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September 2011 - Issue 9
Challenger
E-Type The Doppelganger Cat!
Lakeland Motor museum - Knebworth Show - MGB on track - And Much More!
Ford - Chevrolet - Cobra Engine Crate Specialist - Camaro - Corvette
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2 CPR Magazine
Ford - Chevrolet - Cobra Engine Crate Specialist - Camaro - Corvette
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Editorial Well, the days are getting shorter now, and what’s left of summer is slipping quietly away. That doesn’t means that it has been quiet in the automotive world though, far from it. There have been some great events over the last month, along with some superb motorsport too. As you probably already know, we have sort of adopted the US-based Robertson Racing Team as our featured racing outfit. They have had a fantastic few months with two back to back podiums, and recently they were the first team to ever field and all-female crew in the American Le Mans Series. Of course, the RRT with its wonderful Ford GTs is very much the top end of the sportscar racing world, but it is possible to have a lot of fun on a much smaller budget. Take Peter Bramble for example. Peter has been racing his MGB at various circuits around the UK, and in this issue he gives a light-hearted round up of his season so far. It makes interesting reading, especially if you’re thinking of getting involved with classic racing yourself. Last month’s TR6 feature seemed to go down well, judging by the number of great comments we got. However, we need to thank Ernie Knight for contacting us. He pointed out that the article was incorrect in stating that the TR3 was the first production car to use disk brakes. “The 1949 and 1950 Crosleys were the first series production cars in the world to have disc brakes as standard equipment,” said Ernie. “They were similar in size to the Herald and available as a sedan, station wagon, pickup truck and sports car (the Hot Shot). They all had 4-wheel Goodyear/Hawley disc brakes. A 1950 Crosley Hot Shot with four wheel disc brakes won the 1951 Index of Performance at Sebring.” So there you have it, the Crosley was the first! As always, we hope you enjoy reading this issue of Classic, Performance & Retro magazine.
Drive Safe!
The Classic, Performance & Retro team.
Editor: Simon Hazeldine- Designer: Chris Peacock - Sub Editor: Alan Simpson - Advertising: Tom Saunders - Web ‘Geek’: Luke Mowatt - Marketing: Peter Allinson. The entire contents of Classic, Performance & Retro magazine are copyright. No part of it may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Classic, Performance & Retro Magazine is a FREE monthly publication produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England. Contact Details: PO Box 280, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 9DH. Website - www.cprmag.com - E-mail - info@cprmag.com - Telephone +44 (0)1353 777519. We are happy to accept photographs and articles with a view to including them in Classic, Performance & Retro Magazine, but please note: all submissions are sent at contributors own risk and we will not be liable for any loss or damage.
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Challenger E-Type
Lakeland Motor Museum
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Slap What? MGB On Track
CONTENTS www.cprmag.com Issue 9 September 2011 018
Knebworth Classic Car Show: Now in its 22 year, the annual Knebworth Classic Motor Show was held on August 28/29 in the grounds of Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. Simon Hazeldine went along to see what was on offer.
032
Slap What?: Racing enthusiast Peter Bramble drives his 1966 MGB Roadster in events across the UK in his racing outfit called ‘Team Slap My Top.’ As peter explains in this look back at the season so far, getting there can be half the fun!
052
Return Of The Interceptor: The Jensen Interceptor was one of the iconic cars of the 1970s, and now it’s back. With its 6.2 litre V8 engine lifted straight from Chevrolet’s Corvette, the car has plenty of power too, as David Harrison explains.
068
Challenger E-Type: When David Thomas set out to buy an E-Type Jaguar, he couldn’t find a good car to suit his budget. Then he heard about the Challenger E-Type replicas and was so impressed he ended up buying one. Would the car live up to his expectations? Simon Hazeldine takes a closer look.
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Lakeland Motor Museum: Thousands of visitors flock to the Lake District each year to admire the stunning countryside, but now there is a new attraction - The Lakeland Motor Museum. Simon Hazeldine called in to find out more.
RegularFeatures:
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Glorious Knebworth!
006
News: All the latest news and gossip from the Classic, Performance & Retro worlds.
016
Club News: A round-up of news from some of the best car clubs in the world.
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Reviews: A look at what’s hot...and what’s not in the automotive marketplace.
084
What’s On: Never miss another race meeting or car show with our comprehensive events guide.
112
Auction News: A round up of what’s been happening in the auctions rooms around the world.
Classic, Performance & Retro magazine is a FREE monthly online publication produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England.
August 2011 5
News
The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!
Spyker Cars To Be Built At Historic Browns Lane Site? Spyker sportscars could soon be built at the famous Browns Lane in Coventry, once the home of Jaguar. Automotive firm CPP Global Holdings Ltd, manufacturers of off-road car Bowler, has signed a deal agreeing to purchase the land. The firm which employs 250 staff and already operates from five sites in Coventry plans to bring its operations to the site. Browns Lane was home to Jaguar car production until it moved to Castle Bromwich in 2005, although its engineering site is still based in nearby Whitley. CPP signed a memorandum of understanding to buy Spyker in February. Although the deal has now lapsed, the firm is still confident it will go ahead. The company is purchasing 23 acres of the Browns Lane site from Advantage West Midlands with planning applications to be submitted before the end of 2011. It is hoped redevelopment will start in 2012.
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Insurance Survey Reveals Classic Drivers Pay Too Much A poll conducted by classic car insurers Footman James has revealed that many drivers could be paying too much for their classic car insurance. The poll showed that 93 per cent of those surveyed said they drove less than 4,500 miles a year and 55 per cent travelled less than 1,500 miles in a 12-month period. The survey also showed a 7 per cent rise in the number of drivers clocking up less than 1,500 miles annually, compared with the previous 12-month period. Over 5,000 car owners took part in the survey which was conducted at last year’s Classic Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham. Garry Carlin, Sales Director at Footman James, said: “Many enthusiasts tend to only drive their classics periodically throughout the year, and therefore may be able to benefit from specially designed limited mileage policies. These usually come in different bands, such as under 1,500, 3,000 and 4,500 miles per year, as statistically the fewer miles you drive the less at risk you are of having an accident. Furthermore, depending on the age of the car, some enthusiasts may automatically qualify for unlimited mileage, which is usually charged at the same premium as the 3,000-mile option.”
German Company To Build 2,800hp Supercar? A German car manufacturer – Rotary Super Cars (RSC) - is planning to build a rotary engine supercar capable of producing an incredible 2,800hp. That’s no typo either. In case you haven’t quite got your head around that figure, compare that to the Rolls Royce Merlin which powered aircraft like the Spitfire, Mustang and Hurricane...and puts out a mere 1,720hp. The planned car is called the Predator GT and its maker hopes to unveil prototypes of the car sometime next year. It will feature a 2.6-litre, four-rotor, twin-turbo rotary engine which will produce 1,200hp and 1,110lb/ft of torque, and run on E85 bio-ethanol. Despite this, RSC says that the car will only produce the emissions of a vehicle with a 120hp engine. Performance wise, the car will do 0-62mph in less than 3.0 seconds, while it will hit 125mph in under 7.0 seconds, and 250mph from a standing start in 25 seconds. But that’s just the basic model. RSC says that it also plans on producing a 2,800hp, 2580lb/ft version using a 5.2 litre, quadturbo eight-rotor engine. The projected performance figures are frightening; 0-62mph in 0.9 seconds and 0-250mph in 4.8 seconds. Watch this space! August 2011 7
News
The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!
Vintage Rolls Royce Attacked By Bear! Just before winning two awards at America’s cult classic car extravaganza Pebble Beach, Fiennes Restoration’s Rolls-Royce 20/25 won another Best-in-Class award, at this year’s RROC National Meet Concours in Lake Tahoe, California (18 August). However, while parked overnight at the beautiful resort where California and Nevada meet, the RollsRoyce Drophead Coupé attracted the attention of a bear cub who climbed all over its bonnet and front wing. The security team frightened the cub away by sounding the horn in their car, but large paw-prints were left on the 1932 model restored to perfect condition by Fiennes’ team. Despite the unwanted attention, there was no lasting damage from the incident, with the paw-prints removed without any scratches in the paint. The car is no stranger to harsh treatment, having so far, survived a fire, an unwanted bath in Lake Geneva, and many years of neglect abandoned in a barn in the USA, before being found by its current UK owner.’
Gordon Murray Joins Lotus Advisory Council
Group Lotus has announced the appointment of Gordon Murray to the Lotus Advisory Council. Murray will work alongside automotive industry icons Bob Lutz, Tom Purves, Dr Burkhard Göschel and Frank Tuch to advise Group Lotus on current and future development. The purpose of the Lotus Advisory Council is to give advice and guidance on strategic issues such as product strategy, technology, quality, brand, marketing and distribution for Group Lotus. During his time in F1, Gordon was responsible for designing many Grand Prix winning cars and was heralded by many as leading the way in terms of innovation and pioneering new technologies. More recently Gordon established Gordon Murray Design to develop an innovative and disruptive automotive manufacturing technology trademarked iStream. Commenting on the appointment Group Lotus Chief Executive Dany Bahar said: “Gordon has never been afraid to trail blaze, take risks and do things differently, these are attribute that we are very familiar with and very proud of at Lotus.” Gordon Murray said: “For years I’ve been a huge admirer of Lotus, I have great respect for the legacy that Colin Chapman created and I think what Dany and the team are doing is a really good thing for the brand. He’s taking the strength from Chapman’s principals and taking the business to the next level whilst still keeping the general ethos – not an easy task! I’m really looking forward to contributing to Group Lotus during this exciting time.”
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July 2011 9
News
The Latest Automotive News From Around The World!
Record $16 Million Ferrari 250 Sale $78 Million Worth Of Cars Sold At Pebble Beach An amazing $78 million worth of collector cars was sold by auctioneer Gooding & Co at its Pebble Beach sale on August 20/21. The result marked a $13.6 million increase over the previous year’s sale with 19 world record being made. The star of the sale was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype which sold for an extraordinary $16.39 million, commanding the new worldwide record for a car sold at auction. Then on Sunday evening after the Concours d’Elegance, the sensational Whittell Coupe, a bespoke w, a new world record for a Duesenberg as well as the highest ever price paid for an American car at auction. “Overall our Pebble Beach Auctions this year were sensational, but the ultimate moments for me were when we broke through two major world records with the Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype and the Whittell Coupe,” said President and founder David Gooding. “The outstanding $78 million sale proves that the collector car market is alive and well, with considerable strength at the top.” Joining the star Testa Rossa, other auction highlights include the sale of the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider at $3.355 million, the record-breaking $2.585 million sale of the Shelby Cobra 289 factory team car and the sale of Bentley’s oldest surviving production car, Chassis 3, the 1921 Bentley 3 Litre that sold for an impressive $962,500. Below: 1931 Duesenberg Model J, sold for $10.34 million.
10 CPR Magazine
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trackNews
News, Gossip & Views From The World Of Motorsport
Classic Racers Battle Weather At Oulton Park Tough Conditions Prove Challenging For Drivers
Motor Racing Legends held two races at the 2011 Oulton Park Gold Cup: both of them on Bank Holiday Monday, 29 August. Although John Ure and Patrick Blakeney-Edwards dominated the Royal Automobile Woodcote Trophy race with their Cooper T24/25, they did not start from pole – that honour was secured by Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams driving Dick Skipworth’s Jaguar D-type. When Skipworth took the wheel of his own car for the start, however, he was – not surprisingly – unable to match Whizzo’s frantic pace, allowing John Ure to belt past in his Cooper and snatch the lead. Right on Ure’s tail throughout the first half of the race was Stephen Bond’s Lister Bristol, which even took the lead at one point – and, remarkably, achieved the fastest lap of the race. But any chance of scooping victory disappeared in the pit stop when Bond, as a single driver, had to stop for a mandatory 45 seconds. The Ure/Blakeney-Edwards pairing, meanwhile, did such a rapid pit stop that the Cooper hardly seemed to be stationary at all. In fact, Blakeney-Edwards pushed Ure out of the car and left him on the ground as he roared off down the pit lane – but John Ure didn’t seem to mind this strategy… Another hero of the race was Denis Welch, who took over from Malcolm Verey to drive a blinding second half in the Allard J2 – a particularly brutal car in the wetter weather which came towards the end of the race. Welch took the Allard up through the grid, even passing Stephen Bond’s Lister Bristol on the last lap, to finish second. So, at the end of a fast and furious race in which – despite the increasingly damp conditions – no one failed to finish, the Ure/Blakeney-Edwards Cooper was first past the flag, the Verey/Welch Allard second and the Lister Bristol third. The Stirling Moss Trophy race, meanwhile, was a real challenge for the drivers, thanks to heavy, intermittent rain showers. While Bobby Verdon-Roe took pole in the 1959 Le Mans-winning Aston Martin DBR1, a misfire meant the car didn’t take the start – sadly robbing spectators of what would have been an epic battle between the DBR1 and the Lister Knobbly of Jon Minshaw and Martin Stretton, which qualified just four hundredths of a second behind Verdon-Roe. Nevertheless, there was no shortage of thrills as the race unfolded. On lap five, a spin saw Jon Minshaw lose the lead and drop down to third in his Knobbly, giving Ewan McIntyre the opportunity to sweep ahead in his Lotus 15, closely followed by Jason Minshaw in his Maserati T61 Birdcage. As single drivers, however, both McIntyre and Jason Minshaw were penalised by a mandatory 45-second pit stop, which was part of the reason that Martin Stretton was able to re-take the lead in the Lister Knobbly by lap 13: that, and some truly stunning driving by Stretton. There’s no doubt that the heavy showers caused some excitement. After the race, which saw the Minshaw/Stretton Lister Knobbly take the chequered flag followed closely by Ewan McIntyre’s Lotus 15 (with Jason Minshaw’s Birdcage in third), Ewan commented that he must have ‘been off the track at just about every bend’ at some point during the race.
12 CPR Magazine
Classics in the making BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTS AUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND
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trackNews
MSA British Historic Rally Championship ROUND FIVE (ULSTER)
Tomas Davies and Eurig Davies were the toast of Ulster after a superb category three victory on round five of the Dunlop/Wonago MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Todd’s Leap Ulster Historic Rally on August 19/20. The Welsh crew overcame some fierce challenges on their way to a first BHRC victory as the Ulster Rally again delivered stunning stages and a mighty challenge. A fine drive to category two victory from David Stokes and Guy Weaver was a very important result in terms of the 2011 title race, while Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride were back on form to win category one in their Porsche 911. The BHRC’s second visit to Ulster underlined the quality of the rally, with a warm welcome, great stages and slick organisation. 14 CPR Magazine
News, Gossip & Views From The World Of Motorsport
WEBBER SIGNS WITH RED BULL FOR 2012 Australian Will Drive With Vettel In 2012 Red Bull Racing has announced that Mark Webber’s contract has been extended for another year, meaning the Australian will continue to drive for the team in 2012. Mark Webber said: “I want to continue racing at the top in Formula One so it’s a no-brainer to remain at Red Bull Racing for another year. My motivation to achieve the best results possible both for myself and the team is still very high. Over the past five years, we have worked hard and proved that we can design and build a competitive and championship-winning car, and I’m looking forward to putting the car and myself on the limit again each and every race weekend in 2012.” Team principal Christian Horner said: “When we sat down and started talking about 2012, it was immediately obvious that Mark and the team wanted to continue our successful relationship. This meant agreeing an extension for 2012 was very straightforward. Mark knows the team well, having been with us since 2007, and his motivation, fitness and commitment is as high as it has ever been. The pairing of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel is a very strong one, they push each other hard and we are extremely happy the pairing will remain unchanged for a fourth season.”
Visit www.sngbarratt.com for more information.
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ClubNews
Tell Us About Your Club! Want to tell us about your club or event? Then send details into Club News at: info@cprmag.com
Triumph Sports Six Club
Club Lotus
TSSC All Triumph Day At Duxford The Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire branch of the Triumph Sports Six Club is organising an All Triumph Day at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, on October 2. The event is likely to attract a large number of Triumph cars, including Spitfires, Heralds, GT6s and Triumph TRs. Along with the cars will be a number of trade stands and a range of activities will take place during the day. Entry to the show costs £11.95 per person and gates open at 10.00am. www.tssc.org.uk
Lotus Show A Great Success! Club Lotus says its 2011 show at Donington Park was a great success, with good weather, lots of visitors and some fantastic cars as well. The traders and stand holders reported very good business and plenty of interest from visitors and according to the club, there was a real buzz around the show all weekend. www.clublotus.co.uk
MG Car Club & MG Owners’ Club
MG Museum ‘Fund Run’ Cancelled The MG Abingdon Museum Fund Run, organised jointly between the MG Car Club and MG Owners’ Club, has been cancelled. With only weeks remaining until the event, the clubs had to shelve the plans because they were well below the minimum viability target of 100 cars on each of the runs. A statement on the MGOC website said: “Unfortunately, due to time restrictions, we do not anticipate that we will get sufficient entries to make the event viable. We do need to give as much cancellation notice to the start venues and Lecture Theatre or we incur unrecoverable costs. However Members from both Clubs are most welcome to visit the Abingdon Market Square between midday and 3:30 pm on September 11, to wave off two intrepid Midget drivers, Roy Locock and Chris Vernon, as they embark on an epic 13,000-mile journey ending in Kenya, Africa.” www.mgoc.co.uk or www.mgcc.co.uk
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showreport
Knebworth Classic Motor Show
Now in its 22 year, the annual Knebworth Classic Motor Show was held on August 28/29 in the grounds of Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. Simon Hazeldine went along to see what was on offer.
K
nebworth House in Hertfordshire has been associated with many things during its 500 year history. In recent times, it is perhaps best known for hosting large rock concerts with the likes of Robbie Williams attracting well over 100,000 people. Led Zeppelin also played their last ever live show there before 18 CPR Magazine
the untimely death of their drummer John Bonham. The venue also has a pretty strong association with cars too. For more than two decades Knebworth has hosted a classic car show and this year was no exception. Organised by Greenwood Exhibitions, the 2011 Knebworth Classic Motor Show was held during the
last Bank Holiday weekend of August on the Sunday and Monday. Bank Holidays here in the UK nearly always mean rain. If the whole country has a day off, you can almost guarantee that the skies will open and it will chuck it down. However, this one looked a little more promising. The forecast suggested that there could be
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an odd isolated shower, but otherwise it should remain dry. I opted to go on the Sunday as it looked like it would have the better weather, and as I headed south on the A1 the sky remained overcast, but at least it was dry. Knebworth is a perfect location for a car show. It couldn’t be easier to get to since it sits right next to the A1. In fact
the park entrance shares the same roundabout as the slip roads for the motorway, so it’s always an easy drive. A steady stream of traffic was heading into the site as I arrived but it only took a few minutes to get through the gate. There was plenty of parking space in a grass field adjacent to the event, but those arriving in classics were
ushered through to park in the showground itself. This seems to be the main theme of the Knebworth show. It’s not rammed full of priceless exotica and ‘do not touch’ signs; no, the cars on display were mostly just everyday classics, many of which were just visiting for the day. The cars were parked in September 2011 19
Great display of cars from the Singer Owners’ Club.
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A line of Ford Capris at Knebworth. chronological order, with areas marked out for certain eras and categories; for example, ‘1945 – 1959 Sports & GTs’ and so on. Some of the car clubs in attendance had their own separate parking areas around the edge of the main site and these provided some interesting displays. Singers On Show Among these was a collection of cars from the Singer Owners’ Club, which had a very attractive 1934 Singer Le Mans on show, along with a Gazelle convertible and several other very presentable cars. Another club which had a notable display was the Herts & Beds branch of the TVR Car Club. This group opted for quality over quantity, but the
1959 Cadillac DeVille.
Ferrari 355 Spyder. September 2011 21
Gary and Leanne Bates in their Triumph TR3A.
popular with those attending the show. Hardly surprising, since the lashings of chrome and super shiny paintwork made them a very attractive sight.
If you go down to the woods today...you never know what you’ll find under a tree! most eye-catching car in their group was a stunning TVR Sagaris which was finished in bronze/purple pearlescent paint. It was good to see so many clubs supporting this event, but I’m not too sure if the guys from the Austin Allegro Club had upset somebody or were 22 CPR Magazine
just being unsociable. Their collection of cars was parked at the top of the hill away from the main site and I didn’t see many visitors heading up there to have a look which is a shame. Scattered around the site were a number of American classics and these seemed to be very
Americana One car that really stood out for me was a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. The car had been beautifully restored and no effort had been spared when it came to attention to detail. This was a real ‘time warp’ car which was dripping with Americana from the 1950s era. It looked like it had just come straight from a drive-in move theatre (or should that be ‘Theater’?) and had a food tray clamped to the door top which was loaded with very realistic Coke bottles, burgers and milkshakes.
Elsewhere there was a very nice 1967 Ford Mustang GT wearing some of the shiniest chrome wheels I have ever seen; a two-tone black and white Oldsmobile Eighty Eight and a 1959 Cadillac DeVille with bigger tail fins than Concorde! Back to the UK classics, and there was a great assortment of Triumphs, MGs, Jaguars and Austin Healeys. One particular MG that caught my eye was a very nicely restored Midget 1500. This was the last incarnation of the Midget and featured the controversial rubber bumpers, so they are not the most popular model of the breed. This one though obviously had a very caring owner, as a look inside the car revealed immaculate red carpet, and walnut veneer dash and cream leather seats and trim topped with contrasting red piping. It must have cost the owner a small fortune and I would imagine he is a very popular customer at his local MG parts supplier! Tigger Too! Of course, while we are talking about British classics I must mention some of the delightful Minis that were on display. Everything from Coopers to vans, Travellers to pick-ups, just about every type of Mini you could think of seemed to be at Knebworth. One of my favourites was a Mini van called Tigger. Yep, named after the bouncy tiger made famous in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh films. This yellow and orange Mini van was a massive hit with the children at the show, for not only did it have a fluffy Tigger sitting in
A touch of class!
Convertible Triumph Herald. September 2011 23
24 CPR Magazine
This Chevy had some great accessories! the drivers’ seat, it also had a large black and orange stripy tail attached to the rear doors. The van is owned by Holly Brown-Horsler and is just one of five Minis that she owns. Hopefully Tigger the Mini isn’t quite as bouncy on the road as its namesake! Machine Gun As well as the cars there was a small collection of commercial vehicles, including a beautifully restored Bedford lorry and a Routemaster double decker bus. There was a few military vehicles too, among which was a very nice German Volkswagen Schwimmwagen from World War Two. The Schwimmwagen was in fact an amphibious car used by the German army, and the example on display still looked rather menacing with its
Holly BrownHorsler’s Mini van ‘Tigger.’ MG-34 machine gun mounted next to the windscreen. Of course, no classic car show is complete without a concours competition and there was a great line-up of car competing at Knebworth. Car of the show went to Max Thompson’s stunning 1977 Jaguar XJ12,
while the award to best club display went to the Singer Owners’ Club. Away from the cars there was a small selection of trade stands, most of which were of the ‘autojumble’ variety. There was also a few catering stands offering everything from fish & chips to hot dogs and September 2011 25
One of the Jaguar E-Types at Knebworth.
Porsche 356.
Great artwork!
Triumph TR5
burgers, but I managed to resist the temptation to indulge. One of the great things about this event is that it offers plenty to do for visitors partners and children who might not be interested in cars. A free shuttle bus was running from the show across the park to the adventure 26 CPR Magazine
playground, or if you fancied a more cultured experience, then a small additional fee got you into Knebworth House itself. There was also a miniature railway, formal gardens and a dinosaur trail to keep people amused. Overall I thought Knebworth was a great show. It
had a good selection of vehicles from vintage to modern and there was plenty to see and do for all visitors. Credit must go to the organisers for such a smoothly run event, and I for one look forward to returning next year for more of the same. Maybe I’ll see you there!
TVR Sagaris.
Singer Le Mans.
Tidy engine bay on this Ford Mk1 Cortina.
Max Thompson collects the prize for Car of the Show for his Jaguar XJ12. September 2011 27
Jaguars on display at the Knebworth Motor Show. 28 CPR Magazine
September 2011 29
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p ? a t l S ha W Racing enthusiast Peter Bramble drives his 1966 MGB Roadster in events across the UK in his racing outfit called ‘Team Slap My Top.’ As peter explains in this look back at the season so far, getting there can be half the fun!
T
he name ‘Team Slap My Top’ comes from a BBC Radio 2 presenter called Alex Lester, who once a year prompts listeners to write a particular slogan on the back of dirty trucks. You know the sort of thing; a couple of the most common ones are ‘Also 32 CPR Magazine
available in white’ and ‘Clean me.’ Well for some reason he came up with ‘Slap my top’ one year and I adopted it as the name for our racing team. My race car is a 1966ish MGB Roadster in which we have had many adventures, some of which can’t be published
as they are still looking for the guilty party today! It was built from a bare body shell which one day I will get around paying for (it’s a long story). The car was assembled in the front garden at my old house as I did not posses a garage; I had at least one other spares
car on the driveway at any one time, so as you can imagine I was popular with the neighbours. Parts of this new race car came from an MGB GT which I had used to sprint and race in the MG Car Clubs’ Cockshoot Cup. The car wasn’t really that competitive, and was even less so when it met an immovable object forcing its premature retirement. Another MGB GT
was purchased to provide yet more parts. I guess that meant that I was into recycling well before the ‘tree huggers’ made it popular. The car competes in the MG Car Clubs’ Cockshoot Cup and Total Butler/ Peter Best Championships with varying degrees of success. At the moment I am racing in both the above championships in Class B, which is for
road going modified cars, and then only when funds allow. Usually it’s just one championship unless it’s a special track or one that I have never raced before. The engine is a 1950cc B series unit built by John Caldwell at Entune 2000 (01204 573548) who are based near Bolton where I used to live. It has lots of shiny and finely balanced parts in it which I am not allowed to modify on pain of death; the rest of the car I can do what I want to…but not the engine. I guess John is probably right; usually when I rebuild an engine there are lots of nuts bolts left over, but that has to be a good thing because the engine is lighter…right? The rest of the car is as follows: gearbox is a standard four-speed with a competition overdrive from OD Services in Rugby (01788 540666). They have rebuilt it several times allegedly due to driver abuse and apparently it’s not supposed to work in reverse. There is a weight penalty running an overdrive box, but I think it is worth it due to the fact that you can run with a lower differential than normal. The rear axle is a Banjo type which is lighter than the later tube type axles. It is also easier to change the differential as you can simply unbolt it from the main casing, where as the diff is built into the axle itself on the later types. There is a Panard rod holding the axle in place too and this season I have added some anti-tramp bars as well. Although they work well on the start line, I feel they make the suspension too hard at the rear. There is a pair of AVO shock absorbers on the rear September 2011 33
Peter’s MGB racing aginst modern MGs. Peter’s Co-Driver!
and Gaz units on the front. In the braking department we have EBC solid discs at the front. I have fitted Carbotech pads and shoes and the front calipers are from an Austin Princess. Those are not as common as you might think; to get hold of mine I had to buy a complete Princess and drag it out of a garage with a tow rope. I removed the calipers which were in good shape, but 34 CPR Magazine
The MGB in a previous colour scheme.
the rest of the car had to be scrapped.
Changing Colours At the moment the body work is Sky Blue and White, but it has been through several colour changes during the years that I have been racing it, starting off in red and black and progressing to our present colours, and I now have a garage where all the
painting and other repairs can take place. Changing the colours also confuses the ‘Clerk of the Course’ when he is looking for the usual suspects with the same old excuses. The bodywork has been redesigned several times, although usually this is forced rather than planned. The front was changed at Brands Hatch when I managed to hit not one, but two spinning
cars at Paddock Hill bend. The rear has been changed twice; once when I got hit in the wet by a MGB GT V8 at Silverstone in a non-timed practice and the second time at Deer Leap at Oulton Park where I managed to ‘reverse park’ the car into the tyre wall. As I was airborne at the time the chassis was not too badly damaged. For the body panels I have fitted fibreglass front and rear wings, boot lid and hardtop. The bonnet is alloy while the doors have been lightened by my friend Mr Angle Grinder.
Exploding Clutch As for the racing itself, well last year we finished third overall and first in class in the Cockshot Cup, we also finished with the rest of the Cockshoot team, class winners and second overall in the MG Car Club’s four hour relay race at Snetterton. Unfortunately the clutch decided it had had enough on the penultimate lap and exploded. I still managed to cross the finish line, but had to be pushed into the paddock from the pits. It was arranged that I would have a new engine built by John ready for the new season which usually starts in April at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately John had a heart attack before he could build my engine, some people have no consideration for others. Thankfully he is okay now, but the engine will not be ready until the end of this season. So after much swearing, several grazed knuckles and several cans of beer, the engine was removed and the clutch replaced. Another minor problem was that we
Team Slap leads the pack. Right: An exploding clutch plate ended Peter’s race in the Snetterton Four Hour Relay.
had no tyres but that was remedied with assistance from BT tyres (01788 550045) in Rugby. The tyres were kindly paid for by Kilsby MG Club who are one of my sponsors. Eventually the car was ready, and before we travelled to our first race at Oulton Park I drove the car at a test day at Mallory Park which is our nearest circuit. The test day was a success as nothing fell off and we didn’t crash. The only embarrassing moment came when the session was red flagged, we all stopped on the start line and the car
refused to restart. I had to get out and push one of the wires back on before I could continue.
Faithful Old Van It was time for the first race of the season, and after our fairly successful test day at Mallory, we were in a fairly happy mood as we prepared for Oulton Park. The car had been checked over once again and the new set of tyres fitted by BT Tyres. The faithful old camper van was loaded and we departed Rugby at about 20:00hrs. The September 2011 35
The MGB changes colour...again!
team was one member short as my partner Lesley could not make the journey. In hindsight, Lesley took the best option. We travelled up the M6, with the van having had a new lease of life with a new radiator, and were flying past most of the traffic. Everything went wrong just after we had overtaken one 36 CPR Magazine
of Eddie Stobart’s famous trucks. There was a noise from the front wheel which sounded like stones hitting the wheel arch. This turned out to be parts of the tyre which had blown out causing us to make a quick exit to the hard shoulder. Not a problem, I foolishly thought. We were equipped
with two jacks and I had a good spare on board. After jacking the van up, we found we had a few problems. Problem one: we couldn’t get one wheel nut undone. This was despite standing on the extended wheel brace whilst swinging off the roof of the van and at the same time trying not to fall into the
Brief stop on the way to to a race.
The camper van decides it has had enough. first lane of the M6. I tried to phone for the AA, but whilst I am phoning them, my friend Paul who helps out with the team and who is heavier than I am, managed to undo the nut. Great, I thought. Problem two: the spare tyre was of the
correct size and well inflated but the wheel rim would not fit. By this time, the Highways Agency car had been and gone and we were left on the hard shoulder of the M6. I phoned the AA and they said that they would recover us to
Oulton Park even though all we needed was either a new tyre or our good tyre swapping to the punctured wheel. After two hours, in which Paul’s son Callum found the only red ants nest on the M6 and who found out the meaning of the words ‘ants in your pants’, the recovery truck turns up and informs us that we are being taken back to Corley Services. So off we go northwards only to come back southbound. Eventually at about 01:00hrs a tyre fitter turns up and we are on our way again. The irony did not escape me that we had four wet tyres for the race car, another spare dry tyre, plus four on the race car, and not one of them would fit the van. We eventually reached Oulton Park at 03:30hrs to find that the gates were locked, and we had to erect Paul’s tent September 2011 37
Peter’s MGB at Croft. outside in the dark and rain. It had only taken us seven and a half hours to do a journey that usually takes us two hours. I was woken at 06:30hrs by the noisiest diesel van ever, parked next to us. We then had to dismantle the tent and move to the paddock. Just to put the icing on the cake, it was still raining.
Likely Candidates The car went through scrutineering okay; well good for us anyway. We fuelled the car and got ready for practice; the main problem being whether to keep the new tyres on, or go for the slightly worn wet tyres. In the end I kept the new tyres on as the rain stopped for the practice session. The track was dry but extremely slippery in parts, especially where there were wet patches. The main 38 CPR Magazine
“Honest luv...I’m a racing driver!” problem I had, was the front suspension was too hard and the car was bouncing around the corners, especially on the exits. One of the track Doctors at one of the marshals’ posts kept looking at us as we raced around the circuit, obviously looking for likely
candidates. Either that or he didn’t know I’d resprayed the car. On return to the paddock I found a puddle of antifreeze under the car. One of the jubilee clips had come loose and fluid was leaking from the bottom hose, but on a brighter note there were no brake fluid
leaks. There were a few other things needing attention, but thankfully nothing major as it had started raining again. I qualified fifth overall and third in class behind a ZR, a ZS from Class C and two Midgets from my class. It was about where I had expected to be, although I thought I would be further back due to there being two V8s racing with us. The car was refuelled and made ready to race. Once again, I decided to stay with the same tyres but I made the suspension slightly softer, as this was the first time it had been used in anger.
Eyes Wide Open Too soon it was time to race. It was still raining, which was going to make for an interesting drive. Waiting in the assembly area I could feel myself falling asleep and I had to force my eyes open. As we had practiced in the dry, we were given two green flag laps to adjust to the conditions, which were even worse than the morning session. As we were placed in position on the grid, a delayed start board was put out. I switched the engine off and made a little prayer that it would start again, which after the Mallory Park incident I was unsure of. We were then given another green flag lap. Back on the grid the red lights came on, and then off, I dropped the clutch and had one of my best starts ever. Into the first corner I had gained a place and was running in fourth place behind the ZS, going down the Avenue towards Cascades. The ZS used his superior speed to get away from me, but as we went into the carousel at Shell Oils
Who said racing was all glamour!
corner I managed to out-brake him and took the inside line to take third. The track was really slippery, especially going around Druids which is not my favourite corner on the circuit as I seem to spin off here on a regular basis, spectacularly one year going under the bridge backwards. I took a line nearest to the apex of the corner and the rear end broke away and I went around it sideways. Next lap I stayed in the middle of the track and it was less slightly less scary. David Coulthard in his MG ZR was leading followed by David Morrison in his MG Midget and then yours truly. DC, I couldn’t
catch and the Midget was pulling away from me slowly. With two laps to go I decided that I would try to catch him. I tried to brake later than normal going down cascades, but unfortunately the car did not read the plan and I spun off onto the grass, did several pirouettes, and just missed the Armco. At the same time I tried not to stall the car and also put it into second gear ready for when we came to something of a stop. This off track experience cost me a place and I was now in fourth, chasing Dave Beresford, and I had another car trying to pass me. Just to
September 2011 39
I put up the TV aerial and could not get a picture, there is a pattern emerging here that carried on through the weekend. Thinking everything had gone digital in the area we travelled to a nearby supermarket to buy a digital box. Eventually we got a picture, just in time for me to burn the food on the barbeque.
The MGB in its early red scheme.
Formation Spinning
compound the situation, my brakes had cooled down and were not working properly. They seemed to be not working at all or just snatching and locking up, which is just what you want on a wet and oily track. On the last corner of the last lap the car behind me tried to take the inside line but I managed to prevent him passing me and I finished fourth overall and third in class. The journey back home was trouble free, which was a relief, although the people from the Highways Agency remembered us and followed us for some time, waving as they passed.
Lewis Who? Once again it was the time of the year when the MG brotherhood and sisterhood (I have to be politically correct now) descend on Silverstone from all over the world. We were going to race on the new Grand Prix circuit before Lewis what’s his name and that bloke named after a car. The race car was not running very well at Oulton Park in our last race. All the electrical parts were replaced and I 40 CPR Magazine
waited to see if I had solved the problem. This was not an easy thing to accomplish as when I phoned up to buy some new spark plugs I was told “we don’t make them any more.” The words “don’t panic - stay calm” went straight out of the window! Eventually Entune 2000 posted me a set of plugs and they arrived the day before the event. We travelled down to Silverstone on the Thursday to capture a good spot in the paddock, myself in the camper van with the trailer and Lesley following behind in the MGF. After I the practice session on Friday, Lesley was going to do a couple of laps around the circuit and unfortunately for Lesley, I would be beside her in the car telling her which racing line to take. The weekend started as it was to continue; we were refused entry to the circuit. Unfortunately the words ‘don’t you know who I am’ didn’t work. Luckily somebody took pity on us and I led the way in; that was to be the only ‘first’ of the weekend. We found our spot and started to get organized.
Friday dawned dry but a little cloudy and after the signing on, the car was prepared for the untimed practice session. Although I had never been on the circuit before I had been studying a map of the track and some footage from MG’S on Track when they had a track day here earlier in the year. Most of the track had been raced on last year, up to the part where they have built a new pits complex for the F1 drivers. From that point the track is very barren with very few reference points. Soon though, it was time to put all this theory to the test. As we exited the assembly area I was behind a car from another championship who I believed had been here before with MG’S on Track. Brilliant I thought I will just follow him for a couple of laps. Off we go on to our first lap and everything is fine. We go past the new pits, go to the right, then a left, another right, he’s not braking, well neither am I. Next thing I’m spinning off the circuit next to him in a choreographed spinning exercise. Needless to say I was a little less exuberant on the next couple of laps. I found it hard to follow where the track went, as it was like racing in the desert with no discernible features,
and no count down markers to the corners. The car was not performing as well as it should have been as it still seemed to be down on power. It was also running at a higher temperature than normal. Unfortunately I did not have time to look at the engine, as I had to get it scrutineered. Then it was Lesley’s turn to drive around the track coached by me. It was not too bad; at least we were still talking to each other at the end of the session. She still reminds me though that she did not fall off the track. Obviously not trying hard enough!
MGF Blues We were not racing on Saturday so I thought I would look at the engine and adjust the valve clearances. I removed the rocker cover and found one broken valve spring and worst of all a broken valve collet, which had left the spring resting on the rocker mechanism. I had two options, retire to the beer tent for the weekend or go home and take the cylinder head off my road car. Unfortunately I was persuaded to go home for the other head. I left the circuit whilst Paul and James took off one head and I raced home‌obviously within the legal speed limits etc, etc. Once home, the head came off in no time and I raced back to Silverstone to refit the part. Driving back on the A43 I heard a big bang and saw what I thought was my tyre tread flying into the air. As I was not far away from Silverstone I reduced my speed and carried on to the paddock. On checking
over the MGF I could not find anything wrong. It was only later that somebody asked where the front spoiler was. It was on the A43, it was supposed to be race proof and should stay on at over 130mph. I was nowhere near that. The weekend was turning into one of those where you wished you had stayed in bed. On return to Silverstone, we started to fit the new head which did not take that long, just the usual problems, short of some nuts and one or two left over of another type. At least if I leave a few nuts and bolts off, the car should go faster. Our next adventure was to cycle around the track, I like to do this as it gives you a good idea where the braking and turn points will be; sometimes it is better to view a corner backwards than it is view it as you drive it. Sunday morning dawned dry and hot. We had already added Water Wetter to the cooling system the previous day whilst swapping the heads. Hopefully that would help cool
the engine down. I was driving in the first of the day’s practice sessions and I had my fingers crossed as I went onto the track. The car behaved well and I was getting used to the track now, picking out the braking points, despite the lack of references. Slowly though, the temperature gauge needle was rising and before it started to boil over and possibly destroy the engine I had to pull over and switch the engine off. I was recovered back to the paddock and as there was not enough time to swap cylinder head gaskets or delve more deeply into the engine, I just re-tightened the cylinder head again. Also I ripped off the radiator grill in order to help the airflow, by doing this though I would be prone to stones damaging the oil cooler and the radiator. Soon it was time to race I had qualified 25th out of a grid of 45 cars, which was a disappointment as I had hoped to be in the top 15. I was 4th in my class which was not too bad as the other cars had more laps than me to drop
September 2011 41
The MGB takes a battering at Donington.
their times. The day was getting warmer and there was at least one car that did not make it out of the assembly area. On the green flag lap I tried to keep away from every body to ensure that the car had a good airflow to the radiator. As we pulled onto the grid for the start all I could see was yellow flags as two 42 CPR Magazine
cars were pushed off the grid. As the red lights went out, I had a good start and went flying into the first corner. I had already gained a couple of places, but as I was going down hanger straight I was overtaken by Alan Bates, one of my main rivals. I had dropped a place in the class and was running in
fifth now. As we passed the new pits I had caught him up and two corners later, he spun. Luckily I missed him but my fellow racer from Kilsby MG Club, James Darby, went straight into the side of him. I was having a good race and catching the cars up. Also catching up was the temperature gauge, and eventually I had to retire. I had managed one more lap than I did in practice though. It was straight back to the paddock behind the recovery vehicle, and straight to work on the engine. The cylinder head gasket was changed, more Water Wetter was added and I also added some K Seal – a product for repairing cracks in cylinder heads. I wasn’t too hopeful but I thought I would give it one more try. I had been promoted up the grid to 22nd for the next race. The lights went out and I had an even better start than
Damaged MGB in the Donington Paddock. Left: Racing is supposed to be a non-contact sport, but it doesn’t always work out that way!
Lesley cycles around Silverstone.
before and managed to gain a few more places. Going into the first corner there was an accident and I managed to pass a few more in the chaos. The car was going well and I was having a better race, but the temperature gauge was climbing and I had to retire yet again.
This was not a good Silverstone by any means, but at least I am getting used to the new suspension and if the engine was running properly I think I would have done better. Motorsport though is full of ‘if onlys.’ The race head is at Entune 2000 and the road head is
at Stanbridge Motors (01788 576456) and Carl informed me that there is no crack in the engine block or cylinder head. The valves were not seating and only numbers two and three were working properly. You can watch videos of the race and the repairs to the car on You Tube; just type in Peter September 2011 43
Peter’s MGB racing aginst other MGs.
Bramble. The Benny Hill one is really funny.
hot drink. Never mind, I would just have to drink beer instead! I had been reading the track Thruxton guide and it says that there are electric plug in points at Our next race was at Thruxton near Andover, this was the first the circuit so I decided not to take the generator. When we time I had ever raced here. A arrived there were no plug very long time ago I used to points anywhere, so now we come and watch one Gerry had no gas and no electric Marshall race here in ‘Baby Bertha,’ a Vauxhall on steroids. either. It couldn’t get any He used to fly around the track, worse…could it? We arrived at the track about and although I’ll never be as 20:45pm and we were guided good as him, at least I can to a spare place by James say I have raced on the same Darby, and after parking up track. we walked the track together. I had been working on the car The first thing to strike me all week ready for the race. was just how wide it was; it After the disappointment of seemed to have more room Silverstone and still unsure than the usual tracks we race why it was overheating, it was on. There are no straights with some trepidation that we as such, but long integrated travelled down to Thruxton. corners, and the track surface As usual nothing went to plan. looked like it would be hard on The gas in the camper van the tyres. It is not as flat as it was low so we bought a new seems either. bottle only to find that the gas We came up with a cunning regulator would not fit. It was plan and that was just to drive too late to change it so we around it flat out except for the would not be able to have a 44 CPR Magazine
two braking points, one before the complex and the other before the chicane. We then had a discussion about who would be the pathfinder and who would follow to see if the plan would work. On returning to the paddock, we went to the bar to find it was closed. It just got worse. Saturday arrived warm and sunny. Hopefully the engine would cope with the heat. Scrutineering went well with no problems and there was even time to have a coffee from a camping stove I borrowed. Soon enough though it was time to practice, from the assembly area I could see where I used to watch the races from. For the first lap I took it easy gradually building up my speed and if you are crazy enough, you don’t have to brake except for the complex and the chicane. It was quite scary though, as I quickly found out, as the car stepped out of line and tried
to spin off into the distance. I collected my times at the end of practice and was pleasantly surprised to find that I had qualified ninth overall and forth in class. All the cars above me except for one had larger or more modern engines and in some cases both. Most important of all though, there was no overheating. Even though it performed well, I had a good look over the car. I checked the timing and found that the distributor was not correctly inserted, so I spent a few minutes securing it and reset the timing.
Usual Madness My first race was at 15:00pm prepared for the next race. I and the next would be at found there was a small leak 18:00pm. First race, the lights from the thermostat housing went out and I achieved a but with a tiny amount of good start. Going into the first instant gasket was all that was corner was the usual madness, needed to cure it. no contact thankfully, but The track was getting warmer I lost a place as we went for the next race in which I into the complex. I gained was tenth on the grid and once it back again with some late again fourth in class. As the braking and using a bit of lights went out I managed to kerb, and by the end of the get another good start. Going first lap I was back to tenth into the first corner I was place. Going into the second sandwiched between two cars lap as I entered the complex and unfortunately there was I gained another place, then slight contact. I had gained a lost it before the chicane as I couple of places though, and did not have the straight line speed of the MG ZRs and ZSs that I was racing against. For the rest of the race I was swapping places between the two ZSs and the ZR in my class. I did at one point run as high as seventh overall and second in class. I could gain places in the complex but lost them on the long corners. At the end of the first race I was tenth overall and fourth in class. The race had been an exciting one but best of all, the car did not overheat. I checked over the car and
Minor damage to repair after the race! by the end of the first lap I was seventh and second in class. I held on to this position for several laps trying to overtake one of the V8’s. I made a slight mistake on the next lap and lost a place but on the following lap I won it back. As before, I was better at the complex and the chicane but was losing on the long corners in straight line speed. Again it was a very exciting race with much swapping of places and at the end I had finished eighth overall and third in class. The two big surprises
September 2011 45
Spraying about to commence.
were that I had not used a lot of fuel compared to what I was expecting, but the tyres had taken a hammering, all the nearside edges being worn away. Overall it had been a great couple of races and I was really happy. Next was a very busy weekend racing at Angelsey on the Saturday followed by a day sprinting at Curbourgh near Lichfield on the Sunday. We travelled up on the Friday with our mascot (or maybe that should be jinx!) Callum, and passed all the places that we had broken down with him on board. Luckily the trip outbound was uneventful and we arrived to rather unWelsh weather it was dry and sunny. We unpacked and set up camp; It was the first time this year we had used our generator, and it had not matured with age it was still as loud as ever, but at least we had our own little oasis in the paddock. Although 46 CPR Magazine
the generator was noisy, it wasn’t very efficient and it took forever to cook our meals in the microwave. Men on their own – it’s either delivered or it’s microwaved! Next morning I was up early to check over the car. The main things had been checked in the week between the two races but it doesn’t hurt to recheck, just in case something has been overlooked. The weather had started to return to normal with dark clouds and then rain. The wet weather tyres were taken from the trailer and prepared and it was about this time when Paul and Callum woke up. How they could sleep through the noise of the generator I don’t know, as the rest of the paddock couldn’t. The weather improved and I decided to stay with the original tyres. The difference in tyres is, the wet ones have tread and the dry tyres have memories of where the tread was. It was now time to
practice. In the assembly area Mike Peters came over and asked me if he could follow me around the circuit as he had not driven on it before. So off we went around the circuit; the first lap went okay as I warmed the tyres, second lap I went for it, and unfortunately as I came down the corkscrew I didn’t quite get it right. As I entered the start finish straight, the rear end broke away and I spun it right in front of race control, almost collecting Mike in the process. It didn’t get any better because as I rejoined the track and went into the hairpin I went in too fast and exited onto the grass. Ian Wright who was following me came off at the same point in sympathy. I though that I might have to go and visit the ‘Headmaster,’ but it seems that with the new paint job they didn’t recognize me. The rest of the practice went well with no more off road driving. I had qualified, fourth overall and second in class. The car was refuelled and checked over for damage and fluid loss but no problems were found.
Contact After watching a couple of races it was our turn. I had a good start but Alan bates who was behind me had a better one, and as we went into turn one he was in front of me and to my right. As moved over to the left for the best position for turn two, there was slight contact to the front of my offside wing. I now have even more tyre marks on the car. As we approached turn two, Alan went to the left and high, but I went to the right and low and outbraked him
into the corner. The rest of the pack was behind us and I was behind Mike, but as usual he was pulling away from me. I was pulling away from the pack but Mike was leaving me. Then on lap two the safety car came out and we all had to close up which was good for me in that I was close to Mike, but the other cars closed up to me too, led by Steve Mckie. The safety car went in, and as we went past the start finish line I tried my best to close down Mike and pass him but I was unsuccessful. I did get away from the main pack though. I could not catch Mike but I was quite a distance from the rest of the pack and had one eye on the track ahead and the other on the mirror. In the end I finished third overall and second in class, which was a good result for us, especially after the bad result at Silverstone. After the prize giving we packed up and started on our journey to Curbourgh. I did the first stint of the journey until we reached the M6 and we stopped at Knutsford services. Then it was Paul’s turn to drive. I went to the fridge and opened a can of beer when Callum’s jinx came into play. Paul turned the key and nothing happened, he tried again but still nothing. Plan B came into play, we looked around the car park and there was an AA van, but unfortunately there was not an AA man with it. He was soon spotted, but he took one look at the van (it must be on some AA blacklist) and he tried to make a break for it! Paul rugby tackled him and brought him back to our stranded machine. He confirmed what
Callum helps out with the MGB. we thought, that the starter motor was sticking. All our tools were buried under other stuff so the very nice man lent us his hammer, and with a good slap the engine turned over. We gave the AA man some wine gums then we were on our way again. Eventually we arrived at Curbourgh and set up camp. I woke up early, unloaded the car and accidentally started the generator, funnily enough people sleeping four feet away from the generator couldn’t hear it, but people on the estate a mile away could. I finished preparing the car, putting on the wet tyres as they are a different compound and should heat up quicker and get more grip on the track, well that’s the theory. I also changed the brake pads for some EBC Green Stuff pads as the race pads would not get hot enough to work. After scrutineering, it was time for the first practice. I got a good start and was going well until I tried to brake for the second lap. The brakes didn’t work and I shot past the corner. I eventually came to a halt and continued driving the remainder of the lap. The second practice went well with no real ‘moments.’ There was rain forecast, but the sky
was clear as we started the first timed run. Things went well and I did not fall off; the car was behaving well and the brakes were starting to work too. We had a second timed run before lunch, in which I improved my time and I was starting to enjoy myself. I used to sprint and hill climb before I started racing and I do miss competing in them. After lunch, as we were lining up for our third run, it started to rain…and rain it did. Some people returned to the paddock, but I decided to have another go anyway. The tyres could not get any grip as I left the start line. I survived the first corner, but going into the chicane I spun the car backwards into the grass which took me a while to get out of. I managed to achieve the slowest time of the day. At the end of the day I managed to finish third in class. The van must know it is going to be replaced by something else soon as it broke down once again as we refuelled on the A5. It has been an exciting and entertaining season so far. Let’s hope the car (and driver!) continue to perform as well as they did during the first set of races for the rest of the year. September 2011 47
Keeping the great marques alive
www.moss-europe.co.uk Youles Racing supported by Moss Europe Ltd 2010
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e n i u n e G
Show
Stafford Show
It’s Big! 10am till 4.30pm both Saturday and Sunday Bingley Hall, Weston Road, Stafford ST18 0BD (3 miles from Junction 14 of the M6 motorway)
Admission: £10 adults/teens, children (12 and under) FREE (See www.kit-cars.com/stafford for FREE ticket offers)
For stand bookings contact Tom
Tel: 0208 3952653 E-mail: info@kit-cars.com Website: www.kit-cars.com/stafford
September 17th & 18th 2011
Reviews
Cool Stuff To Spend Your Money On!
Electric Fan Kits Available from: Burton Power Price From: £47.95 See: www.burtonpower.com There are many advantages to fitting an electric cooling fan - less parasitic drag on the engine, quicker warm up, and it only cools the engine when necessary. Now Burtons are stocking the very reasonably priced range of CAB cooling fans and Revotec accessories that have been specifically designed to work with them. CAB Fans are available from 167mm diameter up to 385mm, in High Power or Slimline low profile to enable them to fit most applications. They are also available as ‘suckers’ or ‘blowers’ depending on if they are to be mounted in front or behind the radiator. Revotec offers thermostatic control units that come in various diameter sizes to fit into the top hose and automatically switch the fan on and off as required. Revotec also produces aluminium mounting brackets for CAB fans, or if you prefer you can use flexible ‘quickmount’ ties to fix the fan to the radiator fins. Burton can make up a kit to suit your specific vehicle using one or two CAB fans and the appropriate Revotec accessories. Fan prices start at just £47.95, thermostatic controller kits are £63.95, Quickmounts £5.95 and Alloy Brackets £12.20 per pair. GAZ GP Coilovers for Lotus Europa Available from: Gaz Price: £77.42 each plus VAT www.gazshocks.com If you own one of the increasingly rare classic Lotus Europas you’ll no doubt be pleased to hear that GAZ can supply height and damping adjustable coilover units to suit the car’s unique suspension system. The coilovers are suitable for road or race use and are available for the Type 74 Twin Cam (1971 - 75) and the older Type 47 race car along with the Renault powered Series 1 / S1 (Type 46). The units are easily adjustable on the car and feature a gas cell in the outer reservoir to prevent cavitation (foaming). The coilover units retail at £77.42 each (plus VAT). GAZ can also supply springs for these units to the appropriate specification for their intended use. The manufacturer says that all units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a 2 year warranty. Authentic Red Oil Filler Cap for ‘A’ Series Engines Available from: Mini Spares Price: £8.16 inc VAT See: www.minispares.com Mini Spares are now stocking these plastic oil filler caps in the correct red colour as was originally fitted by Rover to top range ‘A’ series engines such as the MG and Turbo range. The Mini Spares red filler cap will also fit almost every other ‘A’ Series rocker cover including the Mini Spares FP26 range and Minispares alloy rocker covers. This improved cap has a large grip and an improved lock system to ensure a tight fit. Order as GFE6007. Price £8.16 including VAT. 50 CPR Magazine
WWW.CPRMAG.COM
E-TECH Alloy Wheel Paint Available From: AUTO Inparts Ltd Price: £8.99 each inc VAT See: www.autoinparts.com Coaxial Hydraulic Clutch Release For Triumph TR 2-6 Available from: Cambridge Motorsport Price: £375.00 plus VAT See: www.cambridgemotorsport.com One potential weak spot on the Triumph TR range of cars has always been the clutch fork assembly. If the pin breaks that locks the fork in place, you lose your clutch, and that means taking your gearbox out just to replace the pin. Now Cambridge Motorsports Parts has come up with a solution that not only does away with the fork and pin assembly, it gives a lighter clutch pedal too. The company has produced a co-axial hydraulic clutch release which will fit Triumphs TR2 - TR6. The kit replaces the original slave cylinder, cross shaft and fork with a hydraulic cylinder located on the front of the gearbox, and better still, it can be bled from outside the bell housing. It offers a light and controllable pedal even with competition clutches. The conversion is designed primarily for rally and race use, but can be used on road cars too. An excellent idea and a great addition to any TR.
E-TECH has just introduced a new satin finish alloy wheel paint that has been developed to refurbish and restore the appearance of your alloy wheels or give them a totally new look and lease of life. These paints are inexpensive, simple to use and provide a durable coating which is resistant to brake dust, cleaning chemicals and road salt. They dry to a hard, chip resistant, long lasting finish which is resistant to cracking and flaking. Available in a range of colours at £8.99 inc VAT each per 400ml can.
Want to see your product reviewed here? Just call us on +44 (0)1353 777519 or e-mail us at: info@cprmag.com August 2011 51
Return Interceptor Of The
The Jensen Interceptor was one of the iconic cars of the 1970s, and now it’s back. With its 6.2 litre V8 engine lifted straight from Chevrolet’s Corvette, the car has plenty of power too, as David Harrison explains.
I
nterceptor – it’s a great name for a car, or just about any kind of machine that goes really fast. Mad Max drove an Interceptor in the cult 1980s movies starring Mel 52 CPR Magazine
Gibson, although it was a very different beast from the one featured in this article. The Angels in the 1970s TV series Captain Scarlet flew jet fighters called Interceptors too. That certainly struck a
chord with me at the time as they were sleek, fast and agile aeroplanes and that was enough to make them a hit with an impressionable young boy like myself… at least I was back then.
There was a problem though; despite the Angels’ Interceptors being uber cool, it was deemed inappropriate to run around the playground making Interceptor noises because they were flown by girls, and as all young boys
know, girls are not cool. Around the same time that Captain Scarlet and his pals were bouncing awkwardly across our screens, another Interceptor was making its mark on the British car market – the Jensen Interceptor.
The car was a classic combination of Italian styling, American muscle and British refinement and was produced by West Bromwich based Jensen Motors Ltd between 1966 and 1976. Jensen had been in the car business since 1934, and although the company spent a good deal of its time September 2011 53
Retro style gauges contain modern workings to make them more reliable. 54 CPR Magazine
Classic style - modern reliability.
producing bodies for other manufacturers, it also built a number of prestige cars itself, including the attractive Jensen 541 and CV8. The latter of these two cars was the immediate predecessor of the Interceptor and featured a glass-fibre body and a 330hp Chrysler V8 engine. The Interceptor represented a new direction for Jensen as the company broke with tradition and opted for an all-metal bodyshell for the new car. The design work for the new bodywork was contracted out to Carrozzeria Touring of Italy, and the early
bodies were built by another Italian company, Vignale. The big tourer was initially powered by a 6.2 litre Chrysler V8 engine, although later cars used a larger 7.2 litre powerplant. The most powerful version of the car – the Interceptor SP built between 1971 and 1973 – produced an impressive 390hp. The two-door body was attractive and its most distinctive feature was the full-width ‘wraparound’ rear window that formed the main part of the tailgate assembly. The Interceptor’s interior was
well appointed with lashings of leather and top quality carpet. The front occupants had plenty of room, but the same couldn’t be said for the rear seat passengers, and the layout was more 2+2 that four-seater. As the Interceptor rolled through the Jensen factory doors, the West Midlands company was also building the Jensen FF. The FF looked almost identical to the Interceptor, but was in fact fitted with four wheel drive. Although it looked like the Interceptor, mechanically it was a very different car and September 2011 55
The Interceptor handles well...but it aint no Ferrari!
Beautifully trimmed luggage area.
was even five inches longer than its stable mate. Is it a coincidence that Ferrari has recently launched its own four-seater with four wheel drive…called the FF? The Interceptors were handbuilt and some critics say that this was evident due to 56 CPR Magazine
forever. A few attempts were made to get the model back into production but these largely came to nothing. The Interceptor still has a loyal following throughout the classic car world, so perhaps it is no surprise that the story doesn’t end back in the 1970s. Once again, it is possible to buy an ‘as new’ Jensen Interceptor, thanks to the efforts of Thamebased Jensen International Automotive. Formed in spring 2010, the poor fit of panels and a Jensen International number of reliability problems. Automotive was set up As the cars aged, owners to manufacture “modern faced a constant battle interpretations of the to keep corrosion at bay, Interceptor dream.” The especially on the earlier cars. firm restores, modifies and When the company folded improves original Interceptors, in 1976, it seemed like the taking around 1,500 manInterceptor would be gone hours and using 21 British
suppliers and one American one to produce the Jensen Interceptor ‘R’. The formulation is simple; take an original 1970s built Jensen Interceptor, strip it right back to a bare bodyshell, and rebuilt the car from the ground up using modern parts and technology. Some people might say that this is just a restoration with upgrades, but in reality it is much more than that.
Bodywork The company says it carefully selects appropriate original Interceptors for use as donor cars for the Interceptor R’s manufacture. The process starts with the removal of all mechanical parts including the interior, wiring, engine and ancillaries, leaving the
bare shell. This is then sent off to a coachbuilder where it is chemically stripped. All rust particles are removed before the shell is recoated in a phosphate bath – a process commonly used in the
modern automotive industry. The original panels may be replaced by new units in some cases, and a new, deeper front valance is added which the manufacturer says enhances the model’s September 2011 57
The interior comes in a range of different styles.
58 CPR Magazine
The 6.2 litre V8 engine.
aerodynamics. The rear also gets a deeper rear valance, but the rest of the body retains the original Jensen styling. When all metalwork has been treated, extensive seam sealing and Waxoyl application is carried out, in both cavity and box sections. The completed body is then primed and painted using modern water-based paints. Bright work, such as the chrome bumpers, is remanufactured to original specifications and can even be retrofitted to other unrestored Interceptors.
Just in case you forget what you’re driving!
Rear Suspension Underneath the car there have been plenty of changes too. The revamped Interceptor R sports a reconditioned Jaguar (XJS) differential (ratio 2.88:1) with Power Loc LSD, fitted with finned aluminium cover, which JIA says is infinitely superior to the original liveaxle leaf-spring set-up. This independent rear suspension is mated to an isolated crossmember combined with additional and substantial
The well equipped interior still has a retro feel about it. chassis reinforcing within the rear wheel arch area. Four adjustable Spax shock absorbers provide
the damping and Jaguar (XJ40/300 series) drive shafts and lower wishbones enable the use of outboard September 2011 59
Upgare options for the interior include fitting a GPS.
The centre panel is sparse but functional.
solid discs and handbrake assemblies. A vented disc option is available, though the standard discs now fitted are considered sufficient for most applications, as they are larger than the original Jensen front discs. A custom-made plate links the inner mounting points and also acts as an anticlimb device to prevent differential twist. Radius rods 60 CPR Magazine
run forward and combine rose joints and isolated rubber bushing. A new propshaft runs forward to the transmission which is either a 4-speed automatic or 6-speed manual (T56) option, both GM-sourced.
Front Suspension At the front end it’s a similar story. Adjustable Spax springs and dampers allow
for better ride height. A degree of negative caster and camber has been introduced, improving the Interceptor R’s handling and the steering rack has been reconditioned and re-valved to increase ‘feel’ and response.
September 2011 61
Brakes Of course, with that big, powerful engine at the front end, the brakes need to be capable of performing well and that’s something that JIA have given a lot of attention to. The Interceptor R’s front brakes have been up-rated with 6-pot AP callipers with high-grip 330mm x 32 mm vented and grooved discs; these are attached to new aluminium hubs with larger studs, which match the rear Jaguar-sourced stud pattern. At the rear end, the brakes are 280mm solid discs, with 62 CPR Magazine
single pot callipers and internal handbrake.
Engine One of the original Interceptor’s most appealing qualities was its huge Chrysler V8 engine sitting under the bonnet. With
other British GT cars of that era using engine around the two litre size, the Jensen’s engine was impressive stuff. The Interceptor R follows the Jensen ‘big engine’ ethos with its all-aluminium GM-sourced 6.2 V8 unit, a standard LS3 Corvette engine rated
performance, and a weight reduction of around 200lb, which benefits the Interceptor’s handling. According to the manufacturer, the car now has a 50/50 weight distribution.
The Interior at 429bhp. A factory-fitted upgrade to 480bhp, with “wilder” cams and ECU adjustments is available, but only for the cars with manual transmission. There is also a supercharged variant for the more ‘enthusiastic’ driver. The exhaust system, apart
from the manifold, is manufactured in stainless steel and provides a low backpressure system, which helps improve performance and sounds great. The use of the GM power units and transmissions has resulted in increased
Jensen’s were always admired for their plush interiors, so obviously this was one area of the car that would get special attention. Each interior is individually created to the customer’s specifications: from colour and type of leather used for September 2011 63
the seats to trims, ceiling and door cards, types of material used for the dashboard and detail finishes. Instrumentation is created using modern components sporting traditional ‘faces’. Other modern options such as GPS and Hi-Fi can also be requested during the build. As driving environments go, 64 CPR Magazine
you’d have to say it is a pretty good one!
On The Road So what’s the Interceptor R like to drive? Well, according to JIA’s Head of Marketing Steve Bannister, the ‘new’ car can reach speeds of 160mph and run 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, so the stately old
Jensen certainly doesn’t hang about! Out on the open road that car is great fun to drive. The brakes are powerful and work well and the steering gives more feedback than you would expect, although it does seem to be a little loose around the centre. The uprated dampers handle
most of what you throw at it, but don’t expect Ferrarilike handling if you decide to blast down a twisty country lane; treat the car as a powerful classic tourer and you won’t frighten yourself. Which ever way you look at it, the ‘new’ Interceptor handles much better than the original one, it’s faster…
much faster, and the fuel effecient engine means you won’t have to buy a large oil producing Arab state just to keep the car going. A small one will be perfectly adequate. Back in 1972, the Interceptor cost £6,977. The ‘new’ Interceptor R will set you back around £107,000 depending on which options
you go for. That means it is competing against some very desirable cars, so anyone buying one of these will really have to be a true Jensen enthusiast. One thing is for sure though, it’s great to see the Interceptor back on UK roads again, a real icon from the 1970s. Right, now where did I put my flares? September 2011 65
If You Like Planes You’ll LOVE AV8 Magazine!
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Time to get some work done to YOUR classic car?
TRGB are now established as one of the leading Triumph specialists in the country and have extensive and almost unrivalled experience on the restoration and maintenance of these cars. Along the way we have also gained years of experience working on other classic cars. Work and personal projects aside from our Triumphs include: full restoration of an E-type 4.2 Jaguar, full restoration of a ‘Healey 3000’, full engine build on a V12-E and full and detailed restoration of a Ferrari Dino (including full engine build). Our workshop is always very busy and to this end we have decided to expand this side of the business and are delighted to announce a new member of staff: Mr Jason Wright. Jason brings with him a wealth of experience and has worked on many TRs as well as Jaguar and TVR from a well-known leading dealership, and so will add his knowledge to the extensive experience of both Tim and Richard. To promote this new expansion we are offering a 10% discount (£40.50/hr + VAT) on all work booked in during the first three months of 2011. If you require any work on YOUR classic car, please call Gary at TRGB.
BEFORE
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BEFORE
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Unit 1, Sycamore Farm Industrial Estate, Long Drove, Somersham, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire Tel: 01487 842168 or 01480 464443 (evenings) • Fax: 01487 740274 Mobile: 07801 631632
www.trgb.co.uk
Challenger
E-Type When David Thomas set out to buy an E-Type Jaguar, he couldn’t find a good car to suit his budget. Then he heard about the Challenger E-Type replicas and was so impressed he ended up buying one. Would the car live up to his expectations? Simon Hazeldine finds out.
68 CPR Magazine
I
t is often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the automotive world is no exception to that rule. Some of the most famous cars ever built have been copied at one time or another, the iconic AC Cobra being a prime example. So why buy a replica and not the real thing? There are lots of reasons; cost is usual answer, but practicality, reliability and usability are also key factors. Many of these replicas also
come in kit form and there are a lot of people out there who just like building cars, and if you’re going to build a car, it might as well look like one of the all time greats. One car that easily fits the ‘all time great’ tag is the Jaguar E-Type so it is hardly surprising that the car has been copied. Perhaps the only real surprise is that is hasn’t been copied more extensively. One man who is certainly a fan of the E-Type is David
Thomas. He owns the beautiful Challenger E-Type replica which is the subject of this feature. He bought the car last year, and while he is delighted with his Challenger, it wasn’t the car at the top of his list when he started his search for a car. “I have always loved E-Type Jaguars,” said David, “so when I was left some money in my Uncle’s will I decided I would finally treat myself and get the car of my dreams. I did everything as
September 2011 69
Stunning looks are what the Challenger is all about.
the JEC magazine. I asked myself what I liked most about the E-Type and the answer was simple – the shape. The Challenger captured that shape perfectly and my budget would allow me to buy a good car and still have money left over to make any needed improvements. The fibre glass body also meant that I wouldn’t have to worry too much about rust, so it seemed like the obvious solution.” Sight Unseen
E-Type alternative? you should; I joined the Jaguar Enthusiast’s Club and started looking for an E-Type. I had a budget of around £35,000 but the cars I looked at in that price range looked okay on the surface, but closer inspection revealed cracks in the paintwork and filler in 70 CPR Magazine
the wheel arches. The cars were probably worth what the vendors were asking, but what I had to ask was how long it would be before I had to spend another £35,000 repairing any deterioration. Then I saw an article about the Challenger E-Type in
The next problem David faced was where to get one from. The Challengers were originally produced in kit form by the now defunct Triple C Cars near Corby in Northamptonshire, so that ruled out buying a new car or even one in kit form. He would have to find one that
was already complete and was up for sale; not an easy task for a car that was built in very low numbers. David did his homework and joined the Challenger Owners’ Club. He also contacted club chairman Mike Tomlin who kindly took time to answer all David’s questions and showed him around his own Challenger, pointing out any potential problems to look out for. So, armed with all the information he needed, did David set about carefully looking at the small selection of cars that were for sale at the time? Actually…no. “I did exactly what everybody tells you not to do when buying a car. I saw a Challenger on an online auction site; it looked good in the photos so I made a bid for it and won! I had just bought a Challenger sight unseen; not only that, the car was in Glasgow over 300 miles from my home.” Snow & Ice The vendor assured David that the car was as described on the auction site and that if he was unhappy with it when he saw it he could walk away from the deal. That seemed fair enough, so David started planning his journey to collect the car and drive it back home. This was last November, and before setting off, he joked to a friend that knowing his luck he would probably encounter the worst snow for 25 years. Never joke about things like that, because… “My wife Sian and I got a flight up to Glasgow and met up with the vendor. The car was actually one that was built by the factory back in 1991, possibly as a demonstrator. It
Bullet mirrors are a nice touch. was bought at an estate sale by the previous owner and he had it for approximately 19 years. In that time he only put about 500 miles on it and it spent most of its time in a garage. He put it back on the road just before he put it up
for sale so it was roadworthy, but it still needed quite a bit of work to make it the car I wanted it to be.” David and Sian set off for home the following day. They planned to do the journey in stages; mainly because
David replaced the interior mirror and rod. September 2011 71
Under the bonnet sits a Jaguar 4.2 litre straight-six engine.
Genuine Jaguar bumpers finish the rear. it was such a long drive, but also because the fuel gauge wasn’t working so frequent fuel stops would be required. The couple set off on the leisurely drive from Glasgow and planned to stop overnight at a hotel near Ulleswater in Cumbria. 72 CPR Magazine
“The drive was going well,” said David. “We worked out that the car was doing about 17.5 miles per gallon and we were taking it fairly easy since I didn’t really know the car. We found the hotel in Ulleswater; a delightful place with a roaring log fire, and
after finishing a great meal we retired for the night. The next morning there was ice on the inside of the hotel window. I scraped it off and looked outside and to my dismay I saw the Challenger sitting under about three inches of snow! I borrowed a soft brush from one of the other guests and cleared the snow off the car. I wasn’t sure if it would start in those sub-zero temperatures, but it burst into life with one turn of the key. I thought that was quite impressive, especially as the choke wasn’t working, but it also gave me an indication of how rich the engine was running.” The couple set off once again on the homeward journey, hoping to reach Peterborough
Most of the external trim parts are genuine E-Type items.
Jaguar badge on radiator intake. before nightfall. They had planned to call in on Sian’s father in Hull, but had to abandon those plans due to the snow which seemed to be affecting the whole country. Well, it was the worst snow for 25 years after all! It was at this point that David found out something rather interesting. “Challengers and snow are not a good mix! The car is fitted with an automatic gearbox, and any application of throttle results in wheel spin at the rear and a gradual slide to one side or another. Gently squeezing the brake causes the front to slide instead of the rear.”
fuel and sit out a traffic jam to avoid overheating, the couple make it to Peterborough. “As it got dark I switched the headlights on,” said David. “It didn’t make much difference as they seem to be only one candle-power, but it did cause the rev counter to stop
Automatic gear selector. working. The indicator lights also flash intermittently or not at all, depending on the speed. Not really surprising as the car had sat for almost 20 years.” The Challenger is built from a welded steel space-frame chassis on which a fibre-glass body is bonded. Most of the
The extra-wide tunnel gives away the car’s origins.
Candle Power After frequent stops to demist the windscreen, fill up with September 2011 73
74 CPR Magazine
The interior looks surprisingly similar to Jaguar’s E-Type. mechanical parts like the engine, gearbox, suspension and rear axle are taken from a Jaguar XJ6 donor car. In fact, the XJ6 used a modified version of the E-Type’s rear axle with longer half shafts, so fitting it to the Challenger simply meant converting it back to E-Type spec. The XJ6 front suspension, complete with coil springs, is used in place of the original E-Type’s torsion bar set up while the steering rack however is a modified MGB item. E-Type Parts The main visual difference between the original E-Type and the Challenger is the wider central tunnel in the cars cockpit which separates the two seats. On the outside,
David rebuilt all the gauges himself.
most of the trim is genuine E-Type stuff, and as David found out, replacing it isn’t cheap. The large single piece bonnet lifts up and forwards just like the Jaguar’s to expose the 4.2 litre straight six engine. It’s
a tidy installation, and while there are many performance options available such as fitting triple Weber carbs or even fuel injection, David’s car is still retains a fairly standard XJ6 set up and uses a pair of HS8 SU carburettors. The September 2011 75
Classic lines and summer sunshine - what could be better? engine runs beautifully and sounds great too, thanks to the stainless steel exhaust system. Performance wise, David thinks that the Challenger compares well to the Jaguar cars and he says he can’t tell much difference between the Challenger and the other real E-Types he has driven. It has slightly less power at 170bhp but is lighter than the original 76 CPR Magazine
E-Type so the speed range should be roughly the same. “I have had brief drives in both V12 and six-cylinder E-Types, and in terms of how they performed, I couldn’t tell much difference between them and the Challenger,” said David. “The only criticism I have about the Challenger is that it does suffer from ‘bump steer.’ Having said that, I think its road holding is actually
quite good for a car of this age and also its style and what it is. You have to be careful in the wet though, as there is a lot of weight up at the front end. I think it’s the sort of car that you could drift on the bends if you were so inclined and I think it could be quite rewarding, and I think it’s a car that you could have a lot of fun setting up to get the most out of it.” Once David had
the car back in his garage, he set about sorting out some of the problems that presented themselves during the drive home. It was fairly obvious that the electrical system had a few ‘gremlins’ lurking in it, so he removed most of the dash fittings and went to work. He stripped and rebuilt every gauge on the car and did the same with each of the electrical switches.
The rear lights are Challenger made parts.
September 2011 77
The retro-look radio...
Access to the engine is good.
The car is fitted with a stainless steel exhaust. Smart Sounds Next he turned his attention to the hole in the dashboard where the radio should be. Rather than fit a modern CD/Radio combo with the obligatory changer in the boot, David wanted something a little more traditional. Sure enough, a quick glance inside reveals a fairly typical 1970s era radio with lots of chrome and black plastic. However, 78 CPR Magazine
...is in fact a CD player! just one evening. With that done, he lifted the bonnet and removed the carburettors ready to be rebuilt. While he was there, he also reset the valve clearances to eliminate a particularly noisy tappet. The rubber water hoses were replaced with modern silicone items, but David said he now regretted that as they didn’t seem as flexible as the rubber items and it was difficult to make them seal properly.
all is not as it first seems; the front panel drops down to Minor Matters reveal a CD player and even a slot for an SD memory card. Other minor items such as On the front of the radio there replacing wiper blades, fitting are cleverly hidden ports for a a new mirror rod and rearUSB device and an auxiliary view mirror and replacing lead; it’s a very neat bit of kit. missing chrome trims on the The next job David tackled was exterior was enough to get to replace the delaminating the car ready for the summer, windscreen. He enlisted his although David has more jobs friend Richard to help him and planned for the winter months. the pair got the job done in “Being a 1990s kit car, the
electrical system only has two fuses in the fuse box, and these have to cover every system on the car. One of the jobs I want to do over the winter is fit relays to all the high amperage systems on the car so that they don’t all go through the ignition. I have heard of one owner’s fuse box melting when something went wrong with the electric fan because it wasn’t individually fused, and the fuse by necessity are quite large. As my car is original and never been touched, I think it is a modification that’s quite important to do.” I was found David’s approach to the Challenger both surprising and refreshing. He isn’t a kit car enthusiast as such, and don’t forget that he originally set out to buy a real E-Type, so the fact that the Challenger even came under consideration might be surprising to some. Like I say, refreshing because opted for a car that allowed him to get the very best example on his available budget rather than settle for a poor example of the Jaguar. Best Points So what are the best points of the Challenger? “It’s easy to work on and it has a galvanised chassis, which along with the fibreglass body means that I don’t have to worry about rust,” said David. “It drives very nicely and most of the parts are readily available, although having said that, the fibreglass body parts can no longer be obtained. That is probably my biggest fear; if I have an accident and seriously damage to front end, I can’t get a replacement for it. I have heard of other
Chrome wire wheels look great on the Challenger.
The one-piece bonnet opens up just like the real E-Type. Challenger owners taking bonnet mouldings off real E-Types so they can make their own bonnet from GRP, but that would be a pretty major job and not one I would fancy doing.” One of the main deciding points that convinced David to buy the Challenger, apart from all the items above, was the support offered by the owners’ club. As a car produced in
such limited numbers, getting information or advice about the type would be almost impossible without the club’s help, and David believes that good club back-up not only makes a car more desirable, it also helps maintain the value of the car. “I think having the club support is really important and it’s something that a lot of people overlook. Just having
September 2011 79
someone there to answer my questions, or someone who knows the cars inside out and can help with any problems is very important to me. Without the club, I don’t think I would have bought the car” So what’s next I asked David. “Well, apart from the planned work over the winter, we hope to just keep using it like we have been. We have taken it to one or two
shows and we went to the Challenger Owners’ Club AGM in Warwickshire and met a lot of great people, so we are certainly having a lot of fun in it. One of the best things about owning a car like this is that when you are driving along, people actually stop and wave at you! It seems to make people smile, and it doesn’t really get any better than that… does it?”
The Challenger Owners’ Club The Challenger Owners’ Club was set up to help owners and builders of the Challenger E-Type kits. Now that the manufacturer is no longer trading, the club provides an important role supplying help and information to its members when required. It publishes a quarterly 28-page full colour magazine that contains tips and features about the Challenger cars, as well as useful contact details for the club hierarchy. The club has a stand at the annual Classic Motor Show at the NEC and is always pleased to meet Challenger and Jaguar enthusiasts and answer any questions they may have. They will once again be attending this year’s show, so why not drop by their stand and say ‘Hello.’ For more information about the club, call Mike Tomlin (Club Chairman) on 01328 855281 or visit the club’s website at: www.challenger-owners-club.co.uk
80 CPR Magazine
September 2011 81
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Find Out What’s On Near You!
Each month, Classic, Performance & Retro magazine brings you some of the best motoring events from around the world in our comprehensive ‘What’s On’ guide. Each listing features a live website link, so if you want know more a single click of the mouse is all you need. If you would like us to include your event, just send an e-mail with the details to: info@cprmag.com
September 2011 Date
Event
Website
4
First Regis ‘TAP’, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK
www.bognor-regis-mc.co.uk
4
Concorde Classics, Eastleigh, Hants, UK
www.concordeclassics.co.uk
4-5
Chelsea Auto Legends, Royal Hospital Chelsea, www.chelseaautolegends.com London, UK Classic Cup - Lochs and Glens, Highlands, Scotland www.classicrally.org.uk
4-9 4-11
www.msaclassics.co.uk
8-17
MSA Euroclassic, Troyes to Monte Carlo, through Italy Cappadocia Classic Rally, Turkey
9-11
US Vintage Grand Prix, Watkins Glen, USA
www.theglen.com
10-11
Beaulieu Autojumble, Beaulieu, Hampshire, UK
www.beaulieu.co.uk
10
Brighton Speed Trials, Brighton, UK
www.brightonandhovemotorclub.co.uk
10-24
The Great Tour of China, China
www.thetrial.nl/peking-shanghai/1829
11
Auto Italia, Heritage Motor Centre, Warks, UK
www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk
11
Great Western Italian Day, Gloucester, UK
www.italianautomotoclub.co.uk
14-17
Classic Targa Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
www.classictargaadelaide.com.au
15-18
Gran Primo Nuvolari, Mantova, Italy
www.gpnuvolari.it
16-18
Circuit International des Remparts, France
www.circuit-des-remparts.com
16-18
Goodwood Revival, Goodwood Circuit, Sussex, UK
www.goodwood.co.uk
16-18
Weekend of Excellence in Reims, France
www.weea-organisation.com
17-18
Fairfield County Concours, Connecticut, USA
www.fairfieldcountyconcours.com
17
Rally Day, Castle Combe, Wiltshire, UK
www.rallyday.com
23-25
Santa Fe Concorso, Santa Fe, California, USA
www.santafeconcorso.com
23-25
Six Hours of Spa Festival, Spa Francorchamps, Belgium
www.sixhoursofspa.co.uk
24-25
Kop Hill Climb, Bucks, UK
www.kophillclimb.org.uk
25
Bay to Birwood, Adelaide, Australia
www.baytobirdwood.com.au
25-9 Oct
Jaguar Drivers’ Club Pyrenees Tour, UK, Spain
www.classictravelling.com
28
Ferrari Tribute to Targa Florio, Cefalù, Sicily, Italy
www.classictravelling.com
84 CPR Magazine
www.mroe.org
BYRON_BOOKAZINE5
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Lakeland Keeping Automotive History Alive
MotorMuseum Thousands of visitors flock to the Lake District each year to admire the stunning countryside, but now there is a new attraction - The Lakeland Motor Museum. Simon Hazeldine called in to find out more.
T
he Lake District, set in northern England, is famous for many things; its spectacular beauty; its lakes, and even the odd speed record or two, but not many people would
86 CPR Magazine
associate the area with vintage or classic cars. It is perhaps surprising then, that the area is home to a brand new motor museum which is run in conjunction with some of the region’s
top attractions, and its excellent collection of cars is housed in fully refurbished building that is steeped in local history. The Lakeland Motor Museum is located just off the A590,
a major route leading from the M6 motorway straight to the heart of the Lake District. It is situated in the picturesque Leven valley, at Backbarrow, close to the southern tip of Lake Windermere, and you would be hard pushed to find another museum in such a
venue for car club outings or beautiful location. meetings. Getting there is easy The museum opened its enough, thanks to the doors to the public for the previously mentioned main first time in 2010, and roads, and the museum is clearly signposted once you while the museum itself get past the town of Newby might be new, its collection of vehicles is rather more Bridge. There is plenty of established. For 26 years, parking available too which makes this museum an ideal its assortment of cars, September 2011 87
Donald Campbell’s 1936 4 1/4. 88 CPR Magazine
bicycles, motorbikes and motoring related memorabilia was housed just down the road at Holker Hall, near Cark-in-Cartmel, and by 2007 it contained a massive 30,000 artefacts. By this time it was obvious that it had far outgrown its previous home, so in October 2008 planning for the museum’s new location began. By the beginning of June 2010, all of the collection’s exhibits had been lovingly moved
1913 Star. to the new ‘Blue Mill’ site at Backbarrow.
‘Bluebird’ radiator cap.
True Blue Perhaps the first thing to strike you as you arrive at the museum is the bright blue exterior of the main building. It seems a bizarre contrast to the surrounding lush green hills, and I did wonder if the local planning authorities might have objected to this rather vivid September 2011 89
90 CPR Magazine
The Jaguar XK140.
colour scheme. As it turns out, the local council not only approved of the colour…they insisted on it!
Exhibits are tightly packed in.
Ultramarine The site on which the Lakeland Motor Museum stands can trace its industrial roots back to the mid-1800s. In 1868, The Lancashire Ultramarine Company started producing a bright blue ultramarine pigment at the Backbarrow factory, which was shipped all over the world. The blue powder had numerous uses, such as adding blue shades to cosmetics, colouring paints and inks, and it was also added to washing powder to give clothes that much sought after ‘bluey whiteness.’ In 1928, Reckitt Colours Ltd took over the site
and production of the blue powder continued until the factory closed in 1982. The building now occupied by the museum was once used as the factory’s Carton Filling Department, where the blue powder was packed into boxes, barrels and a variety of other containers
before being shipped around the globe. It’s a fascinating history, and one not lost on Edwin Maher, MD of Lakeland Motor Museum. Edwin is nearly as passionate about the history of the site as he is about the museum’s collection of vehicles, and it’s hard not to be drawn September 2011 91
The museum has a great collection of vintage signs.
and its association with the colour blue, and insisted that the outside of the building be painted blue as part of the planning conditions.” Okay, while the history of the site is undoubtedly very interesting, it is the museum and its automotive collection that I had come to see, so let’s start at the beginning. The main entrance to the museum leads you straight into the shop where you can purchase an admission ticket for a small fee. A large open doorway leads from the shop into the main exhibit hall and its open plan layout allows you a superb overview of some of the many exhibits on display. The hall has a great ‘airy’ feel to it thanks to its high ceiling and the numerous windows which allow light to flood into the building.
VariedCollection in by his enthusiasm for the place. He showed me a photo of the museum building taken in 1952 which depicted the area around the main entrance and then he showed me how the same area looks today. He also pointed out numerous traces of the blue pigment which can still be seen in some of the exterior brickwork around the site. “The whole place was covered in it,” said Edwin. “Thankfully it’s not toxic in any way, which is a 92 CPR Magazine
real blessing as the people who worked here used to get covered in the stuff every day.” I mentioned that I could now see why the building was painted in such a bright colour. “Well, when we submitted the plans for the museum, we originally specified grey paint for the exterior walls thinking that it would help the building ‘blend in’ with the surroundings. However, the people on the council clearly knew the history of the site
The collection of vehicles on display is varied but all the exhibits are in excellent condition. As you enter the hall, the first car on display is a rather attractive 1913 Star. This has to be the ultimate ‘low mileage’ car as it has covered just 12,000 miles from new, or just over 120 miles per year to put it another way. I wonder if the warranty is still valid? Seriously though, this is a beautiful car. It was placed in storage during the First World War and this helped to preserve many of the car’s
Ford Model T van. features; for example, it still has one of its original tyres fitted to the spare wheel. It also holds the distinction of being one of the first cars to be fitted with electric powered lights. Just past the Star is a 1914 Dennis fire engine which is still in running order and looks great decorated with its period fire helmets and polished bell. Opposite this sits a collection of vintage motorcycles and a 1920 Ford Model T van which was used in nearby Blackpool for many years. This particular van wears an eye-catching cream livery and carries artwork from the Blackpool Van Transport Ltd, and I guess it squashes the story that Model Ts were available in
Citroen Traction. ‘any colour you like…as long as it’s black!’ Next up is a 1925 Humber 12/25 in immaculate condition and alongside that are a 1933 Buick Eight Series CA and a 1938 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine. The cars are parked closely
together in a line, which does make photography difficult, but on the plus side there are no fences of barriers around most of them so it’s possible to get a really good look at the vehicles on display. As I mentioned earlier, the September 2011 93
Beautifully restored MGTF. Lakeland Motor Museum has another close association with the colour blue as it features a number of exhibits linked with famous world record chaser Donald Campbell. Nearly all of his record setting cars and boats were painted blue and most carried the name ‘Bluebird.’ One of the items on display is Campbell’s 1936 Bentley 4 1/4 with Standard Steel
Park Ward Body. It certainly stands out in its bright blue finish; even the wire wheels haven’t escaped the blue paint but the whole car is in fantastic condition. There are a lot more Campbell related exhibits at this museum too, but I’ll come back to those later. One aspect of the museum that gives the place a nice period feel is the row of
recreated shop fronts from the 1950s, 60s and 70s that line one of the walls in the main hall. These provide a great backdrop to some of the cars, and for those old enough to remember, some of the products on display in the windows will bring back a lot of memories. Moving on through the hall, the next car to catch my eye is a beautiful 1949 Healey Silverstone. The car is finished in spotless red paintwork and the black vinyl trim inside the cockpit is equally pristine. Next to the Healey is an immaculate 1952 Citroen Traction Avant 11L. Although the museum’s example is very much post war, the Avant is often referred to as the ‘Gestapo Car,’ such was its popularity with the Nazi organisation during World War Two. Next to the Avant is a 1954 MG TF finished in British Racing Green. Edwin told me that this car was one of the most popular with the museum’s visitors and it’s not difficult to see why. It looks fantastic; its paintwork is unmarked and there is even a couple of aging suitcases on the luggage rack to complete the picture.
Atmosphere 1949 Healey Silverstone. 94 CPR Magazine
I walk past more shop fronts; one has a couple of old black bicycles leaning against the window and I half expect the owners to come out of the shop and pedal away with their groceries!
There is a large collection of motoring related items on the upper floor. More gleaming cars line the walkway, including a 1955 Jaguar XK140, a 1953 Morris Minor ‘pick-up’ and an Austin A35. Everywhere I look there are motoring related enamel signs, many of which date back to the 1930s and 40s. Some look brand new, while others clearly show signs of weathering and have obviously hung on the wall of one business or another for many years before being retired.
PoliceConnection Another popular car with visitors is the 1960 MGA Roadster Police car. This car is quite a rarity as it was one of 50 MGAs used by the Lancashire Police Force for traffic patrol duties. The car still has all of its Police
The Police MGA is a popular exhibit. equipment fitted including its sirens, blue lights and even the ‘stop’ sign fixed to the rear bumper. It looks great, but I’m not sure I’d fancy patrolling the northern extremities of the M6 in one of these during a freezing winter night. The upper floor of the museum is where all the
smaller artefacts are housed. These include toys and badges, car parts, model cars, driving helmets and a huge collection of number plates. There is also a collection of vintage slot machines that each has some sort of motoring connection, and when I say vintage, I mean these things are made from September 2011 95
Virage and a mock up of Colin McRae’s World Rally Championship car which was used by Ford during its wind tunnel test programme. The museum’s shop is well stocked, and as Edwin Maher explained, the policy is to make a variety of products available which will appeal to as many visitors as possible, not just the motoring fans.
TheCampbells
Campbell’s 1935 ‘Bluebird’ car. Inside the museum’s restaurant.
wood! Most of them still work too, so if you fancy trying your hand at ‘Grand Prix Racer’ or ‘Road Test,’ you just have to deposit a penny in the slot. The upper floor also has a viewing balcony which looks out over the museum’s main hall. It also gives visitors a closer look at some of the exhibits hanging from the roof, such as the ‘Flying Flea’ aeroplane. Also on the upper floor are the museum’s collections of bicycles and pedal cars, both of which contain some interesting 96 CPR Magazine
exhibits. Back downstairs and I am drawn to the recreation of a vintage garage scene. The centrepiece of this display is a rather battered looking 1931 Standard Swallow, but it is the sheer amount of motoring and garage paraphernalia scattered around the car that makes this such an interesting exhibit. The walkway leads me back into the main hall and back out towards the shop where I came in. On the way, I pass a 1990 Aston Martin
The other museum’s other main exhibition involves walking a short distance outside to one of the outbuildings. This houses a display dedicated to record breakers Malcolm and Donald Campbell and the famous ‘Bluebird’ machines. Inside the building are full size replicas of the 1935 Bluebird car, the 1939 Bluebird K4 boat and the infamous 1967 jet hydroplane Bluebird K7 boat in which Malcolm Campbell tragically lost his life. Adorning the walls of the exhibition are pictures and storyboards that recount the record setting exploits of the Campbells and there is also a large video screen showing rarely seen footage of both land and water record attempts. It is a poignant and moving tribute to the Campbell dynasty and I found it remarkable that most of the visitors viewing the exhibition did so in silence or spoke in just a whisper. Heading back outside, another short walk takes
you to the museum’s café and restaurant which is called Café Ambio. Actually, the establishment is run independently from the museum as Edwin Maher explained. “Our specialty is old vehicles and running a museum. We don’t know anything about preparing food or cooking meals, so we decided to leave that to the experts.” The idea certainly worked as Café Ambio offers a great choice of snacks and meals at very reasonable prices. The purpose built building is very smart and its outdoor seating area backs onto the fast flowing River Leven complete with its small waterfall. It’s a beautiful setting, and as if to prove the point, two swans float gracefully by to complete the picture of tranquillity.
Lots to do in the area, like admire the scenery...
...ride a steam train...
...or take a boat ride!
Lake Links I asked Edwin about the museum’s ownership status and was surprised to learn that it is owned by the same parent company that operates the famous sightseeing boats on nearby Lake Windermere. It is perhaps unsurprising then that a free shuttle bus runs between the lake and the museum which allows visitors time to look around the vehicle collection and get a boat ride all in the same day. Of course, if boats are not your thing, there is still lots more to see and do nearby. Less than half
a mile away is the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Steam Railway which lets you ride a glorious steam train through some of the most beautiful countryside in England. It doesn’t stop at the motor museum, but it does call at Lake Windermere where of course you can catch the bus to the museum. It certainly seems like the Lakeland Motor Museum has got everything right and
it’s impressive to see how established it has become in just one year. I asked Edwin Maher what the plans were for the future. “To keep doing what we have been doing. We hope at some point in the future to construct an additional building at the western end of the site to house the items that we don’t currently have room to display. We have about 30,000 exhibits at the September 2011 97
Below: Main entrance to the museum
moment, but only have room for about 10,000 in the present buildings. The planning authorities were very kind to us when we submitted the plans for the museum and told 98 CPR Magazine
us to include any future proposals so that we didn’t have to go through the whole planning process again when we wanted to expand.� The museum is an excellent
destination for car clubs to meet at, and the museum staff will gladly assist with any visits and make any necessary arrangements. Conference facilities are also available so it could be
Visitor Info The Lakeland Motor Museum Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow, Newby Bridge, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8TA Telephone: 01539 530400 E-mail:
info@lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk
Website:
www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk
Open 7 Days A Week - 9.30am until 5.30pm (4.30pm Oct - Feb)
a great place to hold a club AGM too. I was very impressed with what I found at the Lakeland Motor Museum. It has a great collection of vehicles and the facilities
are second to none. It might be a little off the beaten track compared to other museums like Coventry or Gaydon, but it’s well worth the effort of travelling that little bit
further, and with so much to see and do in the local area you could end up staying for days. If you are ever in the area, make sure you drop in and say ‘hi.’ You won’t regret it! September 2011 99
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It’s been a busy few weeks for the Robertson Racing Team as they work their way through a busy summer schedule of American Le Mans Series races. this month we have two reports; one from the Grand Prix of Mosport in Canada and the other from the Mid Ohio race.
A
fter the team’s sensational podium finishes at Le Mans and Lime Rock, there was great expectation as the Robertson Racing Ford GTs took to the track for the Grand Prix of Mosport on
102 CPR Magazine
July 22 - 24, for round four of the 2011 American Le Mans Series. Following the team’s podium finish at Lime Rock Park two weeks ago, hopes were high that the #04 car could again spring a surprise amongst the
more fancied factory entries. David Murry started strongly to keep the car inside the top ten before handing over to co-driver Anthony Lazzaro who overcame a late ‘splash and dash’ fuel stop to take the chequered flag in seventh
Mosport
place, two places higher than where the duo started. Meanwhile, husband and wife pairing David and Andrea Robertson kept their noses clean on a busy but fast 3.96-killometre circuit throughout the two-hour
45-minute long race, to bring the team’s #40 machine home 14th place. It’s a mark of the Braseltonbased outfit’s recent run of strong performances that their solid top-ten, incidentfree outing in Canada would
prove a source of frustration. Speaking after the race, Andrew ‘H’ Smith, Team Manager, said: “All in all we’ve had a reasonable day. It’s just that following such a strong result last time out, as well as what happened at September 2011 103
The 40 car which got scored a Le Mans podium finish. (All Photos courtesy Richard Prince - www.rprincephoto.com)
Lee Penn holds the ‘lollipop.’
A quick ‘splash & dash.’
Some of the crew before the race. 104 CPR Magazine
Le Mans, it’s perhaps easy to get carried away. But we’re still heading in the right direction. We will go back to the workshop and see what improvements can be made in time for Mid-Ohio.” Before that race, the team travelled to Dave and Andrea Robertson’s home circuit at Waterford Hills in Michigan where each began their racing careers to celebrate Robertson Racing’s historic Le Mans 24 Hours podium. Both the #40 machine, which ran faultlessly throughout the race, as well as the second #04 car, were on display at the party.
Mosport
The 40 car thunders down the track. September 2011 105
The Robertson Racing Team made history at the Mid Ohio race by being the first team to run an all-female crewed car, but as new driver Melanie Snow discovered, it would be a baptism of fire (and rain!).
T
he Robertson Racing team was relieved to see both of its Ford GTs merely make it to the finish at Mid-Ohio on August 4-6, as torrential rain ensured the
106 CPR Magazine
fifth round of 2011 American Le Mans Series was a nerveracking affair. Although the Braselton, (GA)based outfit were pleased to come home unscathed in
seventh and 14th in the GT class, it was a case of what might have been, especially for the #04 machine. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington isn’t one
midohio
that has traditionally favoured the iconic Ford, but the team were in confident mood after testing on the Tuesday prior to the race, when new signing Melanie Snow got to grips with
the #40 all-female-crewed car she would share with Andrea Robertson for the first time. The track had evolved dramatically in time for Friday’s qualifying however
with Anthony Lazzaro doing well to put the #04 GT 10th in class despite suffering a broken sway bar, while the sister machine lined up four places further back. September 2011 107
Torrential rain caused the race to end 10 mins early.
Andrea & Melanie sign autographs.
David Murry then produced another of his excellent first stints on Saturday afternoon to keep the car in contention by the time he pitted at the end of the first hour. With Lazzaro aboard the team should have maintained their charge but were soon notified of a stop/go penalty for a pitlane infringement which would ultimately cost them a 108 CPR Magazine
potential top-five finish. The #40 car meanwhile had run solidly in the hands of Andrea Robertson during the first 75 minutes before Melanie Snow was able to sample her first taste of the Ford in race conditions even if her time behind the wheel was punctuated throughout by a number of caution periods. She needed to be particularly
alert on one such occasion however when the Safety Car broke down! Then, with 45 minutes remaining, the heavens opened. Despite the entire field pitting for wet tyres, it soon became clear that conditions were just too severe to continue as cars aquaplaned off the circuit. With just ten minutes left a decision was taken to stop the race, leaving the clock to run down to zero as the drivers sat patiently in the pits. Lazzaro’s experience and the Ford’s good balance in wet conditions helped the #04 car salvage seventh after a frustrating day while Snow, who had never driven the Ford in the rain before, was able to
midohio The 04 car kicks up dust on a corner.
It’s a tiring job...but someone’s gotta do it!
04 car in the garage.
avoid the pitfalls of others to finish 14th. Andrew ‘H’ Smith, Team Manager: “What a crazy race! There was so much going on out there that we’re all relieved to see both cars back in one piece. The team are obviously feeling
frustrated about #04’s penalty. We had good race pace after struggling for a balance in practice and qualifying and could have been a couple of positions better off. Such severe conditions often throw up unpredictable results so perhaps we’ve missed an
opportunity there. On the other side of the garage we were all really impressed with Melanie who showed what she was capable of in the dry and maintained a cool head when it rained. She’s had a baptism of fire this weekend, that’s for sure!” September 2011 109
Piper Racing Cars Style Heritage Performance Cutting Edge Technology The name ‘Piper’ has been associated with performance and race cars since the 1950s and now a unique investment opportunity has arisen which could allow you to become part of this company’s exciting future. With its highly skilled design team, Piper Racing Cars Ltd has been working for the past two years on a new ‘Supercar’ project, based on the stunning 1969 Piper GTR Le Mans 24 Hour Race car (as seen below), which will be available in both road and race options. Now it needs investment to take the project to the next level and develop a car truly worthy of the famous ‘Piper’ brand name. For more information, please call Tony Claydon on 01621 851589 or e-mail: piperracingcars@tiscali.co.uk
www.piperracingcars.co.uk
November 2010 3
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auctionnews
Latest News From The Auction Rooms
This beautiful 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster fetched a record $9,680,000.
Record Price For Mercedes 540K At Monterey
RM Auctions Monterey Sale Monterey, California, USA. August 21, 2011. RM Auctions - Monterey, USA. Type
Year
Price
Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster
1937
$9,680,000
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione
1960
$5,280,000
Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster
1939
$4,620,000
Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster
1935
$3,767,500
Ferrari 340 Mexico Berlinetta
1952
$3,685,000
Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Coupe
1936
$3,080,000
Mercedes-Benz 540 K Sport Cabriolet A
1936
$2,970,000
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe
1962
$2,090,000
Ferrari 375 America Coupe
1953
$1,980,000
BMW 507 Roadster
1958
$1,072,500
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione sold for $5,280,000.
RM Auctions continued its strong track record in Monterey, California on August 21, setting a new world record for a Mercedes-Benz sold at auction and selling 12 cars for individual million-dollar-plus results. The star of the night, a spectacular 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster, chassis number 154140, attracted spirited bidding in the room and on the phones, selling for an impressive $9,680,000 to applause from the crowd – a new world record for a Mercedes-Benz sold at auction. The stunning 540 K was joined by a magnificent series of four other supercharged eight-cylinder Mercedes-Benz cars from the 1930s, each fetching multi-million-dollar results before the packed house. 112 CPR Magazine
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This tidy Triumph TR4 sold for an amazing $44,000. 1984 Ferrari 126 C4 Formula 1 Racing Car failed to sell.
Other highlights included a superb selection of historic Ferraris, lead by the sale of a rare alloybodied 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione for $5,280,000. Among the British classic on offer was a very tidy 1962 Triumph TR4. This was estimated to fetch between $25,000 and $35,000, but when the hammer fell it sold for a staggering $44,000. As we reported in the July issue, it seems the TR4 is gaining value almost daily, so if you own one, look after it!
Jaguar XJ220 went for $231,000.
2005 Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept Platform Model sold for $82,500.
1939 Aston Martin 2-Litre ‘Brooklands’ Speed Model.
September 2011 113
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December 2010 89
Total Headturners
At least 15 hand picked cobras in stock
www.totalheadturners.com
McLaren M6 GTR 1993. Must be the most stunning car I have ever owned. Immaculate coachwork. Thousands spent on making this car how it is today. Tornado GT40 chassis. New 440 Magnum hi perf Chevy. GD exhaust, rear view camera, Halibrands etc. Much money recently spent, absolutely superb. Awesome performance! £29,995
Ultima Sports Coupe 1996. Tuned 350 short block ZZ4 Chevy HO/V8 fully balanced approx 400 bhp. Edelbrock ‘RPM performance’ heads, forged pistons & conrods. 31k miles (23k on clock history & recently serviced) G50 box, recent clutch plates, ice cold A/C. New parts inc Kenlow fan, Moroso pump, uprated radiator/ alternator etc etc. Absolutely stunning £29995
Ford GT40 Mk1 by RCR. 2010. Only 800 miles. Inc registration GT10 WOW (fully IVA’d). Professionally built by Terry Hennebery Speedwell Replicas. Original 1968 Ford 302 V8, Edelbrock alloy heads. Engine certified 1968,no emissions requirements (no catalytic converter or O2 sensors) Best 40 replica I have ever owned & possibly seen. £49995
AC Ace by Hawk. Unmarked Dark Blue Metallic. V8 alloy 3500cc 200bhp engine, 5 speed box. Sounds beautiful. Massive tube chassis as original, knock on w/wheels, 1 engineer owner, very low mileage, never seen rain. Tax exempt. 1967 registrationas a Hawk. Must be the best Ace for sale, Absolutely Beautiful £29,995
Westfield 11. 1985. Aldon based Ford 1300 xflow, twin 40’s, tubular manifold, dry sump plus other trick bits. 145hp when last raced. Race clutch, 4 speed box. Shed load of spares inc Full bonnet, Rear axle & stubs for w/wheel conversion, 2 extra fuel tanks. Rare as hens teeth to have a road registered 11. £19,995
Hawk Ace. Quite possibly the best Ace replica ever made. Simply outstanding! Removable hard top. Forest/Emerald Green. Full luxury leather, 4 speed O/D box (fully rebuilt). 1400 miles on rebuilt 2.5 ltr straight six. Tubular S/S exhaust, sounds Superb. C/W/W & Avon Tyres. Tax Exempt. Outstanding value £33,500
Ferrari 250 GTO.LHD.Registered 1978. Ideal export! Superb copy of the most sought after & valuable Ferrari. One recently sold for $23,000,000. This car was built with no expense spared, breathtaking quality. 6 cyl 2800cc. 3 twin webber’s, w/wheels, 4 exhausts. Borranis, original badges, drives & sounds amazing. £49.995
Dax Cobra 427, Registered 1975. Met Dark Blue, white twin stripes, removable racing roundels. Looks like the original Shelby Cobra. Tuned 5.7 litre Chevy, Alloy Heads, oil cooler, 4 into 1 side exhausts, 5 speed box, Halibrands. Massive history file, Looks awesome, sounds like thunder & goes like a rocket. A true bargain £32,500
AK Cobra 427. 2009. Built to be the best! Powered by 6.3 litre stroker. Unmarked Silver, grey stripes, stunning colour combination! Correct style dash & interior, 5 speed manual, 15” Halibrand replicas, Avon tyres, sidepipes, etc. Build history, SVA paperwork. 1 owner. Outstanding car. £37,500
Porsche Spyder replica by Chamonix. Tubular Chassis. Front discs. Powered by flat four 2 litre Injected engine. Tan leather. Full weather equip, heater, elec door locks. Immobilizer. Aluminium dash/controls. Only covered 158 miles since built. We cannot stress how beautiful this car is. Absolutely stunning in as new condition. £22,500
Show winning Cobra AK 383 cu in 383 stroker 6.3litre V8.1991. Silver, black stripes. Polished alloy lined engine bay, engine dynoed at 480hp, sidepipes, oil cooler. Magnum replica alloys. 4,200 miles. Tonneau, w/deflectors, harnesses. Full build receipts, Vosa/SVA. Excellent drive. Ready to enjoy. Outstanding! £32,500
Dodge Viper GTS Coupe 1999. Cognac leather. Uprated mods Inc HRE Performance 20” Alloys $10,500, Roe Racing/Silverline working performance sidepipes, sound like thunder! Slotted/drilled discs, Lightened Flywheel. We cannot stress how awesome these cars are, blisteringly quick! Ice cold A/C. 6 speed. Immaculate. £32,500
Telephone: 07711 630348 or 01992 573564
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onscreen
Top DVDs, Videos & Movies
Lotus Evora - The Making Of A Modern Icon Format: PAL/Colour Running Time: 93 Minutes Price: £16.99 Available From: www.dukevideo.com This official Lotus DVD tells the remarkable story of the development of the Lotus Evora sportscar, from a clean sheet idea to the final product. Lotus Evora - The Making of a Modern Icon gives you a behind the scenes view of the Lotus team as they test in the freezing Arctic, at the world famous Nurburgring, and as they face the challenges of manufacturing this award-winning sportscar. As if that wasn’t enough, it was all done in an unprecedented 27 months! This is not just the story of the Lotus Evora; it is the story of the people behind it, set against the backdrop of huge changes in the motor industry and within Lotus itself. With exclusive behindthe-scenes filming, Lotus Evora - The Making of a Modern Icon is a pioneering documentary showing for the first time the complete development of a car as it happened. It is a must-see, not just for sportscar fans, but for anyone who wants to see how this latest model from the legendary Lotus was developed.
116 CPR Magazine
THE KIT & sportscar SHOW Indoor
6 new car launches Cobra grand slam World class display This year, by popular choice, the KIT & Sportscar show at Exeter has been kept at the successful date in October. Brilliant news this year is that we have SIX new cars to be launched at the show (see above page 2) there will be again a strong suport from the Cobra manufactirers. Attending the 2011 Kit and Sportscar show they will be; HAWK CARS, MADGWICK SPORTSCARS, AK SPORTSCARS, DJ SPORTSCARS with a grand diplay by the COBRA REPLICA CLUB AND THE 289 COBRA REGISTER. These classic iconic cars are also joined by producers of replica Jaguars like XK140s, C-types from Nostalgia and the Jaguar ss100 of Suffolk Jaguar Cars who produce a startlingly near perfect copy of this lovely classic. The world is talking Electric cars, well so can we, see new developments at Dragon Electric cars on stand M20. As well as this grand set of favourites there will be many new cars from a variety of names both new and old. New on the scene with a new twist on an old favourite JWE have replicated the Healey 2000 but with a BMW base giving a high performance yet reliable modern parts. Eurotech from Kent have produced a new concept in three wheel motivation, using the R1 motorcycled rear end and a two seat configuration for passenger and driver-high speed yet comfortable. The new Muratya RTS moves the self build market into uncharted territory by using the the shear power of the Suburu Impretza, coupled with a bespoke chassis. This build will produce super car performance but yet
Hawk cars
Stand m104
Mills extreme vehicles have designed another pair of winning kits in the Exocet and the modern designed MEV X5. Both cars are right up to date in innovation and styles. R-tech a new name to the industry have been hard at work and will launch their all new La-Bala, a stunning modern 2 seat sports car bang up to date to suit the modern Kit Car image. Typhoon have taken over the Jeremy Phillips MOJO and with this first showing under the R-Tech banner intend to put the MOJO back firmly on the order books. You simply must not miss the wild drifting display from Westfield Sportscars this is an opportunity to experience sliding sideways around the circuit out on the HSBC arena. Westpoint Exeter, is known as one of the top indoor show venues in the country surrounded by plenty of good hotels and B & B’s. Exeter itself is a great City and well worth a visit. Lots of Cars-fine restaurant serving Sunday lunches - outdoor food caterers -Bar- free parking- The Westfield Experience- 45 plus Manufactures, Club stands. Loads of new cars and plenty of spares. Loads of private kit cars-plenty of accessories, A BRILLIANT DAY OUT FOR ALL CAR ENTHUSIASTS.
show
Stand m89
Typhoon mojo ASPIRE KIT-CARS
Stand m77 Stand m22
Ak sportscars
More info;-John Cooke www.kitcarshows.co.uk cookie@car-shows.co.uk.
Stand m43
Jwe thruxton
Madgwick cars
Stand m86 S
NEW DATES The KIT & sports CAR SHOW FOR 2012 April 8th-9th easter weekend2012
Stand m28 Great indoor show Loads of clubs 40 plus manufacturers Lots of trade stands
www.kitcar-shows.co.uk
Bookshelf
Speedy Stories & Revving Reads!
Jaguar E-type: The Definitive History (2nd Edition) Author: Philip Porter Price: £99.00 Format: Hardback. ISBN: 978 0 85733 122 9 Available From: www.haynes.co.uk To celebrate the Jaguar E-type’s 50th anniversary this year, Haynes is releasing an all-new, fully updated edition of Jaguar E-type: The Definitive History, the multiple award-winning book on one of the most charismatic and iconic cars of all time. To mark the anniversary, this year’s Silverstone Classic (22-24 July) included two E-type races and a variety of displays, with more than a thousand racing and road-going E-types attending over the weekend. In period the E-type was an emblem of the Swinging Sixties, but has become a timeless icon of British style and design, and remains a vital part of our national consciousness. Originally published in 1989, the first edition of Jaguar E-type: The Definitive History remained in print for over 20 years. More than 150 interviews were conducted during the writing of the book, and insights and recollections come from leading Jaguar personnel such as ‘Lofty’ England, Bill Heynes and Norman Dewis, as well as significant E-type racing figures such as Sir Jackie Stewart, Roy Salvadori and Bob Tullius. The words are accompanied by a vast array of lavish images, many new to this 2nd edition, including hundreds of colour photos together with facsimile reproductions of test logs, factory reports and press releases. Bentley: A Racing History Author: David Venables Price: £40.00 Format: Hardback. ISBN: 978 1 40536 1750 Available From: www.haynes.co.uk To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Bentley’s track debut at Brooklands, Bentley: A Racing History, published by Haynes, provides an authoritative historical account of one of the most evocative names in motor racing. Written by expert author David Venables, it contains a wealth of previously unseen photographs, which bring to life the tale of heroism and engineering endeavour behind the development of this famous British marque. Bentley: A Racing History describes every stage of Bentley’s record-breaking racing history, charting a rise which began with founder Walter Owen Bentley producing his first car, the Bentley 3-litre prototype, in 1919. Before this, ‘W.O’, as he was known, had manufactured rotary aero-engines as a member of the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War. The dramatic highs and lows of the motoring empire that he went on to create are now all brought together to provide fascinating reading for students of motor racing history. The resulting collection of archive material covers golden moments such as Bentley’s first-ever Le Mans triumph in 1924, and its dramatic repeat in 1927, when a damaged and crippled car held on for victory against all odds. Sadly these successes were also punctuated by large-scale financial problems, but thankfully Bentley found a saviour in millionaire Woolf Barnato, who poured money into the company. Barnato famously introduced the world to the ‘Bentley Boys’, a team of rich drivers who partied as furiously as they raced. Tales of their wild social lives, whirlwind romances and intense personal tragedies were the talk of motoring circles in the late 1920s to early 1930s, and are interwoven into this book’s depiction of a bygone era in motorsport. Tim Birkin, arguably the most famous of the ‘Bentley Boys’, later became synonymous with supercharged ‘blower’ Bentleys, which - despite opposition from the great ‘W.O’ - were eventually built using funds from reclusive heiress, Dorothy Paget. Birkin’s faith in this new, more fragile, design concept proved ill-timed, and The Great Depression saw Barnato quickly withdraw his considerable financial backing. Bentley went into liquidation in 1931 before being bought by Rolls-Royce - prompting a mini revival in its fortunes on the track in the mid-1930s. This comprehensively researched book guides readers through these many eventful chapters in the Bentley story, whilst also providing detailed sections on the post-war era too. Bentley: A Racing History culminates with Bentley’s long awaited return to international racing in 2001 after the company’s successful acquisition by Volkswagen in 1998 - a renaissance that ended with the Speed 8’s memorable triumph at Le Mans in 2003. Detailed appendices containing information on car specifications, racing successes and W.O’s engine designs complete a thorough examination of one of the most illustrious names to have taken to the circuit.
118 CPR Magazine
www.cprmag.com Derek Bell - My Racing Life Author: Derek Bell/Alan Henry RRP: £35.00 Format: Hardback. ISBN: 978 0 85733 088 8 Available From: www.haynes.co.uk Published to mark the 70th birthday of one of Britain’s best-loved racing drivers, Derek Bell: My Racing Life, from Haynes Publishing, is a fully updated edition of this legendary competitor’s autobiography, which recounts the highs and lows of a life-long love affair with motor-racing. Told with the help of internationally respected motorsport journalist, Alan Henry, Bell’s story charts a journey from club racing at Goodwood, close to his family home on the Sussex coast, to international renown as one of the world’s finest ever endurance sports car drivers. Bell famously achieved this status through multiple triumphs at Le Mans and the Daytona 24 Hours, during a distinguished and hugely varied racing career stretching over 40 eventful years. His recollections of these many experiences are shared in Derek Bell: My Racing Life with a feast of motorsport nostalgia, illustrated with numerous photographs from his own personal collection. Having honed his burgeoning talent in the cut-and-thrust of international Formula 3 and Formula 2 during the 1960s, the book recounts how Bell was catapulted into the Ferrari Formula 1 team at the age of 26. In 1968 he made his Grand Prix debut in front of the car-crazy tifosi at Monza, but arrived at Maranello during one of its periodic downturns. Sadly, this meant his tenure in the works seat of the most famous name in motor racing was to be cut short after less than a year. After a brief sojourn in F2 racing, Bell bounced back to establish his world-renowned reputation as an endurance sports car driver throughout the 1970s and ‘80s with Porsche. It was during this period that he scored the five wins in the legendary Le Mans 24-hour classic and the three wins in the gruelling Daytona 24-hour race for which he is still celebrated today. Bell’s triumphs at Le Mans are particularly fondly remembered due to his allconquering partnership with Belgian driver, Jacky Ickx. Bell/Ickx rightly remains one of the most revered pairings in the history of motorsport to date, and is also further examined in Derek Bell: My Racing Life. The roll-call of Bell’s other driving partners reads like a who’s who of international motor racing, with illustrious names such as Jo Siffert, Mike Hailwood, Stefan Bellof, Jochen Mass and Al Holbert all sharing long-distance race wins with one of the most amiable and popular characters in the paddock. It was with the German driver Hans Stuck that Bell achieved two World Sportscar Championships, in 1985 and 1986, at the height of global sportscar racing popularity. In addition to providing vividly-described tales of his many triumphs alongside these talented drivers, Bell uses the book to reveal the frustration of setbacks such as his short lived return to Formula 1 with the Tecno and Surtees teams in the early 1970s. More poignantly, he goes on to reflect upon the deaths of close friends and colleagues - such as Jim Clark - which made racing such a raw and uncompromising affair in the early days of his career. He also recalls the immense joy he felt after sharing the third-placed McLaren at Le Mans in 1995 with his son, Justin, before finally updating readers on more recent exploits, including his participation in endurance racing in the USA which he now calls home - throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Billy F Gibbons : Rock + Roll Gearhead Author: Billy F Gibbons/Tom Vickers RRP: £16.99 Format: Paperback. ISBN: 978 0 7603 40301 Available From: www.motorbooks.co.uk Now available in paperback, Billy F Gibbons throws wide his garage and studio doors for an exclusive look at his exquisite vintage and way-out custom guitars and his influential hot rods and custom cars. From the mythical ’59 Les Paul sunburst known as Pearly Gates and the “Furry One” of MTV renown to cars like the Eliminator, CadZZilla, and Kopperhed, they’re all here—more than four dozen guitars and ten astounding vehicles, all expounded upon by BFG himself and shown in specially commissioned color photography. And while BFG’s cars n’ guitars are the stuff of legend, no less intriguing are the tales behind his incredible music career. From teenage Houston garage rock to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the whole story is between these covers, told in the Good Reverend Willie G’s own words and illustrated with photos and memorabilia from his personal archive.
September 2011 119
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1980 MG B GT £3950, Located in Scottish Borders TD6. Full restoration 2005 with work done since total over £11000 spent including full respray in original Vermillion. Rubber bumpers removed & lowered to chrome bumper height with uprated springs & pollybushes and spax rears. Complete ownership history known & full file of all receipts for work done. Unleaded conversion with K&N’s, AAA needles, s/s manifold & system & elctronic ignigtion. All new carpets with full leather interior. A great car always reliable and with MOT until June 2011, currently on SORN for winter but can be taxed for new owner at cost to make it a drive away purchase. Contact Philip Titley on 07795 400022 or email philtitley@aol.com
120 CPR Magazine
Beautifully presented 1994 Sebring International TMX sports car having glorious body work with spotless cream leather red piped interior, racing harnesses and a 3.9 V8 engine, 5 speed gearbox, electronic ignition. This car has won recent show events and looks stunning having registered mileage of just 12500 A car for those who seek the beauty of classics with modern technology, taxed until August with MOT’s, ready to drive away. Priced to match to days market, a real buy at £15,875 inc registration. Contact Geoff Goodspeed on 01254 812558 or 07968 254883
Be Wise When You Advertise! When you advertise always take steps to guard against identity fraud. Do not place personal details in your adverts. If you are selling a car, remember that there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who will use every trick in the book to part you from your car or your money. Take sensible precautions. If you are buying a car; make sure you check it thoroughly. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! Never meet a vendor on the street or at service stations. Research the type of car you are buying so you know what to look for. If you are unsure, take an expert along with you.
MGBGT. Taxed/moted, my lightly restored Gt is for sale at £2500. Old English white, Webasco roof, woodrim, overdrive, Kenwood stereo/cd. New battery and tyres. Retro push button start and immobiliser. Mot history and full ownership record support mileage 522080. Very smooth engine and gearbox, full soundproofing, waxoyled. Retired engineers 6th mgb project. m.tomkinson@o2.co.uk or mobile 07802 449822. View Enfield, by appointment.
DAIMLER DS420 LIMOUSINE £10995 ONO. 7 SEAT WEDDING CAR. 89.000 MILES. MOT August 11th 2011. Black over cream. Beautiful car inside and out. Must see car ready for next wedding. Lots of photos just ring with email address. Price for quick sale. 01977-645034.
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 1, 1976, Flared wheel arch model, Only 34,000 miles, Oxford Blue, Everflex roof, Light blue upholstery, RR service history, Handbook, Service book, Build history, Tool kit, Show condition, Every MOT certificate, Tax & 12 months MOT. Truly magnificent. £14950 ono. Tel: 01362-860961 or 07802-256298. Email: frank_michie@btinternet.com
MG Midget 1500cc Unleaded Engine Full/Half Tonneau Cover, Rollover Bar. MOT December 2010, Tax April 2011. Good Condition Some Service History. 64000 Miles, Tahiti Blue £2,650.00 ono (Somerset)Tel 01458445806 Or email: peter.b10@tiscali.co.uk
NISSAN 200SX 1991 1.8 16v AUTO 1956 MGA ROADSTER, Red, SILVER 6 MONTHS MOT CAR IN complete nut and bolt restoration EXCELLENT CONDITION. NO with all invoices, MGB 1800cc RUST. OWNED FOR 8 YEARS PART OF MY CAR COLLECTION engine, 5 speed box, 1,100 miles, BUT I NEED THE GARAGE SPACE. excellent condition. Genuine CAR IS IN PLYMOUTH £999 phone reason for sale, £21,950, 07595 07710872016 037932 (Hampshire)
DAIMLER DS420 LIMOUSINE £8995 ONO. 7 SEAT WEDDING CARS. 75.000 MILES. MOT August 14th 2011. Black over ivory. Beautiful car inside and out. Must see car ready for next wedding. Lots of photo just ring with email address. Price for quick sale. 01977-645034.
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MG MIDGET, WHITE, RUBBER BUMPER, 1979, 1500cc, 16,771 miles, luggage rack and radio, 12 months MOT and 6 months Tax. Very good condition. £2,500. Tel: 07947 551006 W.Sussex
Austin Healey 3000 Mk 3 BJ8 Phase 2 1966. Original Healey blue RHD home market car 1st registered in Surrey. Older but extensive restoration with only summer use since. Large history file. Finished in Healey blue with blue trim, hood and tonneau. Fitted chrome wire wheels, overdrive, period spot lamps and works style luggage rack. £43,000. For more information 1986 Mini Cooper recreation. please call 01723 361227. Stunning car finished in grey with white roof. Full rebuild with a rust free shell, and is fitted with many period MK1 parts including MK1 boot lid, rear lights, cooper front grill, full wood dash and cooper alloys and wheel arch spats. 1275 GTA engine fitted Chevrolet Corvette 1992 Auto Red runs perfect. All in all this mini is LT1 47,000 miles always garaged. as close to perfect as they come. MOT till Oct 2011, Tax till Apr 2011. £5,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs) vgc. Reg Plate C20 VET incl. Unmarked black leather electric seats t/c, c/c, e/w, e/m, Bose cd/ radio included is car cover and GM Manuals. £8000 ono. tel 01242 574083. Glos.
1963 Morris Minor convertible. Delightful little convertible Minor. Finished in deep black (recently re-sprayed) with brand new interior including seats recovered, new door and quarter trims recovered over new hard board. Nice red carpets and red hood really make this car stand out. 1098cc engine starts on the button and pulls very well. Full MOT and service when sold. £5,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)
Triumph TR4A. U.K. Car with Overdrive in Royal Blue with Blue Interior and Painted Wire Wheels. The paint has extensive micro blistering but the body including the floors and sills is generally sound. The interior is faded, the hood is not torn and still fits well but is also faded. The dashboard has suffered from delamination. Te chassis is in very good condition with the exception of one small repair needed on the left hand T-Shirt panel, this has not effected the outrigger which is sound. A car that would make a good rolling restoration or could be just used as is. £7,500. Call 01925 756 000 (Cheshire)
1972 MIDGET RWA WHITE. W/W. MOT Sept 2011, Tax exempt. Garaged, restored 2001, 500 dry miles since. Some history and books. Reliable, good condition £3250. Tel 01525 385645. Bedfordshire.
1974 BGT BLUE, O/D, gearbox, starts and drives, bodywork sound but requires paint, interior and trim work, no Tax or MOT. 07807 158816 evenings £1200 Devon
MGB GT 1976, O/D, W/W, webasto. Tax 31/01/11, full MOT. Recent black leather seats, radio/ MGB GT 1971, British Racing cd, speakers. 27k this engine Green, chrome bumpers, MOT gearbox, 1990s rebuild £13,000 June 2011. One previous owner, bills. Tahiti blue. Valuation £6000 excellent condition, full history. accept £4995. 01736 755148 £4,500 ono. Tel: 01580 819 209 Cornwall. Condition 2 (East Sussex)
1972 MGB ROADSTER, condition 1-2, Brooklands Green, original 74 MGB GT, 60k, 1800cc, shell restoration, new carpets, overdrive, SSE, undersealed, leather/green piping, 1k dry SORN, no MOT, 2.5k spent since miles, stored 13 years. FSH, full Dec04, good SH, spare tyre, CD, MOT, O/D, http://mgb.jonnyboy1. very reliable when in use, £750 fastmail.fm/pics/ £8000 ono T: 07590 364631 ono for quick sale. Contact owner by e-mail at titchierichie@sky.com for more info
MGB ROADSTER 1965, with overdrive, Red, Seebring bodykit, MGB GT 1979 1800cc, rubber flared arches, Wolfrace wheels, bumpers, restored, good engine wide tyres. Solid car. T&T. and gear box, alloy wheels, spare 5-bearing crank. Runs well, stiff set of steel wheels, no tax or MOT, suspension. Does need TLC. viewing recommended, Carlisle £3250 ono. 07817 850022 Day. 07584 067490 01895 236747 Eve
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Smallads
ZT-T 260SE 4.6LTR V8 mustang, 2004/54, facelift, one of 70. 5 speed manual, FMGSH, MOT, Tax, traction, ABS, climate control, sunroof, GPS/TV, half leather, 47,400 miles, brilliant. £10870 ono. 01296 770450 Bucks
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MGF 1.8i, THAITIT BLUE, 2000 W plate 62k. Leather upholstery. New hood, cylinder head/timing Mini Red Hot (1988) in Flame Red belt. FSH. Garaged/covered. (Manual) with Grey interior trim. MOT and Tax until April 2011. This car has just undergone a full VGC, great fun. £2300. Telephone mechanical overhaul including 07768 323558 (Hampshire) new subframe and components. It’s a very tidy, presentable example and an ideal starter car for a young person. £4,995. 01325 311232
1971 RACING GREEN MIDGET for restoration. Off road for 12 years following MOT failure on body work. £500.00 Tel: 01590 644616, Hampshire.
1961 Austin Healey 3000 MKII Works Replica RHD. Colorado red, old English white works hard-top. Road/race/rally, full FIA papers past and present available. A fortune has been spent with leading race Healey specialists. Massive spec. Very fast. Please contact Martin Daly for full and detailed mechanical spec. Stunning machine. £48,950. 01663 733209
Jaguar 3.8 S Type. 1966. Manual, with Overdrive. Gun Metal Grey with Red interior. This is a top example of this famous Marque. This Jaguar 3.8 S Type comes with the original Service History from the 60’s and 70’s, also the wall maintenance sheet, and the original Log Book. Thick files of very detailed Service History from later periods. This Jaguar totally lives up to its pedigree. Sleek, fast, stunningly beautiful. Very special top condition. £16,900. 0114 231 5000
MGF, 1.8 VVC 2003. Silver, MGB ROADSTER 1977, black leather, air-con. Alloys, CD Flamenco red. Lady owner last player, central-locking/alarm, 84K, 29 years, all history, not used last serviced regularly (condition 3), 6 years. Mechanically excellent removable boot luggage rack/ but work needed for MOT. Ideal weather-proof suitcase. MOT restoration project, £1,750. Aug11, Tax Feb11. 01844 351211 Nottingham 0115 9261175. £1,950 ono
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1967 mustang, 289 V-8 with Flowmaster headers and C-4 automatic transmission giving power to the ground. Beautiful red exterior with handsome black vinyl top and red interior. Its stunning appearance is enhanced by 2008 16 inch GT wheels with optional spinners. Options include: power steering, power brakes, windshield washers, remote control exterior door mirror, console, vinyl top, selfretracting seat belt package, with new radiator, new bumpers, and has a Panasonic CD player, Vin # 7F01C214697. 43500 miles on odometer (unconfirmed). This is a clean Texas car. 001 336-7658312 (USA)
This superb example had a full engine rebuild to 250BHP by leading engineer Simon Armstrong of Ultimate Performance Ltd (a full page write-up can be seen in the Club-Lotus Magazine). Finished in Brooklands green with magnolia leather trim, alloys, sunroof, aircond, uprated brakes, suspension, stainless sportsexhaust. Presented in near Concours condition after a recent, full, re-commission. A very special Ferrari 2004 Ferrari Enzo Esprit. £18,950. 01663 733209 £875,000. Beautifully presented example of this amazing car that was a classic from inception. Finished in red with bespoke black alcantara with red quilted stitching. Contact Joe Macari Tel: +44(0)20 8870 9007 Email: sales@joemacari.com Joe Macari MGC ROADSTER with triple carb Downton Conversion. 1968 Old English White with Red leather interior, Red hood, boot rack. Good runner £14,995 contact Keith 07889 805432 keith@classicmobilia.co.uk MG ZA, 1956, RED lots of time and money spent restoring but now unable to finish. Engine running, interior needs refurbish. Modified gearbox, front disc brakes. Offers considered. Tel: 01638 660665 Newmarket
MIDGET 1973 RWA, 1275 engine, gearbox overhauled, complete clutch assembly, everything works! Professionaly maintained, garaged, tripod headlamps, bumper included, duck hood, leather seats, Taxed Oct11, MOT Oct11. 07930 521335. £4750 ovno. Lancs. Condition 2
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MG TF VVC 160 SPRINT SPECIAL EDITION (52). Chrome pack, luggage rack. Gunsmoke, b/ GT6 MKII 1969 SIGNAL RED part/leather seats, e/mirrors, PAS, WITH BLACK INTERIOR. 16” Alloy, brand new hood, grey EXCELLENT CONDITION tonneau cover, 28k miles. £4995. AND FITTED WITH A 2.5LTR 07766 167521 FUEL INJECTED ENGINE! OVERDRIVE GEARBOX. MINILITE WHEELS AND TWIN STAINLESS EXHAUST. VERY QUICK AND A PLEASURE TO DRIVE. £8,495. Telephone: 01487 842168 MGB V8 3.5EFI ROADSTER Vitesse 3.5 big valve engine + R/Rover EFI. Very fast! New 15” polished wheels. Yokohamas. MGC axle. Professional respray 2010. New leather. Full MOT. A/ value £14K, accept £12,500. MGB ROADSTER 1967, 01332 833889 Midnight Blue, wire wheels. Rust gray.geoff@virgin.net free. Reconditioned engine, 4 syncromesh overdrive gearbox, black carpet, new dashboard, black leather seats, moto-lita steering wheel, new hood. £9,500. T: 07802 255555 London. Cond 2 Austin Healey 100/6 BN4 1957 early longbridge car. Ex north america LHD. Structurally superb. Very original black car fitted with front disc brakes and louvered bonnet, running and driving. Easy project. 01723 361227
TR6 1975 MIMOSA YELLOW WITH BLACK INTERIOR. OUTSTANDING CONDITION. EXTENSIVE BODY REBUILD AND RESPRAY OVER LAST 3 YEARS AND MANY EXTRAS INCLUDING STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST BOSCH PUMP AND PLASTIC WHEEL ARCH LINERS. BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL DASH, POWDER COATED WHEELS. WILL COME WITH 12 MONTHS MOT. £10,995. Telephone: 01487 842168
TRIUMPH TR4 - 2.5 1963 Signal Red fitted CP TR6 stage 2 engine, on triple SU’s. TR5 performance, superb drive. Body-off chassis/ suspension/engine upgrades by TR specialist. Strong and reliable £15,950 ono. For spec & photos call Mike 07979 531877 or e-mail mike@chadinman.com
Austin Healey 3000 Mk 3 BJ8 Phase 2 1966 LHD EX Southern Californian car. Delivered new in Orange County, last owner for 36 years and 2 previous owners . It has documentation going back to the early 70’s. The car is in incredibly original, structurally superb condition with no accidents, mechanically excellent with everything working correctly as it should. Finished in British Racing Green with original black trim without splits or tears, black hood and original tonneau cover. Fitted with overdrive, wire wheels and complete with original drivers handbook, spare wheel, tonneau support bars and wheel hammer. Call 01723 361227.
MGB Roadster 1972 Free road tax RHD UK car. Full body restoration by ourselves in 2003 with only Austin Healey 100/4 BN1 1955. summer use since. Finished Original RHD car fitted with Le in flame red, new black leather Mans spec H6 carburettors and seats piped in red and new black cold air box. Finished in Ivory carpets. Recent lead free cylinder White with Black trim, black head, clutch and brake servo. weather equipment, wire wheels Fitted overdrive and wire wheels. and overdrive. £ 39,950. Call 01723 361227. £POA. 01723 361227
1970 Triumph TR6, good solid car, this is the 150bhp model with the 2.5L injection engine. Finished in red with black interior. Original TR6 wheels. MOT’d till May 2011 & tax excempt so ready to go!!! Good history file. Good early 6 at the right money! £7,995. 01733 270227 (Cambs)
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