Colin Anton kindly came over so I had another set of hands to operate things – by now it was 11.30pm! With a live feed added, it was deduced that the VW square relay had packed up.
I had a replacement and a reserve delivered the following afternoon, and late on the Friday night I fitted the £7 relay and was ready to leave early next morning on the 44 mile journey to the Woodchurch Steam and Vehicle Rally near Ashford, in Kent. This is the largest event of its type in Kent these days; it encompasses all types of transport and is a very enjoyable do. It is supported by members of the Weald of Kent Traction Engine Society – I attended the Society’s 1957 rally at Paddock Wood at the age of five, and my late father was very much part of those early events.
The Saturday turned out dry and bright early on. The P1 started at the first time of asking, with its Mallory electronic ignition helping the flathead V8 along its way. I had my Waze navigator app setup on my phone, which I find very good indeed – it is very useful for speed cameras, accurate mph and more!
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Classics Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Classics Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
REINVENTING THE PAST
This may well be the newest car you ever see featured in Classics magazine, but we hope you'll agree that Morgan's 21st Century return to three-wheeled motoring is pretty close to being an instant classic.
AN MG RARITY
The MkIII and MkIV Magnettes have forever lived in the shadow of their illustrious forebear, the Z-Type Magnette. Sales were never strong and scrappage rates were high, but fans are now seeking out and cherishing the few that remain.
Out on the road again
I was in a great rush as usual when I checked out the Allard P1 late one evening, only to find that the lights wouldn’t come on main beam.
A CHEEKY CHAPPY
The Austin A30 and later A35 are tiny by today's standards, but back in the 1950s they were everyday transport for many a family. With all the charm of a puppy they had a tendency to worm their way into owners' affections, and Ray Lewis' lovely 1957 example is no exception to this rule.
Light Fantastic
We revisit Audi’s cleverly engineered lightweight loss-leader. Just don’t mention the A-Class.
Prized Companion
Originally the second prize in a national driving competition for lady drivers, this Escort XL is now a cherished family heirloom.
Exhausting Gentry
At the beginning of August I was in Denmark attending the 2017 Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix and as usual this was a brilliant event.
Major Minor Screen Problems
The last few weeks have been taken up with fettling the Minor’s wipers, as the motor was running too hot, despite smoothing the bends in the outer and replacing the grease with EP90 oil.
10 Things You Need To Know About... Bmc 1100/1300 (1972-1974)
For a car that was Britain’s best seller for most of its 12-year production run, the BMC 1100 and 1300 are remarkably scarce with survivors being just a tiny fraction of the two million plus cars that were produced between 1962 and 1974. Built in both Cowley and Longbridge, demand for the 1100 was so great that even after Longbridge started building the Austin version in late 1963, the Cowley plant had double shifts working to build enough cars.
Project MGF
Last month saw us going right through the MGF’s cooling system and since then I’m happy to report that the garage floor seems to have remained bone dry.
