Don't believe everything you see on EBay....

'Tis the season to be jolly' so I'm sitting here this Christmas Eve with a glass of malt and thought I would amuse you with some of my findings on EBay:

Firstly a set of seat covers for a Jaguar SS100 - mmm, a nice set in biscuit coloured hide would make a lovely

Christmas present - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-SS-100-roadster-SEAT-COVERS-SETS-7-EMAIL-COLOR-/130416717479?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e5d712ea7#ht_3796wt_1167

Second up is a fridge magnet with a pic of a 1940 Jaguar SS100 - I don't think - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1940-Jaguar-SS-100-Classic-Car-Magnet-/120621436476?pt=Apparel_Merchandise&hash=item1c15990e3c#ht_673wt_1167

Third is a picture of an SS100 with a "Submarine" Spitfire (not a periscope in sight)

and finally the 'piece de resistance' - the following car was advertised as an SS100 replica:

Have a great Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2011.

Flying Scotsman 2011

Whilst visiting The Endurance Rally Association's website http://www.endurorally.com/fscot2011/index.html I came across this lovely painting of an SS100 racing the 'Flying Scotsman'. I hope they don't mind me reproducing it here. Their site is well worth a visit as this rally will be stacked full of fantastic vintage machinery heading from Brooklands to Edinburgh 1/4/11 - 3/4/11. It looks like it will be passing close by to me so I hope I will get the chance to see them. Maybe there will be a '100' or two taking part

A brand new 'Duke' on EBay

A brand new "Duke " SS100 replica is up for sale on EBay in the US.

It is still in kit form but is an amazing opportunity with a starting price of $3600. It seems to be a comprehensive kit only lacking the engine and gearbox.

It can be found at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Replica-Kit-Makes-1939-JAGUAR-SS-100-CAR-KIT-THE-DUKE-/260703333957?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cb3212e45#ht_11082wt_1167

Panther J72 on EBay

You don't see these very often. A 1972 PANTHER J72 in blue is for sale in Great Yarmouth by auction on EBay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-PANTHER-J72-BLUE-/110621902227?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19c1944593#ht_500wt_1156

"In Totally original condition having only covered 6000 miles which were all on dry roads it is probably one on the finest right hand drives of this mark available in the Uk. Only ever been stored in a dry garage it has a manual gearbox with overdrive front suspension completely chrome plated (a big job). It has chrome plated wire wheels.

This car is regrettably for sale due to my ill health, the vehicle has a private plate that is optional at a large reduction of its true value.

Payment can be by either cash, bankers draft, of cheque subject to clearance before collection. I can also arrange with a transporter deliverer uk delivery. Open to any serious offers over £25,000

Phone; 01493 650194 if you have any questions"

These were handbuilt at the Panther Westwinds factory alongside the Panther Lima, Rio and the totally magnificent De Ville. This is a very early one and retailed at £4655

This is a useful website http://www.panthercarclub.com or simply google 'Panther Cars'

My wife doesn't read this blog but (just in case) - if you haven't bought me a christmas present yet, you could do worse!

My Lady in a state of undress

Well I've finally started to strip my Lady Carrie for a spray job. Only got one wing off so far but that wasn't easy as most of the coach bolts turned on themselves. I think there were 12 in total on the one wing and one of the headlamp brackets in particular proved really stubborn most had to be ground off and the awkward ones couldonly be reached with my Dremel which was really slow. Everything has been protected over the years by a liberal application of underseal which is fine except it is very messy to remove.

My intention is to paint the chassis and the suspension before she goes into the shop. Bonnet, rad shell, wings , doors, and front valance all need to come off and the interior stripped out again (At least I know everything fits) I'll have to refit the front wings temporarily for transport to and from the paint shop. I'm going all

stainless for the bolts and think I'll fit mushroom headed allen key bolts to hold the wings on. Sadly it will be a future owner no doubt who will reap the benefit.

Can't decide whether to use polished stainless coach bolts to replace the exposed ones (scuttle) or just have them painted. Would welcome your opinion likewise on colour

choice. She's either going to be Old English White of the old style Arden Green as used on this Rover P5 which is similar to my rather dusty Burago SS100

model. Anyway I've also taken a pic in my untidy garage showing "Lady Carrie" in a state of undress. First time I've really seen the chassis and front suspension. It's only had a quick wire brushing and a dose of gunk but all seems OK.

"If it ain't broke - Don't fix it"

Discovered that Carrie had a leaky exhaust manifold stud some time ago and it turned out that some previous owner had drilled out a stud and had fitted an oversize bolt without cutting a proper thread. The only proper remedy was to remove the head and have a helicoil insert put in. My friend Lee of the Marlin Owner's Club offered to do it for me and check the camshaft out and do any necessary adjustments.

So I thought I would tidy up the engine bay while I was at it - first mistake. I thought it was reasonably clean but it was quite a mission cleaning the aluminium side panels, and the block, the chassis, removing and derusting the battery tray, removing cleaning and painting the alternator and starter, cleaning the carbs, removing the radiator and all the hoses, tidying the wiring etc etc. Now I don't mind doing the work but I had a real issue getting the starter to function again - it looked really pretty but it just wouldn't stop. Had I wired it wrong?

I don't think so but I had it in and out about half a dozen times before taking it in to my local auto electrician and lo and behold it had developed a fault and it was cheaper to buy an old stock recon unit for £15 than have him strip and rebuild it. Problem solved , well not quite, I had another surprise in store. She still wouldn't fire up so I assumed that I hadn't set the camshaft timing correctly so - off with the covers and the belt and start again and ... no it wasn't that. Maybe the distributor ... a bit out. Perhaps it would be more sensible to see if Lee can help.... so.... Lee starts from scratch and checks everything again. It turns out that the main problem lay with the carb. A bit of an internal clean seems to have done the trick. Thanks to Lee she's running nicely and I can now get on with the bodywork stripdown prior to a repaint.

I don't suppose the following has helped the starting process much either!

Classic Roadsters Duke SS100 replica

We get used to seeing a few of these advertised on EBay in the US but they are very rare in the UK. Listed 4 hours ago and now with 4 bids up to £1275 on UK EBay but 'reserve not met', it looks nice in red with a tan hood and champagne upholstery. Sadly it's a 'lefty' which is a shame in the UK unless you live near the south coast and can nip across the channel on a regular basis and have a bit of fun on the autoroutes. I can't show any pics but you can see it on http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1984-CLASSIC-ROADSTERS-RED-/160502212213?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item255ead6675#ht_500wt_1156

She is in North Somerset with a 2.3 pinto engine, 6531 on the clock and an auto box. You can contact the owner of 15 years for further details on 01984 641429

Continental Carismas - Spain/lBelgium/Ireland

I believe that several Carisma Centuries have found their way onto the Continent but I've been unable to trace them. If any readers of this blog can help me find them I'd be most grateful.

The most recent information I have is regarding the following owners and cars:

Ted Legg who used to be secretary of the Carisma owners club believed to live in Spain. His car was 'custard and cream' Reg Q568 NTM. Believed to have been sold.

Miguel Casado Villen last address in Madrid - car details unknown

TJI 6358 (originally CFD 994T) original owner John Bews of Evesham and later sold to Michael English who has sent me a fascinating photographic record of its time in his ownership. Car sold to someone in Belgium via Total Headturners who resprayed it silver from the original red

Robbie Harrison of Hollwood (Ireland) apparently owned a Carisma and may still do so. Car details not known

If anyone can help please email ocheye@mac.com

Lady Jezebel takes to the road after a 12 year break

Congratulations to Kevin Furnish who bought WFN 281T a few weeks ago. After a couple of days freeing the brakes and fitting a new exhaust "Lady Jezebel" as she is now known, has passed her MOT and is on the road somewhat ahead of Kevin's Christmas Day deadline. He sent me some pics and here are a couple.
Apparently the Mangels wire wheel 'baskets' were in the dishwasher and missed the photoshoot! Happy motoring Kevin.

Last day on road

The end of october has come and my road tax is expiring tonight so I thought I would take Carrie for a final blast before I start to strip her for a respray.It was also the first road test of my rear mounted spare. I fitted the spare a week or so ago but felt unsure of the strength of the glassfibre boot and boot lid so I had a couple of substantial steel frames (2.5" wide and 6mm thick) welded up to go inside the lid and the boot surround and it has really stiffened it up. a pair of mini hinges and two chrome turn button locks in addition to the existing boot lock have made it extremely rigid. The balance of the car feels a bit different with the extra weight at the back making the steering a touch lighter. I think it looks so much better now than with the sidemount. I'm still toying with the idea of a leather strap as a 'belt and braces' effort as I am still a little worried that the spinner might vibrate off depositing the spare in the path of following traffic. The trip out was fantastic, it's a lovely time of year here on the edge of the Lakes and the roads were virtually empty, The new stainless exhaust system has a really rorty note and sounded awesome in the narrow country lanes. I loved every minute and took a few pics.

Intermeccanica Squire for Sale

This 1973 Intermeccanica Squire is for sale on eBay in the USA http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-SQUIRE-SS100-73-INTERMECCANICA-SQUIRE-SS-100-MANUFACTURE-CAR-NOT-KIT-/160494569597?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item255e38c87d#ht_11840wt_1167

There are some great pics of this lovely factory built car. The Squire has a very interesting history with only around 50 being made as, if I recall, 50 engines exported to the Turin plant got 'lost' at the Italian factory.

I've just googled and this is a very interesting site http://www.intermeccanica.org/vehicles/squire/Squire_History.htm

A starting bid of $10000 is sought though the reserve is anyone's guess.

Have a look though as they seem beautifully made

Carisma comes out of hiding

Kevin Furnish sent me some terrific pics of his latest acquisition. This car has been mothballed for 12 years and sadly the previous owner has passed away. I was contacted by his daughter via this blog and was able to put Kevin in touch. I am so envious as it looks as though it doesn't need a great deal of work.(famous last words). Kevin is really enthusiastic and aims to be driving it by Christmas (I think he'll need to ask Santa for a flying jacket). I haven't got room here for all the pics but here are a few to savour

Sidemount Well

I have removed my passenger side sidemount well from Carrie as I am mounting the spare on the boot so it is now surplus to requirements. I believe it was original equipment and as such fits the Carisma wing but I suspect will fit some of the American kits. Old picture shows it with ugly rubber trim but this is not necessary.

Anyone interested?

ocheye@mac.com

Set of 14" ford wheels with Mangels basket wires

Mick Bates, the new owner of Lady Anne has asked me to publicise his wheels that he is replacing with knock-on wires (see photo). Anyone interested should email Mick at mickay@blueyonder.co.uk

Spare spinner for sale with SS logo - unused

I've just had a spinner bracket made up to mount my spare on the boot of my Carisma Century and due to a misunderstanding the thread is wrong which means I now have a brand new spare spinner with the SS logo surplus to requirements similar to the one in the pic. I've yet to collect it from the engineers but if my records are correct it is 42mm 8tpi with a R/H thread. It is in perfect condition and will really set off the spare for any Carisma owners out there who can make use of it. I'm looking for about £20.

Andy ocheye@mac.com

Interesting ad on American eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jaguar-SS-100-Kit-car-Roadster-/170536098012?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27b4be58dc#ht_500wt_1182

The "Duke" is rather a nice kit with lovely wing lines although is often over Americanised IMHO. The grille is somewhat different to the usual SS replicas though. However this eBay ad is for an unbuilt kit and potential buyers can make of it what they will but there are scant details in the ad so I suggest getting a full inventory of the parts eg it doesn't actually say that there is a chassis!

I have shown a pic of a finished one as a taster:

Lady Anne on eBay

Terry Bevis' "Lady Anne" has been advertised on eBay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Carisma-Century-Replica-Jaguar-SS100-Kit-Car-/290463965862?pt=Automobiles_UK#ht_500wt_1154 recently. The auction has ended but I don't think it sold. It featured in an earlier piece on the blog. I have recently acquired a pair of similar Lucas Windtone horns and they sound awesome. The WT 28/29's are meant to be particularly loud and they really are! Hoping to get mine replated soon for next year.

Lady Anne seems to be a well looked after car and I would urge anyone interested to 'ask the seller a question' on eBay. If that doesn't work I will pass your contact details to Terry

'Missing' Carisma for sale on EBay

Regular readers of this blog may recall seeing FDA 108V at Stoneleigh in a previous posting.

The car was lost on the radar some time ago and is being advertised on EBay at what seems to be a very reasonable price of £5000 bearing in mind recent sales have topped £10k.

It looks to be in very good order considering it has been mothballed for 12 years. I don't think it will be around for long so interested parties should visit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JAGUAR-SS100-CARISMA-KIT-CAR-PROJECT-/200503699713

cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2eaef3a901#ht_768wt_1139

SS100 down under?

I've had some recent correspondence from Marcus Jones in Australia who is preparing to build an SS100 replica from scratch and having seen the quality of his restoration work I think we can expect something rather special. He sent me the following photos of an SS90 recreation over there with a striking rear end treatment. I understand this was also built from scratch and it is a classic example of what can be achieved. The title of this blog is "Jaguar SS100 - I wish" and I certainly wish I had half the skills of these guys. It makes my attempts seem pretty pathetic. Think I'm going to have to learn how to spray paint though as as I'd been considering taking a brush to my car but am a bit nervous that it would turn out to be a disaster.

Carrie's Rear End!

I've finally begun to tackle Carrie's rear. I've lined the boot and reversed the tank allowing me to fit an Aston style cap on top of the dummy tank rather than the previous filler which was mounted on the side of the car just below the tonneau line. It looked stupid and was a nightmare to fill slopping petrol on the wing every time I filled her.

I want to mount the spare on the rear rather than the current sidemount as per the photo but there are a

number of different options for fixing the spare to a (fibreglass) dummy boot. I have included a pic to give an idea of the position because I may also be fitting a luggage rack later.

Some have opted for a chassis mounted bracket under the spare like the 'lady in red'. Derek Teal's white car has gone for the screw-on approach by reversing the rim. Michael English's car has a unique take with 3 metal straps and a fog light mounted in the middle. I'm unsure which option to choose though I would like to utilise my spare "SS" spinner. If any one has any bright ideas or could provide me with a blueprint I would be most grateful. I don't want to damage the boot (particularly one she's been painted). Any suggestions could go direct to ocheye@mac.com

SS100 replica on Ebay

Left hand drive SS100 replica for sale in UK on Ebay with a starting bid of £10495. This is an Antiques and Collectibles model which has been featured on this blog before. Looks to be a great kit and loads of fun. L/H drive would be great for a run down to Le Mans this weekend. For a closer look visit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beautiful-1937-Jaguar-SS-100-Replica-LHD-Tourer-/260617595718?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cae04eb46#ht_500wt_1154

Hooray - rattle traced!

Ever since I got Carrie I have had an annoying rattle from the front end. I changed a few bushes in the front suspension which tightened things up but did not stop the noise. Last week I took her to my friendly exhaust centre who slightly realigned the pipe as it seemed to rattle against the chassis but, no this didn't resolve the problem.

I jacked her up at home and gave the suspension the once over again but - nothing. In desperation I tried rattling things by hand and lo and behold I found the source of the noise. Inside the radiator shell were mounted a pair of air horns on a very substantial steel plate. However the plate was mounted on a less substantial l-shaped bracket. When I had previously pulled it it seemed solid but on this occasion I pushed it and it swung like a pendulum (again, pulling it produced no movement!) the bracket had almost sheared so I removed it and relocated it and - silence.

What really surprised me though was the fact that the slightest bump produced a rattle and I drove the car very gingerly accordingly. Now I feel so much more confident. It neither feels nor sounds like a rattletrap any more and is a positive pleasure.

Took her to a show yesterday in Rickerby Park, Carlisle and she behaved faultlessly over the rough terrain even with three up (see pic)!

Viking SS100

Sorry about the tiny thumbnail picture but it is the best I could find. It is a Viking SS100 replica which uses Jag mechanicals. This one sold at Bonhams last year for £5175 which was £825 below the guide. Interestingly at the same sale a genuine SS100 in the same colour fetched a mid-estimate £199,500!

There is a part completed Viking on EBay at the moment for a hefty £4995 in Exeter http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120574319639&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1154

I think this proves the point that auctions can be a source of bargains but 'caveat emptor'!

The Viking replica is a new one to me so I would welcome any further information as I think it looks quite nice in the very murky thumbnail above but the one on EBay doesn't have a double humped scuttle which looks a little strange to me.

SS100 replica on UK EBay

Nice LHD replica for sale in Colchester. Looks like it could be an "Antiques and Collectibles" one from Buffalo USA - unless you know better. I wish I could get a folding screen like that for mine!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beautiful-1937-Jaguar-SS-100-Replica-LHD-Tourer-/260598199032?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cacdcf2f8#ht_500wt_1182

Paco Ferrando

How's this for a wonderful painting if you can't afford the real thing. The Spanish Artist Paco Ferrando does the most fantastic paintings and at c£2300 for an original is a damn sight cheaper than most replicas and it doesn't need an MOT! Check him out at http://pacoferrando.com/

First run 2010

Well Carrie's had her first run out of the year and as usual it was eventful.

First off I had trouble filling the tank. Its always been a bit tricky but didn't help that I had taken the tank out to fit a new sender (to go with my new instruments). Before you start writing me off as a total plonker - yes - I had put the tank back. The problem was that the breather pipe for some reason was connected to a chassis bolt which stopped it flapping round but also stopped it breathing. It took me about 10 minutes to get the fuel in much to the amusement of the girl on the till. There was probably as much fuel on my shoes as in the tank!

I took her for a little blast out to Carlisle Airport where Hethersgill Vintage Society were holding their annual rally. I met up with a friend who has a Burlington Beretta (for sale for £3k if anyone's interested - contact me - ocheye@mac.com) and we chewed the cud for an hour or so and as it was getting a bit nippy I drove home before the queues started.

Bank Holiday Monday saw me take my good lady out for a treat in Carrie - the weather was glorious, hood down (of course) and no flying jackets. We went to a local horticultural show and as the morning drew on it got colder and darker. Suffice it to say that we drove home in a massive hailstorm which pleased the wife no end! Anyone who knows me is aware that I am follically challenged and hail on a bald head at speed is bloody painful.

Still a lot of jobs to do, I want to resite the fuel filler, finish the trim, find out why the exhaust sometimes knocks on the chassis, fit a new spray bar, oil change for 20/50 mineral (apparently anything else in a pinto is asking for trouble as it gets too thin at working temperatures) as the pressure drops significantly when hot. It's fine on start up so I assume the pump is OK though I also need to check the pickup pipe for blockages. Oh and I need to overhaul a pair of Lucas wind horns I have bought for her, and I need to find a way to mount my spare on the boot and so on

Then there is just a small matter of a respray. Can't decide whether to have a go myself or pay a king's ransom for someone else.

Still she is running nicely and to paraphrase Frank Spencer "Every day in every way she's getting better and better"

Ocheye

1937 Jaguar SS100 2.5 replica

classiccarsforsale.co.uk are offering a red SS100 replica that was built regardless of expense on an SS chassis with an SS engine and has spent a number of years in a Belgian collection. The coachwork was done in aluminium by Rod Jolley.

A mere 137000 euros will get you the nearest thing to the genuine article. One can dream!

Duke kit - Spotted on ebay

In San Marcos, California there is a very interesting proposition. It is a Duke SS100 replica in need of completion. I don't think it will be cheap as it has had $18000 spent on it.

Interested, try http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Classic-Roadster-1937-jaguar-kit-car-replica_W0QQitemZ270563173666QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item3efed26522#ht_500wt_1145

Carisma won't start!

Well it does start now. I found the problem in the end. One of the wires from the ignition module had fractured. It should have been earthed (a brown wire!). The round earth terminal was hidden by two others at the same point and this is what confused me. As soon as I re-earthed it and turned the starter it fired up. Great relief all round. My fault for believing that it was earthed via the heat sink (doh!) and I spent ages cleaning it up with my dremel to get a good contact. At least it doesn't look quite as scruffy now. I eventually got the color codes from a man selling new ones on the internet - he talked himself out of a sale.

For the record if your sierra based car uses a Motorcraft 83BB12a199b3a095078 ignition module then the codes are as follows:

Brown - earth

Orange - distributor

Purple - distributor

White - tacho

Black - coil +

Green - coil -

It's running beautifully now - Phew!

carisma dash part four

Well I've finally got the dash installed. time has been at a premium of late and it as taken a lot longer than I thought. I've effectively rewired it and installed a second fusebox for auxillaries. My knowledge of vehicle electrics is a bit lacking so I've had to check and double check everything. The upside is everything works bar one thing , I can't get her to fire up. I'm not convinced it is anything I've tinkered with as I have power to the coil, the amplifier (ECU?) and the starter is working. I am failing to get a spark at the plugs so I suspect either the amplifier or the distributor has a fault. It was running perfectly when I took it off the road so this is a bit of a blow but I'm sure it is a minor thing that is managing to elude me for the moment

Steadman TS 100 (SS100 recreation) for sale on EBay

Have just spotted an ad on EBay for a Steadman TS100. There were not many of these made as they were hand built with aluminium panels and used Jaguar running gear. The ad itself is interesting reading. The price is £29995 or best offer. Outside my range I'm afraid. Have a look at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jaguar-SS100-Evocation_W0QQitemZ300414881036QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomobiles_UK?hash=item45f21f4d0c#ht_550wt_1167

If anyone can tell me how to lift photos from ebay it would be nice but I think they have stopped it as a security measure.

The dreaded 'Q' plate

A lot of kitcars in the UK have a dreaded 'Q' plate which indicates that the exact date of manufacture was not recorded when it was first registered. This can have a detrimental effect on the vehicle's value although I am not really sure why it should. It probably has more to do with number plate snobbery than anything else. I would like to reregister my car with a conventional plate to give it a more authentic 30's look but have been told by Swansea that I need confirmation from the manufacturer of the date that the body/chassis unit was manufactured . However, the original invoice/delivery note is not regarded as sufficient. I don't have details of the donor registration as I have failed to trace the original builder and the kit manufacturers Carisma Engineering of Sandy, Beds ceased trading many years ago.

Has anyone got any bright suggestions or do I just have to live with it?

Andy

madabout-kitcars

Here's an interesting link for those interested in the Carisma Century kitcar. There are some lovely new shots of Lady Anne at Detling 2009.

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/pictures/349/Carisma+Engineering_Century

Dash

Well I'm back from Down Under and at last the sun is shining here in Cumbria. Now I've got to make some time to prepare Carrie for the road. Regular followers will know I've been rebuilding my dash to a new design. It's still some way off completion but I have offered it up and it fits pretty well and everything seems to be accessible. Now all I need to do is connect up the wires correctly and calibrate the new speedo. Doesn't sound much but it is a major task for a duffer like me. Anyhow I've taken a pic of the dash roughly in situ covered in cling film and it looks OK but needs relieving round the steering column which I have raised by about 3/4".

As long as I can get everything to work it will be a major improvement over the original (see below).

It seems awfully quiet out there with the exception of John in Wales. I'd love to hear from some of you

Spring has Sprung

A new season is upon us at long last and the last attempt at driving the Lady in Red was freezingly disasterous. In fact I turned around after a couple of miles and went home tail between my legs.
But now we are getting a tropical 8 degrees Celcius and as soon as the Sun comes out it will be high time for a spin to get the cobwebs out of both of us. I think Andy is still in Australia, but not sure and hope to hear from him soon, with news of the trip. I bet he wished he had Carrie with him in all that lovely Sun and heat.
I will keep you informed of my latest trip shortly. Cheers for now. John

January in Wales

I took the "Lady" out for the first time since early December and was intent on giving her a good run to make up for standing time, but only got as far as Caersws (about 4 miles away) and decided it was just too cold to go on so I turned around and went home again. I know I should have put my Biggles hat and goggles on but it does feel silly to wear them. The Sun nevertheless hammered me on the face and I had to look for something to ease the redness. Oh well it was still a great pleasure to drive even that small distance after such a time. Cheers John

I've got one of those - and I'm selling it!

Andy from the Stourbridge area (UK) saw the article on the brand new kit and responded:

Wow, a brand new kit. Is it possible to get a copy of the build manual?
I am selling a completed one - see my ebay ad"

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200431185286

I can't download the pics from Ebay but take a look as it doesn't look as though it needs a great deal of work and is a gift at the moment! It's the same colour scheme as the brand new kit - Coffee and Cream.

Aladdin's cave of SS100 replica parts

Well, not quite but I have been contacted by a gentleman in California who has a complete unbuilt kit from Classic and Automotive.

Most of the parts are still wrapped and it's a fantastic opportunity for someone to build their own replica. As far as I know the only company building replicas these days is the Suffolk Sportscars company which is pretty

much perfection, though at a price.

He may be persuaded to part with it but he is not prepared to split. (I would

have loved the folding screen and the narrow seats !). Carriage and import duty to the UK would probably be impractical but any readers of this blog in the US or Canada could take advantage of what is probably a unique opportunity.

The parts that are not shown such as the body tub, chassis doors etc are wrapped and stored in the attic.

This chassis is designed to take VW mechanics but I believe was al

so offered

with a Ford front engined option and I think these moulds were the basis of the British Carisma prototype. The owner even has a donor Beetle but it looks far too good to me to break as these are now classics in their own right.

Anyone interested should contact via this blog and serious enquirers will have their detail forwarded to the owner.

Please remember where it is and the transport implications.