Engine Punk

This is just like the model I had but with more paint remaining.  Many years ago, at a secondhand toy sale at school, I bought two Dinky Toy model vans. One was a rather sorry looking Morris Commercial J type van in the livery of the GPO and the other was a cheeky Trojan 15cwt Dunlop van. They got played to pieces. The Morris Commercial looked thin and underfed. The Trojan looked much more robust. In the undergrowth at Tinker's Park I was reminded of these two model vans when I stumbled across a scanned image the other day of the remains of a Trojan van. I had found this relic in the bushes at a show at Tinker's Park , near Hadlow Down in East Sussex, in or around 1990. There were many other interesting things in the undergrowth and the only means of identifying it was by the maker's plate on the bulkhead. Only once I'd found that, did I know what it was and that a model of it had brought me so much pleasure as a child. I photographed it as a mem...

The KNW Imposter, in 1999 at Hatton Country World. It still sits on its Cobra slot alloy wheels. The KNW Imposter was built by a chap called Keith Hawley using a Siva Llama chassis as a basis. The car was featured in the December 1977 edition of Hot Car magazine. It turned up on a trailer at the 1999 Imp Club National Rally at Hatton Country World where I also had my normal (normal?) Siva Llama. Keith Hawley hailed from Coventry and must have had some involvement with the motor industry. At the time, obvious comparisons were made with the TR7 and he certainly had a good aesthetic sense. However the design pre-dates the TR7. The KNW Imposter was built in 1972. He bought the bare chassis for £135 and since this used standard Imp running gear front and rear this meant he had an instant rolling chassis. Making a one off body in fibreglass is no small undertaking. Keith made a plaster buck and then took moulds off that, after making a scale model. He used aluminium to make the do...

Best picture of the day. I love the dappled lighting effect on this and it's a red/amber/green! Photo : Graham Beddoe This year’s Launceston Trial was supposed to have occurred on 9 th February but Storm Ciara span out of the Atlantic and the Launceston and North Cornwall Motor Club postponed the trial to 15 th March. The weather on the day was wet to begin with but dried up in the afternoon and was even sunny by the end of the trial. Class 7 line up of Phillip Thomas, Francis Thomas with their Dutton Meloses and Steven Ball with his Marlin. The Launceston Trial is a single venue trial and when I travelled to Lew Woods with Mr Graham Beddoe through the backroads, it was raining and had been for some time. Water was running off the waterlogged fields and onto the road. Conditions once in the woods were very wet. After scrutineering and signing on, we received a beautifully executed map of the woods, similar to last year’s. I believe the map was the work of Warin Kelly. ...

In the dark on Simms. Did we get up? Read on (Photo : Peter Browne) For once preparations were well in hand for the Exeter Trial. I had proved the car was running well in a couple of day trials and fitted a new hood. It was even clean and polished before Christmas. Then I got a phone call from Binky. The prangs we’d had with the Honda outfit on the Testing Trial back in the summer had damaged his shoulder and a combination of poor posture and stress at work had put him in a lot of pain. He said he would come down to Cornwall for the start but then went on to ask me about comfortable seats and what was the heater like because the cold upset his neck. I pondered my options. I couldn't put my pedigree chum through a trial in that state. Everyone I knew down this way was either competing or marshalling or on holiday. Nigel Cowling was keen but full of cold and had volunteered to send off the entrants from Betty Cottles at Okehampton. He was prepared to re-arrange but his wif...

From the outside, a little Boxenstop of delights The Boxenstop Museum is a little gem tucked away within walking distance of Tubingen's city centre. Tubingen is a very picturesque university town between the Schwabisch Alp and the Schwarzwald. The city is full of magnificent half-timbered architecture and lies on the banks of the River Neckar. Race bikes to be worshipped The Boxenstop was highly recommended to me by friends in the area. It's the private collection of Rainer and Ute Klink and is often the scene of social events, model railway exhibitions in the winter and classic car runs in the summer. I had tried to visit this small but perfectly museum before. However, the time available to me coincided with the museum's closing hours. On my latest visit I managed to find it open. I say small but it has some 80 cars and motorcycles on display. Although a private collection where space is at a premium, it's well laid out and doesn't feel cramped. BM...

Early morning scrutineering in the car park at The Borough Arms For this year's Camel Classic, I was passengered by none other than the redoubtable Nigel Cowling, who is usually marshalling somewhere or marking out trials sections. He'd bounced for Simon Riddell when he owned my car so knew what it was capable of. He also has extensive navigating experience. A feature of the Camel Classic, which is organised by the Camel Vale Motor Club, is the large number of entries from the Stroud area. I have found that Stroudians(?) are drawn to the area even for our Hillman Imp club meets so regard Stroudites(?) as honorary Bodminians (not to be confused with Bodminium, which is a rare isotype of Kryptonite). After scrutineering at The Borough Arms, we had to wait until a start time of 0942. This year the car classes ran in numerical order, whereas last year the Class 8s started first. Just like last year, though, it all ran very well to time but we had plenty of time to admire th...