WAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER

1 FIT A BIGGER ENGINE

The earlier engines tend to feel a bit breathless in modern traffic. Later (and slightly bigger) engines are nicer, but can be tricky to fit because the mountings changed for the Series V and VI.

2 JUST ADD OVERDRIVE

Fitting overdrive will give the engine an easier time and ease your fuel bills – not to mention making the car quieter at motorway speeds – but you’ll need to find a Gazelle transmission and fit it wholesale, including the propshaft.

3 SWAP THE SHIFTER

You can convert a column-change so it’s floor-mounted by fitting the later, all-synchromesh gearbox (fitted from part-way through Series V production). This isn’t without problems though...

4 CHANGE THE CLUTCH

...because these later gearboxes have a different clutch, which requires the replacement of the master and slave cylinder, so things aren’t as straightforward – or as cheap – as you might think.