[ Owning a Austin A40 Farina]
Nick Orchard
Nick Orchard owns the A40 pictured. He says, ‘I owned one as my everyday car in the Seventies, then last year I bought this one as a bit of a nostalgia trip to celebrate my 40th wedding anniversary. It was ready to use but in need of a few minor touches. These included fitting a new exhaust and getting the carburettor and ignition set up. Next on the list are fitting fresh carpets and period seatbelts.’
Robert High, Monmouthshire, Wales
‘I got my first A40 Farina in 1976,’ says longterm A40 Club member Robert High. ‘I was looking for something to do, and a friend of mine offered me one to restore – it was under a load of firewood in his garage and in a poor state. I paid £40.
‘I’ve had 16 over the years, and eight at the same time at one point, but I sold off many of them cheaply for spares. Engine and mechanical parts are no problem – the club is great at sourcing them and they’re well-known because they’re basically the same as a Morris Minor 1000s.
‘Body panels are another story though. I’ve got a MKI Countryman now, but its bodywork is beyond retrieving – not impossible, but welding is an expensive hobby! I think I’ll donate it to the club because it’s got a good interior.’
Ben Morong, York, Maine, USA
Ben says, ‘I’ve been into Sprites and Midgets since 1966. Three years ago I saw an ad for a 1960 A40 Farina Countryman. Never having heard of one, I researched it and decided to go look at it. It was a rusty parts car with no engine or transmission but I brought it home, where I discovered that the rust was far worse than I’d thought. So I started a search for another, eventually finding one 1150 miles away in South Carolina.
‘It drove and stopped (barely) but was amazingly rustfree. Over the following 12 months I replaced the 948cc 34bhp engine and original transmission with a 1275cc 65bhp engine and ribcase transmission from a Midget, changed the front drum brakes and suspension to a Midget disc brake suspension, repaired the wiring, and got it on the road by this past October to attend a local car show – the first and last of the 2020 season.
‘Many parts are Sprite/midget part from Moss Motors or other vendors; Farina specific parts are from the A40 Farina club via ebay Europe. I currently have a new carpet set coming from the UK.’