Re: Practical Classics magazine

I think maybe they have been trying to get a readership together for RPM mag before they launch it or at least test the viability of it. Personally I like the idea of performance from your old motor but I can also respect the purists and their dedication. At the end of the day the magazine has to evolve a little or it will die - I do tend to agree that there is rather a lot of "slap a Z tech in your model T and it'll fly" type stories. If I wanted a Z tech I'd buy a Focus.

Holman says he's been listening to what people as he extensively travels etc. etc. and came up with RPM. Kak! If he was honest he would say, "Someone else is going to publish a mag about modified classics and I'm going to jump on the bandwagon." Yup, there's two "Retro Cars" as bought by JC, and "RPM" so hopefully classic car mags should be clear of such things. If there's a market for them then good luck to them.

Pete W

So busy jumping on to bandwagons that he can't be bothered to check his facts, even when they are staring him in the face.

Ron Robinson

When the economy is doing OK and house prices are on the up there seems to me to be no limit to mens ability to buy specialist car magazines. New magazines abound every week . God knows how the landrover market alone stands 4 magazines . When the economy gets back to usual the more esoteric will dissappear overnight. Steve the grease

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I'm new to this scene having recently bought a Mk I Golf GTI. I bought Practical Classics magazine (the one with the Jag E-type and the Mini on the front). I must say, I thought it was excellent. The people who do it seem very friendly and genuine enthusiasts. Maybe I'm just niave!

I've defended them on occasion in the past. If you asked everyone which articles they disliked the most, you'd probably get completely different answers from everyone, suggesting that they haven't actually hit a bad balance. Obviously when you've been reading the mag for a few years, you see the same stuff coming around now and again, but on the whole, I'm still happy enough to subscribe. I tend to see their technical articles merely as pointers and then delve deeper on the net or here if I need to know more. And yes, I've found them pretty friendly when I've met any of them at shows or contacted them.

Yes, May 1980, Issue No. 1 had a picture of a AH 3000 and a Frog eyed Sprite IIRC. [1]

It has it's ups and downs, I've not bought it reguarly since the early

The biggest change was when it moved to Petebour', it became a classic version on 'Car Mechanic' or 'Practical Motorist' type mag - IIRC it even had some of the old 'CM' articles and or writer.

Yes, it seems to have more in common with 'Custom Car' than 'Classic Cars' [2] at times from what I've seen [3] ! :~(

[1] who remembers who started Practical Classics ? [2] who remembers the (old) full title of that magazine ? [3] hopefully the new retro performance car mag they are starting will allow PC to return to / restoring / classic cars and dealing with keeping them as built.

Paul Skilleter, Peter Hart and Gordon Wright. Sold PC to Emap which is why format, content etc changed in early 90's.

Can't remember but maybe Practical Classics and Car Restorer?

Mark

Buying or selling a Jaguar, go to

The message from "William Davies" contains these words:

AFAICR Classic Cars was the first mainstream magazine to concentrate on on classic cars. IIRC that started in October 1973.

I can only find one article on modified stuff in my copy. It's about Austins. The rest of the mag is about standard classics. Modified stuff is not really my thing, but the Austin thing was quite interesting. If you don't buy this mag anymore, what others do reccomend? Being new to this, I can't get enough of it at the moment! Jimmy Page

He was indeed, he invented the format and owned the title IIRC !

I think you take it in the right spirit - they're a bunch of enthusiasts like us and for the most part they have no more technical knowledge that we do (they usually ask other people). I've not met any of them personally but their emails are always friendly (which is how I know Will Holman has been reading this thread!)

Purely personally, IMHO and all the rest of it, I cannot see the point of spending good money on a magazine of this type that is written by people who do not know more about their subject matter than their readers do.

In that case I would be very grateful if he would have a look under the back of his Peugeot 505 Family Estate and tell us what sort of rear suspension it has.

Ron Robinson To reply shun the frumious bandersnatch, an ordinary one will suffice.

I've been exposes to both Classics and Practical Classics recently - and while I agree they're not mags to be picked up regularly, I believe they can be useful as a "shot in the arm" to get motivated. Especially if the reader isn't fortunate enough to be able to network locally with like-minded classics nuts.

An annoying trend: I noted in the last 12 months of Classics that the so-called running reports of staff cars got no more involved than replacing bulbs or "getting a local well-regarded garage to do the job for me". Also, I suspect we don't need reviews of a range of car washing sponges. Sheeesh.

Flying against the wind, I actually quite like this new Retro thing but then I'm a sacriligious type who doesn't mind sensible modifications of classics.

Because they have _access_ to vehicles that their readers don't? Personally, I don't see nearly enough classics on the road and don't get to that many shows. Any introduction to something unfamiliar is welcome, with or without in-depth technical detail. This is also why I sit through foreign language satellite telly programmes like Motorvision Classic where I can only make out about one word in five (and can never remember how to convert PS to BHP).

I don't know if anyone else suffers from this, BTW, but I can read an article in PC about just about any car (the Allegro aside, but only because I've already experienced the horror) and end up wanting one. I first noticed this when reading about the Renault 8. Nasty, underpowered, plain looking, square box, who'd ever want one of those? By the end of the article it had become an interesting, quirky, endangered species crying out to be saved and relished by any free thinking enthusiast. The current 2CV restoration is another case in point. I'd never in a million years want to buy a 2CV. But show me a few pictures of an early example in its original grey, with corrugated panels and I'm measuring up the garage to see if I could fit three cars in after all.