Monday 11 January 2010




Now is the time we try to get the maintenance done ready for the spring. Last week was definitely Jaguar week, firstly I had to sort out a leaking rear brake calliper on my MKII, this was fixed with a new set of seals and new brake pads. Then comes the e-type. I have had several issues with the e-type through 2009, noisy tappets, excessive oil consumption and an occasional reluctance to engage the starter motor. So it's off with the cylinder head and out with the pistons. The pistons are fine, no blow past (Engine has only done about 15k since a total rebuild so it should be fine!) The cylinder head will have to go to a machine shop for new valve guide oil seats.

The bad weather means that I cannot let any cars out for hire at the moment - classics are rear wheel drive and do not have extras like ABS. Lets hope things warm up soon!

Sunday 3 January 2010


So, here is my first blog postings for Self Drive Classics. As the name suggests, Self Drive Classics provides people with the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of driving a classic car without the hassle of actually owning one. I started Self Drive Classics 5 years ago when I decided I'd had enough of IT project management and I should 'go for it' and follow my dream. Although, if you ask my partner, she would tell you its a great excuse to blow my savings on a bunch of old cars! And then spend my time playing with them. The very best part of running this business is the reaction I get time and time again from people who have thoroughly enjoyed a day or weekend in a classic car. I have a very diverse range of cars for all occasions and I intend to use this Blog to share some of my customers experiences as well as recording both the pleasure and the pain of keeping a fleet of classics on the road.