I can’t believe a year has passed since I visited the London Classic Car Show at the ExCeL in London, but somehow it has. The show seemed to be a little smaller perhaps this year, though the layout was different so I could easily be mistaken. As alway there were many fantastic cars to see and many for sale also. I didn’t spend so much time watching the parade this year though what I did see did look fantastic also, especially since there were a couple of very non-original cars included in the line up.
I’ve included a gallery of some of my photos from the day below, this is an event that is well worth attending for anyone who likes classic cars.
Our X-Pack RS2000 Escort is now up and running ahead of testing to make sure the car drives as it should and that it needs no further mechanical work before the car is stripped down to be painted and receive a few aesthetic modifications to put our own touch on the car. Continue reading “MK2 Ford Escort RS2000 X-Pack”
Anyone who follows our social media feeds, especially Twitter, will know that I have a soft spot for the Jaguar XJ-S. So when the chance to purchase this particular car came up I simply couldn’t resist. This is no ordinary XJ-S, but instead it has been fettled by a few well known names. Continue reading “The New Arrival: 1988 Jaguar XJ-S 6.5l V12”
Well it is now 2018, and before work beckoned we managed to drive round to Brooklands Museum yesterday afternoon for their New Year’s Day car meet. We arrived late, and missed the bulk of the visiting classic cars. We did have a great time and there were still many fantastic and individual cars on show when we got there. I’ve included a gallery below of some of my personal favourites for you to (hopefully) enjoy. This was the first time I’ve been to an event like this at Brooklands, and I can easily say that I will definitely go again, it really is a special place with a great atmosphere which is just perfect for classic cars.
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”
