Hi, my friend is considering replacing his Alfa 2000 GTV with a MkX/420G this year and he particularly fancies a manual. Can anyone give me a realistic figure for UK survivors and how many of those are manual please? I see that How Many Left is showing 51 of all types on the road in the UK, with a f...

Hi Lucas I tried to send you a pm about my search for a Double Six Coupe for a magazine studio photoshoot near Banbury/M40 junction 11 on February 4, but the message hasn't appeared in my sent folder so I'm not sure that it went. Do you think that you can help please? Phil Bell, editor, Classic Cars...

If you have a smart and cosmetically standard Double Six Coupé and would be willing to bring it along to a studio shoot on February 4, please message me for further details. The studio is just off junction 11 of the M40.

Phil Bell, editor
Classic Cars magazine

Edited because I got a couple of facts wrong. I've fitted a ProRace crankshaft harmonic damper to replace the delaminating and failure-prone standard one on my 1962 3.8 E-type. It requires switching from the original toothed single-V profile belt and pulleys to the double-V (or W-profile if you pref...

I removed the water pump from my 1962 3.8 because it was leaking, I think from where the impeller shaft passes through the pump body. Otherwise the pump seems in good condition – looks like it was rebuilt/replaced when the car was restored 10 years ago – so I'm considering stripping and replacing th...

While I second all of the cautionary tales above, I have successfully removed my IRS three times on my own. The key to making it safer the second time was to invest £120 in a big aluminium race jack with 0.5m lift and nice, widely-spaced wheels. I did all of the loosening and all but the final subfr...

Yes, I wore a mask and used a large desk fan to push fresh air through the car.

I'd say the job was 80-90% preparation, 10-20% skill.

So, this is what worked on my S1 fhc: 1. Peel away the roof lining, pulling the edges from under the cantrails. Because my headlining was in good condition I wanted to re-use it, so I left the front edge tucked beneath the windscreen cantrail. 2. Use plenty of clean cloths dampened with white spirit...

If it's like my S1 fhc, with the headlining glued to the roof panel, and the edges tucked beneath a trimmed cantrail, then it can be done without windscreen removal.

And it's not all that difficult to do.

I can post my method if it helps.

Thanks Art

I'll have a look next week when I have a few days of garage time planned, primarily to drop the rear axle. Again…

Hey Stuart

Been out of the loop recently - JEC site became incompatible with my office IP address - but have a work around now.

So, E-type finished now?

Phil

Hi Peter

If your four speed is in good condition I may be interested in buying it when you do the conversion. Let me know if you're interested.

Phil

1962 FHC

At some point over the next year I need to pull the engine and box, after which I think I should treat myself to a keg of Fyne Avalanche – sound like my kind of beer. Tried several of the Milestone beers at my local beer fest this summer. V good. I've been gathering opinion on the best way to extrac...

Mine hit 50 in February, but I still had all of the rear suspension/diff etc scattered aound the garage floor so I toasted its birthday with a bottle of Harveistoun Bitter & Twisted. Went out for a spin this Sunday and broke down just outside my local. Submerged fuel pump had failed so it wasn't a r...

Does anyone know if all Jaguar 4.2 4-speed manual gearboxes are the same or do E-types use different ratios from other Jaguars?

If there are incorrect gearboxes to avoid, how can I verify an E-type 4.2 box?

Phil