Table of contents for February 2021 in Practical Classics

ICE BAN TO COME The UK Government has revealed plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, followed by the same sanctions being placed on all hybrid vehicles five years later. The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs has committed to ensuring the ban on new vehicles does not extend to restrictions on the use of pre-existing vehicles powered by fossil fuels, in particular, historic vehicles that are over 30 years-old and ‘future historic vehicles’ yet to reach the rolling 30-year classification of historic. It will also monitor accessibility and affordability of fuel supplies for vehicles requiring fossil fuels.…

CAPITAL STUFF! London event to move location The London Classic Car Show is set to take place once again next year, but in a bid to reduce risks from COVID-19, the event has been pushed back to April 16-18 and the venue has switched to Syon Park to become partly an outdoor show. Show director Simon Woolley told us: ‘Syon’s wide open green spaces will provide the perfect backdrop for more than 500 classic cars from yesteryear. All major display areas will be under temporary covers with open sides to ensure social distancing and a healthy flow of fresh spring air. The event’s headline theme will be The Evolution of Design and we will be celebrating 135 years of automotive progress from the pioneering horseless carriages to the latest supercars;…

IN THE NEWS Queen Elizabeth II opened the new London Bridge, costing £4 million and with three concrete spans, in March, following the sale of the preceding 1831-1967 structure to Missouri millionaire Robert McCulloch. The American entrepreneur acquired it for reconstruction in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and always denied he thought he was buying Tower Bridge. AT THE FLICKS Going to remote Scottish communities took on new frisson following The Wicker Man in December. Described as ‘The Citizen Kane of horror movies’, the film saw Edward Woodward’s police sergeant character have an uncomfortably warm encounter with Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland on the fictional Hebridean island of Summerisle. IN THE CHARTS Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree was 1973’s top-selling single. But the second biggest seller was…

1985 Kevin’s first brand-new car. Bought for £5573 and delivered the day before this picture was taken. 1987/88 Doing its job well, despite a few scrapes and dings, seen here in the snows of 1987-1988. 1993 Out and about. Day trips still being taken. The period when the car was practical daily transport. 2009 After years in storage and with vandal damage, it was bought for £500. Kevin and son Thomas bid it farewell. 2012 Ready for paint. The car is now Jeff Cohen and his son Simon’s project, soon to become part of Jeff’s classic Ford collection.…

1971: Sidney Pester (told by his grandson, Martin Care) It was my grandfather’s first new car at the age of 60 and he bought it for £1927. Sidney Horace Pester was a structural steel engineer for The Standard Steel Company from 1929 until 1971 when he was made redundant. At this time he was running a 1951 Triumph Renown, but with a redundancy cheque on the way, he decided he’d like to own one car from new. The surviving purchase invoice from Leathwood’s Garages Ltd of Thornton Heath reveals an interesting choice of extras, including an expensive radio (£43.46 from a total of £1927.26), an electric immersion heater to prewarm the engine and hence get the heater going on cold mornings and a set of deep-pile faux fur floor mats…

Police Escorts... good for drifting LETTER OF THE MONTH I was pleased to see a review of the Ford Escort Mkl in the January issue as it brought back some good memories. When I joined the police in December 1974, it was the panda car of choice. I had to laugh though at the suggestion that a prospective buyer ‘lift the carpets’ to check for corrosion. Carpets? What carpets! Most police- spec Escorts just had rubber mats that, in fairness, were probably a sensible choice, given the habits of some of the ‘customers’ we had to – erm – escort. The Escort was a revelation to my 21-year-old self though, as my own car at the time was a Triumph. Herald. The Escort didn’t rattle, could be made to drift…

‘It’s a Minor that I can use all the time in any kind of traffic’ 1956 Morris Minor Convertible 2-Litre Zetec Dereck Griffiths, Warrington This is a genuine convertible Minor that I bought as a standard car with the intention of only upgrading the gearbox and brakes, but I soon realised that the five-speed Type 9 gearbox conversion was quite expensive, so it made reasonable economic sense to fit a Ford engine along with it. I started the conversion around 15 years ago, and at the time I wasn’t aware of anyone else who’d done the swap, so there wasn’t an off-the-shelf kit available as there is now. It’s fitted with JLH front suspension, a Ford disc-braked rear axle with the JLH turreted damper conversion, and an interior from a…

As is often customary at this time, I have been requested to write a few lines reflecting the passing year and all that has happened. No, please. Why me? Anything but that. I beg, lemme write something else instead, beloved editor and great leader. ‘Hillman Avenger Estate tailgate hinges – The Myth and the Legend? ‘We Go Banger Racing in an Austin A60?’ ‘Testing Rear Swing Axle Cars to the Limit on Icy Roads?’ ‘Living in a Bedford Beagle? Ah well, you join me in this oak panelled study, the roaring log fire reflecting in the glass of sweet sherry. Fancy another Meltis Newberry Fruit before Daewoo the aged labrador snoring on the Axminster rug by my feet wakes up and grabs them, anyone? Outside in the newly laid non-slippery…

£501 STAR FIND Can you do better! Send your high-res images to practical.classics@bauermedia.co.uk In association with Surface Processing Ltd surfaceprocessing.co.uk, 01384 242010…

FRI JAN 29 South West Vehicle Auctions, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. (01202745466, swva.co.uk) SAT-SUN JAN 30-31 Anglia Car Auctions’, The Cattlemarket, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (01553771881, angliacarauctions.co.uk) THU FEB 4 Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde, Paris, France. (02076485801, bonhams.com/depart-ments/MOT-CARZ) FRI FEB 5 Artcurial, La Parisienne 2021, online, Paris, France. (artcurial.com) THU FEB 18 Brightwells’, timed online Leominster, Herefordshire. (01568 611122, brightwells.com) SAT FEB 20 Morris Leslie Classic Auctions, Errol Airfield, Perth. (01821642574, morrisleslie.com) TUE FEB 23 Barons Auctions’ Classic Winter Warmer, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. (02380668413, barons-auctions.com) WED FEB 24 H&H Classic Auctions, live online, Cheshire. (01925210035, handh.co.uk)…

ClassicCarsForSaleco.uk BRITAINS BEST MARKETPLACE IN PAINT | MOBILE | ONLINE 1968 Ford Anglia 105E Price: £14,995 It is a lot for an Anglia, but find another that has done a genuine 30,000 miles, has no rust and wears nearly all of its original paint. 1975 Saab 96 V4 Price: £7750 Freshly painted and a very straight example. All it really needs is some minor underbonnet detailing, and who minds spending time on that? 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E Price: £6995 Lovely example with just 65,000 miles on the clock, factory sunroof and a full service history. There isn’t even any wear to the driver’s seat.…

ICE cars: what future? That’s right, I’m kicking this new section off with a big one. How long will we be able to simply go for a drive in one of our beloved internal combustion engine classics? I’ve nothing against the rechargeable revolution, in fact in many ways I welcome it. Who doesn’t want to travel to work and back cheaply and in quiet comfort? But most car makers are now working hard to distance themselves from their fossil-fuelled past and this is a problem for those of us who like a multi-cylinder soundtrack. A blatant example recently came from Audi with its Super Bowl (whatever that is) commercial. It features former Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams smugly wafting around LA in an E-Tron, while a selection of other…

1 Examine the sills, wheelarches, door bottoms, rear valance, and the edges of the tailgate for rust. Pay special attention to the base of the windscreen and the front bulkhead. The latter rots away at the base, requiring a very tricky repair. 2 Sticking hydraulic tappets can affect engines fitted from 1985, while poor running on injected cars suggests a vacuum leak or – worse still – rust entering the system from a corroded fuel filler neck. 3 Failure of the heater matrix isn’t uncommon (a dash-out job to sort) so soggy carpets or an interior that mists up on the test drive should ring alarm bells. 4 If the trip computer or instruments are on the blink it’s likely due to circuit boards suffering from dampness or ‘dry’ solder…

Jerry Thurston If you read the March 2020 issue you’ll have seen PC’s adventures at ‘The Pom’. For us too, the idea of a cold, damp, February Silverstone meeting is strangely appealing and the unofficial tradition of buying something cheap and ‘silly’ just for the event... even more so. Our specification? Classic obviously, small, and as cheap as possible – really just something that wouldn’t self-destruct in a cloud of rust on the Wellington Straight during the high-speed trial. Ironically, my son Ed’s first car, his £200 Peugeot 106 1.1 with its superb handling, would have been ideal – but that’s long gone. Fortunately my car-dealer brother came up trumps with a 2000 Fiat Seicento. It’s a nippy town car with skinny tyres and soft suspension that will guarantee door…

Last month I finished up with the bare chassis blasted, painted and with loose rivets replaced with nuts and bolts to restore it to factory strength. Factory strength, however, becomes insufficient when additional forces are put through the chassis from improved brakes, increased cornering speeds and, generally, anything else that will set my little two-seater special apart from a saloon pottering down country lanes. There is myriad advice available in the various publications I’ve been reading since the project began with regard to strengthening the various weak points, however after a conversation on the phone with Ian from Oxfordshire Sevens, I loaded the painted chassis into the back of my MGB GT (yes, it did fit!) and hit the road south to his workshop in Launton, near Bicester. Ian’s worked…

Matt Tomkins PROJECTS EDITOR Our resident workshop puppet master Matt has Morris Minors and A-Series engines in his blood, and some serious skills. This month: Has been rebuilding the Austin Seven’s brake cylinders. Martin Domoney WORKSHOP EDITOR Former JLR technician, Martin, knows his modern classics inside and out. This month: Replaced some rather suspect brake flexis. Theodore J Gillam ENGINEERING EXPERT Former Motor Vehicle lecturer and classic fiddling perfectionist. Has a love of compression ignition. This month: Completely stripped a diesel injection pump. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He’s never owned a modern and will keep it that way. This month: Changed clutch seals on his 180k mile Lada. Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s driveway achievements rival those of pro…

Sagging doors Doors sag due to worn hinges or distortion caused by drivers pulling themselves out of the car using the door. Distorted doors can be straightened by raising the back of the door with a jack and a block of wood as shown -but a door full of rust and filler won’t survive this. Hinge pins Sometimes, sloppy hinge pins can be tapped out and replaced with oversized items, with the body of the hinge drilled out to suit. Roll-pin hinges can be as good as new after this. Sometimes, worn hinges are welded to the door, which can render the whole thing scrap. Striker plates Altering the alignment of the fixed striker plates can vastly improve the ‘feel’ of opening and shutting the doors. You can try placing…

Q: Fumes in the cabin – exhaust leak? Look for loose boot seals, poor sealing around rear lights and gaps at panel intersections where seam sealer might have dropped out or not been replaced after repairs. Q: Will I ever find new tailgate struts? A number of UK online suppliers list new struts for cars of the Seventies and Eighties from as little as £20 a pair, so there’s no excuse to keep cursing a sagging boot lid. Q: All old cars smell of damp, right? This is undoubtedly caused by one or more water leaks. Take the time and trouble to find them all. Dry out or replace soggy sound insulation felt. Q: Weren’t old cars rattly and noisy from new? Manufacturers put huge amounts of time and money…

EXCLUSIVE A chance encounter while on location at Thruxton Race Circuit in Hampshire led PC to discover the whereabouts of the Rover Vitesse that famously lapped the 37.73-mile lsle of Man TT circuit at an average of 102.19mph on June 6,1990, driven by Tony Pond. It had hitherto been rumoured to have been scrapped. The aim of the TT Challenge was to drive a lap at an average speed of 1OOmph, something never before achieved in a car, to promote the Vitesse, Rover’s fastest model. Ex-rally and development driver Tony Pond, an island resident and four-time Manx Rally winner, made his first attempt on June 10,1988, but failed to reach the 1OOmph average by seven seconds due to poor weather conditions. Pond’s second attempt in 1990 was made without his…

The bringing forward of the ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars to 2030 has been seen, by many, as the beginning of ‘the end’. I’m not so sure. Firstly, it’s only a ban on selling new cars, so the internal combustion engine is not going to disappear from our roads, just new car showrooms. Secondly, the development of low emissions engines and new fuels continues, brilliant engineers creating breakthroughs that could make the filthy extraction of lithium and cobalt for new batteries a thing of the past. That 2030 ‘ban’ might well ‘evolve’. Thirdly, as far as we are concerned, any ban on the sale of cars with petrol and diesel engines with potentially make all classic cars more important. Our cars will become a core element…

Virtual show success An online edition of the Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, held on what would have been the show Saturday, raised over £45,000 for the Sporting Bears charity. If you missed the live stream, you can catch up on the show’s Facebook page. The Morgan experience The Morgan Motor Company is to become the latest resident at Bicester Heritage with the opening of an experiential hub at the former RAF Bicester site. The Malvern firm will offer a range of driving experiences for customers and fans. Singer OC 70th The Singer Owners’ Club is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2021. The Club started when a young journalist Keith McDowall proposed the formation of a club for Singer enthusiasts. On March 4, 1951, 45 people attended the inaugural meeting…

Now might be a good time to buy a classic. With the world getting back to normal, there could well be a rush to buy in summer and so now, as winter bites, could be the right moment to bag yourself something special. Prices are researched from several sources: clubs, auctions, the trade and adverts online and in print. Prices are reviewed and updated every issue. C/D rating is a basic guide to what you can expect to pay after negotiation (£) for the best examples of a model, a concours car or something from a dealer. CONDITION 1 means well-presented cars that have no obvious faults. CONDITION 2 cars are capable of regular use. They have a current MOT certificate, but will need some work and/or original parts. CONDITION…

1972: Noel and Jennie Ashton We bought this Teal Blue beauty for £1867.12 on June 16,1972. Noel visited the Barn Garage, an Austin dealership near Brentwood, Essex and traded in his Sunbeam Rapier to buy it. He wanted one in British Racing Green, but was told there would be a three to six month wait. I loved the car – which came with £136 worth of optional extras – and was christened Bluebird. Noel was given £925 for his Rapier and paid the remaining £689.61, plus £252.91 of purchase tax, in cash. That also included a £5 registration fee and £14.66 delivery charge, even though the dealership was virtually at the end of the road. Her numberplate was TNO 260K, which Noel told me meant, ‘Take your Nickers Off!’ Then…

September 1983: Fiona Sherling I wanted a good, reliable, sturdy and safe car, and I wanted something that really moved when required. I bought it from Contim Motors in Harrow for the advertised price of £6949.25 and subsequently registered it as A31 GLE. It was a GTI Campaign – the UK limited edition used to promote the final production year for Volkswagen’s original Golf – one of only 1000. I put 35,000 miles beneath the Campaign GTI’s signature Pirelli P-Slot wheels. Of all the cars I’ve owned and driven, that Golf was one of my absolute favourites. July 1988: Valerie and Chris Colley We were the third owners, the second having it for only seven months. In that time they did a lot of work on the car though, going…

What are your workshop rules? Mine are simple. Don’t borrow it. Don’t touch it. Don’t even look at it!Chris Ryder I find the problem starts with definition of workshop and of ‘shed’. I think that a workshop should be literally where a person works, whereas a shed is a place to store items. Unfortunately, my workshop is also my shed and most of the time there is no space to work, not even floor space!John Butler One day you’ll need that useful off-cut of timber, and maybe the half-used pot of 1968 paint.Huw Williams And when you eventually throw something out, you’ll find a use for it within weeks!John Roberts Don’t put anything away, as you will need it almost immediately. And keep plenty of towels around, when using Stanley…

It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, as I write this. Which means it was exactly 49 years since I first drove a car on the road, about three minutes after I was legally allowed to do so. I had been at a party at a friend’s house, but I shunned all alcoholic temptation because I knew that, just after midnight, my kind father would arrive there in his Ford Zephyr MkIV V6 De Luxe in Silver Fox, L-plates at the ready. I knew how to drive; he had taught me on a disused airfield when I was eight, in an F-type Vauxhall Victor De Luxe. I could just reach the pedals with the seat fully forward, as I peered over the giant steering wheel. Finessing of skills…

REVIEW Cracking sale! Another АСА success with affordable classics There were cars for all tastes at the АСА November sale, from a barn-find Mini to a Plymouth Superbird. A two-day online broadcast, they sent through 226 vehicles and sold 92 per cent of them. Prices were strong too, with few bargains. In fact the £31,320 paid for a restored Ford Escort RS1600i was quite startling at £12k over top estimate. Back down to earth, one of our favourites was a joyful little ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Austin A35 van, fitted with rear seats (but not side windows) and restored in 2005. It was also endowed with a tuned engine, with twin SUs and other tweaks. That seemed to add to its appeal as it sold for £10,530-well above the£7000-£9000 estimate and…

Ford Granada Mkl The effect of the restored ‘Sweeney’ car doing the rounds, plus constant re-runs of Regan &. Carter nicking villains on ITV4 has whipped up a storm over Ford’s ’ardest motah. You’ll need over ten grand and a good snout. HOT +36% IN THE LAST YEAR Mercedes-Benz SL R129 6-cyl We’re talking 280/300/320SLs here – although with lat er models the SL bit comes first, to confuse you. Fine cars, and cheaper to run than the V-engines versions, but suffering from over-supply in the market. NOT -8.0% IN LAST YEAR…

James likes the... BASE MODEL There’s just something intriguing about a poverty- spec Golf. That thick, tweedy upholstery and the blanking plate where the stereo should be... VW was ruthlessly mean to its customers. But it does show the Golf in its purest form. Granted, it wasn’t as pretty as the original Golf but, boy, it sure was made to last! Matt G likes the... GTI 8V Back in 2010-11, l owned two Mkll GTIs in quick succession, both eight-valve versions. I loved them and have many happy memories of driving them... only some of which I could share in print. Perky beasts that were as capable on twisting B-roads as they were in the outside lane of the motorway. Owning another is on my bucket list. Matt T likes…

NIGEL’S IOB CARD TEST & REPLACE COILS Diagnosing and changing a faulty coil pack is quick and simple. There’s no need to be put off by the apparent complexity of modern engine management systems, they actually make life easier than trouble shooting on traditional carb and distributor engines. We’ll show you how to sort out this problem on a BMW 3 Series, though the same approach will work for many other classics from the Nineties onwards. First we’ll use the ‘On Board Diagnostics’ or OBD system and a code reader to find the fault, then get stuck in to replacement. How tough? You’ll need: ► Basic tools ► Socket set ► Basic OBD Fault Code Reader Specialists: ► Machine Mart, machinemart.co.uk Will take: Will cost: Cash saved START FIND THE…

NIGEL’S JOB CARD FITTING AND TIMING THE CAM Last month, we ensured the bottom end of our Triumph Spitfire engine would be oil-tight. Now, we’re ready to fit the camshaft, set the all-important cam timing while fitting the timing chain and sprockets, then fit the timing cover with its chain tensioner, oil seal and gasket. We’ve chosen to upgrade our 1147cc Spitfire engine with a camshaft from a 1296cc Mklll. How tough? You’ll need: ► Basic tools ► Socket set ► Torque wrench ► Dial test indicator Specialist: ► TRGB: 01487 842168, trgb.co.uk Will take: Will cost: DIY saving GARY BATES, OWNER TRGB – A SPECIALIST VIEW The 1147cc and 1296cc Spitfire engines are tough units that can readily cope with upgrades to produce a bit more power. The choice…

The MG Story £50 ISBN 978-1-906133-97-9 Lavishly illustrated, this beautifully compiled book tells the story of the MG marque from 1923 right up until the Abingdon factory closed in 1980, via biographies and indepth studies of all the models to wear the Octagon. herridgeandsons.com Ferrari 250 GTE £75 ISBN 978-1-913089-20-7 Beautifully presented, this is the definitive story of the family car that funded the racing, in its 60th year. From development and build to restoration and preservation. Quote PC10 at checkout for 10% off when you order direct. porterpress.co.uk VW Camper: Inspirational Interiors £25 ISBN 978-1-847970-70-1 A great source of inspiration for your own VW interior whether you’re starting from scratch, updating or searching for your first camper. crowood.com…

Staines, Surrey January 1973 The Christmas decorations are still up outside Staines Town Hall on Clarence Street, even though we’re (just) into the new year of 1973. A few months later, the building would become Grade II listed. It’s obviously quite a mild winter’s day judging by the light clothing but, unless there’s an unexpected heatwave on, we rather feel that the owner of the ice cream van left of the tree is being a tad optimistic. That said, the sign in the back of what is probably the obligatory Bedford CA or CF also advertises ‘hot dogs’, so we assume he was hedging his bets. Parked behind the food van is a Hillman Avenger in Aztec Gold, a metallic hue that so many examples seemed to be finished in.…

1985: Kevin Barrett My brother worked for Ford at Dagenham and I had already owned a Capri Mkl XLR and then an Escort Mkll. But I saw an advert for a Capri Laser edition, sold the Escort and put that money towards a deposit. I chose Rosso Red. I got the car delivered on Christmas Eve 1985, so it became a Christmas present to myself. I worked at Midland Bank and needed reliable transport but, of course, the Capri was always going to be a bit more than that. I was footloose and fancy free, it was the ideal car for anyone like me at that time. I actually saw my car before it was delivered. I was passing the dealership in Romford and there was this bright red Capri…

1973 It’s 1973, as original owner Jennie poses with her pride and joy, Bluebird, in Essex. 1977 On summer holidays near Exeter, with Bluebird having proved to be perfect for the job. 1980 Bluebird hits 50,000 miles and Jennie marks the occasion. Party time! 2000 Jennie and Noel in Devon with Bluebird, which was still in great condition. 2002 Mr Turner drives off in Bluebird. Goodbye for good? Jennie thought so… 2011 Wedding duty for Bluebird with the owners that she brought together.…

SEND SPOTTED pics to danny.hopkins@bauermedia.co.uk. If published, you’ll win one of PC’s special one-off classic car bookazines.…

Drain the sump of 2020, they said. Have a poke about in the detritus with a heavily- gloved finger and write something sensible, they said. The thing is, 2020’s sump plug is one of those weird ‘inny’ shapes that’s seemingly neither fish nor fowl, requiring a full-blown workshop rummage for a vaguely-suitable implement – first in drawers, then in tins, tubs and jars – in search of something uncleverly welded together or ground down amid the smoke of one’s own incinerating fingerprints, only to be abducted by under-bench trolls. You wearily continue, without success, and return to grovel painfully under the car yet again, self-administering searing spanner-rash in a frenzy of futile bung-bothering, before inevitably binning the tomfoolery of DIY foolery. Deep breath. Coffee. Digestives. Eventually find the (only) working…

WITH RUSS SMITH ‘Restored my faith in the motoring public’ I had an interesting conversation with the boss of our local garage recently. My Volvo 940 Turbo was due its MOT, and I’d taken full advantage of the six-month extension offered on that by the government as even with that the car had only clocked up 4500 miles since its last test, and I always keep a good eye on it. I’d assumed they’d be rushed off their feet at the moment, what with all the postponed MOTs being shoved in with those already scheduled for this time of year. The tabloid media had made a big thing of this and claimed people were queuing round the block to get tests. I should be careful what I read. Mr MOT…

Danny Hopkins I’ve had Alfa 156s before... both the V6 and the Twinspark. Both beautiful, inside and out. Both a bit flaky and both cheap as chips. But the smaller 147 had never crossed my radar, until Barney Sleep called to tell me he had one festering on his drive that needed a new home. I am a sucker for a sob story, so I headed over to Barney’s to collect the baby Alfa. Like the 156, the 147 is at the bottom of its value curve right now and cars, with the possible exception of the V6 GTA, are swapping hands for pin money. This is madness, obviously, given that the interior is a work of driver-focused art and the engines are an absolute hoot. Here’s the thing. Having…

This is a bit of a moment for me. Having Modem Classics within the hallowed pages of Practical Classics is definitely one of those full-circle occasions. As well as the being the creator and launch editor of the magazine formerly known as Modern Classics, I had a stint on PC as the deputy editor, and I have been a voice for modernisation in the scene. Nowadays that spirit is right at the heart of PC, coaxing a new generation of garagistes into the classic car club. Danny has invited me in to share some wisdom and inspire you to save the next generation of modern classics, helping these bargains on their way to the post- 2030 Festival of The Unexceptional. I must admit that this wasn’t front of mind when…

2004 Smart Roadster Coupé Engine 698cc/3-cyl/OHC Power 80bhp@5250rpm Torque 81lb ft@2250rpm Work done New brake pipes and a fresh MOT certificate. Some pretty serious drama has occurred and I’ll admit to feeling rather embarrassed about it. The Smart failed its MOT for the first time in years and it’s proof that MOTs are absolutely vital. The cause of failure? Plastic, that’s what. In 120,000 miles and 14 years of Roadster ownership, my car has been fitted with replacement discs, pads and hoses on numerous intervals, so it came as something of a shock to find the car catastrophically failing the brake test. As with many a car of a certain age (and presumably modern cars), the pipes are hidden beneath a plastic undertray, which an MoT tester simply cannot see.…