Engine Punk

Could this be the last surviving Siva Mule? (Photo : Johnathan Twyneham) Before the Hillman Imp-based Siva Llama was the even rarer Mini-based Siva Mule. This particular one is a survivor that belonged, about 12 years ago to a young chap called Jonathan Twyneham. I've lost touch with him but would really like to know if this car made it back on to the road. I remember he was having lots of problems getting the thing to go but as it's Mini-based that shouldn't prove a problem. It's the rare Siva Mule bits that are important and this car looks largely complete - except for the headlights. Headlights are a sore point for me. My Llama has rectangular Mk1 Escort units fitted to the outside of the bodywork, not neatly flush fitted as in the photos. Even with this lash up, the bulbs are wedged up against the inner wing. It's obvious that the Llama was designed to have much shallower headlamp units and when I come to do my body off restoration of my Llama...

As found it looked a little forlorn but compare with the "after" picture below. Photo Tony Suckling It seems that just by writing about something I really stir things up. If you follow my Anarchadia book blog you'll know that real life is starting to follow the fictional world of The Horsepower Whisperer and The Wormton Lamb and probably rejoiced to hear that - from now on - all my books will feature brilliantly sunny weather. Well, now I'm stirring things up with Vintage Things. I blog about them and more come out of the wood work. If ever I fit ICE to my Llama I'll need speakers that big. Photo Tony Suckling This Siva Llama belongs to a doctor who has owned the car from new. He’s commissioned Tony Suckling in Kent to get the car going again and, through the wonders of the interweb, Tony found me to ask a few questions about Siva Llamas. It’s a 1975 car so a few months younger than mine and it looks like it’s the same colour. Mine’s been resprayed but...