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THE
ALMANAC IS HERE!! NOW FULL COLOUR - MORE PAGES - NEW LOOK CMM! FEBRUARY ISSUE
WITH THE 2010 ALMANAC IN THE POST TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS FRIDAY JANUARY 29!!
OFF-LINE - In the January 2010 Issue, No. 250;
JANUARY 2010 ISSUE: OUR 21st year of publication, CMM is changing,
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As usual, in our latest issue - in the year where we celebrate our 21st
Anniversary - we've a run down on all that's best in the classic car
world! On Your Marques looks at news from the clubs,with the spotlight
this month falling on plans for the big Alfa Romeo Centenary and a
new venue for the Scottish All Rover Rally, Magpie says that
it's Curiouser and Curiouser..., and in the Spannerman column
the old boy's subject is Spannerman & New Year. Plus,
our column by former National Motor Museum Curator, Michael Ware, David Landers
looks at the Climate Change Summit in Oh Brave New World... , while
Peter Love gives us another Love Steam and Commercial Break.
Plus there are news snippets galore, three readers competitions to win some
great prizes, Michael Ware's column The Professionals, a chance to
win a great Revell Model in our Letters column, and our very own 'autogrumbler'
has a go in Russell's Ramblings, a look this
terrible news with some exclusive pictures of the post fire damage at the
50s Museum, we go filming with the Devon Vintage Car Club, we examine 50
Years of The M1, and we have show reports from the Essen Motor Show, plus
commercials at the NEC. Look out for all the news and snippets, plus
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OH BRAVE NEW WORLD...
"...I’M
WRITING THIS ON THE EVE
of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. The man who claims he saved the
world’s banking system, our very own Prime Minister, Gordon Brown,
says that Copenhagen is the last chance to save the world itself.
Sceptics, on the other hand, dismiss it as one more stitch-up by the ‘climate
change industry’. Even if we accept that the world is warming, the
sceptics believe that this is normal global change - part of a naturally
occurring cycle - and that mankind has played little or no part in it.
Consequently, they would argue that mankind can’t stop it by cutting
down on releases of so-called ‘greenhouse gases’. And there’s
no doubt that the sceptics’ case has been strengthened by a string
of e-mails sent (or received by) the climatic research unit at the University
of East Anglia.
On the face of it, this leaked correspondence would appear to show that
scientists have been massaging unwelcome statistics to make them fit a
preconceived model of global warming. Embarrassing data sets, that might
have damaged the ‘people are wrecking the planet’ argument,
have seemingly been hidden - or even destroyed. Research carried out at
this Norwich-based unit forms the basis of much modern climate science,
so there will have to be an investigation - indeed, the matter is serious
enough to prompt a UN-level inquiry. But the arrogance of the researchers
was confirmed when a senior member of the unit called a brash American
opponent an a***-hole, after a live debate on BBC’s Newsnight. Unfortunately
for him, the microphone was still ‘open’ - resulting in a
BBC apology and another black mark against his cause...
It’s not only climate change sceptics who oppose the Copenhagen
summit. Some environmentalists believe that any agreement to limit emissions
will be so compromised as to be next to useless. They claim that the ‘cap
and trade’ approach to carbon is fundamentally flawed - allowing
wealthy nations to continue polluting, at much the same level, by purchasing
carbon certificates from poorer nations. Furthermore; that the carbon
reductions currently claimed by developed countries, such as the UK, have
been largely achieved by out-sourcing our manufacturing to China. (We
get to enjoy even more shiny, high-tech gadgets, while their true environmental
cost is dumped on someone else.)
Certainly, there’s plenty to be cynical about. We are exorted to
save the planet by fitting low-energy light-bulbs, but huge multi-national
conglomerates are persuading us that we need patio-heaters and petrol-engined
leaf-blowers. The government tells us not to waste energy by leaving appliances
on stand-by, yet more and more Britons have decided to install air-conditioning.
And the latest ‘must-have’ domestic fitting is a hot-air body
dryer - just so that you don’t need to rub yourself down with a
towel after showering.
As always, these new consumer trends are promoted by film stars, and other
celebrities. (“Towels, darling? How very primitive...”) The
same celebrities who jet around the world to attend climate conferences.
And who are then photographed in their ‘planet friendly’ hybrid
cars. No doubt they will be equally enthusiastic about the new breed of
electric cars which will be on sale within a year or two..."
Landers Lobby. Read the full article in the current issue out now!
|
SPANNERMAN...
"...IT’S THE
START OF A NEW YEAR
when it probably seems to most of us that things can only get better. Whilst holding
that thought in the forefront of our minds, let’s start by knocking off
a couple of outstanding matters from last year.
First of all, last month’s Myth of the Month. We’d
asked whether it should be the case that a car was able to pass its MOT test,
and then the two front tyres both show the metal banding from inside the carcass
after only travelling as short a distance as a few hundred miles. As promised,
I did a bit of digging and found out that the majority of the “few hundred
miles” travelled had in fact been a motorway trip done at a speed that would
have alerted the speed cameras, had there been any watching. And the other aggravating
factor was the failure to get the tracking adjusted properly after the replacement
of the front suspension components. It also transpired that when the tyres were
replaced, the tracking was checked and found to be in need of adjustment. So now
we know that yes, given the right combination of circumstances, it is possible
to have tyres wear out quite rapidly.
It also reminded me of a question I’ve come across before about the validity
of an MOT certificate. Although the certificate is dated and valid for one year,
it is effectively only any use as an indication of the road worthiness of a car
at the moment it’s signed. The minute the car rolls away from the MOT station,
there’s an argument to say that it’s barely worth the paper it’s
written on.
On with more to do with tyres. I’d promised an update on the situation around
filling our tyres with nitrogen, rather than good old fashioned air. I mentioned
that I’d had some information come through from the company concerned, and
now I’ve had a chance to read it. This company certainly looks like it needs
a lesson in how to put forward an argument. After making a perfectly good case
as to why it is so important to have the right pressures in our tyres, the statement
“..the problem is that compressed air as traditionally used in tyres will
leak out over time, which is why you will find your tyre pressures need topping
up periodically” is made. Fair enough. You’ve got me hooked and I’m
still reading.
Now comes the sales pitch. “Using nitrogen to inflate your tyres can help
to maintain the correct pressures for up to ten times longer than when using compressed
air.” And that’s it. There’s a bit of blurb about what Michelin
have got to say about under inflation of tyres and the adverse effect that can
have on tyre wear and fuel consumption, but there’s not a single word to
substantiate the claim about nitrogen behaving differently to compressed air in
the tyre. Those of you that read Jim Littler‘s letter in October’s
Classic Motor Monthly Reader Letters will have seen how he thinks that nitrogen
inflation in his tyres has produced a benefit, but I’m afraid I’m
going to sit on the fence on that one. Unless of course someone cares to present
a case, rather than just make an unsubstantiated claim.
This month’s TIP FOR THE MONTH is going to help answer
a query from Classic Motor Monthly reader Richard Hawkins. Richard sent
in a query covering a couple of topics, and I understand that a full response
to his query appears elsewhere this month. I wanted to pass on a tip that relates
to the thorny issue of how to best tackle the job of bending brake pipes. Richard
mentions that he has the tools he needs to “produce virtually any angle
of bend that I need”..."
Spannerman & New Year. Read the full article in the current issue out
now!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION..!
"...IT ALL STARTED
WITH A PHONE CALL: ‘Is that Maurice Williams of the Devon Vintage
Car Club?’, my reply: ‘Yes’. ‘ We want some classic cars
for filming - we are told you are the man to talk to’. Reply: ‘Yes
no problem , give me your email address and I will send you a list’. ‘Great,
you have a list, will it have all makes?’ I of course replied in the affirmative.
‘ Great, I have been to a lot of clubs and no one has a list.’ I told
them straight: ‘Should have come here first, we are organised.’
‘We went to the MG club and they only had MG’s’. My reply bordered,
I’m sorry to admit, on sarcasm: ‘Didn’t the name of the club
suggest anything?’ ‘Perhaps it should have’. And then it all
started. Our link being the lovely Clare.
The film which goes out on ZDF, one of Germany’s most popular television
channels is a Rosamunde Pilcher film ‘Let There Be Love’. The story
revolves around a classic car rally. Flete House, where much of the filming was
done is supposed to be the home of the leading man and organiser of the Rally.
His car breaks down on the rally and the leading lady comes along and helps to
get the car going. Then the love story all takes off. She has a bit of history
with a child which she wants to keep secret. The leading man has a crash at some
stage, is injured and so on. You know what I mean...
I emailed our list of about 100 cars and back came a requirement to check availability
on dates of 22 cars. Over half were in the 1920/30 range and when I questioned
these were not classics and it was clear they didn’t know ‘together
from which’. I also realised that the charming folk at Media Filming did
not have a clue what cars were what so our contact, Clare spent an half day in
my office at Bow going through all my reference books to see what each make and
model looked like. Then checking their availability. The team from the Club who
took part were wonderful by emailing car pictures to work from.
It was during this visit that Clare saw my garage and the Marlin I am restoring
without an engine and no front suspension but a lot of rust and asked: ‘Can
I have that car? The outcome was for me to fix a movement dolly on the front and
they came with a Land Rover and trailer and carted the thing of to Boconnic House
in Cornwall some 50 miles away to create a workshop scene.
Crash gear
The next day they arrived with a hire van and emptied my workshop of jacks, axle
stands, my boiler suits, rally plates which are stuck on the wall, fire extinguishers,
wheels, the lot. When I came to bring it back with Peugeot and trailer three days
later I reckon it was getting on for nearly a ton of bits. They even took my brush
so I couldn’t even sweep up. Mark and Ivor were involved at Boconnic with
a Triumph Roadster and an Austin Healey and Dave Patten, who provided a white
XK140, was also used in the workshop scene and the ‘crash’ took place
in the woodland track with fire tender and all the crash gear.
The original brief was for eight cars at Flete House, Ivybridge, to film the start
and finish of a car rally, with some sessions with only one or two cars at other
locations around the area. I have now found in filming that what is on today is
changed tomorrow. In the end we put up something of the order of 27 car days.
It was vital in the beginning that the lead car was an MG but in the end it looked
very like a XK140 to me. We could not supply the XK although we tried very hard
but the constantly changing requirements beat us, and the lead car came from outside
the Club, from the aforementioned Dave Patten..."
Maurice Williams is a star... Read the full article in the current issue
out now!
CURIOUS AND CURIOUSER...
IT’S GREAT
FUN, I FIND, to chance upon something at a toyfair that takes your
fancy. Something totally unexpected and possibly not all related to your
collection at home or what you tend to look out for when trawling the tables.
What exaggerates that feeling of elation is the seller then telling you
that he’s never seen one before or that he doesn’t know anything
about it at all.
Back home, if you’re at all like me, you start to do a bit of research
into the new acquisition. These days it’s all so easy: log on to the
Internet and hey presto! There’s usually something to read about your
latest collectable and so, bit by bit, you begin to piece together the background
to the toy.
Occasionally, of course, the electronic age yields nothing. In such cases
I fall back on my trusty reserve, good old reference books. But then, just
sometimes, nothing is revealed. That’s when the going gets tough and
you have to resort to talking to other dealers and toy specialists. In this
issue I’ve highlighted four such puzzling toys that have come my way
over the years.
I’ll begin with the Bilbax Touring Car. Bilbax, as a manufacturer,
I’ve had no luck in researching. It was obviously around in the aftermath
of the second world war, to judge by the graphics and box art style. The
Silver King shown here turns up from time to time, usually unboxed and is
fashioned from aluminium: a rubber band inside, once wound via the starting
handle, powers the bakelite rear wheels. One story goes that these hand-crafted
vehicles were made from aircraft production left-overs.
Whatever, they are slightly crude but effective, with acetate windscreen
and steering wheel for authenticity. The Tourer’s companion is the
Racing Car, which was confusingly also marketed under the Silver King label:
this is a streamlined, curvaceous model, with little detail to it but with
a rather futuristic look about it. It, too, relies on carefully bent aluminium
and also runs on bakelite wheels.
Aside from these two models, I’ve come across an Overhead Conveyor
Set from the same company – but that’s about it. This latter,
a sort of railway affair, is reminiscent of Meccano and one or two other
metal construction systems of the 1940s and 1950s. If any reader knows any
more about this manufacturer, I’d love to hear from you!
On to item two: this is truly futuristic.
Of tinplate construction, this space age vehicle doubtlessly dates from
the 1950s - or maybe the 1960s. Despite scouring all my robot and rocket-related
reading material, I can find no trace of this caterpillar-tracked planet
crawler. It’s clockwork-powered, like so many of the era, without
a fixed key and the silver and red paintwork is quite striking. Rear-mounted
wire antennae can be swivelled backwards and forwards (for whatever reason)
and the little Perspex or plastic bubble cockpit contains a coloured interior.
Up front is the on/ off lever to regulate the motor as well as a little
sparking machine gun, which flickers up and down as the vehicle progresses.
It’s missing a plastic antenna, but that’s about all..."
Mapie's column. Read the full article in the current issue out now!
|
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