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Shame to see another title go to the wall, but like others I haven't bought it for years. It can't be easy to keep a print magazine going with all the challenges/competition/distraction in the world as others have said, but hats off to Kev and Will for their very respectable 18-year run.
I used to buy around 15 titles a month, both old car and old aircraft related. I still mourn Retro Rides, K5054 (very brief), CCC and especially Popular Classics. However, repetition is something I have become increasingly aware of, as well as lazy editorial and so-so photography. I also think my own tastes and interests have evolved, and I am now much more driven by the aesthetic and nostalgic side of my hobbies. The few magazines I still subscribe to are:
Octane, as it's a window into a world I aspire to but don't really inhabit. It's well written, eclectic, high quality and beautifully shot. A real treat when it lands each month.
Classic, Retro, Modern - interesting, varied subjects from the obscure to the once-common, well shot, champions the unusual.
Classic Mercedes and Mercedes Enthusiast - I'm a card-carrying German car pervert and there are usually articles in both about specific models I'm into. Mainstream classic titles don't cover old Mercedes very often.
Practical Classics. I used to have every issue and will certainly have read every one, but I wonder recently if the whole 'Bangernomis' thing is really for me. I love a modern classic, but some of the cars that pass through their pages need to mature a little yet before rarity will pique my interest (personal opinion, not a dig). It may be that I don't renew my subscription and just buy the issues I like the look of.
Beyond the car world, Flypast, Aeroplane and Britain at War. Flypast was the original aeroplane 'hobby' magazine and hooked me from day one (much like the late Popular Classics did for cars). Aeroplane is probably the better read now though, with more expansive articles and niche subjects. Britain at War for the breadth of subject matter.
I think I may be edging increasingly towards the high quality, well written, beautifully photographed and laid out, but more infrequent titles. As others have said, a real event when they arrive, and a proper coffee table magazine to be savoured in the hand in the way a poor monthly or digital content cannot contend with. To this end, a couple of issues of Magneto are heading my way to see if it butters my muffin, as I suspect it may.
What I do have, and cherish, are a few lever arch files of articles cut from all of the magazines I have bought and disposed of over the years. This is a carefully curated reference magazine of my own taste, where articles on my very favourite cars (and admittedly aeroplanes and other miscellany) reside. Much (much!) easier to store than the complete magazines, there are no adverts, no irritating pundits telling me what the market insist I 'must' buy this season, and no articles on cars which mean the world to their owners but not to me (as my fleet perhaps wouldn't appeal to them - broad church and all that).
What I haven't bonded with at all, is online YouTube content. I spend my working day at a computer, and my evenings interfering with a fleet of cars and aeroplanes which may very well be better off if I left them well alone. Cram in time spent trying to do the 'decent husband' thing and I just don't have time to be glued to yet another screen watching what I am sure is very good content. A magazine is more socially acceptable to me, and I find reading to be calming in a frenetic life.
Long may good quality, well written print magazines continue.
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Last Edit: Aug 1, 2022 23:16:46 GMT by airspeed
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A proper keyring is all part of the old car experience for me. I need to have an appropriate keyring for each and every car I own, and that includes the parts cars and those I intend to sell on. At the very least a standard enamel on leather job, which gives a pleasing commonality to the fleet when hung up, but these look best when 'worn in'. However I am always on the lookout for an alternative - usually for the spare keys. I've even been known to buy the keyring before the deal on the car is actually done, and once bought a Fiat X19 on a whim because it was a/ cheap, and b/ went with a key ring I had also bought speculatively on a whim. To underline how poor these decisions were, I'm 6'5" and barely fit in an X19 sideways - I certainly can't drive one, and I knew that before I bought either car or key ring. These below are just some of my current collection. The two Mercedes ones I'm trying to age by keeping house and work keys on, and one of them will migrate to my Fintail keys when it hits the road. The BMC Rosette spent 8 years on my house keys and now looks just right for my Oxford keys. The Wolseley one is a recent acquisition and needs to be aged a bit, but to be honest I'm not struck on it and am hoping to find something better for the 6/110. The SMT keyring is for a Scottish Motor Traction, a defunct dealership chain in Scotland - not sure where that will end up. The plastic E-type is filled with liquid in which little coloured balls happily bob around - truly hideous, but I like it. Some day I may find a sufficiently decrepit E-type to suit, in which I shall happily bob around myself. The ones which mean the most though are the Duckhams oil drop keyrings. Not especially rare, I bought these on ebay when I broke my original after 30 years on my workshop keys. The original was acquired in a goody bag at our local agricultural show when I was about ten, and it takes me right back to that seemingly perfect day of sunshine, new Massey Ferguson Tractors, free brochures, ice cream and time spent with my Grandad.
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Last Edit: Mar 8, 2021 23:11:14 GMT by airspeed
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I had an '03 plate d5, bought with 170k and no history. It was the cheapest I had seen and thought I couldn't go far wrong for £1200. The AWD was broken as usual but everything else worked fine. MASSIVE inside with the seats all down - fridge freezer, tumble dryer, lawnmower, assorted garden tools and other guff all at the same time. I put 30K on it over 3 years, only problem it ever had was an injector seat (£12 kit from Volvo). It was a hack, though a tidy and extremely comfy one. Lots of room for a 6'5" salad dodger too, and an excellent towcar.
The last year I had it it started to delay ever so slightly when selecting drive. Dark times clearly ahead, but it kept on keeping on - then it didn't. Heading home late one night it dropped out of drive of it's own accord, then popped back in. Sensing my journey could end in a walk, I diverted towards my workshop. When all forward motion ceased to be an option a mile further down the road, I was lucky to be off the main road and on country lanes. I managed to get reverse, and tootled the last 4.5 miles backwards with the revs rising and the burning smell getting worse all the time. It never drove forwards or backwards again, though the engine ran as well as when I got it.
Sold it for £600, so managed 3 years and 30k for £600 (man maths). Do I miss it? Yes. Would I sink 8 or 10k into one? Hell no, the gearbox will die just the same. It's basically an XC70 box in a much heavier body and they just don't last. Also, apart from an extremely light facelift, the very first looks identical to the very last (before the new shape Mk2) so your just putting more money at risk if the gearbox goes. When it does, there's no point in a second-hand 'box as you don't know when it will fail, as fail it surely will.
Buy a cheap one, give it a good polish, a set of new headlights and enjoy it while it lasts.
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Sept 1, 2020 21:46:37 GMT
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PM Sent...
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Aug 19, 2020 23:44:20 GMT
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August bump - but now with new photos which show the car and repair panels much better.
Call me anytime on 07717163232!
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1500 Views and it's still here, and still available....
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Jun 16, 2020 19:02:06 GMT
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Car now sold - woohoo!
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Weekend bump - the Fintail is still available. Give me a call on 07717163232.
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As well as the W123 estate project listed elsewhere on this site, I also have a spares car. This is absolutely, definitely, irrefutably NOT saveable. It's a 198,000 rotten pig of a thing with very little going for it. However the OM 617 engine starts and runs well with no smoke. 198,000 remember, so I'm not saying it's perfect but it starts first turn of the key and sounds like it will run forever. The automatic transmission is severely goosed and will only just provide enough drive to move the car, and even that ability is decreasing every time I move it. I will also be spares recovering the rest of the car for trim, lights, glass etc for the other car. So for sale is the engine itself with all ancilliaries. You can take it away with the remains of the car which I will keep in a rolling condition and strip it at home, or if you pay me more money I will remove the engine and palletise it for your carrier to collect. In addition, if you see any W123 parts you need call me and if I don't need it we can do a deal. Sensible offers for everything please. Of course, if you've read this far and are thinking 'Golly I wish I had a W123 project and a spares car to go with it', then call me! Bob 07717163232
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Still here, and with easing of Scottish lockdown around the corner emminently viewable. The car hasn't changed, other than I have bought a better grille for it. Please form an orderly queue, 2m apart....
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Apr 26, 2020 22:23:07 GMT
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Hi Bill, sorry I missed your post. The fintail is an automatic. Give me a call if you like on 07717163232.
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Apr 26, 2020 22:21:46 GMT
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Hi Bill, sorry I missed your post. The fintail is an automatic. Give me a call if you like on 07717163232.
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Apr 20, 2020 23:30:04 GMT
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I had another chest and more stainless worktop left over, so I knocked up another bench in the opposite corner. This will take the small pillar drill, linisher, bench grinder and the polisher, along with a vice to hold the bead roller and shrinker/stretcher. The gap on the left will take an old rollcab I keep my bodywork hammers & dollies in. Again, this is a work-in-progress photo, so excuse the mess.
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Apr 20, 2020 20:42:36 GMT
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I'm part way through building a new workbench in my shed. I have a few architects plan chests, which are great things, if a little deep. They are strong steel drawers with ball bearing runners, perfect for keeping loads of small parts, gaskets, clips etc. These rather dictated the size, though I may have gone a little overboard... The bench itself is around fifteen feet long and three and a half feet deep (due to the plan chests). I built an eight legged frame from 4"x4" timber bolted to the wall and to the floor. I topped this with 6"x3" timber laid on it's side with a layer of 3/4" sterling board, then a layer of 3/4" plywood. I came by way of a quantity of catering worktops from a school so the whole bench is finished off with 2.5mm stainless. I have a another sheet of 3/4" plywood which locates on the top with pegs if I need to strip a gearbox or similar, and I also have a sheet of 6mm rubber which can cover the other half if I need something softer. The back wall and the white spaces between the wall cupboards are covered in GRP-faced 6mm ply so wipe easily, reflect light and are virtually indestructible. There are sockets on the front for grinders etc, and there will be sockets on the back wall as well. I have a huge old Record steel vice which will go on the right hand end. The wall cupboards are from a friend who was fitting a new kitchen, and they will be fitted with a pelmet top and bottom and have LED lighting underneath. I have a pair of big steel ex-MOD cupboards, one on either end and a shorter one under the bench behind the stool. Kickboards under the planchests are a must - I don't want to lose anything that rolls under there. It's obviously still a work in progress, as I have yet to paint it or trim the timber with yet more stainless I've picked up, but it's getting there.
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Mar 11, 2020 23:05:28 GMT
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For sale is my W111 restoration project. It’s a 1965 saloon, and has carbs not fuel injection. It needs plenty of work but is a great candidate for restoration. I’m only selling as I had the opportunity to buy another car needing less work (but for much more money...). Body The front of the car is pretty good - the cross member is good, the bonnet is rot free (not the one in the photo) and I have a pair of good used wings - one beige one in the photos and another used wing to replace the passenger side as the original is shot. The rear of the car is in very good condition. Boot lid and rear arches etc are good - minor repairs and you’d be ready for paint prep. The bit in the middle, as always, needs the most work. I’d bank on sills and a few floor repairs at least, and all four door bottoms are rotten. The inner wings will require a little work as is common on these. However, I do have a full set of aftermarket (and extremely well made) inner and outer sills, and also a set of really excellent repair sections for all of the doors, both for the inner frame and the outer skin. So basically an unfitted solution for most of the rot on the car. Interior The car has white/cream leather, but really the interior wants a complete overhaul. The interior seems fairly complete, and it has a white steering wheel - some people prefer these. The dash pad is pretty good. These are known for cracking badly, but there are only a couple of small marks - get in quick with a repair and the rest is fine. Brightwork All there, but not the best. I have a decent grille and usable head and tail lamps, but the aluminium window trims will all need refinished. The sill trims and fin trims are missing. The bumpers are grim - I had intended to fit a set of stainless ones, having had good experiences with a set on my Amazon. The front bumper is just sitting in place as the mounting irons are missing. Mechanical Seems complete, it turns over freely. I haven’t investigated any further but assume a complete rebuild. Mileage may be around 60000, but I have no proof to back this up. I have managed to get the engine to 'cough', but the ignition system is in need of a rebuild to get a reliable spark. Including the repair panels, I’m looking for £3500 or near offer. The car is in Dumfries, south west Scotland just 30 miles from Carlisle. I would expect serious buyers to want to view - please call me on 07717163232 to arrange a viewing or with any questions.
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Last Edit: Oct 1, 2020 22:53:59 GMT by airspeed
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Mar 11, 2020 22:58:33 GMT
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Bump - this piece of eighties-tastic teutonic tastiness is still available. Don't all rush at once now...
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Probably not, I've just sold a W124 which I wasn't using so I may be done with eighties Mercs for a while. I'm not against a part-ex, but I could do with at least some cash my way as I'm trying to fund a respray on my other Fintail. Give me a call if you like - we have met before as I bought a set of Cromadora alloys from you for my Fiat 127 a few years back.
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For a man with your skills, this would be perfect. Call me - 07717163232
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Jan 30, 2020 19:41:04 GMT
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I have decided to move on my S123 project to concentrate on my Fintail. It’s a good honest car with lots of history, and with a little work will be a fine car again. The car was originally bought by a chap working in the UAE, and he had it delivered there when new. However his contract seems to have been cut short so shortly after arrival he imported it to the UK. It’s a standard UK spec car, with not too many extras! It is white with a blue cloth interior and automatic transmission. Apart from a spot of zebrano trim and PAS I don’t think he ticked any other options - manual windows, no central locking, not even tinted glass. However he did look after it well - I think it has been garaged all it’s days going by the condition of the rubbers. Body The doors and tailgate have no rot at all, and the bonnet has just light surface rust in place to the frame. The drivers wing needs replaced but the passengers needs only a minor repair to the seam under the bumper. I have had both rear side windows out and repaired just one small area of corrosion, the rest being sound and still in factory paint. Floors are good (no sunroof remember), though repairs might be needed to a couple of jacking points. There are a couple of small repairs required to the inner wing. The main work required is to the rear panel and rear arches - all require replacement. However, there is a new rear panel, rear lower quarter and rear wheel arches supplied with the car. There are a few light dents and marks elsewhere but a full respray would be required anyway. I had planned to mask off the door shuts completely - they are absolutely mint and it would be a shame to paint them. Interior The blue cloth trim is in great condition everywhere except the front seats, which are a little worn. The looped pile carpets are good and will clean up like new. The zebrano time has become unstuck but will glue back into place. Brightwork The bumpers are mint, as are the alloy window trims and roof rails. The trim round the gutter has been removed by the previous owner, but is here. Mechanical The engine start readily from the key and runs fine, the gearbox works perfectly as far as I have tested it. It is showing 133 thousand miles and I have history to back this up. The brakes are binding, so I have only moved the car at walking pace. Bank on a full brake rebuild along with bushes, shock absorbers etc and you won’t be far wrong. The car was originally on steel wheels, but I swapped them for a set of Bundt alloys. I do still have the original hubcaps though, and may be able to sort out a set of S123 steel wheels if that’s your preference. All in all a great base to work from, and largely sound. I’m sure it would clean up to be a fine example, but please do call me on 07717163232 with any questions or to arrange a viewing. I’m looking for £1200 ono which I feel is a fair price, especially since the repair panels are included. I’m in Dumfries, south west Scotland just 30 miles from Carlisle.
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Last Edit: Jun 16, 2020 19:02:29 GMT by airspeed
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