Practically Classics Forum

Thank you to all my fans all over the World and other places as well. Appearance money, what's that? If I got paid extra for having a knickname I'd be worth a bloody fortune! Sadly virtually all the ones I have acquired over the years aren't repeatable in mixed company!!! I don't know how 'Workshop Phil' came about. Steven Taylor Woodrow (Woody) one of the producers came up with that. When I first heard it I thought, "I don't come from Derbyshire then I realised it was Workshop not Worksop."

I'm now off to the local stonemasons to get DoloMIGHTY's design made up. Ok so it may only be displayed in my workshop but I appreciate it.

Workshop Phil wrote:I don't come from Derbyshire then I realised it was Workshop not Worksop.

That's a coincidence, Worksop doesn't come from Derbyshire either!

i recently watched one where the shouty bald bloke did a beetle/subaru engine conversion..i would have ejoyed it apart from the people...

The names Phil. Workshop Phil.

"Ah JPB I wondered how long it would be before somebody spotted that!"

recently watched the one where the chaps restored a blue beetle, such a relief after watching the bald shouty bloke restore his red one with a subaru engine.... now i need the guys to find me a sierra sapphire cosworth or a rover sd1 vitesse, restore it & deliver it to my door
a really good show, my compliments to all involved

I saw that one too - but I gave up with the other idiots after seeing one trying to get out of a Porsche. I confess I'd have gone the route that Fuzz wanted to go with the Beetle (less bling and more originality).

As it's now on "More 4", I will be following their adventures, but was a bit concerned that Fuzz is missing a finger - he kept doing high FIVES in the first episode.

I also saw Brewer and friend doing the Moke on Wheeler Dealers. I reckon the show would be better without Brewer!

I've just looked at the Moke episode of WD. Is it just me, or was that scruffy slab of crudely welded steel - right by the tiny hole that Edd actually mended - something that should have been ripped out and investigated properly? Someone had flown a pigeon past that floorpan at some earlier time and I'd bet money that it'll either have had much more welding done since or rotted away completely - especially as the two idiots road tested it in salt spray - since the episode was made over four years ago.

I was in agreement with the mockney twunt Brewer on one point though; that car would have looked better with black paintwork on its white bits but better yet painted green and fitted with 10" wheels to make it look like a BMC one. Talk about priorities twisted, why not simply replace the fan with a new, o/e type and fit fresh cones which would have addressed the lack of compliance satisfactorily. I'm sorry, but if you want a car with metal springs, then don't buy a mini in the first place. It's akin to buying a foxhound when you wanted a Bassett, then having the foxhound's legs shortened.

Back to SOS though, and we're having another chance to see the Jeep episode this Sunday. This is a good thing!

Odd as it may seem, I thought the blue/white combo was right - it's more in keeping with what the car was "in the day" (reminds me of the ones in "The Prisoner" I suppose). I can see their point with the metal springs too - one thing a hydro Mini had was a nice ride. The two or three dry ones I drove were very poor in comparison! One was a five year old "25th anniversary" thing that really killed any love I had of the cars - after driving the Maxi (that I sold in '89), the Montego was firm; but the silver Mini was almost frighteningly bouncy. I'd agree that few who are used with moderns would also hate to drive a bouncy thing - and that modern fuels would make the larger engine run hotter (with an inadequate radiator for a much larger engine than an original Moke - especially as it had been soldered up).

I've no problems about original Mokes being green - after all, they were designed with Army use in mind (even if they were too low to be much good on rough ground); they also had the 850 van engine - not the fastest of things as I recall!

Ah well, SOS again this evening - I hope Fuzz wins the "restore or custom" debate this time!