October/November 2017 1967 2017
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1967 2017 Journal of the Traditional Car Club of Doncaster October/November 2017 1 Editorial Dear members, The seasons move on relentlessly and the days are getting shorter. Doesn’t stop us though, full house at the last club night, we have lights and windscreen wipers and laugh at adverse weather. Despite that, many will take the sensible option and will be looking to put their classic to bed for the next few months to protect it. Whatever other precautions you take, leave the handbrake off and don’t let a low charged battery freeze otherwise you will be regretting it next spring. I hope that many got out and about this summer to the various shows and runs that were on. I didn’t get to as many as I would have liked but always saw club members there. Anyone who has a club badge in the screen gets a hello, should be a club rule. Our club runs have been a lot of fun as cars start in front and suddenly pop up in the mirror a bit later but all have arrived safely and had a story to tell of missed turns and wrong exits. At least members got lost in little groups, so I suppose that counts as a club event as well. Thank you to those that take a lot of time to find a route and destination, do the maps and direction sheets, then check for roadworks etc just before we go. As one who just turns up for a good run, I appreciate their efforts a lot. My Herald soldiers on, no winter rest up for her, and all seems well. The MOT failure was down to a non working brake light on one side. I had knocked a wire connector loose in the boot so that was an easy fix and retest. The seat seams are coming apart as the thread gives up, the boot has needed atten- tion to the failing paint all year, carpet is still in the delivery package but people still come up and tell me how a Herald was their first car or the car they passed their driving test in. It is the friendliest car I have ever had. We might carry on getting older and tattier together for a while yet. I would like to say that the project Zodiac has been finished, but I can’t. Helping family and rain have meant that some, but little, progress has been made and any dreams of getting it on the road this year seem far fetched, unless we have a period of mild dry weather to come. Not given up yet. In the last Tradsheet, I mentioned my 20 year old Bongo van and a broken bolt on the water pump. I discovered that left hand drill bits are not a joke (unlike left handed hammers, a jar of cold steam and sky hooks which are.) They didn’t get the bolt out but may be useful some day, and I had to resort to the garage. The expert from Headmasters in Bentley couldn’t shift it either but did know how to make an insert and came up with a solution. I don’t feel so bad now that I know it took engineering skills and equipment to solve the problem. My efforts with a drill, hammer and bent screwdriver upside down under the van were valiant but completely pointless. To celebrate the nearly waterleak-free van, I went with some members to a campsite and finally got to sleep in the van. There are some bits to do to make it better but it is a good van for camping in and the weekend was very restful and enjoyable. If any members with campers, caravans (or even estate cars ) or tents would like to come on a camping weekend, let me know and we will see what we can do. We could do peaceful or link with some event somewhere depending on what members want. Happy Motoring Andy Campbell 3 Cars of 1967 The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United King- dom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful, long-running Anglia. Escort production commenced at the Halewood plant in England during the closing months of 1967. The Escort was a commercial success in several parts of western Europe, but nowhere more than in the UK, six years into the car's UK introduction, Ford announced the completion of the two millionth Ford Escort, a milestone hitherto unmatched by any Ford model outside the US. It was also stated that 60% of the two million Escorts had been built in Britain. Just over two months after the launch of the saloon, Ford announced a two-door estate version of their new Escort. The Escort had conventional rear-wheel drive and a four-speed manual gearbox, or three-speed automatic transmission. The suspension consisted of MacPherson strut front suspension and a simple live axle mounted on leaf springs. The Escort was the first small Ford to use rack-and- pinion steering. The Mark I featured contemporary styling cues in tune with its time: a subtle De- troit-inspired "Coke bottle" waistline and the "dogbone" shaped front grille – arguably the car's main stylistic feature. Less than two years after launch, Ford offered a four-door version of the Escort. Initially, the Escort was sold as a two-door saloon (with circular front headlights and rubber flooring on the "De Luxe" model). The "Super" model featured rectangular headlights, carpets, a cigar lighter and a water temperature gauge. A two-door estate was introduced at the end of March 1968 which, with the back seat folded down, provided a 40% increase in maximum load space over the old Anglia 105E estate, according to the manufacturer. The estate featured the 1 same engine options as the saloon, but it also included a larger, 7 ⁄2-inch-diameter (190 mm) clutch, stiffer rear springs and, in most configurations, slightly larger brake drums or discs than the saloon. A panel van appeared in April 1968 and the 4-door saloon (a bodystyle the Anglia was never available in for UK market) in 1969. Underneath the bonnet was the Kent Crossflow engine also used in the smallest capacity North American Ford Pinto. Diesel engines on small family cars were rare, and the Escort was no ex- ception, initially featuring only petrol engines – in 1.1 L, and 1.3 L versions. A 940 cc engine was also available in some ex- port markets such as Italy and France. This tiny engine re- mained popular in Italy, where it was carried over for the Escort Mark II, but in France it was discontinued during 1972. There was a 1300GT performance version, with a tuned 1.3 L Crossflow (OHV) engine with a Weber carburettor and uprated suspension. This version featured additional instrumentation with a tachometer, battery charge indicator, and oil pressure gauge. The same tuned 1.3 L engine was also used in a variation sold as the Escort Sport, that used the flared front wings from the AVO range of cars, but featured trim from the more basic models. Later, an "executive" version of the Escort was produced known as the "1300E". This featured the same 13" road wheels and flared wings of the Sport, but was trimmed in an upmar- ket, for that time, fashion with wood trim on the dashboard and door cappings. Less than two years after launch, Ford offered a four-door version of the Escort. (The first use of the Ford Escort name was for a reduced specification version of the Ford Squire, a 1950s estate car version of the British Ford Anglia 100E.) 4 Chairman’s Chat Dear Members, As I write this I am reminded that Autumn is now upon us and the morning air is becoming damper. The Morris Minor , although covered up, didn't want to start this morning but cleaning a plug and it burst into life. I am looking forward to the Autumn closer and hope the weather will be dry as I'd like to use the Bullnose. I have done fewer rallies than nor- mal this year generally because of poor weather and the oc- casional bouts of ill health. Reflecting on the last year it has been a busy one for the car club and there have been numerous events and meetings throughout the year for members to enjoy. It is good to see everyone chatting at club nights, the inclusion of new mem- bers, a number of members wives and partners joining the meeting and also enjoying the camaraderie. As Chairman I am privileged to have an overview of the Club and its activities. It has been a pleasure to see members stepping up to take on some of the tasks I had done over the years such as membership and the Tradsheet as well as the organisation of various car club activities. I hope most members would agree with me that the Traditional Car Club is a good club to be a member of , continues to grow and offers a great deal for its low membership fee. The Club is in a great position for someone else to take up the reins as Chairman at the AGM next Febru- ary and to lead the Club forward. I have been Chairman for some 8 years now and I believe it is a good time to step down so please consider who you would like to lead the Club forward into the future.