I just wanted to write a quick blog post before all of the festivities get underway wishing a Happy New Year to everyone who follows us on social media, checks our website or has bought a car from us. Its been a good year for us and I personally am looking forward to another year full of interesting cars, people and stories. Hopefully some of our big plans for the coming year will be able to go ahead and make for some interesting reading for all of you. We’re going to be organising more car meets this year to try and raise some money for charity and hopefully we’ll see more and more people attending and more money being raised for good causes along with our own annual donation in March.
We’ve been clearing out a few of our projects in the last couple of months to make some room for more interesting and creative things (some of which will be a surprise), though we’ve still got a few big projects to complete before these get underway. We are also happy to discuss taking on outside projects, so if you’ve got one that you’re considering then please do get in touch. You can head over to our projects page and find out what is still going on and follow the progress on these both on our website and on social media.
Once again Happy New Year, I hope it will be a good one for all of us.
Its been something of a hectic week here, with new cars arriving, others being painted and our lovely MK1 Escort Mexico replica being sold.
First up is our Sunbeam Alpine, which is now being built back up after being repainted, and I was a little wowed when I saw it come out after being painted, as it really does help to complete the car, which is sure to be a head turner. I can’t wait to get out for a drive in it and share the end result with anyone who is happy to read my ramblings.
Also in the workshop is our very low mileage Pre HE Jaguar XJS which I’ve nicknamed ‘The Penguin’ (I’m sure you can appreciate why). The car was in long term storage with its original owner (which is how it accounts for the low mileage) before being sold and the new owner ‘recommissioned’ the car to a fairly low standard before we bought it. There were a lot of imperfections in the bodywork and paintwork which are now being corrected. This is going to be a fantastic car and they engine bay is receiving the same treatment, as well some much needed attention to help cure a misfire.
We finally pulled the Renault Alpine GTA out of storage to send it off to paint only to find out that no one wants to touch the glass work or even the rubber seals, as they are impossible to find for these cars, so the project has been delayed somewhat. If you know of anyone who specialises in Renault Alpines then please let me know.
I was very excited by the arrival of three (long awaited) American pick-up trucks, who are to be sold on behalf of a long time family friend. The last time I saw these trucks was when they were bought around five years ago, and I know that they haven’t done much since. All three vary greatly and to me, that is a fantastic thing. I’ve only managed to drive one of them so far but it surprised me by how well it drove. That truck is the 1935 Dodge KC 1/2 ton pick up that is fitted with a later Slant-6 engine and even NOS! The other two trucks are also special, with the hot-rodded Chevrolet 3100 Stepside catching the eye – and ear – very easily, I can’t wait to take it out for a drive. The final truck is a rat-rod International Harvester that is also very modified. A full description for each truck can be found on our current stock page.
There are also three other new listings on our website. An MG B convertible project that is very solid and should be going for an MOT at some point in the near future, it needs attention to its paint and bodywork but runs and has a good interior. Also listed is a rather fun MG B V8 ‘track car’ that is road legal and will also be MOTd before being sold, it looks pretty special too, so its worth having a look at the photos. Finally we have my favourite of the listings in the form of this stunning 1970 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe, it is a fantastic little car and drives just as beautifully as it looks.
I managed to spend a day at the NEC at the Lancaster Classic Car Show yesterday which proved to be even more enjoyable than expected, even if most areas were rammed to the rafters. There were some simply fantastic cars on display and it was great to be able to catch up with our friends at The Market (www.themarket.co.uk) and I even managed to chat with the man who looks after George Harrison’s old Mercedes 500 SEL.
To cap off what has been a pretty great week our MK1 Ford Escort Mexico replica has just left for its new home, and more importantly it is going to the right home where it will be loved and enjoyed. I’ll certainly miss this car and plenty of my colleagues will too. I hope you’re all having a fantastic weekend!
Sometimes you have weeks where you feel like you’ve accomplished a lot, and other times you have weeks like this one, where you’ve basically moved a lot of cars around and not really solved any problems. Continue reading “Our week: 23rd – 28th October 2017”
We’ve now listed two of our XJS projects for sale, as it would be better for someone else to get them back on the road and enjoy them rather than us keep them sat at the back of our workshop constantly being pushed to the back of the projects list. Continue reading “A project for winter?”
I thought I would continue writing some blog posts about my own XJS and all about owning one (both the good and the bad). At the moment the car is sat up in our workshop with a mystery fuel leak that will require the fuel tank to come out and the oil leak is also still present after the rocker cover gasket was replaced. I’ve also decided to have the car serviced since it doesn’t appear a service has been completed on the car since last 2015. The car is up on a ramp but waiting behind a few, more pressing jobs so it could take a while before it is back on the road. I did manage to break the mounting for one of the chrome trim pieces on the boot but that is all sorted now.
With the bad stuff out of the way, I can say that I’ve been enjoying using the car more and more, even if driving one of the V12s the other day did make me want a little more power. When the fuel level isn’t dropping like a stone because of a fuel leak the car doesn’t do too badly on fuel, 16-18mpg can be achieved easily. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot but it is the better part of 30 years old, heavy and with a big engine, so you couldn’t really expect much else. I also discovered that the ‘sport’ mode that I thought didn’t do anything actually does have an effect. It holds the gears until the needle goes right around the clock rather than stopping half way and helps to transform the car into a somewhat fast car. I spoke to an engine builder I know (before I bought the car) who told me that he used to supercharge 4.0 manual XJS when they were new and they produced as much as 420Nm, which is pretty impressive and I wish I could have a go in one. I wasn’t sure that I wanted an automatic car simply because I prefer a manual car and it adds to the driving experience in these especially, but I am actually enjoying the auto box in this one and is perfect for cruising around when you’re not really driving for driving’s sake. Hopefully the car will be back on the road soon and I can give you another update (before it probably develops another issue).
Last Monday we were lucky enough to be allowed to take Soapy and our Ford Coupe down to Brands Hatch to take some photographs for an ad that we will be running in the December issue of Classic American. We have some good friends down at Brands and it is one of my personal favourite race tracks as I have spent a lot of time there over the years. Continue reading “Soapy and the Coupe – Brands Hatch”
I thought I’d write a post about my new runaround – this Jaguar XJ-S 4.0 Auto – and keep it updated with the ups and downs of living with an old car as a daily driver. Most people who buy classic cars don’t intend to use them daily (though there are still a few and thats awesome if you can), but a modern classic like the XJ-S should be able to provide you with a good balance between old and new. You still have a modern(ish) car but without so many of the electronic nannies that some people don’t like about new cars. I didn’t intentionally choose to buy an XJ-S, it was more of a right place, right time (and right price!) kind of deal, though I do like the XJ-S as a car and we have more than a few in various states.
I should be driving my Mercedes 190e 2.5-16 day to day but it had its problems months ago and was left laid up in a corner of the workshop until someone had a chance to look at it (ironically it now appears that the problems may have been sorted). I’ve been driving a Navara day to day and I love that car, it has never let me down but it isn’t exactly what you would call a ‘sporting’ vehicle or one that you want to drive for fun. This XJ-S was at an auction I go to regularly and where I had a few cars for sale myself and it impressed me more than I thought it would. It truly is a car with great history and general condition. This car was heavily featured in a specialist Jaguar magazine for eight months and owned by a man who judges these very cars, what more could you want? The mechanicals of the car are all very good and serious money has been spent ensuring any problems have been taken care of, the only thing is the paint is somewhat shabby – but I’m beginning to like that too. This isn’t a low mileage car (190,800 at the moment) but I’m not one to be put off by that.
This car in particular has an aesthetic I really like, the black wheels set off the red very well and I’ve been considering dechroming the rest of the car with those parts being finished in a similar fashion to the wheels, but thats a potential project for the future. It is incredibly hard to find an XJ-S with a dark coloured interior and this one does, beige/grey/etc really tend to bother me and I would find it hard to live with one unless it perfectly matched the rest of the car. To my eye the post facelift coupes are better looking sheerly for the window shape that modernises the whole design, and when I took this car to Cars and Curry on Wednesday I couldn’t help but think it was one of the better looking cars there – and thats among the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.
Preferably I would have bought a manual rather than an automatic (We’ve got a couple of 3.6 manual XJ-S and it definitely transforms the car into something fast), but they are a dime a dozen and a lot more expensive than this one if you could find one in a similar condition. The automatic gearbox has surprised me though, I thought it would be slow and intractable but once you’ve learned to live with it a little you can get a good level of performance from the car. It isn’t a sports car, and definitely not by today’s standards, but it is a good sporting GT. Driving the car at any pace does mean that you’ll only be getting 16mpg (according to the car computer) so that is another factor to consider. The sport mode has no discernible difference that I have found but thats ok because the light on the dash can be a bit annoying.
This XJ-S is like any other old car in the sense that it has its own character and foibles that have been developed over its life. These can be both good and bad. You get the wind whistling when at motorway speeds because the window seals aren’t that good, though I haven’t gotten wet with the doors shut yet like I did the other day in the Alpine! The dash lights flicker up with a mind of their own and you have to pay attention to the car itself and use a little common sense, its an important lesson for someone who has never used and old car for any extended period. I’m a little tall for the car and can normally feel my hair brushing the roof plus there is nowhere for my left foot to rest comfortably (though there always is in the pre-facelift V12s which seems odd). I love that the car is so comfortable but one of my favourite things is the way the nose spins around a corner like you’re in a 70s TV car chase, its just fantastic. I’m sure there will be plenty more to come with this car and I will try and keep it updated along with any modifications I might make.
Two of our most recent arrivals are also two very interesting cars – and ones we can’t wait to get started on. Firstly we have a recreation of an Alfa 6C Sprint (which never actually got built or homologated) that has fallen into disrepair, though it still sounds incredible. The other car is a Ford Capri (originally a 1.6 LS) that has been fitted with a BMW V12, which we’re sure will make for an ‘interesting’ driving experience.
Both cars are a little bonkers in their own way and it will be exciting to see how they turn out. They won’t be started straight away due to the constraints of having other projects in our workshop though I am making an effort to clear the list above them to see that they aren’t left too long. There are actually a couple of old videos of the Alfa on YouTube and I’ve added another which you can see above.
You’ll be able to follow both restorations on our projects page and since the Capri is going to be non original any suggestions you have for modifications are more than welcome.
I’m a big fan of car meets, we’ve run a few of our own (and more soon hopefully) and the Cars and Curry event at the Headley Spice is one of my favourites. Its only just down the road from us and there are always some fantastic cars that turn up. Last night saw a pair of 675LTs turn up among many other rare machines. I was hoping to take our mk1 Escort Mexico replica but a couple of issues stopped that plan and I turned to the Triple 8 Astra as it was easily accessible, running well and clean. I haven’t driven the Astra in a while and I was glad I took it last night as it reminded me of what a fantastic car it really is, the drive up there left me unable to take a clear photo due to the after effects of an adrenaline rush – its that good! This is a proper turbo car that blasts you down the road once it gets on boost and its surprises you at how quickly the needle goes around the dial towards the top of the rev range. There aren’t many of these around now and I believe only around 30 of these are still on the road (though I would imagine there are a fair few stashed in garages too). If you ever get a chance to drive one of these cars I recommend you do, there aren’t any cars being built with this kind of chivvy attitude anymore which is a sad thing because it makes for a fun car that drives, sounds and looks the part. For me, this car is about being fun and not grown up – which is something a few new cars could certainly learn a lesson from.
Now you may not recognise this car, and I would be willing to bet that you probably haven’t ever seen one in the flesh either (I certainly hadn’t). I saw this car come up for auction with CCA (Classic Car Auctions) when they were at the NEC in Birmingham and decided it was worth a look due to the rarity and that fact my Dad is a big Renault fan. Continue reading “The Renault 17 Gordini”
