Practical Classics Magazine

QUICK FIX Transform your interior in a few hours with a needle and thread ED’S JOB CARD COMMON UPHOLSTERY FAULTS AND FIXES Today we’ll learn how to deal with upholstery nicks and tears. We’ll consider the basics of stitching before moving on to small tears which can be fixed in-situ – as well as more comprehensive repairs which require the covers to be removed. It’s a time-consuming task, but with a little patience should be well within the reach of any competent DIYer. IS IT DOOMED?

Team PC goes high and cold as winter suddenly gets a bit real… WORDS TEAM PC PHOTOGRAPHY MATT HOWELL A real adventure isn't defined by how other people look at you... it's defined by your own attitude to what you are doing. The Practical Classics team mightn’t be scaling the north face of the Eiger but.. in their own ways, each one of them was enjoying stepping outside of their classic comfort zone.

NAILING IT Discover how to flush, seal and future-proof your fuel tank at home WEAR PROTECTION Use appropriate protective equipment when handling the tank treatment chemicals – overalls, nitrile rubber gloves and safety glasses are essential for certain steps. NUMPTY ALERT Beware of the risk of flammable fuel vapour when working on the tank. Disconnect the car’s battery before you remove the tank and keep sources of ignition away.

ME AND MY RESTO Gareth Whiting spent years looking for his first buggy, before finally building another… INTERVIEW MATT TOMKINS PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN JACOB My first car was a Beetle back in 1988 and it was great, but it soon became so rusty that the only sensible course of action was to turn it into a beach buggy. Unfortunately some years later I had to sell it and immediately regretted doing so. I’d been looking to buy it back almost ever since, but it had disappeared.

BUYER'S BRIEF James Walshe looks at these symbols of a carefree rock ‘n’ roll era and tells us how to buy the best Fifties Americana in the English countryside? Yes please! Why you want one Ford has always been good at making its cars look good and this one, designed in-house at Dagenham under Colin Neale, remains effortlessly cool. Examples of the entry level Ford Consul and swankier Zephyr and Zodiac remain sought after – be it a saloon, Carbodies-built Convertible or the ultra-rare estate.

TEAM ADVENTURE A marketing masterstroke – without them, the reaper would have come much sooner for MGR WORDS DANNY HOPKINS & CRAIG CHEETHAM PHOTOGRAPHY DANNY HOPKINS MG ZS120 Engine 1796cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 115bhp@5500rpm Torque 118lb ft@2750rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 122mph Top speed 9.7sec Economy 39mpg MG ZT160 Engine 1796cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 160bhp@5500rpm Torque 159lb ft@6750rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 121mph Top speed 11.4sec Economy 36mpg MG ZR105 Engine 1396cc/4-cyl/DOHC...

WISE BUYER James Walshe explains what to look out for when seeking out an example of Jag’s bargain baby exec Why you want one Before we proceed with our usual in-depth analysis, it would be pertinent to dispel the primary myth about the X-Type. While Jaguar’s baby exec was indeed based on the Ford Mondeo’s ‘CD132’ platform, it amounts for just 20 percent of the Jaguar – but it’s certainly not a negative.

STAFF CAR SAGAS Ed treats his new ZAZ to an electrical overhaul One by one, Ed caressed and cajoled all the circuits back to life. Spark! Next to godliness? Cleanliness (and shininess) is key when sorting decrepit electrics. Ed Hughes CONTRIBUTOR 1981 ZAZ 968M ‘Zaporozhets’ Work done Carburettor rebuilt; fuel pump overhauled; fuel hoses and oil in air cleaner renewed.

Shop our January sale Save 82% on shop prices when you redeem this offer. Kick-start 2026 with Practical Classics – the only classic car mag that does it all. From inspirational journeys, and adventures to classic buying guides, tales, tech advice and trials from the magazines very own workshop. Enjoy all this and more every month with Practical Classics.

THE BIG NIGGLE Jon Firth’s daughter says his car’s falling to pieces. Can we help? My daughter refuses to go in my Ford Cortina, due to the alarming variety of rattles and clonks that it makes. She actually thought it would fall to pieces when we were diverted down a country lane while on holiday! What can I do? Jon Firth, Bristol ED’S JOB CARD KNOW YOUR ANNOYING NOISES Cars are made of a huge number of closely-packed components.