Innehållsförteckning för October 2021 från Classics World

Many is the time that I’ve crawled into the house after a day spent unsuccessfully spannering in the garage – cold, filthy dirty, cut, bruised and thoroughly despondent having failed to make any measurable progress on my projects. At such times, my wife will invariably ask: ‘And you do this why?’ To which I will reply through gritted teeth: ‘Because it is FUN!’ Of course, some days are more fun than others, and you have to really make the most of the good times to help carry you through the bad ones. Ultimately, as I’ve said before, when viewed objectively, running classic cars makes little rational sense. But at the end of the day classic cars are an emotional thing, and you either get it or you don’t. I get…

It might not be a tennis player adjusting her skirt or a shirtless bloke holding a baby, but the Lamborghini Countach has been crowned as the all-time favourite pin-up poster car among followers of The British Motor Show, which took place on 19th-22nd August. The striking Marcello Gandini masterpiece was the most popular poster car of the show’s Facebook followers, closely pursued by the Ferrari Testarossa and Porsche 959 – and who (of a certain age) doesn’t remember flicking through them on the rails in the poster shops? But there were some oddball respondents too – one of the show’s fans had an MG Maestro on his bedroom wall, another had a Fiat Uno 55S, and for one respondent it was the Leyland Roadrunner truck that took pride of place…

Okay, that’s enough TIG welding for me – it’s a pain in the posterior and I don’t have enough patience for it. In fact, the whole process is incredibly delicate and finicky. Everything has to be squeaky clean before it can be welded. The torch tip has to be held a precise and constant distance from the weld, 1/32nd of an inch or whatever, and at exactly the right angle. The filler rod must be held at precisely the correct angle too, and at the same time power must be accurately controlled by your foot – not enough and you get a crusty mess, too much and it blows holes. Pulling the torch away applies more power (how does that work?!) and beggars up the tip. When the tip gets…

Some cars have the good fortune to be launched at precisely the right time and with the benefit of proper promotion, while others suffer from the opposite fate and never really seem to make an impression even though they may possess many virtues. The VX 490 Five Speed is a case in point. It seemed to materialise in Vauxhall’s 1977 brochures to little fanfare, and relatively few enthusiasts will be able to identify it correctly today, but to see Tim Clark’s Coppertone Starfire example is to appreciate one of the most intriguing British sports saloons of its era. As its proud owner observes: 'It really is wonderful. It can easily be used daily in any environment and just isn’t like an old car to drive.’ Luton introduced the first VX…

Most classic car enthusiasts are pretty passionate about their chosen steeds, and just about anything ever produced by the automotive industry will have its champions. This holds true no matter how mundane, dull or frankly rubbish a car might appear to others, and often the more derided a car is by the general populace, the more passionately it is defended by the chosen few. Some cars will have more champions than others of course, with sports cars being perennially popular. That is no surprise because in many ways it is easier to fall in love with something sleek, sporting, sexy and designed for pleasure rather than with something that has few aspirations to be anything more than simple and effective transport from A to B. However, in the last 20…

Group Editor Group Editor at Kelsey Media, Paul heads up the team which brings you our weekly paper Classic Car Buyer and the monthly Classic Car Mart, as well as being unofficial marshal of the company’s eclectic and ever-changing fleet of classic project cars. Ranging from Honda CRX to Bentley Turbo R, the collection temporarily includes this Escort XR3i, while Paul’s own Alfa Spider has recently been changed after 23 years of ownership for a modern classic in the shape of a Honda S2000. MY FLEET 2003 HONDA S2000 Owned since: 2020 1984 FORD ESCORT XR3I Owned (by Lancaster) since: 2019…

JAGUAR MK2 RATTLE AND CLUTCH QUERY Q I have a question regarding the clutch on my 1964 Jaguar 3.4 Mk2. The clutch will sometimes only operate when pumped, and at other times if I sit in gear holding the clutch down, the car will then start to creep forward. I have bled the clutch and there appear to be no leaks from the hydraulic system, but this does not improve things. I also have a loud rattle when going over bumps in the road, and was wondering if the two things are related as the rattle appears to come from the gearbox area of the car. What do you think? Andrew Peters A The two problems are very unlikely to be related, and I would suspect that the clutch…

Last issue we got stuck into our Montego project, removing the nearside rear window so that we could cut out the rot that had started above it. Having then cut the rusty panels out one by one, our bodywork maestro Alan Denne then had to figure out a plan of attack for building it back up. As you would expect, this started with the bottom layer of the metal sandwich, which in this case meant the outer face of the box section. The drip rail (rain gutter) would then be plug welded to this, and the roof section would be the final piece of the puzzle. Just to clarify a few terms for the non-welders among us, plug welding is when you drill a hold of 6-8mm diameter in one…

Like the Roman god Janus, Audi has two faces. On the one hand it is a brand, just another rung on the VAG packaging ladder, but on the other it’s an automotive maverick, justly famed for radical engineering brilliance. Thanks to its preoccupation with ‘technik’ Audi has, during its 110-year history, done remarkable things. It was the first European company to marry a large, six-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive for example, and the Auto Union racing cars of the 1930s were ground breaking and legendarily successful. Audi was also largely responsible for bringing four-wheel drive to rallying with its brilliant 1980 Quattro, and the all-wheel drive system of the same name has been a feature of almost every Audi model range ever since, which isn’t a boast many car makers…

who ate alongside an immaculate 1986 Volvo 340DL with a spread of period correct fare • BEST DRESSED: Mark Pallatt – 1979 Ford Escort The winning Proton, owned by Jon Coupland (30) from Boston in Lincolnshire, is one of just 201 examples made, this being the only remaining one. The previous owner put the Black Knight into a garage in 1993 with just 3600 miles recorded, and it didn’t surface again until 2017. Now showing just over 13,000 miles, it is the star of Coupland’s three-Proton collection. The runner-up prize winning Peugeot 106 was bought for just £500 via Facebook Marketplace. Owner Danny Wilson (27) from Driffield in East Yorkshire brought the peppermint-coloured Peugeot back to life himself, and the judges noted that it was fitted with a carburetter and…

Simply British Classics will return to the grounds of the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu on Sunday 26th September, with all British classic car owners invited to join the rally as part of a superb day out. Open to any pre-1990 classic vehicle built in Britain or by a British manufacturer, Simply British Classics promises a diverse range of classics for enthusiasts and families alike to admire, as well as enjoying access to all the regular Beaulieu attractions. All tickets must be bought in advance, with carefully-managed capacity limits in place. Rally participants should visit www.beaulieu. co.uk/events/simply-british-classics, while all other visitors should purchase normal visitor admission tickets via www.beaulieu.co.uk…

CLARKE CMC60 2-IN-1 FOLDING CAR CREEPER AND SEAT Price: £45.59 Clarke's low profile CMC60 car creeper has an ingenious split back design that allows dual application as either a car creeper or mechanic's seat. This car creeper features a heavy duty steel framework with a tough powder finish. The material of the creeper has a wipeable faux leather finish, and there's an adjustable back and head rest for added comfort. Switching between the creeper and seat functions takes only a matter of seconds and no tools are required. Shop online at www. machinemart.co.uk or visit your local store. INDICATOR AND HAZARD MODULE Price: £99.99/£104.99 This simple to install RIHM module from Retronics (£99.99) replaces the original indicator flasher to give accurate and consistent electronic control unaffected by changes in resistance.…

Sundays wouldn’t be Sundays without a bit of the Antiques Roadshow on the telly. I watch it not because I have a secret desire to learn about antiques, but because like most people I just want to know if the owner of the object being examined is unwittingly sitting on a rare and extremely valuable thing. In most cases, the expert will string out a history of the artefact, and then we all wait with bated breath to find that it’s not worth a packet, only a few hundred quid at best. The owners try to hide their disappointment, but we can all see that their hopes for a new conservatory have just been dashed. Sometimes though, a true gem does surface, and with utter glee the expert will drop…

I mentioned last time that the 944 Turbo has been reunited with its original registration number. Well, there’s more good news. I’ve managed to sell its previous F5 TBO registration which, by the time your read this, should be gracing a Porsche 911 Turbo. And, thanks to the relaxation of Covid rules, the 944 has been back in operation. Indeed, Carolyn and I recently used it to take part in a superbly well organised Delayed Drive It Day Run courtesy of the Usk Valley Classic Car Club. (A special thanks must go to the two Mikes for organising this.) Starting at The Star Inn, Llansoy, the route followed a wonderful selection of A and B roads in Monmouthshire, then in the Brecon Beacons National Park, stopping for a break at…

In my last diary I included a picture of my E Type at the Mac’s Bridge show and commented that there was a FOR SALE sign being displayed on the screen. The reason I decided to sell the Jaguar was that as I am getting older, I am becoming less mobile and it has been increasingly difficult to get in and out of the car. Having limited flexibility in my spine for a number of years, I had developed a method of getting in and out with reasonable ease. However, my left hip is at times very painful, the result of historical accidental damage and probably from too many falls off various bikes, or so I am advised. The E Type cockpit is a tight fit, with limited legroom and…

I am not a total philistine, but while I can appreciate and enjoy the luxurious surroundings of something like a Jaguar or a Rolls Royce, I personally prefer driving something basic like a Series Land Rover. There seems something very honest about a car that pares things down to the bare minimum, and it certainly connects your senses to the road without anything as frivolous as soundproofing or Wilton carpets to soften the experience. With our Bentley Turbo R project well underway and proving popular, I was keen to add something from the other end of the financial spectrum to the Classics Monthly mix. The only problem I found was that cars which were once the cheapest on the new car market seem to be disproportionately expensive on the classic…

WRPC10 10-piece punch and chisel set including parallel pin punches, a centre punch and cold chisels. Complete with a rack for fixing to the wall or a work bench – £115.08 . TTPSAD Five-piece body working hammer set including two dead blow and three metal working hammers – £211.08 AT415 Individual curved body working dolly for panel beating – £43.08 AT420 Individual curved body working dolly for panel beating – £43.08 TTDCT05 Set containing two tin snips, utility knife, scissors and an HD cable cutter – £157.80…

Like all good stories, this one has many twists and turns as players enter and exit while celestial puppet masters amuse themselves. The cast would include the 1963 Ogle SX250, the 1964 Reliant Scimitar GT, the 1965 Ogle Scimitar Triplex GTS and, of course, the 1968 Reliant Scimitar GTE itself, so let’s turn the spotlight of our attention on each of those in turn. Starting with Ogle SX250, Boris Forter (a director of Helena Rubinstein (UK) Cosmetics) saw the 1962 Ogle Mini SX1000 and was taken by its fresh approach and clean lines. Sketching a few ideas, he approached David Ogle, its designer, and commissioned a larger 2+2 coupé. David Ogle Associates were manufacturing the Ogle Mini, so building a one-off car based on the chosen Daimler SP250 chassis with…

We are sad to report that Graham Robson died unexpectedly on 5th August. He suffered a bad fall back in May that fractured his hip, but he had appeared to be recovering well, if slowly. Indeed, in a telephone conversation just a few days before his passing, Graham sounded fed up with not being able to get out and about, but as feisty as ever. Born in Skipton in Yorkshire on 18th January 1936, Graham attended the local Ermysteds Grammar School before going on to read engineering at Lincoln College, Oxford. When Jaguar set up a graduate training scheme in 1957, Graham – along with his friend and fellow student Jim Woodcock – became the first members, starting in September of that year. After a spell learning all manner of…

A 1987 AE86 Toyota Corolla GT originally bought to cheer the owner up after separating from her partner has achieved a record price of £46,250 on Car & Classic’s online auction platform. Known to be the highest UK recorded price for a car of this type sold at auction, this car also beat the US record price of £29,004 achieved in March this year. Ordered new from Hallens Toyota in Cambridge, the time-warp survivor, complete with period Nokia phone cradle, Toyota mudflaps and dealer-badged registration plates, underlines the continuing demand for original, usable modern classics from the 1980s and ’90s.…

BEST CLUB DISPLAY After an unavoidable delay in 2020, the Stag Owners Club finally celebrated the 50th anniversary (plus one) of the launch of the Triumph Stag at their National Day event at the Silverstone Classic this year. Mike Brewer interviewed two of our members while displaying their Stags on his stage and the exciting historic racing plus all the various displays and trade stands around the site entertained our members, but for many it was just good to chat with people they had not seen for months. It was always going to be questionable how many Stags would arrive during the pandemic. Disappointingly, there were no cars or visitors from overseas, we lost a few to illness, a couple of breakdowns and conflicts with the schedule of refurbishments, plus…

I know you couldn't have bought this Somerset new because you are far too young! Tell me when and how you came by it. Romer Adams: I bought it in May 1975. I was in the motor trade all my life, and at that time I was Sales Manager at Henlys in Northampton, who were the main Nuffield distributor for Northamptonshire at a time when Austin and Morris dealerships were still in fierce competition with one another. In 1960 I'd sold a Wolseley 1500 to a lady called Miss Lack, taking her Austin A40 Devon in part exchange. Then in 1966 she came back, and this time I sold her a Wolseley 1100. I didn't see her again until that day in May 1975 when she returned, told me that…

What became the TA set the pattern for all subsequent T-Types when it was launched in 1936. It had a separate chassis of typical MG design, with an ash frame secured to the chassis and covered by steel body panels. The fuel tank was an exposed slab affair at the back, and the tiny car was fitted with what today would be considered unfeasibly large 19in wire wheels, but which were perfectly in keeping with the times. Under the bonnet was a long-stroke 1292cc MPJG overhead-valve engine. This was developed from the Wolseley 10/40 engine, itself an OHV development of the Morris 10 motor. It was not a high revver, but pulled well from low down. In all, 3003 TAs were built between 1936 and 1939. The TB that followed…

Last month saw us tidying up the interior of the Escort, but with the mysterious rough running having returned. As before, I suspected a misfire and that’s definitely how it felt, but chatting to the professionals in the shape of my local garage, they suggested it was more likely to be a sticking hydraulic lifter. One of the selling features of the all-new Mk3 Escort back in 1980 was the reduced servicing requirements of the all-new CVH engine compared to the previous models, and one of the ways this was achieved was by using hydraulic tappets. Needing no manual adjustment at service time, they reduced the servicing time dramatically, but are known for sticking in old age. Like so many things right now, the blame for our issues was laid…

At long last, I’ve got my 1950 tourer back on its wheels. After last month’s efforts, we were able to move it like a wheelbarrow on the rear axle, but wanted to fully free up space around the car. The front suspension of a Morris Minor is pretty simple, but there still seemed to be a lot of bits to find, clean, inspect, paint or replace ahead of reassembly. One job I’d been putting off was to drill and re-tap the mounting holes for the offside front shock absorber. As some may remember, when the car was purchased, the mounting bolts for this were stripped. Earlier in the restoration dad and I had welded in a custom made repair panel and captive nut, but I had left the job of…

It’s often difficult to know where to draw the line on the level of work to be completed on a classic, especially if you want to avoid a full-blown restoration. There’s no escaping the fact that our Bentley Turbo R is over 30 years old, and many of its components may never have been replaced. Take the fuel lines for instance, which are not leaking petrol, but the pipework is heavily corroded in places and the rubber sections of hose are perished and not suitable for modern ethanol-based petrol. They are working perfectly well for now, but it surely won’t be long before problems arise. So I volunteered to replace them, which wasn’t as much of a nightmare as I’d expected. They consist of a feed and return routed underneath…

The Rover P6 was manufactured between 1963 and 1977 and is one of the British motor industry’s great success stories. The family-sized saloon was unveiled at the 1963 Earls Court Motor Show with a price tag of £1264 and was powered by a 91bhp, 1978cc, overhead camshaft, four-cylinder petrol engine driving the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox (an auto option arrived in 1966). There were servo-assisted disc brakes all round (inboard at the rear) and a modern suspension system employing a De Dion setup at the rear and horizontally mounted coil springs at the front. Not surprisingly, the P6 was acclaimed as the European Car of the Year in 1964. The two-litre engine was equipped with twin two-inch SU carbs (called the 2000TC instead of the 2000SC with…

TRIUMPH We are indebted to the late Graham Robson for identifying this TR3 entrant on the 1958 Liège-Rome-Liège rally. ‘However,’ he cautioned, ‘this is not a Works car. The registration number KAT 99 was familiar at the time, being owned by a Belgian family called Kat. Occasionally they were drafted in to make up a team, but always in that car, not a Works one. Clearly they ran in the 1958 Liège, an event when only 22 cars reached the finish. According to magazine reports, Messrs Kat J and Kat Ph finished 17th.’ TOYOTA Fast forward to 1966 now, and Toyota is in celebratory mood as the first of its new Corollas comes off the production line at their Takaoka factory in Toyota City in the Aicha prefecture. This factory…