April/May 2021

Founded 1967

Newsletter of the

Traditional Car Club

of Doncaster

APRIL/MAY 2021

Print and Email special due to Covid 19 virus

1 Editorial

They think it’s all over, sadly not. The light may well be shining down the tunnel now but we are still restricted for our own good and there have been a number of shows that are being cancelled still. Mainly because the planning has to start now for events in a few months time. Rodger is keeping up with this and the events list is current up to 29th March, other changes will be reported via members only Facebook page, club website and the event themselves. It is still fairly unclear when things can get going again, depends on the sensibility or stupidity of our popula- tion and politicians. It is getting better, vaccination seems to be going very well so it does look like we will be able to start planning a bit soon. Fingers crossed. The cold and gloom of winter, although impressive in it’s own right, is giving way to spring. Things are warming up, even though some days are a bit dodgy, and the usual heralds of the new year are the early bulbs brightening up the gardens. Birds are in and out of my hedge nesting and arguing, seeds are popping up in the greenhouse and I have made a start on the cars. I plan to build up slowly after my partial hibernation so have been out and changed the rear brake shoes on the Herald. One brake cylinder was stuck solid so that was replaced as well. Just need to bleed them and they are ready, probably an idea to push all of the old brake fluid out while bleeding. There is a small patch of welding to do inside the bonnet but that’s not structural, either way, needs doing. Underneath looks solid but the Hammerite paint protection is wearing a bit after 6 years driving so need to check that and do another coat. Upside down, paint dripping down my arm, can’t wait. I realised that I hadn’t washed the Herald since last summer and it lives outdoors so was rain streaked with small areas of moss along the chrome trim. So, out with the soap and polish. Then the T cut because it was that bad. An old toothbrush cleared the grime along the chrome trims and it doesn’t look too bad now. As always, a good clean provoked a list of little jobs that will need looking at and I might even go mad and fit the new carpets that I bought at least two years ago. As for the others, the van has been doing the main shopping run so does about 5 miles a week, nearly used the half a tank of fuel I put in some months ago and I have finally changed the second CD since lockdown began as it had got to the end. No direct work on the Zodiac yet but I have begun a major shed sort out to find the bits that are inevitably at the back and under other things safely in crates and boxes. My new shed is helping with the storage of things that I cannot throw away, they might be useful one day. I can now meet up with family in gardens so that is to look forward to, I reckon Cusworth is big enough to meet and keep a distance. Couple of camping trips later in the year are booked, hopefully nothing goes wrong. Keep safe everyone, no safe driving, you are not supposed to be going anywhere. Andy Campbell Editor.

3 The new Beetle- early models now hitting the 20 year classic definition.

This one typifies the horror of change. We all have our favourite era of motoring and face the challenge of times moving on, for some it is the MINI that draws comment and the obvious degrading compari- son. For me, it is when the grace of the Mk3 Zodiac morphed into the less than pretty Mk4 with it’s huge bonnet and funny cut off back. On tv, I watched a Fiat 500 getting an electric motor, interesting times. A hark back to when the rounded shapes of 1950s Austins became the sharp lines of the Farinas. It’s a terrible world if you choose to have that attitude.

The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car, introduced by Volkswagen in 1997, drawing heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Un- like the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front, driving the front wheels, with luggage storage in the rear. Many special editions have been released, such as the Malibu Barbie New Beetle.

2001 VW new Beetle RSi At the 1994 North American International Auto Show, Volkswagen un- veiled the Concept One, a "retro"-themed concept car with a resemblance to the original Volkswagen Beetle. Designed by J Mays and Freeman Thomas at the company's California design studio, the concept car was based on the platform of the Volkswagen Polo. A red cabriolet concept was featured at the Geneva Motor Show, also in 1994.

Production design approval was reached in mid-1995, with a design freeze resulting in 22 months of development time for production. In October 1995, the Volkswagen Concept Two was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, essentially an early preview of the production model due in early 1998.

Strong public reaction to the Concept One convinced the company that it should develop a production version which was launched as the New Beetle in 1997 for the 1998 model-year, based on the Golf IV's larger PQ34 platform. The New Beetle is related to the original only in name and appearance (including the absence of a car emblem script with the exception of the VW logo).

For the 1998 model year, only the TDI compression-ignition engine was turbocharged; the spark- ignition engines were only naturally aspirated. In June 1999, Volkswagen introduced the 1.8T, which was the first turbocharged spark-ignition engine offered for the New Beetle. Volkswagen created a web site dedicated specifically to the 1.8T. A convertible was added for the 2003 model-year to replace the Volkswagen Cabrio. However, the New Beetle Convertible was never offered with a compression- ignition engine in North America. The third-generation Beetle Convertible, the successor to the New Beetle Convertible, was offered with the TDI compression-ignition engine in the USA but not in Cana- da, though, making it possibly the only diesel convertible car offered in North America.

The New Beetle carries many design similarities with the original VW Beetle: separate bumpers, vestig- ial running boards, sloping headlamps, and large round taillights, as well as a high rounded roofline. It was assembled in VW's Puebla factory in Mexico.

Now, breathe gently and embrace the changing times. Can it ever be wrong if people love their cars whatever they are? If adverse symptoms persist, have someone give you a good rub down with a Classic Car Weekly. Aaah, that’s better.

4 Hello Club Members

Well looks like spring is just poking up out of the ground in yellows, whites and purples (or at least in our garden anyway), at this time we would normally be getting ready for Drive It Day but for the second year not running it will have to remain memories of previous years’ runs. With the roll out of the vaccine, fingers crossed 2022 will be the year things get going for our classic car community. So onto Club news. Since my last article we held our A.G.M virtually using the Zoom soft- ware platform. We had to do this because our Club rules tell us that we must hold a meeting in February (this was of course written before Covid was even a thing). The main reason behind this, as a rule, is to prevent the same Committee rolling on year after year without holding a vote to elect them. Unfortunately the rules also state that we must have a Quorum of 30 members present at an A.G.M for it to be upheld. I can tell you that we came close with 25 members at the A.G.M but not enough to form a quorum. So what does this mean? It means that by our own Club rules the A.G.M was not official so an E.G.M (Extraordinary General Meeting) will have to be held in its place when we have sufficient members present to form the quorum of 30 members—essentially once we are allowed to meet once again in person. As for keeping things ticking over I am pleased to announce that all the current Committee members have expressed that they are prepared to carry on in their roles until we are able to hold an E.G.M, where a new Committee can be voted in. Some of you may have noticed that our Club website has not quite been itself recently. Our current provider had to move our website to a new supplier and has been unable to get it working with the new supplier. After much discussion via e-mail the Committee decided that we needed to change our provider and get our website working again. I have literally this morning put the wheels into motion to move to a new provider so fingers crossed before long we will have a working website once more.

5 Following on from the A.G.M, those present suggested that we hold our meeting evenings via Zoom as a way of catching up, so this was set up and the date listed on the website with a link to it available on our members only FaceBook page. The first meeting was not partic- ularly well attended so the next is April 7th at our usual 7pm start time. We will monitor how much take up we get with it and see if there is enough demand to continue providing this. In my last article I mentioned I was working on the Club’s membership database. Unfortu- nately this has ground to a halt as I have been working on sorting out the Club website so at some point in the future I hope to return to this and make the improvements to it to make it more user friendly and useful for what we do now. At this point I recognise that most of the news relating to the Club is centred around its elec- tronic means of communication. Unfortunately due to the Covid situation this is all we have had to rely upon to keep in touch with our members. On a brighter note Andy has been bea- vering away and I now believe has a definitive list of you who wish to receive your Tradsheet through the letterbox so I hope this issue finds your doormat if that is your preferred method (well done on that one Andy—pat on the back there for your hard work). If you have not contacted Andy yet to tell him you need a printed copy of the Tradsheet then drop him a line and he can sort that out for you. On a similar note Rodger has kept on top of events details and within this issue you will find a list of the current position of shows for the 2021 season. Much like 2020 many shows are not taking place during 2021 as they would have already have to be underway in the planning stages by now and with an uncertain time still ahead of us this has not been able to take place. Our own Doncaster Show is now definitely not taking place in 2021. As previously mentioned it is not possible to plan an event when there is no certainty that it would even be legal to hold one. Many months of preparation go into the Doncaster Show and it simply isn't possible to undertake that at the moment. On a brighter note, I know there are a number of you in the Club who are busy working away in your garages now that we have the time, so I look forward to reading what projects you have been working on, so please sub- mit your articles to Andy for inclusion in the Tradsheet. On a personal note I have not done anything in my garage so far—other commitments and the weather still not being warm enough to mess with the spanners being the excuse. I have got some parts together to put on the Morris and Mini so as the weather warms then pro- gress might take place. I hope you are all keeping safe and well despite the Covid pandemic and that your vaccination jabs have either already taken place (as is the case for my father) or that they are in the near future, unlike mine which is still on the drawing board.

Graham Wickham

6 Panther P.S. The piece about Panther motorbikes a couple of issues back started me reminiscing about my Panther 100, or more correctly the trailer-load of bits with the possibility of being one, that I bought from a chap in Haxey in the late 70’s. For a 1950 bike it looked like something from the 20’s except for its Dowty Oleomatic telescopic forks. My first job had been with Dowty and I knew that Sir George Dowty had made his money and his knighthood out of aircraft hydraulics during WW2. Well, his patented “Oleo strut” might have stopped the wheels of Lancaster bombers appearing through the wings on a heavy landing, but they were useless on the bike. Instead of having coil springs they used trapped wind and had to be blown up with a bicycle pump through a tyre valve at the top of each leg, very frequently. The sealing technology at that time was not up to the job. Presumably aircraft had a compressor for keeping them topped up. Without the means to develop the idea into something that actually worked, P and M abandoned them after a year. Phelon and Moore made much of their bikes in-house, engines and frames certainly. Dad was a gas-man and helped them with the brazing hearths. As a kid living in Cleckheaton, I knew the works was there but that did not cause much excitement. At that time, all you wanted to ride was a Triumph twin with your hair greased back and your jeans and fluorescent socks on. Other models came and went without much success but the stodgy 100/120 soldiered on for fifty years and they could often be seen locally, hauling sidecars the size of a barn. Needing a few bits for my bike, I asked if they had any. Yes, they had, but one day a week. On arrival I was directed round the back and up a dusty fire-escape. There behind her counter was a lady in a shop-coat who ap- peared well past retirement age. She had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Panthers and was soon able to find me a complete front hub from a different model which she assured me would fit. And it did. Under new ownership, the factory was still making automotive engine components into the 90’s. Regrettably, I never did get my Panther back on the road. I had to part with it during a house-move a few years later. 46 KDT, where are you now? Metal bashing Anyone else out there developed an addiction to “metal-bashing videos”, as my wife calls them? Well I suppose there are worse things. My favourites at the moment are Wray Schelin’s Pro-Shaper Workshop, Macromachines and Iron-Trap Garage but there are plenty to choose from on Youtube. It certainly qualifies as “slow TV” but watching other people work has always had its fascination. Seeing an expert start with a flat sheet of metal, bash it until it looks like the result of a car crash but then transform it into a body-section for a Classic, perfectly shaped with a “chrome-plate” finish-it’s just amazing. I’m hoping to learn how to do it by osmosis because I have not got the spare fifty years to work at it. What’s in the shed? Answer

One day it might be all in one piece! Regards, Howard Sandford

8 Just coming out of a cold, wet winter and no foreign holidays for a while yet so let us have a look at a Sunbeam, and for those who like mountains, an Alpine. The Sunbeam Alpine.

The Alpine was derived from the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Saloon, and has become colloquially known as the "Talbot" Alpine. It was a two-seater sports roadster initially developed for a one-off rally car by Bournemouth Sun- beam-Talbot dealer George Hart- nell. It had its beginnings as a 1952 Sunbeam-Talbot drophead coupé. Announced in March 1953 it received its name following Sunbeam-Talbot saloons suc- cesses in the Alpine Rally during the early 1950s.

The car has a four-cylinder 2,267 cc engine from the saloon, but with a raised compression ratio. How- ever, since it was developed from the saloon platform, it suffered from rigidity compromises despite extra side members in the chassis. The gearbox ratios were changed, and from 1954 an overdrive unit became standard. The gear change lever was column-mounted. A true open 2-seater, there were no ex- ternal door handles or wind-up windows.

The Alpine Mark I and Mark III (no Mark II was made) were hand-built – as was the 90 drophead cou- pé – at Thrupp & Maberly coachbuilders from 1953 to 1955, and remained in production for only two years. Of the 1582 automobiles produced, in 2000 it was estimated that perhaps as few as 200 had sur- vived.

The Sunbeam Alpine Mk 1 Special was based on the 2267 cc Mk 1 Sunbeam Talbot motor, with alloy rocker cover and Siamese exhaust ports (cylinders 2 and 3). These motors developed a reputed 97.5 bhp at 4,500 rpm, mainly by raising the compression ratio to 8.0:1 and incorpo- rating a special induction manifold with a twin choke Solex 40 P.I.I carburettor. The motors of the Sunbeam Alpine Team Cars were configured the same as the Sunbeam Al- pine Mk I Special, with further tuning by ERA to raise power to 106 bhp.

9 The "Series" Alpine started production 1962 Sunbeam Alpine in 1959. The Series I used a 1,494 cc engine and was styled by the Loewy Studi- os for the Rootes Group. The car made extensive use of components from other Rootes Group vehicles and was built on a modified floor pan from the Hillman Husky estate car. The running gear came mainly from the Sun- beam Rapier, but with front disc brakes replacing the saloon car's drums. An overdrive unit and wire wheels were optional. The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and at the rear had a live axle and semi-elliptic springing. The Girling-manufactured brakes used 9.5 in discs at the front and 9 in drums at the rear. It had dual downdraft carburetors, a soft top that could be hidden by special integral covers and the first available wind-up side windows offered in a British sports car of that time. Coupé versions of the post-1959 version were built by Thomas Harrington Ltd. After the Le Mans In- dex of Efficiency success of 1961, Harrington sold replicas as the "Harrington Le Mans", using a fastback body and an engine tuned to 104 hp. Unlike the Le Mans racers, these cars had a more integrated rear roofline and were without the tail fins of the roadsters. Until 1962 the car was assembled for Rootes by Armstrong Siddeley.

An open car with overdrive was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1959. It had a top speed of 99.5 mph and could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 13.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 31.4 miles per imperial gallon was recorded.

In 1960 Rootes Group marketed a limited-production three-door variant of the Alpine, marketed as a shooting brake. With leather interior and walnut trim, its price was double that of its open counter- part. 11,904 examples of the series I were produced.

The Series II of 1960 featured an enlarged 1,592 cc engine producing 80 bhp and revised rear suspension, but there were few other changes. When it was replaced in 1963, 19,956 had been made.

A Series II with hardtop and overdrive was tested by The Motor magazine in 1960, which recorded a top speed of 98.6 mph acceleration from 0– 60 mph in 13.6 seconds and a fuel consumption of 31.0 miles per imperial. The test car cost £1,110 including taxes.

The Series III was produced in two versions: GT with removable hardtop only (no soft-top) ST with soft-top (stored behind the small rear seat)

The rarest production Alpine, the Series III was 1967 Sunbeam Alpine– fins have shrunk produced from March, 1963 to January, 1964 for a total of 5,863 units. It was a transitional model, in- corporating many of the modifications of the later low fin cars such as roomier boot, later hard top (common with Tiger), tube type rear shocks, improved micro-cell seats, and a vacuum brake booster. The 1592 cc engine was de-tuned in the GT for smoothness.

10 There was no longer a lower-output engine option; the convertible and hardtop versions shared the same 82 bhp engine with single Solex carburettor. A new rear styling was introduced with the fins largely removed. Automatic transmission with floor-mounted control became an option, but was un- popular.

From autumn 1964 a new manual gearbox with synchromesh on first gear was adopted in line with its use in other Rootes cars. A total of 12,406 were made.

The final version had a new five-bearing 1,725 cc engine with twin Zenith-Stromberg semi- downdraught carburettors producing 93 bhp. There was no longer an automatic transmission option. 19,122 were made. In some export markets, 99 bhp was claimed.

Rootes introduced the "Arrow" range in 1966, and by 1968 the saloons and es- tates (such as the Hillman Hunter) had been joined by a Sunbeam Rapier Fastback coupé model. In 1969, a cheaper, slightly slower and more economical version of the Rapier (still sold as a sporty model) was badged as the new Sunbeam Alpine.

All models featured the group's strong five-bearing 1,725 cc engine, with the Alpine featuring a single Zenith-Stromberg CD150 carburettor to the Rapier's twins, and the Rapier H120's twin 40D- COE Weber carburettors.

Caution— A friend had his 2nd dose of the vaccine at the centre after which he began to have blurred vision on the way home. When he got home, he called the centre for advice and to ask if he should go see a doctor, or to the hospital. He was told NOT to go to a doctor or a hospital, but just return to the vaccination centre immediately and pick up his glasses!!

Not been shopping for a while? Ideal vehicle for all those toilet rolls and other hoarder favourites. Plus, you can see if your kid has got to the front of the queue yet without getting out too early. See over all those people.

12 THE RESTORATION OF POPPY THE 1971 MGBGT

In early 2017 with time on why hands I decided to look for another restoration project , since retirement I had restored a MGTD and a MGYA but was now looking for another challenge . After spending a couple of months searching for a likely candidate I came across a 1971 MGBGT, as a teenager I thought it was a good looking sports car and being a MG fan it fitted the bill. Although the car was running it showed the usual signs of rust in all the usual places so after trailering the car home I started to strip her to find the extent of the work required . The car came apart quite quickly and my list of repairs grew quickly . At this stage I decided that the work required would be far easier to carry out if the body was mounted on a car turning jig . So I took time off to design and manufacture a jig. As I had completely stripped the car to just the shell it was reasonably easier to mount on the jig . Once on the jig I realised I had made the right decision , I could spin the body with little effort into the correct position for working on. I proceeded then to strip the shell down to bare steel to see how much welding was required , I was pleased to find that in the past it had been restored and all the floors , jacking points, sills , and chassis sections had been replaced and still were in very good condition. However, the front inner wings, outer wings , front top and bottom slam panels, rear wings, outer sills and front and rear valances all needed replacing . There was also repair work necessary to the front shroud panel below the windscreen and quarterlight window frames. I was pleased to find that the doors , bonnet and tailgate were in excellent condition and needed no weld repairs. Many months passed as I worked through the weld repairs and new panel fitting, ensuring good panel gaps , luckily I managed to borrow a spot welder which helped enormous- ly . Once satisfied I sprayed the shell in acid etch primer . It was now time to look for a suitable chassis coating , I was recommended UPOL Raptor. Raptor provides a tough durable long lasting protection and by adding base coat body colour to the mix the under- side can be spraying body colour in one go. At this time I also used raptor in the outer wing and valances inner sides in preparation for fitting back to the body after it had been sprayed.

13 At this point I moved onto the me- chanical components , I started with the back axle and diff, stripping the diff I found excessive slop so fitted new thrust washers and oil seals . I then set about refurbishing and re- painting the suspension components etc . Now I could refit the suspension, springs , shockers and back axle to the chassis so I could remove the body from the jig and place it back on its wheels . When building up the suspension I used all poly bushes in touring hardness quality . At the rear I have used Parabolic springs and Gaz adjustable shockers. It had taken me almost 18 months to get to this point and I was looking forward to getting the shell off to the painters. Although POPPY came of the production line in December 1970 painted in midnight blue and when I bought it, it was British racing green, I decided that I would paint it Flame red equally a 1970/71 paint colour . Now my attention was moved to the engine and gearbox. The gearbox was a non overdrive unit and as I would prefer overdrive I managed to find a overhauled gearbox overdrive unit . The engine however was another issue , once stripped I could see it was ready for a full rebuild , on in- spection it had already been rebored to +060” so would need liners fitted, but as it was the original engine I wished to keep it with matching numbers, so off to the machine shop it went , along with the crankshaft , con rods and Cylinder head. With the shell now picked up and the engine returned ready for rebuild I cracked on , there now light at the end of the tunnel. Up to this point I was never too stressed but there were a couple of jobs that turned the tide.

14 Fitting the heater - I have to say fitting the heater unit tested my patience, trying to get it back in the hole with the thick rubber seal seemed impossible, after reading up about it on several sites nobody finds it an easy task . After a fair passage of time, much shouting and swearing and plenty of various lubricants it finally slipped in, I am not sure I wish to take it out again though. It is a toss up which is the worst job on a MGBGT, replacing the heater or fitting the front and rear windscreens. One thing worth mentioning is, get the right screen rubbers to start with . After much research I found that www.Coh- Baines.co.uk were the original suppliers and still supply most original rubbers for MGBGT . Once the windscreen and rubber is fitted the small rubber beading is pushed into the rubber seal to lock the glass in place , once this is in you then have to fit the chrome trim strip which takes much patience and care , at first it appears impossible, there is no tool for doing it but once you find the knack with a thin bent screwdriver it does eventually go in, but it took me a full day each to fit the front and back window. On the downward slope now, I have rebuilt the engine and fitted the engine /gearbox back in the car and moved onto the interior . I decided to change the interior colour from black to biscuit, I bought a complete kit from ”Mirror trim” and rebuilt the seats myself which I have to say was easier than I imag- ined. In total the restoration took me 3 ½ years and now has 500 miles on her , the last year of covid has curtailed our enjoyment as Poppy the MGBGT lays sat in the heated garage, hopefully it will soon celebrate its 50th birthday in the summer sun this year. We are looking forward to the MGB register weekend away in September at the Barony castle hotel in Scotland. Chris Pick

15 For this edition’s selection of photos I am delving into an old cd of Club shows. No information regarding when these shows were, I recognise some people and cars but there are a lot I don’t know. Maybe some longer serving members will recognise something or even their younger selves.

This is a club turnout at Hickleton Hall. A stab at that being Trevor Miller seems a reasonably Clouseau thing to do , I can see our club flag and Cyril’s Granada in the second one but who else?

16 This page selection is from Leeds Steam, again no idea when. Is that Phil Carr’s Cadillac?, maybe Roy Mortimer’s Austin 1800.

I am going to have a stab at John Overton’s Austin there but don’t know the others.

It was a steam fair so here is a steam showman’s engine.

I am fairly sure that this is Derek and Mavis, not members any more but I know them as my son bought their house in Ashton Avenue. I have met them several times at Thoresby Hall and Brods- worth still showing their car. Nice people.

Photos from Wollaton, Rodger Trehearne’s Vanden Plas I believe, maybe Melv Turner’s car with Lance’s Austin next to it? but what about the large display in front of the hall?

Sandtoft with all the trolley buses, still a good show when it can run. Stuart looking dapper in a Model T Ford.

I keep seeing this Mercedes in the old photos but no idea who owned it.

This VW screams Andy Warren to me but no idea if that is even close. I bet that he likes it.

The last one from the trip round a memory cd, two rather lovely Fords at a show in Filey. Rock n Roll clothes for Rock n Roll cars. That’s it, if any of you want to fill in the gaps for us newer members, feel free. You know how to find me.

19 Rover 10

The Rover 10/25 was a small car built by Rover 1929 Rover 10 from mid-1927. Sometime between March and September 1927, Rover increased the bore of their 9/20hp by 3 mm and renamed the model 10/25hp to indicate the engine's 10 per cent increased capacity but 25 per cent increase in claimed output. The drive shaft was also enclosed. The Rover 9/20 remained available in showrooms.

With the Rover 8 and Rover 9/20 chassis and enlarged 9/20 engine, the 10/25 chassis was conventional with rigid axles and leaf spring suspension all round, half elliptic at the front and quarter elliptic behind. The four cylinder, overhead valve engine's capacity had been increased by ten per cent to 1185 cc. Drive was to the rear wheels through a three speed gearbox. There were internally expanding brakes on all four wheels. Its magneto ignition was replaced by coil ignition in 1929.

Available bodies, either 2-seater or 4-seater were: open tourer or semi-sports tourer or as a 4-seater saloon.

The 4-seater saloons were provided with a Weymann fabric body built by Rover under licence at Parkside. A standard Paris body with a folding roof was rebranded Riviera. The saloon windows were given double sliding panels for ventilation. Equipment in the Paris body included: leather upholstery, five lamps, two electric horns, eight-day clock, automatic screen wiper, roof ventilator and lamp, companions, rear blind controllable from the driver’s seat, folding luggage grid etc.

The Riviera model had the same fittings but in addition the roof was flexible. It folded back like an ordi- nary roof over about two-thirds of its length.

In October 1928 the bonnet was lengthened and a Weymann Sportsman's Coupé was added to the range. Seating four it had two 40 inch doors. Rover 10/25 Weymann body A high-line Regal model available on all bodies was introduced in 1928. Priced at a 12 per cent premium it came with a sliding roof, bumpers front and rear, safety glass, vacuum servo braking, two spare wheels and special mats.

The existing Weymann bodied Riviera and Sportsman's Coupé models were joined in August 1930 by a "coachbuilt" model. Pressed Steel supplied these all-steel bodies to Rover, painted and trimmed, for a much lower price than the cost of Rover's in-house Weymann bodies but Rover charged the same price for the three models fully equipped with safety glass windscreen, an electric windscreen wiper and a luggage grid. The bodies were new, roomier and they had a new shape. Wire wheels were £5 extra.

20 The Family 10 was announced in August 1930, the steel safety saloon, with safety-glass windscreen, continued alongside the Weymann saloon and Weymann Sportsman's Coupé all given a new name but still the same car on the same old Rover 8 chassis though with improved rear suspension. Its half-elliptic springs replaced the previous car's quarter- elliptics. The Family Ten would continue after July 1932 alongside the new redesigned-under-the-skin 1930 Rover 10/25 10 Special. Sliding roof, cam steering and a new type radiator stone guard of improved appearance were improvements the Family 10 shared with the new Special. The 10 Special's 4-speed gearbox was available as an optional extra.

The correspondent of The Times reported the smooth and quiet steel saloon would reach 46 mph on the straight. Once under way the acceleration was satisfying. The large bonnet and small engine made for easy access to components. The controls were good, the steering light and steady, brakes effective. There were one or two body squeaks.

In February 1932 "following a re-organisation of the company's management, Rover announced strengthening of the Family Ten chassis by using heavier gauge material and re-designed cross members to improve torsional rigidity. These improvements were, they said, the outcome of lengthy test- ing on New Zealand's and Australia's roughest roads carried out to make the cars suitable for over- seas use. Petrol was now supplied from the tank by Autovac. A four-speed gearbox with quiet third was standard on the de-luxe car and optional on the others. Brakes and springing had also been improved. There were detail improvements in the de-luxe car now trimmed in hide.

For the 10 Special, an all new chassis with four speed gearbox, freewheel, automatic restart, bigger brakes, automatic clutch spiral bevel final drive and other facilities for the driver but bearing the same Pressed Steel body and, for the moment, the same engine was announced in July 1932. It was sold alongside the Family Ten for a 17 per cent premium.

The engine was now supported at just three not four points using special rubber insulation to con- 1933 Rover 10 Special trol noise and vibration. Rover's—as it was pro- moted— Easy-free gear change was a new 4-speed gearbox with constant mesh double-helical gears for 2nd and 3rd and a freewheel device with its control beside the driver. A further convenience was an optional extra power-controlled or automatic clutch.

A Startix automatic engine starter was fitted. Startix was activated when the ignition was switched on and, in addition, operated automatically if the engine stalled. The new change-speed system meant gears might be changed after a slight easing of the accelerator without using the clutch yet making no noise. A knob on the instrument panel switched off the freewheel and returned the gearbox to orthodox. The half-elliptic spring on both axles are controlled by hydraulic shock- absorbers. Freewheel was to remain a feature of Rovers for more than 20 years.

21 The freewheel transmission placed more reliance on the braking system. The new brakes were Lockheed hydraulic with large diameter drums, they were self- compensating and self-lubricating. Special plant was installed at Rover's works to spray the inside of all body panels with asbestos to ensure quiet- ness fire-proofing etc and insulation from extremes of heat and cold. (worth knowing about the asbestos if anyone has or buys one-Ed) 1946 Rover 10 P2

The body was mounted on a sub-frame with ample insulating material between frame and body. Body joints received treatment to avoid squeaks and the doors were fitted with silencers.

The 1933 10 announced in the autumn of 1933 was really a new car with new underslung chassis and new 1389 cc engine. It was the first car to be developed by Rover after the Wilks brothers joined the company. The car was relatively expensive at £238 - the Austin 10 was £168 - and reflected the new company policy of moving upmarket rather than chasing volume. The Pressed Steel body was continued but there were no more fabric bodied models. Chassis were also supplied to a wide range of exter- nal coachbuilders.

The engine was flexibly mounted in the chassis to reduce vibration and a freewheel device was fitted to help gear changing on the non-synchromesh gearbox and save fuel, a 15% improvement in economy was claimed. The final version of the 10 was launched in 1939.

This was part of the Rover P2 range, along with Rover 12, Rover 14, Rover 16 and Rover 20 models. The chassis was slightly modified getting an extra half inch in the wheelbase and the engine got a new cylinder head increasing power from 44 to 48 bhp. Synchromesh was fitted to the top two ratios on the gearbox. The body was restyled in the Rover style of the time. The price was now £275 for the saloon but few were made before the outbreak of war and production stopping in 1940.

1946 Rover 10/25 The Coventry factory was damaged by bombing in November 1940 and when production restarted it was from the new Solihull works. The cars were little changed but a left hand drive version to help the export drive arrived in 1947 along with an optional heater.

The final cars were made in 1947.

On the subject of Rovers, I went to an alehouse I used to frequent, and I told the landlady my money was spent, I asked her for credit- she answered me Nay……………………………..

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Steering & Engine Spares for Cars, Commercials & Tractors First Contact John Davis - 01724 784230 (Phone, Fax, Answerphone) John Davis, Beltoft House, BELTOFT, North Lincs, DN9 1NE E-MAIL: [email protected]

SPECIAL OFFER TO CLUB MEMBERS - 10% DISCOUNT ON ALL SALES

23 The BSA Spitfire This was a high-performance BSA motorcycle made from 1966 to 1968 with model des- ignations of MkII, MkIII and MkIV.

Announced at the Brighton motorcycle show held during September 1965, it was based on the earlier BSA Lightning with a power- upgrade achieved by higher compression- ratio 10.5:1 pistons and two large- bore Amal GP carburetors with velocity stacks it was one of the first BSAs to have 12-volt electrics. At introduction in 1966, it was the fastest standard BSA ever produced and the fastest standard motorcycle tested by Motor Cy- cle with a best run at 123 mph and average of 119.2 mph. The Spitfire was used for travelling Mar- shalls' course duties at the 1967 Isle of Man TT races. The first A65S Spitfire of 1966 was confusingly designated Mark II and had a number of new features including two-way damped front forks, Girling shocks and a brace between the downswept exhaust pipes. The bike was supplied as a sports-tourer with raised handlebar, forward-mounted rider footrests, a large dual seat with race-styled hump, and the glass-fibre fuel tank and side panels covering the oil tank/tool compartment and battery were finished in Peony Red. The UK Spitfire had a conventional four gallon tank, with a large five gallon option from 1967. A selection of factory extras were available to enable the model to enter Production Races, including a fairing and single racing seat.

Two large-bore Amal GP carburetors with velocity stacks improved acceleration but made the Spitfire hard to kick start when the engine was hot, so owners chose to replace them with Amal concentric carburetors with more conventional round air filters and this became the factory supplied specification in 1967. Keen to boost sales in the US market BSA produced a Spitfire with a two gallon fuel tank following the trend set by the Harley Davidson Sportster. Spitfire Mark III For the 1967 Model Year (MY) the Spitfire was upgraded and designated as Mark III. The racing Amal GP carburettors with open-intakes (bellmouths) were replaced by Amal Concentrics with individual chome filters which enabled better low-range engine response.

The fuel tank was enlarged to five gallons, which hampered both spark plug and carburetor accessibil- ity. Both Mark II and Mark III UK models carried the traditional BSA 'flash' side-panel badges inset in the side cover gelcoat. The export Mark III, a majority of the Spitfires, had a transfer on the side covers similar (but not the same) as the other '67 model year machines. Other modifications were Amal alloy (aluminium) control levers with click-stop cable adjusters, production of which BSA took over from Amal, marketed under their 'Motoplas' accessories branding, and the Zener diode voltage regulator was installed in an aluminium heat-sink mounted high on the front frame tubes to benefit from the cooling airstream. Spitfire Mark IV The 1968 Mark IV Spitfire was the last year of the 'Mark' Spitfires made. Amal's Concentric carburetors were combined with twin-leading-shoe front brakes and independently adjustable Lucas ignition points for easier starting and tuning. Engine power output was increased to 53 bhp. A total of 1291 true 1968 model year Spitfires were produced, not counting the 478 'hybrid' 1968 Spitfires that have 1967 style numbers. The 'hybrids' were dispatched in March to May 1968 near the end of the 1968 model year.

24 Information taken from club & event websites, social media & Morgans Updates Exhibitors should contact the appropriate organisation for further information. DO NOT contact the Traditional Car Club about events organised by others. It is likely shows will not occur until June 2021. PROVISIONAL dates 2021 (may change). *=entry form available. Abbreviations below Apr 18 Lincoln Big Mini Day (TVMOC) Cancelled, may be re arranged Apr 25 FBHVC Drive it Day May 3 Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury (YTCC) Cancelled May 8 Notts County Show, Newark Showground CANCELLED May 9 Normanby Hall Classic Show (Lincs A30/35 OC) £3 If anyone has entered the 2020 event your passes will be valid for the 2021 event. May 9 Tadcaster Classic Show, John Smiths Brewery Car Park (Leeds MG&CCC) NOW 27TH JUNE May 15-16 Haworth 1940s weekend CANCELLED May 16 Lindholme Classic Tour NOW 25TH JULY May 23 Dewsbury Bus Museum Spring Rally & Running Day May 23 Mini, Moggy & Classic Cars (TVMOC) May 23 Woodhall Spa Country Show CANCELLED May 31 Yorks Classic Show, Ripley Castle, Harrogate HG3 3AY (MW) May 31 Duncombe Park Country Fair, Helmsley, N. Yorks CANCELLED June 5-6 Tractorfest, Newby Hall. Car entries 01274 833769 CANCELLED June 6 Messingham Show CANCELLED June 6 Oakwell Hall, Batley (Yorks. Rover Club) CANCELLED June 9 Eckington Classic Rally, Renishaw Hall (Rotary) moved to 29th June June 11-13 Practical Classics Restoration Show, NEC Birmingham POSTPONED June 13 Ripon Classic Show, Ripon Racecourse (MW) June 13 Locke Park, Barnsley (YTCC) Cancelled June 19 Grenoside Gala, Sheffield 07815 738291 POSTPONED TO AUG 28 OR SEPT 4. June 20 North Yorks County Show CANCELLED June 20 Brocklesby Country Fair, Lincs CANCELLED June 20 Yorks Modified Car Show, Scampston Hall, Malton (OS) June 21 Hope Motor Show, Travellers Rest, Hope Valley (SHMC) CANCELLED June 25-27 Yorkshire Motorsport Festival, Holmfirth (https://ymsf.net/) June 26-27 Wonderland Car Festival, Ferry Farm, Hoveringham, Notts NG14 7JP* June 26-27 Sheffield Steam & Vintage Rally Rackford Road, North Anston, S25 4DF June 27 Horbury Show (TBC) June 27 Parkside Classic Run (CS) NEW DATE June 27 Tadcaster Classic Show, John Smiths Brewery Car Park (Leeds MG&CCC) NEW DATE July 2 Thornes Park Gathering, Wakefield (Fleur de Lys CVS) July 3-4 Winterton Agricultural Show CANCELLED July 3-4 Duncombe Park Steam Rally (GYTEC) CANCELLED July 4 Huby & Sutton Show CANCELLED July 17 Bishop Wilton Show July 17-18 Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival CANCELLED July 17-18 Masham Steam Rally, Marfield Fields north of Masham CANCELLED July 18 Crowle Show CANCELLED July 18 Ashover Classic Rally (Rotary) July 18 Newby Hall Rally (NECPWA) MAY NOT HAPPEN July 24-25 Wolds Vintage Group Rally CANCELLED July 25 Sandtoft Gathering (TM) CANCELLED July 25 Aldborough & Boroughbridge Show July 25 Lindholme Classic Tour NEW DATE July 25 Ripon Old Cars, Ripon Racecourse CANCELLED July 30-Aug 1 Leyburn 1940s event, N. Yorks. July 31-Aug 1 Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend July 31-Aug 1 Yorks Game & Country Fair, Scampston Hall, Malton (OS)

25 Aug 1 Sykehouse Show (CANCELLED) Aug 1 Tockwith Show Decision in a month Aug 1 Yorkshire Pudding run (Leeds MG&CCC)* Aug 1 Bridlington Lions Carnival Aug 6-8 VW Festival, Harewood House Aug 6-8 Whitby Traction Engine Rally (OS) Aug 6-8 Morris Register National Rally, Thoresby Park, Notts.* Aug 7-8 Driffield Steam Fair, Driffield Showground (Custom Shows, PO Box 93, Pickering YO18 9AU. https://www.driffieldsteamfair.co.uk/ ) Aug 8 Harrogate MG Club Rally, Pateley Bridge (Provisional date) Aug 8 Locke Park, Barnsley (YTCC) Aug 8 Dewsbury Bus Museum Summer Spectacular Aug 14 Halifax Agricultural Show Aug 14-15 Emley Moor Motor & Steam Transport Rally Aug 15 Chesterfield Motorfest Aug 21 Auckley Show Aug 21-22 Lincolnshire Steam Rally Aug 21-22 Passion for Power Classic Show, Tatton Park (CAP) Aug 22 Whitby Regatta Aug 22 Burley Classic Show CANCELLED Aug 22 Glossop Classic & SSAFA Show, Manor Park SK13 7SH (GVEC) online booking Aug 28 St Gemma’s Classic Show, Temple Newsam (Leeds MG&CCC)* Aug 28 Grenoside Gala, Sheffield 07815 738291 OR SEPT 4TH Aug 29-30 Whitby War Weekend (OS) Aug 29 Ripon Classic Show, Ripon Racecourse (MW) Aug 30 Yorks Classic Show, Ripley Castle, Harrogate HG3 3AY (MW) Aug 30 Epworth Show (CANCELLED) Aug 30-31 Notts Classic Show, Thoresby Park NG22 9EP (AG) Sept 3-5 Chatsworth Country Fair Sept 4 Grenoside Gala, Sheffield 07815 738291 OR AUG 28TH Sept 4-5 Yorks Traction Engine Rally, Scampston Hall, Malton (OS) Sept 5 Wragby Show Sept 5 Kirklees Light Railway, Clayton West HD8 9XJ (YTCC) Sept 5th Bircotes Classic Car Day Sept 11-12 Hunton Steam Gathering DL8 1QF Sept 11-12 Driifield Car Craze, Driffield Showground Sept 12 Otley Vintage Transport Extravaganza, Knotford Nook, Pool Road, LS21 1EA. Booking suspend- ed Sept 17-19 Grassington 1940s weekend Sept 17-19 Doncaster VW Festival, Parklands, Doncaster Sept 18-19 Crowle 1940s weekend CANCELLED Sept 19 Knavesmire Rally, York racecourse (YHVG)* Oct 2 Sturton & Stow Show Oct 2-3 Bus & Coach Weekend, Kirlees Light Railway Clayton West HD8 9XJ Oct 17 Isle of Axholme Running Day & Rally, Sandtoft (TM) Nov 12-14 Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham Nov 14 Dewsbury Bus Museum Running Day

CANCELLATIONS 2021 at a glance Ackworth Scammell Spectacular Braithwell Church & Country Fair Brocklesby Country Fair Bronte Vintage Gathering Burley Classic Show Crowle Show Crowle & Ealand 1940s weekend Doncaster Classic Car & Bike Show

26 Duncombe Park Steam Rally Duncombe Park Country Fair Haworth 1940s Weekend Hope Motor Show (SHMC) Huby & Sutton Show Keighley Festival of Transport Lakes Classic Vehicle Show, Ambleside Masham Steam Rally Messingham Show N. Yorks County Show Notts County Show Oakwell Hall, Batley (Yorks. Rover Club) Practical Classics Restoration Show, NEC Birmingham Ripon Old Cars (Classic Car Gathering) Sandtoft Gathering Tally Ho Run Thornton le Dale Spring Gala Tractorfest, Newby Hall Trans-Pennine Run (HCVS) Winterton Agricultural Show Wolds Vintage Group Rally Woodhall Spa Country Show Woodhall Spa 40s weekend Wortley Classic Rally, Sheffield

RE-ARRANGED SHOWS FOR 2022 Mar 18-20 Practical Classics Restoration Show, NEC Birmingham June 2 Keighley Festival of Transport June 5 Messingham Show June 12 Gringley Open Gardens & Classic Show June 19 Brocklesby Country Fair June 26 Horbury Show July 2-3 Duncombe Park Steam Rally July 9-10 Woodhall Spa 40s Festival July 16-17 Masham Steam Rally

South Yorkshire Transport Museum (SYTM) hold open days each month – see their website. Museum closed until July 2021 at the earliest. Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum Closed - may open 30th May 2021 NECPWA York branch suggest there will be no event at Sledmere Hall in 2021 usually held at the end of June. Their provisional 2021 events are possibly for NECPWA members only, 31 May Wassand Hall, 6 June Mr Moos Ice Cream Parlour, 20 June Yorks Museum of Farming, 11 July Scampston Hall, 28 August Pocklington. If they become generally available, I will add them to the above list. Gringley on the Hill Open Gardens and Classic Car Show has been postponed until 2022.

If you wish to enter an event please refer to the Events Folder which will give more details. If you know details of any local events, please inform Rodger. A copy of an entry form is ideal so it can be copied, giving others the opportunity to enter. Other event sources; In the north; https://.morgansyearbook.co.uk In the south; www.yeomansyearbook.org.uk

27 Abbreviations: NVTEC National Vintage Tractor & Engine Club www.penninegroup.net NYMR North Yorks Moors Railway https://www.nymr.co.uk/Pages/Events/Category/events PWA7C Pre War Austin 7 Club www.pwa7c.co.uk

AG Andrew Greenwood Shows www.classicshows.org CAP Cheshire Auto Promotions www.cheshireautopromotions.co.uk CS Crooked Spire Classic Tours http://www.crookedspireclassic.co.uk/ DBM Dewsbury Bus Museum www.dewsburybusmuseum.org EH Organised by English Heritage www.english-heritage.org.uk 01302 722598 / 0370 3331181 EYTCC East Yorks. Thoroughbred Club, www.eytcc.org.uk GVEC Glossop Vehicle Enthusiasts Club www.gvec.club GYTEC Great Yorkshire Traction Engine Club www.gytec.weebly.com JB John Brook, Brickyard Farm, Badsworth, Pontefract WF9 1AX ([email protected]) JTU Just turn up LLMC Lincs Louth MC http://www.lincslouthclassics.co.uk/ LVVS Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society www.lvvs.org.uk MMOC Morris Minor Owners Club www.mmoc.org.uk MW Mark Woodward Shows www.markwoodwardclassicevents.com OS [email protected], 08432 897631 NECPWA North of England Classic & Pre-war Automobiles Club www.necpwa.org SHMC Sheffield & Hallamshire Motor Club SYTM South Yorks. Transport Museum, Waddington Way, Aldwarke, Rotherham. www.sytm.co.uk TBC/TBA To Be Confirmed/Announced TCCD Traditional Car Club of Doncaster, www.traditionalcarclub.co.uk TM Trolleybus Museum, Sandtoft www.sandtoft.org.uk TVMOC Trent Valley Mini Owners Club http://trentvalleymoc.co.uk/ WRBG West Riding Bus Group YHVG York Historic Vehicle Group www.yhvg.uk YTCC Yorkshire Thoroughbred Car Club www.ytcc.co.uk NEWBY HALL ARRANGEMENTS 2021 Please Note: the information below is STILL PROVISIONAL. Everyone hopes it will proceed but at the time of writing this the organisers are still making arrangements and following Government Guidance.

NECPWA Annual Rally and Autojumble at Newby Hall is organised by the Bishop Auckland Branch of NECPWA and is the largest Classic Car Show in the North of England with a maximum of 1,000 cars on display from all era's and cars registered prior to 31st December 1979 which is usually held on the 3rd Sunday in July. (July 18th) Location: Newby Hall Ripon North Yorkshire HG4 5AE Satnav use HG4 5AJ For 2021 Special Arrangements will be in place as follows: We are proposing the following: Our website will have an entry form for both vehicle and auto jumble entrants, this will not be available until May 17th. This gives us an opportunity should things change, and ample time to process. The form will ask for:- full contact details for all people in the vehicle,- Make, Model & registration number of vehicle. By submitting the form entrants must agree that:-

All correspondence will be via Email to Rob Moore goto.newby.ccshow at gmail.com Social distancing will apply during the event (people & vehicles should be at least 2 metres apart) or current guidelines. Vehicles will be parked as they arrive and NOT in classes (if you wish to park next to friends you MUST arrive with them) There will be no judging this year. All vehicles should be pre 1981 and classed by the DVLA as 'Historic' (if not, you will be directed to the public car park) You must arrive with the vehicle & occupants as entered on your application, no substitutions will be allowed. No Exhibitor Entrance Will Be Allowed Without Having Been Pre Booked and Confirmed

Members are asked to note: Closing Date: 18th June (or earlier if fully subscribed) CAR Entry Application Form: Available 17th May 2021 - Limited to 1,000 cars

28 Meanwhile, a look at the members only facebook page shows that Mike has taken some time off from making us laugh to do some more on the A30. No, he has not been doing road works on the road to the South West, and he hasn’t been on the A303 moving the Stonehenge monument round for British Summer time either. We are talking about the continued job of saving Albert. I can see a good logic going on here, if you are going to get the engine done so it goes, do the brakes so it stops. While it has fallen over anyway, paint the roof. Seems to know what he is doing anyway. (Ed)

29 Another little car spot photo, minis are popular, nice old ambulance at the back and another Herald whose door doesn’t shut properly. I think that they were made like that.

Reindeer Hotel, Doncaster, not a crash helmet in sight. It is like the girder front fork collective.

Quick word of advice— If I ask you ‘Do you want me to be honest?’ Say NO.

30 Tradsheet. I am now doing both e-mail or post version. Don’t forget that you can choose which you want. I am glad that we can include those without technology again and look forward to when we can all meet up safely. The times, they are a changing. If anyone wants to change from email to post or vice versa, let me know via email please, details on page 2. You just have to tell me your name.

No mention of the Herald or Vitesse I see, cheeky.