Engine Punk

Podgy- our old school bus - was 848 BOR, a Thames Duple Yeoman coach built in 1961. Here it is seen at Truro in August 1974 (Photo: Brian Botley) By the power of the internet I have received this image of Podgy. A very good friend of mine Peter Yarlett, Professor Emeritus in Ferro-Equinology at the University of Andover (and chair of the Faculty of Yeast Culture) is not only interested in steaming leviathans, as you might have guessed from his distinguished title, but also classic buses. He sent me a link to a well-known internet auction site that advertised a black and white photo of 848BOR when owned by Creamline Coaches of Bordon, long before this fine example of a Thames Duple Yeoman ever came west and carried spotty, snotty school children to Goonhavern County Primary. The auction had long since closed but undeterred I contacted the seller and explained my interest. Unfortunately, that image had sold and was no longer available but after he'd read my blog he got back ...

Tarkus is the title of a 20 minute Emerson, Lake and Palmer prog rock epic describing the three battles of a turret toting armadillo on caterpillar tracks by the name of Tarkus. But of course I knew nothing of this until recently, being a punk rocking gear head. To me, Tarkus was the grandaddy of all Citroen hill climbing trikes. The existence of the hillclimbing Tarkus had often been mentioned just within my earshot in hushed whispers as I stalked around the Cornish hillclimb paddocks and pits. It was always in connection with a fire breathing supercharged Citroen powered trike called Kermit . Gradually, I pieced the story together and discovered that Tarkus was the inspiration behind Kermit. Tarkus was built by a chap with the suitably heroic name of Jake Challenger and is actually one of six. The very first one was originally designed around a two-stroke three-cylinder engine from a DKW (Vintage Thing No. 13) . Tarkus - small loud and very fast. I love the matching helmets...

Those all enveloping front wings need to be that big to allow the steering lock. The radiator mascot is the hilt of a Spanish sword This extraordinary creation caught my eye at the 2011 Crash Box Club Historic Vehicle Gathering at Powderham Castle. It's a post war Alvis clothed in one man's interpretation of outrageous French pre-war coachwork Mike Waters specialises in electric power steering solutions that make classic and vintage cars more useable. His conversions are very neat and unobtrusive and this is a side project that illustrates a long standing interest in French coachwork The epogee (oo that's a good word) of this style was a carossier (another good word) called Figoni et Falaschi (Italians working in Paris) who the Anglo-Saxons nicknamed Phoney & Flashy. The basis was a post-war time-expired Alvis 14 saloon, which donated its chassis, engine, gearbox, radiator and headlamps. Mike knew what lines he wanted and created a new bodyshell around re-p...

In my recently acquired copy of Hot Car magazine for January 1973 I've spotted this advert for an original GP Centron. This is the one as originally conceived with the lifting canopy instead of doors by Pierre du Plessis at GP Concessionaires Ltd and just look who's selling it. Then check out the spec. There's a Porsche flat-6 engine in the back and an ominous comment about being for experienced drivers only. I interpret this as meaning that it was far too fast for its chassis. It would still have had a Beetle chassis and all the joys and disappointments that brings. Nowadays there's quite a lot of chassis tuning expertise for Beetles but back in 1973 cars like these were pioneering ways of showing the limitations of rear-engined swing-axle layouts. But the invitable question is - does this car still survive? And if it does is the paperwork straight? And if that admin hurdle can be overcome, can the latest corner better goodies be applied to it?

My Allegro 1.3 Super in its element - summer time in the Cornish lanes Just over a year ago I chap called Steven (sorry, I don't know your second name) got in touch about my thoughts on the Austin Allegro. It seems I'm not the only one who thinks a fast one would be a Good Idea and a bit of a joke. His remarks were so encouraging I thought I'd share them. "Read your blog on the Allegro Equipe and felt compelled to write. "Like you, I've been looking for the Allegro SuperVroom TV ad. A crummy ad for a crummy car, what with its wobbly Hydragas suspension, floppy body-shell, square steering wheel, lumpen looks, and gutless, under-square engines. "Except that, like you, I can't help feeling that there was a decent car in the Aggro struggling to get out. "The first inkling I had of this was when Rover finally developed the car’s Hydragas suspension system as it always should have been developed – for the K...

The cover of my original copy fell to bits so long ago I'd forgotten what it looked like Today I received in the post a copy of the first ever car magazine I bought. I was nine and a half years old and it made a significant impression on me. I bought it with my Christmas money and got the February edition, too, but by then I'd ran out of cash as my pocket money back then was five new pence. I proceeded to read both these issues of Hot Car until they literally fell apart. So getting my scuffed fingers on a replacement issue of my first ever car mag has been a real trip down memory lane. Pictures like these kept me drawing for years It was the article about the grass track banger racing that really caught my imagination. Here were every day saloons, just like my parents' car, being used in competition. I was hooked and the following summer my father took me to see the 1973 World Banger Championships at the Cornish Stadium at St Austell. I was 10 and it was my ...

There's something mighty fine about early drag racer paint jobs While I prefer Vintage Things that go around corners, there's always something impressive about sheer acceleration. I've recently been in touch with Martin Gleadow who noticed an Allard theme on this blog and and 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of Sydney Allard winning the Monte Carlo Rally in a car he designed and built himself, a feat that is unlikely to be repeated. Martin pointed out that a successful campaign has achieved funding for the restoration of Sydney Allard's dragster as a running exhibit. Coincidentally, I clocked this car at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, last autumn. It's of immense significance because it is the first ever European dragster. Sydney Allard had always enjoyed motorsport ranging from trials to sprints to hillclimbs to rallies and another form of competition that majored on acceleration inevitably attracted him. It needs to go, though He built thi...