Written by Ian Frith, founder of this idea.
To add a bit of interest to our website I thought members may like to write a short article /potted history of their Classic vehicle which I would be happy to photograph and then this could be put on the website under “Readers Rides” as a pilot here is my effort .
I took these shots of my Mercedes 350 SL for a World wide Mercedes photographic competition a few days ago and thought I would share them with you along with a few words about the car.
I bought the car from a fellow member of the club last year who in turn purchased the car from one of the first members of the club, a surgeon who had the car in London from new in 1975.
Approx 10 yrs later he brought the car to Cyprus where it has remained ever since .
When I got the car it needed a quite a bit of work doing as it had been stood in a garage for some time,
The removable hard top was not the same colour as the body and the rear screen looked like it had been fitted with a can opener and a lump hammer, the V8 engine ran like a “dog” and had clonking noises every time you drove over a bump in the road .Why did I buy this car ? I always wanted one - Heart ruled Head.
So lots to sort out, fortunately, because it had spent the last 30 years here in Cyprus, there was little or no rust problems unlike the ones in the U.K that suffer badly with the tin worm.
Most of the work has now been done with painting, tuning, new shockers all round, refurbished seat bases, plus a box full of new parts etc., the joys of classic car ownership I guess.
The car runs well now and is a pleasure to drive but as we all know there is always a garage bill around the corner.
If you would like to submit an article about your vehicle let Trish Sainsbury or any committee know to be included on the club website.
Regards . Ian Frith.
To add a bit of interest to our website I thought members may like to write a short article /potted history of their Classic vehicle which I would be happy to photograph and then this could be put on the website under “Readers Rides” as a pilot here is my effort .
I took these shots of my Mercedes 350 SL for a World wide Mercedes photographic competition a few days ago and thought I would share them with you along with a few words about the car.
I bought the car from a fellow member of the club last year who in turn purchased the car from one of the first members of the club, a surgeon who had the car in London from new in 1975.
Approx 10 yrs later he brought the car to Cyprus where it has remained ever since .
When I got the car it needed a quite a bit of work doing as it had been stood in a garage for some time,
The removable hard top was not the same colour as the body and the rear screen looked like it had been fitted with a can opener and a lump hammer, the V8 engine ran like a “dog” and had clonking noises every time you drove over a bump in the road .Why did I buy this car ? I always wanted one - Heart ruled Head.
So lots to sort out, fortunately, because it had spent the last 30 years here in Cyprus, there was little or no rust problems unlike the ones in the U.K that suffer badly with the tin worm.
Most of the work has now been done with painting, tuning, new shockers all round, refurbished seat bases, plus a box full of new parts etc., the joys of classic car ownership I guess.
The car runs well now and is a pleasure to drive but as we all know there is always a garage bill around the corner.
If you would like to submit an article about your vehicle let Trish Sainsbury or any committee know to be included on the club website.
Regards . Ian Frith.
John Holborn's son James
My son, James, has a couple of interesting cars in his garage.
One is a Lola T70 B American racing car. It is now road legal but hardly useful for the school run or nipping out for milk.
It is powered 65 Chevrolet short block V12 engine.. It was once driven by John Surtees.
One is a Lola T70 B American racing car. It is now road legal but hardly useful for the school run or nipping out for milk.
It is powered 65 Chevrolet short block V12 engine.. It was once driven by John Surtees.
Ann & George Brooks 1971 Morgan
Below is a slide show of original photos of Ann & Georges Morgan which they owned from 1983 for 30 years.
They drove this car from UK to Cyprus not just once, but twice during their ownership. An article will soon be made available on this site featuring their epic journey .
They drove this car from UK to Cyprus not just once, but twice during their ownership. An article will soon be made available on this site featuring their epic journey .
A few words about the Rolls Royce from our Chairman
Steve Wilkinson. (published 10th March 2021)
Despite the very difficult conditions PCVC have had to endure in the last 12 months the club is continuing to thrive and our fleet of vehicles continues to grow.
Below is another unique addition to our fleet. Peter and Annabel Jarvis have now retired to Cyprus and (mainly) he has been restoring his car meticulously for the last 3 and a half years. He tells me he has wanted a Rolls Royce since the age of 9.
We were absolutely astounded by their unique LWB Rolls Royce Experimental Silver Wraith by Park Ward. This is a very important car for many reasons and I cannot list them all here but I can list a few. The car was new to Rolls Royce experimental/research department. They took delivery from Park Ward in 1955 and was used by them to test new developments until approx 1957 at the end of which it had been fully updated to the latest specification. They continued to own it until 1979.
This car is the first Rolls Royce with factory power steering and it was also the first RR with factory fitted air conditioning which was a modified Chrysler unit which is situated cleverly behind the rear seats. There is a picture of it below and a picture showing the air cooling vents for the air conditioning which are beautifully sculpted.
The car is truly unique and lucky to still exist as RR have a history of scrapping their experimental cars.
This car is HUGE and has to be seen to believed. The pictures do not adequately convey the presence this car has. Peter and Annabel drive the car regularly and even do the shopping in it occasionally. They want to participate in our events and believe that vehicles need to be driven. They have told us they want join us when ever they can. Peter and Annabbel are a lovely couple and I am sure they will receive the warmest welcome when we eventually meet.
Below is another unique addition to our fleet. Peter and Annabel Jarvis have now retired to Cyprus and (mainly) he has been restoring his car meticulously for the last 3 and a half years. He tells me he has wanted a Rolls Royce since the age of 9.
We were absolutely astounded by their unique LWB Rolls Royce Experimental Silver Wraith by Park Ward. This is a very important car for many reasons and I cannot list them all here but I can list a few. The car was new to Rolls Royce experimental/research department. They took delivery from Park Ward in 1955 and was used by them to test new developments until approx 1957 at the end of which it had been fully updated to the latest specification. They continued to own it until 1979.
This car is the first Rolls Royce with factory power steering and it was also the first RR with factory fitted air conditioning which was a modified Chrysler unit which is situated cleverly behind the rear seats. There is a picture of it below and a picture showing the air cooling vents for the air conditioning which are beautifully sculpted.
The car is truly unique and lucky to still exist as RR have a history of scrapping their experimental cars.
This car is HUGE and has to be seen to believed. The pictures do not adequately convey the presence this car has. Peter and Annabel drive the car regularly and even do the shopping in it occasionally. They want to participate in our events and believe that vehicles need to be driven. They have told us they want join us when ever they can. Peter and Annabbel are a lovely couple and I am sure they will receive the warmest welcome when we eventually meet.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll tell you the story of how a Rolls Royce from the Paphos Classic Vehicle Club helped St. Nick deliver a Christmas Fairytale to Paphos' Kennedy Square in aid of Raduga Na Kipre (Rainbow in Cyprus, a Russian children's charity) when his sleigh and reindeer needed to rest before Christmas Eve ......
Twas the Thursday before Christmas,
when all through Paphos Town,
not a classic car was stirring, not even a "Renown".
When out at St. George's there arose such a clatter,
we sprang from our beds to see what was the matter.
In a taxi looking forlorn sat St. Nick
from where he shouted, I need your help quick!
He raced to our Royce and gave us a whistle,
and away we all drove like the down of a thistle.
We spoke not a word, but went straight to our work
and after handing out presents he turned with a jerk.
From his taxi we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
THANK YOU TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!
A big thank you to Chris Innes for dressing up as St. Nick and to Debra Innes for being one of St. Nick's little helpers. Who knows, St. Nick may call on you next time so keep that classic car well polished and ready to answer the call.
Twas the Thursday before Christmas,
when all through Paphos Town,
not a classic car was stirring, not even a "Renown".
When out at St. George's there arose such a clatter,
we sprang from our beds to see what was the matter.
In a taxi looking forlorn sat St. Nick
from where he shouted, I need your help quick!
He raced to our Royce and gave us a whistle,
and away we all drove like the down of a thistle.
We spoke not a word, but went straight to our work
and after handing out presents he turned with a jerk.
From his taxi we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
THANK YOU TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!
A big thank you to Chris Innes for dressing up as St. Nick and to Debra Innes for being one of St. Nick's little helpers. Who knows, St. Nick may call on you next time so keep that classic car well polished and ready to answer the call.
Patrick and Geraldene's Timi Beach (solo) run out 23/01/2021
Richard Corbett's Austin
“Humphrey” is a 1938 Austin 7 “Opal “ and is one of the last of the breed which ran from 1923-1939, during which time over 290,000 were built with many differing body shapes from flimsy saloons to outright Brooklands racers .
My first car “legally “on the road was an identical Opal to Humphrey, same colour ,everything, for which I paid the princely sum of £15 from an aptly named scrapyard called Souldrop Turn !! The car is incidentally still on the DVLA website but is not for sale . I therefore hoped that one day I could find a similar such car but the prices kept climbing higher and higher !
Fast forward to the present day and a visit by an old mate of mine ,who ,as a retired Jumbo skipper ,has far too much money, and was horrified to see that I had no car to play with and therefore had clean hands.! He owns 2 XK120’s and various other exotica so had pity on my lack of classic car situation . On his return to the UK he got in touch with my brother ,a retired F1 race engineer , and they decided to do something about this terrible situation . The net was looked at for a while and eventually Humphrey was found in the Dundee area. My brother drove all the way in his Transit van plus trailer on the chance that it was in good enough order to buy and ship out to Cyprus and luckily it turned out to be the case .
He was purchased and driven ,on the trailer , back to my brother’s house in Norfolk where he was checked over and pronounced fit for purpose. All the export paperwork was completed , and a part container was booked and he set sail for Limassol .
He arrived on the 29/9/19 cleared customs the next day, and was trucked to home a few days later .Thats when the paper chase started. First the Inspection by Customs to issue the T72A , then a Cyprus MOT which turned out to be a bit of a non event for an 81 year old car .
Next the OKAK inspection by Mike ,Pip, and Richard for the FIVA card for the issue of the A plates.
Then the most frustrating part of the exercise ,the visit to the Dept For Transport inspection , eventually the TOM6 issued after 3 days and a nervous breakdown, they could do with a confessional there !!!
Now I can enjoy the odd trip out locally , lockdown permitting ,as long as there are no steep hills. Safe speed is 40 mph but the 3 bearing motor is renowned for breaking cranks !
It also attracts a lot of waves , mostly polite ones but a few who wish to break the law wave in a not so polite manner !
All in all just one word FUN .
P S . My brothers name happens to be Humphrey !! I owe him !!!
My first car “legally “on the road was an identical Opal to Humphrey, same colour ,everything, for which I paid the princely sum of £15 from an aptly named scrapyard called Souldrop Turn !! The car is incidentally still on the DVLA website but is not for sale . I therefore hoped that one day I could find a similar such car but the prices kept climbing higher and higher !
Fast forward to the present day and a visit by an old mate of mine ,who ,as a retired Jumbo skipper ,has far too much money, and was horrified to see that I had no car to play with and therefore had clean hands.! He owns 2 XK120’s and various other exotica so had pity on my lack of classic car situation . On his return to the UK he got in touch with my brother ,a retired F1 race engineer , and they decided to do something about this terrible situation . The net was looked at for a while and eventually Humphrey was found in the Dundee area. My brother drove all the way in his Transit van plus trailer on the chance that it was in good enough order to buy and ship out to Cyprus and luckily it turned out to be the case .
He was purchased and driven ,on the trailer , back to my brother’s house in Norfolk where he was checked over and pronounced fit for purpose. All the export paperwork was completed , and a part container was booked and he set sail for Limassol .
He arrived on the 29/9/19 cleared customs the next day, and was trucked to home a few days later .Thats when the paper chase started. First the Inspection by Customs to issue the T72A , then a Cyprus MOT which turned out to be a bit of a non event for an 81 year old car .
Next the OKAK inspection by Mike ,Pip, and Richard for the FIVA card for the issue of the A plates.
Then the most frustrating part of the exercise ,the visit to the Dept For Transport inspection , eventually the TOM6 issued after 3 days and a nervous breakdown, they could do with a confessional there !!!
Now I can enjoy the odd trip out locally , lockdown permitting ,as long as there are no steep hills. Safe speed is 40 mph but the 3 bearing motor is renowned for breaking cranks !
It also attracts a lot of waves , mostly polite ones but a few who wish to break the law wave in a not so polite manner !
All in all just one word FUN .
P S . My brothers name happens to be Humphrey !! I owe him !!!
posted 8/8/2020
Lotus ‘Eric’ Esprit SE Turbo
When I was just a lad, when friends had pictures of Lamborghini Countache, numerous Ferrari,s and Porsche 911,s on their bedroom walls, I had a picture of the best of the lot (in my humble opinion) the Lotus Esprit Turbo. The love affair with this car started when I saw the Lotus Submarine car in the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me coming out of the sea, as it came out of the sea Bond opened the window and threw out a fish, it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen!
I thought to myself that one day I would own a Lotus Esprit, but in reality I was only dreaming!
Fast forward…many years later during my job as as Sales Director I would occasionally go into the Lotus dealer in Harrogate and drool over the Esprits, eventually getting to know Jay who owned the dealership and made it known to him that I was interested in acquiring a Lotus Esprit V8.
Jay replied that I would be mad to own one of those as they had many issues and very expensive issues at that, and recommended that I should instead look to get in his opinion the best of the lot, the SE Charge-Cooler. This completely burst my bubble, as all along that really wasn’t the one that I wanted but nevertheless I took his advice and some months later got a call that he had found a good Esprit in Poole in Dorset and it was to be brought to Harrogate. Jay called, I went to view the car, it was love at first sight and it was MINE!!!
Of course owning one of these fantastic cars can be sent to try the patience of a saint and ‘Eric’ as he became known was absolutely no different. As is known Lotus stands for Lots of Trouble Usually Serious. It wasn’t long before things started, the milometer packed up, of course it’s not digital and can’t buy from off the shelf so was sent away to a specialist for repair, soon to be followed by broken springs etc so the complete suspension system was replaced, later on following a misfire issue, the ignition system was completely replaced with new spark plugs, HT leads, both coils, the ICU and finally the motherboard which was where the issue lay. More recently Eric has undergone more repairs and renewals by the fantastic Mr Don Sainsbury which included all water hoses and brakes with absolute success.
Even after all the trials and tribulations taken into consideration there is no better feeling being out on the open road or going to classic car shows and ‘meeting celebrities’ unless it was chucking it down! Even better was the fact that when we moved here to Cyprus and brought Eric with us and joined Paphos Classic Vehicle Club we could enjoy classic motoring whenever the mood took us…after all if we wanted to go on an event next week….we knew that we would be going!!
Paul and Diane Chadwick
When I was just a lad, when friends had pictures of Lamborghini Countache, numerous Ferrari,s and Porsche 911,s on their bedroom walls, I had a picture of the best of the lot (in my humble opinion) the Lotus Esprit Turbo. The love affair with this car started when I saw the Lotus Submarine car in the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me coming out of the sea, as it came out of the sea Bond opened the window and threw out a fish, it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen!
I thought to myself that one day I would own a Lotus Esprit, but in reality I was only dreaming!
Fast forward…many years later during my job as as Sales Director I would occasionally go into the Lotus dealer in Harrogate and drool over the Esprits, eventually getting to know Jay who owned the dealership and made it known to him that I was interested in acquiring a Lotus Esprit V8.
Jay replied that I would be mad to own one of those as they had many issues and very expensive issues at that, and recommended that I should instead look to get in his opinion the best of the lot, the SE Charge-Cooler. This completely burst my bubble, as all along that really wasn’t the one that I wanted but nevertheless I took his advice and some months later got a call that he had found a good Esprit in Poole in Dorset and it was to be brought to Harrogate. Jay called, I went to view the car, it was love at first sight and it was MINE!!!
Of course owning one of these fantastic cars can be sent to try the patience of a saint and ‘Eric’ as he became known was absolutely no different. As is known Lotus stands for Lots of Trouble Usually Serious. It wasn’t long before things started, the milometer packed up, of course it’s not digital and can’t buy from off the shelf so was sent away to a specialist for repair, soon to be followed by broken springs etc so the complete suspension system was replaced, later on following a misfire issue, the ignition system was completely replaced with new spark plugs, HT leads, both coils, the ICU and finally the motherboard which was where the issue lay. More recently Eric has undergone more repairs and renewals by the fantastic Mr Don Sainsbury which included all water hoses and brakes with absolute success.
Even after all the trials and tribulations taken into consideration there is no better feeling being out on the open road or going to classic car shows and ‘meeting celebrities’ unless it was chucking it down! Even better was the fact that when we moved here to Cyprus and brought Eric with us and joined Paphos Classic Vehicle Club we could enjoy classic motoring whenever the mood took us…after all if we wanted to go on an event next week….we knew that we would be going!!
Paul and Diane Chadwick
Ford Custom 300
Written by Lee Chellingworth
This car was first registered in 1958.
It has a 4.2 ltr straight 6 engine and 3 speed gearbox
160,360 2 Door Model & 194,877 4 Door Models were sold in total
Ford designed this car for the fleet market ( car hire, police, taxis etc) and therefore it had to be economical.
Therefore the 3-speed gearbox combined with an electric overdrive allows this car to achieve 28/30 miles per gallon.
It was imported 12 years ago from Texas where it had been completely rebuilt.
It was said that the owner of the car whilst in Texas was an eccentric and drove around with a live jaguar in the passenger seat.
Hard to believe, but when I first cleaned the car I found large cat hairs.... so who knows?
- published 29/6/2020
This car was first registered in 1958.
It has a 4.2 ltr straight 6 engine and 3 speed gearbox
160,360 2 Door Model & 194,877 4 Door Models were sold in total
Ford designed this car for the fleet market ( car hire, police, taxis etc) and therefore it had to be economical.
Therefore the 3-speed gearbox combined with an electric overdrive allows this car to achieve 28/30 miles per gallon.
It was imported 12 years ago from Texas where it had been completely rebuilt.
It was said that the owner of the car whilst in Texas was an eccentric and drove around with a live jaguar in the passenger seat.
Hard to believe, but when I first cleaned the car I found large cat hairs.... so who knows?
- published 29/6/2020
New Members Chris and Harriette Pearson's
Freshly painted MG BGT 1974
Written by Chris Pearson
posted 12/08/2020
I heard a siren the other day.
It was 15th July to be exact,at 8.20am,I realised this was the 45th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces.
Why should this affect me well,I bought a MGB GT in Cyprus which was also the same year as this was manufactured.
It was brought into Cyprus in 1976,and has remained here ever since.
I saw the vehicle advertised on facebook,with an asking price of 7,000euros,Tartan red new tyres and overall excellent condition.
Myself and my wife Harriette went to view the car,and it was amongst about 30 other old cars in a large garage attached to the sellers home.I could not view the car properly but not being in the know about cars thought it looked ok from what I could see.I made the seller an offer on which we finally reached an agreement that was with a full m.o.t. road tax up to date I would pay him 5,200 euros,he asked for 2,000euros deposit because he had been messed about with before,I was serious so I paid him.
First mistake, I had to wait a further month to pick up the vehicle,which the seller said it was undergoing lots of work for the m,o,t,he told me he had the front suspension renewed,a new battery installed,and lots of other work just to get it through .
The seller said to meet him in Limassol tax office so we could sort out the paperwork,ok made sense.It was now January 2020 and I had to pay the road tax,,ok that was fine so 260euros later and payment to the seller in full,car registered in both our names Insurance paid up we were ready for off,and looking forward to all the road trips with the club we had just joined Paphos classic car club.
The vehicle just purchased,was driven off by my wife,she had a similar model in the UK some 20 years ago.and not having really looked at the car arrived home.in one piece.
Second mistake. I had stopped on the way home and filled up with [petrol,the car drove up my drive,which is on an incline,Blocked the wheels,(the handbrake did not work,We then went in for our well deserved cup of tea.,not noticing the petrol coming out of the faulty petrol cap.
The next day,We contacted Don Sainsbury to give the car the once over,he was not overly impressed,but said he would sort it.
We then took the car to be resprayed,Third mistake I got the car back six months later??
Don Sainsbury then took over,wish we would have gone to him from the get go,it is now up and running.
We have spent 10k including the buying,but thanks to Don is now a nice little motor,a few more tweaks and it will be fine,
We have been on a few runs with the club and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,a real friendly bunch of people,with a very enthusiastic Chairman and wife,love it,and look forward to the future with the club.
posted 12/08/2020
I heard a siren the other day.
It was 15th July to be exact,at 8.20am,I realised this was the 45th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces.
Why should this affect me well,I bought a MGB GT in Cyprus which was also the same year as this was manufactured.
It was brought into Cyprus in 1976,and has remained here ever since.
I saw the vehicle advertised on facebook,with an asking price of 7,000euros,Tartan red new tyres and overall excellent condition.
Myself and my wife Harriette went to view the car,and it was amongst about 30 other old cars in a large garage attached to the sellers home.I could not view the car properly but not being in the know about cars thought it looked ok from what I could see.I made the seller an offer on which we finally reached an agreement that was with a full m.o.t. road tax up to date I would pay him 5,200 euros,he asked for 2,000euros deposit because he had been messed about with before,I was serious so I paid him.
First mistake, I had to wait a further month to pick up the vehicle,which the seller said it was undergoing lots of work for the m,o,t,he told me he had the front suspension renewed,a new battery installed,and lots of other work just to get it through .
The seller said to meet him in Limassol tax office so we could sort out the paperwork,ok made sense.It was now January 2020 and I had to pay the road tax,,ok that was fine so 260euros later and payment to the seller in full,car registered in both our names Insurance paid up we were ready for off,and looking forward to all the road trips with the club we had just joined Paphos classic car club.
The vehicle just purchased,was driven off by my wife,she had a similar model in the UK some 20 years ago.and not having really looked at the car arrived home.in one piece.
Second mistake. I had stopped on the way home and filled up with [petrol,the car drove up my drive,which is on an incline,Blocked the wheels,(the handbrake did not work,We then went in for our well deserved cup of tea.,not noticing the petrol coming out of the faulty petrol cap.
The next day,We contacted Don Sainsbury to give the car the once over,he was not overly impressed,but said he would sort it.
We then took the car to be resprayed,Third mistake I got the car back six months later??
Don Sainsbury then took over,wish we would have gone to him from the get go,it is now up and running.
We have spent 10k including the buying,but thanks to Don is now a nice little motor,a few more tweaks and it will be fine,
We have been on a few runs with the club and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,a real friendly bunch of people,with a very enthusiastic Chairman and wife,love it,and look forward to the future with the club.
Below posted 10/4/2020. Written by Kenneth Hughes
Ken Hughes, who has lived in Peyia since May 1999, joined the club at the second club meeting in May 2003 before it was officially incorporated ,so not a founder member , but almost . Anne joined the year after .
For 12 years , he has owned a 1963 Ford Zephyr 4, Mark3 , which was an original import into Limassol in November 1963 , registration CE 581.
This is a 4 cylinder engine , 1703cc, four door saloon car , with a front bench seat and classic column gear change . The car has American style fins at the rear , which was a Ford Dagenham attempt to access the US market at the time , I believe unsuccessfully .
The car was originally imported by a wealthy Cypriot contractor who was involved in construction at the RAF Akrotiri base , and we have some base passes for the car from late 1970s and 1980s . It was sold to the second owner , a British retiree who lived in Platres and from whom Ken bought the car in 2008. It came with the original handbook and some additional 1970s workshop manuals which could be bought in any good UK bookshop in those days.
Ken has driven the car in many club rallies and functions since 2008 and has won quite a few cups and plaques for placings.
Interestingly, these cars were assembled in New Zealand in the 1960s and many are still on the road . There are 2 companies in New Zealand selling new spares for classic British Fords and Ken has purchase various items needed which could not be found elsewhere .
For 12 years , he has owned a 1963 Ford Zephyr 4, Mark3 , which was an original import into Limassol in November 1963 , registration CE 581.
This is a 4 cylinder engine , 1703cc, four door saloon car , with a front bench seat and classic column gear change . The car has American style fins at the rear , which was a Ford Dagenham attempt to access the US market at the time , I believe unsuccessfully .
The car was originally imported by a wealthy Cypriot contractor who was involved in construction at the RAF Akrotiri base , and we have some base passes for the car from late 1970s and 1980s . It was sold to the second owner , a British retiree who lived in Platres and from whom Ken bought the car in 2008. It came with the original handbook and some additional 1970s workshop manuals which could be bought in any good UK bookshop in those days.
Ken has driven the car in many club rallies and functions since 2008 and has won quite a few cups and plaques for placings.
Interestingly, these cars were assembled in New Zealand in the 1960s and many are still on the road . There are 2 companies in New Zealand selling new spares for classic British Fords and Ken has purchase various items needed which could not be found elsewhere .
Below; posted 10/4/2020. Written by Ian Frith
For those of you who know me will know that I have had a few cars since we have been here in Cyprus.
Here are three of the early classic`s I have had.
The first classic vehicle I bought here was from an advert in the Paphos Post for a Military lightweight Landrover that was for sale .
I restored it with period correct wheels and did various other mechanical and cosmetic work.
Sometime later I found out about the Paphos Classic Vehicle Club so went along to one of the meetings were we met Pip Brown who as a fellow Landrover enthusiast took me under his wing and as they say the rest was history.
I researched the Landrover`s past to find it saw service hear with the Swedish U.N. based at Dekelia .
(see picture for both Military and civilian number plates).
I sold it to a chap who was going to take it to Australia to prospect for gold.
The second car a Morris Minor Traveler was bought after seeing an advert hanging from a Bric a Brack stall at Timi market ,it had come from a past member of the club Ian Lazenby.
We used the car for club events and over the time I had it did a rolling restoration including rubbing down the woodwork and re painting some of the bodywork plus replacing the braking system after we barely managed to stop the car going down a steep hill while on one of the club`s run`s.
I understand the car once belong to a priest and at some point was used to deliver bread in the mountain villages.
The third car a Mercedes 230E was purchased from A.N.W. cars were I had seen it on a number of occasions while visiting Neil and Allison on other car related matters.
The car was at the back of the showroom ,unloved and waiting to be rescued so started my love affair with Mercedes-Benz which continues to this day, I am now on my seventh ( yes I know I need counseling).
Ann and I `s first experience of Regularity Rally`s was in this car in June 2013 when we took part in the Aphrodite F.IV.A. World Rally held here in Cyprus.
You may not recognize the car today as it is painted in a different livery and now belongs to our current Chairman.
Ian Frith.
Here are three of the early classic`s I have had.
The first classic vehicle I bought here was from an advert in the Paphos Post for a Military lightweight Landrover that was for sale .
I restored it with period correct wheels and did various other mechanical and cosmetic work.
Sometime later I found out about the Paphos Classic Vehicle Club so went along to one of the meetings were we met Pip Brown who as a fellow Landrover enthusiast took me under his wing and as they say the rest was history.
I researched the Landrover`s past to find it saw service hear with the Swedish U.N. based at Dekelia .
(see picture for both Military and civilian number plates).
I sold it to a chap who was going to take it to Australia to prospect for gold.
The second car a Morris Minor Traveler was bought after seeing an advert hanging from a Bric a Brack stall at Timi market ,it had come from a past member of the club Ian Lazenby.
We used the car for club events and over the time I had it did a rolling restoration including rubbing down the woodwork and re painting some of the bodywork plus replacing the braking system after we barely managed to stop the car going down a steep hill while on one of the club`s run`s.
I understand the car once belong to a priest and at some point was used to deliver bread in the mountain villages.
The third car a Mercedes 230E was purchased from A.N.W. cars were I had seen it on a number of occasions while visiting Neil and Allison on other car related matters.
The car was at the back of the showroom ,unloved and waiting to be rescued so started my love affair with Mercedes-Benz which continues to this day, I am now on my seventh ( yes I know I need counseling).
Ann and I `s first experience of Regularity Rally`s was in this car in June 2013 when we took part in the Aphrodite F.IV.A. World Rally held here in Cyprus.
You may not recognize the car today as it is painted in a different livery and now belongs to our current Chairman.
Ian Frith.
Below; posted 5/4/2020. Written by Natasha Sainsbury
A Hummer H3 may not be what you associate your smallest club member with. However anyone who knows us, will know we rarely meet your 'normal' social profile. So here a little bit about how this came about...
I was eager to drive from the time Mum and Dad allowed my sister and I to sit on their laps and meander our way on tracks to the stable yard. Many a summer afternoon was spent helping Nan and Grandad mow the grass, on ride-on lawn mower down in Devon. Happy Days! Naturally, as soon as i came of age, I was signed up for my driving lessons. I loved learning to drive, passed second time.
My 1st car, chosen by myself and Dad, was a Toyota Aygo, an appropriate car I would think. Loved the freedom, going to see friends and hanging around the various car parks in Lyme Regis, Seaton(it was the done thing at the time....) I had this car for 4 years before Del and I moved to Dubai to see what that was all about. We ended up staying in Dubai and I found a job in a Veterinary Clinic, my main mode of transport then was a bicycle. After I had been working stably for a few months I was able to start looking to buying a car; the car I had then was a GMC Envoy, loved driving it, maybe a bit too much....
Fast forward about 18months. I think Del and Dad had visions of me being in car chases on the Sheikh Zayeed Road...So the hunt for a more suitable (erm..'less gutsy’...) car began. Dad and I went to look at a few. Anyone who knows Dubai “bigger is better”, especially safety- wise on the roads there. I remember going to see a Jeep Wrangler, felt like being in a toy car to be honest. Then one day Dad say's "What about a Hummer?!", spit out your tea moment, me in a Hummer....honestly. If you know Dad.......yes he really was serious!
I came back from work and Dad says "I've found the car for you!", little did I know that Mum and Dad had already been to see some that day. The first time I saw 'My Car' was when the registration had to be changed. I fell in love instantly!
Yes it's big...yes I wondered, “ am I going to reach the pedals?”…As soon as I got behind the wheel of this car I felt "yes this is it!"
The driving position is perfect for me (I can see to the end of the bonnet!) Also the height of the car makes you feel a lot more secure on the roads there. Ohh and the comfort; omg it really is like being in an armchair. However these aren't my favourite things about the Hummer....it's all about the character of the car! I know it sounds silly, and I never really understood it until that moment, but you realise how lucky you are to own that vehicle. I'm sure most can relate!
Let the adventures begin!!! As well as being my everyday to and from the clinic car, we (Del and I, with Mum, Dad and my sister on ocassion) had some awesome adventures. Here's a few of our adventures in the Beast.
Dubai, a vast metropolis of Skyscrapers, 6 lane highways, super malls and the 'biggest this' or 'biggest that', is the ideal location to check out the versatility of the Hummer H3. Surrounding this 'Concrete Jungle' is DESERT! My playground....there is nothing quite like the feeling of 'skiing' across sand dunes in a 4X4. We would often head out of a weekend/evening, dogs aboard, and go find ourselves beautiful secluded area in the middle of the dunes, to watch the sun go down over Dubai. Quite a spectacle; seeing the sun dip just below the tallest building in world. The ease with which you could take this car from track to dune was astonishing.
For the more adventurous weekends we'd go camping, car loaded with our gear and dogs, very special memories. These trips would be further afield, ranging from lakes in the middle of the desert, to different Emirates (counties, if you like). Sometimes we'd even go further, up in to the mountains of Oman, Mussandam.
One of my favourite memories was from a road trip to Mussandam. Del and I decided to go away for a long weekend there, having heard Mum and Dad rave about it. So we set off, hummer packed full, to bursting point. Its amazing how much you can fit in a Hummer! From rocky mountain tracks, to torrential rain on slippy tracks to the beach. We did it all that weekend. Truly putting the Hummer through its paces, it never missed a beat.
I was eager to drive from the time Mum and Dad allowed my sister and I to sit on their laps and meander our way on tracks to the stable yard. Many a summer afternoon was spent helping Nan and Grandad mow the grass, on ride-on lawn mower down in Devon. Happy Days! Naturally, as soon as i came of age, I was signed up for my driving lessons. I loved learning to drive, passed second time.
My 1st car, chosen by myself and Dad, was a Toyota Aygo, an appropriate car I would think. Loved the freedom, going to see friends and hanging around the various car parks in Lyme Regis, Seaton(it was the done thing at the time....) I had this car for 4 years before Del and I moved to Dubai to see what that was all about. We ended up staying in Dubai and I found a job in a Veterinary Clinic, my main mode of transport then was a bicycle. After I had been working stably for a few months I was able to start looking to buying a car; the car I had then was a GMC Envoy, loved driving it, maybe a bit too much....
Fast forward about 18months. I think Del and Dad had visions of me being in car chases on the Sheikh Zayeed Road...So the hunt for a more suitable (erm..'less gutsy’...) car began. Dad and I went to look at a few. Anyone who knows Dubai “bigger is better”, especially safety- wise on the roads there. I remember going to see a Jeep Wrangler, felt like being in a toy car to be honest. Then one day Dad say's "What about a Hummer?!", spit out your tea moment, me in a Hummer....honestly. If you know Dad.......yes he really was serious!
I came back from work and Dad says "I've found the car for you!", little did I know that Mum and Dad had already been to see some that day. The first time I saw 'My Car' was when the registration had to be changed. I fell in love instantly!
Yes it's big...yes I wondered, “ am I going to reach the pedals?”…As soon as I got behind the wheel of this car I felt "yes this is it!"
The driving position is perfect for me (I can see to the end of the bonnet!) Also the height of the car makes you feel a lot more secure on the roads there. Ohh and the comfort; omg it really is like being in an armchair. However these aren't my favourite things about the Hummer....it's all about the character of the car! I know it sounds silly, and I never really understood it until that moment, but you realise how lucky you are to own that vehicle. I'm sure most can relate!
Let the adventures begin!!! As well as being my everyday to and from the clinic car, we (Del and I, with Mum, Dad and my sister on ocassion) had some awesome adventures. Here's a few of our adventures in the Beast.
Dubai, a vast metropolis of Skyscrapers, 6 lane highways, super malls and the 'biggest this' or 'biggest that', is the ideal location to check out the versatility of the Hummer H3. Surrounding this 'Concrete Jungle' is DESERT! My playground....there is nothing quite like the feeling of 'skiing' across sand dunes in a 4X4. We would often head out of a weekend/evening, dogs aboard, and go find ourselves beautiful secluded area in the middle of the dunes, to watch the sun go down over Dubai. Quite a spectacle; seeing the sun dip just below the tallest building in world. The ease with which you could take this car from track to dune was astonishing.
For the more adventurous weekends we'd go camping, car loaded with our gear and dogs, very special memories. These trips would be further afield, ranging from lakes in the middle of the desert, to different Emirates (counties, if you like). Sometimes we'd even go further, up in to the mountains of Oman, Mussandam.
One of my favourite memories was from a road trip to Mussandam. Del and I decided to go away for a long weekend there, having heard Mum and Dad rave about it. So we set off, hummer packed full, to bursting point. Its amazing how much you can fit in a Hummer! From rocky mountain tracks, to torrential rain on slippy tracks to the beach. We did it all that weekend. Truly putting the Hummer through its paces, it never missed a beat.
The Hummer spent the rest of its days in the UAE, ferrying me to and from work, taking the dogs out to various spots in the mountains or desert and following horses on Endurance rides. But most of all it kept me safe!
August 2016, found us packing up our lives in the UAE and moving to Cyprus. Dad decided to bring 3 cars with him, the Mercedes, the MG and of course the Hummer. We were not going to let that one go! We nervously watched the cars being driven off, ready to be ferried over to Limassol. Mum and I arrived in Cyprus first, beginning of September, with the 5 rescue pets (2 dogs and 3 cats), and camping equipment.
Our wait for the container began.....6 weeks later they arrived, with Mum and I camping in the house . Mum, Dad and I went to 'release' the cars from Limassol port, checking all was well of course. I loved seeing the Hummer all intact and couldn't wait to get it to the house.
Four years down the line the Hummer is in semi-retirement, being used for taking the doggies down the beach and up to the Troodos. We had great fun in January taking it up there in the snow. It's last major outing was on Dad's birthday when Dad and I went out for the day. 160kms later we had completed most of the tracks from Cedar Valley all the way up to Kykkos. A great day out, exploring parts of the island that we wouldn't have been able to.
And that's the real beauty of the Hummer, being able to go places that most 'normal' cars wouldn't, it does it with ease, comfort and reliability. And a whole lot of American presence!
Happy Exploring everyone, get out and enjoy your rides! (after the current situation has passed of course)
August 2016, found us packing up our lives in the UAE and moving to Cyprus. Dad decided to bring 3 cars with him, the Mercedes, the MG and of course the Hummer. We were not going to let that one go! We nervously watched the cars being driven off, ready to be ferried over to Limassol. Mum and I arrived in Cyprus first, beginning of September, with the 5 rescue pets (2 dogs and 3 cats), and camping equipment.
Our wait for the container began.....6 weeks later they arrived, with Mum and I camping in the house . Mum, Dad and I went to 'release' the cars from Limassol port, checking all was well of course. I loved seeing the Hummer all intact and couldn't wait to get it to the house.
Four years down the line the Hummer is in semi-retirement, being used for taking the doggies down the beach and up to the Troodos. We had great fun in January taking it up there in the snow. It's last major outing was on Dad's birthday when Dad and I went out for the day. 160kms later we had completed most of the tracks from Cedar Valley all the way up to Kykkos. A great day out, exploring parts of the island that we wouldn't have been able to.
And that's the real beauty of the Hummer, being able to go places that most 'normal' cars wouldn't, it does it with ease, comfort and reliability. And a whole lot of American presence!
Happy Exploring everyone, get out and enjoy your rides! (after the current situation has passed of course)
Below; posted 4/04/2020. Written by Paul & Joan Gannon
This is “Milli”, a Citroen 2 cv6 Special (NKH 310).
She is fitted out as a Beachcomber, with the appropriate white and blue paint scheme, matching vinyl roof, seat covers and door trims.
Built in the final year of production in France and registered in the UK in March 1988. 30 years later the car was subject to a full “off body” restoration and imported into Cyprus in 2019 .
She sports the bigger 602cc air cooled engine and wider 135 tyres, has a top speed of 65 miles per hour, but the 0 to 60 time is just less than one day.
The two cylinder engine produces all of 29 bhp, which is more than adequate on the Tombs of the Kings Road but a bit lacking on Tsarda hill.
The 2 cv was originally designed in 1938 and has legendary independent suspension, and alarming body roll, (not good if you suffer from sea sickness).
There are also many special features not normally found in “economy” cars of this era.
“Central locking” (the driver can reach all 4 door handles from the driver`s seat).
“Panoramic roof” (the roof rolls all the way back).
“Climate control” (hot air is transferred from the engine to the cabin via cardboard tubes and cold air is admitted via an adjustable bonnet flap).
“MPV Configuration” (all seats are removable at the flick of small levers, also great for picnics if the grass is damp).
“Adjustable headlights” (via a small rubber coated wheel under the dashboard)
“Extreme weather equipment” ( plastic muffler that clips onto the front grill in cold weather).
“Special engine starting equipment” (yes you have guessed...you get a starting handle).
The design was so far ahead of its time that Citroen even omitted the ashtray on the budget spec “Special” versions.
We had been looking to buy another Citroen 2 cv for over 5 years to replace the one we had back in the1970s.
This was PBA 332R, a red 2 cv6 Special with rectangular headlights, which was our first new car, and at £1200 wiped out all our savings.
During the next 3 years we drove this car all over the UK with numerous trips between Bury and Reading and PBA never missed a beat. We even used it to move house and transported a wardrobe which was stood up in the back after removing the seats and rolling the roof back.
We sold her back to Citroen Oldham for £1400. The first and only time I have ever made a profit on a car.
We are very pleased to be the present custodians of NKH 310 and are enjoying reliving past memories, however my hearing must have greatly improved and my muscles wasted as I do not remember how noisy the 2 cv can be and how much I now rely on power steering.
Paul and Joan Gannon.
Ps.Why is she called “Milli”. Well my school nickname was “Gan”, and Milligan (Spike) was The Beachcomber in a BBC programme back in the late`60s.
She is fitted out as a Beachcomber, with the appropriate white and blue paint scheme, matching vinyl roof, seat covers and door trims.
Built in the final year of production in France and registered in the UK in March 1988. 30 years later the car was subject to a full “off body” restoration and imported into Cyprus in 2019 .
She sports the bigger 602cc air cooled engine and wider 135 tyres, has a top speed of 65 miles per hour, but the 0 to 60 time is just less than one day.
The two cylinder engine produces all of 29 bhp, which is more than adequate on the Tombs of the Kings Road but a bit lacking on Tsarda hill.
The 2 cv was originally designed in 1938 and has legendary independent suspension, and alarming body roll, (not good if you suffer from sea sickness).
There are also many special features not normally found in “economy” cars of this era.
“Central locking” (the driver can reach all 4 door handles from the driver`s seat).
“Panoramic roof” (the roof rolls all the way back).
“Climate control” (hot air is transferred from the engine to the cabin via cardboard tubes and cold air is admitted via an adjustable bonnet flap).
“MPV Configuration” (all seats are removable at the flick of small levers, also great for picnics if the grass is damp).
“Adjustable headlights” (via a small rubber coated wheel under the dashboard)
“Extreme weather equipment” ( plastic muffler that clips onto the front grill in cold weather).
“Special engine starting equipment” (yes you have guessed...you get a starting handle).
The design was so far ahead of its time that Citroen even omitted the ashtray on the budget spec “Special” versions.
We had been looking to buy another Citroen 2 cv for over 5 years to replace the one we had back in the1970s.
This was PBA 332R, a red 2 cv6 Special with rectangular headlights, which was our first new car, and at £1200 wiped out all our savings.
During the next 3 years we drove this car all over the UK with numerous trips between Bury and Reading and PBA never missed a beat. We even used it to move house and transported a wardrobe which was stood up in the back after removing the seats and rolling the roof back.
We sold her back to Citroen Oldham for £1400. The first and only time I have ever made a profit on a car.
We are very pleased to be the present custodians of NKH 310 and are enjoying reliving past memories, however my hearing must have greatly improved and my muscles wasted as I do not remember how noisy the 2 cv can be and how much I now rely on power steering.
Paul and Joan Gannon.
Ps.Why is she called “Milli”. Well my school nickname was “Gan”, and Milligan (Spike) was The Beachcomber in a BBC programme back in the late`60s.
posted 3/04/2020 written by PCVC Chairman Steve Wilkinson (photos pending)
Introducing our 1983 Mercedes W123 230E Saloon
First owner believed to be the Swiss Ambassador in London, supplied new by the Mayfair dealer. Brought to Cyprus by her Cypriot owner, then passed on to another Club member then to us about 4 years ago. This is an example of the most successful Mercedes Saloon, many fans of the mark regard it as the ‘Best Saloon Car of the 20thCentury’ and there is a book written by a specialist with that title.
This model is the archetypal ‘Stuttgart Taxi’ as many were used in that role with their reliable diesel engines. The ones for the German market were mainly the beige colour that our car was originally.
Our car has the 2.3Litre fuel injected petrol engine, electric sunroof, central locking which works beautifully and is vacuum operated and electric windows.
We have done some work on the car. New leather interior in 2016, gearbox rebuild in 2016 and, as we dislike the beige colour, we have had the car repainted in a Lancia red with an ivory white roof. Not to everyone’s taste and certainly not original anymore but we love it.
Marilyn and Steve Wilkinson
First owner believed to be the Swiss Ambassador in London, supplied new by the Mayfair dealer. Brought to Cyprus by her Cypriot owner, then passed on to another Club member then to us about 4 years ago. This is an example of the most successful Mercedes Saloon, many fans of the mark regard it as the ‘Best Saloon Car of the 20thCentury’ and there is a book written by a specialist with that title.
This model is the archetypal ‘Stuttgart Taxi’ as many were used in that role with their reliable diesel engines. The ones for the German market were mainly the beige colour that our car was originally.
Our car has the 2.3Litre fuel injected petrol engine, electric sunroof, central locking which works beautifully and is vacuum operated and electric windows.
We have done some work on the car. New leather interior in 2016, gearbox rebuild in 2016 and, as we dislike the beige colour, we have had the car repainted in a Lancia red with an ivory white roof. Not to everyone’s taste and certainly not original anymore but we love it.
Marilyn and Steve Wilkinson
posted 30/3/2020 and written by Patricia Sainsbury
“You will have a lot of fun with it”, said the previous owner, a pilot, neighbour and friend of ours in Dubai as he handed over the keys, with a hint of regret mixed with nostalgia but knowing it was the right thing to do in his circumstances.
It was to be my classic Mercedes SL 500. It was not in the best of conditions, having been tinkered at by various back street repair workshops in deepest darkest industrial middle eastern wasteland.
Having said that, our friend painted a beautiful picture of him returning home from the airport on his last day, cruising wistfully along the Sheikh Zayed Road, roof down, music blaring, arm slung over the door.
A year later, the much loved classic found its way to Limassol in a container alongside our MG, and another container with the Hummer and the rest of our life packed tightly, for several weeks by surface freight via the Suez Canal. The arrival and release of our goods, well that’s another story in itself which if you get me over a drink I’ll tell you about ….
The Mercedes is currently undergoing a complete restoration project to the manufacturers specifications; Since last year, the interior was taken out, reupholstered in a lovely blue leather and is still stacked up high in our spare bedroom. It was to be my husbands hobby in his recuperation period from pneumonia, and continues to be such in our period of isolation.
Quick side story, I remember he got me to balance akimbo on the seat edges on the floor as ballast in order to fasten off the trim after he’d stuffed it with what looked like horse hair, and then he pummelled it into shape. This seemed to provide him with some stress relief but me in fits of laughter!
Once the project is completed, Don will write his own technical chronicles with photos.
Many of the parts were sourced from all over the world including the USA, Russia, the Baltic States, Germany and thanks must go to our daughter who would collect the deliveries at her house in London, waiting for one of us to pick up items and lug them back to Cyprus!
I have lost weeks, no months (years even) to my husband in his man shed, as anyone who knows him can vouch; his thoroughness, attention to detail and passion to get the job done correctly.
I am looking forward to the day I can once again show it off at the next Paphos Harbour Classic Vehicle Display. O to be in control of a powerful, magnificent roaring beast. From a woman’s perspective, you can’t beat it!
.
posted 29/03/2020 and written by Alan Holmes
Hi to all the car club members,
Decided to write up my recent experiences over the past year. All started about 18 months ago when I decided I needed some welding done to my Sunbeam Alpine. I was recommended a body repair/spray shop in Geroskipou where I took the Alpine. It had to be put on a 4 post ramp across the road. This should have rung warning bells but it didn’t. I had marked all the areas I wanted cutting out and butt welded. All these parts clearly marked with white paint.
After a perfunctory look I was given a quote, and was talked into having it resprayed. I left the car with them; when I returned to England for the summer, they would send photos and when it was finished they would return the car back to my garage.
After 4 photos, it was returned about a week before I returned to Cyprus ( they had it for 4 months ).
I returned in the evening and had a quick look into my garage and was impressed. Next day I had a closer look underneath at the welding.It was bloody awful; nothing cut out just a few patches roughly welded on. I had only paid half the quote so we came to a mutual agreement that as I was far from happy with the workmanship, this was all he was going to get.
Tried to find someone else to undertake the welding with no success. In the end I decided to do it myself having had restoration experience and some welding experience ( gas welding) and a little with mig.
Stripped out the drivers side interior and started with the worst area which was the front mounting area of the drivers side rear spring. How this spring hadn't come through the floor was surprising. This was an area that had a patch stuck on it; this was doing nothing.
Had to cut out a large section of chassis and John Rowe fabricated some chassis sections. I cut out the grot and had a stroke of luck; met a professional welder who was happy to come in for a few 1/2 days to weld my sections in, and I constructed repair panels for the inner cills, which he also welded in.
I did all the grinding down all the new welds . Between the pair of us we made a good ,strong, presentable job of the offside.
Then I had a close look at the near side which didn't look that special and decided to do that side as well. Again I cut out the rust and fabricated new repair panels, and my friendly welder JJ set about welding them in.
We were left with 2 repairs to do and he agreed to pop in early evening after finishing work later that week. What I haven,t mentioned before is that I have a scissor lift ramp and this was set up with the car about 3 ft off the ground enabling the welder to sit comfortably on the ramp and do the welding.
He started welding and as there was nothing for me to do I went indoors for something, only to be summoned by a lot of shouting of “FIRE”!
We get very little traffic using the road outside so I was lucky that an English neighbour was driving past, noticed flames coming out of the topside of the car, and the welder was still welding underneath !! Thick smoke, Mad panic, no water no fire extinguisher.
Luckily I had been using a pressure washer in the garden till it broke. Managed to rip the hose of,f rush into the garage and put the fire out.The flames were reaching the wooden roof by this time. Luckily the welder had only a couple of minor burns, and embarassment.
Damage to the car was restricted to a broken glass in the passenger door, one seat and door card ruined and the carpets damaged. Some trim had been left in the passenger side and welding underneath had caught this alight.
Could have been a whole lot worse, no major injury, only property damage. Should have been more careful and had some means to put out fire. Luckily the fire did not damage the paintwork.Typically it was the last section being welded.
Had to have the house painted smoke damage, Val had been after me for some time to get this done, now it had to be done. Had to have new carpets and car completely retrimmed as unable to match the materials: an expensive experience.
Decided to write up my recent experiences over the past year. All started about 18 months ago when I decided I needed some welding done to my Sunbeam Alpine. I was recommended a body repair/spray shop in Geroskipou where I took the Alpine. It had to be put on a 4 post ramp across the road. This should have rung warning bells but it didn’t. I had marked all the areas I wanted cutting out and butt welded. All these parts clearly marked with white paint.
After a perfunctory look I was given a quote, and was talked into having it resprayed. I left the car with them; when I returned to England for the summer, they would send photos and when it was finished they would return the car back to my garage.
After 4 photos, it was returned about a week before I returned to Cyprus ( they had it for 4 months ).
I returned in the evening and had a quick look into my garage and was impressed. Next day I had a closer look underneath at the welding.It was bloody awful; nothing cut out just a few patches roughly welded on. I had only paid half the quote so we came to a mutual agreement that as I was far from happy with the workmanship, this was all he was going to get.
Tried to find someone else to undertake the welding with no success. In the end I decided to do it myself having had restoration experience and some welding experience ( gas welding) and a little with mig.
Stripped out the drivers side interior and started with the worst area which was the front mounting area of the drivers side rear spring. How this spring hadn't come through the floor was surprising. This was an area that had a patch stuck on it; this was doing nothing.
Had to cut out a large section of chassis and John Rowe fabricated some chassis sections. I cut out the grot and had a stroke of luck; met a professional welder who was happy to come in for a few 1/2 days to weld my sections in, and I constructed repair panels for the inner cills, which he also welded in.
I did all the grinding down all the new welds . Between the pair of us we made a good ,strong, presentable job of the offside.
Then I had a close look at the near side which didn't look that special and decided to do that side as well. Again I cut out the rust and fabricated new repair panels, and my friendly welder JJ set about welding them in.
We were left with 2 repairs to do and he agreed to pop in early evening after finishing work later that week. What I haven,t mentioned before is that I have a scissor lift ramp and this was set up with the car about 3 ft off the ground enabling the welder to sit comfortably on the ramp and do the welding.
He started welding and as there was nothing for me to do I went indoors for something, only to be summoned by a lot of shouting of “FIRE”!
We get very little traffic using the road outside so I was lucky that an English neighbour was driving past, noticed flames coming out of the topside of the car, and the welder was still welding underneath !! Thick smoke, Mad panic, no water no fire extinguisher.
Luckily I had been using a pressure washer in the garden till it broke. Managed to rip the hose of,f rush into the garage and put the fire out.The flames were reaching the wooden roof by this time. Luckily the welder had only a couple of minor burns, and embarassment.
Damage to the car was restricted to a broken glass in the passenger door, one seat and door card ruined and the carpets damaged. Some trim had been left in the passenger side and welding underneath had caught this alight.
Could have been a whole lot worse, no major injury, only property damage. Should have been more careful and had some means to put out fire. Luckily the fire did not damage the paintwork.Typically it was the last section being welded.
Had to have the house painted smoke damage, Val had been after me for some time to get this done, now it had to be done. Had to have new carpets and car completely retrimmed as unable to match the materials: an expensive experience.
Posted 22/02/2020 and written by Richard Griffiths
One day at the end of the 70's I was sitting around a fire in the middle of the Saudi desert with a bunch of mates and a bottle or ten of homemade beer when the talk turned to cars. "Did you know that if you put your name down for a Morgan it only costs 50 quid" one of them said. Now this was interesting to me as I had liked Morgans ever since I was a snotty-nosed kid sitting on the bus with my mother as it went past Mike Duncan's garage in the Midlands.
Next time I was on leave in the UK how could I not go and put a deposit down? I figured that even if I never took it any further I could afford the £50.
Fast forward a full 7 years and a letter arrived from Malvern asking me for my detailed specification as they were just about to start the build. Of course life had got in the way during that period and I was back living in the UK with my cash in property. It took many visits to multiple banks before I came up with the necessary moolah to proceed. After all, I thought,. I could always sell it and even make a profit.
Whilst finalising the spec. it was agreed that I should go to the factory and have a look around and I ended up in the production manager's office to decide the colour. When asked what was available he pointed to the ring files along the shelves going around the walls and said "Any colour you want". After toying with a few outlandish and a few very trendy colours I eventually settled on the Royal Ivory that it still is. A classic colour on a classic shape.
Finally, at the end of January 1987, I picked the car up (from Mike Duncan, of course). On the way back to the lock-up garage I had rented I realised that I would have to enjoy it for at least one summer. Somehow it is still with me 30 odd years later and it still gives me a thrill every time I drive it.
To me, if you are going to have a Morgan then you have to go for the punch and the Plus 8 was Morgan's brilliant answer to the problem they had when Triumph informed them that the engines used by Morgan in the Plus 4 were due to be discontinued.
Encouraged by Peter Morgan the Plus 8 was developed by Maurice Owen in 1967 using a Plus 4 chassis which was widened to take a Rover V8 engine. The body was subsequently widened further to cover the larger tyres necessary for control and handling.
Originally provided with twin SU carburettors, fuel injection models were introduced at the end of 1983 and my car is the 384th EFI car produced.
Producing nearly 200 bhp and with a weight of about 900 kg the Plus 8 was reputed for a time to be the fastest accelerating production car, according to road tests by car magazines of the day.
There is a rumour that the Plus 8's were supplied with alloy wheels because spokes were not strong enough for the power being produced but this is not true. The prototype was originally run on wires and it still is to this day, 50 years later, and Plus 8s after 1993 had wire wheels as an optional extra. However, the unique alloys do make an obvious distinguishing feature on a body that, to most people, is the same as various other Morgan models. The twin filler caps are also a giveaway, fitted not because it has two tanks but because it is virtually impossible to vent the air out of the tank with a pump nozzle in the filler!
As well as the standard alloy wheels, my car has an aluminium body & wings, limited slip differential, leather interior and luggage carrier as optional extras. I didn't go for the optional external door handles because I was already used to having none on my Sprite.
Despite long-standing rumours and the fact that it is the most mentioned comment when discussing the car, it does not actually have a wooden chassis. It is based on a steel ladder chassis with a wooden frame to support the bodywork formed using coach building techniques. Together with the unique Morgan suspension this provides what can only be described as a "lively" ride and it is possible when you run over a cigarette butt to not only feel it, but you can also tell the brand!
Apart from a couple of small invisible additions it is still exactly as delivered from the factory. Even down to the small over-paint of underseal on one wing, which show judges always mark down as "not factory original" in competitions. Honest guv, it was like that when it came out of the gates!
One day at the end of the 70's I was sitting around a fire in the middle of the Saudi desert with a bunch of mates and a bottle or ten of homemade beer when the talk turned to cars. "Did you know that if you put your name down for a Morgan it only costs 50 quid" one of them said. Now this was interesting to me as I had liked Morgans ever since I was a snotty-nosed kid sitting on the bus with my mother as it went past Mike Duncan's garage in the Midlands.
Next time I was on leave in the UK how could I not go and put a deposit down? I figured that even if I never took it any further I could afford the £50.
Fast forward a full 7 years and a letter arrived from Malvern asking me for my detailed specification as they were just about to start the build. Of course life had got in the way during that period and I was back living in the UK with my cash in property. It took many visits to multiple banks before I came up with the necessary moolah to proceed. After all, I thought,. I could always sell it and even make a profit.
Whilst finalising the spec. it was agreed that I should go to the factory and have a look around and I ended up in the production manager's office to decide the colour. When asked what was available he pointed to the ring files along the shelves going around the walls and said "Any colour you want". After toying with a few outlandish and a few very trendy colours I eventually settled on the Royal Ivory that it still is. A classic colour on a classic shape.
Finally, at the end of January 1987, I picked the car up (from Mike Duncan, of course). On the way back to the lock-up garage I had rented I realised that I would have to enjoy it for at least one summer. Somehow it is still with me 30 odd years later and it still gives me a thrill every time I drive it.
To me, if you are going to have a Morgan then you have to go for the punch and the Plus 8 was Morgan's brilliant answer to the problem they had when Triumph informed them that the engines used by Morgan in the Plus 4 were due to be discontinued.
Encouraged by Peter Morgan the Plus 8 was developed by Maurice Owen in 1967 using a Plus 4 chassis which was widened to take a Rover V8 engine. The body was subsequently widened further to cover the larger tyres necessary for control and handling.
Originally provided with twin SU carburettors, fuel injection models were introduced at the end of 1983 and my car is the 384th EFI car produced.
Producing nearly 200 bhp and with a weight of about 900 kg the Plus 8 was reputed for a time to be the fastest accelerating production car, according to road tests by car magazines of the day.
There is a rumour that the Plus 8's were supplied with alloy wheels because spokes were not strong enough for the power being produced but this is not true. The prototype was originally run on wires and it still is to this day, 50 years later, and Plus 8s after 1993 had wire wheels as an optional extra. However, the unique alloys do make an obvious distinguishing feature on a body that, to most people, is the same as various other Morgan models. The twin filler caps are also a giveaway, fitted not because it has two tanks but because it is virtually impossible to vent the air out of the tank with a pump nozzle in the filler!
As well as the standard alloy wheels, my car has an aluminium body & wings, limited slip differential, leather interior and luggage carrier as optional extras. I didn't go for the optional external door handles because I was already used to having none on my Sprite.
Despite long-standing rumours and the fact that it is the most mentioned comment when discussing the car, it does not actually have a wooden chassis. It is based on a steel ladder chassis with a wooden frame to support the bodywork formed using coach building techniques. Together with the unique Morgan suspension this provides what can only be described as a "lively" ride and it is possible when you run over a cigarette butt to not only feel it, but you can also tell the brand!
Apart from a couple of small invisible additions it is still exactly as delivered from the factory. Even down to the small over-paint of underseal on one wing, which show judges always mark down as "not factory original" in competitions. Honest guv, it was like that when it came out of the gates!
Below posted 22/03/2020 written by Ian Frith
Congratulations to Derek and Esthe currently in South Africa restoring their fantastic Daimler sp250 Dart with the most magnificent British designed V8 engine. We cannot wait to see the finished article.See work in progress below
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Coming soon to the island of Cyprus, Steve and Jane Young's fantastic Cadillac called "Marilyn". We welcome our new members and look forward to seeing them and their cars and lovely motorbike.
Mercedes 230 (type W123), auto. Uk reg. 1981; Cyprus reg 1989 as WD401
About 3 years ago I got the 'itch' to have a classic car. Trying to find one in 'good' condition on the island proved a very difficult task - saw plenty of 'dogs'.
To cut a long story short, in March 2016, I found a dusty 'WD 40' (get it?) stored in the basement of a Nicosia garage which sells expensive Porsche/Ferrari/BMW/Mercedes.
No service history of course! 112,400 mileswere on the clock, central locking is work in progress, the steering wheel was not 'shiny' so was an indicator that the mileage was accurate.
The good news was the body/chassis was sound, the interior upholstery/trim was in good condition, the engine started and the gearbox was smooth. The engine oil and gearbox fluid were very clean - a good sign. The story goes that the car belonged to a bank manager and had been laid up for 4 or 5 years. It has had a same colour respray in the past and the window/door rubbers have been replaced. The deal clincher was that it had working a/c!
It made the drive back from Nicosia to Paphos, so that was a good sign too. As there was no service history, she had to be recommissioned, which entailed new coolant, brake and fuel hoses. The brake and coolant fluids had to be seen to be believed, they were in a terrible condition! A full service of course. Laid up for most of 2017 because of a house move. In 2018, a/c relays replaced, steering arms replaced, four wheel alignment done, prop shaft couplings replaced, engine tune and a (brand new) replacement period Blaupunkt radio cassette have been fitted.
Things to do are repad the passenger seat, replace two of the three exhaust boxes whose baffles have failed and respray the drivers door which has been bodged in the past (doesn't show in the photo).
I hope the above details are useful to anyone considering buying a classic car that does not have service history, as there will almost certainly be work and costs to factor in.
Good luck!
Patrick and Geraldine Acarnley
To cut a long story short, in March 2016, I found a dusty 'WD 40' (get it?) stored in the basement of a Nicosia garage which sells expensive Porsche/Ferrari/BMW/Mercedes.
No service history of course! 112,400 mileswere on the clock, central locking is work in progress, the steering wheel was not 'shiny' so was an indicator that the mileage was accurate.
The good news was the body/chassis was sound, the interior upholstery/trim was in good condition, the engine started and the gearbox was smooth. The engine oil and gearbox fluid were very clean - a good sign. The story goes that the car belonged to a bank manager and had been laid up for 4 or 5 years. It has had a same colour respray in the past and the window/door rubbers have been replaced. The deal clincher was that it had working a/c!
It made the drive back from Nicosia to Paphos, so that was a good sign too. As there was no service history, she had to be recommissioned, which entailed new coolant, brake and fuel hoses. The brake and coolant fluids had to be seen to be believed, they were in a terrible condition! A full service of course. Laid up for most of 2017 because of a house move. In 2018, a/c relays replaced, steering arms replaced, four wheel alignment done, prop shaft couplings replaced, engine tune and a (brand new) replacement period Blaupunkt radio cassette have been fitted.
Things to do are repad the passenger seat, replace two of the three exhaust boxes whose baffles have failed and respray the drivers door which has been bodged in the past (doesn't show in the photo).
I hope the above details are useful to anyone considering buying a classic car that does not have service history, as there will almost certainly be work and costs to factor in.
Good luck!
Patrick and Geraldine Acarnley
MGB Roadster 1963
In 2001, my father phoned me to advise me of his new purchase: an MGB Roadster from a local MG restorer based in Kirkcaldy, Scotland where I too was living on the South West Coast of Scotland. It would be the first off of the production line with a pull handle door.
She had a name before I even laid eyes on her; her white body still wearing through the years of being in the American sun, having moved there on her birth in 1963. We were led to believe she wouldn't return to the UK shores until some years later where on her return, she found herself in a completely different climate, cold and very wet at times.
Named after my father John and his wife Helen, “Johel” as she came to be known, proved to be a loved member of the family, a love affair which continued by myself after my father became ill and priorities changed for him.
I had moved to Cyprus in 2007 having spent some time in the retail trade and made a return journey to Scotland to catch up with one of my sons and my father. “Johel" had been laid up for 2 years at my dads garage; the pine needles from the tree next door had at this stage manage to decorate the old cover over the car and the dust had sugar iced into parts of the interior.
I had said to my dad whilst I was staying, I'd roll the car out and give it a wash and have look to see if we could get it started with a change of spark plugs, a new battery and a tap on the petrol pump from a small hammer which my dad keeps under the drivers seat ,but to no avail. I washed it anyway, which was my first true encounter, and with me living some distance away from my father, had never driven the car and very rarely even been a passenger. However I began to see why my dad had fallen for the curves and shapes. I didn't realise it at the time but I think she worked her magic on me also.
I'm trying to conclude the above information on a happy ending and I suppose the fact that my father is sitting across from me on the sofa watching his addiction of the 6 O'clock news after flying out from Scotland for his yearly visit, worrying about the Brexit and how it will affect his traveling to Cyprus I sit here writing the above and wondering if Johel will be dry under the stars of the Cypriot sky.
Andrew and Morag Carrington-Porter
She had a name before I even laid eyes on her; her white body still wearing through the years of being in the American sun, having moved there on her birth in 1963. We were led to believe she wouldn't return to the UK shores until some years later where on her return, she found herself in a completely different climate, cold and very wet at times.
Named after my father John and his wife Helen, “Johel” as she came to be known, proved to be a loved member of the family, a love affair which continued by myself after my father became ill and priorities changed for him.
I had moved to Cyprus in 2007 having spent some time in the retail trade and made a return journey to Scotland to catch up with one of my sons and my father. “Johel" had been laid up for 2 years at my dads garage; the pine needles from the tree next door had at this stage manage to decorate the old cover over the car and the dust had sugar iced into parts of the interior.
I had said to my dad whilst I was staying, I'd roll the car out and give it a wash and have look to see if we could get it started with a change of spark plugs, a new battery and a tap on the petrol pump from a small hammer which my dad keeps under the drivers seat ,but to no avail. I washed it anyway, which was my first true encounter, and with me living some distance away from my father, had never driven the car and very rarely even been a passenger. However I began to see why my dad had fallen for the curves and shapes. I didn't realise it at the time but I think she worked her magic on me also.
I'm trying to conclude the above information on a happy ending and I suppose the fact that my father is sitting across from me on the sofa watching his addiction of the 6 O'clock news after flying out from Scotland for his yearly visit, worrying about the Brexit and how it will affect his traveling to Cyprus I sit here writing the above and wondering if Johel will be dry under the stars of the Cypriot sky.
Andrew and Morag Carrington-Porter
Triumph Spitfire 1500
This car is a 1973 mode and was purchased in Nicosia in 2016.
It has had some restoration work and a respray.
You may have seen this car as it was used in a TV commercial in Cyprus for KEO beer.
Its only outings now are car club run-outs and sundowners on the beach
Tony and Janet Singleton
It has had some restoration work and a respray.
You may have seen this car as it was used in a TV commercial in Cyprus for KEO beer.
Its only outings now are car club run-outs and sundowners on the beach
Tony and Janet Singleton
MGB Roadster 1971
The car now registered 830 A, was originally registered in the UK on the 23rd June 1971 as VFJ 28J. It arrived in Cyprus in October 2016 from Dubai where it was briefly registered as an historic vehicle on plate no. 1624. The car has been owned by Trish since 17 May 1992.
Manufactured in Abingdon in the UK in August 1970, it was one of five MGBs delivered and registered to premier motors of Southgate, London. The plan had been to sponsor 3 pf the cars for the 1971 rally and hill climb season, holding back as spares.
During the winter of 1970, modifications were made to all of the cars to allow them to pass competition scrutineering.
Probably due to the economic decline of the 1970's, the project was put on hold, and then cancelled early early in 1971. The cars were sold as dealer "specials", later that year.
The car changed hands nine times between 1971 and 1992. Full restoration took place in 2002. The car displaces 1997 cc, produces 122 bhp, and has a moss close ratio gearbox overdrive.The brake and suspension system are significantly different from a standard production MGB.
Substantial difficulties were experienced during the restoration as many of the 1970 modifications featured were no longer available and some substitutions had to be made.
Since its restoration, the car has been registered in three countries and covered only 10,000 miles and remains in very good condition.
Don and Trish Sainsbury
THE STORY OF HENRIETTA
We decided to have a "fun" car in Cyprus & ultimately decided on a Nissan Figaro. As readers probably know, these were only manufactured in limited numbers in 1991 and there are not that many still running. In fact, there was an original production run of 8,000 cars, with a further 12,000 later in the year. They were built solely for the Japanese market and 100,000 potential customers entered into a lottery to purchase. Only 4 colours were offered to coincide with the 4 seasons .and made in the following quantities:
Lapis Grey Winter 6,000
Emerald Green Spring 6,000
Pale Aqua Summer 6, 000
Topaz Mist Autumn 2,000
We could not locate one for sale in Cyprus & had all but agreed to purchase a fully refurbished specimen(from the Figaro Shop - highly recommended) & import into Cyprus.
We visited Cyprus the next week &,much to our surprise, we passed a garage in Paphos with a totally refurbished Figaro for sale on the forecourt & on an impulse buy, purchased there & then ,having had the car checked. We have been delighted ever since & Kassandra has named her "Henrietta" after her Scottish grandmother.
Henrietta is virtually completely original, except for "modern" alloy wheels but, as we cannot get the originals in Cyprus, we are resigned over the proper ones from the UK. It is good that our car is in one of the original colours(green with ivory leather) & not resprayed some awful shade of pink or whatever. She is not the fastest girl in town but has quite a few items of standard equipment eg 2 + 2 format,,leather interior,auto,p/s,aircon,convertible (sadly rather archaic),reversing alarm sensors etc.
We look forward to seeing you all soon
Kassandra & Michael Reeve
John Raine’s 1937 MG SA saloon was one of the oldest cars to be displayed at the 2016 Paphos Harbour Classic Vehicle Display and won the coveted “Car of the Show” trophy as a result of the public vote.
Launched at the 1935 London Motor Show, the SA Sports Saloon was the first of the cars in the MG "SVW" family incorporating the SA (2 litre), VA (1.5 litre) and WA (2.6 litre) models manufactured from October 1935 to late 1939. 1945 SA saloons were made, of which about 10% are known to have survived today. The saloon is 4.92 metres long and weighs 1511kg. The straight six 2.3 litre engine is fitted with twin SU carburettors and a “wet” cork clutch running in a bath of oil.
This car was originally supplied in England by Dewsbury Garage, Yorkshire on 10th November 1937. It was purchased by the previous owner for £140 in 1951 and remained in his ownership until April 2015. The car was completely restored in 2000-2001, since when it is reported to have covered only 4000 miles until it was bought by the present owner and imported to Cyprus in June 2015.
Driving it in Cyprus wasn’t as straightforward as hoped as the engine overheated and the clutch failed on the first club run. So a lot of work followed, including a re-cored radiator, new shock absorbers, re-tensioned leaf springs, alternative fan, new clutch, improved lighting and electric power steering, all done at Chris Garage in Geroskipou. And, as most British cars of the period leaked even when they were new, lots of seals and gaskets were replaced. While some further work remains to be done during the winter of 2016-17, the car is now in very good condition and drives as well as a large old saloon can be expected to.
Launched at the 1935 London Motor Show, the SA Sports Saloon was the first of the cars in the MG "SVW" family incorporating the SA (2 litre), VA (1.5 litre) and WA (2.6 litre) models manufactured from October 1935 to late 1939. 1945 SA saloons were made, of which about 10% are known to have survived today. The saloon is 4.92 metres long and weighs 1511kg. The straight six 2.3 litre engine is fitted with twin SU carburettors and a “wet” cork clutch running in a bath of oil.
This car was originally supplied in England by Dewsbury Garage, Yorkshire on 10th November 1937. It was purchased by the previous owner for £140 in 1951 and remained in his ownership until April 2015. The car was completely restored in 2000-2001, since when it is reported to have covered only 4000 miles until it was bought by the present owner and imported to Cyprus in June 2015.
Driving it in Cyprus wasn’t as straightforward as hoped as the engine overheated and the clutch failed on the first club run. So a lot of work followed, including a re-cored radiator, new shock absorbers, re-tensioned leaf springs, alternative fan, new clutch, improved lighting and electric power steering, all done at Chris Garage in Geroskipou. And, as most British cars of the period leaked even when they were new, lots of seals and gaskets were replaced. While some further work remains to be done during the winter of 2016-17, the car is now in very good condition and drives as well as a large old saloon can be expected to.
And Pip Brown writes about his Land Rover:
JMW 692 aka 164 A
Chassis number 36103232
Milley went down the production line and emerged on 9th March 1953
She then went to Haskins Garage
Wroughton
Wiltshire
on the 20th March and sold to Herbert L Sainsbury, Manor Farm, Castle Eaton, Swindon, Wiltshire
and registered 17/4/53. There was no more history until it appeared in the local Free ads newspaper on 13/12/2000 for the princely sum of £300 .I travelled up to Mill Farm (now you know where the name came from ) Bratton Fleming near Barnstaple,Devon.to view the vehicle and was greeted by the sight of a Landie in a dark dingy barn up to her axles in 23 years worth of good old muck!!!! And this object was offered for restoration!!
I managed to borrow a trailer and travelled up with a friend to dig this thing out. On getting Her in the daylight i thought I had really overdone it this time. I would like to point out that I had just finished doing up a Series 3 Land-Rover which had only taken me 18 months and that had included a full engine re-build along with a gearbox re-build and chassis re-weld. Milley was a bit of a mess with the wrong type of engine which had to be removed rather quickly(and put in the skip) as the offside engine mount was about to collapse due to the dreaded tinworm. Saying that it was the only welding I had to do on the chassis. To make the engine fit a large hole had been cut in the bonnet to facilitate the fitting of the air cleaner. Not a pretty sight!! With the aid of The Land-[Rover Series One Club I was able to retrieve the original number plate. I do not think I could do it now as I had no documentation to link my chassis number to that registration number. It was painted on the tailgate but that was all I had. I had to provide the DVLA with a photograph as part of the documentation. So how do you do that in a vehicle in a few hundred pieces, I tell you how. You put all the wings on with vise grips and lean the wheels up to the hubs in the wheel arch and then you take the picture,and I got away with it. Milly was finally re-united with her original number plate on 21/06/02. An engine was found after 3 years of searching, under the workbench of an Agricultural Engineers in Devon and all I did was take the sump of to check the big ends and mains. I did however get the carburetor professionally refurbished. Had a lot of trouble starting it as it wanted to chew up points until someone pointed out that it was ballasted coil. The other thing I had a problem with was trying to get the dynamo to charge. It took an electrician friend 30 secs to clean the points in the regulator, which had got dirty having stood so long!! I dragged the wife around the country to numerous Auto Jumbles and such like looking for various bits that had gone missing over the years, the main complaint being that it was always Her that ended up carrying rusty bits of metal back to the car whilst I was off searching for more. You cannot please all the people all the time can you. I would like to say at this point that one of the reasons for me finishing this project was Eastenders. It no sooner appeared than i was down the garage/ play-pen never to appear until when bed time arrived. It was a bit of a panic when we made up our minds to move to Cyprus. By the time it went into the container to come out here the furthest I had ever driven her was to the container depot for onward shipping. Even after being here ten years there is still lots of tinkering to do. Changing the camshaft and followers being just one of the things on the to do list. In reply to the question as to whether or not I would do another restoration the answer is that you are too late. I was fortunate to be given another Series 1 called Alex. This one was a 1949 model chassis No R061-04165 registration AV 817. This one has some interesting history in that it went out to Kenya on the government Nut oil (peanuts ) Contract. It was kicked around Africa only to appear in Cyprus in 1989 and I have been trying to repair the ravages of the African Continent for 6 years. As to when it will be finished is in the lap of the Gods as to whether I will be able to find certain pieces.
JMW 692 aka 164 A
Chassis number 36103232
Milley went down the production line and emerged on 9th March 1953
She then went to Haskins Garage
Wroughton
Wiltshire
on the 20th March and sold to Herbert L Sainsbury, Manor Farm, Castle Eaton, Swindon, Wiltshire
and registered 17/4/53. There was no more history until it appeared in the local Free ads newspaper on 13/12/2000 for the princely sum of £300 .I travelled up to Mill Farm (now you know where the name came from ) Bratton Fleming near Barnstaple,Devon.to view the vehicle and was greeted by the sight of a Landie in a dark dingy barn up to her axles in 23 years worth of good old muck!!!! And this object was offered for restoration!!
I managed to borrow a trailer and travelled up with a friend to dig this thing out. On getting Her in the daylight i thought I had really overdone it this time. I would like to point out that I had just finished doing up a Series 3 Land-Rover which had only taken me 18 months and that had included a full engine re-build along with a gearbox re-build and chassis re-weld. Milley was a bit of a mess with the wrong type of engine which had to be removed rather quickly(and put in the skip) as the offside engine mount was about to collapse due to the dreaded tinworm. Saying that it was the only welding I had to do on the chassis. To make the engine fit a large hole had been cut in the bonnet to facilitate the fitting of the air cleaner. Not a pretty sight!! With the aid of The Land-[Rover Series One Club I was able to retrieve the original number plate. I do not think I could do it now as I had no documentation to link my chassis number to that registration number. It was painted on the tailgate but that was all I had. I had to provide the DVLA with a photograph as part of the documentation. So how do you do that in a vehicle in a few hundred pieces, I tell you how. You put all the wings on with vise grips and lean the wheels up to the hubs in the wheel arch and then you take the picture,and I got away with it. Milly was finally re-united with her original number plate on 21/06/02. An engine was found after 3 years of searching, under the workbench of an Agricultural Engineers in Devon and all I did was take the sump of to check the big ends and mains. I did however get the carburetor professionally refurbished. Had a lot of trouble starting it as it wanted to chew up points until someone pointed out that it was ballasted coil. The other thing I had a problem with was trying to get the dynamo to charge. It took an electrician friend 30 secs to clean the points in the regulator, which had got dirty having stood so long!! I dragged the wife around the country to numerous Auto Jumbles and such like looking for various bits that had gone missing over the years, the main complaint being that it was always Her that ended up carrying rusty bits of metal back to the car whilst I was off searching for more. You cannot please all the people all the time can you. I would like to say at this point that one of the reasons for me finishing this project was Eastenders. It no sooner appeared than i was down the garage/ play-pen never to appear until when bed time arrived. It was a bit of a panic when we made up our minds to move to Cyprus. By the time it went into the container to come out here the furthest I had ever driven her was to the container depot for onward shipping. Even after being here ten years there is still lots of tinkering to do. Changing the camshaft and followers being just one of the things on the to do list. In reply to the question as to whether or not I would do another restoration the answer is that you are too late. I was fortunate to be given another Series 1 called Alex. This one was a 1949 model chassis No R061-04165 registration AV 817. This one has some interesting history in that it went out to Kenya on the government Nut oil (peanuts ) Contract. It was kicked around Africa only to appear in Cyprus in 1989 and I have been trying to repair the ravages of the African Continent for 6 years. As to when it will be finished is in the lap of the Gods as to whether I will be able to find certain pieces.