Classic car mechanic – Modding

‘In the corner of the workshop, Olli Ragbin sits watching events unfold before him’

Anyone under the age of 50 will probably not appreciate or even recognise the subtlety in this comparison. So, let’s give it a go. What’s the difference between these 2 characters?

A clue? One of them is an international globe trotter, forever off on holiday somewhere. The other one is Alan Whicker.

Yep, this week the gaffer was off on his jollies with the lovely Ingrid in the caravan. I have a theory about the timing of this particular break. Why did Eric choose this very moment to treat Ingrid to a week by the sea in his charming company? More of that later.

The cat’s away, but from my corner of the workshop this week, I could see no play. Just a frenzy of activity over some lovely classic machinery.

I’m going to start this week with one of my favourite cars this year to have graced the workshop. Before we look at that though, another question. How do we feel about modding?

I don’t mean the late 60’s trend of wearing jackets with targets on the backs and riding scooters liberally dipped in a thousand mirrors. I’m talking about the activity of modifying cars from their original manufacturer’s specification.

This could actually be a contentious point amongst the classic brigade. A point which divides into 2 distinct camps.

Camp 1, the purists, would rather eat their own hair than to modify their car away from the original design and build. At the extreme end of the spectrum we have the nut and bold restoration brigade where originality seemingly matters more than their kidneys.

There is a massive appeal in taking your very own beloved machine and carefully curating a shining example. Better than when it left the factory? We’ve all dreamily thought about the prospect of owning the best original specimen of the breed.

The more expensive the car, the rarer the beast, the more desirable the example the more likely it is that modding in any way will be seen as sacrosanct to the god of originality.

I get that. And one of my feet is most certainly in that camp.

The dreaming innovators, camp 2, love the thought of improvement over specification. Just because Porsche have spent over 50 years and billions of pounds refining the 911, doesn’t mean that from my corner of the world I can’t commission the Doctor to do a few choice upgrades to my own lil classic does it?

This week the 996 has been in under the care of Doctor Ray and has had much tweakery, preventative maintenance and a small engine upgrade (in the form of the beautifully engineered billet single-mass flywheel).

I’m hoping to grab a drive in the next day or so and can’t wait to experience the difference.

I had a long chat with a chum recently on my plans for the 996 and this particular Porker enthusiast was much more in the ‘keep this one original’ frame of mind. It’s a very tidy example and they are becoming rarer. This generation, the poor man’s 911, is often under-loved as a comparatively cheap model and can be under-maintained as a consequence. Under-maintaining one of these is recipe for disaster. In fact it’s more than that. It’s the ‘full-English breakfast recipe for disaster. Big bills coming your way with extra bacon.

Of course, the implications of proper maintenance of these things also means big bills, so you’re done for either way. Even man-maths executed at the professional level that I’ve now attained over many years of effort is having trouble justifying this.

(As an aside, please don’t ask me about Range Rover ownership. I’ve just deleted the tab on that one.)

Anyhoo…. Dubious household budget allocation aside, the 996 brings joy to my being and I’m counting the hours.

(for the second week running, Shrimp eye Justin cracks out the ‘moon-walk’. He always does when he’s happy. I’m going to try and capture this on video next time and upload it to TikTok…. He likes to move it move it…)

This week’s special has put up a Glastonbury-sized tent well and truly in the middle of camp 2.

It’s a 1982 Morris Minor which our customer has been ‘doing up’ fir his wife for the last 18 years.

Just look at it! Purple with white leather. I dare you to behold this without smiling. There is something so very right with this car. Fun, cheeky, I don’t know what it is, but this combination suits this particular model with unusual perfection.

As an aside, white leather and a busy technical workshop with oil, fluids of varying corrosiveness and idiots like me wandering around the place in search of accidents waiting to happen, it’s tricky for any office manager to preside over. Siobhan insisted that anyone going anywhere near the interior of this example don the full CCM ‘due care and attention’ workshop outfit (after showering with carbolic soap and a wire brush). At CCM we take accountability and responsibility in equal measure when it comes to tending to our flock.

(An unnamed tech given the task of moving the Morris moments before breaching the pristine white interior. Siobhan was in constant contact on the walkie-talkie. A scene akin to the moon landing)

The smell of Young Chris’ welding-gun was again present this week as another Morris Minor continued further reconstructive work.

(It’s a little-known fact, but young Chris trained for many years as a seamstress. He can lace a boot with his eyes closed whilst wearing mittens. Welding just comes naturally to our dexterous youngster).

Whilst Eric was sunning himself outside of the Collins caravan, Dr Ray fancied a sit down in the office for his lunch break one day. Anyone wandering from the workshop into the office needs a pretty good excuse to be in Siobhan’s space and the Doctor thought he’d got his reasoning down to a tee.

What followed was a 5-minute conversation about the part numbering practices of a well-known jubilee clip manufacturer, related to sequencing of ‘old vs new’.

I suspect the Doctor thought he was a shoo in for this particular debate. Many years experience as a factory tech for Bristol and a life crafting machinery into motion and he felt odds-on favourite in this particular tussle. A comfy seat for a sandwich awaited.

(I’m not going to be so crass and uncouth as to declare who the winner was in the ‘Clip-gate debate’. It should however be noted that there is no evidence of crumbs near the comfy chair in the office. Let’s leave it there shall we.)

Finally we round up this week of classic-wrangling with an answer to the question ‘Why treat Ingrid to a family holiday by the sea?’ (other than of course, for the pure love of his good lady bride).

(It’s a red letter day for Eric and I as ‘out with the old and in with the new’. The motorbike partnership game just got real. Dr Ray has just been joined by CCM’s Bert & Ernie in the ‘aren’t you two just too old for this sort of none-sense’ club)

And with that, let us all wheel off into another glorious Saturday. Whatever you’re doing today, take a moment to cast an eye over your particular classic and appreciate the goodness and pleasure in life.

We’re all very lucky people really.

So, from the CMM team, Siobhan, Dr Ray, Shrimp-eye Justin, Young Chris, Izzi, Ingrid and Eric Whicker, have a great day.

Olli