Retro Cars - November 2015

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RUN DMC…Flux Capacitor... check. Time circuits... check. Ready to go back in time?

PLUS: HILLMAN IMP RALLY CAR • RARE ROVER ZAGATO• EURO RALLY REPORT • THE AUTOBAHN LOCKUP • PORSCHE 944 & SCIROCCO PROJECT UPDATES

NOVEMBER 2015 Issue 89 £4.40

RUN DMC…

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BUGBUGCAUGHT THE

80

PLUS: HILLMAN IMP RALLY CAR RARE ROVER ZAGATO

BUGBUG

NEW LISTER KNOBBLY‘Fifties Le Mans royalty back on track

LOTUS POWERED MINORIf Colin Chapman built Minor pickups

BRIT-CAR

SPECIAL

ISSUE

SAUCY LITTLE VIXENExpertly crafted, and rare, TVR racer

NEW LISTER KNOBBLY‘Fifties Le Mans royalty back on trackroyalty back on trackand rare, TVR racer and rare, TVR racer

NOVEMBER

Four-wheel Bond Bug restored from scrapheap!

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BUGBUGCAUGHT THE

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NEW LISTER KNOBBLY‘Fifties Le Mans royalty back on trackroyalty back on trackand rare, TVR racer and rare, TVR racer

NOVEMBER


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the team…

Introduction

RetroCarsMagazine @RetroCarsMag

Matt Woods, photographer Daniel Bevis, contributor Paul Sander, designer

Welcome! We know you’ve been waiting for this special issue since we started running our nation-themed specials earlier this year. Yes that’s right it’s the British special. In this issue we’re covering the lesser known gems of the motoring world that have emerged from our sheds, factories and driveways. There’s everything from Le Mans winning sports cars to little plastic orange

novelty vehicles. We Brits have contributed more than our fair share to the world’s collective classic car consciousness. But we’ve actively avoided the obvious contenders, the E-Types, Austin-Healeys, Minis and Range Rovers. Instead we’re casting some light on those makes and models that many of you might have overlooked…

Bond… No not the super spy frolicking around the globe bedding as many femme fatales as possible, the funny little micro-car makers. They’re probably best known for producing an off -the-wall little three wheeler with distinctive orange bodywork. In fact I was lucky enough to interview the car’s designer Tom Karen for Retro Cars back in 2013. He wanted to make a vehicle that was fun, which could be aimed at the youth to get them mobile and wouldn’t cost too much. It achieved almost all of these goals (it wasn’t too cheap) but more than that, it gathered its own following. Two such devotees are brothers Jason and Anthony Heather who rescued, modifi ed and returned to the road this stunning scrap-bought Bug (see page 6).

DeLorean DMC-12s are instantly recognisable and identifi able by everyone. Even kids today who weren’t even alive when these were made will still shout ‘DeLorean’ and point as one goes by. For a car company that went into liquidation 2 years after it started making the car and with less than 10,000 ever produced, it’s a remarkable feat. It’s only made possible of course because of a certain fi lm role that gave the DeLorean a chance at redemption. After a bit of research we found that Gadget Show presenter Jason Bradbury has just converted his own DMC-12 into a replica of the famous time travelling sports car (see page 18).

We also explore the history of a unique Rover Zagato prototype, an astonishingly faithful period-tuned Morris Minor with twin-cam Lotus power, a works Hillman Imp rally car, a tasty Vauxhall Firenza and much, much more… This issue is rammed! Enjoy…

John-Joe Vollans, editor

Retro Cars is now available digitally to download! See: www.pocketmags.com

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contents

FEATURES006 LOGBOOK: BOND BUGWhen brothers Jason and Anthony Heather rescued this Bond Bug from a scrapyard over a decade ago they weren’t sure what to do with it...

018 DELOREAN DMC-12All motoring icons of the silver screen have a special place in the heart of the petrolhead, but there’s one undisputed king… one that has a DMC badge on its grille and a certain time-travelling party piece…

025 ROVER ZAGATONo, your eyes do not deceive you – those are Rover badges stuck to this slinky Italian coupé. So what is it, and where did it come from…?

030 LISTER KNOBBLYIn the late 1950s, the Lister Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ was a dominant and unstoppable force in motor racing. And now, thanks to new ownership, the original team can build you a brand new one…

036 WORKS RALLY IMPThis is no mere replica, this is one of just three ‘works’ Imps that took part in the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally and is still going strong today!

040 LOTUS/MORRIS MINOR Colin Chapman never took it upon himself to craft a Lotus Minor Twin-Cam pick-up. But it’s the sort of thing he might have done…

052 TVR VIXENSeasoned TVR racer Pete Reeve went from a 400bhp Tasmin handful to this 185bhp Vixen screamer, but with less weight it’s proving to be a blast…

056 VAUXHALL FIRENZAWhen the world was going mental for performance versions of everyday family hatches, two brothers were dreaming of rear-drive coupes from the previous decade…

REGULARS 012 RETRO AD

014 NEWS

016 PRODUCT REVIEW

050 POSTER

069 THE OILY BITS

082 EVENTS

096 READERS’ RIDES

098 NEXT MONTH

025

www.retrocarsmag.com www.facebook.com/RetroCarsMagazine @RetroCarsMag


ROAD WARRIOR A 330BHP INTERCEPTOR

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PLUS: COMMER CAMPER • PROJECT GOLF ENGINE SWAP • PROJECT ALFA Q4

• SCRAPPAGE SCENE • READERS’ RIDES • NEWS & PRODUCTS • EVENTS LISTING

OCTOBER 2015 Issue 88 £4.40

modified classics

YEARS OF THE COSWORTHYEARS OF THE COSWORTH30

80

BTCC CAVALIERHOMAGEBudget built ‘90s Touring car!

FORD FIESTA ZETECHome-brew build done right…

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RUN DMC…Flux Capacitor... check.

Time circuits... check.

Ready to go back in time?

PLUS: HILLMAN IMP RALLY CAR • RARE ROVER ZAGATO• EURO RALLY REPORT

• THE AUTOBAHN LOCKUP • PORSCHE 944 & SCIROCCO PROJECT UPDATES


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BUGBUGCAUGHT THE

80

PLUS: HILLMAN IMP RALLY CAR RARE ROVER ZAGATOBUGBUG

NEW LISTER KNOBBLY‘Fifties Le Mans

royalty back on track

LOTUS POWERED MINORIf Colin Chapman

built Minor pickups BRIT-CAR

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FREE GIFT WORTH £29.95! PAGE 78

ISSUE EIGHTY NINEwww.retrocarsmag.com

006

030

036

040

056

070

018

Mention ‘three-wheeler’ to most people today and they’ll immediately conjure up images of yellow Reliant Robins with “Trotters Independent Traders”

on the side, but before Del Boy and Rodney became household names, three wheelers meant affordable motoring for many, or in the case of the Bond Bug, fun.

The Bug was designed by Dr Tom Karen and was on the market for just four years from 1970-74. Reliant had wanted to create a ‘fun’ car and with the Bug had certainly succeeded but it cost more than a Mini and didn’t offer nearly as much car for your cash as BL’s baby.

With its distinctive wedge shape and vivid colour scheme the Bug was hard to ignore and while it might not have been the success that

Reliant had hoped it would be, it did fi nd a core of loyal owners and a strong community soon grew up around the car.

Owners like brothers Jason and Anthony Heather, who between them own more than a few cars from the Reliant and Bond stable. When they found this particular Bug it was a little past its best. “We found it in a scrapyard down in Plymouth,” recalls Anthony. “It had

6 RETRO CARS WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/RETROCARSMAGAZINE

BITTEN BYTHE BUG

When brothers Jason and Anthony Heather rescued this Bond Bug from a scrapyard over a decade ago they weren’t sure what to do with it. Today they’ve built

something totally unique. Words: Adam Sloman images: Jon-Robinson Pratt

had a front end smack, the chassis was rotten, the canopy was broken and the engine was missing. Thankfully it had the chassis number though, so I could get the logbook.”

“We paid about £250 for it I think,” notes Jason. “It wasn’t much.” That was back in 2000 and once they’d got the Bug home it was squirrelled away in a corner of the brother’s yard while other projects came and

went. “My fi rst car was a Bug – since I was 17 I’ve been into them.”

Fast forward to 2009 and having already built a prize-winning three-wheeled Bug, Anthony decided he wanted to sort a Bug once and for all. “I’d always had in mind to do something different with the car – I’d done a couple of four-wheel conversions previously but I wanted to make something a

bit more modern looking. Since this one had been damaged previously I thought it’d be the ideal base.”

Several companies had taken a run at creating a four-wheel Bug, most notably the Webster Motor Company who secured the old Bug moulds in the 1990s and began producing a four-wheel version based on the three-wheeler’s ladder chassis but demand

NOVEMBER 2015 7@RETROCARSMAG

was limited and wasn’t the success WMC had hoped it would be. While the Webster’s might not have succeeded, the Heather brothers were determined they would.

Anthony began at the back end, chopping off the rear arches. “The back was the starting point,” says Anthony. “I made a frame up and formed a mould using wire, plastic and newspaper to get the profi le I wanted for the rear arches and then made a mould. Once I was happy I copied it for the other side.”

Anthony would have you believe it was an easy job, however he would go on to spend nine months using everything from sewage pipe to wood to fl exi plastic to create the four-wheel body he had in mind. “I added the curve to the rear by using a thick piece of sewage pipe to give the right profi le. The front arches I made using fl exi pipe, it bends nice and easy so you can get the right curve you want. I then lined the moulds I made with parcel tape so that the fi breglass would pull out easier,” says Anthony. “He says it was easy,” adds Jason “but I can still hear him swearing at it now!”

When it came to the front bumper Anthony remained just as creative. “The front is a piece of tongue and groove, which I fi breglassed over to get the shape right. I sculpted everything by hand to get the shape I liked.”

Jason and Anthony were keen to use whatever materials came to hand in the creation of their custom Bug, mainly with the intention of keeping costs to a minimum. “The front grille is actually a piece of builder’s

mesh which I shaped and curved” says Anthony. “The sunroof came from a Robin that we had in the yard.”

With a new, four-wheel body created the question became what to put beneath it. The original chassis had been damaged and was obviously only intended for three wheels. Anthony opted to keep things within the Reliant family. “The chassis is from a Fox, which I’ve shortened,” says Anthony. “I also shortened the wishbones to bring the front track in – there’s nothing worse than a car that’s wider at the back than the front.” He also made changes to the rear so it’s the same as an original Bug chassis, and the whole thing has been galvanised to stop it rotting any further.

The rest of the running gear is largely Mini-based with a Mini steering rack and Mini brakes, meaning, unsurprisingly the Bug runs Mini wheels, in this case 13” x 7 Minilite style alloys, shod with Yokohama tyres.

With Anthony’s custom body and chassis complete, the next problem was to source an engine for the car. “I have seen one with a Mini engine in it,” says Jason. “I don’t really see the point in that and the only one I’d seen hadn’t been done very well,” he adds. In the end he went for a Reliant 850 engine and gearbox, adding to the diminutive little lump with a four-branch manifold, a Weber 32 carb and electronic ignition. Anthony also modifi ed the clutch, fi tting a hydraulic conversion found on later Reliants.

The car was really gathering pace so Anthony was soon faced with the decision of what colour to paint it. “I thought about maybe red but really it’s a Bug so it’s got to be orange,” he adds. Anthony opted to paint the Bug Ford Signal Orange, albeit with a hint of metallic fl ake. “The fl ake was an accident, to be honest – some fell into the paint while I was mixing it and I thought I’d see what it looked like and to be honest, I really like it.”

Once it was painted Anthony was able to apply the fi nishing touches, fi tting BMW Isetta headlamp pods with Mini ‘Angel Eye’ headlamps as well as some motorcycle wing mirrors they happened to have “kicking around the yard,” as Jason puts it.

The interior was a blank canvas but Anthony kept things fairly close to the original spec. “I had a pair of good condition Bug seats that had been kicking around for ages, so I fi tted them as well as inertia reel seatbelts – normally the Bug has statics.” It’s a simple interior as you’d expect. The centre console’s clocks have been updated with round, white-faced dials and an engine start button, with a gearknob from a late model Mini Cooper fi nishing things off. Anthony has also modifi ed the Bug’s doors, fi tting a pair from a Webster kit, but with his own touch. “I’ve modifi ed the doors by fi tting them with quick release latches I made myself. I’ve also fi tted my own internal hinges for the canopy.”

After two year’s work, the brother’s Bug was fi nally able to hit the road, just in time for the car’s 40th birthday celebrations.

“After two year’s work, the brother’s Bug was fi nally able to hit the road, just in time for the car’s 40th birthday celebrations.”



“Dr Tom Karen gave it his approval and it won the award for Best Modded Bug,” says Jason. “It’s won that twice since,” he adds, grinning.

While Jason continues to show the Bug, Anthony is happier in the yard, working on other projects. “Shows don’t do a lot for me, I’d rather be at home building the next car,” he says. “Everything I know is self-taught, paintwork, mechanics, interior – the lot. I don’t think there’s any substitute for experience,” notes Anthony. “I wanted to create a more modern version of the Bug using the skills I had. I think I’ve succeeded.”

Thanks to being able to tackle the project between the two of them, Anthony estimates the entire project, including buying the car has cost somewhere around the £2500 mark, which for a Bond Bug is cheap. “If you added in the

cost of all my labour I dread to think what the car would have cost,” concedes Anthony.

“It’s great fun,” says Jason. “We really don’t get to use it much – maybe only two or three shows a year, but we get plenty of attention with it when we do go out. It’s just a silly, fun thing,” he adds. “You’d be surprised how practical it is – and it’s cheap to run too” says Jason. “There are loads of places to put stuff, despite it being so small – I can get everything I want in there and it barely uses any fuel, you can fi ll it up for about £20.”

Plenty of people would have been happy just to have taken a battered, beaten Bug and returned it to the road but the Heather brothers went further, creating something even more fun than the original. RC

ENGINE: 848cc, in-line four, OHV.

TRANSMISSION: Standard four-speed manual

SUSPENSION: Standard Reliant Fox

BRAKES: Mini 8.4” discs front, Mini drums rear

WHEELS AND TYRES: 13x7 Minilites with 175/50 Yokohama A539 tyres

INTERIOR: Standard, original spec Bug seats. Custom gauges. Quick release door panels and custom internal canopy hinges

EXTERIOR: Custom four-wheel Bond Bug with self-fabricated arches and front and rear bumpers. Body resprayed in Ford Signal Orange with metallic fl akesp

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Whether you need a car for “pleasure or business driving,” according to Vauxhall the Cavalier provides both. Too right we say, the MkI Cavalier was an excellent all-rounder with, “down-to-earth economy, stylish

aerodynamic good looks and sheer room.” Though it always seemed to play second fi ddle in sales terms, to Ford’s MkIII Cortina.

Whether you were after luxury, basic motoring or sporty performance, the Cavalier line-up gave you it all. GL or ‘Grand Luxury’ gave you plush velour and excellent instrumentation plus a choice of Opel’s 1.6- or 1.9-litre CIH engines, while the L model was aimed squarely at the fl eet market. There was also of course the coupe and sport hatch versions that shared much of their DNA with the Manta, cracking! RC

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Tel: 01264 772811Email: [email protected]

FRONT WINGS EachA30 / A35 / A40 / Allegro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00A55 Farina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£102.90A60 Farina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£93.45A55 / A60 Van & Pickup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£102.90Alfasud & Sprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Alpine Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£111.75Anglia 100E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.50Anglia 105E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Anglia / Popular E93A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Avenger Mk 1 & 2, Imp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Bedford CF Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00BMC 1100 / 1300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00BMC 1800 Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£102.90Capri Mk 1 RS 3100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£109.50Capri Mk 1 / 2 / 3, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£93.80Cavalier / Chevette / Carlton . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Celica TA 22 / 23 / RA28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£102.90Consul Mk 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£110.25Cortina Mk 1 /2 / 3 / 4 / 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Dolomite / Toledo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Escort Mk 1 / 2 / 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Escort Mk 1 Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.25Escort Mk 1+ Works (Bubble) Arch . . . . . . . .£103.15Fiat X19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£97.30Granada Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.50Hunter / Horizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£93.45Jaguar XJ6 series 1, 2 & 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£122.00Lancia Beta Saloon / Coupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Lancia Monte Carlo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.50Lancia Gamma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£120.75MGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£113.90Marina / Ital / Maxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Manta B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Mazda RX7 Mk 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£95.30MG TF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£116.95MGB and GT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£108.25Midget / Sprite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£102.75Minx Series 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Morris 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£78.75Rapier -68 on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£93.45Renault 15 / 16 / 17 / Fuego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£99.75Rover 2000 P6 / SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.50Rover P4, P5, P5B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£147.00Saab 95, 96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Samba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Scirocco Mk 1 / 2 / Golf Mk 1 . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Simca 1000 / 1100 / 1301 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Sunbeam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00TR 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£101.60Toyota MR2 Mk 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£126.00Transit Mk 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£110.25Transit Mk 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Triumph 2000 Mk 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.50Vauxhall Cresta PB / Royale . . . . . . . . . . . . .£104.90Victor FB, FD, FE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.40Viva HA, HB, HC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00

Volvo 120, 144, 145, 240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£95.50Westminster 110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£126.00Wolseley 1500 / Riley 1.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Wolseley 16/60, Riley 4/72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£102.90Zephyr Mk 2 / 3 / 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£115.50

REAR WINGSAnglia / Popuar E93A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£78.90MG TF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£116.85MGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£94.50Morris 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£63.00Morris Traveller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£52.00Rover P5, P5B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£103.15Rover P6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£107.95Saab 95, 96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.00Spitfire Mk 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£63.40TR 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£101.60

BONNETS With interior frameAnglia 100E / 105E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£141.75Bedford CF early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£147.00Capri Mk 1 / 2 / 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£186.90Cortina Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£168.90Escort Mk 1 / 2 / 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£141.75Escort Mk 4 RS Tubo (with vents) . . . . . . . . .£169.30Fiesta Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£143.75Golf Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£156.00MGB RV8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£189.65MGB & C / Midget/Sprite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£157.50Peugeot 106 / 205 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£168.00Sierra Mk 1 Cosworth (with vents) . . . . . . . .£197.95TR 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£189.00Transit Mk 1 Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£157.50Transit Mk 1 Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£141.75

BODY KITSAscona 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£620.00BMW M3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £1,365.00BMW E30 M Tec 1982-1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£725.00Capri Mk 1 Broadspeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £1,000.00Capri Mk 2 & 3 X pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£700.00Capri Mk 2 & 3 Cartel / Profile . . . . . . . . . . . .£590.00Chevette HS Group 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£380.00Chevette HSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£995.00Escort Mk 3 Turbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£505.00Escort Mk 2 X pack From . . . . . . . . . .£450.00RS 2000 to RS 2001 From . . . . . . . . . . .£470.00Escort Mk Cosworth style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£980.00Fiesta Mk 1 X pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£400.00Fiesta Mk 1 XR2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£295.00Fiesta Mk 2 XR2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£405.00Fiesta Mk 2 Wide Arch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£915.00Fiesta Mk 3 Turbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£610.00Manta 400 From . . . . . . . . . . . . .£755.00Metro 6R4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1,575.00MGB Sebring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£545.00Sierra X pack to 87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£670.00

FRONT VALANCE100E Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£106.80105E Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£204.75Capri Mk 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£59.60Capri Mk 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£79.80Capri Mk 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£95.45Cortina Mk 1 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£204.75Cortina Mk 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£75.95Granada Mk1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£72.95Herald / Vitesse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£49.50Morris 1000 Bumper Valance . . . . . . . . . . . . .£37.80MGA / MGB / MGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£42.60MGB / MGC Sebring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£73.10Riley 1.5 front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£173.25Spitfire Mk 1 / 2 / 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£49.25Spitfire Mk 4 each . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£43.00Transit Mk 1 Diesel Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . .£203.15Wolseley 1500 front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£173.25Volvo 120 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£155.00Zephyr Mk 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£77.95

REAR VALANCEAnglia 105E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£37.00Cortina Mk2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£42.70Morris 1000 Bumper / Valance . . . . . . . . . . . .£37.80

BOOT LIDS with interior frameAnglia 105E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£127.60A40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£98.70Capri Mk 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£136.50Capri Mk 1 with spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£178.50Capri Mk 2 & 3 Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£182.10Cortina Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£132.85Escort Mk 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£141.75Escort Mk 2 with RS spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£176.95Golf Mk 1 & 2 Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£150.00Hillman Imp (front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£164.85MGB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£128.10MGB GT Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£155.00Midget / Sprite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£90.20Morris 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£99.85Peugeot 106 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£150.25Spitfire Mk 1 / 2 / 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£100.40Spitfire Mk 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£115.65

WING EXTENSIONSCapri Mk 1 RS 3100 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£83.50Capri Mk 1 Bubble (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£110.25Capri Mk 1 Cologne (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£310.00Escort Mk 1 Mexico front (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . .£43.25Escort Mk 1 Mexico rear (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£43.25Escort Mk 1 Works (4) (Bubble) . . . . . . . . . .£110.25Escort Mk 2 (4) From . . . . . . . . . . . .£110.25Fiesta Mk1 & 2 Rally Arches (4) . . . . . . . . . . .£128.25Rover SDI (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£134.00Sierra Mk 1 Cosworth (3 door) (4) . . . . . . . .£235.00Sierra Mk 1/2 Cosworth (5door) (4) . . . . . . . .£270.00Sunbeam GP4 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£119.70

1 wing £10.25, 2 wings £11.50, Bonnet or boot £15.00, Bodykits £45.00

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2015

news


ARP BOLTS FOR RB26Fastener technology experts ARP has just released a new Pro Series Harmonic Balancer Bolt Kit for Nissan 2.6L (RB26) applications.

Each kit includes one 8740 Pro Series (M18 x 3.500”) bolt that is nominally rated at 200,000 psi tensile strength, one 8740 chamfered washer and a 1/2 oz. pack of ARP Ultra-Torque fastener assembly lubricant.

ARP bolts are cold forged to ensure molecular integrity; heat treated prior to thread rolling and machining and are designed to exceed the OEM fasteners in both strength and durability.

ARP products are widely available from appointed distributors throughout Europe. For further information visit: www.arp-bolts.com

TAILORED INDOOR CAR COVERWith winter on the way you’re no doubt thinking of putting your car away again, so why not properly care for it with a new fi tted car cover?

Those knowledgeable ladies and gents at Richbrook (www.richbrook.co.uk) have a tailored range of car covers that are specifi cally designed to hug your model of retro car.

These covers are guaranteed to fi t correctly fi rst time and are made from super soft lycra-blended satin that protects the car’s paint and clings while still breathing.

It stops moisture being trapped against the paintwork and will allow the body to remain dust and scratch free for its hibernation. At £129 it’s also a cost effective way to leave your car stored and with piece of mind. For more information visit: www.richbrook.co.uk

As those who have frequented the Retrorides forum for a few years will no doubt know, Simon Baldwin (hongkongphooey) was a prominent member who tragically passed away behind the wheel of his TA22 Celica in 2011.

Si was an avid collector of rare and Japanese cars, having a number of stunning builds on the go at any one time. A Lancia Beta Spyder, Datsun 180B ‘Wagon’, a TA22 Celica and a 1972 Toyota Corona were just some of the four-wheeled steel highlights that passed through his garage. All of these cars receiving ‘the magic touch’ during his ownership, going from rare to awesome in the process.

Simon’s cars were always modifi ed with a serious attention to detail and a huge amount of care. All the work was done right fi rst time and the results speak for themselves.

His build threads were popular and drew many admirers, one

of whom is Retro Cars’ photographer Chris Frosin. “A massive inspiration to me in my earlier years and the reason I was brave enough to tackle a lot of my projects, including my Galant. He’s sorely missed,” Chris admits.

One of Simon’s fi nal projects was a ’72 MkII Toyota Corona (build thread: http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/54121) that was converted by Simon to run a bike-carb fed Toyota 18RG engine. The car has been kept dry stored since a selection of Retrorides forum members and friends of Simon’s came to fi nish the car in his honour.

Simon’s widow Rebecca Baldwin is looking for a good home for the Corona that’s sporting bronze SSR wheels, pristine bodywork and interior and that nice pokey new engine. So if you’re interested she can be reached at [email protected] or on tel: 07788 374479. Offers around £9000 are being considered.

’72 TOYOTA CORONA FOR SALE

ARP BOLTS FOR RB26


FROST RESTORATION PRODUCTSFrost Auto Restoration has a huge range of specialist and high quality automotive tools and equipment for any Petrolhead.

Frost offers an outstanding choice of automotive tools & equipment for the car restorer, competitor and craftsman, including; painting, electroplating, rust removal, polishing, bodywork, additives and much more.

Some new products for this autumn/winter include a dashboard fi ller that’s formulated from special polyester resin to increase adhesion to vinyl and other plastic substrates. This fi ller is designed for padded dash repairs since the sanding is normally done by hand. This product is easy to use and costs just £23.40.

Another new item to get your car looking spot on for next year’s show season is the Eastwood Plastic Bumper Restore & Resurfacer - Matt Black Aerosol. Eastwood’s Plastic Resurfacer Aerosol will restore and resurface your plastics, and is claimed to return these to their original luster. Not just another wipe-on coating - this is designed as a permanent repair! This useful product is available for £29.62. Visit: www.frost.co.uk for more information on these and many more restoration products to keep you out of trouble in the garage this autumn.

BLACKLINE PRO-IMPACT WRENCHThe last (but the fl agship) of the current range of Blackline Power Tools, this impact wrench is unusual in that it offers 450Nm to release the most stubborn nut or bolt, but also tightens at 120Nm to avoid over tightening or stripped threads.

The set includes two 4Ah lithium batteries, (16) sockets – metric (10-27mm) and Imperial (1/2-13/16) plus extension bar, all impact quality.

It also includes a 72-tooth hi-quality ratchet wrench and 72-tooth extendable ratchet wrench when hand leverage is required.

A professional set, purpose designed for speedy impact work, makes wheel changing much less effort and priced as a set at just £164.50+VAT it’s an essential addition to any workshop.

For more information or to order call: 01227 792792 or visit: www.rallydesign.co.uk

product review


JL AUDIOMBT-RX BLUETOOTH RECEIVERFEATURES• A2DP AUDIO STREAMING• AUTO-RECONNECT• 11M RANGE• TINY FOOTPRINT

Where do you keep your music? I’m guessing the days of having it all bursting out of your glovebox are long gone. You see, in olden times we used to have tons of these shiny round discs littering our motors. They held up to 15 songs a piece and, if you were a bit posh, you might have spent a few quid on a 6, or maybe a 10, disc changer too. With up to

150 tunes at the touch of a button you could have quite rightly strutted round like Charlie Big Potatoes – but that was 10 years ago.

Yep, times have changed and all this seems a little redundant now because, although we all still have the odd CD knocking around, most of us keep our entire music collections on our phones. Thousands of songs, just a swipe away.

The problem is not everyone has a headunit that will stream downloads from a mobile device, and plugging one in with a 3.5mm AUX jack-lead, well, that’s so last Tuesday right? Luckily, this is the 21st Century and there is a better way young Padawan… Price: £44.99www.jlaudio.co.uk

WHAT IT DOES…Is it a conventional audio product? Is it an out-and-out gadget? Maybe it’s somewhere in between. What we know for sure though, is this tiny box of tricks is as clever as it is simple. For just under the measly sum of 45-quid it lets you stream you music, via Bluetooth (3.0), to just about any system out there, even one that doesn’t have a headunit in the � rst place.

HOW IT DOES IT… Fitting is pretty easy, this one comes with a stereo pair of RCA outputs that can be connected directly to your headunit’s AUX inputs. From then on there’s just 2 wires to hook up - an ignition (switch) power live and a ground (earth) lead.

Pairing your device is even easier and, after you’ve done it once, the MBT-RX will automatically reconnect every time it’s turned on and in range. That’s a distinct lack of hassle right there!

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Before After Before After

The futurist’s Mona Lisa is surely a DMC-12 given the time travel treatment from Robert Zemeckis’ landmark 1985 movie Back to the Future. The car’s gullwing doors,

brushed stainless-steel bodywork enhanced with aircraft parts and neon lights, plus a household blender sporting a ‘Mr Fusion’ badge. This ‘time machine’ was, in hindsight, a stroke of fi lmmaking genius with a DMC-12 as the perfect basis for a fourth-dimension

taxi. With a liberal dose of under-lighting and smoke to hide its less than glamorous edges, this DeLorean transfi xed a generation of cinema goers and remains the key reason for the car’s popularity today. But before we get onto the story of one man’s fascination with the fi lm and all things gadget, it’s well worth delving into the history of the man who gave the car its name…

DeLorean. A name with so many connotations. On his native US soil John

DeLorean was best known as an energetic and forward-thinking executive at General Motors. He climbed GM’s management ladder to the height of executive engineer in charge of Pontiac by the age of 43. Yet those who knew him tell of an outspoken critic of GM’s ‘Detroit’ way of thinking, which mired the company in the philosophy of the previous century. Especially when it came to green-lighting bold new projects or the fi rm’s advertising campaigns. DeLorean wanted to


BACK INTIMEAll motoring icons of the silver screen have a special place in the heart of the petrolhead, but there’s one undisputed king, one with outrageous doors that runs on household refuse, has a DMC badge on its grille and a certain time-travelling party piece…Words: John-Joe Vollans images: Chris Frosin

sell the public a dream, one which they didn’t even realise that they had wanted. His adverts were more akin to modern perfume ads than the staid old fact-spewing GM car commercials of the day. He was selling a lifestyle and an aspiration, there was no room for economy or horsepower fi gures in John’s commercials. He mentioned that such facts were ‘bullshit’ and of little signifi cance in the modern world. Judging by modern car advertising, he seems to have been spot on.

Feeling disenfranchised with the American car giant, DeLorean began sketching his idea of a revolutionary new sports car in his spare time, a car design that looked toward the future. As early as the late ‘sixties he was penning engineering designs for what would eventually emerge as the DMC-12. He left GM in 1973 to form the DeLorean Motor Company and by the middle of the decade had commissioned a prototype called the DSV (DeLorean Safety Vehicle). This was designed

by Ital, whose master stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro added his unique fl air. Mechanical components were all bought in from other manufacturers including the PRV (Peugeot, Renault, Volvo) co-developed V6 engine and Renault transaxle.

It wasn’t until the early-’eighties however, that John DeLorean fi nally found the means to meet his ends. His car was largely ready (in concept at least) but there was nowhere to actually build it. Knowing that his home country was


likely to kill off his dream with red tape before it was even born, and no doubt wanting to avoid entanglements with former colleagues, DeLorean looked overseas to make his dream a reality. Europe offered the best bet with a long history of creating cars and more specifi cally sports cars. The UK provided an even more appealing prospect as the government offered foreign investors fi nancial incentives to build new factories in deprived areas.

One such area was Dunmurry near Belfast in Northern Ireland. Due to decades of sectarian violence, the area was badly impoverished. The height of ‘The Troubles’ was less than a decade before, but DeLorean wasn’t fazed. The area was still hugely dangerous and would be akin to Jaguar setting up a new factory in Iraq today to build an entirely new sports car with totally untrained staff. However, this is exactly what happened. With around a £100 million incentive from the Northern Ireland Development Agency and with Renault contracted to build its new factory, the fi rst DMC-12 or ‘DeLorean’ as everyone quickly referred to it, rolled out of Dunmurry in January ’81. The euphoria in Northern Ireland caused by this beacon of hope and pride made the inevitable collapse of the company all the harder to bear for the locals.

So why did this space age dream car go so wrong? Firstly and most importantly the DMC-12 was under the skin a rather underwhelming sports car. Its V6 engine made a fl accid 130bhp (in a car that weighed 1244kg) allowing for just 130mph top speed and a 0-60mph time of 9.6 seconds. Put in context, that meant that a DeLorean’s performance was basically the same as a hot hatch, but its styling and marketing attempted to place it squarely within the realms of the super car. A Lotus Esprit Turbo, which is the closest the car had to a competitor (and shared some mechanical DNA), would get to 60mph in just under 6 seconds and top out at over 150mph, and many complained that even the Esprit wasn’t quick enough!

Add to the lazy performance the fact that the car was put together at lightening pace by a staff that weren’t adequately trained, or indeed had any history of car manufacture and very little quality control... the vultures began to circle. Quality issues were rife in fact and early cars even had to be refi nished once they got to their dealerships in the US as they were so bad! Some didn’t even run properly! Admittedly this was improved later in ’81 but by that time it was too late and certain uncomfortable questions started being asked about the company’s fi nances. Why had it

taken nearly ten years from the formation of the DeLorean Motor Company to the fi rst cars actually being made? More worrying was the growing rumblings of fraud.

When the DeLorean motor company went belly up, just two years after making its fi rst DMC-12, John DeLorean had taken £80million from the UK government and owed $175million to the US. He was also caught in Los Angeles in an FBI sting in ’82 trying to sell £12million worth of cocaine. Despite his dream of bringing a new sports car to the world (just under 9000 DMC-12s were ever built), sadly Mr DeLorean’s lasting impression is that of a conman, felt most acutely to this day in Northern Ireland by his former workers, who were desperate to cling to the hope he seemed to offer them…

That wasn’t the end of the DeLorean story however. In spite of the deplorable exploits of the man who gave his name to the company, the reputation of the car he created was thrown a lifeline in 1985 when a Hollywood movie cast a DMC-12 in a lead role. Back to the Future needs very little introduction and if you haven’t seen it (all three of you out there) I suggest you put this down, watch it, and then come back, as the rest of this feature will make no sense if you don’t!

“The euphoria in Northern Ireland caused by this beacon of hope and pride made the inevitable collapse of the company all the harder to bear for the locals.”


A FUTURE FETISHSome of you might have already recognised the owner of this DMC-12 as none other than Gadget Show host Jason Bradbury. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Gadget Show, it’s basically a programme devoted to testing and showcasing all of the world’s latest consumer tech goodies. Jason is one of the original presenters of the show, which used to be broadcast on Channel 5, and also featured Jon Bentley and Suzie Perry as co-presenters.

Over the years working on the Show Jason acquired hundreds of contacts in the fi eld of tech. So when he came to launching his new business venture, Futureholic (www.futureholic.com), these contacts became invaluable. The idea behind Futureholic is to offer a unique corporate experience with vehicles, props and costumes that create a fl avour of the movies or the ‘future’. For their fi rst venture Jason and his business partner Darren Harris needed a vehicle that stood out, was instantly recognisable and put across the fi rm’s message.

“Try and think of any car, classic or modern, that will draw more of a crowd than a DeLorean time machine,” challenges Jason when we met up for this photoshoot at Twickenham Film Studio (www.twickenhamstudios.com). He’s right you know… We were really struggling to think of a super car or a classic, or even a race car, that would strike a louder chord with the general public than a DMC-12 sporting a ‘Mr Fusion’.


“I went through Soho the other evening and I had to get out of the car and ask people to move out of the way, because so many of them were crowding around the car. There was a row of cars behind us beeping!”

“This isn’t just a car to most people it’s about their lives. It links parents to their kids and transcends the generations. When I was watching the movie for the fi rst time I really believed the messages about the future that it was extolling, I still want a hoverboard. It’s a movie that’s golden in the memory of the generation that saw it in the cinema and at home on VHS. None of the stars were disgraced in later life or had cocaine addictions etc. the whole message from the fi lm was positive.”

Let’s go back in time a little (excuse the pun) and fi nd out how this DeLorean came to be in Jason and Darren’s possession in the fi rst place. “Luke, a friend of Jason’s saw the car for sale near Dunmurry, Northern Ireland (the town where the old DeLorean factory used to be) with just 12,000 miles on the clock, it had been really well looked after,” recalls Darren. “The car was in perfect

condition and we were about to cut into it and make a time machine, which was a bit daunting! Mechanically though it remains pretty stock, with only a slight suspension upgrade needed to cope with the extra weight.

“We had Nigel at KMF Engineering in Stoke do the fabrication work, they have a lot of young apprentices (they do the apprentice of the year awards in fact) and Jason helps them out, he’s known them for a long time. Anyway, we’ve got some photos of the kids working on the car doing some of the welding and they were all really happy to be involved and learn skills at the same time.”

It takes some vision and trust to deliver an expensive and appreciating classic sports car to a bunch of apprentice engineers and ask them to hack into it to make a time machine. But that’s exactly what Jason and Darren did, albeit with project supervisors and a certain Back to the Future fanatic who ensured everything was as authentic as possible.

“Luke Brynycz was our resident DeLorean expert,” continues Jason. “He works in IT but owned one of the most accurate Back to the Future replica DeLoreans a few years ago. He’d

built it himself and went to ludicrous lengths pouring over all of the photos to ensure that every last wire was the correct colour and in the right place. I’d already met him and knew he’d been invaluable and after he sold his replica he was dead keen to be involved in producing another, which was fortunate for us as that’s what we asked him to help us do.”

So you might imagine that all of this took place over the course of several years, or at least a few seasons, but no… “The car was built in just three months; we really nailed it there was no down time!” Darren smirks while he says this, but it’s a smile of pride and an admission of the lunacy of the project. “There was a lot of work needed behind the scenes; sourcing parts and running down leads. Jason was always online or on the phone to prop makers and fabricators from the US, who were involved originally with the fi lm cars. “Those green cylinders for example on the rear sides of our DeLorean are from US, Cobra gunship landing gear. That’s what they used for the fi lm! There’s an alarm clock we need to still fi t that was made in Germany, and I remember the compass was really

“I went through Soho the other evening and I had to get out of the

car and ask people to move out of

the way…”


hard to track down. It’s a US item that has a specifi c light and Jason spent days trawling eBay to fi nd the exact model from the ‘eighties and one night he got it.”

When we’re talking authenticity with a famous prop car like this it’s a relative scale. Some people will make it look there or thereabouts and be satisfi ed, but this replica was taken to a much higher level. To the extent of tracking down actual parts fi tted to the ‘real’ Back to the Future cars. “The car that I would say is the best point of reference now is one that was sanctioned by Universal itself to be renovated,” admits Jason. “We actually bid on a part of one of the original cars on Kickstarter that we’re going to mount in the car at some stage. The ‘A car’ as it’s known that was used in the fi lm, took fi ve guys a year to build…

For Jason especially, this replica had to be perfect in every detail. “The capacitors on the back for example, are the correct ones from the A car. An aviation warehouse in the ‘States was contacted and carefully discharged them (as capacitors can give you a nasty shock) before shipping them to us. The colour is the correct pantone blue and even the wiring to them

has been wound exactly 14 times and is of the right diameter as it was on the movie car.”

The attention to detail on this replica has become an obsession for Jason and the team. “Each of the cable ties you see is in the exact position they should be, as is all of the electrical tape. Every wire that you see has been colour coded correctly so that the right wire is at the top of each bundle. It’s been done so that it’s movie perfect. At every step we referenced back to the A car and a selection of images that were made available to us from the actual cars used in the movie.”

At this point it’s worth remembering that this car is still road legal and is regularly driven by both the boys to and from events. “The fi rst time I ever drove the car was after we’d had it for three months and we’d just got it back from having the Back to the Future conversion,” reminisces Jason. “It was back stage at Gadget Show Live, there was about 50 crew members around me, the car had been delivered on the back of the trailer and I needed to drive it up onto the stage. There were only a couple of inches to spare either side of a ramp to drive it on to a stage-

mounted rotisserie. I wasn’t even sure if it was going to start! In the end it just started and drove on without any dramas and it’s been reliable ever since.”

You might think that with a car that looks this accurate and fantastic the boys have fulfi lled their goal and made the car as good as it can be. “We’ve got some more bits to source and fi t soon like some speakers to mount in the doors for the opening and closing sound effects. There’s also another console to go above the driver in the roof,” reveals Darren.

We’re proud of the whole project and it’s a great fl agship for our new company Futureholic (www.futureholic.com). The car was our catalyst for the events we’re now setting up. In the last week we used it as a prop for an outdoor fi lming of Back to the Future for a company, who’s staff didn’t even know it would be there! The DeLorean has allowed us to realise how to actually implement a project. Moving on now we’re thinking a lot bigger and want to make new vehicles, electric vehicles, caravans as mobile games platforms etc. There are a lot of plans… We can’t wait to see what these guys build next! RC


THE ITALIAN JOBNo, your eyes do not deceive you – those are Rover badges stuck to this slinky

Italian coupé. So what is it, and where did it come from…?Words: Daniel Bevis images: Chris Frosin


There’s a reasonably short list of names that will be forever heralded as the grand council of motoring excellence – a group of artists, engineers and design houses who

have ultimately shaped the progression of automotive evolution since they fi rst put pencil to paper, or hammer to sheet-steel. It includes Pininfarina and Issigonis. Gandini. Chapman. Touring. Tjaarda. Some styling fi rms, some individuals, but all contributing to the greater good of motoring. And for those of a more offbeat persuasion, there’s none greater than Zagato.

This is a styling house with many hits (and a few misses) in its back catalogue. Whether you prefer the slippery curves of an Alfa Romeo TZ1 or the brutal right-angles of the later SZ; the rebodied Delta Integrale that they named ‘Hyena’ or the incomparable beauty of

their take on the Aston Martin DB4 GT, there’s something about the fabled ‘Z’ badge that fl icks your switch. We can be pretty confi dent about that.

One Zagato product that you may not be aware of, however, is the rather wonderful little wedge you see before you today – the Rover TCZ. Not that we’d blame you for the blank spot in your knowledge, of course. This is rare fruit indeed.

The idea was spawned in the mid-1960s, with Rover’s designers getting all excitable about the performance potential of both the 2000TC and the group’s new V8 engine, and wanting to create something low-slung and slinky to shoehorn the sporty motors into. A couple of designs were roughed out; one by in-house pensmith David Bache, the other by Carrozzeria Zagato, and it was the latter that really piqued Rover’s interest. A

prototype of the stillborn 2000S project was duly shipped to Milan in ’66 in order for the legendary stylists to tear it down and get stuck in, with the result being the outlandish fusion of Lancia-esque angles and P6 accents that’s fl exing here for Frosin’s lens.

The stately P6 was a solid old barge, so it caused little concern to chop the roof structure about to create a lower, more swooping profi le, while the combination of low nose and Kamm tail fed neatly into the exotica-besotted aspirations of the age; remove the Rover badges, and this could have come from any one of a number of Italian sketchbooks – the legendary hand of Ercole Spada ensured that the proportions were utterly sublime. But it was practical as much as it was alluring; that squared-off backside allowed the spare wheel to sit upright behind a service hatch, while Zagato’s tradition of not having an exterior


“A couple of designs were roughed out; one by in-house pensmith David Bache, the other by Carrozzeria Zagato, and it was the latter that really piqued Rover’s interest.”

handle for a tailgate led to a rather neat design solution – the rear hatch opens a sliver via an electric motor, allowing easy lifting, but also letting it sit slightly open (as can be seen in the photos) to aid airfl ow ventilation. Cunning. Combine this sort of solution-oriented thinking with the luscious seats from a Lancia Flavia, and you fi nd yourself with a genuinely usable – and quite plush – little coupé. Surely there’s no way this venture could fail…?

Well, it did, obviously – that’s why you haven’t seen one before. But we’ll come to that – fi rst, let’s explore some more of the TCZ’s manifold virtues. Losing 9” of length and 5” of height meant that Zagato’s remodel saved a whopping 200kg over the kerb weight of a

stock P6, which made for a rather sprightly thing thanks to the poke of that twin-carbed motor. ‘It should have a 2000S engine with twin SU HD8 carburettors, as FXC 206C was one of fi fteen development mules built in 1965,’ says John Hamshere, the man with the keys in his pocket. ‘However, when it returned to England, Rover decided at some stage to fi t a new engine, most likely for the ’67 Earls Court Motor Show – it’s unclear exactly which engine, although it’s thought to be a late 2000TC unit. The HD8s were changed by Zagato to fi t two Dell’Ortos under the new bonnet line, and then at some point they were changed back to a pair of smaller SU HIF6s that fi tted better under the lower nose.’

The eager thrust was backed up in spades by the award-winning handling of the Rover base – it was the famed de Dion rear setup that helped the P6 win European Car of the Year in 1964 – and Dunlop disc brakes and Pirelli Cinturatos helped complete a package as competent as it was eye-catching.

‘It’s generally, and erroneously, assumed that the wheels are Rostyles,’ John explains, ‘but in fact they’re Magnums. The 2000S prototypes wore wire wheels, which Zagato swapped for standard P6 disc wheels. But just before the Earls Court show, Rover fi tted the Magnums – these are American-made wheels that were used on a batch of around 200 P6 export models destined for the USA.’ The fact


that they were shod with racy Pirellis helped the car’s PR effort as well – Pirelli themselves used the car as a promo vehicle in 1968, with it being photographed by their calendar snapper Harri Peccinotti.

The ardent Rover-spotters among you may by this point be scratching your heads trying to fi gure out just what on Earth is going on with the interior. There’s quite a lot of original P6 in there – the switchgear, parts of the dash, the air vents – but where’s the traditional ribbon speedo? The answer, unexpectedly, is that the dials came from a Humber Sceptre. Why? Well, they just look right, don’t they…?

Unfortunately for the TCZ, Rover ultimately weren’t all that keen on putting any effort into spiriting the prototype into production reality. A number of factors came into play when the fi nished concept made its way back to Solihull; fi rst of all, they just didn’t have enough factory space. Furthermore, it represented quite a lot of

fi nancial outlay. The British Leyland merger was hovering on the horizon and – a key sticking point for management – it did look quite a lot like the Lancia Fulvia Sport. It’s telling, if not all that surprising, that the car’s appearance at Earls Court was on the Zagato stand rather than the Rover one.

So if this was a one-off exercise that led to a dead-end, how is it that we’re able to play with it today? ‘It was put up for sale in 1968, with Neil Murray at Seagrave Road being tasked to effectively make a road car from the show car for its new owner, Tony Yell,’ says John. ‘He paid £2,850 for it, and having been reimported it was given the registration PBC 2G. It was later sold by Christies in 1977 to a Buckler fan named Peter Silverthorne, who I visited at one point as a Zagato enthusiast and owner; some years later it became available at David Howard Cars, and I felt it was a unique opportunity to acquire a stunning Zagato one-off.’

According to the excellent James Taylor book ‘Rover P6 1963-1977’, the job of converting show car to road car was not as easy as Neil Murray may have hoped. Taylor cites a letter printed in Sporting Cars magazine in 1982, when Murray relates with some despair that ‘we soon found its beauty was only skin-deep. It was a typical coachbuilder’s exercise and not meant to be used… the tail was cut off with what may have been a cold chisel, the fuel tank was a joke, the car leaked like a sieve. We did our best with it.’ There may be a certain amount of modesty at play here, as the car is a stunning thing to behold, and is now genuinely usable too. We fi rst caught up with it at Salon Privé in summer 2014, where John had entered it into the Zagato class. He’s enthusiastic about the driving experience: ‘The Zagato bodywork makes it tight and compact, with greater and fi rmer cornering


– fl atter, and better. This was a company that knew how to change a four-door saloon into a sporting machine – it will out-accelerate, out-handle, and drive in greater superiority to a standard P6. Zagato are exemplary at designing not just stylish bodies, but panelwork that fi ts tightly to the structure of the car, nips the extremities, pares it back to the essentials.’

It’s an ethereal thing, this TCZ, and legendary among classic Rover pipe-smokers. Rumours abound of sister cars, but the truth of the matter is that there has only ever been one Zagato-bodied P6 coupé – it originally wore the number FXC 206C, then received PBC 2G when it was reimported, swapping to SNP 12 with a new owner in the 1970s, then a further change to YNP 851G, before reverting back to the original number following a full and sympathetic restoration in the early 1980s. So that explains why any pictures you may fi nd

online appear to be different cars – there is just one. This one. And John’s tremendously proud to be its latest curator.

‘It always draws a lot of attention,’ he grins. ‘People are forever asking me about its background; they can’t believe that it’s really a Rover, and are amazed that it didn’t go into production. On the drive-past at Salon Privé, several of the judges shouted “Bravo!”, and Andrea Zagato himself was rather pleased to see the car there, remembering being photographed with the car back when he was nine years old!’

When John became the newest owner of the TCZ, he wasn’t just buying a unique slice of British motoring history and Italian coachbuilt design. He was buying a lifestyle, a revered subterranean icon, and much like the owner of a Canaletto or a First Folio, it’s not something he can simply keep to himself – it needs to be displayed, shared, enjoyed on a broad scale.

And this is a duty that he doesn’t shirk from. ‘I need to return it to Italy one day, to meet its designer Ercole Spada,’ he says -and you can be sure that he won’t be doing that on the back of a trailer; the TCZ’s grand tourer credentials are safe with John. There may only be one, but it’s fulfi lling its destiny with gusto. RC

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: 1,978cc 2000TC four-cylinder (see text), twin SU HIF6 carburettors, Rover 4-speed synchromesh ’box

CHASSIS: US-spec Magnum wheels w/ Pirelli Cinturatos, Dunlop disc brakes (w/ inboard rears), independent front suspension & de Dion rear

INTERIOR: P6 switchgear, centre console, air vents & dash elements, Humber Sceptre dials, Lancia Flavia seats, Moto-Lita steering wheel

EXTERIOR: Unique Zagato bodywork, designed by Ercole Spadasp

ecifi

catio

n


There are an infi nite number of stars in the cosmos. Some shine brighter than others, and the sheer weight of mathematics means that those more iridescent can wink out of existence

with just as much fi nality as any other. An element of the scene becomes rather darker.

On December 16th 2014, Brian Lister departed this earthly realm to carry on his work in whatever place comes next. The surname will probably be familiar to you; it

may conjure images of the brutal Lister Storm, or the Jaguar XJ-S-based Lister Le Mans – here was a man who knew a thing or two about winning races, and his legacy will continue to represent those values as strongly as that of Colin Chapman or any other star of the engineer-racer classes.

Born in 1926, Brian Lister was apprenticed to George Lister & Sons in 1942, and four years later carried out his national service with the RAF – something that he hoped would

fuse his twin interests of engineering and jazz music. He became a well-known drummer in his band The Downbeats, and his love for engineering naturally blossomed into a passion for the motor car. Rejoining the family fi rm in 1948, he found himself buying a string of sporty little numbers – Morgans, Cooper-MGs and so forth – at a time when grass-roots motorsport was in the ascendant in Britain. Brian co-founded the Cambridge 50 Car Club - a member of which was a diminutive Scot,

In the late 1950s, the Lister Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ was a dominant and unstoppable force in motor racing. And now, thanks to new ownership, the original team can build you a brand new one… Words: Daniel Bevis images: Chris Frosin


Back in Black

W.A. ‘Archie’ Scott Brown; the two became fi rm friends, sharing a mechanical advisor in Donald Moore.

Meanwhile, back at the offi ce… race car designer John Tojeiro was a customer of Lister Engineering, and Brian bought the second Tojeiro racer ever built, which he started to enter in sprint events in 1951. He was almost beaten by Scott Brown, and on Moore’s advice handed the car over to Archie in order to focus on being a constructor. Lister asked his

father to fund development of a car bearing the family name, and by the summer of ’53 he was building that car, with Moore providing an MG engine, and Scott Brown behind the wheel. The new Lister creation debuted at Snetterton on April 3, 1954… and it won. To put that into context, imagine entering the Formula One World Championship today in a car that you’d built in your own workshop, and taking a runaway victory on your fi rst time out! Incredible stuff.

The Brian-and-Archie show was just getting started. The following week, Scott Brown had his race licence revoked after other drivers complained that he was dangerous – he was severely disabled from birth, having only one hand and foreshortened legs – but Lister stuck by his friend, only using other drivers when Archie couldn’t race. All the while, the car was evolving rapidly; a Bristol engine appeared, then one from Maserati, but it was 1957’s Lister Jaguar ‘Knobbly’ that really made history. The


“The cars for race use, built on the continuation chassis numbers, can race under the FIA/HTP Appendix K specification.”

latest evolution won twelve of the fourteen races it entered, setting either fastest lap or an outright record on each occasion. This created huge demand, and the car was put into production for 1958, offering customers a thoroughbred Jaguar-powered racer (or, for the American market, the option of Chevrolet power).

At the ’58 Easter Monday meeting at Goodwood, Scott Brown tore past the works Aston Martin DBR2 of Stirling Moss before the fi rst corner and kept him at bay for eight laps until the Knobbly’s steering failed – a rare retirement, but an incredible achievement. Tragically, though, Archie was killed in a crash at Spa-Francorchamps later that year, and the mourning Brian lost much momentum and enthusiasm for the sport, ultimately winding down his racing involvement. Nevertheless, he remained actively involved in Lister Engineering, as well as continuing to be a keen musician, and he lived to see his racing vision reborn in 2014.

You see, when a star burns out, it doesn’t actually fade to black. The resonance of the universe allows its energy to continue to sparkle, and that’s just what’s happening with the car you see here - a brand new Lister ‘Knobbly’, and a gloriously fi tting tribute to the man who conceived it.

Lister Cars, you see, was eventually sold off in 1986, with new owner Laurence Pearce subsequently masterminding the aforementioned XJ-S project and, ultimately, the Storm – a supremely expensive road car (just four were built), and a peculiar icon of Le Mans history. All went quiet for a while, until the surprising announcement in 2013 that the Lister name, intellectual property and commercial rights had been purchased by a company called Warrantywise – along with all of the drawings and jigs for the Knobbly. And furthermore, their plan was to do something with it all!

Fast-forward to 2014, and the company was debuting the fi rst of a limited run of ten brand new Knobblys. And yes, that is phenomenally effi cient work. So, having caught up with Warrantywise and Lister Cars owner Lawrence Whittaker at Salon Privé concours, we had a few questions for him…

Retro Cars: We understand a number of people who built the original Knobblys have worked on these new cars. How many of the old team have you enlisted?

Lawrence Whittaker: ‘The main person responsible for working on the car is Graham ‘Curley’ Hutton, who has worked at George Lister Engineering since the 1960s; he’s assisted by Colin ‘Chippy’ Crisp who

was an original team mechanic from 1958 onwards. Mark Hallam, Technical Director at George Lister Engineering who has been with the company since he was an apprentice, coordinates the team. To continue the expertise to a new generation of engineers, Joe ‘Rusty’ Peachy is apprentice engineer, and they’re backed up by a team of skilled engineers, welders and machinists at George Lister Engineering.’

RC: How diffi cult (or otherwise) was it to get these new builds accepted for period racing?

LW: ‘The cars for race use, built on the continuation chassis numbers, can race under the FIA/HTP Appendix K specifi cation. This applies to cars which are either original competition cars, or built to exactly the same specifi cation as models with international competition history complying with the International rules of the period, so it gives a lot of options.’

RC: Have any of these new Knobblys been specced for road use, or are they all for competition and/or private collections?

LW: ‘The majority of the cars have been specifi ed for race use, but certainly a couple will end up in private collections. We also have one car specced for road use – the creation of this one is a huge challenge for the team, as


for road approval there are around eight pages of modifi cations that need to be made!’

RC: How quickly did this limited run of Knobblys sell out?

LW: ‘We sold out of the 60th Anniversary Lister ‘Knobbly’ Jaguars nine months after the cars went on sale. The orders resulted in an order book worth over £3,000,000 – not bad in our fi rst year!’

RC: Does this runaway success set a precedent for future recreation models – either more Knobblys, or other models? For example, if there were suffi cient demand, would the company consider resurrecting the Storm or the XJ-S Le Mans?

LW: ‘Yes, of course it does. We are working hard to build the cars we already have on order. We have plenty of ideas for a different limited edition, all I can say is watch this space…’

RC: Aha, we guess you’re talking about the mooted 250mph V12 Lister hypercar… what can you tell us about that? What stage of development is it at; have you seen signifi cant demand from potential customers; do you see it sitting alongside a Knobbly in collectors’ garages?

LW: ‘Yes, we certainly see it appealing to current Lister owners and as such it’s really important that we keep to the company ethos of power, speed, great handling and British charm. We have some provisional drawings, but to progress the process further we are seeking additional external investment in the company.’


RC: And going back to the new Knobbly, what sort of feedback have you been getting from customers?

LW: ‘We’ve not yet delivered the fi rst car [at time of interview], but we have received excellent feedback on the build quality and attention to detail from everyone who’s seen it, including eminent media and engineering professionals. The best feedback to date was from Brian Lister himself – he was blown away by the car, announcing that it was far better than any of the cars they built in period, as their motivation at the time was to produce cars on strict deadlines for racing.’

…and that is inarguably the greatest achievement of all; weeks before he died, Brian inspected the fi rst continuation Knobbly and was delighted that the Lister legend will live on. And rightly so, for it is a formidable machine. Precision-built using the original bucks and jigs, but benefi tting from an additional sixty years of technological progress, the new-wave Knobbly is the ultimate iteration of Brian’s original concept, built with the time and care it deserves. Power comes from the race-proven 3.8-litre Jaguar D-Type straight-six (brand new units, that is, manufactured by Crosthwaite & Gardiner), with its famous wide-angle cylinder head, dry-sump

lubrication and, naturally, a genuine D-Type gearbox hanging off the back. It’s good for 330bhp, a 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds, and a top whack of 181mph.

It takes over fi ve hundred hours to painstakingly hand-craft the aluminium body panels for each new car, while the tubular chassis – also made on the original jigs – is crafted from the highest grade of seamless steel, with all welding pressure-tested, ensuring structural integrity that the original cars couldn’t have had. Further contemporising the build, CNC machines ensure 100 per cent accuracy for parts such as wheel hubs and suspension components – this is, in all aspects, the ultimate Lister Jaguar. Old school, new rules.

The price of this ultra-modern, yet period-perfect majesty? That’ll be £295,000 plus VAT to you, squire. And you can add another £10k to that for the public road pack… But with all of that you get your Historic Racing Passport, the option of having Tiff Needell teach you how to drive it on track, and a direct line into the very top fl ight of historic racing. Sorry though, it’s only the cars that were built in 2014 that wear the solid silver ‘60th Anniversary’ plaque – and they’ve all sold out.

And will all of these shiny, pricey racers fi nd themselves acting as pampered baubles in the

garages of wealthy collectors? No, we suspect not. These Knobblys have almost certainly been bought by dyed-in-the-wool racing afi cionados. They’ll be used just as Brian Lister would have wanted them to be. There is no greater or more fi tting tribute than that. RC

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: 3,781cc Jaguar D-Type straight-six, cast iron block, wide-angle alloy head, twin OHC high-lift race cams (110° duration), triple Weber DCO3 sand-cast carbs, twin oil pumps, dry sump w/ oil cooler, D-Type all-synchromesh 4-speed gearbox, triple-plate clutch, Salisbury alloy-cased LSD 3.54:1. 330bhp, 295lb.ft

CHASSIS: 5x16” Dunlop Racing peg-drive alloys w/ knock-off spinners, Dunlop Racing tyres (600x16 front, 650x16 rear), 3”x16g seamless engineering chassis tubes, rack & pinion steering (2 turns lock-to-lock), independent wishbones w/ coilovers & anti-roll bar (front); De Dion w/ coilovers (rear), Girling 12” disc brakes all round, mechanical handbrake

INTERIOR: Derrington 15” steering wheel, leather-trimmed seats & transmission tunnel, plumbed-in fi re extinguisher, bare aluminium panels

EXTERIOR: Hand-formed lightweight aluminium alloy body, formed over original Lister buckssp

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With over 34 years experience, we have all the Classic car kit you need.

We’ve been reproducing high quality, original specification classic car interiortrim since 1979. Morris Minor, Mini, Triumph, Mazda and VW are just some of themarques we cater for, also supplying a huge amount of MG and Triumph TR trim exclusively to the trade. From replacement sun visors to complete bespoke trim kits, we make almost every imaginable item of soft trim that can go into your classic. Why not visit our website or give our sales office a call to see how we can help?

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According to popular superstition - an imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or goblin, frequently described in folklore. But this Imp is most certainly

real… our tale starts way back in the mid-1960s. After a fruitless fi rst year campaigning the Imp with the normal 875cc engine, the Rootes works team homologated the Rally Imp as a Group 3 car for 1966. Badged as Hillmans, Singers or Sunbeams, the Rally Imps now boasted 998cc twin-carburetor engines (able to produce 95bhp rather than 39bhp) with servo-assisted brakes, albeit still drums rather than discs (as regulations prevented an upgrade) better engine cooling and competition suspension.

In 1964 the Imps that were used in rallies were basically standard MkI Imps that weren’t powerful enough to win anything beyond class level trophies. Rootes then hired a new competition manager, Marcus Chambers, who came over from BMC where he’d managed the department that had developed the Mini Cooper S rally cars. Chambers was unhappy with the Imp’s 875cc capacity. He was said to have descried the displacement as ‘a grave handicap’ as it placed the car halfway between the rarely used 750cc class and the 1000cc class. Initially the engine developed 39bhp but it would need at least another 30bhp in order to be competitive. To make the car more powerful a new 998cc engine was developed and fi rst saw use on the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally.

For the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally the team built three new cars – the one you see on these very pages – JDU 46E, 47E and 48E. Our feature car was driven to 46th place overall and runner-up in class by Peter Harper and Robin

Turvey on that fateful ’67 Monte. Harper then drove the car on the 1967 Tulip Rally where he was again class runner-up and 10th overall. Roy Fidler got his chance behind the wheel for the Alpine Rally, but was forced to retire after headgasket problems. Rootes Competition Manager Des O’Dell used this Imp as a service car for the Circuit of Ireland and Scottish Rally later that year and toward the end of the 1967 season the car was prepped for Rosemary Smith to enter the RAC Rally. Sadly the event was cancelled at the last minute due to a foot and mouth outbreak. This led to the birth of Rallycross as an alternative event. It was hastily arranged to replace the rally for the TV cameras; and the car is still fi tted with that Rallycross engine today.

In 1968 the offi cial works team withdrew from the rally world, and it’s believed the car was kept by the team as a service vehicle before being sold off to a privateer. After that there are huge blank spaces in the car’s history until last year when Mark Tudge enters the picture. Up until last year Mark had only really ever been a Mini fan, he still owns a 1964 Cooper S (another former race car) one of only 25 John Cooper S works cars ever made. His part in the continuing history of this Imp starts when he was on holiday in Wales in 2013 and was fl icking through the cars for sale in a local paper; as you do. He noticed an ex-works Imp for sale. “The advert said it was one of the three cars used on the 1967 Monte, retained all its original features and was taxed and MoT’d,” remembers Mark. It certainly caught his attention!

“I rang the seller and arranged to go and have a closer look,” said Mark. “I’d be lying if I said I’d always wanted to own an Imp; it’s really just

This is no mere replica, this is one of just three ‘works’ Imps that took part in the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally and is still going strong today!Words & images: Simon Cooke

REAL NOT MYTH



that I love ex-works cars,” he continued. “To be honest if it was an ex-works anything that had competed on the Monte Carlo I would have been interested, as you rarely see cars like this for sale, and certainly not at prices I can afford!” Mark won’t say what he paid for the car, but one of the sister cars sold at auction in 2008 for £20,000 and prices for cars like this have rocketed up since then.

“He was a very ‘particular’ seller and I think he was carrying out a sort of vetting process on me to see if I was a suitable owner,” Mark recalls. Apparently he’d owned this Imp for over 20 years, having spotted it being used for grass track racing and thought he recognised the number plate; following some research to confi rm his suspicions he went back and made an offer to the grass tracker that he couldn’t refuse. He also owned an ex-works Avenger and was reluctantly selling the Imp because he needed the garage space; a tough choice when you own two such rare cars…

“After I’d looked over the car and had a short drive I had to persuade him to show me all the paperwork and photos that went with it,” said Mark. “His heart really wasn’t in it and I don’t think he’d ever shown people all this stuff before because it was just for his eyes only and nobody else’s business. He struggled


ENGINE: Rootes Competition Department prepared all-alloy 998cc engine/transmission package at the rear of the car canted over on a 45-degree angle. Fitted with a high-lift overhead camshaft and bored right out with re-sleeving to a bore of 72.5mm. Larger valves and double valve springs with a compression ratio of 10.5 to 1 with a stroke set at 60.4mm. Wells Rings fi tted. Twin ¼ SU carburetors, alternator conversion, twin Lucas ignition coils, external fi tted air scoops for improved direct air feed to the fi lter and ‘hedgehog’ oil cooler. Aston Martin exhaust system. Power: between 70-75bhp, works front mounted alloy fuel tank with original wood dip fuel gauge. Front mounted radiator to accompany the small rear header tank joined by red painted water pipes running straight through the inside of the car.

TRANSMISSION: Hewland Mk8 gearbox with the following gear ratios: 1st - 3.16:1; 2nd - 2.00; 3rd - 1.50; top - 1.123 and a fi nal drive ratio of 4.43 to 1.

CHASSIS: Brake drums front and back, with Ferodo VG95/1 anti-fade linings, vacuum servos. Rootes uprated and strengthened competition suspension springs and shock absorbers.

WHEELS/TYRES: 12” steel wheels with Dunlop SP44 radial Weathermasters.

EXTERIOR: Fibreglass works bonnet and boot, Triplex heated windscreen with large plastic anti-mist rear windows. Works close fi tting door mirrors, air scoops, 4 Lucas spotlights, original Rootes advertisement stickers and competition roof rack. Stage check-in light.

INTERIOR: Smiths tachometer, Lotus Cortina calibrated Smiths speedo and ancillary gauges in the works gauge cluster behind the steering wheel. Full rollcage and harness. Halda Twinmaster, Smiths/Heuer master time and stopwatch. Original fi re extinguisher, spare wheel, route holder with butler route and map light.sp

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to understand what the appeal of this old dented car was to me and couldn’t really appreciate its signifi cance.”

Mark offered to buy the car on the spot and got turned down as the seller needed time to think about whether Mark was a suitable new owner. Some ten days later Mark received the phone call to tell him he’d been ‘approved’ and the seller said he’d drive the car down to Mark and then take a train home again; Mark thinks that was maybe to ensure his home was suitable!

Now Mark could really get up close and personal with his new toy. “I’m pretty

experienced at looking over cars so I knew it was sound anyway,” he reveals. “And I’d done a lot of research on the car since I’d fi rst seen it and there were all sorts of clues that helped to prove that it was the real deal. It’s lovely to drive, although it will never break any speed records, though it sounds fantastic thanks to an Aston Martin exhaust!” he continued. “The gearchange is gorgeous and you can’t even tell that it’s on drums rather than discs, plus the handling is superb. It’s got a very revy engine that will crank up to around 10,000rpm and when you’re doing 60mph it’s already halfway there at 5k.”

And is there any comparison with his Minis? “They are both small and very agile cars,” he replies. “The main difference of course is that the Imp is rear-wheel drive with the engine at the back so you still have the power over the driven wheels, as you do with the Mini at the front.”

However despite these observations Mark is the fi rst to admit that he’s not explored the car’s limits and is unlikely to ever do so; he’s very aware how rare it is and he doesn’t want to end up in a hedge, ditch or brick wall! As he points out: “A car can only be original once.” We’re not sure we agree but at least it’s been saved. RC


There are few fi gures in motoring history that have caught the imagination as broadly and all-consumingly as Colin Chapman. The Lotus founder’s

uncompromising approach to engineering and development led to deserved success and a fi rm fi xture in the annals of internal combustion lore, with his iconic badge acting as a mark of quality on every slice of retro quirkiness from cigar-tube F1 racers with experimental aero stacks to wedge-shaped

1970s sports cars, via any number of tweaked iterations of Fords, Sunbeams, and Vauxhalls. His overarching ethos of ‘simplify, then add lightness’ has been adopted as the mantra of countless hobbyists, engineers, backstreet tuners and top-fl ight race outfi ts. After all, it’s just common sense. And a question that raises its head surprisingly often is ‘What would have happened if Chapman had decided to tune one of these?’ – it’s this line of thought that leads to twin-cam 105E Anglias, Minis with ingenious chassis mods, Coventry Climaxes

appearing in unexpected places… and the development and construction of this rather unusual Morris Minor.

“My vision was to have a vehicle that could have been a factory alternative at the time of production to the likes of the Lotus Cortina or Escort Twin-Cam,” explains owner Adam Kent-Smith. “On many occasions throughout the build it was diffi cult not to go with modern alternatives, but I remained loyal to my vision of how it should look, and the uniqueness offered by a Lotus Minor pick-up

MINOR CELEBRITY

Colin Chapman never took it upon himself to craft a Lotus Minor Twin-Cam pick-up. But it’s the sort of thing he

might have done…Words: Daniel Bevis images: Matt Woods


that could have been a factory option at time of manufacture – Colin Chapman didn’t make a Lotus Minor pick-up, but if he did…”

Adam’s clarity of vision speaks for itself really, and he’s been incredibly fastidious in his quest to only use period parts and methods in the creation of this Minor LCV – well, aside from the odd modern concession for performance and usability, such as the coilover suspension and USB ports!

But let’s begin at the beginning, shall we? The spirit of the project lies in the fabled

and once-ubiquitous Morris Minor light commercial vehicle (LCV), of which around 326,000 were churned out over the Minor’s lifespan. Arguably the hardest-working were the pick-up variants, their exposed utilitarian rears acting as an open invitation to chuck stuff in with carefree abandon, and as such there really aren’t very many left, having been comprehensively battered in the line of duty. “This 1972 pick-up is actually one of the fi nal 800 built – it’s an Austin build, hence the crinkle grille,” Adam explains. Now, Adam’s

always had a soft spot for Minors, his broad and varied personal car history encompassing examples powered by Pintos, V6s, and proudly boasting superchargers, alongside a colourful cast of classic BMWs, Triumphs, Sunbeams and Jaguars, but it was the idea of a Morris commercial that really fl icked the switch for this project. “I’ve always liked them, and it was inevitable that I’d return to the model at some point,” he says. “Seven years ago I found this one which appeared to fi t what I was after – it required a full restoration, and didn’t


“I decided I didn’t want to follow the herd and fi t a K-series, Honda VTEC, or Zetec, so I started

searching for a suitable alternative...”

so much resemble a vehicle as a pile of parts. However, a key attraction was that the cab was intact.” Having a pretty decent knowledge of the vagaries of Morris parts supply, Adam knew what was fi ndable and what wasn’t, so he snapped up the rot-free cab along with its jigsaw puzzle of panels and cavalcade of spares, and stacked it all up in his garage. Without wanting to fall foul of unexpected costs, he then bided his time, playing the long game, collecting up all the parts he’d require to fulfi l his Chapmanesque vision. “It sat there for three years before I actually began restoring it,” he recalls, although he hadn’t been dragging his heels in the meantime. Far from it. No, he’d been accumulating a rich and vibrant platter of ingredients to stir into the twin-cam stew – not least that piquant and jewel-like motor.

“I’d decided at the outset that a standard upgrade wasn’t for me,” Adam grins, “especially as I don’t have the patience to pootle along at low speed! While there’s obviously a trend with modifi ed upgrades to go for the latest technology, I decided I didn’t want to follow the herd and fi t a K-series, Honda VTEC, or Zetec, so I started searching for a suitable alternative – something that would have been available in the 1972 era of the vehicle.” So what manner of madness led

him to shoehorn a Lotus twink in there? Adam admits that it wasn’t by any means his fi rst choice. “It wasn’t until an old friend turned up in his Lotus Elan that the powertrain caught my attention,” he recalls. “While looking in the engine bay, curiosity got the better of me and out came the tape measure.”

A few quick calculations confi rmed that, with some minor fettling, the unit would fi t in the Minor bay, and so the game was afoot. The next stage, then, was fi nding one…

“I searched various websites and threads in an attempt to purchase an engine, but was surprised to fi nd how much these old twin-cams retain their value,” Adam reveals. “After many failed bids and much baulking at infl ated ‘buy it now’ prices, I was given the contact details of a respected Lotus engine builder - John Smirthwaite at JRS Motorsport. I did a little research on JRS and found he has supplied a number of successful Lotus race engines and has a strong reputation.” Decision made, then – it certainly pays to source such things from known quantities, rather than paying through the nose to an eBay stranger. Indeed, Adam spent some considerable time running through the project plan with John, chewing over what was desirable and what was achievable, and between the two of them they drew up a solid


ENGINE & TRANSMISSION: Lotus twin-cam, bored out to 1,660cc, forged pistons, big valves, crack-tested and gas-fl owed head, new bronze guides, competition high-lift cams, lightened and balanced crank, balanced con rods, lightened and balanced fl ywheel, AP competition clutch, high-pressure oil pump, twin 40 Dell’Orto carburettors, Ford Type 9 gearbox with heavy-duty bearings, quickshift and custom ratios, concentric slave cylinder replacing conventional release fork and bearing, Ford English axle with Quaife LSD, Ford RS halfshafts, custom aluminium fuel tank, header tank, radiator, water bottle and oil catch tank, custom wiring loom inc. 12v charger and USB input

CHASSIS: 5.5x15” (front) and 7x15” (rear) JBW Minilites with 195/50 (F) and 205/50 (R) Dunlop DZ03G, new old stock chassis, front coilover conversion, wide-bottom A arms, Hi-Spec 4-pot front calipers with 260mm vented/grooved discs, softer rear leaf springs with coilovers, Panhard rod and radius arms, 8” rear drums

INTERIOR: Austin Healey seats in tan leather with blue piping, custom dash, Willans harnesses, custom carpets, headlining and gaiters

EXTERIOR: BMW MINI Ice Blue paint, new old stock front wings, pick-up tailgate, doors, fl itch panels, engine bay fl oor, cab rear, rear fl oors and wheel arches; Austin grille

THANKS: “A shout-out to myself fi rst of all, for supplying all the funds and persevering when in doubt! Also, Mrs K-S (The Blonde General) for those quiet evenings when I was embedded in the PC searching for parts etc, seeing the garage accumulate parts, not giving me too much of a hard time when a one-hour pop out became half a day - and your support for letting me indulge. Thank you. The children, for letting me sell the Old Trusted Pick-up to partially fund this one. (It was worth it.) Richard (The Decorator), for being Richard. JRS Motorsport – John Smirthwaite for making the engine growl yet sing, and sharing countless entertaining racing stories. (Such a knowledgeable person and a real character.) Finally, JLH Restorations. Jonathan Heap and his team who have embraced what I wanted to achieve and made it a reality with such a high level of dedication, perfection and collaboration. They really are a company who go unnoticed but have delivered so much to me and others. Respect!”

plan of attack: it would be a period-themed build, but not an obsessively geeky one, with a focus on quality and, of course, Chapman-like engineering. “It was important that the car would be no slouch,” Adam laughs, “and able to hold its own on track days as well as fast road driving.” Admirable sentiments indeed, given the perceptions that the average person might have upon spying a Morris Minor pick-up. This would be a build as much about surprise as performance.

An idea was forged, then, but the guys were still starting with little more than a pile of bits. Happily, the initial impetus for the build came in the form of a rare-as-hen’s-teeth original new old stock chassis, which tied the whole concept together and gave them the motivation to forge onward. This was complemented by a whole twinkling galaxy of NOS panels – the front wings, pick-up tailgate,

doors, fl itch panels, engine bay fl oor, cab rear, rear fl oors and wheel arches all offered a fresh rust-free start for the aesthetics, and it was Jonathan Heap of JLH Restorations who was charged with the task of bringing the whole thing together. “The initial job was to assemble the pick-up in order to gain an understanding of alignment before fi tting new panels,” says Adam, and this work was swiftly followed by the necessary trimming of the engine bay to allow the twin-cam in, as well as a conversion to coilover suspension (“one of the few elements of the build not available in 1972…” he admits). As the separate-chassis Minor LCVs are only bolted together in a handful of places, JLH also embarked upon a programme of strengthening in order to cope with the anticipated stresses of throwing a very naughty engine into a basic shell that was designed to be a puttering commercial

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runabout many decades ago. Hey, if Chapman were to take a Minor pick-up on track, he’d have done the same thing.

The body was coming along nicely, and the engine builder had his tasks to complete, so it was time for Adam to start thinking about the interior. After all, this wasn’t to be a stripped-out track monster, but a properly usable classic. “Keeping the era of the vehicle in mind, I searched and trialled various options for seats, none of which really seemed to fi t,” he recalls. “I wanted seats that would hold you in place, and while bucket are an obvious thought, due to the rear rake these were not feasible as the space inside is limited. I’d had in my possession some old Austin Healey seats that I’d earlier disregarded while considering alternatives, but after twelve months of trying different options, guess what - I tried out the Healey seats and they fi tted wonderfully!” Another win for the ‘it would’ve been a feasible option in 1972’ checklist then, which was further improved upon the suggestion of the upholsterer with a retrim in tan leather with blue piping. “I had my suspicions at fi rst, but I’m glad I trusted him – it really works with the exterior colour,” Adam beams. The paint colour in question is a BMW Mini shade, Ice Blue, which may be another modern concession but is so close to an old-school BMC colour that it’s entirely forgivable. It

gives it a creamy, buttery, almost cartoonish quality, doesn’t it? Something complemented by the jarring aesthetic of having 15” Minilites and noticeably lower suspension on an old commercial vehicle such as this. Almost Hot Wheels-like, really.

The dash represented another chunk of fastidious interior work: “While I’m aware that you can buy aftermarket clocks that have many dials in one, this wasn’t available in 1972, so we had to conjure up a solution that ensured we retained the iconic hump in the dash,” says Adam. “The solution was to cut the dash in the centre, and extend the hump to create space for the fi ve dials now required. This also meant the glovebox lids had to be shortened to look standard, and the glovebox insert had to be cut, reshaped and manipulated into place.” It’s all in the details, and it’s a sort of hidden Easter egg for true-blue Morris nerds. And the quest for interior perfection continued – Aldridge Trimming were drafted in to create custom carpets, gaiters and headlining to ensure a belt-and-braces fi nish.

With the aesthetics perfected and the chassis treated to such performance-oriented treats as a Panhard rod and Hi-Spec brakes, the drivetrain was offered a real chance to shine. John Smirthwaite had been a very busy boy, boring out the twin-cam to 1,660cc and fi tting forged pistons, high-lift cams, big

valves, and a lightened and balanced crank, all of which coalesced to create effervescence truly deserving of the Lotus moniker. This was all then bolted via a lightweight fl ywheel and competition clutch to a Ford Type 9 ’box, its ratios altered to suit the engine’s torque. An LSD out back helps to ramp up the levels of mischief too…

“A complete new wiring loom has been fi tted, allowing for modern day improvements such as a 12v charger socket and a USB slot, and it’s all covered in a period braiding to keep it looking appropriately 1970s,” says Adam, casting a fond eye over his fl awless creation. And that solution serves as a metaphor for the build overall – sure, the intention was to build something as close to 1972 specs as possible, employing various options that could have been considered at the time. But Colin Chapman was a forward-thinking engineer and, if he were to embark upon such a build, he would of course make use of the latest technological developments in instances where they made the most sense. It’s taken Adam nearly seven years, with the help of a team of experts, but now his vision is complete: he has a track-ready sports car with a sumptuous interior, that also happens to be a Morris Minor pick-up. He’s right – if Chapman had decided to make such a thing, this is how he would have done it. RC


We joined a mix of classic and modern motors as they set off for a ‘seven countries in seven days’ tour of Europe...Words and images: Dan Furr

PART ONEEURO RALLY REPORT


There has been a great deal said about the plight of foreign folk trying to get into the UK (legally or otherwise) of late, but let’s take a moment to refl ect on the luxury

that EU member state petrolheads have in being able to take advantage of free movement within the union. It might be a benefi t that most of us take for granted, but it’s also one that can be fully exploited when it comes to octane-fuelled adventure in the countries of our continental cousins.

It was with that in mind that Retro Cars joined forces with established driving experience outfi t, Euro Rally, and took on a four-wheeled challenge that spanned seven countries in seven days. France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium and some ol’ place named ‘Blighty’ played host to our charge across motorways, mountain passes and motorsport venues, although it should be said that some of those who decided to join us notched up even more of a country count by setting off from faraway lands including Ireland and Malta.

Of course, the act of steering old tin across thousands of miles of unfamiliar terrain always promised to provide a challenge for some of the vintage vehicles in attendance, although nobody expected the early retirement of Colm Carberry’s Satin Red Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 on day one. Despite months of preparation in advance of the trip, our man from County Kildare was left stranded on the edge of the Emerald Isle when his mega

MkIII’s fuel tank split during the fi rst leg of its journey to our meeting point in Dover!

Fortunately, Colm’s travelling companions persuaded him to leave the impotent Griffi n at the side of the road before inviting him to continue the journey from within the confi nes of their Series II Escort RS Turbo. Driven by chief spanner-wielder, Joey O’Neill, and assembled just hours before the off, the fruity Ford carried its human cargo from Dublin to Holyhead and onward to Kent without complaint, whereupon it was welcomed by a wide variety of metal ready to set sail across the English Channel.

It was the tasty 911 83 SC of Cambridgeshire couple, Peter and Litte Andrews, that fi rst caught our attention. Equipped with the 3.2-litre lump and chipped ECU of an ’88-plate, the car packs uprated suspension, a trick exhaust system and well executed body modifi cations that extend to overrider, spoiler and bumper blade deletion. Nice!

In addition to Peter’s red road rocket, the Retro Cars infl uence on proceedings was plain to see thanks to the appearance of Jonny Parkinson’s throttle-bodied, C20XE-equipped 1979 Vauxhall Chevette L. In fact, there was plenty of modifi ed old-school cool to gawp at throughout the week, not least of all Mark and Sam Croxford’s beloved Polo Coupe S. Known to all as ‘Huyi’, this heavily tuned Volkswagen found itself splashed across the cover of Retro Cars a few issues back, and it didn’t fail to impress as we navigated our way across Europe.


Talking of which, Paris was our fi rst stopover destination. The journey from Calais to the French capital was effi ciently straightforward, albeit characterised by motorway mileage and the occasional cry of “don’t forget which side of the road to drive on” blaring out of the two-way radios that Glen handed out to each driver during our ferry crossing. That said, the Mazda MX-5 of Adam Bradshaw and Ian Bragg did see a little more rural scenery than was planned, but this was largely down to the fact that the radiant red Japanese two-seater decided to dump its coolant as soon as it found itself in the land of Django Reinhardt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the men from Manchester nursed the car through towns and villages until they stumbled upon

a workshop willing to right whatever wrongs their chariot was suffering from.

Weekends in Gay Paree lend themselves to a party atmosphere, and our arrival on a Saturday meant that we’d landed at exactly the right time for a dose of fun in the sun. Body fuel was provided by the food and drink retailers dotted along the Champ de Mars, and those of us keen to demonstrate our ability to queue spent two hours as part of a human traffi c jam awaiting our turn to climb to the top of the Tower. Was it worth it? You betcha!

It was the following morning when our very own roving reporter, Dan Furr, encountered the next motoring complaint of the trip. The tuned and turbocharged classic Saab 900S 16-valve convertible that he was driving emptied

its windscreen washer fl uid reservoir onto the hotel car park’s fl oor before deciding to pop its handbrake cable while stuck between vehicles on a steep exit ramp. Maintaining the super Swede’s position without rolling into the pride and joy of a neighbouring participant was proving to be an uphill struggle (literally), not helped by the suddenly non-operational car park exit barrier that prevented almost all Euro Rally entrants from leaving within the tight timeslot afforded to them by the hotel’s tyrannical ticket machines.

Meanwhile, Colm – understandably upset at the prospect of being a passenger for the rest of the trip – announced his intention to buy a car in Paris in order to fi ll the void left by his absent Cavalier. “This is a Euro Rally fi rst!”


gasped Glen in amazement. Nevertheless, true to his word, Mr Carberry stuck €500 in his pocket and shot off to inspect an Opel Omega A (a model otherwise known as the MkII Vauxhall Carlton) that was described as having a lack of rear windshield and a problem with its fuel system. What could possibly go wrong?!

Well, quite a lot actually. While the rest of us were heading south towards our next stop on the outskirts of Lyon, Colm was sat at the side of a dual carriageway trying to work out why his new ride was failing to propel itself in a forward motion. To make matters worse, his car’s lack of rear glass caught the attention of le fuzz, and his support crew of Joey, Martin Griffi n and Eoghan Cahill found themselves in an out-of-commission RS Turbo due to a wicked shudder generated by a failed bush in their formerly fast Ford’s steering rack.

Spotting a roadside café within kicking distance, Eoghan reasoned that fresh pots of hot stuff might help the team to formulate a plan of action that would enable them to press on to Lyon. He was correct, but it was a brilliantly unorthodox approach to DIY mechanics that saved the day: noticing that the diameter of the salt and pepper shakers in the café matched that of the Escort’s knackered bush, both spice cellars were swiped, chopped in half, emptied and fed into the Rallye Sport’s steering rack! Held into place with aluminium tape, this extraordinary fi x did its job perfectly. The Ford was fi ghting fi t.

Thankfully, Colm’s awkward Opel was soon back up and running following the application of a replacement fuel pump, cleared lines and a thorough inspection of its fuel tank. Both cars raced on to Lyon, arriving in the early hours of the morning before our forward march towards the legendary Route Napoléon.

Splitting into groups, the Euro Rally faithful ventured southbound along Route Napoléon at dawn. Wet weather and thick fog governed the early morning, making the steep inclines ahead of us even more of a challenge than had been anticipated. The low hanging mist ensured that visibility beyond the front bumpers of our vehicles was nonexistent, and we wondered whether we would end up completing this stretch of our weeklong trip without seeing any of the picture perfect panoramas that we had been looking forward to!

We need not have worried. The mid-morning sunshine cleared the fog, revealing the sweeping roads and cool canyons surrounding us. Jonny and his co-driver, Jonathan Jackson, let rip in the Chevette, while Robert Stancliffe and Rick Collett followed close behind in their 1983 MkIII Capri. The Ford’s faulty alternator was but a minor


inconvenience, beaten into submission by the decision to swap batteries between vehicles whenever the Capri began to splutter.

Onwards we drove, crossing over the iconic bridge that spans the width of the River Durance at Sisteron, before we travelled further down the N58 en route to the Côte d’Azur. With the option of toll roads and motorways fi rmly switched off on our satnavs, we enjoyed hassle-free cruising on some of the best roads that Europe has to offer. That was until a suggested shortcut took us along a country lane that had more in common with rallycross circuits than leisurely drives! Rocks, potholes and all manner of menacing debris did their best to shake the parts off of our cars, and in the case of the Capri, they succeeded.

Hard vibrations had caused the welds holding the Ford’s radiator fan housing together to break, leaving the already injured Dagenham

delight without suffi cient cooling capabilities. Everyone present hopped out of their cars, mucking in to try and fi x the problem, although it was Rick and BMW owners, John Rose and Mark Allen, that saved the day thanks to some quick thinking, gaffer tape, cable ties and some on-the-spot wiring wizardry!

The next morning, another early start saw the Euro Rally masses head to Monaco, where a parade of participating vehicles lined up outside the famous Casino de Monte-Carlo gambling and entertainment complex alongside the Bentleys, Lambos and Ferraris belonging to the gazillionaires that reside in this part of the world. Dan was pleased to see a Silver Shadow among the (high) Rollers, although the jury’s out on whether or not he’ll be using his own land yacht for next year’s trip!

No visit to Monaco is complete without a lap or two of the famous F1 street racing circuit.

Needless to say, decked out in custom racing livery, the Puma-engined MkV Fiesta Zetec S of brothers Niall and David Maher enthusiastically accompanied the Croxfords in a spirited six-lap ‘sprint’ that saw the cars of both parties tread the hallowed ground of the Louis II tunnel and the Fairmont Hotel hairpin. Granted, Messrs Hamilton and Rosberg shouldn’t be too concerned for their jobs just yet (the midday traffi c boosted the lap times of both cars to circa nine minutes!), but the blazing sunshine, boat-laden backdrop and hard driving certainly drew a line through a ‘bucket list’ item or two.

From there we travelled north through Italy, bound for the many mountain passes of Switzerland, the rolling hills of Austria, the car museums of Stuttgart and our fi nal night party at the Nürburgring. Tune into the next issue of Retro Cars for part two of our Euro Rally road report! RC

modifi ed classics

MELLOW YELLOWSeasoned TVR racer Pete Reeve went from a 400bhp Tasmin handful to this 185bhp Vixen screamer, but with less weight it’s proving to be a blast… Words: Adam Tait images: Chris Frosin


Just before the summer of 2013, TVR enthusiast and racer Pete Reeve, purchased the race prepared Vixen seen here as a restored road car. He had been on the prowl for

some time but with prices on the increase, fi nding something for the right money proved diffi cult. When Pete viewed the car, the owner knew that he was about to sell his pride and joy to a known TVR racer...

Hands were shaken with a request that it wouldn’t be used in competition, but as Pete got to know the car over that summer his mental cogs began working. At the time it was fi tted with an incorrect Pinto engine that had been taken out to 2.1-litres. Thing is the performance soon became a carrot dangler that was too irresistible to pass up.

Pete is no stranger to what came out of TVR’s hallowed Blackpool doors. In 1996 he entered a Tasmin into sprint rounds, but it wasn’t competitive so he bought one with the Cosworth V6 engine. His last weapon of choice was a 400bhp Cosworth YB powered Tasmin that took Pete onto Class A honours in the Intermarque race series. Power isn’t everything though, as the thought of moving down to something with less grunt, but with little weight and better handling, carried lots of appeal. Enter the Vixen...

A two-year plan was set. Pete would prepare the car for historic motorsport, the CSCC Swinging ‘60s series, and in the spirit of middle ground it would be built with a mind-set that should Pete or the subsequent owner ever opt for road going form again, then it could be returned to factory specifi cation with minimal hassle.

When the car was bought it was an older restoration so Pete decided to start again and separate the body from the chassis. Plates were welded onto the latter for the pedal box, seat and roll cage and then it was sent away for sand blasting and powder coating. Meanwhile the body colour was changed from red to the Renault ‘Mango’ seen here.

A stroke of good luck came when Pete’s friend, Lee McNair, setup his own motorsport preparation business, McNair Motorsport. With two decades of experience under his belt, Lee was entrusted with the Vixen to work on between other jobs. An approach that would usually be the kiss of death for any deadline. However, Lee fi nished the work well ahead of schedule to allow Pete plenty of seat time before the season began.


Keen to retain the car’s originality Pete had the Pinto engine removed and a Crossfl ow was built. He acquired an ex-Formula Ford 1600 unit that was sent to Tommy Field Motorsport for him to work his magic on. The spec was a 1660cc, dry sump, all steel affair, with twin 45 Webers and a custom made exhaust manifold.

On the dyno it produced 175bhp but two days later Pete received a telephone call to say the head had cracked. TFM sourced another head to get Pete out in time for testing at Brands Hatch where the car performed 90 faultless laps, and RC got the chance to shoot the car in the paddock.

After our shoot Pete went testing again when the engine popped a core plug, but it was caught in time before any damage ensued. However, this was only the start of the problems as when Pete entered a race at Snetterton he became victim of the Crossfl ow’s trait of water ingress. This happened via the inlet manifold and the outcome was a melted piston.

Luckily the block was salvageable and for the rebuild it seemed a good excuse to increase capacity to 1750cc [Pete can’t quite recall the exact specifi cation], but TFM managed to extract an impressive 185bhp from the little Crossfl ow. This specifi cation


ENGINE: 1750cc Crossfl ow, steel rods, steel forged pistons, Kent cam 254, adjustable Vernier pulley, all steel rockers, two-gallon dry sump (tank fi tted in passenger side footwell), twin 45 Webers, modifi ed Mk 1 Escort radiator, custom-made exhaust manifold, Jazz ten gallon fuel tank

TRANSMISSION: 2000E, superlight fl ywheel, AP twin plate clutch, Gripper LSD, custom-made propshaft,

BRAKES: Braided lines, Triumph TR6 calipers, Red Stuff pads OBP pedal box

SUSPENSION: Rose-jointed and poly-bushed, four shock absorber conversion at rear

WHEELS AND TYRES: 6x15 JBW wheels, Yokohama A048 205/60 15 control tyres

INTERIOR: Roll Centre roll cage, Early Grantura dashboard, Rear polycarbonate screen, FIA fi re extinguisher

EXTERIOR: Chassis off restoration, bodywork painted in Renault ‘Mango’

THANKS: My wife Marion, Lee McNair (McNair Motorsport), Steve Reid, Neil Russell, Bob Gooding, Tommy Field (Field Motorsport), Kevin (Zero Exhausts)sp

ecifi

catio

n

remains today and it has helped Pete take a class win at Mallory Park.

Pete was told the standard Triumph TR6 brakes would be fi ne, but he hasn’t been impressed, especially at the lengthy Spa circuit when they started to deteriorate. Not to mention ending up in the gravel at the end of the straight at Donington, although Pete does admit this could have been driver error!

Keen to upgrade, following a conversation with Rally Design a set of Wilwood calipers were supplied. ‘These will bolt straight on and although I have tried EBC Yellow Stuff and Red Stuff pads, I am going to be using Wilwood’s own brand next,’ Pete tells us.

The second gripe was the differential, TVR’s raid of the Triumph parts bin led to the Vixen being fi tted with a Spitfi re axle. A setup that is fi ne for road use, but when 185bhp is fed through it, Gripper differential aside, even with Pete’s mechanically sympathetic driving style it would start grinding after every fourth or fi fth race. To reinstate durability Pete has sourced a differential cover that has an increased oil capacity, it’s also fi nned to aid cooling. This will be hooked up to an oil cooler and the fl uid will be electronically pumped to keep the Vixen fi t until the chequered fl ag.

Testament to Pete’s mechanically sympathetic approach is the standard 2000E gearbox. This has been in situ since day one and it’s dealt with two race tuned Crossfl ow engines. However, rather than tempt fete before the 2016 begins a Quaife dog box will be fi tted. Mindful of weight gains, the casing is aluminium and according to Pete’s calculations it will save around eight kilograms.

‘It’s been interesting racing the Vixen as although I have less than half the power compared to my old Tasmin, the weight difference means that the power-to-weight difference is actually very similar’. This Vixen is proof that out and out power isn’t always the key to enjoyment.

With a 400bhp YB all but a distant memory, the prospect of a humble Crossfl ow engine by default is a demotion. However, it becomes a whole lot more interesting when you can yield 185bhp and 9500rpm from one, and then drop it into something as nimble as a Vixen.

As Pete and McNair Motorsport continue development over the coming winter, we advise that competitors in the 2016 Swinging ‘60s championship should resort to evasive action if they see a fast approaching yellow object in their rear-view mirror. RC


It’s 1985, Madonna is top of the charts and as far as the motoring world is concerned, everyone’s going mad for hot hatches, big bodykits and an ‘I’ badge positioned just beneath that matt black spoiler. If you

liked your cars, it was an exciting time for sure, though looking back its easy to forget the other cars on our roads thirty years ago that weren’t grabbing the limelight. While Mr Smith may have been the envy of his neighbourhood in his brand new teardrop

shaped Astra GTE (with an extremely low drag co-effi cient of 0.31, which was of paramount importance in 1985), Mr Jones was trundling to the local shops in a clapped out Vauxhall Viva with a drag co-effi cient similar to that of a terraced house in Hartlepool.

It seemed at the time, every back yard and unkempt front garden could fi eld at least one half dismantled Viva on axle stands, this was the real 1985. The earlier Viva HA/HB, with the exception of the van variants, had already

become a rarity even then, so it was left to the later HC model to optimistically fl y the fl ag for all things Viva. Unless you had the more potent Magnum version, the world passed by frustratingly slowly with its asthmatic 1256cc engine. Add the uninspiring handling and it was never going to set the world on fi re and by the mid-‘90s, those same axle stands were supporting rusty MkII Cavaliers, its forerunner had been all but forgotten. Yet it was also too easy to forget the Viva had a sleeker and much

BUCKING THE TREND


cooler cousin in the shape of the Firenza HP (High Performance), and thanks to its distinctive and futuristic GRP nosecone, it has become affectionately known as the ‘droop Snoot’ Firenza.

Turn the clock forward and the Viva in all its guises now understandably has its nostalgic fans and rightly so, but an immaculate droop snoot it would seem is respected by all. In fact, there are many who’ve had a hankering for a genuine Firenza HP since the day it

was launched, Surinder Singh (Sid for short) being one such person. “My older brother worked at a Vauxhall dealer in the ‘70s and ever since I fi rst saw one, I’ve always wanted one,” Sid smiles. “They have always been rare and I had to wait until 1997 before I had the opportunity to buy one.”

The September ’74 registered Starfi re Silver Firenza was found locally and although it was in a poor state, it did seem a worthwhile purchase. “It didn’t run due to missing HT

leads, so we had to trailer it home,” Sid remembers. “We fi tted some leads and poured a gallon of petrol in the tank and with a fresh battery it did start up.” Unfortunately, the clutch was stuck fast, but a bit of gentle persuasion soon remedied this problem!

“At fi rst I put it into storage as I was unable to start the project, but three years later and with the help of my brother Baz, we began by stripping down the shell,” Sid recalls. “Unfortunately she was found to

When the world was going mental for performance versions of everyday family hatches, two brothers were dreaming of rear-drive coupes from the previous decade…Words & images: Jon Cass


be completely rotten so we knew we were in for a lot of work!” The stripped shell was sent away for shot blasting to reveal the extent of the rot and all was not good. “This was probably the hardest part of the whole task, sourcing panels whenever they became available but often having to fabricate new metalwork from scratch. The rare GRP nosecone was salvageable and the virtually obsolete twin Cibie headlights were replaced. “The headlamps themselves sit behind toughened glass covers and I was struggling to fi nd any available,” Sid recalls. “In the end I contacted the Droop Snoot Owners’ Club and asked if other members would be interested in purchasing any if we had a limited run put into production. The response was very positive, so I made a few phone calls and persuaded a manufacturer to produce 300 pairs resembling the original design as closely as possible. We’ve now managed to sell sets all around the world as far away as New Zealand!” Incidentally, the headlamp units are shared with the similarly styled Renault Alpine A310!

“We fi lled and primed the shell once the welding was complete then sent it to a local bodyshop for the paint to be applied,” Sid remembers. “This was the only aspect of the whole build myself and Baz didn’t have a hand in.” While the shell was fully stripped, this seemed like the ideal opportunity to


“Its 2.3-litre OHC 4-cylinder unit was a strong performer with 131bhp and bags of torque...”

powder coat all of the removed ancillaries prior to refi tting. Components that were found to be past their best were replaced, always a good plan when a car has been stood for a long period of time.

“The suspension was looking tired so we sourced new Bilstein shocks and springs,” Sid remembers. “To tighten up the handling we fi tted Superfl ex bushes all round.” The brakes were also in a bad way, the brothers sensibly reconditioning the callipers with new pistons and adding new discs and pads. “We decided to leave the brakes standard to retain some originality, though they’re pretty effective anyway as they were a factory upgrade for this specifi c model,” Sid smiles.

When the HP was launched back in 1973, its 2.3-litre OHC 4-cylinder unit was a strong performer with 131bhp and bags of torque on tap, unquestionably impressive for its day and a totally different animal compared to the lowly 1256cc version. The 2.3 had already made an appearance in the 122bhp 2300SL, but the high-lift cam, twin 175 Stromberg carburettors and free fl ow tubular exhaust manifold gave the HP the edge over its SL badged sibling. And then of course, you couldn’t forget that sleek droop snoot, which wasn’t just there for show, it also aided acceleration, top speed and stability too. Okay, we mentioned the MkII Astra had an impressive drag co-effi cient of

0.31 in 1985, but its reckoned the Firenza HPF had a slippery 0.33 drag co-effi cient over a decade earlier!

As you can imagine, Sid couldn’t resist the opportunity to upgrade the 2300 four pot while it was sat on his work bench out of the car. The GT cam, fully gas fl owed big-valve head and twin 40 Dellorto carbs add a little more grunt and that sweet sounding Janspeed stainless exhaust helps out too. “I’ve added an electric fuel pump, but the heavy duty rear axle and gearbox remain standard,” Sid adds. We should point out the HP came with a 5 speed ZF dog leg box, notably stronger and able to handle extra power compared to those gearboxes found on lesser versions of the Firenza, though we’re sure it does take some getting used to!

From the outside, this HPF remains essentially standard and when a car is as rare as this, it’d be a crying shame to start messing around with it. Even the attractive 13” Avon Safety wheels with their gloss black centres remain in place, though more contemporary and wider Nankang tyres now make contact with the tarmac. Once inside, there’s surprisingly little in common with its Viva cousin. There’s none of that sheer disappointment you may recall back in 1990 when the crowds gasped at Vauxhall’s sleek and futuristic new Calibra only to fi nd it looked no different to a Cavalier once you


were sat in the driver’s seat. The four grey cloth seats, although devoid of headrests, look both comfortable and inviting while the wide rimmed three spoke wheel looks like it’s fi t for track action. The dash, with no less than seven useful gauges and clocks positioned directly in front of the driver, was way ahead of its time and that dubious grab handle, mounted in front of the passenger, must have created a few hard to resist moments, scaring your co-pilot into clinging on for dear life!

Vauxhall planned around 30,000 sales for the HPF but due to a combination of production and delivery problems combined with the impending fuel crisis just 204

were built, making this one of the most desirable Griffi n badged cars of all time. And the reactions of the public witnessing Sid driving his HPF around town on a sunny Saturday afternoon confi rm the popularity of the famous droop snoot. “If I had the chance, I would do it all again, I get so much satisfaction from building something that’s unique and enjoy all the nice comments she receives,” Sid smiles.

There’s talk of a Chevette HSR joining the HPF, which would make a stunning duo, though for the moment Sid and his brother are busy with a few classic Mercs and a genuine Porsche 356! That should keep them busy for the foreseeable future then! RC

ENGINE: 2.3-litre OHC slanted 4 cylinder, twin 40 Dellorto carbs, gas fl owed big-valve head, GT cam, Janspeed exhaust system, electric fuel pump, standard ZF dog leg 5-speed gearbox

CHASSIS: Avon safety wheels, Bilstein shocks/springs, Nankang 205/60/13 tyres, Superfl ex suspension bushes all round

EXTERIOR: Standard fully restored in Starfi re Silver

INTERIOR: Standard Firenza HP includes, cloth sports seats, 3-spoke steering wheel, dash featuring seven clocks/gauges, passenger grab handle

SHOUT: Brother, Baz spec

ifi ca

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CORTINA MKIFront quarter seals (2 door) ...............................(pair) £87.58Front windscreen rubber ............................................£41.38Rear windscreen rubber .............................................£47.62Door seal, 2 door model.................................. (each) £21.00Door seal, 4 door model.................................. (each) £18.00Boot seal ....................................................................£27.00Door window channel.................................................£10.24Door glass seal.................................................. (each) £4.99Carpet set..................................................................£162.28Lode Star Headlining.................................................£150.00Door shut edge trim....................................................£20.862 door models rear quarter rubber ..................(pair) £109.18

CORTINA MKIIFront windscreen rubber ............................................£35.28Rear windscreen rubber .............................................£47.62Screen chrome trim ......................................................£7.20Door seal, 2 door model.................................. (each) £34.20Door seal, 4 door model.................................. (each) £29.93Door window channel..................................................£10.24Door glass seal (exterior)...............................................£9.00Door glass seal fixing clips............................................£0.54Door glass seal (interior)................................................£4.99Door shut edge trim....................................................£20.86Boot seal (original pattern) .........................................£23.88Carpet set..................................................................£166.27Headlining (off white or putty) - Series 2 ..................£150.00Lode Star Headlining - Series 1................................£150.00Vinyl roof kit (incl. 2 litres adhesive)...........................£122.002 door models rear quarter rubber ..................(pair) £101.25

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Unit 7, Connect 10, Foster Road, Ashford Business Park, Sevington, Ashford Kent TN24 0FETel: (01233) 500280 email: [email protected]

As all of us car fi ends know, a space to work on your car is sometimes very hard to fi nd. A cramped garage is hungrily accepted over a driveway, which is always at

the mercy of the English weather. But a unit with space for multiple cars, electricity, tea making facilities and bunk beds is the holy grail of car workshops. Acquiring such a unit is all well and good, but you also need ideas, knowledge and a vision to create some striking cars too. Over the next few pages we’ll delve deeper into a unit owned between four friends down in the south of England;

a unit that keeps spitting out some very striking, original and awe-inspiring cars.

The story behind The Auto Bahn (TAB) started in 2011. Founders Andy Hinks, Phil Warren and Mark Wheeler had known each other for years. The Opel Manta Owners’ Club meet ups were their original haunts. Phil is the only professional mechanic amongst them and spent years working on his projects, as most of us do, on his dad’s driveway. Andy would swap his fi ve cars in and out of two small single garages to do work and Mark lived a little outside High Wycombe, where a small barn housed various

old Vauxhalls. They made do, as many of us know all too well, but there had been talk of pooling together to fi nd a space a little more suitable for the ideas to take shape. It was when Mark left his barn behind and moved a little closer down to Sussex that the search really began in earnest.

Over the years, a tentative search around Andy’s home town of Brighton had shown up very little, but as with all great plans, the breakthrough came by ‘a weird fl uke’ remembers Andy. A Sunday evening trip to the local take-out was regularly paired with thumbing through free ads. Nothing ever

THE AUTO BAHN A unit that, like so many others, started out as a place for a group of mates to hang out and talk cars, soon evolved into something much more… Words & images: Chris Frosin


seemed to show up though. Thankfully one fateful evening as Andy was putting down the paper he noticed it was for a neighbouring area. The ‘East Sussex’ free ads that night proved much more fruitful, as staring straight up from the pages was the perfect unit. Available for any purpose, secure and large enough to house about twelve cars!

From that moment the road to The Auto Bahn moved very quickly. A viewing was arranged and the three friends headed over to see what they could have access to. Andy explains succinctly that the visit went rather well, “Viewed it, loved it, took it.” TAB was born.

With all their projects scattered between garages, driveways and other storage places they spent four weekends with multiple trucks and vans carting their cars, parts and tools over to their new base of operations. Over the next year there was an absolute plethora of cars leaving the Bahn. Having made do with driveways and cramped single garages for years they were taking the opportunity with both hands and created some very distinct cars,


something the building would be known for over the next few years.

Phil had an Opel Monza that started its journey to become the orange Monza you see on these pages. Mark dropped a new engine in his Viva Coupe before ticking off the MoT checklist to get it back on the road, as well as a very cool diesel Cavalier with an incredibly short side-exit exhaust (that was the result of a drunken dare). Andy’s Mercedes-Benz W201 track car, a slammed Audi estate and work fi rst started on the infamous ‘Storm Trooper’ Audi.

In the early months of 2012, just as the guys were fi nding their feet and adding to the Bahn with more tools, cars and parts came the good news/bad news conversation. “After a year or so our landlord announced that he was selling the land our barn stood on,” Andy explains. I can’t begin to imagine how their hearts must have stopped at that moment… “Thankfully the initial panic was immediately quashed when he announced “it’s ok, I’m building you a new place next door!”

“We walked the few hundred yards to look

at it and the new barn was now much bigger, cleaner and had loads of outdoor space around it too. Our original unit had plenty of space around it but was mostly gravel or grass. The new unit was surrounded by loads of hard standing. We agreed and moved over a few weeks later.” With help from a few friends it took a couple of weekends to transport TAB up the short distance to the new unit and that’s the space you see photographed on these pages.

The layout of the new barn was more in tune with being a car workshop. They no longer had


space split over two rooms, but one massive area instead. That meant that it could be split into specifi c spaces; workbenches, storage, and of course space to actually work on their cars! Also critically, it had space for sofas, a TV, a log burner, as well as a basic kitchenette. Andy is quick to point out that this area isn’t just for procrastination. “TAB is a social thing. Guests are welcomed most weekends we’re there - which is most weekends, certainly in the summer months, to tinker with their cars or help work on ours, but it usually involves BBQs & beers.”

In September of 2013 the space at the Bahn got even better as the tenants in the adjoining unit moved out. A deal with the landlord was agreed and TAB got a massive extension. At this point a fourth member of the team, Dan Haines, moved in and the constant conveyor belt of cars that get ‘the treatment’ increased. “The new, massive TAB now boasts room for around thirty cars, although we never pack them in that tight. There’s no need as there’s space for at least that many again outside. The sofa area has been moved into a dedicated

living room, complete with triple bunks for when you’re working late, and/or drinking Mark’s homebrew.” I know only too well the ‘joys’ of Mark’s homebrew.

“The workshop facilities are best summed up by saying that we have every tool or piece of equipment you need to restore and modify old cars,” continues Andy. You can sense the pride in his voice as he talks about the Bahn and rightly so. Those tools and pieces of equipment that he talks about have been slowly gathered and collected over the years


and I’ve been lucky enough to head down to the unit on a number of occasions. I enjoyed an incredible deep fried turkey at Christmas, talking cars well into the night over BBQd black pudding and cheese burgers, and helped relocate their huge compressor to a small purpose-built shed at the rear. Any air tool can now be plugged into the numerous points on the air line around and used while still holding a casual conversation.

The log burner is a great social gathering point, where friends pull up car seats and swap project ideas and advice over a bottle of Mark’s aforementioned brew, although I will say that if you do get the chance to visit, I’d steer well clear of the top mattress in the triple bunk bed setup. It’s a lot more

dangerous early in the morning when you’re in a rush.

There’re no immediate plans to change anything major at TAB but just pass your eyes over some of the projects that are currently underway. There really are too many to list, but here are the highlights! Phil has a Renault 8 Turbo, a Renault Dauphine, Opel Monza GSE and an Opel Manta GTE. Mark is working on a MkII Vauxhall Carlton compound diesel, MkIII Vauxhall Carton 24v ‘Lotus’ estate, a Vauxhall Viva E Coupé, Opel Monza S, and a 24v Vauxhall Senator track/drift car. Dan has an Oldsmobile Cutlass pro-touring in the works, a Ford Pop hotrod, and a Yugo fast road/track day car and Andy is currently stripping a Mazda RX-7 FB, a Ford

MkI Escort Dormobile, a Mercedes 190E track car and the Audi 80 Avant ‘Stormtrooper’. The list really does go on and on and if you have a scan through some of the pictures on these pages you can probably see some more projects that are ready to break out in to the light of day very soon.

As a social space I’ve had a lot of fun down here and thoroughly look forward to my next trip, if only to stick my head in the doors to see what cars are in the ‘hot spots’. Work really does move quickly at The Auto Bahn and I’m sure it won’t be long before you see some more of their cars gracing these pages. Until then, thank you to Andy, Mark, Phil and Dan for your hospitality and the most incredible fried turkey! RC


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JULY 2015: GERMAN SPECIAL, DELTA FORCEE, 80'S RALLEY CAR DAILY DRIVER, FERRARI 308 GTS.

JUNE2015: V8 FOR VICTORY, SUPER CHARGED BX 16V, 15 YEAR OLDS FIRST CAR, TUR TAIMER BEAUTY & THE BEAST COMBINED.

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SEPTEMBER 2015:JAPANESE SPECIAL ISSUE.FAIRLADY. AN M3 ENGINE IN A DATSUN RUNNING NEARLY 500MPH, HONDA NSX TESTDRIVE.

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OCTOBER 2015: ROAD WARRIORS. A 330BPH INTERCEPTOR GETS US VERY EXITED, 30 YEARS WORTH OF THE COSWORTH, BTCC CAVALIER HOMAGE

AUGUST 2014: HAZARD PERCEPTION, RETRO RIVALS: AVENGER VS. VIVA, PROJECT UPDATES: PORSCHE 944, PEUGEOT 205, MK1 GOLF.

SEPTEMBER 2014: TOYOTA CELICA GT4, FORD FIESTA SUPERSPORTS, NEW! RETRO RIVALS: 930 VS. ESPRIT, BERG CUP SPECIAL.

OCTOBER 2014: TOYOTA CELICA GT4, FORD FIESTA SUPERSPORTS, NEW! RETRO RIVALS: 930 VS. ESPRIT, BERG CUP SPECIAL.

NOVEMBER 2014: EYE OF THE TIGER, RETRO RIDES GATHERING '14, LOTUS ELAN +2, LANCIA FULVIA, ISUZU BELLETT.

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Welcome to the oily bits, the section of Retro Cars that contains all our hands-on content. Datafi les offer buying and modifying advice on some cool retro rides. And the Projects

continue our staff sagas of woe and triumph with our old cars. And fi nally the Lock Up explores interesting garage businesses and private workshops around the UK.

THE PROJECTS THIS MONTH...

DAN FURR – CONTRIBUTORROLLS-ROYCE SHADOW II & SAAB 900The Rolls is in need of a new exhaust system, so I bought a suspension kit for the ol’ land yacht, obviously!

CHRIS FROSIN – PHOTOGRAPHER1976 MITSUBISHI GALANT & 1999 VOLVO V70 TDIIt’s been rainy this month so Chris hasn’t been able work on his cars as much as he’d have liked. The V70 needed a little work for its MoT, and all the terminals and tools were bought to tidy up the wiring loom on the Galant.

JOHN-JOE VOLLANS – EDITOR1988 GOLF GTI 16v & 1974 OPEL MANTA AThe Golf did Stirling work at our Autumn Track Evening at Cadwell Park after being setup by the knowledgeable guys and girls at Brunswick Racing. Find out more in my next project update, but it’s safe to say that as these guys look after endurance racing Astons and BMWs, they know a thing or two about suspension!

074 THE PROJECTS: SCIROCCO RESURRECTIONDespite the headline above, the Scirocco Storm project is still stubbornly refusing to run properly, and a lack of time and money means it didn’t make it to the RR Gathering.

070 THE PROJECTS: PORSCHE 944 RIMSOur 944 project has been a series of pitfalls and mechanical woes, so have we sorted them all? No we’ve bought some wheels and had them refurbished instead!

080 SCRAPPAGE SCENEScotland is evidentially full of old car graveyards for our roving reporter Scott to explore. This time he’s booted out of some private land, but not before grabbing a few photos!

ADRIAN BRANNAN – PHOTOGRAPHER ‘95 VOLVO 850 & ‘79 CHRYSLER HORIZONPROJECT PHOTO-HACK & THE LOWRIZON!The two regulars have taken a break recently as Ade’s Alfa Romeo 155 Q4 has been getting recommissioned and taken to the Nürburgring!

JON BURGESS – CONTRIBUTOR ’87 ISUZU PIAZZA TURBO ’89 PEUGEOT 305 GLD VANHaving found the correct set of 16 hole alloys for the Piazza, the Isuzu Piazza Turbo Owners’ Club set to work exorcising its various faults. After a full service, new steering rack and SuperPro anti-roll bar bushes and various other tweaks, I managed to run it out of fuel around Cadwell Park!

JEFF BLACKMORE – COMMERCIAL MANAGER ’87 PEUGEOT 205 GTI 1.9 #PROJECT 87Much fun was had driving #Project87 to the Retro Rides Gathering back in August. Despite the weather, it was a great weekend and we even got up the hill for a few runs.

ADRIAN BRANNAN –

Chris hasn’t been able work

the oily bits

the projectsthe projectsPRISTINE BY NAME…So instead of fi xing the myriad issues affl icting our Porsche 944 track toy we decided to attend to the most important issues… swapping and fi tting some shiny new wheels!

The 944 project has been a bit of a slow burner here at RC. A number of setbacks both on and off the circuit have led to it being over looked. Chief among these

was a tendency to undo its wheel bolts when driven hard… less than ideal to say the least! We ditched the factory Porsche alloy wheel bolts in favour of some steel alternatives as we (my mate and I who joint own the car) thought that the differing thermal properties of the aluminium of the bolts and the steel of the hub threads was causing them to expand at different rates.

The steel bolt set improved matters but we were still fi nding that after 15 – 20 minutes on track there was a vibration through the wheel indicating that the wheel bolts were once again working loose. Tightening them up, but being no more aware of the cause, was leading us to lose confi dence in driving the car hard, which kind of defeated the point of having a track toy!

An outing at Brands Hatch where we both actually got a couple of good stints in the car before the wheels started trying to part ways with the car, made us even more determined to solve this issue once and for all. So we got the car up on a ramp to check it out. There were several large spacers on both the front and rear axles that were allowing for a very DIY wide track. This wasn’t doing the wheel bearings any favours as the spacers were oversized so we removed them. Only then to discover that the later Design 90 alloys tucked way too far into the wheel wells and looked ridiculous!

Our solution has been to return the car to stock and start again from scratch. We sought out a set of the car’s original fi t ‘Cookie Cutter’ wheels that are staggered front to rear with a greater offset to fi ll the arches and wells better. The only problem was that these wheels were fi tted to 911s too and therefore don’t come cheap. We bought an ancient set online that had been left outside for at least a year! Someone had whizzed over them with a rattle can in an attempt to make them look half decent, but it was clear that these wheels were in need of some professional help. That’s when we got in touch with Pristine Alloy Wheels in Milton Keynes… RC

JOHN-JOE VOLLANSEDITORMILES RECENTLY: Er… zero.WHAT’S BROKEN: Fuel tank & grotty rimsHOW MUCH SPENT: Around £300ON THE ROAD: 1989 VW Golf GTI 16v, 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6, 1999 Alfa Romeo GTVON THE GO: 1974 Opel Manta A, 1982 Porsche 944, 1984 VW Scirocco Storm, 1992 Range Rover Vogue

THANKS TOPristine WheelsNewport Road, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, MK17 8UDTel: 01908 282628email: [email protected]


Our ‘set’ of wheels actually turned out to be four front wheels and a rear as a spare! We helpfully only noticed this as we entered Pristine with the wheels themselves… It meant we had to source another rear to match. As it turned out it would be a fortuitous mistake.

Blasting all done, the wheels were now all prepared, the next step was turning them on a lathe to ensure they were back to within factory tolerances. All of our remaining wheels turned out to be straight and true so they were then sent to another vat for pre-treatment. This dispels any remaining grease and moisture in the wheels before the paint is applied. Once they come out they’re inspected by hand and sent for priming.


When we bought our wheels into Pristine the first step was to ascertain their condition. They were therefore dunked in a non-corrosive chemical vat to remove all traces of dirt and paint.

At this point the wheels are removed from their chemical bath and left to dry. Once dry they’re blasted to reveal the metal surface, ready for fi nishing. However, this stage also allows for an inspection of the wheels and ours revealed some signifi cant damage to one of the fronts. There was evidence of a previous (and not very good) repair, and due to the fact that we had brought too many front wheels with us anyway, it was deemed scrap rather than worthy of safe repair.

the projectsthe projects


If you want to simply chat wheels with the team at Pristine, then they are more than happy to offer the best advice on your restoration needs, whatever the material, style or age of wheels. So give them a call on: 01908 282628.

Our wheels originally came with a polished lip to their dished edges so it would have been rude not to return them to such a condition. The best option was to diamond turn them. The machine for doing this is essentially a lathe which allows for very fi ne cutting, the result of which is a bare metal surface that needs polishing to bring out the shine.

The end results really do speak for themselves… but we’ll sing their praises all the same! The fi nish of the centres is fl awless in deep black with a fi ne polished shine. Those diamond turned lips gleam just like new with only the fi nest of cutting marks visible. All in all we couldn’t be happier with the quality of work and the service offered by Pristine. They really are a top company and will only restore the safest base wheels so you have the peace of mind of knowing that they’ve undergone the strictest scrutiny before and during the restoration process.

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STORM IN A TEACUPThe Scirocco has been absent from these pages for long enough, so JJ tells us where he’s got to this month…

The tale of my VW Scirocco is one of pain and fi nancial suffering. The car’s one I’ve always wanted but sadly the reality of owning it has proved to be an absolute pain! I

made the fatal error of buying a car from a guy who knew nothing about cars, yet that didn’t stop him trying to work on one! Plus it had fi nally given up after several years of this guy’s bodging and poor maintenance. I bought it for a snip but have easily spent ten times what I paid for it in just over two years!

Once I’d almost completely rebuilt my Storm it fi nally provided an enjoyable driving and owning experience… for about a month. Then around a year ago it started misfi ring and stuttering under acceleration. I suspected the old Achilles’ heel of MkI Golfs and Sciroccos, the fuel fi ller neck letting rust into the system. However, after checking this over and having all of the fuel lines and components replaced, as well as dropping the tank and cleaning it out, the problem persisted.

Crazyquiffs MkI Golf Emporium came to the rescue with all of the fuel parts and lines and Superpro sorted us out with a full bush kit, though we only got half of this done before the car once again failed. The front end was nice and pointy while the rusty rear axle mounts were glanced at in horror. So this is where I left it 12 months ago having run out of money and patience, I fl ung it into the back of our unit and moved onto other projects. With the Retro Rides Gathering looming I decided to dig out the Storm and give it another chance to ingratiate itself…

JOHN-JOE VOLLANSEDITORMILES RECENTLY: drum roll… 0!WHAT’S BROKEN: Either fuelling or ignitionHOW MUCH SPENT: £15 for a can of petrolON THE ROAD: 1989 VW Golf GTI 16v, 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6, 1999 Alfa Romeo GTVON THE GO: 1974 Opel Manta A, 1982 Porsche 944, 1984 VW Scirocco Storm, 1992 Range Rover Vogue


First on the list was to double check that the fuel system wasn’t to blame after all. Thankfully as the accumulator, fuel pump, fi lter and all the brackets had just been replaced, the strip down was easy… if a little messy. Next up was to drain out the fuel as the Scirocco had been standing for so long. The yellow horrible gunk that came out of the tank clearly wasn’t even going fi re up a lawnmower so we sloshed in some fresh petrol.


Seeing daylight for the fi rst time in over 12 months the Scirocco was pushed out and it has to say looked seriously sorry for itself. Where our barn workshop is located out in the Fens there’s a phenomena known as the fen blow. No it’s not something you’d ask a lady of the night, it’s a dust storm that whips up all the bare fi elds early in the year. This is why the Scirocco looks like it’s been abandoned for decades rather than just a year.

The Scirocco performing in its usual Stirling fashion. In fairness to it this was after I’d rushed to put it back together after the gearbox swap for its MoT. A reminder if one were ever needed that rushing mechanical work’s never a good idea. The failure in this instance was a pin that keeps the output fl ange on the gearbox.



Embarrassment at the poor dusty appearance of the Scirocco made me give it a once over with a hose, just to get rid of the worst of the grime.

Sadly on this occasion a few hours spent tinkering made very little impact as the Scirocco fl attened two batteries before eventually spluttering pathetically into life running on about 2 cylinders. On this occasion I realised that enough was enough and gave up. However, before putting the car away again we let it dry in the sun and then fi tted a new cover we’d been sent by those kind ladies and gents at Richbrook (www.richbrook.co.uk). The super soft tailored Richbrook cover is specifi cally designed for each model of car so it’s assured to fi t correctly fi rst time. It’s also made of a super soft lycra-blended satin that protects the car’s paint and clings while still breathing. It stops moisture being trapped against the paintwork. At £129 it’s also a cost effective way to leave your car stored but with piece of mind.

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*FREE gift subject to availability, we reserve the right to offer an alternative product at the same or higher retail value. On receipt of your order your free gift will be delivered within 25 working days. Offer/prices available until 6th November 2015. Kelsey Publishing Ltd, publishers of retro cars magazine uses a Multi Layered Privacy Notice giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information. For full details visit www.kelsey.co.uk or call 01959 543524. If you have any questions please ask as submitting your data indicates your consent, until you choose otherwise, that we and our partners may contact you about products and services that will be of relevance to you via direct mail, phone, email and SMS. You can opt-out at ANY time via email on [email protected] or call 01959 543524.

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OCTOBER OCTOBER 2015 Issue 88 £4.402015 Issue 88 £4.40


2015 Issue 88 £4.402015 Issue 88 £4.40

POD FOR OUR SHOOT2015 Issue 88 £4.402015 Issue 88 £4.40

POD FOR OUR SHOOT

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A 330BHP INTERCEPTOR GETS US VERY EXCITED

PLUS: COMMER CAMPER ! PROJECT GOLF ENGINE SWAP ! PROJECT ALFA Q4

! SCRAPPAGE SCENE ! READERS’ RIDES ! NEWS & PRODUCTS ! EVENTS LISTING



ROAD WARRIOR

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YEARS OF THE COSWORTHYEARS OF THE COSWORTHYEARS OF THE COSWORTH30

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I got wind of a small graveyard in the Scottish

Borders so took the trip down to see what

treasures I could fi nd.

A friend had told me about this place that

he’d visited a couple of times and as far as he

was concerned it was just a dumping ground for

old cars and nobody really owned the place.

I took the trip down in my Volvo 240 estate,

found the layby my friend had told me about,

parked up and made my way up an old farm

track next to a wooded area. As I made my way

up the hill I could see a caravan in the woods

surrounded by old cars. Nobody appeared to

live in the caravan so I went deeper into the

woods and found an eerie collection of scrap

cars piled on top of each other.

I wasn’t there long before I heard a car

approaching along the farm road. I heard

the car pull up, the engine switch off and

the doors opened. My usual approach is

honesty is the best policy so I decided to

come out from behind the cars with my

camera and tripod in hand. I was greeted

by two grumpy old chaps who were slightly

confused about my presence. I explained I

was here to take photos and they asked if I

was a wildlife photographer. I said no “I’m

here for the cars.”

They couldn’t comprehend why I’d be

interested in taking photos of old cars unless

I was going to come back and steal them at

a later date. Without trying to cause offence,

I tried to explain that nobody in their right

mind would want to steal any of their old

junk, but they were having none of it and a

Mexican style stand-off ensued...

Eventually it all ended well and I came away

with these photos of some forgotten motoring

gems, slowly returning to nature. RC

SCRAPPAGE SCENEIf you go down to the woods today...

Words & images: Scott Blythe

Four door MkI Golf with

almost entirely corroded

inner and outer sills, this

one’s a bit far gone…

We think this was once a

Datsun 120Y estate and it looks

like it’s been here a while…

A few more contemporary machines seem to have met their end alongside the classics.


SSSCRAPPAGE SCENE

We’re pretty sure this is

a SAAB 99, but it’s a little

tricky to tell for certain!

A SEAT Ibiza rests underneath a Vauxhall Astra.

A VW ‘Camper’ that seems

to have suffered from an

attempted break in.

Peugeot 104 in a really rough state.

An R8 Rover 200.


2015 EVENTS DIARYThe 2015 show season is the biggest we’ve ever seen and if you want to get along to some exciting, new shows, gatherings and rallies, here’s your exhaustive list of everything that’s worth attending this year. In fact it’s so big that we can’t fi t the whole year in, so we’ll give you a rolling few months instead… Please note that the details contained here were correct at the time of going to press and in order to avoid disappointment, check with the event organisers before setting off.

BROOKLANDS AUTUMN MOTORSPORT FESTIVALWHEN: 11th October, all dayWHAT: Competition cars from all ages put through their paces on the test track.WHERE: Brooklands Museum, SurreyWEB: www.gingerbeerpromotions.com

NEWARK AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 11th October, all dayWHAT: Normous Newark mega Autojumble. WHERE: Newark & Notts Showground, NottinghamshireWEB: www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

ACE CAFÉ CLASSIC CAR NIGHTWHEN: 13th October, 6pm – 11pm WHAT: All classic meet with a sports car slant. WHERE: Ace Café London, North CircularWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

ACE CAFÉ FORD ESCORT NIGHTWHEN: 17th October, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: A gathering of Ford’s fi nest rally weapons at the Ace Café.WHERE: Ace Café London, North CircularWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

CAROLE NASH RESTORATION SHOWWHEN: 25th October, 9:30am – 4pmWHAT: As well as autojumble, restoration and traders, there’s also classic car clubs.WHERE: Stoneleigh Park, CoventryWEB: www.livepromotions.co.uk

BROOKLANDS AUTUMN CLASSIC BREAKFASTWHEN: 25th October, 8am - 9:45am WHAT: Head down to the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation for the third Sunday morning Breakfast Club of 2015.WHERE: Brooklands Museum Weybridge, SurreyWEB: www.brooklansmuseum.com

REGENT STREET VETERAN CAR CONCOURSWHEN: 31st October, 11am – 3pmWHAT: London to Brighton Veteran Car Run Concours, Central London. This takes place on the day before each annual Run, in Regent Street.WHERE: Regent Street, London WEB: www.vccofgb.co.uk

RIXTON AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 25th October, from 7amWHAT: Indoor and outdoor all-weather autojumble. Traders, bikes, cars, commercials and classics, no need to book.WHERE: A57 Manchester Rd, near WarringtonWEB: facebook.com/pages/Rixton-Car-Boot-and-Auto-JumbleROMNEY RETROS MEETWHEN: 25th October, from 3pmWHAT: Eclectic gathering of classic cars. All American and custom cars welcomed.WHERE: Lade Car Park, Coast Drive (opposite Taylor Road), Lydd On SeaWEB: Facebook.com/Romney RetrosGLIDING CENTRE CLASSIC CAR MEETWHEN: 25th October, 11am onwardsWHAT: Chat, show vehicles and try a glider fl ight and have a Sunday lunch!WHERE: Husbands Bosworth Airfi eld, LeicestershireWEB: www.theglidingcentre.co.ukPORSCHE NIGHT @ THE ACE CAFEWHEN: 26th October, 5pm - lateWHAT: Porsche night at the Ace Café.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comMOTORNUTZ CLASSIC CAR MEETWHEN: 28th October, from 7pmWHAT: A local and friendly classic car meet in South Yorkshire.WHERE: The Waverley, Brinsworth Road, S60 5RWWEB: www.motornutz.co.ukCLASSIC & COLLECTOR CAR MEETWHEN: 28th October, 6pm onwardsWHAT: Informal monthly gathering. No booking No fee.WHERE: Grange Park, Scunthorpe North Lincs.WEB: retrorides.proboards.com/thread/34527/scunthorpe-district-vintage-classic-clubTHE ITALIAN JOB WHEN: 29th October – 7th NovemberWHAT: A charity run for Minis and all vehicles that appeared in the 1969 Italian Job fi lm.WHERE: All over EuropeWEB: www.italianjob.com

OCTOBERPRESCOTT AMERICAN AUTUMN CLASSICWHEN: 3rd – 4th October, all weekendWHAT: Ever-popular Autumn Classic event is an all-American Stars & Stripes weekend.WHERE: Prescott Hillclimb, GloucestershireWEB: www.prescott-hillclimb.com

MORGAN MEMORIAL RACE @ DONINGTONWHEN: 3rd – 4th October, 10am – 4:30pmWHAT: Morgan racing at Derbyshire’s famous Donington Park.WHERE: Donigton Park Circuit, DerbyshireWEB: www.mscc.uk.com

LIVERPOOL MOTOR CLUB TRACK DAYWHEN: 3rd October, 10am – 4:30pmWHAT: The second of just two trackdays at the famous old Grand Prix circuit of Aintree.WHERE: Aintree, LancashireWEB: www.liverpoolmotorclub.com

GOODWOOD VEE-POWER BREAKFASTWHEN: 4th October, 8am – 12pmWHAT: All classics with a V-shaped engine, V-twin, V4, V6, V8, V10, V12 etc.WHERE: Goodwood Circuit, SussexWEB: www.goodwood.co.uk

BROOKLANDS MORGAN DAYWHEN: 4th October, all dayWHAT: Morgan day at the famous Brooklands Museum and banking. WHERE: Brooklands Museum Weybridge, SurreyWEB: www.brooklandsmuseum.com

MALVERN MINI SHOWWHEN: 11th October, 10am – 5pm WHAT: Mini Show & Spares Day, Severn Hall & Outside, Three Counties Showground, Malvern.WHERE: Three Counties Showground, MalvernWEB: www.classicshows.org

MAC SPRINT CURBOROUGHWHEN: 11th October, all dayWHAT: Sprinting MAC competition at the West Midlands venue. WHERE: Curborough Fradley, StaffordshireWEB: www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk

ALEXANDRA PALACE CLASSIC CAR SHOWWHEN: 30th October – 1st NovemberWHAT: 300 classics of all shapes and sizes on display. Part of London Classic Car Week.WHERE: Alexandra Palace, LondonWEB: www.alexandrapalace.com

ALL AMERICAN CRUISE-INWHEN: 31st October, 3pm – 7pmWHAT: Stars and Stripes classics and moderns at the Ace.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

REGENT STREET VETERAN CAR CONCOURSWHEN: 31st October, 11am – 3pmWHAT: London to Brighton Veteran Car Run Concours, Central London. This takes place on the day before each annual Run, in Regent Street.WHERE: Regent Street, LondonWEB: www.vccofgb.co.uk

LINCOLN AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 31st October, 6:30am – 12:30pmWHAT: Covers cars, motorcycles, tractors and lorries. £2 parking and £10 stall with unlimited space.WHERE: Hangar Number One, HemswellWEB: www.lincolnautojumble.com

NOVEMBERGOODWOOD BREAKFAST BAHN STORMERWHEN: 1st November, 8am – 12pmWHAT: Bahn Stormer breakfast meet for German performance!WHERE: Goodwood, SussexWEB: https://grrc.goodwood.com/section/breakfast-club/FRY UP CLUB – EAST MIDLANDSWHEN: 1st November, 8:30am – 11:30amWHAT: Fry Up Club East Midlands monthly meet at Limes Café A614.WHERE: The Limes Café, NottinghamWEB: www.calendar.retro-rides.orgDURHAM CARS AND COFFEEWHEN: 1st November, 11am – 1pmWHAT: All marques and models welcomed (with a heavy Ford turn out). Coffee available!WHERE: The Xcel Centre, Newton Aycliffe


events diary

WEB: www.retrorides.proboards.com/thread/173469/cars-coffee-newton-aycliffe-durhamPENRITH AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 1st November, 9am – 1pm WHAT: Established car and bike autojumble, all hard standing indoor and outdoor plots £10.WHERE: Penrith Auction Mart Skirsgill, PenrithWEB: www.garstangautojumbles.co.ukKRISPY KREME MEETWHEN: 1st November, 9:30am onwardsWHAT: American car and classics welcomed. Come along for coffee and doughnuts!WHERE: Krispy Kreme, Barton Dock Road. Trafford ParkWEB: www.aacnw.comLONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUNWHEN: 1st November, all dayWHAT: The world’s longest running motoring event, featuring 500 pre-1905 vehicles travelling a total of 60 miles from London to Brighton.WHERE: Hyde Park, London and fi nishes at Madeira Drive, BrightonWEB: www.veterancarrun.comHOT ROD MEET @ THE ACE CAFÉWHEN: 4th November, 5pm – 10pmWHAT: Hot rods and American classics gather at the Ace Café.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comACE CAFÉ MINI MEETWHEN: 5th November, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Monthly Mod ‘n Mini Night at the Ace Café.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

PRESTON CRUISE @ LEA GATEWHEN: 6th November, 7pm WHAT: Eagerly attended classic car and bike gathering. Everything from Astons to Harleys.WHERE: Lea Gate pub, Blackpool Rd, PrestonWEB: www.nwscc.co.uk/events

AC OWNERS’ CLUB SPRINTWHEN: 7th November, all dayWHAT: Sprint competition for AC owners at Goodwood hillclimb.WHERE: Goodwood, SussexWEB: https://grrc.goodwood.com/race/on-track

FOOTMAN JAMES RESTORATION SHOWWHEN: 7th November – 8th November, 9:30am – 4pmWHAT: Vast array of classics, clubs and experts to explain how to restore old cars.WHERE: Royal Bath and West Showground, Shepton MalletWEB: http://www.footmanjames.co.uk/classic-car-bike-events/the-footman-james-classic-vehicle-restoration-show

GARSTANG AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 8th November, 9am – 1pmWHAT: Well-established car and bike autojumble (established in 1997).WHERE: Garstang, PrestonWEB: www.garstangautojumbles.co.ukACE CAFE FRENCH & PERFORMANCEWHEN: 9th November, 5pm – 10pm WHAT: A gathering of French performance tin.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comACE CAFÉ CLASSIC CAR NIGHTWHEN: 10th November, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: All classic meet with a sports car slant. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comFOREST HILL & DISTRICT CAR CLUBWHEN: 10th November, 8pm onwardsWHAT: Members meeting with drinks, biscuits and old cars over 25 years old.WHERE: Athelney Primary School, Forest HillWEB: www.foresthillclassiccarclub.orgWEALD CLASSIC VEHICLE MEETWHEN: 10th November, from 6pm WHAT: An evening with classic car and motorbike enthusiasts.WHERE: Weald Inn, Royal George Road, Burgess HillWEB: www.wealdcvclub.simplesite.comITALIAN NIGHT @ THE ACEWHEN: 12th November, 6pm – 11pm

WHAT: An evening celebrating the best of Italian. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

LANCASTER INSURANCE CLASSIC MOTOR SHOWWHEN: 13th November – 15th November, all weekendWHAT: The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show is the biggest and most popular classic car exhibition in the UK. WHERE: NEC Birmingham, West MidlandsWEB: www.necclassicmotorshow.com‘NORMOUS NEWARK AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 15th November, all dayWHAT: One of the UK’s largest autojumbles with classic cars in attendance.WHERE: Newark & Notts Showground, East MidlandsWEB: www.newarkautojumble.co.ukBORDERS BREAKFAST MEETWHEN: 15th November, all dayWHAT: Sunday morning get-together and chat about classic vehicles.WHERE: Route 68 Café Milestone Garden and Leisure Centre, MelroseWEB: www.bvac.org.ukBEAUJOLAIS RUNWHEN: 16th November 2015 End Date: 21 November 2015WHAT: The world famous Beaujolais Run now in its 5th year. All classics welcome. WHERE: Surrey Region, LondonWEB: www.beaujolaisrun.comEAST MIDS MMOC MEETWHEN: 16th November, from 7:30pmWHAT: All classic Morris and Austin vehicles and owners welcome.

WHERE: The Nursery Man, BeestonWEB: www.eastmidlands.mmoc.org.ukAIR COOLED VWs @ THE ACEWHEN: 17th November, from 5pmWHAT: Owners and fanciers of the air-cooled creations Wolfsburg.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comBRIT SPORTS CAR NIGHTWHEN: 18th November, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: British sports car night, celebrating TVR, Lotus, Ginetta, Noble and Marcos.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comESCORTS @ THE ACEWHEN: 21st November, 11am – 4pmWHAT: DJ Rev production and gathering of Ford’s fi nest.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comRIXTON AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 22nd November, from 7amWHAT: Indoor and outdoor all-weather autojumble. Traders, bikes, cars, commercials and classics, no need to book.WHERE: A57 Manchester Rd, near WarringtonWEB: facebook.com/pages/Rixton-Car-Boot-and-Auto-JumbleROMNEY RETROS MEETWHEN: 22nd November, from 3pmWHAT: Eclectic gathering of classic cars. All American and custom cars welcomed.WHERE: Lade Car Park, Coast Drive (opposite Taylor Road), Lydd On SeaWEB: Facebook.com/Romney RetrosNORSE NIGHT WHEN: 23rd November, from 6pmWHAT: Norse special night for Saabs and Volvos only. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com


VAG MEET @ THE ACEWHEN: 24th November, from 6pmWHAT: Meet for all water-cooled VW models including Skoda, Seat, Audi & Porsche.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

MOTORNUTZ CLASSIC CAR MEETWHEN: 25th November, 7pm onwardsWHAT: A local and friendly classic car meet in South Yorkshire.WHERE: The Waverley, Brinsworth RoadWEB: www.motornutz.co.uk

INCARNATION SHOW ’N SHINEWHEN: 25th November, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Famous, regular show ’n Shine competition at the Ace.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

LINCOLN AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 28th November, 6:30am – 12:30pmWHAT: Covers cars, motorcycles, tractors and lorries. £2 parking and £10 stall with unlimited space.WHERE: Hangar Number One, HemswellWEB: www.lincolnautojumble.com

ALL AMERICAN CRUISE-INWHEN: 28th November, 4pm – 8pmWHAT: All American and custom cars welcomed.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

HEARTS, BUCKS & BEDS SAAB MEETWHEN: 28th November, 11am – 4pmWHAT: Saab meet for the north of London shires.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

MALVERN DRIVE-INWHEN: 29th November, all dayWHAT: Massive car show held in the Wye Halls and outside.WHERE: The Three Counties Showground, MalvernWEB: www.classicshows.org

PORSCHE NIGHT @ THE ACEWHEN: 30th November, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Stuttgart’s fi nest gather at the Ace Cafe. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

DECEMBERHOT ROD NIGHTWHEN: 2nd December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Hot Rod night for American, classics and customs. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

MOD ‘N MINI MEETWHEN: 3rd December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Minis of all shapes and sizes and classic scooter meet.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comPRESTON CRUISE @ LEA GATEWHEN: 4th December, from 7pm WHAT: Eagerly attended classic car and bike gathering. Everything from Astons to Harleys.WHERE: Lea Gate pub, Blackpool Rd, PrestonWEB: www.nwscc.co.uk/events

LE JOGWHEN: 5th December – 8th December WHAT: The Land’s End to John O’ Groats Reliability Trial and Touring Trial.WHERE: Land’s End to John O’ GroatsWEB: www.heroevents.eu

DURHAM CARS & COFFEEWHEN: 6th December, 11am – 1pmWHAT: All marques and models welcomed (with a heavy Ford turn out). Coffee available!WHERE: The Xcel Centre, Long Tens Way, Newton AycliffeWEB: http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/173469/cars-coffee-newton-aycliffe-durham

KRISPY KREME MEETWHEN: 6th December, from 9:30amWHAT: American car and classics welcomed. Come along for coffee and doughnuts!WHERE: Barton Dock Road. Trafford Park, DumplingtonWEB: www.aacnw.com

STEWART REGISTER GET TOGETHERWHEN: 6th December, 11am onwardsWHAT: Need not bring your vehicle if it is tucked up for the winter! Catch up with friends and make new ones.WHERE: Ruddington Heritage CentreWEB: www.carandclassic.co.uk/event/7165GERMAN NIGHT WHEN: 7th December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: German night at the Ace Cafe, predominently Mercedes-Benz & BMW. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.comWEALD CLASSIC VEHICLE MEETWHEN: 8th December, from 6pmWHAT: An evening with classic car and motorbike enthusiasts.WHERE: Royal George Road, Burgess HillWEB: www.wealdcvclub.simplesite.comBRIT SPORTS CAR NIGHTWHEN: 8th December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: British sports car night, celebrating TVR, Lotus, Ginetta, Noble and Marcos.

WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

RIXTON AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 13th December, from 7amWHAT: Indoor & outdoor all-weather autojumble, traders, bikes, cars, commercials & classics.WHERE: A57 Manchester Road near WarringtonWEB: www.facebook.com/pages/Rixton-Car-Boot-and-Auto-Jumble

NORMOUS NEWARK AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 13th December, from 10amWHAT: A massive & varied car & motorbike autojumble, fi lled with spares, tools & automobilia.WHERE: Newark ShowgroundWEB: www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

BRISTOL RETRO & CLASSIC BREAKFASTWHEN: 13th December, 8:30am – 11:30amWHAT: A diverse range of classic and retro cars, combined with great food and banter.WHERE: Queen’s Square, BristolWEB: retrorides.proboards.com/thread/163718/bristol-retro-classic-meet-Sunday

PETROLHEAD NIRVANA MEETWHEN: 14th December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: A social get together with all manner of performance machinery (new & old).WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

BRIT SPORTS CAR NIGHTWHEN: 16th December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: British sports car night, celebrating TVR, Lotus, Ginetta, Noble and Marcos.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

BORDERS BREAKFAST MEETWHEN: 20th December, all dayWHAT: Sunday morning get-together and chat about classic vehicles.WHERE: Route 68 Café Milestone Garden and Leisure Centre, MelroseWEB: www.bvac.org.uk

MALVERN SUNDAY BREAKFAST MEETWHEN: 20th December, 9am – 1pmWHAT: Hot rods, bikes and classics welcomed. Supporting: driveoutcancer.comWHERE: The Filling Station, MalvernWEB: www.thevintagestockyards.com#

EAST MIDS MMOC MEETWHEN: 21st December, from 7:30pmWHAT: All classic Morris and Austin

vehicles and owners welcome.WHERE: The Nursery Man, BeestonWEB: www.eastmidlands.mmoc.org.uk

FRENCH CLASSIC & PERFORMANCE CAR NIGHTWHEN: 21st December, 5pm – 10pmWHAT: A gathering of French performance tin.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

COLD TURKEY MEETWHEN: 26th December, 10am – 5pmWHAT: Café opens for all those sick of the Christmas festivities in need of a petrol shot.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

RIXTON AUTOJUMBLEWHEN: 27th December, from 7amWHAT: Indoor and outdoor all-weather autojumble. Traders, bikes, cars, commercials and classics, no need to book.WHERE: A57 Manchester Rd, near WarringtonWEB: facebook.com/pages/Rixton-Car-Boot-and-Auto-Jumble

ROMNEY RETROS MEETWHEN: 27th December, from 3pmWHAT: Eclectic gathering of classic cars. All American and custom cars welcomed.WHERE: Lade Car Park, Coast Drive (opposite Taylor Road), Lydd On SeaWEB: Facebook.com/Romney Retros

PORSCHE NIGHT @ THE ACEWHEN: 28th December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Stuttgart’s fi nest gather at the Ace Cafe. WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

VAG MEET @ THE ACEWHEN: 29th December, from 6pmWHAT: Meet for all water-cooled VW models including Skoda, Seat, Audi & Porsche.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com

MOTORNUTZ CLASSIC CAR MEETWHEN: 30th December, 7pm onwardsWHAT: A local and friendly classic car meet in South Yorkshire.WHERE: The Waverley, Brinsworth RoadWEB: www.motornutz.co.uk

INCARNATION SHOW ’N SHINEWHEN: 30th December, 6pm – 11pmWHAT: Famous, regular show ’n Shine competition at the Ace.WHERE: Ace Café, LondonWEB: www.ace-cafe-london.com


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96 RETRO CARS

readers’ rides

AUSTRALIAN ESCORT

Hi JJ, I was just reading through last month’s Retro Cars... superb as ever! I came across your MkII build. I’ve got a couple of them myself... well 5 as it happens, so always interested in other projects, particularly engine work as I’m a bit of a fan of them!

I see in your quest for some more urge you’ve gone down the 2-litre block route... at a guess you have the Audi ACE code from an 80 Sport? They make a great base engine for further tuning as you know but I picked up on a couple of points of note which may be of help for you. There are many myths surrounding the 8 & 16v in the tuning world which over the years have turned into gospel gossip, one of which is the 16v head…

The early KR did indeed have a slightly different port shape, which on initial glance looks bigger, but in fact they’re not. The later KR shared the same basic casting with the 9A, 6A & late ABF 16vs. The early casting is a 027 code and all the later versions are 051. There are also minor differences in 051s but nothing to worry too much about. The folklore part is the interesting bit though... early KR 027 castings do not fl ow as well as the later 051 versions. I’ve had many on the fl owbench over the years and the later heads are always better in standard form. The early head does have 1mm bigger exhaust valves but this makes no noticeable power difference. So, if you have a later KR 051 casting you have more or less the same performance potential as the later 9A - ABF version, but if you’re using an older 027 casting you’re missing a bit of fl ow.

However as you know head porting pays dividends. I’ve yet to port an early KR from scratch myself yet the ones I’ve tested from other tuners still show a fl ow loss over heads based on the later casting when ported by the same hand, so the later casting is generally the better base in standard or modded form.

I’m sort of also with you on the shorter block heights in certain applications, it feels a more period mod rather than the ABF. However, the bore and stroke are identical with just the rod length differing, 144 in the 9A/6A/ACE engine and 159mm in the ABF. That rod to stroke length gives a slightly different character to them both, in ultimate performance the longer rod is better, although I’ve built 230hp sprint engines based on the 6A version so they don’t really hold much back.

Flywheels... now they can indeed be lightened quite a bit for improved response by machining the front face and the thick rim on the ring gear side. However, they do need to be re-balanced after, particularly on 2-litres as they can suffer an inherent vibration issue

and rattle off front pulleys, break clutch bolts, loosen alternator bolts and break alternator & p/s brackets. I had a circuit race customer fi t a lightweight fl ywheel earlier in the year that kept throwing alternator belts due to the pivot bolt constantly working loose, which it never did before. His new engine is fully balanced and doesn’t shake bolts loose anymore.

No doubt you may have a favoured tuner closer to home but if I can help in any way I’d be only too happy in the future. Good luck with the projects and keep up the great work on the mag.

I see Bryn still works on the mag....he did an article on my hillclimb MkI back in the early days with the previous publisher. Ask him if he remembers the wet road test in the black MkI down in the southwest.

Regards Jason (www.jmrclubsport.co.uk)Hi Jason. I’m loving this engine it’s a peach and screams its nuts off. However, there’s a few little niggles that we’re looking to address. We want to fi t some throttle bodies and aftermarket management as its buzzing the limiter at about 6600rpm.

The car is one of our two go-to track toys (other is the 205) but it’s also used by me weekly so I’m not overly keen on making it too harsh. Such a good laugh though, I’m just loving sticking it into corners at silly speeds. Addictive engine and exhaust noise though too!

In another, but not entirely unrelated note, my power steering pipes have sprung a leak and I’m happy to sack it off in truth… Now I’ve heard that the PAS rack is a little quicker? Is that right? Also, how do you go about deleting it while leaving the pump in place (due to the auxiliary belt pulley).Thanks for all the details and kind words.

P.S Bryn’s not really on the mag anymore, he just contributes every now and then, he’s the main man at Speedhunters. Ed

AUDI ENGINE ADVICE

and rattle off front pulleys, break clutch bolts, loosen alternator bolts

I am based in Australia and have a MkI Escort. I don’t know whether you would be interested, but I thought I would send through a couple of photos to see if you are? Maybe do a shoot?

Regards Dave Fitzsimons, via email.

Thanks very much Dave, we’re snowed under here at present with Escorts, but yours certainly looks tidy. Could you send us another email with all of the specifi cations and your tale of owning it and we’ll take it from there? Thanks. Ed

NOVEMBER 2015 97

DATSUN CEDRICI was wondering if you might be interested in putting my ride in Retro Cars magazine? It’s a 1974 Nissan Cedric 230 GX. It’s ‘as new’ with low miles. I do believe you won’t fi nd a cleaner one, if indeed any actually in existence, in the UK…

I bought the car from Dave Warren who owns the GTR Shop. You have just done a nice article on his Skyline. He imported it for me from Hiroshima, Japan this year.

I have spent lots of hours turning a nice rust-free car into a top condition show car. Look forward to your reply.

Kind regards Mike Hughes, via email.Thanks for sending us some photos of your

fantastic Nissan (which of course isn’t a Datsun as it’s a native Japanese market car, the Datsun badge was used on exports).

I know for a fact that we do have a handful of Datsun Cedrics in the UK but to my knowledge very few (or any) have actually been modded. I love yours it’s a seriously unusual and cool motor, we’ll defi nitely be in touch. Ed

Further to our messages on Twitter, please fi nd a few pictures of my Paul Smith Mini attached.

I bought it in April this year and carried out a resto and used it for the London to Brighton run in May, which it completed fi ne

I’ve repainted it and done loads to it including a recon gearbox etc. etc. the list goes on and on

If you would like to feature it I have loads of pictures of it from when I got it right though the rebuild to its current mint condition.

Thanks Darren Brown, via email.

PAUL SMITH MINI


Contents subject to change…

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NEXT MONTHThe December issue of Retro Cars showcases some special machines that we just couldn’t � t in our Japanese special and the usual eclectic mix of stunning tin that you can’t afford to miss! It’s also our JJ’s last issue in the editor’s chair!

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Here’s one we built earlier......can we build a set for you?

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Retro Cars - November 2015