The best of your opinions, Fuzz Townshend is searching for Jensen bits, plus our crossword!

‘I can’t find calipers for my Jensen. Have you got any?

It’s true, my Jensen 541R has absolutely no chance of stopping, should I be brave enough to drive it, as I have no rear brake calipers for it.

It should be an easy fix, but it isn’t. You see, the Dunlop-made assembly is made up of a carrier, or frame, to which the piston units are bolted and there is also a separate handbrake caliper assembly, which jauntily dangles from it. The frame is as rare as CCW’s editor buying a round of drinks and the handbrake components are rarer still, on a par with flying on a unicorn to the top of a beanstalk and popping out a golden egg one’s self.

Alright, I’ll admit that these components don’t often require total replacement, but surely there must be at least more than one div’ on the planet who has lost track of such rare items between workshops.

No? I’m not buying that, but being the above person, I would happily shell out for a brand new shiny set-up that, currently, no one makes. I can’t even as yet locate a used pair, which I find surprising for something that was also fitted to the Jaguar Mk2.

So, you brilliant, engineering companies out there, please start manufacturing these almost impossible to find items. I, for one, will be happy to order some and I’ll bet that many Jaguar parts factors will do the same.

Talking of old bits of seemingly valueless metal, it seems to me that we are about to lose a whole host of formerly well-regarded cars, which have drifted hopelessly into the ‘landfill’ category. Welcome to oblivion all but the most desirable BMW and Audi products of the early 21st century. You are the new Cambridge, Marina, Sierra of your era. Cars about to find a temporary home on banger circuits, the length and breadth of the land, before limping off, on the backs of tow trucks, never to be seen again.

All that will remain, apart from the performance models, will be the cosseted, pottered about in by the elderly, beige models – that is, unless action is taken right now.

While there’s chance to do so, squirrel away a decent 320, 520 or A6 and for the hell of it, make sure that you save a once ubiquitous Citroën Xsara Picasso ‘Finesse’, or whatever hellish name they went by, because they’re disappearing fast.

Virtually everyone who reads this august journal is full of regret for the seemingly dull stuff they’ve let slip through their fingers, so please, let us not let it happen again.

Actually, I say ‘us’, but really I mean you, because I have to admit to having little or no interest in most of that sort of car. You can’t please ‘em all.

PS. If you do have any old Jaguar Mk2 calipers hanging around, please get in touch with the guys at CCW, or give me a call at my Westgate Classics workshop. Cheers.

Fuzz Townshend juggles writing for CCW with running a classic car workshop, being on the telly a lot and drumming for The Beat.