There must be a formula to determine the ratio of oil spot size to the need for fixation. Fixation, that is, meaning fixing the leak. This, as opposed to the more normal fixation, which implies staring at an invisible object in the bottom of a beer bottle. Experienced bench racers know that a lot can be…
A couple of weeks ago, a friend loaned me several books dealing with building and modifying cars. Lots of good advice, but there was one outstanding theme which threaded its way through all of the manuals: research and advance planning! Heavy emphasis was made that the research/plan phase of a major automotive project is at…
Sometimes it’s hard taking your own advice. But here’s an example when it really paid off. I wrote this article on the day I delivered my 1955 BN1 Austin-Healey to the paint shop a few months ago for the final body work and respray. Respray ain’t the half of it, however. Allow me to reminisce…
In our last issue, we gave you an insider’s view into the world of dealers who sold British sports cars when they were new. Our anonymous contributor now continues his tale! So you STILL think it’s original, eh? Surely a swap of an interior is not going to count, is it? Well, how about swapping a set of wheels?…
So you think your British sports car is absolutely, positively original, eh?! You think it’s just as it left those famous factories in Abingdon or Coventry? Well, don’t bet on it. I’m here after all these years to tell you why. Even if you witnessed your precious new automobile being delivered straight off the transporter…
Old British cars seek me out. Honest. The more needy they are, the more likely they are to end up on my doorstep. Old British cars find me. In the Midwest, back in my misspent youth, it seemed there was always a family who took in strays of all varieties. It was usually a family…
On our recent trip to MG ’99 in Vancouver, we were privileged to visit with Peter Welch who has assembled a private collection of MGs—the condition of which has to be seen to be believed! I have seen many collections of automobiles, including other MG museums, but I have seldom seen a selection of cars which have…
You have to be just a little crazy to own a British car, and all British car owners will proudly proclaim that fact. It’s a case of constant breakdowns and repairs, strange and obsolete parts, bizarre mechanisms. But they love ’em, and my husband, Craig, is no exception. He is the owner of his second…
My brother John called me from his home in New Jersey. It was in the fall of 2006 and weather was starting to turn cool in anticipation of winter. Me, now living in the South Florida sunshine for the past 12 years, chided him for living so long with the raking of leaves and shoveling…
buh-loh-nee* 1. The result of spending way too much money in an attempt to make an old car look old. 2. A descriptive term used to deceive a potential buyer by creating an illusion of proper maintenance and care. 3. Justification for excessive cost related to owning a British car. British cars have a reputation…
