Cars & Motorcycles
Classic Ford November 2020
Classic Ford is rammed full of expert technical features, the best feature cars from across the world, a dedicated motorsport section plus all the news, products and information you'll need from across the entire classic Ford scene. Please note: This digital version of the magazine does not currently include the covermount items or content you would find on printed newsstand copies
in this issue
this issue
Out and about with our band of Blue Oval-loving writers, photographers and illustrators. GAVIN HUTTON CONTRIBUTOR How many more Cortina Estates has Gavin got tucked away? On page 58 he reveals the woody he’s had for seven years... JAMIE ARKLE CONTRIBUTOR Gravel obsessive, Jamie caught up with rally driver, Osian Pryce this issue, and the awesome Mk2 he’s just built. Page 64. MATT RICHARDSON CONTRIBUTOR Another classic Ford off the telly, only this one’s in a sorry state. Matt charts the rebirth of the Minder Capri after a fire starting on page 8.…
welcome
I’m not going to hide it. I’m incredibly excited to be featuring the Consul GT from The Sweeney in Classic Ford. It was 12 years ago that we first had a secret meeting with the mysterious Mr S and he revealed that not only had the car survived, but that he owned it and it was undergoing a mammoth restoration. A classic Ford like this is not easy to rebuild which is why it’s taken so long to finish, but last month, after a further delay due to lockdown, we were given a few precious hours with the car to let Ade Brannan work his magic, and you can see the results and read Mike Renaut’s account of its return to glory starting on page 22. TV programmes like The Sweeney,…
trouble in mind
There are some cars that have embedded themselves in the national memory and affection after years of appearances in out living rooms — Morse’s Jag, Del Boy’s Reliant, The Professionals’ Capris and of course Terry McCann’s Mk2 Capri from Minder, so it was a huge shock when pictures and a video appeared recently of that very car in flames while driving back from an MoT near Gatwick in West Sussex. Despite it being a very unlucky event, there was some good fortune involved as the car was being driven by a mechanic who thought fast enough to pop the bonnet, which meant that the fire brigade didn’t have to damage the car to gain access (normally they will force the bonnet open with the jaws of life) and that they were…
the world is your lobster
MINDER ON TV Between 1979 and 1994 Minder was one of Britain’s favourite, and ITV’s top rated shows, the comedy drama running for 10 series. It starred George Cole as Arthur Daley — a dodgy used car dealer, shady entrepreneur with fingers in many pies and general con man with social aspirations — and Dennis Waterman as his minder, the ex-professional boxer Terry McCann, who despite a spell in the nick is an honest man often dragged unwillingly into Arthur’s exploits. It was a more grown up Only Fools And Horses with less slapstick and more punch ups while Arthur tries to get away with his latest racket and avoid the attention of the police of the wrath of ‘er indoors while the cars of 1980s London made great back drop.…
the minder capri
Of all the Minder cars, SLE 71R, the 1977 Mk2 2.0S is the most well known, having starred in the opening credits for many years. After the car was retired from the show it moved into the used car market and obscurity and apparently even wound up it the hands of a drug dealing gang, but was saved from the scrapyard and into the hands of John Hill, well known in Capri Club International (CCI) circles. He paid £1500 for the car and then commissioned a full restoration which was documented in the CCI magazine at the time. He sold it in 2014 and it is now part of a private collection appearing at shows from time to time.…
ev in a box
If you’ve been looking into the idea of converting your classic Ford to EV (electric vehicle) power, then there’s a clever way to achieve it thanks to a new crate electric motor developed by Swindon Powertrain. Developed under the title, HPD (High Power Density), the system is specifically designed for low-volume car makers, and more importantly, home enthusiasts in mind, being engineered to make it ideal for use in retro conversions. Key to its appeal is the size and weight – weighing in at just under 50 kg and measuring 441x384x228 mm including the motor, transmission differential and cabling. The 80 kW output is equivalent to 107 bhp and it produces 100 lb.ft of torque — from zero rpm... The cost? Some £6400, and that doesn’t include the batteries. Find out more at…
