[ Owning a Leyland Princess]
Martin Nancekievill
Martin Nancekievill runs the Leyland Princess Enthusiasts’ Club. ‘More and more of these cars are coming out of long-term storage,’ he says. ‘Most need some bodywork issues addressing, but in many cases they just need re-commissioning.
‘The most common mechanical issues are with the suspension, which needs to be re-gassed rather than just pumped up. Front caliper pistons and rear wheel cylinders will probably have seized, but everything is easy to fix.
‘There are pretty much no new-old-stock parts left and even some used items are hard to find. Fortunately, all the service items are readily available. The exhaust silencing is the same for all models, but the downpipes, which are engine-specific, are easy enough to track down. You might have to get an exhaust system made specially though. There’s nothing to faze the DIYER and any parts you need are out there if you’re prepared to search.
‘While it’s not really possible to tune the E-series or O-series engines, aside from uprating the carbs, the B-series is simple to uprate because you can fit pretty much any of the go-faster parts that are available for the MGB.’
Simon Hayes
‘We had Austin Princesses in the family when I was younger, I always liked the shape, and knew I wanted one someday,’ says Simon Hayes. ‘I looked at a few rubbish examples a few years ago and dismissed the idea, but having been inspired by bingewatching The Professionals during lockdown, I went on Facebook, and found a semi-restored example.
‘Although it’s a BL car, very few parts are shared with other models, making them tricky to source. The hydraulics were shot and the radiator needed recoring. I found a brake master cylinder in France and that needed restoring. A clutch slave cylinder came from Belgium, brake cylinders from Greece – it’s surprising where parts turn up, these cars were very popular in Belgium and Germany.
‘Princesses can be expensive to run though. It cost me £700 to have the Hydragas system reconditioned, for example. But they’re actually quite tough, reliable cars if they’re looked after – I was surprised by things on my car that had been going strong for 40 years. And it looks nothing like anything else on the road.’