Chocs Away!

We are delighted to announce the addition of this 2007 Morgan 2 seater to our hire fleet for 2013.

Although the Morgan has a modern (and more reliable!) engine the driving experience is pure classic. If you are a classic car enthusiast then a Morgan must be on your 'must drive' list. Our Morgan is based near Cirencester and is administered by its owner June who offers a warm welcome together with some great ideas for touring the Cotswolds.

Scratch the Morgan itch and give us a call on 07918715039 to arrange your hire date.

Why A Self Drive Car Hire Voucher Can Make A Perfect Christmas Gift

With Christmas just around the corner, it can be difficult to know what to buy for loved ones who already seem to have just about everything! However, one great gift idea for a classic car fan could be a voucher for a self drive car hire. There are car hire companies available who have a fleet of classic cars available for people to hire; whether it is for an afternoon’s fun in the countryside roads or to use as an alternative weekend car.

 Self drive car hire is very often charged at a daily rate and will usually have a set mileage which is included as part of that cost. Any additional mileage will be charged for. Due to insurance restrictions, drivers usually need to be at least 25 years old and should have a clean driving licence. Different brands and styles of car will vary in price, inevitably an Aston Martin is probably one of the most expensive cars to hire yet it still remains a firm favourite with diehard James Bond fans!

Of course, many people who hire classic cars end up being bitten by the bug and look to purchase their own classic car. There are a number of classic car sales whereby customers can choose from a range of classic cars to buy – they may choose one which is all done up and ready to take on the road, or they may prefer to buy one which needs a little care and attention before it can be driven.

 Classic car sales are popular with motoring enthusiasts who love nothing better than to spend their spare time admiring classic cars and maybe even buying and selling them as a hobby. Some television crews look to hire classic cars when filming TV dramas or adverts, so in fact very often investing in a classic car can prove to be lucrative providing you have the right contacts.

So next time you are looking to purchase a present for a loved one which is a little bit special, why not look into purchasing a self drive car hire voucher?

Buying something special for the classic car enthusiast.

It’s that time of year again, the time when you need to think about buying your presents for friends and family. If you have a relative or friend who is interested in classic cars then it would be worth considering looking at Classic car gifts.

There are a whole range of ideas so it really is a good option. You could consider classic car portraits and limited editions; photos; personalised calendars, mugs, leather gloves, classic car books and magazine subscriptions, and die cast models. There is something for every budget. If you are looking at buying something really special though you may want to buy a gift that they’ll never forget. You could buy that special someone the classic car that they have always dreamed of, but a slightly more reasonable option is to hire that same car for a day or a weekend instead.

Classic car hire is a way of getting a really memorable experience for your loved one. For people who seem to have everything, buying an experience for them rather than a present is much more likely to be remembered. Hiring a classic car means different things to different people. For some it is an opportunity to relive their youth, driving a car similar to one they had in the past, or the cars they used to see. For others it’s an opportunity to make a statement, to make a day really special, and share it with good friends or loved ones.

Others, who like to watch nostalgia programmes on the television, can use their gift to recreate the time period with a classic car and a classic journey. There are lots of really picturesque journeys in the UK, and many books to tell you about them. In the Midlands we have many great areas to visit and drive around. So, it isn’t that hard to buy something really special for someone who loves classic cars, and for those who don’t have a special interest in them, it is still a great idea for a memorable experience.

How Self Drive Hire Can Occasionally Lead To The Purchase of a Classic Car

For many people, having the opportunity to hire a classic car for the day is a dream come true. There are a number of self drive hire companies up and down the country where people can hire the car of their choice for either a day or a weekend. All they need is a clean driving licence (those people with points on their licence may find they incur an extra charge) and a passion for classic cars. Being able to hire a classic care can make a great gift for a loved one, particularly when they already seem to have everything! All sorts of cars are available for self drive hire, from the legendary Aston Martin to a Triumph Vitesse. Of course, there are plenty of other makes and models of cars available, and most people have their own personal reasons as to why they wish to hire that particular model of car. For example, James Bond fans may dream of hiring the Aston Martin, whereas someone else may wish to hire a Morris Minor to evoke memories of childhood family holidays to the coast. Of course, once the customer has a taster of hiring a classic car for the day, they may decide to take the plunge and purchase their own classic car. There are a number of classic cars for sale at any one time, but it is often worth talking to an expert before making the purchase in order to ensure the customer knows exactly what they are buying. Although many classic cars for sale may look gleaming and in great condition, when it comes to looking under the bonnet it could be a very different situation. The gearbox could be full of rust and the suspension could be shattered. Although the bodywork may have been well cared for, the actual mechanics of the car could well be dangerous. It is worth taking the time to vet the new potential car very carefully to ensure the seller is being completely honest with the condition of the car. Of course, many diehard car fans simply can’t wait to get their hands on a rusty car in need of some hard work and restore it to its former glory. After some hard work and dedication, they can soon be whizzing along in their classic car! To find out more about Self Drive Hire why not visit our website.

How Classic Triumph Hire Can Make A Gift With A Difference

Hiring a classic car can make an ideal gift for a loved one, particularly for those people who already seem to have everything! Whether it is for a birthday or an anniversary; presenting a partner or parent with a classic car gift voucher can really make their day. There are plenty of classic cars which are available to hire, how about a stunning Aston Martin to give that 007 feel, or the ever stylish E-type Jaguar? Of course, there is also the sporty classic Triumph hire, which usually comes with the option of taking the roof down on a dry day. Hiring a classic car allows drivers to feel of sense of nostalgia, as they drive these magnificent cars which were built before the days of power steering and plastic dashboards. A self drive hire gift voucher can make an ideal present for a special anniversary, a milestone birthday or perhaps a Christmas present with a difference. Businesses may purchase them to use them as unique corporate prizes for employees who have performed outstandingly well. The recipient can utilise the voucher to cruise around the countryside in style, maybe just for one day or perhaps as part of a touring holiday. Self drive hire can allow drivers to experience the thrill of driving a classic car for themselves. Bride and grooms often take up the opportunity of hiring classic cars to drive themselves from their wedding ceremony to their reception, or perhaps to take themselves off on honeymoon in style once the wedding celebrations have come to an end. Classic Triumph hire can make their wedding day even more of a day to remember, and will provide fantastic photographic opportunities for both the official photographer as well as the guests. When purchasing a gift voucher for a friend or relative, you will need to be aware that there may be age restrictions in place due to insurance reasons. The recipient should ideally have a clean drivers licence as they may be charged a higher rate of insurance if they have points on their licence.

Vintage Staffordshire

Blythe House Farm Open Day.

It’s all going on down at the farm this weekend! Blythe House Farm is a hive of activity and this Sunday (23^rd September) we will all be showing our talents. I will be displaying the hire cars as well as some of the current restoration project. I will be there swapping anecdotes about classic cars and I will be happy to show you the hire fleet or discuss your classic car requirements. There will also be a few cars for sale just in case you want to catch the promised late summer. Apart from Self Drive Classics there will displays from other businesses on site including Java VW – the classic VW specialist, S Smith engineers for your more modern car needs, Retro Refinishers for bodywork and paint there will also be the local brewer and a host of local crafts. There will be plenty of food and drink so it’s a great day out for the whole family.

See you there!

Vintage Lichfield

Saturday the 27^th October is the day to visit Lichfield. The George Hotel Darwin house and Bird Street will be packed with stalls and shows for all things nostalgic with displays from the 20’s to the 60’s. Step back in time with the clothing, accessories, food and drink and – of course – the classic cars.

So you want to make money with your classic?...

Almost weekly I get a call from someone who is looking to put their classic cars to work. When I set up Self Drive Classics in 2004 there were only a handful of classic car hire companies out there and there was no help available. So I ploughed on regardless and must have fallen into – and pulled myself out of – every bear pit going. In 8 years I would like to say I have seen it all, but there are still surprises to be had. Whilst I am always happy to chat generally about classic car hire I would not give away this hard won experience for free so I have decided to offer anyone who is looking for advice the chance to come on a 1 day course. The course is based in Lichfield, Staffordshire in an informal setting and is intended for small groups (3 to 6 maximum). I will be covering every aspect of classic car hire, the good, the bad and (be warned) the ugly, sharing the experiences that have made me laugh and cry over the past 8 years. The day will be both informative and fun and is intended to give you a very realistic account of the classic car hire business and help you decide if it is for you.

The day costs £250 and includes VAT  tea/coffee and lunch.

I am currently looking for a date mid November so if you are interested then please give me (Steve) a call on  07918715039.

Car Hire Sagas

Talking of ‘the ugly’ I have to ‘thank’ hirer Michael Boylan for driving my little Frogeye hard down the M6, not noticing a drop in oil pressure and carrying on until the engine seized. I even gave him a full refund as he told me he was on his way to his wedding (in fact he had got married and was on the way to the reception). The rescue company were on the scene quickly and little time was lost but the car was wrecked. Same goes for the BBC who had 3 of my cars via an outfit called wheel2reel for the TV series Antiques Road Trip – now showing on BBC2. They managed to damage all 3 but the little Beetle convertible you see was badly abused – if you have a classic then beware!

Updates on our Classic Cars

Volvo P1800

Work is progressing with the P1800 as we cut more of the rusty stuff away and replace it with new metal. The O/S front wing, inner, middle and outer sill are all now in place. There was also quite a bit of fabrication required for the A post and inner front wings. The drivers door has a new skin and a new bottom repair panel both hand made by Gordon at Hunter classics. Currently we are working on the O/S rear wheel arch and rear wing. Again we have to fabricate much of the new panels as replacements are not available. This is a much bigger task than I imagined but we will end up with a great car that – if looked after – will last for many years to come.

‘Frogeye’

The Frogeye conversion has taken a big jump forward as the back end is now fitted and bonded to the original car. It looks great and now we are working on fitting the lights. Next up is the new bonnet, then its time for the paint job before fitting out the interior.

Green Super Midget

A few months ago we bought an unusual Midget. It’s a 1974 round wheel arch Midget that has been subject to a comprehensive restoration a few years ago with a few ‘custom’ additions. The engine is the later 1500, the seats have been replaced with ½ leather seats, we think they are from a rover as is the centre console and handbrake. The car has been finished in metallic green and looks amazing in the sun. It’s quick, a bit quirky and great fun. The car had been off the road for a couple of years and we have sorted out a couple of paintwork issue, fixed the brakes, replace some of the carpets, cleaned and serviced the engine, carbs, new exhaust and many more jobs to get this little car ready to go. This will be up for sale in the next couple of weeks.

MGB Roadster

We have just acquired a very nice 1978 MGB in blaze red. The previous owner had stared a chrome bumper conversion so we will be finishing this, changing the car to wire wheels, a complete respray and sorting out the mechanicals. This one will be ready in September.

Classic Curves!

This week we have been having fun working on our 2013 calendar. We are working with local model and classic car enthusiast Marie. We have decided to call the calendar ‘Classic Curves’ celebrating the lines of beautiful classic cars enhanced with a the lines of our beautiful model. It’s all a bit of fun and definitely very different from traditional calendars. Keep and eye on our website for more information.

Super Frogeye

Having decided to turn the MK3 Sprite into a Frogeye the Self Drive Classics restorationteam are now moving on with the work. The engine bay has been repainted white and the engine work now completed. The Frogeye rear end is ready to fit as is the Frogeye style dash. We have ordered the bonnet which should be here this week so we expect to have all of the panels and dash fitted by the end of next week. Next job is to paint the car then on to trim and finished so we sill be ready for the summer – should it ever arrive!

Volvo P1800

Last week we started work on the bodyshell for the P1800. It is in a worst state than we first thought but these old cars are well worth saving so we will move on with the restoration. We have remove the drivers side sills and floor and cut away all of the rust. We are fabricating new chassis legs ready to attach the new floor and sills.

Classic Car Hire

The dreadful weather has not helped the classic car hire business but at least it looks like this week could be a bit more settled. Despite the weather people still get married, have School proms and – being British – still go for a drive even in the rain so don’t let the weather put you off. Anyone with a discount voucher should use them now before they expire.

Classic Car Restoration

Classic Car Restoration

We have made a big decision with the Austin Healey Sprite Mk3 we are currently restoring. The back end is such a bodge that we have decided to cut it all off and turn the car into a Frogeye. What we will end up with is a car that offers the best compromise – it is still a 1966 Healey Sprite to drive with the cute looks of the Frogeye but with disc brakes, seat belts, a heater and decent weather gear. We have found that the full on original Frogeye we are currently running on our hire fleet is often a bit too much for our customer who are used to modern cars so this will make a great compromise and we will be putting the restored version on our hire fleet.

Classic Car Hire

It seems that kids are now looking for something different to arrive in for their school proms. Stretch Limos have been done so now they are looking to us to provide something a bit special. Our Ford Zodiac has never been more popular, it can carry 5 passengers and Dad gets to have a drive so it’s fun for all. All of our cars have been used for Proms and weddings at some time but the Zodiac and the Morris Minor are becoming very popular. Those who want to arrive in style are looking to our Jaguar E-type Aston martin or the chauffeur driven Pontiac Firebird which is just about the loudest way to arrive at a party.

Wheels on, engine in now its looking better!

More progress this week in our classic car restoration department with the MK3 Sprite. The front suspension is back on so now we are back on 4 wheels, and the engine and gearbox are back in so now we can push it about but it weighs quite a bit more! The cylinder head has just come back from the machine shop with new valve guides and hardened seats for unleaded fuel. The next job is to sort out the carbs, ignition system etc and get the engine running again. We then have to deal with the botched backend – classic car restoration can be such fun.

Classic CarHire is moving along with the Frogeye Sprite, Morris Minor and e-type going out on hire despite the weather. The Zodiac continues to be a very popular prom car – the kids love it and it certainly attracts attention. Drivers and passengers have to wrap up warm in the Frogeye as a heater was an optional extra in 1960 – all adds to the fun though.

We attended the Chasewater Classic Car Show on Sunday (15th April) to be honest it was a complete shambles from our point of view with our pitch being stolen by some local dogs home. We ended up in the middle of the field in an ‘un-official’ pitch but we made the best of a cold day – don’t think we will be doing this one again. The next show is a Catton Park in Derbyshire, this is usually a great show so if you come along please come over and say hello.

Beware the Artful bodger!

Working with classic cars means we get to see the best and sadly the worst of the art of restoring and maintaining old cars. Our current restoration project is definitely one of the latter. I bought this as a rust free shell, it had been hand painted but it looked rust free and would make the basis for a very nice little Austin Healey Sprite. On much closer inspection however the full horror of the bodger craft became apparent. The chassis and sills - which are the strength of the monocoque construction - are sound, so it’s a good start. But whoever fitted the outer panels was definitely not thinking about a quality finish. It is such as shame, to buy new repair panels which would make a great job and then ruin the panels and the car with such poor fitting. In this case both rear wings had been repaired with ¾ panels. These are good panels but you have to cut away the old wing first BEFORE welding on the new panels. It’s no use just trimming away a bit of rust and then tacking the new panel on top! Then trying to cover it all up with tons of filler. There panels will have to come off and be refitted. The same applies to the front wings where a very good bottom ¼ panel is available for the worst affected area, we will have to scrap these repairs and buy new panels. Despite these setbacks the Austin Healey Sprite MK3 restoration is progressing. We have stripped the car and painted the engine bay, we are now in the process of rebuilding the front suspension. The cylinder head has just come back from the engineers with new value guides and hardened seats for unleaded fuel and I have ordered a new clutch so the engine and box should go back in next week and we will continue to build up the front of the car. Meanwhile, we will be removing the rear wing repair panels and doing this job again. Classic Car Restoration http://www.selfdriveclassics.co.uk - never a dull moment!

Why People Pay For Classic Car Restorations

There are many reasons why people choose to own classic cars – perhaps to remind them of a car they once owned or a motoring era gone by, maybe to impress someone special or even because they just love anything automotive and want to get back to motoring like it used to be. Given that there are plenty of people out there that are passionate about old cars but who don’t necessarily have the engineering and technical knowledge to maintain them there will always be a need for classic car restoration.

Classic car restorers are anything but your average mechanic – though some will get into this via a mechanical background others may venture into the restoration business after having owned their own classic cars and because they have a passion for restoring them undertaking the necessary training and work experience to enable them to restore other people’s classic motors for a living.

When working with a classic car restoration company there is one thing that is guaranteed – the people that work on your classic motors will treat them with the care and attention that any owner would, this is because they too will be passionate about these old cars and grateful for the privilege of being able to work on them and restore them to their former glory.

Cars such as the Morris Minor, Triumph Herald and E type Jaguar may be among the many classic cars that have restoration work done on them. Though people say ‘the old things are built to last’ as motoring on modern roads takes its toll, even the best looked after classic cars are going to need some maintenance even after they have been restored.

When looking for someone to carry out classic car restorations one of the best places to look is online because here you can type in the keywords relating to the area you live in and find someone who is local to you so that you do not have to travel too far to get your classic motor restored and maintained so that it runs like a dream once more.

Benefits Of Having Classic Car Restoration

If you love classic cars and dream about motoring the way it used to be then you have probably thought about owning a classic car so you can turn these dreams into reality. However the probable reality you most likely encountered is the cost of looking after such a vehicle and how you can ensure you can use it but at the same time preserve it so it can be used and enjoyed for many more years to come. This is where classic car restoration comes in because it helps to keep these fine examples of a bygone era in tip-top condition.

Classic car restorers are experts in their trade and are very often classic car owners themselves so they understand the passion and enthusiasm that it takes to keep these vehicles in a good condition. From their workshop facilities they are able to repair, restore and maintain a wide range of classic cars including E-type Jaguars, Morris Minors, Triumph Stags and the MGB Roadster. They can also provide advice on how owners can help to do their bit to keep their cars running well and looking good.

If you have a problem with a classic car, perhaps a mechanical issue, then a classic car restoration company will have the tools and expertise on board to ensure that they can fix this problem and restore your vehicle to full working order. They have access to specialist parts and can order these as and when necessary to complete the repair of your classic car.

If your vehicle is running fine but you just need on-going maintenance to ensure that the engine continues to run smoothly and that you can use the car whenever you want to then classic car restorers can help you to maintain your vehicle in good working order. They can also polish and clean it so that it looks as good on the outside too.

Whatever kind of classic car you own, using a classic car restorers will ensure that you can keep making the most of your vehicle for many years to come.

To find out more about classic car restoration why not visit our site where you can find out more about these classic car restorers.