classic Motor Show. I must admit to having been close to shedding a tear over this car for a variety of complex reasons. YJO was displayed as a wreck at last year’s show, with many insisting it was unrestorable. But Kev Davis, his dad Jeff and Martin Nancekievill of www.leylandprincess.co.uk proved everyone wrong. So, why all this emotion? 1996 seemed to be a particularly heartless year – Gaby Roslin was axed from The Big Breakfast, for goodness’ sake – for this was the year that YJO was dispatched to an…

Volkswagen Passat Regular contributor Oliver DaCosta is this month’s Rust In Peace winner and centre stage in his latest find is a remarkably well-preserved 1975 Volkswagen Passat B1 in Berwick-upon-Tweed. This one looks to be an earlier non-hatchback model. Worth saving? We certainly think so. A DVLA check confirmed that it is currently on SORN and the most recent MoT expired on January 6, 2012. Reliant Scimitar Sabre This Reliant Scimitar might look like an SS1 but is in fact the later – and much rarer – William Towns-designed Scimitar Sabre built between 1992 and 1995. Fewer than 50 survive. Spotted in Hexham, this particular car was first registered in early 1995, some 60 years after Reliant was originally founded. Reliant Robin A Robin owner himself, Oliver spotted this early…

SAT JAN 16 Coys’ Autosport International sale, NEC, Birmingham (020 8614 7888, www.coys.co.uk) SAT JAN 23 Anglia Car Auctions, The Cattlemarket, King’s Lynn, Norfolk (01553 771881, www.angliacarauctions.co.uk) FRI JAN 29 South West Vehicle Auctions’ classic sale, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset (01202 745466, www.swva.co.uk) WED FEB 3 RM Sotheby’s, Place Vauban, Paris, France (020 7851 7070, www.rmsothebys.com) THURS FEB 4 Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques, Grand Palais, Paris (020 7468 5801, www.bonhams.com/cars) FRI FEB 5 Artcurial, Rétromobile, Porte de Versailles, Paris (www.artcurial.com) SUN FEB 14 Charterhouse Auctions, Royal Bath & West Show-ground, Shepton Mallet, (www.charterhouseauction.com) TUES FEB 23 Barons Auctions, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey (08454 306060, www.barons-auctions.com)…

I’m a bit of an MG nut and wanted a car for regularity road rally events,’ explains Tony Pope. The Maestro was an obvious choice instead of a common-as-muck ZR – my budget wasn’t going to stretch to an MGB GT.’ ‘After about two months of looking I found this MG Maestro 2.0 EFi and offered £400. It was in Gloucester and I took two buses and two trains to get there. I handed over the cash and drove it the 134 miles home to Dorset, despite it having sat in a garden unused for ten years. At least the seller had fitted new belts and brakes and MoT’d it for the auction. ‘I added another 1200 miles in the next two months, then it broke down so I’m now…

1978 Revised Hydragas suspension system replaces earlier models’ Hydrolastic set-up in February, but retains basic displacer setup. 1979 Trim/specification changes in January. 1750HL gets single-carb engine, twin-carb 1750HLS.Sep 1979: Maxi 1500 discontinued. 1980 August: Maxi 2 debuts in L, HL, HLS and auto guises. Bumper-mounted indicators, redesigned seats plus a host of other detail changes. 1981 Jul 1981: Final Maxi is built at Cowley…. LOV 476X is at Gaydon.…

PARTS & ACCESSORIES ALLEGRO/1100/MINIS. Carbs, clutches, fuel pumps, dynamos, alternators gaskets (including Coopers), bumper steering rack, torsion bar, loads of bulbs and boxes of odd parts. £450 or near offer. Phone 01895 637403 or email: 6024gnik@gmail.com AUSTIN A30 Gearbox £50, Mini Steering Rack £20, Mini Radiator £15, Reg Bradbury 01889 271037 AUSTIN A40 Somerset bonnet 7 windscreen £25, various workshop manuals & handbooks, Early Ford Focus CD/ radio £20, several Dinky/ matchbox models old Ford Anglias inc Ice Cream Van. Graham, 0115 9204538 FORD FIESTA original front suspension struts/ dampers. Bought for 1978 MkI in mid-Eighties. Both unused aftermarket original spares standard spec not Supersport/XR2. £15 each, £25 pair, offers. Email for pics. Keith0066@yahoo.com, 07884223622 FORD GRANADA MKII box of brand new bolts, screws, clips small gaskets and bumper joiners…

1979 Volvo 245 Engine 2127cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 107bhp@5500rpm Torque 125lb ft@2500rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 13sec Top speed 102mph Fuel economy 23mpg Work done Fettled and tuned engine, overhauled brakes, fitted GAZ shock absorbers, winter tyres, tripmeter and driving lights. 5 (days) TIME 960 (£) SPENT 40 MILES Also Sam’s garage 1934 AUSTIN RUBY Still nothing bad to report. 1972 MOSKVICH 412 A Jaguar-load of parts bought in Lviv – see p50. 1982 WARBURG 353 You just can’t beat a three-cylinder two-stroke engine. 1984 ›KODA 105L Ready to break in Cumbria… that’s if it reaches Cumbria. 1989 TRABANT 601 Found in a field. Mouldy. 1993 JAGUAR XJ6 Off to Morocco at Christmas. 1996 TATRA BETA Still a major source of excitement for me. Do you want to come on a rally…

1970 Morris Minor Two-door Saloon Engine 1275cc/4-cyl/OHV Power Sufficient Torque More than enough to overcome the oily clutch Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 18.6sec Top speed TBC… Fuel economy 37mpg Work done Redesigned breathing system, removed engine and cleaned clutch up assembly. 2 (Days) TIME 8 (£) SPENT 1758 MILES Also in Matt’s garage 1960 MORRIS MINOR CONVERTIBLE The perils of a large fleet… welding work has slowed. 1969 MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER Serviced and cleaned underneath ready for winter. 1970 MODIFIED MORRIS MINOR TWO-DOOR Now running better than ever, and never ever fails to make me grin! 1974 ROVER P6 2200SC Knocking like a good’un and in desperate need of TLC. 1979 TRIUMPH DOLOMITE 1850HL MX-5 engine conversion continues but progress has been slow this month. ‘The vacuum was being lost…

1 Measure twice, drill once Four 8mm holes were drilled to route and secure the front pipe securely. 2 Nice and easy The pipe clips are a push-in fit and come as part of the Automec pipe kit. 3 Stay or go? The restrictor valve is positioned between the master cylinder and brake union. After researching the item, it became clear that it wasn’t actually required, so I decided to remove it altogether. 4 Constituent parts Dismantled, internals are basic. These could be removed and the outer body left in situ. Brake light switch was tested and cleaned before refitting. 5 Looking good The union assembly is now ready for the final push to get the brakes up and running.…

1966 Sunbeam Alpine V GT Engine 1725cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 92bhp@5500rpm Torque 110lb ft@3700rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 13sec Top speed 98mph Fuel economy 30mpg Work done Fitted new exhaust, alternator, hardtop seals and door panels. 2 (weeks) TIME 581 (£) SPENT 55 MILES Also in John’s garage 1981 MINI CITY Time to crack on with it! 2000 MGF Headlamp revived, it now needs new carpet. 2003 MG ZS Still a very faithful hack. I’ve been very busy lately, including getting the Alpine ready to display at the NEC Classic Motor Show, in order to help the Boston Classic Car Club celebrate its 25th anniversary. I actually started the club in 1990 and it was buying the Alpine that inspired me to do it… so stand organiser, Jane Webb, asked for the…

II’ve never been one for workshop gadgets and chattels. Most of them simply don’t work. However, I’ve just bought a vacuum brake bleeder – and it’s radically improved my life. I’ve been manually bleeding brakes like a sucker for decades – a horrible and seemingly biweekly task that entails unbecoming grovelling and DOT4 dribbling down one’s shirt sleeves. The vacuum bleeder is pleasant to use, takes a tenth of the time and does a better job. Mine is of generic Chinese manufacture and cost £15 on eBay. I suspect most sensible people already own these marvellous devices. If you know somebody that doesn’t, I can think of no better Christmas gift.…

DIFFICULTY RATING TIME (HRS) 3 MONEY (£) 50 You will need Trolley jack, axle stands, oil pan, AF spanners, screwdrivers, long steel bar or lever, test lamp or multimeter, grease gun, oil can, brake cleaner. Greasing tips Grease the front wheel bearings every 36,000 miles or three years. Remove the brake drum when greasing the kingpin to ensure it doesn’t reach the brakes. Clutch adjustment Regals: free play at pedal should be §in. The adjuster is located under the car. Later models: free play at clutch operating arm should be 1/ 16 in. Adjust at the cable. Tyres Correct pressures are critically important. Consult a model-specific handbook. The three-wheeled Reliant was a bizarre British success story. Although tiny, lightweight and lacking a wheel, the Regal, Rialto and Robin are surprisingly…

I talked a friend into buying a £152 Volvo 740 on eBay. He bestowed the honour of driving it home upon me. Given that it clearly hadn’t been serviced in seller’s eight-and-a-half year custodianship, it ran and drove pretty well. There was, however, one dramatic problem. Anything other than light acceleration led to a violent crashing and a terrible vibration as the drivetrain apparently made a bid for freedom. A probe beneath brought an easy diagnosis. The Rotoflex-like rubber coupling between the gearbox and propshaft was dropping to bits. It’s supposed to be taut and virile, but ours had the tensile resistance of knicker elastic. Its connecting bolts had been acting directly against the yolks of the propshaft and ‘box, leading to 60° of undamped play. With a new one…

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 CLUB…