Tag: Mustang Maniac

Will Anybody Notice?

Since I had gotten my car back on the road some eleven years ago now, I still try to keep it as original as possible. Keeping the original parts where I can, replacing the parts that can’t be seen with modern reliable alternatives such as the wire loom, LED bulbs, electronic ignition etc. I have collected many things relating to the 1966 Mustang, original printed media, magazines, memorabilia all from that mid sixties era. I like things in my car to look and appear correct for the period the car was on the road first time around. With that in mind I have various eBay saved searches to look for these gems. One such search a few days ago popped up with a Tax Disc holder which I had to buy. A little more on that later after a little history lesson on what I’m talking about regarding the UK ‘Road Tax’, ‘Vehicle Excise Duty’ what ever it’s now called or will be called.

The fist motor vehicles hit the roads in the mid 1880s, by the early 1900s automobiles had increased significantly, where the current UK road infrastructure couldn’t cope. In the 1921 the UK government decided to raise funds which would be ring fenced to improve the roads. They applied a “Road Tax” to each vehicle to fund the much needed expansion. In 1934 the revenue raised from motorists has now gone into a much larger pot of revenue which is used for other things such as housing or welfare.

Since then virtually every year the motorist is targeted by successive governments to raise more money, thus the UK motorist is often seen as the cash cow of the UK. Not only can a road tax, or vehicle excise duty cost be stupid amounts, but a fuel levy is imposed as well so you pay every fill-up. To show just how much that is, if we take it that a litre of fuel costs £1.50, a fuel duty of £0.53p is applied per litre. Then on top of that there is VAT (Value Added Tax) which is in effect a tax on the tax, so that means a litre of fuel costs around £1.875 a litre. The road tax, vehicle excise duty or whatever ever name it’s given now, the way it’s calculated changes to squeeze even more out of you, now it’s based on the CO2 emissions, along with a new showroom tax for a new car. It’s no wonder the UK motorist feels a little hard done by.

As of October 2025 these are the vehicle tax costs and how it ramps up which is now based on the “CO2” emissions the vehicle produces. I can sort of see it because of the environment impacts, but the money raised will more often than not be allocated or wasted elsewhere on other ’causes’.

A detailed table comparing showroom tax rates for petrol and diesel cars meeting RDE2 standards, including CO2 emissions and cost increases for the years 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Anyway, rant over – back to the ‘Road Tax’ disc; to show this duty had been paid by the vehicle’s owner, there was a requirement to place a 75mm round disc in the vehicle’s windscreen to be clearly seen. The tax disc would hold the discs unique ID number, vehicle’s registration mark, the amount paid, class of vehicle and the expiration of the tax either on a rolling six-month or annual basis, the annual cost being slightly discounted. To prevent fraud of these discs there were many changes made over the decades in colour, perforations, watermarks, embossing, holograms and stamped from the issuing location.

The original on the left and the final iterations on the right.

Comparison of an early UK tax disc from 1921 on the left and a modern tax disc on the right, set against a clear blue sky.

All well and good for most people, but they were hated and not really liked. With the evolution of technologies, the requirement to display a physical tax disc in the vehicle’s windscreen was removed effective from 1st October 2014 as the tax information is now stored on a government database. Ironically many people now miss these little discs for nostalgic reasons. There is even a following where the study and collection of these tax discs is called “Velology”. The term was created by combining the initials VED (for Vehicle Excise Duty) with the commonly used “ology” suffix. There is even a little niche market to provide replica discs, exact copies would be seen as fraudulent. Some of the rare older discs can go for high values.

Finally onto my point, these tax discs need to be held onto the glass. Early days there was suction, metal displays, sticky foam or plastic as time moved on, even sticky tape or glue. Motorbikes had a metal fitting which encased the disc from the elements, also on some vintage cars too. There were many fancy designs for holders such as polished chrome, sticky with removable magnetic backs etc. The earlier plastic iterations had a mild glue around the outside (like this one) and were a one time application. Then later on a plastic vinyl-like formula which when moistened would stick on the screen and reusable. As I mentioned earlier, my eBay saved search came up with an original 60’s tax disc, once I saw it, I had to put a bid in for it, which I eventually won some six days later. What made me want this? Apart from the fact it’s period correct, but it’s also a product I have used in the past on my car.

These tax disc holders became good sources of advertising and were often given away, or information such as emergency numbers for an insurance company, car dealer’s information or a breakdown service details on the back of them. My new purchase was simple advertising and also useful information, “Duckhams” oil and the weight of oil 20w50 specified for my car, it all ties together.

I currently had a larger holder in my car given to me by Mustang Maniac, which has been on the screen for the best part of ten years. It has been faultless, but this Duckhams purchase on eBay is the only reason to change it.

Close-up view of a vintage tax disc holder featuring a 1966 tax disc, placed on a car's windscreen with a Mustang Maniac business card visible in the background.

I carefully pealed the old holder away from the screen, and placed it on top of my toolbox. Comparison of the old Mustang Maniac holder and the new Duckhams one. The Mustang Maniac holder also had a place to hold their (or any other) business card on the back.

The replica Tax Disc I use is also from Mustang Maniac who have a large selection of discs for many various years and different styles of stamp on the disc, click here for the link.

Original 1966 UK tax disc featuring the month APR and the word PRIVATE, with a logo from Mustang Maniac.
Circular document titled 'SURRENDER OF LICENCES' outlining the procedure for surrendering a vehicle excise license, with legal references and instructions printed in black on white paper.

The design of the Duckhams holder is a simple slightly larger disc with a sticky outside to hold it on the screen. Before I peeled the backing paper off I checked it for size. Normally I would have put this with my other collectibles, but in this case I was sure it should be used.

Making sure the disc and the Duckhams text were aligned front and back I offered up the holder to the screen.

It was surprising just how sticky the outside was, but I still made sure the holder was evenly pressed onto the screen all the way around.

From the outside the holder isn’t really seen, just the tax disc itself as a minimalist look now.

With the older holder removed I used some Isopropyl Alcohol and a glass cloth to remove the slight residue on the glass which I arrowed below. This also gave a good clean surface for the new holder to adhere to.

Something like this is pretty non-de-script and over looked to be honest, and who really cares? But for me, it just adds a little something extra for the car’s originality. Also in the package there was a sticker from Duckhams which would have been stuck under the hood during a service near the oil filter.

A hand holding an old Duckhams oil recommendation sticker with the text 'Lubricated and protected by DUCKHAMS 20-50' and 'we recommend its continued use' against a light background.

I’m not sure if I should stick this under the hood or not, I’m not a great lover for lots of stickers apart from the factory ones of course. What do you think, should I stick it under there? Currently, I’m using Millers Semi-synthetic 20w50 oil, so technically it’s not actually correct, there again neither is the tax disc holder holder with a replica tax disc. I wonder what else awaits me on eBay to spend my money on which nobody will ever notice!

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Classics At Glemham 2025 (part 2)

Continuing on from my last post this is the rest of the Classics at Glemham Car Show. The show had food and drink but like most of the shows now days the costs were expensive. I doubt this is greed of the vendor, from what I have heard the organisers of the events charge silly amounts for the pitch. The vendors are forced to cover their costs. The organisers are now starting to charge significant amounts of money for the owners of these cars to attend the shows. It’s getting to the point where I’m starting to choose quite carefully what shows I attend. However the money goes to a charity then I don’t have a problem. But, just to make money from the car owners and let the public in for free is not on. Perhaps we need to vote with our wheels and not attend the rip off events. Let me know your thoughts if this all round the country (UK) or other countries too.

Back to the cars, after the rows of cars arranged by years of manufacture, there were super cars and general club stands.

A vintage car with a British flag parked next to a Chevrolet van at a car show on a sunny day.

A close-up of a 1969 red Ford Mustang at a car show, showcasing its shiny front grille and sleek design, with people in the background enjoying the event.

This Lincoln was amazing and a huge car.

We eventually got back to the car for a well earned rest and quick bite to eat where we watched the world go by.

Mart’s Car Of The Show: is this wonderful Plymouth, the fins still get me every time!

A couple of the other cars started to move out early afternoon so we decided to follow suit. As we rode over the uneven fields to the dirt track for the exit we stopped of for a quick photo opportunity. I took many photos as did Craig and these are just some from the session. Many are similar but they are all different. I think we started a trend, I have seen a few Instagram posts of similar photo’s being posted similar to ours.

Craig’s photos first.

A classic blue Ford Mustang parked on a grassy field with trees in the background.

Close-up view of a blue classic Ford Mustang showcasing its front design and chrome details.

Then there are these which I took.

A bright blue classic Ford Mustang parked on a grassy area, showcasing its sleek design and chrome wheels under a clear sky.

A blue 1966 Ford Mustang parked on a grassy field with trees in the background.

A classic blue 1966 Ford Mustang parked on a grassy field with trees in the background, captured in bright sunlight.

That completes all of my cars shows for 2025 sadly. I will find things to post about; reviews, books, memorabilia and maybe some upgrades on my little ol’ pride and joy. Thanks for staying with me during some of these recent large posts of the car shows.

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Avoid Relocation Woes

Moving Your Prized Mustang: A Complete Guide to Auto Transport and Relocation

Wanting to travel with your prized Mustang everywhere is natural. Once you’ve driven one, it’s hard to go back to any other vehicle.

But what do you do in scenarios where you can’t take a week to travel across the USA and need your vehicle on the other coast?

Or what if you’re going to move internationally?

In today’s article, we’ll dive into how to relocate your prized Mustang so you not only get your vehicle to your new destination ASAP but you get it there safe and sound.

Read on below.

1. Plan Your Move Ahead of Time

Transport companies are like airlines: the closer you are to the shipping date, the higher the price is going to be. If possible, always plan far ahead of time so that you can get a better discount on transporting your Mustang.

You can also consider leaving your vehicle in storage until you’re prepared to arrive at your final destination. If you’re moving countries, then having it stay in storage can be a good idea so you can have your Mustang ready to roll. Remember, overseas vehicle transportation can take months depending on the time of year and type of shipping you decide on.

2. Find a Suitable Transport Company

Not all transport companies are the same, and not all vehicles are shipped in the same fashion. When it comes to shipping Mustangs, ideally you’d like to go with someone who has experience shipping classics, like A1 Auto Transport classic car transportation services.

What’s important is that you find a transport company that has a footprint online, so you know that you aren’t handing off your vehicle to some random company. You can get free quotes beforehand, so there is never any commitment until you find a price that you’re happy with.

Always ask for a total quote so that you can know ahead of time what it’s going to be. Shadier companies will often do bait-and-switch pricing, causing the price to be increased by 25% or even more on arrival. It’s important to verify the amount of insurance coverage you’ll have, as some Mustangs can cost quite a bit and you do NOT want to risk insurance that doesn’t fully cover the vehicle.

3. Decide on the Type of Shipping

When shipping your Mustang domestically, you have two options: open and closed trailers. An open trailer is one that you likely have seen many times driving up and down the interstates. They can haul up to 12 vehicles at once and are economical as they can load many vehicles simultaneously.

Closed or “enclosed” trailers are best for protecting your expensive Mustangs during longer journeys. No one will know what is inside, which will prevent any damage or theft from eager onlookers. If you’re shipping a vehicle that doesn’t work, then you’ll have to go with an enclosed trailer rather than an open trailer, as the vehicles have to be driven on and off the trailer.

4. Prepare the Mustang for Transport

Once you’ve decided on your transport company and the type of shipping, you’ll want to prepare your Mustang. The first step is to clean the outside and the inside. You may ask, “Why do I need to clean it before?” The reason is that you want to take photos of the vehicle before you hand it off.

Ideally, you’d like to have these photos signed by the transport company so that if a claim is needed later on, you’ll have definitive proof that the vehicle was in good shape. It protects you from receiving the vehicle damaged and dealing with an unwilling insurance company that claims the Mustang was damaged before transport.

Remove any loose objects from the inside, and if your Mustang is a convertible, put up the cover so the interior doesn’t get wet. Do NOT leave any valuable objects inside the vehicle as these items will not be covered by insurance.

Transport companies require you to have the gas tank lowered to a certain amount, typically around 1/4 of the capacity. If you don’t know how to remove the gas from the gas tank, you can ask your transport company for guidance.

5. Pick Up Your Mustang

Once you and the transport company have done a final check on the vehicle, all that’s left is to pick up your Mustang on arrival. You typically will have to meet the driver at a designated location, but you can have it delivered right to your door for an additional cost.

Before you sign off that everything is OK, do a walk-around and double- and triple-check all is OK before signing any documents. Once everything is signed off, all that’s left to do is enjoy your Mustang in all its glory.

Conclusion

Transporting a Mustang is like transporting any other vehicle, but considering how expensive some classics can be, it’s always best to have it transported as safely and securely as possible. Always go with vetted transport companies and ensure that you’re not handing off your vehicle to a random fly-by-night entity.

As long as you’re doing your homework beforehand, you’ll have your Mustang at your final destination, ready to go. Consider even leaving it in storage if necessary ahead of time, so it’ll be in your target location once you’re ready to go.

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Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain National Show 2024

This year is the sixtieth year celebration for the launch of the Mustang at the New York Trade Fair in ninteen sixty-four. There have been numerous events around the country to celebrate such an achievement for the iconic Mustang. The Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain (MOCGB) are no exception. The biggest show of the year for many Mustangs owners is the MOCGB National Show, this year it was held at Meldreth, Cambridgeshire on sixteenth June twenty twenty four, on Fathers Day in the UK.

This year, I was determined to go to my first MOCGB national show, even though it’s a little bit of a drive for me, about fifty miles away from my door to the event. For the last ten days I had been watching the weather forecast with interest. Rain forecast on the day and all the way up to the days before. My village was expecting rain on the Sunday morning for a couple of hours, seven till ten. But, the event was due a light shower in the morning and no more rain after nine. I was going to go for it with even with the chance of rain, I hatched a plan.

I had set my alarm for six thirty, aiming to leave at seven, with an ultimate plan of getting to the event early before the gates opened at ten missing the rain. I can’t lie, I was worried as the apps were conflicting each other, if it was raining when I woke up I wouldn’t be going. I woke up at four thirty and opened the blinds a little bit so that I could see out the window from the bed what the weather was doing, or more importantly, what it was going to do. I wasn’t sleeping, do I or don’t I go? Constantly refreshing the weather forecast apps (yes more than one) hoping they would show me what I wanted to see, compared to the real time visual outside. It was getting darker as the minutes passed by, so I got up and got ready as quickly as I could, skipping any breakfast to save time. I filled the cool bag up with the drinks and lunch, grabbed the car keys and stepped, or should I say, staggered out the house a little before five thirty. I needed fuel and so did the car. The usual stop of the Shell garage when travelling in this direction opened at six, with only a slight detour to get to it of the main dual carriageway. I pulled into the garage as it was opening up and lights going on, perfect timing. I filled up and grabbed a can of Red Bull on my way to counter to pay. I drank up on the way to the car and would wait for the rush to kick in shortly. I threw the empty can in the trash before I got back into the car and buckled up.

I was back on the main A14 again within a couple of minutes of leaving the garage and could see in my mirrors the dark clouds following in behind me. The journey was a little tense as a few little pockets of rain hit the car, not enough to put the wipers on, just enough to give me the hump a bit, but I was keeping in front of the rain just. What is even worse than rain? A cyclist hogging the road for no reason. A cycling event was taking place early on a Sunday morning, To be fair to them it wasn’t at a peak time during the day. Some of the these dayglow ‘lycra louts’ were riding two or even three abreast on the left lane of a triple lane carriage way. This A14 is perhaps one of the busiest roads within this and the adjoining county. The only good thing was the roads were fairly quiet at the moment, but cars were swapping lanes avoiding them.

Around half seven, I was just a mile away from the event when the rain started, not heavy enough for the roads to start filling up with puddles as these were now minor back roads. Then a few minutes later the rain stopped just as I pulled into the area main concrete car park, more perfect timing. The master plan had worked, I pretty much beat the rain to the event leaving before the rain hit my village and arriving as the rain was leaving the event. The weather apps both now promised no more rain for the rest of the day. We shall see!

I parked up to dry the the car off and went over to speak to the guys who were still setting up the stand with their merchandise.

I was asked if I was going to enter my car for the judging, I said ‘OK’, thinking it was like most other car shows, if they like it, you get a trophy. They told me to move the car round into the judging area just in front of the main parking area which was separated by barriers. As I was so early, I had the choice where to park, so I parked right in front of the main stand, something I didn’t think through at the time.

However, this judging was going to be a whole new level up for me. The sun was making more frequent little appearances as I was giving the car a better wipe over to make it look more presentable. During this once over stage I was handed a form to fill in; the usual stuff, name, Mustang model, reg number etc. Under those main details were categories with sub categories. Exterior; workmanship, body, paint, bumpers, trim, chrome, gaps, door shuts etc, Underside; exhaust, suspension, fuel tank etc. Interior; seats, trunk, mats, carpets, dash, steering wheel, Wheels & Tyres; cleanliness, condition, wear, so on and so on. I can’t remember all the various categories to be honest. Then there was a last column for the judges to put their comments and scores. This was a pretty serious Mustang version for their style concours judging. However, they do allow for some sensible mods for the older cars. That means you start with one hundred points and then judges knock marks off for things that were wrong or dirty etc. The higher the final score the better. The judging was due to start at eleven(ish) where they started at the far end, working left to right as you look out over to the field. I had to work fast and clean the car for a third time but properly all over again. My trunk looked like I had slept in it on the way down there and needed a good tidy up. I cleaned the spare wheel, wiped over the inside of the paintwork with quick detailer. I took out the chair and show board and arranged everything still left in the trunk as neatly as my OCD would allow. I carry everything I need for detailing, such a quick detailer, hard wax, spray wax, tyre finish, glass cleaner, degreaser, engine dressing, rubber treatment, you name it it’s in the trunk. I don’t carry the full bottles as I decant the products into smaller bottles, they last a couple of shows before they need a top up. That way I save space and it’s easier to store more products.

I got to talking to some others who had now now pulled up and started cleaning their cars too, they were cleaning door hinges to remove excess grease, cleaning their exhausts, even inside the exhausts tips too. I was now cleaning everything with a full on hot flush going on and looking like I had literally just got out of that messy trunk. I managed to ruin a couple of good microfibre cloths while multi step cleaning of various areas. I only take good cloths with me to shows and not the more general ‘work’ cloths, that will now change going forward – just in case. Time was running out, but I did as much as I could for a couple of short hours. The judges eventually got to my car.

There was nothing more I could do except now go for a wander around the field to look at all the other amazing Mustangs; classic, modern, resto mod and everything in between. With these first few pics I was trying to take in the scale of the show. This first pic I took was earlier in the morning, before the majority of the other cars arrived. I think as the sun came out and stayed out, those that were in two minds to come or not, then decided to go to the show a little later on in the morning.

Due to the now accurate weather forecast a few promised cars didn’t make it to the show unfortunately. However there was some stunning cars here, something for everybody.

There is no particular order to these cars I just wandered up and down the lines. The sun was becoming more prominent and longer lasting spells as the day wore on. I spoke to my wife who informed me that it poured down in our village about half an hour after I left.

There was a few non Mustangs that gate crashed the show but still Fords such as Falcons and the odd truck.

Amongst the Mustangs there was some other really nice non Ford American muscle arrive and a lonely VW;

Adam and Lance from Mustang Maniac attended with their 1973 Convertible and GT350 respectively.

There was some stalls around the outside, selling their wares, food, a bar with a break out area with support for the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity too.

After I got back to the car it was time to check out some more of the other cars that had be judged and then a well earned sit down, something to eat and chat to lots of nice people.

At around three in the afternoon the winning trophies were to announced and given out.

There were different categories Concours 1964.5 – 1968, Concours 1969 – 1993, Concours 1994 – 2016, Triple Six motorcycles Choice of Show, Father’s Day award (chosen by the kids), Best modified and Mustang Maniac’s Choice of Show.

The proceedings started with the the 1964.5 to 1968 category reading out in reverse order the points awarded; 3rd was announced, 2nd was announced then with 96 points my name was called out, I had won! There were pictures taken at the time of all the winners, but to be honest – I looked a mess from the morning’s charging around, I never really recovered from it, so I look a bit rough and have seen thge photo’s. 🤦‍♂️ I was asked a few questions and I answered, the MC got my first name wrong as well, “Matt” instead of “Mart”! I didn’t care to be honest, I was trying to take it all in.

I took the trophy back to the car which was only a few paces away and put it pride of place on the air intake.

The rest of the trophies were given out to the other very deserving winners. Shortly after that there was the raffle which went on for ages as some people had already left meaning that their unclaimed winning ticket were redrawn.

As I was in the middle of the main area I couldn’t leave until the area had cleared and it was safe for me to drive out. That oversight was my own fault for parking where I did. The area cleared eventually and I left just after four. Although I left at the end of the show, I maintained a silly grin on my face all the way home which must have looked strange if you saw me in the car.

To win this type of trophy on an important anniversary for the Mustang means so much to me. Thanks to the Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain for putting on a great show and for being very well organised.

When I got home I cleaned the car before covering it up in the garage and took a last photo.

I took the trophy in and placed it on the mantlepiece for the wife to admire with me. She liked it for a while, then I got the “OK, that can go in the garage with the others now”. It’s still there (for now), as I think my wife has given me one week’s grace as I’m so proud of it! I deliberately don’t post when I have won any of my other trophies or prizes as it can sound conceited, but on this occasion I hope you will forgive me.

What a great day and a memory to last a lifetime.

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Enfield Pageant Of Motoring ’24 (part 3)

This is the last of the three posts for the Pageant. I will start this post with the all the random Mustangs that were around the field. There was even a ’67 fastback in Acapulco blue as well.

The guy that owns this fastback has the UK reg plate ‘JJZ109’ which of course is the Bullitt number plate (or reg plate). This car is often seen with a black charger at the same in car shows. The owner has decided that he wants this car to look even more like the movie ‘hero’ car and has started to rough it up a bit. The damage here is intentional. We must remember that it’s the guys car and we shouldn’t judge, I’m not sure it’s something I would personally have done to such a nice car.

In the main tent there was a selection of cars from movie sets, the guide in the tent was telling me that one of these cars is said to have come from “Downton Abby” TV series here in the UK. It’s a series that I never watched, as it’s not my thing. So I tried to Google the cars, but my searches haven’t found the car(s), again I’m happy to be corrected on this.

Leaving the tent to go onto the other side of the field there was the main club stands. I mingled around them to get most of them in shot.

I mentioned there was an unusual engine at the show. This is it, a Merlin engine from a WWII Spitfire plane.

The engine fired up a few times throughout the day and it drowned all the noise out from the field. I couldn’t get near the engine as it was constantly busy. The sound, just deafening and mesmerising at the same time.

I was back at the Mustang Maniac stand and there was a steady flow of people wanting to speak to Adam and ask about the cars, especially the ’73 red convertible that he had up for sale. I got my chilled drink and set up my camping chair for a well earned sit down.

The sun cream was slapped on and I enjoyed sitting down people watching f or the rest of the day. Before I left for home I had a secret weapon – a can of Red Bull sugar free. I finished the can and got into the car around half four in the afternoon and set of for home. I wanted to be fully alert as I suspected I might be tired on the way home. The slogan that ‘Red Bull gives you wings’ wasn’t quite true as I had to endure the lunatics driving on the M25 back home again. To fly home would have been nice, but I wouldn’t have enjoyed my car. Once I got back onto the main dual carriageways again getting away from the London area things start to calm down and I could relax a little on the way home. I even got the odd wave from kids in cars and the odd motor cyclist too. As I drove into my road I could open the garage door ready to drive the car straight into the garage. I didn’t cover the car as I would have to clean the car on the Sunday. Why the rush and not clean it as I always do before garaging? It started to rain. I managed to get the car in the garage with just a few spots of water on the car. By the time I got the trunk unloaded, closed the garage door behind me and got into the house, the rain came down like a tap. Literally a minute later on the road and the car would have got soaked. As far as I was concerned it was a great day out at a very busy and popular car show, great company, and I spoke to many really nice people about my car too. I couldn’t of asked for more, apart from my bed as the Red Bull had worn of and I was pretty tired to say the least. On Sunday the sun was out for a couple of hours where I managed to clean the car, cover it up and plug in the trickle charger back in ready for the next adventure.

Driving a classic car can be tiring for long distances, just ask any owner. We are constantly looking out for people who want to wreck our cars through their stupidity or their inconsiderate actions. We are looking for pot holes, lose gravel in the road for stone chips, debris in the road, keeping a good distance from the car in front etc. the concentration can be intense!

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Enfield Pageant Of Motoring ’24 (part 2)

As I finished my last post I mentioned that part 2 will show my favourite car of the show and here it is; the mighty DE Tomaso Pantera. I had a long chat with the owner who was telling me about the 351 Windsor engine in the middle which tends to set the neighbours car alarms off when he starts it up in the morning. Not many of these cars around now and this was a fine example, just beautiful. Another poster car for many teenage kids.

Moving on down the lines of cars I was working way towards the stalls on the right hand side of the field as you drive in.

There was a an old School bus (I think), which had been converted to a motorhome. I would loved to have had a look inside, but it was all closed up unfortunately. I would love to be enlightened what these vehicles are under the yellow exterior and can you even buy them?

I was at the end of the individual entries of cars and at the main tent and funfair. The was a display of radio controlled models that were on an oval track which were just smashing into each other demolition derby style.

I spotted this dog who was totally at home on this tyre and was getting lots of attention.

There was plenty of stalls for auto parts as well as the usual car boot or yard sale items. There was a live band playing regular sets throughout the day, but we didn’t get much chance to hear them from where I was with Mustang Maniac.

After this section as the for sale stalls it was time to move over to the other side of the filed which I will bring in ‘part 3’. There will be an unusual engine and the block of Mustangs collated from various parts of the field.

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Enfield Pageant Of Motoring ’24 (part 1)

On the 25th of May I attended the Enfield Pageant of Motoring as a guest of Mustang Maniac. The weather looked promising and was going to be a very welcome change from the usual rain over the weekend. The Saturday was going to be the better day with some showers on the Sunday. So the Saturday I got rudely awoken by the alarm at five in the morning, or should I say middle of the night? I sort of stumbled out of bed, woke the wife and then the very short process of waking the dogs from their deep sleep to then being ‘off on one’ wanting to go out right there and then. I eventually got ready and and loaded up the cool bag with lunch, snacks and drinks. I had previously uncovered the car in the garage, disconnected the trickle charger and already put in the the postcode into the SatNav, I just needed to plug it in and turn on from ‘sleep mode’ to resume the directions. The dash cam also sprung into life as the engine fired into life. I sent a text to Adam to say that I was now leaving just a little before six.

The journey there was interrupted by a obligatory stop at the Shell VPower station for a little top up of five gallons. I didn’t fancy having to pay London prices on top of the already premium cost of the VPower fuel. I got back on the road and thoroughly enjoyed my drive, that is until I got to the outer London car park also known as the M25. Then within a space of two miles it seemed as though it was the film set of Mad Max Fury Road where everybody was trying to kill each other. I did my best to avoid the carnage as best as I could, I was traumatised by the time I got off the motorway. There was speed cameras what seemed like on every gantry and the lamp posts when I got the motorway some short ten minutes later. I got to the Pageant at around seven forty and drove up to the Mustang Maniac plot. A total of seventy seventy three miles to get there.

Adam and Lance were there unloading the Falcon and the electric (road worthy) buggy he had there for the weekend.

We had a quick discussion on how we were going to park and I took the corner spot. I then had a little drive of the Falcon to park that up too.

I think Adam felt sorry for me as he kindly bought me and Lance an all you can eat full English breakfast at the carvery just before you enter the show ground. You can trust me when I say that they didn’t make any profit from us as we certainly die honour the ‘all we could eat’ offer. In fact I was so full after the breakfast and ‘free refills’ of soda that I didn’t eat for the rest of the day. I think my veins were pumping pure cholesterol rather than blood, but it was very nice I must say.

On the day I took just over three hundred photos. Some of those photos I have shared with Mustang Maniac for their blog. I try to keep my posts to around a hundred or so photos to keep the loading times down and not make it a scroll fest and getting bored. So I aim to post these three posts in fairly quick succession.

The walk back was welcome to stretch of the legs and helped walk some of the breakfast down. There was some more cars turning up on the stand and we even had a Pontiac ‘ringer’ park with us.

Adam relaxing after the breakfast and sitting with his much loved vintage flat bed.

Directly behind the the Mustang Maniac pitch was the Afro Classic Register who were providing us with entertaining music throughout the day via some more than capable in-car sound systems.

To take the pics I started in their direction heading towards the back of the field. This part of the field where individual entry cars were lined up in rows. I wandered up and down the rows taking pics of the interesting cars, rather than the six year old everyday cars that were parking up.

This is the end of the batch of rows and is an ideal time to stop ready for the ‘part 2’ of the show. I came across my car of the show at the start of the next post.

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No Going Back

There has always been a little bit of niggle with my car but never really an issue, but nice to sort out. The issue was that my car has always needed a few cranks to turn over before it fires up after standing for a while (weeks). I have spoken to the guys at Mustang Maniac who suggested a non return valve to stop the fuel draining away could be a quick fix. The long term would be a fuel pump and return line, a little bit of overkill what I was describing as an issue. They don’t actively sell the valves, but they gave me one of theirs that they sometimes fit for certain cars with my ‘issue’. This particular design is subtle and and not a big hulking beast in the middle of a fuel line which can look rather cumbersome and out of place. In fact the outside of the valve is just about the same size as the outside diameter of the fuel pipe. I now had a mini project to complete and was looking forward to this one, even though it was fuel related.

While I was at it fitting the valve I decided to clean out the inline fuel filter which was looking a bit grubby after sitting in the garage over the winter months. Where the hard line fuel pipe comes through the inner fender apron there is a rubber pipe that goes to the inlet of the mechanical fuel pump. My fuel filter sits on that line. Most filters are plastic, or more factory correct would be the large metal cylinder design. Mine is a glass (quite thick) and unscrews at each end to allow easy access for removing the filter itself.

I removed the jubilee clips at each end and removed the whole fuel line, to be safe I also capped of the hard fuel line as it comes through the inner apron (circled below right).

Important: When removing the fuel line, if you suspected that there is fuel in the pipe, be well prepared to catch it and temporarily block it off. You don’t want a gravity spewing the fuel all over the floor leaving you in a dangerous situation.

With the complete length removed, the old clips on the pipe and fuel filter were removed in order to start the cleaning and refit. The old pipe had lemon clips holding the filter in place and needed to be cut off. These clips would be replaced with new reusable low profile clips.

I had also gotten a new length of E10 fuel resistant hose, just for the sake of replacing it with a fresh piece of pipe. I only ever used E10 fuel once very early on in by restoration, and I won’t ever use it again. The reason was that the E10 fuel caused me issues, 1) the car ran like an asthmatic 7 cylinder with very rough running and idle, 2) it’s nasty and has a devastating toll for all the fuel components which the devils blood itself comes into contact with, nothing is spared; plastic, rubber or metal.

Fuel filters are of a single flow direction, make sure you get it right when fitting back to the car.

With the filter in bits I cleaned the filter itself with 99% isopropanol alcohol. The filter wasn’t that dirty to be fair, but there was a fuel particles which were removed with a small soft nylon brush. Once the filter was cleaned it dried very quickly and was ready for reassembly and fitting.

The glass case and end fittings were also cleaned with an isopropanol soaked non lint cloth. I also took the time to polish the metal end fittings as they clean up nicely. (Notice the big bold ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’ on each end.)

The total length of the original fuel line was measured, (the rubber either side of the filter, to the fuel pump and the apron). I made a the calculations to incorporate the non return valve, there now needed to be three lengths cut to the correct lengths instead of the two previous lengths. (Fuel pump to filter, filter to valve, valve to apron hard line.)

The picture here below, shows the filter ‘IN’ (notice the ‘N’ is back to front), and the direction flow of the non-return valve. This flow direction is critical to get the fuel filtered correctly and allow the fuel to flow to the carb.

The hose fasteners are of a new design being trialled from Mustang Maniac which are simply clipped into place. The clips just slip over the pipe and are pinched closed over a raised retaining ridge in the centre. Once they have been pinched closed enough the clip will just click and lock into place. To remove the clips you can use an awl or small screw driver to lever the clip back up from under the larger of the two raised ridges. The fastener will then just spring open again allowing removal.

You will need a very good pair of pliers to hold and grip the clip in order to close it enough without slipping. These fittings are a very, very tight fitting. They look the part, but I’m not sure I would use them again in a confined space. They are fine for connecting fittings like this fuel line when you have plenty of space to work and accessibility. Cut the lengths of hose allowing enough flexibility between each of the component parts.

I started measuring from the fuel pump and worked backwards towards the apron. The non return valve should be placed before the fuel filter, this would keep a reservoir of fuel within the filter.

The completed fuel line is completed. For each end of the new fuel line configuration I will used standard jubilee clips. This then allows for an easier fitting with a screw driver and easier access. More importantly it will allow me to loosen the the complete line without disturbing the clips. Once the line is loosened at each end I will be able to unscrew the filter and clean with the rest of the fuel line configuration in place.

With the new fuel line configuration in place it looks neat and now serves a dual purpose for filtering and non return.

The fuel flows and retains the fuel up to the carb allowing easier starting. The actual design of the non return valve is slightly irrelevant, but its functionality is the important thing. This slimline design is subtle and neat and doesn’t look to out of place for a stock looking engine bay. The whole thing took around an hour or so to complete. The hardest part was to cut the lemon clips off with damaging the fuel filter. The upgrade has been in place for a couple of months now and it has made a significant difference to the starting of the car in scenarios both cold and hot. This was well worth the effort in my opinion. However, with my naturally suspicious nature it determines that I always carry a spare length of new E10 fuel line just in case of emergencies, or maybe if the valve decides to play up. That way it’s a very simple quick and easy temporary fix for a replacement on the roadside if you need to, then sort it out properly when you get home.

I’m really pleased with the look of the part and the improved functionality that I now have.

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Wall Art

During my time of for the Christmas Holidays I took a trip down to Mustang Maniac for a chat with guys. No other reason than for a chat. Adam was busy sorting out a huge delivery of parts ready to go into stock.

While I was there he said did I want small medium or large? Not quite sure what he meant so I opted for the safe option of middle. With that he took me into the dispatch room where he had just picked up some new items that had laid out on the table. I took some photo’s that Adam will use on his blog soon.

These are powder coated laser cut metal and black powder coated. I was handed the middle size which was some 80cms in width. I was well pleased with my Christmas prezzie and looking forward to having in the garage above my tool chest.

Thank You Adam. 😀

I do know that Adam is looking to have other designs made and he may even sell them. We have shared pics for our blogs so you may see these duplicated. When they are posted on the Mustang Maniac Posts let Adam know you would like one, and he gets enough interest he will get a batch made. He was thinking about removing the Mustang Maniac panel and having it just the outline.

That just leaves me to say one final thing until next year:

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Enfield Pageant 2022 (part 2)

As usual there was a fair for the family and plenty of food stalls. I was tempted to buy a cheese and onion pasty for lunch which I wouldn’t mind paying for, but when the cost is £6 for a pasty, I decided I wasn’t that hungry after all. However the smell was just exquisite, it was a very difficult decision to not be tempted, but I resisted. I wouldn’t mind and people have to make a profit, but when a super market sells them easily at less than a third of that price, I’m not sure if it’s profit or just greed.

On my travels back to the car I came across am interesting little club of old London Taxis. There was some very early examples right up to the more recognisable designs.

Some great UK Fords were there, even these standard Ford like the 1.6Ltr Orion in the UK now commands some serious money. The more exotic cars like the Lotus Cortina, Sierra XR4i or the Cosworth variants will require a mortgage to buy a good one.

There was a couple of unusual cars there with extension or additions to them.

In the middle of the grounds there was a tent which had this car in there roped off. I don’t know if it was something special or just a nice example. Perhaps somebody could enlighten me.

There were plenty of auto jumble with some nice parts for sale and then some rather (crap) stuff for sale, more like a car boot or a rubbish yard sale.

There was various shows in the arena and the stunt team were there again doing some rather mad stuff.

As ever there were plenty of dogs there, and this guy was just happy to lay in the walkway of the stall and people were just stepping over him and he never stirred from his sleep.

I eventually got back to the car and lifted the hood as it seemed to be the norm for the American corner.

I left the show at around four in the afternoon before the usual bun fight starts to get out of the venue. A gentle and steady drive home was very enjoyable and I even had a few people wave to me as they went past. I always try to make a point of waving back at the kids and give them a little hoot as well.

A great day was had by all at the Mustang Maniac patch out as I expected and top it all of there was no rain either, so I class that as a win – win scenario. There was a downside however, filling the car up again on the way back home with some more Shell V-Power fuel. In total I spent just under £120 on fuel for the day out. As it was the end of the month and I hadn’t been paid yet, my mate Barclay (Card) helped me out with the expenses and pay him back in a couple of weeks.

Owning these cars it’s not about the miles per gallon, it’s all about the ‘smiles per gallon’, when you have a good day out, it seems worth it.

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