Inhaltsverzeichnis für August 2022 in Practical Classics

Hours of tedium, stopping at roadside cafes for the loo, traffic jams that seemingly last forever and the moment the road becomes the place from which you can see the sea. It’s more than nostalgia, these are core memories and they happened on the back seat of the cars we remember. In this issue we celebrate those cars by means of a 1982 road test. For me it was THE year of the family car, the year I remember, as a 12 year-old, being excited by both the Sierra (that shape) and the Cavalier (I was from Luton, the whole town was rooting for it). It was also the year that the Ambassador my dad would eventually buy was made. Forty years is a very long time, but it feels…

Spark Flash Tester £1.95 each accuspark.co.uk Simply brilliant, these little spark testers are made of translucent plastic and can be fitted between a spark plug and an HT lead to quickly test for ignition faults. If there’s a spark to that lead, the device will flash brightly with each spark, giving a quick and simple indication where the problem lies. No flash, no spark. Check the ignition system. Nice bright flashes, check the fuel system. At least one, if not a full complement to suit your classic’s cylinder configuration, are a must-have in your on-road toolbox. We are celebrating the Honda Civic this year by giving a P-reg MkVI example a makeover on the PC fleet. Why? As it’s the 50th anniversary of the supremely sensible Honda, and we’re pleased…

It’s chuffing great up north! This year’s Doncaster Classic Car Show has a new venue for when it returns on July 9. One of those helping to organise it is Nigel Thorley, who comments: ‘The event has been put on by the Doncaster St Georges Rotary Club for the past 16 years and we now attract 800 vehicles and 5000 spectators. At the last event in 2019 we raised around £20,000, with all profits going into a range of good causes. The event is open to veteran, vintage, classic and modern classic cars, small commercials and bikes. We have entertainment and displays, trade stands, a catering village, licensed bar and children’s rides, so it’s an excellent family day out.’ All you need to know is at doncasterclassiccarshow.org. BUMPER JULY FOR…

Citroën BX 16 TRS Engine1580cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 93bhp@6000rpm Torque 101lb ft@3250rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 10.8sec Top speed 109mph Fuel economy 41mpg Price new £6100 Price now £6000 Vauxhall Cavalier L Engine1598cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 90bhp@5800rpm Torque 93lb ft@3800rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 12sec Top speed 102mph Fuel economy 35mpg Price new £5411 Price now £2250 BMW 316 automatic Engine1596cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 99bhp@5500rpm Torque 103lb ft@4250rpm Gearbox 4-speed automatic 0-60mph 14.1sec Top speed 110mph Fuel economy 32.4mpg Price new £6995 Price now £7000 Ford Sierra 1.6 L Engine1593cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 75bhp@5000rpm Torque 90lb ft@2900rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 12.5sec Top speed 101mph Fuel economy 36mpg Price new £5984 Price now £3250 Austin Ambassador Vanden Plas 2.0 Engine1993cc/4-cyl/OHC Power 91bhp@4900rpm Torque 114lb ft@2750rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 11.5sec Top speed 102mph Fuel economy 30mpg Price new…

Clues Across 5 Austin __, sports cars such as the 100-6 (7) 7 Uprated, like the Sunbeam Imp Sport’s engine (5) 9 Hillman car from the early 1930s (6) 10 Which classic microcar arrived in the Fifties courtesy of Renzo Rivolta? (6) 11 The DeLorean owes much of its looks to this classic Lotus (6) 12 Which firm made a shooting brake version of the Jaguar XJS that was called the Eventer? (4) 14 The name behind the Sana (4) 15 The predecessor of the SEAT Cordoba (6) 17 British car group that Chrysler took over in the Sixties (6) 18 A swift Austin Seven sports car? (6) 19 Little Suzuki 4x4 that arrived in Britain in 1998 (5) 20 Renault 19 replacements (7) Clues Down 1 This Vauxhall was…

Once seated, this car is almost like any other Midget, cosy and with the benefit of all four corners being easily visible. The stubby lever for – the Ford Type 9 ’box is a few inches back from the original position, but falls nicely to hand. Turn the ignition key and there’s a brief buzz from the fuel pumps, then the starter produces instant fire up from the EFi-fuelled motor. The exhaust burbles a little at tickover and pulling away, we’re quickly through the low first gear and into second. This Midget accelerates briskly with a purposeful four-pot bark from the tailpipe. Steering is direct in typical Spridget fashion, suspension is firm though not harsh, and the standard brakes do well enough arresting the lightweight car. All the fun of…

Open daily from 10am to 6pm, we arrived on a quiet afternoon at the site in Arese – the HQ of Alfa Romeo for two decades until 1986. The factory buildings have almost all gone, leaving just the Museo Storico. Inside, as you gaze in wonderment at the glittering concept cars and motorsport heroes, you can’t help but reflect that the Nineties and Noughties were probably the last great era for Alfa, even if the current Stelvio and Giulia are highly accomplished, well-regarded cars. The contrast to the 156 is clear, though. Accomplished and well-regarded they may be, but they don’t feel like, well, Alfas. The marque bet the farm on conquering the USA with the Giulia and Stelvio, but failed to learn the lessons from BMW. To succeed in…

‘Real-life superheroes drive a Morris Minor’ Fans of comic strip bombshells wouldn’t be disappointed by Becca Treston. Her red lipstick is immaculate, she has a bouncy Betty Grable barnet and her Morris Minor Peggy is a total traffic-stopper in Trafalgar Blue with rouge shoes, but like the Marvel character she’s named her car after (the legendary field agent Peggy Carter who fought alongside Captain America during World War II) Becca doesn’t trade her looks as her advantage. Fighting crime and for the future of classic cars, by day she’s a criminology lecturer, and by night, she uses her ’68 Minor as a mobile recording studio to wax lyrical about issues our community, and our cars, face. Reporting for duty It was 1100 hours when we rendezvoused on a disused airfield…

It’s the final year run out SRi Tourer with the 2.2 lump… so it’s a good Vectra to have. Built in September 2001 it’s over 20 years-old now, so no apologies for having it in PC, and, to be honest I’ve always liked the styling, particularly those swoopy headlights. Rare now, so when Alastair Bridge of Ruislip offered it to me for a scrap value plus trailer home price, I didn’t think twice. It has a massive history file and he has looked after it for the past 17 years. Work to do… new steering rack, heater matrix and air-con radiator. Let’s go! ASKING PRICE £400 PAID £375 VERDICT Vectras need saving now. Doing my bit!…

Porsche 928 S4 ENGINE4957cc/V8/DOHC GEARBOX 5-spd man/4-spd auto SUSPENSION Front: Independent by MacPherson struts and twin wishbones, coil springs, dampers and ARB; Rear: Independent with twin wishbones, coil springs, POWER 320bhp@6000rpm TORQUE 317lb ft@3000rpm TOP SPEED 168mph 0-60MPH 5.8sec Porsche 996 Carrera 2 ENGINE3387cc/6-cyl/ DOHC GEARBOX 5-spd man SUSPENSION Front: Front: MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar. Rear: independent, semi-trailing arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar POWER 300bhp@6800rpm TORQUE 258lb ft@4600rpm TOP SPEED 171mph 0-60MPH 5.9sec Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet ENGINE2990cc/4-cyl/DOHC GEARBOX 6-spd man SUSPENSION Front: Independent by MacPherson struts, wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers and ARB; Rear: Independent by multi-wishbone axle, coil springs POWER 211bhp@5800rpm TORQUE 207lb ft@4000rpm TOP SPEED 149mph 0-60MPH 7sec Porsche Cayman S ENGINE3386cc/6-cyl/DOHC GEARBOX 6-spd man SUSPENSION Front: Independent by twin wishbones, coil springs, dampers and anti-roll bar;…

1989 TVR 290S (S2) Andrew Robert, Lancashire It might not be a V8, but Andy’s S2 still blasts him around Europe. 1989 AUDI 80 COUPÉ Daniel Noble, West Midlands Dan’s golden wonder has a ‘burblishous’ 2.2-litre five-cylinder engine. 2007 SAAB 95 AERO Lachlan Chalmers, Warwickshire You really could eat your dinner off the underside of Lachlan’s SAAB, if you’re odd. We can help… So many cars here that we would all love to have on our drives. Call us to discuss your requirements, so we can help turn your modern classic dream into a reality.…

Sometimes you want to be hot, other times you don’t. But it’s always nice to have the choice. In this instance I’m referring to classic car heaters as, after being hit and miss for several years, the one in my 2000 eventually gave up completely. Regardless of what you did with the heater controls in the central console, nothing but cold air came through any of the vents. I lived with this for a while but, after getting caught in a torrential storm on the A1 up to Yorkshire, in a cabin with all the windows steamed up and therefore making proper (not to mention safe) visibility incredibly difficult, I realised that it was time to get to the bottom of the situation. As I had suspected, the heater valve…

If you’ve a good memory, you’ll recall the 2003 Izh Oda that I reported on almost six years ago (PC, September 2016). Julian Nowill and I drove it from Moscow early that year. Julian then had difficulty with the paperwork and the car languished, so in late 2019 I seized the reins and registered it with unexpected ease. Clearly my number came up that day – although I did send a page of explanatory notes and translations with the forms. I should have been delighted, but returning from the MOT station, the engine seemed rather tappety. After a mile or so, I finally noticed the very faint, but constant glow of the oil pressure light. I was about half-a-mile from the barn so, concluding that damage was probably already done,…

As the 166 slid backwards into the ramp, my heart was in my mouth. I’d been enjoying getting to know this particular 166 again. It’s driving far better than when it was in my stewardship first time around, and it’s also been catching admiring glances when parked next to more expensive fare. I can’t afford a four-door Maserati, so my ‘Poundstretcher Quattroporte’ is more than doing the job. But… despite the way it drives I couldn’t help but feel nervous about its previous Cat N status. Plus, the shoddy paint repairs on the bumper tightened the chest a little every time that I walked past it, so I headed off to AutoSportivo (autosportivoltd.co.uk) near Bedford to give the 166’s undergarments a poke. Boss man Ant started with an oil change…

in partnership with HAGERTY CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE NEED TO SEE PRICES EVERY MONTH? Our price guide is in every issue of our digital edition. Subscribe on p92 WHAT’S IT WORTH? Whether you’re buying or selling, our guide illustrates how the market is treating that model. We consult specialists, clubs and dealers, scour auction results and pool knowledge with classic car insurance specialist Hagerty to ensure our guide is as accurate as possible. But an individual car’s value can only be assessed in person. Cars with exceptional mileage, history, unrestored originality or fresh restorations can be worth disproportionately more. On ‘bluechip’ models our price spreads reflect the importance of provenance and history over condition. USING THE GUIDE FIND YOUR NEXT DREAM CAR AT CLASSICCARSFORSALE.CO.UK The best classic car marketplace to search…

All you need to know above everything important A major initiative, celebrating the charitable endeavours of the entire classic car industry is being launched by Practical Classics Magazine and Lancaster Insurance Services. Britain’s Favourite Classic Charity will celebrate the extraordinary work of the classic car sector in raising money for good causes. Starting in the next issue, nominations will be sought for schemes, groups, clubs or individuals from the hobby that have gone the extra mile raising cash. Andrew Evanson from Lancaster Insurance told PC: ‘Classic car people are the most actively generous enthusiasts, and we are repeatedly knocked out by the lengths to which they go to help good causes, which is why we are supporting this new project.’ Once nominations have been received it will be time to…

Have you ever been designated ‘weird’ for choosing random service bulletins as bedtime reading? You probably just enjoy learning, either acutely or chronically, possibly in search of a new skill or simply to titillate the little grey cells. In industry, it’s called CPD, continuing professional development, but it’s just as important for DIYists if we’re to carry out jobs effectively, without causing harm to life, limb or mechanism, while keeping the bank manager chipper. Even low-level spannering requires many disciplines, including fitting, engineering, electricals, plumbing and diagnostics. No-one’s born a mechanic, however, so knowledge must be acquired, whether it’s as a babe on a parent’s knee, the other parent pointing their pipe stem at an Amal’s air trumpet; by trial and error, A&E and AA poised on speed-dial; at college…

SAT, JUL 2 SURREY Wokingham Classic Car Show, Elms Field, RG40 2FE (wokinghamlions.org.uk). SAT-SUN, JUL 2-3 ABERDEENSHIRE Deeside Show, Kincardine Cstl, AB34 5AE (royaldeesidemotorshow.com). LINCS Classic Land Rovers, Skillington, NG33 5HF (classiclandrovergathering.com). NORFOLK Vintage Transport Weekend on the North Norfolk Railway, NR25 6AJ (nnrailway.co.uk). CHESHIRE American Classics Weekend at Tatton Park, WA16 6SG (tattonstarsandstripes.com). SUN, JUL 3 LANCS Leighton Hall Classic & Performance Motor Show, LA5 9ST (greatbritishmotorshows.com). HANTS Austin Seven rally at Beaulieu, Hants SO42 7ZN (beaulieu.co.uk). GLOS Cirencester town classic car show, town centre GL7 2NX (cirencestercarshow.com). WORCS VSCC races at Shelsley Walsh, WR6 6RP (shelsleywalsh.com). BEDS Classics Houghton Hall Park, LU5 5FU (houghtonhallpark.org). SAT, JUL 9 LINCS Transport Festival at Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum, LN6 3QT (lvvs.org.uk). GLOS Stow-on-the-Wold Motor Show, GL54 1LD (stowmotorshow.co.uk). SAT-SUN, JUL 9-10…

My daughter bought this car about 15 years ago, and after running it for a few years she asked if I wanted it. The answer was yes, and it became my commuting car until 2017. That’s when it failed an MOT with a long list of issues. So… what to do? I’d already bought a donor car, and stripping that gave me some idea of what was to come. Ironically it turned out to be in better condition than what I was restoring! Soon the lock-up, shed and summerhouse were all used for storage. The project car’s sills were totally rotten, so I took it to a local body shop to fix the passenger side. Lovely fella, but when I got the car back the profile wasn’t quite right, so…

‘Some ‘Maxed’ cars were works of art’ Who doesn’t hanker for the glorious days of the early to mid-Nineties? Exotic new Daewoos on our shores, snuggling up in front of The Word on Channel 4 of an evening, John Major, Viz, raves, Rat Boys. Delicious alcopops made it all a bit of a Blur. Geddit, music fans? Personally I just retreated into the Fifties and stayed there, but the Nineties was all around us, including those (sometimes) loveable rogues, the Boy Racers. Now we must point out in 2022 that almost all of these ragamuffins were in fact boys. Were there any girls? I never met a Transgender Racer. Well not knowingly. The Oxford English Dictionary describes the breed as ‘A man, especially a young man, who drives his car…

It’s time to add the Fiat Panda 100HP to the PC Price Guide! There’s already an enthusiastic following for the sporty version, as mentioned in our February 2022 issue buying guide. Only built from 2006-’10, there’s a fun 99bhp from the 1.4-litre FIRE engine, a six-speed gearbox and sports suspension. These things don’t weigh much, so they fly. Around £2000 is a starting point for a nice one privately, but dealers are getting £5000+for ones showing under 50,000 miles.…

Engine Condition of the rotary unit can be determined with a compression test. Body Inspect chassis legs, front valance and area behind, plus strut mounts and boot floor. Interior Check for sun damage to interior plastics and upholstery. Look out for leaks around the screens front and rear. Details Inspect every inch. Look for rust in the boot shut. Rain water can collect there. Why you want one On occasion, a car is launched and the earth shakes. Such an instance is rare (more so now than ever before, sadly) but it happened in 1967 when the NSU Ro80 was unveiled. This futuristic, elegant and technologically advanced German helped to shape the modern car, by forcing other executive car manufacturers to serious up their game in the innovation, style and…

The original (or Ur) quattro’s legend was of course forged in rallying. But by the mid-Eighties its timing sheet returns were dropping and this large Germanic coupé was finally ditched from rallying duty in 1987 – a year after the wild Group B regulations that cemented its success in the first place. That didn’t stop its appeal in showrooms as the quattro name was still doing big business by the end of the decade, despite fashion moving away from boxy styling and overtly Eighties graphics. The Ur had a final fling in August 1989 with the arrival of the 20V power unit. Using the same 2226cc displacement as the old 10V five-cylinder engine, this new motor gained a four-valve-per-cylinder head and a hike in boost pressure to 0.84 bar. The…

Which one do I want? Unless you’'ve been living in a cave, you’ve probably noticed we’ve entered the era of the electric car. Today, a few rather intriguing used hybrid vehicles have begun to appear on the market and trust me… not all of them have the character and dynamic qualities of a milk float. We count Honda’s Insight among them. Editor Hopkins certainly loved his example. While it wasn’t all-electric, the Insight was radical and is now emerging as a modern classic. But now that electric cars are set to become ubiquitous, what is it like to own this hybrid pioneer now, in 2022? There is only one model, but given the Insight is unusual and something of a first for a Practical Classics guide, it makes sense for…

Lovely to see the focus being on Eighties family favourites in this month’s issue (see p24). I’ve had more than my fair share of the protagonists, including far too many Citroën BXs (19, I think, at the last count), Sierras and Cavaliers. I have countless enjoyable memories of tooling around the UK and France in BXs and Peugeot 405s back in the day – a simpler time when getting lost thanks to bad navigation from my passenger was the norm, and summers were truly experienced on the move thanks to window-open driving in the pre-aircon era. Move it on a generation and things change quite radically, with far more sophisticated family cars with all the features and safety kit you’d ever need – and it could be argued, with the…

Its been a year since I introduced the BMW (PC, August 2021), so I thought it was high time for an update. I worked through the initial snagging list, swapping the dented front wing (new one supplied with the car), fitting new rear dampers and replacing some baggy suspension bushes at the rear. The car was then ready for action and has covered circa 10,000 miles in my ownership so far. There have been a few other jobs along the way. New discs, pads and calipers cured an annoying juddering symptom under braking, while a fresh battery restored ‘starts first time, every time’ status. I’ve also just had the air-con system regassed ahead of a forthcoming summer holiday to Cornwall. Overall, I’m still very happy with my Touring purchase –…

Regulars will recall that I’ve recently replaced all the clutch hydraulics on my TR6 in what became a rather elaborate fix for a leaking slave cylinder. Despite copious bleeding, the clutch still engages very low down on the pedal’s travel. The car is certainly driveable, as I’ve clocked up several hundred miles in it these last few weeks and months, but the clutch action still remains unpleasant. And it’s all too easy to inadvertently stall the engine when jumping into the TR after driving another car with a ‘normal’ clutch. I’d noticed that different clutch master cylinders are supplied with different lengths to the forked push rod that connects the master cylinder to the pedal’s top pivot. The longest push rod worked best on my car, but still left the…

1 Know your micrometer The U-shaped body of the micrometer is the frame (I); the hardened pad at the end is the anvil (II); the spindle (III) is screwed in or out using the thimble (IV) or the ratchet stop (V); and the readings are taken from the sleeve scale on the sleeve (VI). Note: the sleeve may also be called the barrel. 2 How to hold a micrometer Holding the micrometer in one hand is key to measuring parts that need to be held in the other hand. Depending on the size of the micrometer, curl your little (and ring) finger(s) around the frame and rotate the thimble or ratchet using your free fingers. 3 Comparative vs absolute measurements If you want to know how thick this shim is,…

Young Londoners from Westminster City Lions chose the best three cars in the Concours on Savile Row, which was held on the famous tailoring street on June 15-16. The Classic Car Loan Project has evolved to act as a coordinating body with partner car clubs taking on more responsibility for support of their own cars and drivers. This Darracq has lived with the same family in Peterborough for more than 100 years. Now for sale with H&H Classics, it’s been in family ownership since 1917. A gathering will take place at Knebworth Park on August 28-29, for the Ford Granada’s 50th birthday, the aim being to get 100 Granadas together, from the Consul to Scorpio. Charity tractor runs have escaped being axed and will be able to continue to use…

Let it shine THE LATEST PROTECTION FROM AUTOFINESSE FROM £13 These three new products from Autofinesse make the perfect trio fior preparing your classic for a summer of shows. Eliminator (£13 for 250ml) is designed to quickly remove fine scratches by hand. If your classic’s paint is faded, dull and lacklustre, however, you’ll want to reach for Renew (£25 for 500ml), which uses specially developed diminishing abrasives to cut through off-colour oxidation and defects to reveal the virgin paint beneath. Unlike many other polishes, Renew is designed specifically for application by hand so there’s no need to reach for the electric polishing mop. Once your classic is shining like new once more, you’ll want to protect it. That’s where Graphine (£25 for 500ml) finishes the job, leaving behind a durable,…

Engines and ancilliaries to gearboxes and exhausts Having restored his Midget to near-original specification, albeit with its Monza glassfibre bonnet, Tim already had his starting point. The engine is a 1.8-litre 160bhp unit from an MG TF, along with its ancillaries including the all important ECU. Having sourced a known ‘good’ engine, wishing to avoid trouble later he took the precaution of having an uprated cylinder head gasket fitted, thus curing a long running K-Series weakness. The engine is also fitted with a remote filter and a custom four-branch exhaust manifold. The Ford Type 9 gearbox was harder to find and much more expensive than rumour suggested; it couples up to the engine via a bellhousing that Tim found on eBay. ESTIMATED COSTS Engine, ECU, ancillaries, loom and immobiliser box…

I bought this in 2014 because I had a long commute and my daily at the time was a 147 that, though fun, lacked the grunt of my previous 145 Cloverleaf. The 3.2 ‘Busso’ V6, named after its designer Giuseppe Busso, was a hoot, but sadly failed after a couple of years. As it still ran like a bag of bolts on maybe three or four cylinders, I assumed the timing belt had slipped, so I parked it for a year or three until it worked its way to the top of the list. To remove the heads you need to drop the engine out, and I was shocked to find no valve damage. When I span it over on my engine stand and decided to investigate the bottom end,…

2002 Alfa Romeo 156 TS Engine1747cc/4cyl/OHC Power 142bhp@6500rpm Torque 124lb ft@3500rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 9.3sec Top speed 131mph Fuel economy 31mpg Price new £16,060 Price paid £156 On a drizzly day in April, while drinking Earl Grey and looking at my tired-Alfa out of the window, I had a brave idea. It’s a common occurrence at Practical Classics and, sure enough, within a month or so, I was in the queue for a DFDS ferry to Dunkirk, watching the drizzle dripping off a near-300,000-mile Alfa Romeo 156’s pockmarked paintwork, with my pre-trip bravado rapidly draining away. COVID-enforced lack of overseas touring accounted for the itchy feet, but as I settled down for a welcome breakfast and a fine cup of coffee aboard ship, I began to ask myself whether…

It’s like a free car show… that you can buy.’ That was editor Danny’s summary of Anglia Car Auctions’ most recent classic sale at its King’s Lynn HQ over June 11-12 when PC popped in for a quick nose around. After the pandemic forced ACA’s historic vehicle auctions to be online-only for two years, 2022 has seen a very welcome return to punters being able to attend in person again. And as anybody who has been to one of these fast-paced, but friendly events will know, the social aspect of being able to mix and chat with like-minded enthusiasts, while wondering if you might be embroiled in a fierce bidding war with them later over a 1983 Austin Metro Vanden Plas automatic, is all part of the fun. It’s the…

1 When did you become aware of the Ro80? ‘I remember the launch in 1967 when I was 10. Dad had a Morris Minor at the time, so it was so different to everything I knew. I saw a picture and thought it was a spaceship. I made a poster and put it on the wall!’ 2 When did you get your own? ‘I’ve had a few classic cars in the past but about three years ago wondered if I could find an Ro80. I looked at three examples and bought this one in February last year – a lifelong dream! It is a 1973 model and is every bit as good as I’d hoped an Ro80 could be. It has a low mileage and a factory replacement rotary engine…

Kettle on… time for some tall tales from the PC workshop Fail! A big MoT fail sheet gave Danny a lot to do, and then there were the servicing tasks… all filed under ‘Emergency! Do now!’ It’s been an extremely satisfying project bringing my late Volvo 240 GL back from the brink. It was at that point that so many classics reach, where the rust had taken hold and the list of jobs on the MOT fail sheet looked a bit daunting. Time to break it… or worse? Some would, but not me. I decided to get it back to longevity… the sort of fettle where it will have a few more useful years left. With servicing, body and suspension work completed (PC, July 2022) along with other cosmetic duties…

I’ve nursed both my classic Triumph bikes to relative oil tightness, so logic dictates my Norton Commando 850 shouldn’t be spewing oil all over the engine. I started at the top and worked my way down. Valve cover gaskets were replaced, cylinder head nuts were removed and replaced with a smear of silicone, and the tacho cable drive was replaced with an upgrade containing a proper oil seal. Out for a test ride, only to return with my right boot covered in oil, although the top end of the engine was now commendably dry. There was another undiagnosed leak lower down. After cleaning the engine cases, I started up and watched. It was soon obvious that oil was dripping from the ignition unit cover. There’s a small seal inside the…

Six years after the 1966 Lamborghini Miura’s stylist had reimagined the road going supercar formula, his 1972 Fiat X1/9 would prove a tipping point in the development of the affordable sports car. Fiat needed a replacement for its Giugiaro/ Bertone 850 Spider, launched in ‘65. Rear engines had nearly run their course, and René Bonnet’s low-volume Djet had emerged in 1962 as the world’s first rear-mid-engined production sports car, followed by the De Tomaso Vallelunga (1964) and Lotus Europa (1966), all with longitudinally mounted engines. Porsche’s 914 took a similar path in ‘69, with longitudinal air-cooled boxer engines and a high price. Seeking a stepchange, Fiat invited Pininfarina and Bertone to come up with an answer, their projects designated X1/8 and X1/9. Pininfarina’s prototype would appear as the Lancia Beta…

SAVE £300 TOP TIP On a Traveller, the woodwork is structural. Check its condition and top up treatments regularly. Matt uses Sikkens Cetol. UNDER CAR CHECKS 1 Raise and support the car Remove hubcaps and loosen wheel nuts. Raise the car and place axle stands under each front chassis leg and either side of the rear axle. Remove the road wheels and place them clear of the car. 2 Spot the rot Inspect the car’s structure for any corrosion present and orchestrate welded repairs as required. Any rust within 30cm of a suspension, seat or seatbelt mounting is an MOT failure. 3 Check clutch linkage Inspect the clutch linkage and bushes for wear. The hole identified in the picture can oval and wear through, as can the link rod. Replacements…