THE PC FLEET
1 James Walshe 1971 CITROËN D SPECIAL
In the process of deciding which of my classics to take, there was really no contest: touring the UK in a DS would be no more a chore than sitting in my living room with a cup of tea and a Marmite crumpet. Aside from an occasional sticking needle valve when cold, there was nothing to be concerned with but keen as I was to have the car looking its very best, I booked her in for some paintwork. Friend John Griffiths had done the original work a year ago but sadly died before it was completed so to see the car emerge from my local paint shop, Nene Valley Body Repairs, was extremely pleasing. John would have been chuffed. For me, seeing this beautiful car looking resplendent in the wilds of Northumberland and Snowdonia is something I won’t ever forget.
2 Matt Tomkins 1972 MGB GT
A little preparation saw my MGB ready for the off (see p106), but as we reached Brooklands, it had developed a clonk on take-up of drive. The two-year-old propshaft’s rear universal joint had failed. A steady drive west was interrupted only briefly to collect a replacement prop from MG parts specialist Andy Jennings as we passed his door. Half an hour on the ramp at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu saw it changed. All then went swimmingly… until the exhaust dropped off. A coat hanger solved this until the Fat Lamb, where I used proprietor Paul’s four-post lift and MIG welder to orchestrate a proper repair.
3 Matt George 1972 TRIUMPH 2000
Much like James, there was only one car for me with this trip in mind – my trusty 2000. It is a veteran of many European trips and is in fine fettle mechanically but as I’m an oil obsessive (see p10,
PC, June 2018) I happily treated it to a fresh bottle of Classic Oils Heritage 20w50 and a spin-on filter from my now-extensive collection. Bring it on!
4 Danny Hopkins 1972 TRIUMPH 2000
A week before the ‘off’ it was running like a dog, so I bit the bullet and ordered a full twin Stromberg rebuild kit from Burlen Fuel Solutions, plus a new fuel pump for good measure. The Burlen kit comes with instructions and, after a morale-boosting chat with Nigel Clark, my kitchen table became an impromptu workshop for a couple of evenings. Back together and with new pump priming the freshly rebuilt carbs it was time to tune. I borrowed a special Strommie tuning tool and set to work adjusting the idle speed and setting needles. I had made sure I set the jets carefully when I drifted them into place so tuning was not the ball-ache I was expecting. Anyway, with Tetraboost liquid lead
‘All went swimmingly… until the MG’S exhaust fell off’
added to every tank full tank the Triumph average 26mpg and only started to slip out of tune on the last couple of days. I got a grey exhaust as well. Driving my grandad’s car, a car I restored myself and one that has been in my family since new, was a source of great satisfaction… and when I met up with a bloke whose father had been taught by my grandad at Reading University, it made the entire trip complete.
5 Theo Gillam MERCEDES-BENZ 190E
In order to make-ready for the circumnavigation of the UK, I spent a full week and all of my overdraft failing dismally to get the wrong car on the road. With a fundamentallybroken Reliant Regal 21E now scattered to the workshop’s four corners, I was left with an afternoon to hoover the Mercedes-benz 190D’s engine in preparation, and explain to Sarah, my other half, why the vacuum cleaner was now constipated. Hitherto unproven and only driven to the MOT station and back, what could go wrong sitting behind the three-pointed star? Well, bleeding ears from a cranium-drilling grinding/ wailing/howling noise from the stern; and embarrassment from having the thing failing to proceed, for starters.
6 James Jefferson 1987 VW TYPE 25 PANEL VAN
You may recognise this little gem as the VW Panel Van belonging to sponsors Footman James that was recently restored by CBR Motor Bodies in Cannock in conjunction with us here at
Practical Classics. David Bond of Footman James tasked editor Danny with finding a classic van to use for events and marketing purposes – he didn’t disappoint. I was then tasked by Danny with piloting the van on this trip, and a few niggles were sorted pre-departure; the gearstick had to be shoved unceremoniously under the dashboard to engage second gear. A bit of re-contouring later (read: clamped shifter in vice and bent it) gear selection was as the Volkswagen gods intended. The temperature gauge was also fixed, she had a bath, and off we chugged. The 944 leather seats and the turbo diesel 1.9-litre engine were both sublime for the entire 1700-ish miles. She didn’t miss a beat and looked smart doing so in her new paint and FJ graphics. I felt a bit ‘Big-willy’, from the Italian Job at times, swinging her steering wheel left and right up and down the mountain roads of North Wales, but thankfully she didn’t end up balancing precariously on a cliff edge. Look out for her at shows across the land soon!