Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Classic Ford

MOT MADNESS New 40-year exemption announced amidst confusion over modified classics From May 20, 2018, if your car, bike of van (aka a VHI — Vehicle of Historic Interest) is 40 years older or more, you will not have to present it for a UK MoT (Roadworthiness) test each year. This brings such vehicles in line with the rules for historic-status ‘free’ road tax, and is the same as currently applies to vehicles registered before 1960. As is the case with these pre-1960 classics, you will still be able to get an MoT test done voluntarily. There is a caveat involved (which many Classic Ford readers should note if they have a modified car), in that vehicles which are ‘substantially changed in the characteristics of their main components’ will still…

It’s nearly Christmas! Stuck for what to buy your classic Ford-loving better half for Christmas? Afraid the in-laws will buy you yet another useless ornament for the garden you never go in because you’re too busy spannering in the garage? Then may we recommend a gift subscription to the world’s biggest and best-selling classic Ford magazine! Delivered straight to yours or your loved-one’s door for the next 12 months, you get 13 issues of old Ford goodness, typically saving 10 per cent off the cover price. It’s not just confined to the UK, either — your favourite Ford magazine can be delivered all over the world, in print or digital form. To take out a gift subscription call the hotline on 01959 543747 (or 0044 1959 543747 outside of the…

FRONTEND 5 minutes with Dave ‘Blokie’ Petrie Tasked with restoring the #TeamMike XR3i in time for this month’s Classic Motor Show, Blokie’s not feeling the pressure —much. “YOU’LL ALWAYS BE THINKING, I COULD DO THAT BIT BETTER, AND KEEP TINKERING RIGHT UP UNTIL THE AUCTION” How did you get into cars? It was through banger racing. I went from a very early age with my parents and also helped my father build them. What was your first Ford? A Mk1 Escort 1300GT I bought from my Uncle. I modified the car with a 1740 Crossflow engine and bigger brakes. What happened to it? I sold it two years later to raise the money to buy a facelift Mk1 Capri 1600GT. How did you end up working on classic cars? I…

FIESTA XR2 16-valve mk2 Split personality It looks like a well-restored XR2 at first glance, but there’s more to Dean Flowers’ Fiesta than meets the eye. Words Marc Stretton Photos Adrian Brannan With a car-history tally of over 100 modified motors, mechanical engineer, Dean Flowers from South Wales likes to chop and change (and chop and change) the metal around him. Although he’s currently down to just five vehicles, including Mercs and a future-classic Ford Probe, his keeper for the past four years has been this show-winning Mk2 Fiesta XR2. “My first car was a Mk2 1.1 Fiesta Festival,” Dean says, “which was replaced by the time I was 18 by a Sapphire Cosworth, so it’s a nostalgia thing back to my early driving days with this top-of-the-range Mk2.” “BOUGHT…

ANGLIA 105E Z CAR Paul Mitchell reckons he’s got the perfect Anglia — with sorted 16-valve running gear and a solid but age-worn body that he doesn’t worry about leaving in a supermarket car park. Words Marc Stretton Photos Matt Richardson “THE ANGLIA’S UPGRADES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OVER THE PAST THREE WINTERS, ALLOWING FOR SUMMER FUN TO CONTINUE” For most people, being charged with DUI (driving under the influence), is usually not a thing you want to happen… unless your name’s Paul Mitchell, you live in Kent, are a VW Master Technician and influences past and present have led to the ownership of this tidy, but patina’d, Zetec-powered 105E Deluxe. Those nudges in the right direction started way back, with an uncle, a sister’s boyfriend and a family friend all…

HOMEBUILT HERO TOY STORY When Andy Brown came to buy a new toy, he decided to build one that would remind him of the ones he played with when he was young. And, like Woody and Buzz, this bright green plaything has ‘Andy’ written all over it. Words Daniel Bevis Photos Chris Frosin Nostalgia. It’s a powerful thing. Yearning for the days of yore, albeit generally through rose-tinted glasses, is the reason why many of us choose to drive old Fords rather than splashing the equivalent cash on, say, a shiny new Korean identikit hatchback with a seven-year warranty and a marked absence of character. And in the modern era of Brexit, Trump and Toblerones with fewer peaks, the climate is more than ready to encourage ever-more of you to…

WHAT'S ON NOVEMBER Footman James Classic Vehicle Restoration Show November 4-5 Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet BA4 6QN, UK 01507 529529 , www.carsandevents.com The National Restoration Show November 5 Stoneleigh Park, Coventry CVS 2LZ, UK www.restoration-show.co.uk Drift WhatYer Brung November 8 Santa Pod Raceway, Podington NN29 7XA, UK www.dwyb.co.uk Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show November 10-12 NEC, Birmingham B40 1NT, UK www.necclassicmotorshow.com Drift WhatYer Brung November 15 Santa Pod Raceway, Podington NN29 7XA, UK www.dwyb.co.uk Newark Autojumble November 19 Newark and Notts Showground, NG24 2NY, UK www.newarkautojumble.co.uk Huddersfield Autojumble November 26 Old Market Building, Huddersfield HD1 1RG, UK https://phoenixfairs.jimdo.com Drift WhatYer Brung November 29 Santa Pod Raceway, Podington NN29 7XA, UK www.dwyb.co.uk DECEMBER Classic Ford on sale December 1 Drift WhatYer Brung December 6 Santa Pod Raceway, Podington NN29…

Know this SODA BLASTING Save time and a huge amount of effort with this straightforward but highly-effective paint-stripping process. “WHILE SODA BLASTING IS NOT ALWAYS THE CHEAPEST OPTION, IT IS QUICK, EASY AND POSSIBLE ON A COMPLETE CAR WITH ITS TRIM AND GLASS STILL ATTACHED” Stripping layers of paint from a bodyshell can be extremely hard, repetitive work using brushed-on stripper. The process is messy, paint stripper can be awkward to precisely control, and it’s difficult to get it into awkward areas. It can also be surprisingly expensive. While soda blasting is not necessarily the cheapest option, it is quick, easy and possible on a complete car with trim and glass still attached. The material can get into tight spaces so is ideal for the many nooks and crannies on…

CFTECH How to Retrim Recaros After decades of use, the chances are your classic Ford’s seats have seen better days. All is not lost though because Aldridge Trimming make kits to recover most seats including rolltop and fishnet Recaros. Here’s how. “YOU CAN DO THE JOB YOURSELF, AS THE WHOLE LOT COMES FROM ALDRIDGE TRIMMING AS A FLAT-PACK KIT” Classic Fords need classic seats and there’s none more synonymous with the breed than a lovely set of Recaros. Trouble is, they wear out, the seat bolsters become annoyingly uncomfortable as the metal frame beneath rubs your hip and the fabric — although incredibly forgiving — eventually thins and fades. But all is not lost because Aldridge Trimming have had miles of the infamous Betacloth remade and they can offer reupholstery…

CF TECH Pioneering Gifts For Picky Petrolheads Stuck for what to get the petrolhead in your life? Well then you could do a lot worse than treating them to one of Pioneer’s new for 2017 audio offerings, including cutting edge multimedia players, speakers and subs. There’s a lot to be said for treating the petrolhead in your life to an audio upgrade this Christmas, not least because Pioneer, easily one of the most respected names in the business, has recently unveiled its expanded range of brand new, cutting edge audio offerings. Not only do the products below groan under the (figurative) weight of advanced features and industry leading functions, they will transform the manner in which your nearest and dearest listens to their music, making it a double-whammy of a…

Welcome This summer’s been a belter for old Ford fans (despite the somewhat inclement weather!). We’ve had a cracking run of events, with the Classic Ford Show, Ford Fair and now FordFest (see page 22) being particular highlights. We’re feeling properly inspired for the forthcoming months, and we hope you are too, as now’s the ideal time to knuckle down, do some homework, and make a start on long-put-off restoration project to feed your Blue Oval obsession over the winter. To help you, we’ve put together a 21-page guide to a hassle-free restoration of your next, or even first, classic Ford project car starting on page 69. It’s full of top tips and tricks for everything from bodywork to trim, plus Jon’s revealed the top 10 rot-spots you need to…

SAVE THE DATE! Classic Ford Show 2018 date confirmed The Classic Ford Show — Europe’s largest classic Ford event — will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2018 — back once again at the world-famous Santa Pod Raceway. If you love your classic Fords you will love what this show has to offer.There will be all-day strip action, Ford-only run-what-yer-brung, breathtaking stunts from the best in the business, thousands of club cars on display,The Great Unveiling, and we haven’t even touched on all the special feature areas at the show! So start working on those project cars now and put this date on the 2018 calendar! Keep up to speed with news on next year’s show by signing up to receive the official newsletter at www.classicfordshow.co.uk.…

COMING UP Inside the January 2018 issue of Classic Ford Here are three good reasons not to miss the next issue: 1. We’re introducing a brand-new buying and restoring section, packed with pages of expert tips and advice. 2. We’ll be announcing the Classic Ford Of The Year along with a whole host of honours in our special Classic Ford Awards feature. 3. We’re celebrating First Class Fords including an incredible ETCC Mk1 Capri race car recreation (sneak-peak below). The January 2018 issue of Classic Ford hits the newsagents’ shelves and is available to download from Friday, December 1. Why not subscribe to make sure you don’t miss it? Check out our latest offers on page 102.…

2017 VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE classicford CAR OF THE YEAR We’ve seen some great feature cars in 2017, now it’s up to you to select your favourite! Last chance to VOTE! A. Mk3 Capri Owner: Danny Cleghorn Featured: September 2017 That simple Mineral Blue exterior hides a sorted ST170 engine on throttle bodies. A proper homebuilt car that oozes understated power and class. B. Cortina GT Owner: Jerry Peters Featured: March 2017 Overpowered and over there... Jerry’s Mk1 could only have been built in the USA, with Ford V8 power, Mustang suspension and a fuel cell hidden in a wooden trunk in the boot. C. Sierra XR4x4 Builder: Daniel Hallam Featured: December 2016 Owned by Daniel’s Dad, Pete, it was down to Daniel to spend an intense 9 months bringing…

HERITAGE Capri 2.0S Classic Fords restored: What sort of person rebuilds a 10-year-old Capri, then after storing it for 20 years, undertakes a complete nut-and-bolt restoration to make it perfect? A person like Andrew Harwood. Words Mike Renaut Photos Darren Woolway We’re used to seeing high-standard modern restorations at Classic Ford with those ‘far better than it left the factory’ levels of perfection. But hardly anyone was doing them back in 1989 when Andrew Harwood starting dismantling his perfectly-decent 1979 Capri 2.0S. A car barely a decade old with under 30,000 miles. “I’d seen the Capri for sale in 1986,” remembers Andrew, “as the second owner became ill so his son was selling it. Although I’d played about with a Mini, this Capri was the first car I’d driven on…

top 10: classic ford rot spots CLASSIC FORD ROT SPOTS The top 10 places to find that rusty metal on your project, plus how easy it is to cut out and repair it. “WE’VE RATED EACH JOB FROM EASY TO HARD, OR TIME-CONSUMING” Rear wheelarches How tricky to repair: How long to do: 4 hours per side Cost: £130 (Anglia 105E arch section) It’s hard to think that crusty wheelarches weren’t built into new Fords as it’s so common. This is not an easy panel to restore without distorting the often-large expanse of metal surrounding it. Your best bet is to joggle the area in, especially if the inner section’s hidden by trim panels. This method will reduce distortion but if you need to repair the section edge to edge,…

Essential Restoration tools Restore any car and you’ll need tools but knowing which are the ones you use while the others sit in their wrappers is the trick. Here’s the list of the ones we use most. JOGGLER Joining panels edge to edge involves precise cutting out, coupled with practise and technique to weld them together; avoiding distortion and buckling metal. But there’s a much easier way, using a joggling tool, which puts a step into the panel you’re joining; the thickness of the piece you’re letting in — allowing the new metal to sit flush while strengthening the joint minimising distortion. Use with seam welding or plug welding. Model shown: Clarke Edge Setter/ Joggler with Hole Punch How much: £53.99 From: Machine Mart ANGLE GRINDER A 4.5 inch angle…

CF TECH THE SPECIALIST MBVR Granadas may be Steve Dick’s first love but his company, Mid Beds Vehicle Restoration can offer restoration for all classics from wreck to showfield. Words and Photos Jon Hill “MBVR HAS AN EXCELLENT SYSTEM, WHICH TAKES YOUR CAR FROM ROTTEN WRECK TO A PRISTINE CLASSIC IN A TIMEFRAME THAT SUITS” Mid Beds Vehicle Restoration might not be on your radar — or better still, the initials its more commonly known as, MBVR — but if we said the name, Steve Dick then you’ve definitely met the bloke before in the pages of Classic Ford as he’s well known in the Granada scene. In fact, Steve’s responsible for one of the most well-known of the lot — albeit an infamous Consul GT, that’s been eagerly awaiting…

MOTORSPORT Old Skool Ford Drag Challenge This year’s FordFest hosted the final round of the strip-based race series, with the cars running superb times - when it wasn’t raining. Words Jo Peters Photos Kieran Jenkins Opened in 1966 as a drag-strip and named after the Santa Ana strip in the USA, Santa Pod was born from a disused wartime airbase that was originally used by the US Airforce during WW2. In fact, you can still see the war memorial at the bottom of Airfield Road. Today it has earned the reputation of being the home of European drag racing and for this weekend was the host of FordFest (see page 22) and the final round of this year’s Old Skool Ford Drag Challenge (OSFDC). As this was the final round…

Project Hunter CLASSIC FORD PROJECTS YOU SHOULD BUY - AND MODIFY. Illustrations: Simon Coulson If this Mk3 five-door is as tidy as it looks, then we’ve stumbled across some real ’80s finery here. In fact, it would be a tad wrong to heavily modify this Escort, so we’re going to keep any mods to strictly bolt-on only. Instead, we’ve detailed the exterior Ceramic Blue paint, carefully removed the badges, then had some ’80s-tastic vinyl side stripes made up with a yellow-to-orange fade. A set of 16 inch MTechnia Turbo wheels have then been bolted up, sitting slightly closer to the arches courtesy of front coil-overs and rear lowering springs. Under the bonnet, we’ve removed the CVH, and fitted a 1.8 Zetec on standard management from a donor Mk6 Escort instead…

your projects: mk1 zephyr CONVERTED Your projects: Brought home from the USA, this super-early Mk1 Zephyr convertible is getting a second chance thanks to Elliot Morris. Words and Photos Jon Hill Car: 1953 Mk1 Zephyr Convertible Start condition: Running driving car Condition now: Just completed the air suspension, now ready to be dismantled Time taken so far:Three months Estimated time of completion: Mid 2018 Name: Elliot Morris aka Elmo Age: 52 Job:Toy restorer Location: Essex It’s very rare we’d report on a car this finished in Grafters — you could almost photograph this for a feature right now! But this is the before stage — yes, it’s running and driving, the paint’s good and it’s been to Rayvern Hydraulics (01945 450150) for Ray Ramsey’s best air suspension. But it’s all…

Owner’s Pride Classic Ford feature car makes the NEC’s top 20 Mark Roger’s superbly-restored, four-door Mk3 Cortina GT — featured in the April 2016 issue — has made the list of the first 10 cars to be announced in this year’s Pride Of Ownership at this month’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show. 20 finalists in total will be looking to win the hearts and votes of the visitors, with the winner announced on Sunday afternoon. Only the second owner from new, Mark has fully restored the car but kept it as original as possible — even refurbishing the existing parts rather than replacing with new versions. Mark’s Mk3 joins two other Fords revealed so far — Rob Sargeant’s Cortina Savage and Gareth Jones’ 1965 Mustang. See them in the metal…

FORDFEST 2017 FordFest 2017 From ’50s street sleepers to ’90s drag strip demons, FordFest at Santa Pod Raceway had all this and more. Words Simon Woolley Photos Matt Dear, Chris Frosin With some pretty extreme rainfall the day before, things were looking somewhat shaky for this year’s FordFest sponsored by mountune. Thankfully, come mid-morning on the Sunday show day, the precipitation stopped, the sun started to eke its way out through the clouds, Santa Pod opened the strip and we could get on with enjoying the Ford show season closer — well, it is in the UK, anyway! Now in its third year, FordFest has firmly established itself on the Blue Oval calendar, and while it follows a similar format to the Classic Ford Show, the feel is very different…

HERITAGE Popular 100E Classic Fords restored: Mike Randall’s 1961 Ford Popular 100E previously belonged to his father Barry, so Mike’s spent three years restoring the car as a tribute to him. Words Mike Renaut Photos Darren Woolway “MY MUM MENTIONED SELLING IT, BUT BEFORE SHE’D COMPLETED THE SENTENCE I WAS PUSHING THE CAR TOWARDS THE GARAGE” Barry Randall was a car fan through and through. Doing his apprenticeship at a Ford garage in Dartford taught him mechanical skills he passed on to his son Mike, the same skills Mike would later use to restore his late father’s 100E. “Dad bought this 1961 Ford Popular 100E in November 2006 for £550,” remembers Mike. That was quite a bargain considering it was a two-door in very good condition. “I already had a…

EVENT REPORT TOUR OF THE MOOR 2017 Old Skool Ford’s new road run saw the Fords taking to some of Darmoor’s finest B-roads. Words and Photos Jayne and Andria Gilmour The last weekend of June found us in our recently completed and rather subtle Kodachrome Mk3 Cortina on the very first Old Skool Ford Tour Of The Moor. The event took place within the scenic Dartmoor National Park in Devon, with a base at the River Dart Country Park. We were anticipating a fine turn out of performance and expertly-restored Escorts, but there was also a wide range of other classic Fords — Cortinas, Anglias and Capris from the ’60s to the ’80s. Saturday was a driving day. After a short blast along the A38, the tour headed into the…

YOUR PHOTOS Cars, roadtrips, shows, tattoos... share your images right here. Email hi-res images to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk or post them up on our Facebook page.…

CFTECH How to Use a MIG welder Save money — and your classic Ford — with our beginner’s lesson from the experts at S&B. Photos Gerard Hughes Welding is often a skill you shy away from or have a stab at without really knowing what you need to be doing. However, if you take a little bit of time to understand the process, you could be producing good welds in no time at all. That’s why we’ve gone back to school — well, S&B Automotive Academy to be precise. Mike Phillips is going to take us through the basics of MIG welding, from setting up the machine to producing different types of weld. If you’re serious enough to invest in the equipment — and buying the best kit you can…

CFTECH How to Replace floorpans Floorpans are a common spot for corrosion to take hold. Here’s how to carry out effective repairs at home. “COMPLETE FLOORPANS CAN BE SPOT OR PLUG-WELDED IN A WAY THAT FOLLOWS THE ORIGINAL SPECIFICATION” Due to their vulnerable position, floorpans often need attention. The floor has a load-bearing purpose, even for cars that possess a separate chassis, and it’s critical to the strength of a monocoque construction. Not only is the floor susceptible to damage from the hostile road conditions, but its deterioration is hastened by a combination of internal water leaks and carpets that can lock in moisture. On most monocoque classic cars, the front and rear floorpans are pressed at the factory as one single section, so the current MoT regulations stipulate that…

EXPERTCLINIC TROUBLE WITH YOUR FORD? SEND IN YOUR QUERY AND WE'LL SORT IT OUT “THESE LATER CAM COVERS GIVE A BETTER SEAL, AS THE MATING FLANGE IS WIDER” Zephyr brakes Q I have purchased a 1959 Mk2 Zephyr, and I am hoping to make a few changes so if you can advise me it would be great. I want to replace my front drum brakes with disc brakes and I would like to know if I need to change the struts. Can you recommend what other vehicle would have suitable parts that would do the job? Paul Hardnott Email A While drums were standard fitment on the Mk2, the later Lowline did feature disc brake struts. They’re desirable and so hard to find, plus you’ll need the matching master cylinder,…

MOTORSPORT MISSION CREEP Tasked with returning this RS1600i to the track, Guido Pitzen went a step further and recreated Gerstmann Motosport’s 1985 European Touring Car Championship Group A car. Words Simon Woolley Photos Adrian Brannan If you’re reading Classic Ford, then the chances are high that you’re a fan of Ford’s products from yesteryear. Yet, while most of us have a thing for all Fords of a particular era, there are some that take their obsession to a deeper level, right down to liking a single model and in a singular discipline at that. One person who freely admits he has a narrow but deep love of ’80s Escorts is Guido Pitzen from near Cologne in Germany. But Guido’s obsession extends to particularly liking race versions, and original ones at…

buyer’s guide: mk5 rs2000 BUYER’S GUIDE ESCORT RS2000 Fast, fun and front-wheel-drive, the now 26-year-old Mk5 can definitely wear its RS badge with pride. Words ChristianTilbury Photos Darren Woolway “THE NEW RS2000 FOLLOWED THE SUCCESSFUL FORMULA OF ITS ICONIC PREDECESSORS BIG ENGINE, TOP-OF-THE-RANGE EQUIPMENT AND ENHANCED STEERING AND SUSPENSION” When it came to injecting a bit of performance into its lacklustre Mk5 Escort, Ford decided to go back in order to go forward, choosing to resurrect the hallowed RS2000 tag. Launched at the tail end of 1991, 14 months after the debut of the cooking Mk5 versions, the new RS2000 followed the successful formula of its iconic predecessors — big engine, top-of-the-range equipment and enhanced steering and suspension. RS2000 purists might have choked at the new version’s driven wheels being…