American & British car shows.

Stars and Stripes, Tatton Park.

The Stars and Stripes show at Tatton Park is aimed at anyone who has a particular interest in American cars, pickup trucks, and hotrods. So long as a vehicle was built in the US of A, it may well appear at this show. The weather was super-warm as we headed off up to Tatton, the first time for some years that we'd remembered to attend. Occasionally we'd glimpse a flash of American chrome as we approached Knutsford, the frequency of these sightings increasing as we got near to Tatton. Cowboy boots, 10 gallon hats, and brightly coloured T-Shirts confirmed that we were at the right place, as we drove through to the public parking area.

Vehicles of all ages were present, with an especially good turnout of 60s muscle cars - heaven for LHD petrolheads everywhere. Ford Mustangs were numerous as you'd expect, but there were loads of other great makes and models glistening in the Cheshire sun - badges such as Dodge Charger, Plymouth Road Runner, Pontiac Le Mans & GTO, Ford Galaxie 500, Corvette, Shelby GT350, and Mercury Cougar were much in evidence, just as were all manner of souped-up hotrods.

One of my favourites wasn't a muscle car at all, but a fifties Chrysler New Yorker station wagon (estate), looking fairly original in its factory green paint. Two massive exhaust pipes exiting beneath the rear bumper suggested that things may not be too 'stock' under the hood though! Perhaps the most original, and 'patinated', of the cars on show was another Chrysler, this time a 2dr coupe dating to 1940, resplendant in its original faded grey overcoat, with a sticker on the back bumper advising "DO NOT WASH - This vehicle is undergoing a scientific dirt test". Lovely looking car. Similar in style, and this time for sale (always dangerous!) parked just near the show entrance, was another 2dr coupe, this time a 1939 Plymouth Business Coupe that had been imported from South Africa at some time (and was therefore RHD). Allegedly rust free, and with a full MOT, it would have been a great buy had I had a spare seven grand+ sat in the bank gathering dust, and free reign to 'invest' it wisely. Sadly I didn't, so I was dragged away lest I do something rash while my other half's back was turned.

Hotrods and customs have never really been my thing, but there's no denying their impressive appearance when done to a top standard (sadly many original cars begin a metamorphisis into a rod, only to be abandoned mid-way through the work). The rods at the Stars and Stripes were real credits to whoever had done the work, our favourite being a subtly modified 1936 5 window Ford coupe finished in blue. The paint finish was flawless, and the paint scheme kept simple, without the flames and other finishes beloved of customisers since the 1950s.

Trucks were numerous too - perhaps one of the more unusual examples being a bright yellow Studebaker pickup, which really was the dog's essentials. Most of the trucks were of the half-ton variety, with examples of Chevy/GMC, Stude and Ford all present, the oldest truck I remember being a 1917 Model T Ford finished in military colours. A friend of mine had his mid 60s Chevy on display too, one that remains in it's original faded colour scheme, preserved with a regular application of oil to its upper and lower surfaces. Cosmetically it'd win no awards, but in terms of character and usability (it lives outside and is used regularly) it won many admiring glances over the weekend (and no shortage of willing new owners, if it were ever to be sold - which I doubt).

Throughout the day we'd heard the rorty note of a 1926 Indian Scout motorcycle being fired up from time to time, and

invites from a gent with a mike to view the Ken Fox Wall of Death (WoD) display, that was taking place regularly over the weekend. The WoD comprises a huge wooden structure, circular in design, in which daredevil riders cheat gravity on a variety of vehicles, both two and four wheeled.

Neither of us had visited a WoD before, so we both decided to ascend the steep stairway and watch the fun. Three riders took part in the routine, 2 blokes and a young lady. Individual runs were performed by both men, followed by a demonstration by the lady of a four wheeled buggy. To say we were impressed by these display riders would be something of an understatement, how they keep focused on their position within the WoD is mind boggling, at times we could hardly watch as various stunts were enacted, all the while the bikes charging around at 60mph to maintain their position on the vertical walls. Then all three rode around in perfect formation in the tight arena, quite a sight - and the noise of the old bikes was tremendous ... well worth a couple of quid each to view, and highly recommended to all. You can read all about this Wall of Death display on their website, and watch video footage of their act.

A40 Devon Oil Change.

The Devon was booked in for a couple of shows, and it was high time for an oil and filter change. I'd had to top up with an oil a grade or two lighter than ideal, and as a result it would put out some blue smoke at idle, which definitely

wouldn't look good at a show, or do the engine much good long term either. So a can of good ole' Duckhams 20/50, purchased at Tatton, and a brand new (old stock) canister oil filter from my collection, were gathered together and the lube change began. Ideally I wanted to get the car up on some sturdy ramps, but whenever I tried, the ramps simply spat away from the car, primarily because the driveway is gravelled. In the end I had to jack it up, and sit the wheels on the ramps, inside the garage - with the uber-hot weather, it wasn't too pleasant to work in there, but better than if it was raining I suppose.

The canister filter sits low down inside the bonnet area of the Devon, and is a fiddly little $%%^ to get at, with two brass unions that need to be undone, and the mounting bracket slackened off. With the filter out of the way, finally, and the old gloopy oil now floating around in a washing up bowl (an old one!), it didn't take long to re-fill with nice fresh Duckhams, once I'd battled to get the new filter on and the unions re-fitted without cross-threading anything. A test run highlighted a minor leak, so a gentle extra tweak with a spanner, and everything was oil-tight once more.

E83W Dynamo problems.

Progress on the Ford pickup was slow this month, what with one thing and another, although I did investigate and cure

the problem I had with a non-charging battery. The battery itself is a brand new 6v rubber case job, so I knew that was ok. A few checks with a meter confirmed that there was no charge coming out of the dynamo.

The fanbelt was quite slack and wouldn't adjust up any tighter (I think it may have stretched, or not been the correct one) so a new one was pulled off the shelf, and fitted. This made no difference to the meter readings. I had been told that the points within the regulator can furr up over time, so that was my next port of call. The points were cleaned, and a spare regulator also swapped into position, but still nothing. This only left sticking or burnt out dynamo bushes, so it was off with the dynamo (easy to get at as it sits on the top of the sidevalve Ford engine) and a dismantle on the bench. Sure enough, the innards of the dynamo were a big clagged up, and both brushes were stuck in their guides. The commutator was also quite grubby, so that and everything else were cleaned up and freed as necessary. Bolted back to the engine, fan belt re-fitted, and lo! a working dynamo once more.

A51 Show.

The first event we were due to take part in with the A40 was an informal evening gathering at a craft centre a few miles from here, out in the Staffordshire sticks. Organised by some Routemaster bus enthusiasts. A couple of local car clubs, and any individuals who wanted to tag along, were invited, the idea being to have a relaxed hour or two in pleasant company. Again the weather was spot-on, and our freshly lubed and washed A40 joined a line-up of cars from a Staffs classic car club, and various motors from a local Mini club. Several Routemasters were in attendance, as was a lone Bristol VR bus for good measure. Midway through the evening, one of the Routemaster owners offered anyone who fancied it, a ride in a London bus. There weren't too many people who didn't jump at the chance to ride in this classic bus, and we all had a very atmospheric ride around the lanes of Staffs and Cheshire. We called it an evening at around 9pm, and drifted slowly back home, the only moment of excitement being a substantial lump of tree that had decided to crash down across the main A51, just a minute or two before we arrived on the scene. The offending wooden bits were dragged out of harm's way, and we and various other motorists who had pulled over, continued on our way.

Audlem Festival of Transport.

Procession of cars

The second show that we were booked into was a gathering at a village not too far from us. All the pre-booked cars gather at Hankelow, opposite the local public house, before taking part in a leisurely road convoy down into Audlem village itself, where the cars re-form for the main show. We arrived just after 10am, giving us time to watch most of the arrivals turn up, and be shepherded into their allocated parking space. Many cars we'd seen before at Audlem, and other local shows, but there were also quite a few that we'd not clapped eyes on before. There was a wonderful line-up of 1920s tourers, from makes such as Hudson, Hupmobile, Morris, Dodge, Willys-Overland, and a jolly smart Derby Bentley. Cars of the 1920s right through into the 1970s and 80s (not too many of the latter fortunately though!) were taking part in the road run, along with a few modern interlopers from Bentley, Maserati and Mercedes Benz. The parade set off at 12.30 and was waved along its way by many of the locals, who were sat on walls, in their driveways etc, to watch the procession of vintage and classic cars go by. The weather was glorious but the ample cooling system of the Austin ensured that we had no 'steamy' moments as the convoy made its way slowly into Audlem.

Cars are parked much closer together at the destination area, rather than at the assembly area up the road in Hankelow, so if you want to get some good photographs, I'd recommend either popping up to the start area, or else pic a good vantage point at the side of the road prior to the procession beginning.

Despite some ominous clouds hovering close by, there was virtually none of the damp stuff throughout the day, and the event was a great success. My favourite vehicles from the 2006 show included a smart Sunbeam Talbot Alpine from the early 50s, the aforementioned Hudson tourer from 1920, and a JAP-engined speedway motorcycle that was displayed with a Consul Classic. My other half's favourite though was the red swoopy Paramount dhc, one of only 5 or so known examples that are left. Photos from the 2006 Audlem Transport Festival can be found by clicking here.

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