Yesterday I needed to change a suddenly seriously leaking garden tap washer. Seeing that a Whitworth spanner was required and that these are buried in an old barn toolbox in the van, I recalled seeing a couple in the garage a couple of days ago while looking for something else. Duly recovered and job completed I had a closer look at them, both are marked “Austin”: which means that they are from the original toolkit of my grandfather’s 1946 Austin Devon.
I’ve got loads of whitworth tools probably as many as AF.Including a German Elora socket set, which contains numerous AF, Metric and Whitworth sizes, bought in the 1970’s and an old Lake and Elliott bottle jack which works like new.The degeneration of the classic vehicle scene is connected with the country’s deindustrialisation.Which is probably why it seems relatively easier to find more product support for classic BMW’s and Mercs.
But having thought about it I don’t think I am a classic car enthusiast.Its just that the cars which I grew up with and knew and liked as still current when I was younger are now just old and obsolete.I certainly never had any interest in pre war or early 1950’s types during the 1970’s and 80’s.
It’s just that those 70’s and 80’s cars are now suddenly 40 and 50 years old.Sad but true.
I think Harry Metcalfe’s XJ coupe restoration costs stand at around £70k + .In that case much of it went on fabricating new sections of rusted bodywork which not long agowould have been easily and cheaply replaced by factory panels.Ironically mine has unusually solid bodywork.
Yes it is possible to circumvent lack of factory parts support by extremely expensive specialist remanufacture in some cases.Which just adds to all the other general downsides.At best as I said a decent 2,500 mile + road trip ain’t cheap at less than 20mpg and 2 Euros per litre.
While just because something might look great polished on a show field under the shiny exterior can be numerous knackered components which can’t easily any longer be replaced.
@Carryfast, if the car exists, if you really own it, if you’re fair dinkum…
He’ll likely have dealt with them already and they’ll be a shower of b astards.
Or he’s tried to deal with them but they found they couldn’t deliver to Fantasyland! 
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Yes it exists it’s sitting in the garage as stated firstly because of the brake pipe supply situation and secondly while I decide if it’s reason to exist still exists.
Any information regarding parts providers is useful to the scene regardless.Didn’t know about that one.
But supply of original parts are dependent on factory support and/or original suppliers still being online.
Experience with SNG Barrat at least generally suggests that if it’s listed as no longer available by Jaguar ‘Classic Parts’ then they don’t have it either.