THE BIG NIGGLE

John Peterson regularly struggles to start his Peugeot. Can we help?

"I love driving my petrol-engined Peugeot 205, but starting it is always an uncertain business. It almost always goes eventually, but it’s really reluctant. It can be quite worrying, too, if I’m a long way from home.

John Peterson, Hereford

ED’S JOB CARD
STARTING PROBLEMS

Let's look at why a car might be difficult to start or restart, though it was running when recently parked. First, we’ll examine the basics in the opening spread. Do read the Explainer if you're in any doubt about starting technique. The final spread shows suggestions tailored to cold or hot starting where only one is problematic.

BASIC NON-STARTING CHECKS

1 But why?

Any starting problem revolves around the same things: weak, misplaced or absent sparks; too little or too much fuel in the cylinders; and – thankfully rarely – a lack of compression due to faulty valves or pistons.

2 But how?

Did you interfere with it? Were you idly rummaging in the engine bay on Saturday afternoon, and it won't start on Sunday morning? Look for a wire, HT lead or even a fuel pipe that's no longer in place.

3 A sneaky one…

Or, are you being thwarted by a failing battery? Sometimes they don't expire completely, but turn the engine slowly and with low voltage. It appears sort-of OK, but there's not enough voltage for a decent spark.

TECH TIP

Substitute a known, good battery. If still the same, suspect battery leads/earths, or a faulty starter.

4 Dry throat?

Remove the air cleaner lid (etc) so you can see down the carburettor throat. You should smell fuel, and the throat should be wetted with it. If bone dry, the carburettor has no fuel in it: suspect the fuel pump.

5 Flooding

If on the other hand, fuel is dripping out of the carburettor nozzle(s) and pooling on the throttle plates or running into the engine, the carburettor is flooded. Check carburettor float, level, and needle valve.

6 Check plugs

If the carb is not too wet and not too dry, leave it as is and check for a spark. Remove a spark plug and HT lead. If the plug is very wet, it may be that the cylinders are flooded (see later). Dry the plug.

7 Check for sparks

Connect the plug and its HT lead directly to the coil. Lay the plug on the engine and crank it. You should see a spark. Now reconnect the king lead and replace the plug lead in the distributor cap.

TECH TIP

Check the plug gaps are correct: usually 0.6 to 0.7mm for points; 0.8 to 1.0mm electronic.

8 Look further

Crank again. If now, there's no spark, the rotor arm or carbon contact in the cap (photo) has failed. If no spark to begin with, check condenser; points condition and gap; electronic module; wiring to coil and ignition switch.

9 Last but not least

If there's fuel and spark, the fuel must be in the right amount (as before) and the spark at the right time (check the timing). Now, check a belt-driven camshaft hasn't jumped a few teeth when last turned off.

EXPLAINER

How to start a car correctly, hot or cold

Daily cold start

Pull the choke out fully. Do not depress the throttle. Crank the engine until it fires and runs. It should now run at a fast idle and after a few seconds you can gradually push the choke in to keep it around 1500rpm. In summer, the car will start with less than full choke, but if it cold-starts without any choke in cold weather, it may be running rich.

Start after a week

Most cranking time is spent dragging fuel from the tank to the carburettor. Mechanical pumps can be slow, but a weak pump may never get there. Try cranking without choke until the oil light goes out – by which time the carb should be full – then pull the choke. This avoids the engine trying to start before the carb's ready.

Hot and cool starts

Immediate restarting: just turn the key, maybe add a little throttle. After a short stand, open the throttle a little and, if the engine doesn't catch, open it slowly to full throttle and hold it down until it catches and runs. Don’t pump the pedal, which will further over-enrich the mixture. If the car has cooled, you might need a little choke and throttle together.

OTHER CHECKS

COLD STARTING ISSUES

Manual choke

Is the choke flap (or cold-start rotary valve) fully closed with the knob pulled out? If not, make sure the cable outer sheath is securely clamped; adjust inner cable; look for obstructions.

Automatic choke

An auto choke requires you to press the throttle to set or reset it: it's held open on a ratchet, and closed by the action of a bimetallic spring. Check it snaps shut when you press the pedal.

Fuel supply

Remove the fuel pipe from the carburettor inlet. Direct it into a jar. Get an assistant to crank the engine. The pump should spurt fuel decisively. If not, investigate the fuel system.

TECH TIP

Electric pump – sometimes a gentle tap will restart an SU-type pump.

Lack of fuel

Look for kinked or folded rubber hoses; ancient or blocked fuel filters; defective fuel pump. The fuel pump becomes weak when the internal valves don't seal properly. Replace, or service if possible.

TECH TIP

Temporary fix – drip fuel into both ends of the pump to wet the valves, helping them seal.

Sparking?

Test for a spark as detailed previously. No spark at all? Check the power supply to coil +/15/ SW terminal. If none, investigate wiring back to ignition switch. Quick fix: jump coil + to battery +.

On point

Clean coil terminals. Check wire from coil to distributor. Check points gap and that contacts are clean. Flick them open and shut (ignition on): contacts should spark. If not, replace condenser.

TECH TIP

Check internal wire from side terminal to points isn't broken or shorting to earth.

Dirt and damp

Damp penetrates everything. Make sure all ignition components are kept clean with a petrol-damped cloth. This prevents the attraction of dirt, which combines with moisture to conduct electricity. Try putting the distributor cap, rotor and HT leads (and a suspect electronic module) in an oven, max 60ºC for half an hour or more. This drives damp out, at least temporarily, with remarkable results.

Fuel injection

Check connection to coolant temp sensor. Ensure the sensor's centre doesn't rotate (broken). Check values very roughly correspond to figures in the manual, eg 10ºC – 5177 ; 80ºC – 170.

TECH TIP

By 'very roughly', we mean within 20% for the purpose of field diagnostics.

OTHER CHECKS

HOT STARTING ISSUES

Check coil

Is the coil connected the right way round? +/15/ SW to ignition switch; -/1/CB to points or ignition module. This ensures the spark jumps easily from hot centre electrode of plug to cool side electrode.

Too rich?

Is it over-enriched? Never pump the throttle! Carbs that live over the exhaust manifold can boil when stopped, filling the air intake with vapour. Cranking with the throttle open will overcome this.

TECH TIP

If float level is too high, or (SU/Stromberg) main jet set too low, mixture will be too rich.

Fuel pressure

Is it flooding? If fuel is dripping or has pooled in the carb throat, then the float level is too high, or the needle valve is leaking. Check also fuel delivery pressure from pump (photo): not above 5psi.

Condenser

Is the condenser failing? Symptoms include erratic running when hot, a tendency to die at idle, and near-impossible hot starting. Advanced failure may also lead to impressive exhaust backfires.

Coil and points

Is the coil hot? It should work up to at least 60ºC – hot enough to burn you – but ideally it runs only warm. Check it's the correct type – not below 3 (non-ballast) for points. Check points gap (dwell).

TECH TIP

The points gap or dwell controls the time the coil is switched on during every on/off cycle.

Auto choke and EFi

Auto choke: flap should be fully open when hot. Fuel injection: check coolant temp sensor. Check fuel rail pressure is not excessive; leaking injectors while parked; faulty cold start device.

NUMPTY TRAPS

Q I changed my faulty fuel pump. Starting after a layup is easy now, but hot starting has gone bad.

A The new pump may be flooding the carburettor. Did you install it using the gaskets provided? Pump pressure depends partly on how far it's set from the operating cam in the engine. Just using instant gasket will result in it being too close (excess pressure). Use card gaskets and increase their thickness until the desired fuel pressure (max 5psi/0.3 Bar) is attained.

Q Should I try changing my plugs and HT leads?

A This is often a red herring – many faithful plugs and leads are binned each year. But from time to time, you find they are indeed the problem. It's not a bad idea to keep an old set of each (in good, working order), just for substitution checks.

Q I fitted a spark booster in the HT lead from the coil. Will this help?

A It's possible, in the short term. It contains an air gap. The coil thus builds up a larger voltage before it discharges, which may overcome a reluctance to fire – or may instead just escape through damp and dirt, deteriorated plug lead caps and so on. It is a sticking plaster – a bit like holding an HT lead just a little back from a faulty spark plug. The plug now sparks, but the fundamental problem (weak coil, bad plug) remains.

NIGGLE NOBBLED

Our reader’s result

A change of fuel pump made it start much better of a morning. Half the plug leads were full of green, chalky corrosion under their rubber caps, so I swapped them out – further improving the morning experience. When I changed the fuel pump, I set the pressure as you told me to (thicker gaskets to reduce pressure) and funnily enough, it now starts readily when hot!

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In the August issue of Practical Classics, we take a closer look at the cars slated by the press when they were launched and ask how they stack up as classics now, in 2026. From the Allegro and Marina, to MGC, XJ-S, Delorean and Mk3 Golf GTi (which our sister publication represented with a picture of a lemon back in 1994), we find out if these once ridiculed classics deserved a slating – by… err… driving them to a Welsh slate mine!

As always, the magazine is packed with restoration stories – this month including the heroic revival tales of an MGA and aTriumph TR4A. Our Car of the Month is a stunning Vauxhall Viva HA, and we go in-depth with the Rover P6 and BMW E34 5 Series for this month’s two big buying guides.

At the workshop, Danny is working on his Toyota MR2 and VW Bora, James is getting cross with his Smart and Matt has been at Brand’s Hatch in his Austin Seven Special. There are tips on how to form compound curves, making seatbelt webbing straps and a guide to rocker shaft refurbs and fixing poor hot and cold starting.

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ME AND MY RESTO

Ian Schofield was out for a walk when he found a TR4A in a hedge…

INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY CRAIG CHEETHAM

AS FOUND

Ollie the TR4A had lived outside in a hedge for 7½ years, languishing in a bush outside a tea shop near Ian’s mum’s house in rural Pembrokeshire. It had suffered badly; the rear suspension came through the floor when loading it onto the trailer, but Ian still saw the potential.

This is Ollie, and he’s been a big part of my life for more than 30 years. I found him when I was out for a walk on a summer’s evening in 1990. I had a good look around the car and could see that, although very tired in a lot of places, this was a project with big potential. So, I set about finding the owner and eventually managed to buy Ollie and bring him home – not an easy task, because the rear suspension came through the floor as we loaded it onto the trailer. When I got him back, I found that although Ollie was complete and mostly original, the only way forward was a full restoration. I had other TRs and I’ve always had a few classics, so there was no real time pressure. That meant I could focus on doing the job properly.

I’m a nut for rusty old wrecks, so when I stripped the body off and found that the chassis had broken in three places, I wasn’t perturbed. I started from the bottom up, procuring a new chassis onto which I would rebuild everything else. I reaasembled all of the suspension using new nuts, bolts, washers, bushes and rubbers.

When I took the body off, that also broke in half – I ended up having to replace three of the four inner wings, front and rear valances and most of the boot floor. I also made and rebuilt the bottoms of both doors, putting new door skins on and making all the window mechanisms work properly. I put the frontend onto the chassis first, then bolted the floor pans down and put the sills into place using self-tapping screws to line them up before fitting the outer front wings. This lot took about two months to sort out, as nothing fitted very well and I had to keep making adjustments before welding.

Next, I remounted the back-end and put the rear wings on, again struggling to line everything up with the sills and doors. I got fed up with it and had to have a break, so left Ollie in the garage for a few months, held together only by self-tappers. My therapy was Morris, one of my other cars – he’s a 1968 Farina-bodied Oxford, and I fully rebuilt it in six months. Much easier to do! It gave me the boost I needed to crack on with Ollie, and when I went back to lining the panels up, this time he behaved. I put the B-pillars in place, self-tapped the door locks in place and the doors finally opened and shut.

When I got to this stage it was hard to take it to bits again to weld it all up, but it's the only way of doing it. I took everything apart one piece at a time and seam-welded it up, using about 20 grinding discs and two packs of welding rods. I then treated the chassis to 10 litres of Waxoyl. I didn’t really fancy taking the body off again. I painted Ollie myself, using the original Signal Red – though getting rid of the blemishes took a lot of effort and repeat applications. I also had to repair the windscreen surround, which was remounted with new rubbers and screen, and fitted a new mohair hood, which took two days to get tight.

Next came the interior. The wooden dashboard was repaired by a cabinetmaker friend for just £2, while I remade the seats using leather covers. On the engine I fitted new shells and liners, twin SUs and fitted an unleaded cylinder head. In total, the work took me three years and one month, including the six-month break while I rebuilt Morris, and at the end of it, I had a great example of the TR4A ready to enjoy. We’ve been all over since, including trips around Europe and on the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run. It’s now more than 33 years since I finished Ollie’s restoration and we’ve since covered well over 100,000 miles together, his patina is very much a part of our story together!’

Engine
Webers proved fussy to set up, so Ian opted for a pair of twin SUs instead. Ian also renewed the entire cooling system and fitted a stainless-steel exhaust. That horizontally mounted fan is for extra cooling in hot weather to stop fuel vaporisation.

Interior
Ian retrimmed the seats himself using aftermarket covers, while the dash was repaired by a cabinetmaker friend for just £2. For safety, Ian added rollover hoops and inertia-reel seat belts.

Chassis
The original was too far gone, so Ian rebuilt the TR4A onto a brand-new chassis. This would be the foundation for the entire restoration, the basis upon which everything else would be carefully fitted.

Panels and welding
One of the trickiest jobs was getting the body panels to line up properly, which involved several trial-fit attempts using self-tapping screws. Ian did all of the metalwork himself, including welding in three new inner wheelarches. One of the front ones was repairable, but only with some skill!

Practical Classics Restorer of the Year 2027

Ian is entered into the 2027 Restorer of the Year competition. You can vote for your favourite in a future issue of Practical Classics magazine.

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THE BIG RESTORATION

Charlie Edge got his MGB GT as a 16th birthday present and restored it with his dad and grandad – in a tent!

WORDS CRAIG CHEETHAM PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN JACOB

THE RESTORER

With dad, Mike, and grandad, Bryan, having both restored their own classics, old cars have always been in engineering apprentice Charlie Edge’s blood. Charlie is counting down to his 18th birthday later this year, as he can’t afford to insure the MG himself just yet. But does he want another classic for his 18th? ‘No,’ he says. ‘I’d like a pizza oven.’

AS FOUND Looked good, but full of filler.

Most 16-year-olds are happy with a PlayStation for their birthday, but when Charlie Edge came downstairs on the morning of his special day, midway through his GCSEs, he was delighted to find that his parents had bought him a MIG welder. With an engineering apprenticeship already lined up, Charlie saw the welder as a great way to learn a new skill, and maybe help out his dad, Mike, and grandad, Bryan, with their classic car projects – a Pilgrim Cobra replica and a Vauxhall Cavalier MkI.

‘It was an amazing gift,’ says Charlie. ‘But next to it were three other parcels containing birthday stuff. I opened the first one, and it was a bodywork restoration manual, which was also a pretty cool gift, then the third package contained an MGB Haynes manual. In the fourth and smallest one was a set of keys, and after opening it my parents took me to the front door. I couldn’t believe my eyes – there on the driveway was a green 1973 MGB GT. It was the most incredible birthday ever.’

‘Grandad taught me to weld so I could restore it’

The car had belonged a friend of his grandad, and when Bryan found out it was for sale, he and Mike hatched a plan to procure it for Charlie to learn his skills on – a project that all three generations of the Edge family could work on together. It looked presentable, from 10 paces.

‘My friend did everything needed to get the MGB into roadworthy condition,’ says Bryan. ‘We thought at first it would be a light restoration, and we wanted a car that was going to be a relatively easy project, so that Charlie could learn some skills and gradually improve it. It turned out to need more work than we expected – but they always do, don’t they?’ Charlie’s birthday was just a couple of weeks before a car show near the Edge’s home in Ellesmere, Shropshire, which Mike and Bryan take their cars to every year, so in 2024 they decided to take Charlie’s MG as well.

Brightwork finished to perfection.

‘It broke down on the way,’ said Charlie. ‘We thought it was the fuel pump, and after some fiddling it started again. But on the way home it conked out and wouldn’t restart, so me, my dad and a friend had to push it home. Luckily the show was only a mile from home, but a mile is a long way when you’re pushing a car. It ended up being the earth strap in the distributor.’

With the car back home, Charlie decided to have a closer look at what he’d got, and to make plans for how to tidy it up. ‘The most obvious area where repairs were needed was around both rear wheelarches,’ he says. ‘The floors and sills were actually really solid, which was a blessing, but there were rust bubbles showing halfway up the rear quarters. I decided to chip away at the rust and found that anything that wasn’t rusty wasn’t actually metal – I just kept going and going, and by the time I’d cut it all back, there were gaping holes where both rear quarters used to be, as well as around the seatbelt bolts and rear valance.

Charlie personalised the interior.

‘The only way we were going to do this was to strip it completely and rebuild it, so that’s what we did. We took the interior out and put it all in labelled boxes, took the glass out and removed all the trim. I only had one choice by now, and that was to restore the car.’ Before he got stuck in, Bryan – a seasoned welder – taught Charlie the art of using a MIG. ‘He’s always been a fast learner,’ says Bryan. ‘By the time he’d had a couple of goes at it, he’d worked out how much gas to use, how to weld a neat line, how to control the temperature. Within half an hour, he was welding like he’d been doing it for years.’

Gas struts on the tailgate now.

While this was going on, and with the garage occupied by the Cobra, dad Mike ordered a Clarke workshop tent for the driveway so that the various bits of MG could be stored in the dry, and to give Charlie somewhere to work outside of the elements. ‘It was probably the single most useful thing we bought,’ Mike says. ‘It withstood all the elements even through the winter and was a really handy space in which to work; if you don’t have anywhere dry to repair your cars, I can highly recommend one.’ With the car stripped down, the next job for Charlie was to draw up a shopping list of the parts they needed to put the MG back on the road. A lot of them were sourced from MGB Hive and MGOC Spares, both of which proved invaluable.

‘I found I could get pretty much everything for it that I needed because the specialist support is so good,’ says Charlie. My nan ended up on first name terms with most of the delivery drivers, who must have assumed there was this little old lady doing up an MGB. Every room in her house ended up full of MGB parts, and me and dad would go over at the weekends to pick them all up. I think the biggest delivery was a pair of rear quarter panels.’

Charlie also fitted Apple CarPlay.

Once everything had arrived, Charlie set about repairing all the metalwork himself, relying on Mike and Bryan to advise and supervise, but only taking over when things got tough. ‘To be fair, dad did do some of the work, but only when I was studying for exams and didn’t have my evenings free. We’d set ourselves a target of having the car ready to attend the same show it conked out on the way home from, but a year later, and towards the end of that, I was running out of time. The rear quarters, valance and everything around the back end was all done by me, though. I had to use wooden batons to hold some of it up, as we’d taken the doors off and I didn’t want the roof to bend while I was welding the rear quarters in.’

3D-printed glovebox latch.

As the MG started to come back together, Charlie’s thoughts turned to how the car was going to look when finished. It was a trip to the NEC Classic Car Show in November 2024 that sealed the deal. ‘I saw a B GT there in Rover British Racing Green with tan leather interior that looked absolutely incredible,’ says Charlie. ‘I fell in love with it straight away and knew that was how my car was going to look.’

With all the panels back in place, the Edges prepared the car for paint themselves. ‘We use a local guy, Nathan, to do work for us – he’s known as the Spraying Mantis,’ says Mike. ‘He would normally take the car in as a bare shell and prep it himself, but I explained that we wanted to do as much as possible ourselves.’

A good MGB is a joy to drive.

But it was Bryan who put the hours in on a lot of the paint prep. By this point, Charlie had started his apprenticeship and both he and his dad were at work during the daytime. With the car receiving the attention of the Spraying Mantis himself, Charlie’s thoughts turned to the GT’s interior and the NEC car that had been his inspiration. ‘I looked around and found a leather seat cover set for the entire car from Prestige Autotrim and opted for that,’ Charlie says. ‘It also came with a dash top and door cards, as well as padded upper door trims. The original seats were a blue nylon and weren’t the best, so we stripped them and fitted the new material onto the frames. With the interior stripped, I also took the opportunity to paint the dashboard with some black Raptor paint.

‘You’ll see that I’ve added a modern head unit with Apple CarPlay and sat nav, and in the boot there’s a large amp, so it has decent sound quality. There’s also a part in there that I made entirely on my own. The glove compartment latch had broken and you can’t actually get the latch pin. I took it out, measured it and 3D-printed a replacement. I also chose to fit gas struts to the tailgate.’

‘It won its first show, beating grandad’s Cavalier’

Ready to go, and soon Charlie will be able to drive it.

With just a few weeks to go before the big show, one of the most exciting moments for Charlie was when his MGB returned from the paint shop on a trailer. ‘Seeing it there in the spring sunshine with its fresh coat of paint was amazing,’ he says. ‘It was like all the hard work we’d put in was starting to look like a proper car – we just had to put it back together, and we didn’t have a lot of time.

With the clock ticking ahead of the big show, all three generations of Edge came together to reassemble the car over the last few weekends. ‘We nearly came a cropper when fitting the rear window and windscreen back in,’ Charlie remarks. It all came good in the end though, and in July 2025, one year and one day after Charlie’d had to push the MGB home in shame, it took pride of place at the Ellesmere Classic Car Show as a finished project, parked between Mike’s Cobra and Bryan’s Cavalier. ‘My Cavalier was car of the show the previous year,’ said Bryan. ‘But in 2025, I had my prize stolen off me by Charlie! He got car of the show, and he deserved it for all his hard work – and maybe a little bit of mine and Mike’s…’

Here’s how Charlie did it

1 SEP 2024

Inner arches

With the rear wheelarches cut away, the extent of the rot that Charlie was dealing with became obvious – it wasn’t hugely visible from above, other than a few rust bubbles between the rear window and the arch, which marked where the metal stopped and the filler started.

2 OCT 2024

Arches on

Using wooden batons to support the car’s weight, Charlie cut out each rear quarter at a time and welded in full replacement panels. By November, he’d completely replaced both sides!

3 JAN 2025

Body done

The rebuild came together fairly quickly – most of the panels were refitted during the Christmas break, ready for the car to be prepared for paint. Apparently, Charlie, Mike and Bryan did take a break for the festive dinner.

4 JAN 2025

Paint on

With Charlie now starting his apprenticeship and Mike at work, it was Bryan that was given the laborious task of flatting the bodywork and primer ready for paint man Nathan to take over.

5 MAY 2025

Returning hero

Charlie says that the return from the paint shop was one of the most exciting moments of the restoration – but the lads had just seven weeks to build the car back up ready for their self-imposed deadline, and it was a race to the finish.

TECH SPEC

• Engine 1798cc/4-cyl/OHV

• Power 92bhp@5400rpm

• Torque 110lb ft@3000rpm

• Gearbox 4-speed manual + o/d

• 0-60mph 13.6sec

• Top speed 105mph

• Fuel economy 25-35mpg

USEFUL CONTACTS

• Spraying Mantis Auto Repair, sprayingmantis.co.uk

• MGB Hive, mgbhive.co.uk

• MGOC Spares, mgocspares.co.uk

• Prestige Autotrim, prestigeautotrim.com

• Clarke Workshop Equipment, clarkeinternational.com

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE

A hugely enjoyable car to drive.

Given that poor Charlie has yet to have the chance to drive his beloved MGB GT on the road (it’ll replace his MG3 as soon as he turns 18), I felt a little guilty squeezing my legs around the MGB’s A-pillar and driving a car that he’s poured his soul into. Moreover, he’s done a cracking job – considering that the car has been taken apart and reassembled, and that the entire rear end has been cut out and rebuilt, the MGB tracks straight and there are no creaks, bangs or rattles.

If you’ve driven a few MGBs then you can quickly tell the difference between a good one and one that has been thrown back together. The craftsmanship that has gone into this one is something to behold. It also reminds me just how cool a GT is. The curved roofline, low screen and straight-legged driving position make it a miniature Aston. It’s the detail that gives away the quality of this resto. The trimming, some of which Charlie did in a caravan awning while away on holiday, is superb, the modern stereo install discreet but neat and it drives like sorted car. Charlie might add a Stage Two head and upgrade the brakes. If he does, he’s only going to make a great car even better.

Restorer of the Year 2027

Restorer of the Year celebrates the shed heroes who, every year, produce extraordinary work breathing life back into basket cases and bringing classics that are going nowhere back to the road. With our sponsors Anglia Car Auctions, we’ll scour the land to bring you the very best then, early in 2027, you get to nominate your favourite restos. From your top ten nominations our panel of experts will select the top five nominees so that you can meet the winner at the PC Classic Car and Restoration show at the NEC next March.

FREDDIE SAYS

‘Three amazing restos this issue, and all of them are absolutely wonderful examples of family endeavour. This MGB’s three generational revival is magnificent, but the Austin 7 and Singer are both heart-warming stories, too.

DATE OF UPCOMING AUCTION – SEE THE WEBSITE

• Website angliacarauctions.co.uk

• Telephone number 01553 777444

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GIANT TEST

We asked you to tell us about the cars your dad loved the best. Here are the ones you nominated

WORDS DANNY HOPKINS, MATT TOMKINS & JAMES WALSHE PHOTOGRAPHY MATT HOWELL

The cars our dads loved are many, varied and often attached to very specific memories. From what you’ve told us, dad’s favourite could have been his first car, his daily driver, wedding transportation, or simply that motor he always promised himself. This Father’s Day we are celebrating a variety of vehicles that became dad’s favourite. It doesn’t matter about technical specification, whether it had a good reputation or even sold well in Britain; if your dad loved it then it’s worthy of a place in the PC car park. We asked you to tell us which car your dad loved the best, you responded, and we crunched the numbers. Here are the results…

DANNY HOPKINS - FORD CORTINA MKIV

1978 FORD CORTINA 1.6L

• Engine 1593cc/4cyl/OHC

• Torque 75bhp@5500rpm

• Torque 90lb ft@3000rpm

• Gearbox 4-speed manual

• Top speed 94mph

• 0-60mph 13sec

• Economy 32mpg

This is the winner, the ‘best’ dad car PC readers voted for ahead of the rest. But why? The MkIV is the final incarnation of the legendary name – and it was also Britain’s best-selling car from the moment it was launched in the UK in September 1976. Popular but also trendy enough to be loved by both dads and kids? That is some achievement. Maybe it really is time to celebrate the ‘boxy one’.

The Cortina comes from an era that’s infused with nostalgia for a large number of petrolheads – the late Seventies – and it perfectly balances practicality, character, and understated cool in a way the competition never quite managed to achieve. Simple enough to fix on a weekend, but stylish enough to turn heads on the school run. The Austin Princess was technically more advanced, but… was it quite as cool?

‘It was the unfashionable one, but is having its time in the sun’

Options for every salary bracket.

Obviously the Cortina MkIV was designed with families in mind, it was practical and good to drive, exactly what a dad needed when juggling daily life, but the driveway chic was also strong. Boxy it was, a no-nonsense design that still had presence. And that’s why my dad was tempted out of his beloved Austin 1800 and into a MkIV in 1980.

The styling of Patrick Le Quément worked its magic and turned dad’s head. I was excited too, because my best mate Stuart’s dad had a Consul GT – a former police car no less – so I was about to join him in the cool club.

Simple but stylish.

The Cortina MkIV was available in base, L, GL, S, and Ghia trim, with a wide range of engine options. It was offered with the 1.3-litre OHV Kent-derived power unit, the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre Pintos and the range-topping 2.3-litre Cologne V6. Imagine my disappointment when I looked at the back end of the car we had gone to pick up (I always went with dad to get a new car). It was a 1.6 L. Practical and frugal… and not a V6.

The MkIV had a short production run – around 600,000 were made in three years at the top of the charts. It remained Britain’s best-selling car until its final days. Some 1,131,850 MkIV and MkVs were built, and even in its last year, with the Sierra being pushed hard for the final quarter, the Cortina sold 135,745 examples to finish second overall in the year, with 8.7 per cent of the market. Production ended on 22 July 1982, and for years the ‘boxy’ one has been the least fashionable of the Cortina family… but now, you have proved it is having its time in the sun. The MkV’s improved rustproofing has helped more of them survive by comparison, but both remain astonishingly rare on British roads – the definition of a car that was once everywhere and is now nowhere. Perhaps that’s why the nostalgia is strong.

Trim level was everything.

OWNER VIEW

DANNY HOPKINS, ON BEHALF OF GREAT BRITISH CAR JOURNEY

You alright there in the back?

1980 FORD CORTINA 1.6 GL

Well, the owner of this car is the very excellent Great British Car Journey museum in Ambergate, but having had a dad who owned one I feel qualified to talk about it. Dad owned two Cortina MkIs in the mid-Seventies and then went back to a MkIV in 1980 after a pair of Austin 1800s… which he loved. The 1.6 L did two holidays and was used hard. Dad loved its practicality and style, but most of all he loved how it drove. It boasted a snickety gear change, positive steering and predictable rear-wheel-drive road-holding.

YOUR CORTINAS

Brand loyalty was especially prevalent in Ford circles – and still is. There are few badges that bring the generations together. Fords played a big part in the life of Paul McCormick’s dad, who owned examples of the 100e and Zephyr, but very much loved his Cortina. ‘It explains why I probably collect Fords myself!’ he told us. Andy Plumb’s old man drove a 1980 Primrose Yellow Cortina 2.0GL with beige Ghia seats, which he specced new as a company car.

Andy wasn’t impressed by what replaced it though. ‘It was a 1983 Sierra 1.6 Ghia that fell apart’. Meanwhile, Richard Taylor told us he learned to drive in his dad’s Cortina 1600GXL and cut his mechanical teeth on it, and for David Short and his dad, it was all about the Cortina 1600E. Nick Hollingworth says his dad’s favourite was a Cortina MkIV 2.3 V6 Ghia. ‘He was so upset when the company replaced it with an Austin Ambassador.’

ROVER P6 - JAMES WALSHE

1971 ROVER 2000

• Engine 1978cc/4-cyl/OHC

• Power 89bhp@5000rpm

• Torque 108lb ft@2500rpm

• Gearbox 4-speed manual

• 0-60mph 14.7sec

• Top speed 104mph Economy 25mpg

With the jet age in full flight, Concorde around the corner and astronauts regularly orbiting the planet, the early Sixties was the perfect moment for Rover to unveil its innovative new 2000. Dads everywhere were delighted – they got their very own spaceship. It wasn’t quite as outlandish as the car that inspired it – designer David Bache was a fan of the Citroën DS, but he made sure his executive express was a little easier for families to fathom. Nevertheless, Rover made bold claims at the P6’s launch: ‘It is more than a car, it is an integrated motoring system’.

Many preferred the four-pot.

Rover was in courageous mood, also mooting a future gas turbine version. The advanced P6 was a unibody design with bolt-on non-stressed panels, four-wheel disc brakes and clever suspension featuring de Dion tube at the rear, configured for superior roadholding. Dads across the land went wild for it, enjoying its comfort, road manners and the car’s ability to conquer Britain’s new network of motorways – the 1978cc engine was developed to run all day long at high speeds.

‘Dads doing well were straight down to their local dealer’

Truly elegant cockpit.

To the delight of dads – and no doubt their car-loving kids – Rover unleashed a twin SU carburettor model, the 2000 TC, in late 1966. It was only a matter of time until the option of an eight-cylinder model came (the P5 saloon and coupé were sold alongside the P6 until 1973, but at a premium price). Dads doing well were straight down to their local dealer from April 1968, when the first batch of 3500 models rumbled off the transporter. A four-speed manual version – the 3500S – turned up in ’71 and ruffled the feathers of jealous neighbours with its brushed stainless steel wheel trims and vinyl roof in either ‘Huntsman Brown’ or ‘Ebony’. By then, families were being wafted around in the P6 MkII.

Ahead of its time engineering-wise.

Step aboard and there’s an instant sense of occasion and a feeling of space – helped by that low-set dashboard shelf, slim pillars and wraparound ’screen. The seats are comfy too – whether dad chose the box-pleated Ambla vinyl, leather or brushed nylon upholstery. But it’s the driving experience that surprises most; the P6 feels well damped with a Jag-like ride, but light on its feet and responsive, even in a four-cylinder single-carb model like this one. The 2000 was upgraded to 2205cc from 1973 and continued to be sold until 1977 (alongside the V8 SD1) but the difference never seems that noticeable and while there’s appeal to the 3500’s fruity sound, I’ve always liked the four-pot. Dads of the Sixties and Seventies did, too. As did dads of the Eighties and beyond, as the P6’s removable panels and ease of maintenance meant they could repair their family motors without drama – long after other family saloons had gone to the scrap yard.

OWNER VIEW

NEIL CASTLE, CAISTER, LINCOLNSHIRE 1971 ROVER 2000SC

Will you leave your brother alone please?

The previous owner was going to Scotland and felt he couldn’t subject it to the Scottish weather. I took it for a test drive and was smitten. It’s Mexico Brown with the leather interior so it’s a kind of Mk1.5 really. It’s still got the older gearbox and the the older fuse box and so on. It’s going off to a young chap called Joshua Towson who’s going to borrow this for a whole year as part of the Borrow a Classic scheme we have been discussing within the Rover Sports Register – I got fed up waiting for the scheme to come together so I said, right, I’m going to lend one of mine. It’s a great scheme and this is the right car for it. We’re also giving him free RSR membership for a year and free entry to our national rally.

YOUR ROVER P6

The 1974 fuel crisis took the sheen off the Rover 3500 of a certain Mr Gray. His son Chris told us the car wasn’t very economical. ‘I think dad’s V8 got around ten to the gallon driving round town’! Andy Flowerdew commented to say his dad wasn’t keen on his 3500 automatic either – instead preferring the 4-cylinder P6. Gaby Lipscomb’s dad chose a 1969 burgundy Rover P6 2000TC with wire wheels, wooden steering wheel and gear knob and mudguards, while Richard Zahra’s father bought himself a 2000 TC new in the same year. ‘He kept it in pristine condition until he passed away in 2015,’ Richard told us. ‘I inherited it and have cherished it since.’ It’s a similar story for Eddie Ritchie, who explained to us his yellow Rover 2000 is a cherished car for good reason. ‘Dad passed away last year but I promised to keep the car going, and I will’.

TRIUMPH 2000/2500 MATT TOMKINS

TECH SPEC

• Engine 1998cc/6-cyl/OHV

• Power 84bhp@5000rpm

• Torque 100lb ft@2900rpm

• Gearbox 4-speed manual + o/d

• 0-60mph 14.9sec

• Top speed 98mph

• Fuel economy 25mpg

When Triumph launched the 2000 in October 1963, it landed squarely in a growing, aspirational market of dads who wanted more than vinyl seats and a column change. This was the era of the Rover P6 and the last of the big Farinas; the Ford Zephyr and Vauxhall Cresta still traded on size, but Triumph offered something altogether more modern. Styled by Michelotti and featuring unitary construction and independent rear suspension, the 2000 was the thinking dad’s exec saloon – and a rather clever family car into the bargain. It remains handsome-looking today, while the IRS helps a well-sorted one float over 2026’s potholed roads with aplomb – a great advantage over many of its live-axle classic contemporaries.

For dads of the mid-Sixties, the Triumph 2000 ticked every box. It had space for five in genuine comfort and a vast boot, plus that silky straight-six up front. Early cars made a modest 90bhp, but what mattered was the smoothness. This was a car that would waft to the seaside rather than thunder there. Wooden dash, deep-pile carpets, and enough chrome to reassure the neighbours that you’d done rather well today invoke a sense of classic class and prestige which punches well above the 2000s still-accessible values.

Steve’s 2000 has hand controls.

By the Seventies, the 2000 – and later 2.5PI – had become part of the fabric of British family life. In a decade of strikes and three-day weeks, it was the sensible alternative to flashier fare. The MkII facelift of 1969 sharpened the lines and modernised the cabin, while the fuel-injected 2.5PI added real pace for those who fancied embarrassing a Capri at the lights.

What makes the 2000 such a compelling family classic today is that it still does that job so well. Values remain sensible, and parts support is strong thanks to an enthusiastic club network. The straight-six remains a highlight: torquey, tuneful and robust if well-maintained. Overdrive transforms it into a relaxed motorway cruiser.

That’s room for all the family.

For today’s dads introducing their children to classic motoring, the Triumph strikes a perfect balance. It’s big enough to feel special, but not so precious that you’re terrified of ice cream on the back seat. There’s room for child seats, space for camping gear – and a vibrant club scene encouraging such things – plus enough presence to spark conversation at any show.

Yet it’s also usable: decent visibility, light steering, and mechanical simplicity that enables precious sessions of father-son/daughter spannering. The estate variant here today could well be the ultimate in terms of transporting children, dogs and the week’s shop in a proper, chromey, family classic, but even the more ubiquitous saloon is a truly practical classic. The importance of this ability to share proper motoring with the family cannot be underestimated.

‘The Triumph 2000 was the thinking dad’s executive saloon’

Silky ’six purrs on longer trips.

OWNER VIEW

STEVE POWICK, STOURBRIDGE

Steve says his 2000 saved him.

1973 TRIUMPH 2000 ESTATE

I just wanted to go back in time to a simpler car; it took about five years to find this one. I’ve got a MkII saloon that I’ve owned for 28 years that’s been resto modded. This car was registered four days before my saloon. It has been adapted to my needs with hand controls; I had a motorcycle accident in 1997. I could have had a motability car, didn’t want one, so I bought my saloon, and that car kind of saved me. It got me thinking that I was still ‘me’. My earliest memory is of my granddad’s MkII. Going on holiday, down to Pendine and Tenby. So, it’s the sound of the engine. It’s the smell of the cars. The way they drive.

YOUR TRIUMPH 2000

Jamie Beynon’s late father, Mike Beynon, loved his Triumphs. ‘I remember how chuffed he was when we travelled to Bristol to buy Triumph 2000 2.5 PI Estate – one of the last ones.’

Roy Cooper’s late father had more Triumph 2000s than any other car. ‘He drove them from Taunton to Dagenham few times a year to visit his parents. I was a nipper back then & always loved the cruise up & back on the motorway’.

Mark Welshman’s father enjoyed a fine Triumph 2500 MkII in the mid-Seventies, as did Dean Stanley’s dad in his cherished 2000. David Cole recalls his father Stan having a number of Fords, but wasn’t keen. ‘He found them uncomfortable and actually hated driving up until the company gave him a new Triumph 2000. He said it was like a magic carpet in comparison. And we loved all the space in the back!’

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BUYER'S BRIEF

With so many reasons to buy a Traveller, here’s how to buy the best – be it project or show winner

Unmistakable, practical and dependable classic motoring is its speciality.

Why you want one

By the time the last Morris Minor came off the line in 1971, it had wholeheartedly won the hearts of a nation. ‘These are Britain’s most successful cars, whose history is a story of continuous development and continuous success – big cars in all but cost and upkeep’ declared British Leyland’s Moggie brochure. It’s especially true of the brilliantly versatile Traveller version, launched soon after the facelifted saloon in 1952, and partially built on the line alongside it. Half-built Travellers were subsequently shipped off for final assembly at MG in Abingdon where (unlike Cowley) they were still equipped to construct body-on-frame cars. The van and pickup were built on the Wolseley line at Adderley Park.

Find an early Traveller and it’ll have a 30bhp 803cc engine, while a post-1954 is recognizable by a grille with horizontal slats and a central speedo. If it’s a post-1956 Series III ‘Minor 1000’, these cars have a 948cc engine and modified ’box, plus a single piece front windscreen. The 1962 ‘Series V’ got a further upgraded engine and gearbox and bigger brakes. Not much changed after 1965, although the Traveller production was shifted to Adderley Park in 1970, with the rear section constructed at Morris Bodies in Coventry. Some of these Travellers ended up being painted in vibrant shades. It’s that timber that’ll captivate most though! Here’s how to buy one.

MARKET ANALYSIS

It’s worth emphasising the Traveller is worth significantly more than a Minor saloon and equal to, if not more, valuable than an open top Minor. Demand for the little wagon is still very strong, especially for cars in good condition and more so for examples with replacement woodwork. Even if a Traveller is in good condition, values are hurt when the woodwork needs repair – the expense of having the wood done can make all the difference. Being able to do it yourself will, of course, help. A savyy project hunter might well therefore be able to pick up something decent for a few grand. Clubs and specialists are a good place to start when seeking your perfect Traveller, but good ones do regularly pop up at auction. Anglia Car Auctions sold a reasonably sound 1969 model not long ago for £4104. At the other end of the spectrum, we saw a stunning 1968 Traveller sell for £18,500 at the PC Resto Show in March.

The inspection

If you’re after a Traveller, then the first thing you’ll find yourself admiring is the rear end – but you’ll want to study it extra carefully. Water gets in around the joints and hinges, where varnish might not be intact. Soft or black wood is obviously bad news. Local repairs are possible either on a DIY basis or through a specialists, with prices varying depending on how many sections of timber require replacement. It’s important to note that the rear frame is structural, so repairs must be carried out correctly. Plenty of advice is available, however. Note that this is a job that may escalate depending on the extent of corrosion found when the old wood is removed and whether any paintwork is required while the car is dismantled.

In terms of finish for the timber, there are several options. Varnish was the original finish however, and it can trap moisture if not kept on top of. If you choose varnish, select one that is flexible and has an ultraviolet screen and apply following a basecoat mixture of Sikkens Cetol HLS and clear Cuprinol. For cars which are used in all weathers, a topcoat of Sikkens Filter Seven provides a microporous finish, however the back faces of the wood will need sealing with varnish. Whatever the finish, an annual inspection is a good way to stay on top of things. Small issues are easily addressed with a little sanding and refinishing, while a top-up topcoat going into winter is good practice.

Away from the timber and you will find inner and outer front wings are prime targets for rust, as are sills, door bottoms and valances. Rot around the scuttle or A-pillars is tricky to sort, too. Most panels are available should you need to break out the cutter and welder, and they’re not typically expensive.

The A-series engine is one of the best understood on the classic scene, so advice, workshops, parts and people aren’t a drag to find, even in the case of a re-build. Regular oil changes keep it healthy and minor leaks are part and parcel of the ownership process. Check for smoke and rumbling big ends or the rattle of a set of loose valve clearances or timing chain. Overhauling fuel, ignition and cooling is straightforward, so problems here aren’t anything to be too shy of.

As British as a thatched cottage in the Cotswolds.

If there are upgrades, check what’s been done and fitted; generally, they are fully accepted in Minor circles. The ubiquity of the BMC axle means that final drive ratios are commonly swapped for the 3.9:1 item from an MG Midget, improving motorway manners and long-distance cruise comfort. There’s no first-gear synchro on the original four-speed ‘box, but the other ratios should slot home smoothly with no crunching. Jumping out of selection or excessive whining in second or third points to an impending re-build. Reconditioned transmissions are around £600 plus fitting.

Ailing clutches and worn propshaft joints are common issues, though neither are tricky to fix. A dodgy clutch pedal feel is often improved merely by the replacement of the linkage (around £30). Further along the driveline, check the rear axle for leaks or noise. If it’s leaking this can make its way through the casing to the brakes with dangerous results.

The venerable Ford Type-9 is a popular transmission choice when it comes to adding an extra gear, however at around £1400 for an outright reconditioned ‘box and another £900 for the fitting kit, it’s no longer a cheap option. Again, look for a car with one already fitted if this is a desirable upgrade.

Converting the front brakes to discs – either Marina or Ford-based – is common, but the standard drums do well, especially with regular maintenance. Check for leaking wheel cylinders, pulling to one side or sticking. Corrosion on little-used examples can be a faff to sort. Check the master cylinder, located in the chassis rail beneath the driver’s feet; it’s easily forgotten. A car that’s been upgraded with a servo and remote reservoir will drive better but check for leaks and quality of work. If discs are desired, note that whichever kit you fit (from around £600), the master cylinder will need modifying (budget for a new one while you’re in there, while a remote brake-fluid reservoir should also be added to compensate for the larger fluid displacement of calipers versus cylinders. Tightening up the handling is a common mod, too; front anti-roll bar kits are around £250, while telescopic dampers (front and rear) are also an inexpensive option.

The rack-and-pinion steering should feel light and accurate (on standard wheels and tyres), but replacement reconditioned racks are around £150 or so if it’s feeling loose and imprecise. Check for evidence of proper greasing of the front trunnions and kingpins every 3000 miles. Ignoring this can result in premature and potentially dangerous failures. Suspension wise, leaking dampers aren’t uncommon, nor are sagging rear leaf springs or rot around the front torsion bar mounts.

CABIN

You can lavish £700-plus on a set of quality seat covers and a few hundred again on carpets. Saggy headlining isn’t uncommon and although bits are cheap, it’s fiddly and time consuming to sort. Electrics are simple and generally suffer from typical age-related issues. A new loom is around the £200 mark and can be swapped in a weekend by a competent DIYer.

BODY

Full wood replacement is a DIY option if you’re handy, with wood kits available from around £2000 including fitting kit, while professional wood replacement starts from around £4k. Underneath, check the front cross-member, chassis rails, spring hangers – front hangers for the rear springs are a regular rot spot – floors and jacking points.

ENGINE

Adding some extra getup-and-go to a Minor can revolutionise how it drives, especially in modern traffic. A 1275cc A-series is an increasingly expensive proposition, so look out for a car with one already fitted if one is desired. A 1098cc engine can be pepped up with relative ease, too, with the addition of a larger carburettor and freer-flowing tubular exhaust.

WHAT TO PAY

• PROJECT £1500-£3000

• GOOD £5000-£8000

• EXCELLENT £8000-£18000

TECH SPEC

• ENGINE 1098CC/4-CYL/OHV

• POWER 50BHP@5100RPM

• TORQUE 60LB FT@2500RPM

• GEARBOX 4-SPEED MANUAL

• TOP SPEED 73MPH

• 0-60MPH 16.3SEC

• ECONOMY 35MPG

USEFUL CONTACTS

• ESM Morris Minors, morrisminorspares.com

• Claire Atkinson (gearboxes), claire@claireatkinson.associates

• Woodies, morriswoodwork.co.uk

• Morris Minor Owners Club, mmoc.org.uk

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO OWN A TRAVELLER?

Andrew Stone tells us his Traveller tales…

Andrew’s dogs love the Traveller, too!

‘I bought my first Traveller in 1986 and owned it right up until 2004. I’ve owned my current one for nine years and spent the first of these restoring it from a starting point which should have probably, in all honesty, have been scrapped. We owned a Tourer at the time and wanted something more practical – and the Traveller certainly fits the bill. We’ve got two big dogs who travel in the back in a specially made cage, around which you can fit four or five suitcases. We’ve been as far afield as Switzerland and the south of France. I’ve upgraded it with Metro seats, a five-speed gearbox, tuned 1098cc engine and disc brakes that make it an incredibly useable car, even on modern roads. We’ve covered around 35,000 miles in the eight years it’s been on the road.

The longer doors shared by the Traveller and two-doors are certainly helpful too, given my 6ft 2in frame, while the boxy nature of the back end means the load bay is truly very usable, even though the car itself is only one inch longer than the curvaceous saloon.

One of the great things about Morris Minors is the wealth of information out there, both published and within the club. One book in. particular, Morris Minor Traveller, The Complete Companion published by Herridge and Sons served as an excellent guide to fitting the replacement wood kit, even for a novice like me. Now it’s done, the wood isn’t too much hassle – just requiring a rub down and recoat every two or years. They don’t like car covers, though, which seem to trap moisture and speed up the degradation.

I’ve been chairman of the Morris Minor Owners Club for the past eight years. This year the club is celebrating its 50th anniversary with multiple events planned throughout the year, so there’s never been a better time to buy.

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