Sam Glover Blog 26/5/09
Sam loves the smell of two-stroke fumes in the morning.
There's nothing like a good, sunny bank-holiday weekend to top one up with the joys of classic motoring. Thus, while basking in breakfast sunshine on Saturday, I felt a sudden urge to cover some distance in something old and rattly.
My initial plan was to buy a Citroen 2CV. Happily, I was quickly distracted by talk of a two-stroke binge at Gaydon and the discovery that the Horthwagen - my gloriously shabby Barkas B1000 - still had the dregs of an MoT.
Having been neglected since October, the Horthwagen's refusal to start was entirely reasonable. The reason was the usual one - the fuel pump failing to pump fuel.
Wartburg engines are equipped with fuel pumps driven by crank-case pressure. When they've been standing for a while, the pressure generated by turning the engine on the starter is often too low to wobble the pump's rubber membrane with sufficient vigour.
The simplest solution is to dribble a bit of fuel into the carburettor and run the engine for a few seconds. This I did, and pumping obediently commenced.
A few tentative miles unveiled two aurally-harrowing problems - a howling exhaust and a grumbling rear wheel bearing. I rebodged the former and, after ascertaining that catastrophic failure was not imminent, plied the latter with grease. Replacements are now on their way from LDM Tuning, Germany.
This done, I set off north along the Fosse Way, swinging trouble-free into Gaydon an hour-and-a-half later. En route, I hooked up with two Auto Unions for some impromptu convoy action. Marvellous.
The two-stroke gathering, organised by the massively welcoming Trojan Owners Club, turned out to be a stunner. Eclectic oil-burners from Saab, Heinkel, Auto Union, Wartburg, Trabant and Trojan lined up in plural, alongside solitary representatives from Messerschmitt, Berkeley, Bond, Lloyd, Acoma and Goggomobile.
Predictably, I came away with a burning desire to own a Trojan Utility Car. With a square-four two-stroke engine below the passenger's seat and a two-speed epicyclic gearbox beneath the driver, they're fascinatingly odd. The sales pitch of club secretary Phil Potter - who was foolish enough to let me loose behind the wheel of his 1926 tourer - was brutally effective in convincing me that I needed one.
'The car that makes walking an extravagance!' screamed the company's Twenties marketing propaganda. When new, they cost £125 and came with a 5000-mile guarantee.
The club is very keen to put on a repeat performance next year, hopefully with an even more diverse range of blue-smokers. Keep your eye on PC's What's On page for updates.
Incidentally, I still fancy tackling my daily commute in a 2CV, Dyane or Ami. If anyone has a cheapie for sale, tout it here: sam.glover@practicalclassics.co.uk
Like ants, classic car owners move faster in direct sunlight.
Phil Potter let me touch his 1926 Trojan tourer.
Bonkers square-four two-stroke engine and epicyclic gearbox.
Lovely 1927 Trojan Apollo saloon could be yours for £12,000.
Deeply eclectic congregation of blue-smokers.
Thomas Lakin's 1948 Lloyd 650 is the only one still on the road. That's Lloyd of Grimsby - not Lloyd of Bremen.
A lovely pair of Saab 96s.
In convoy with an Auto Union 1000SP and 1000S, both owned by Fredrik Folkestad. The 1000SP is the same one that appeared in Practical Classics last year.
www.trojanownersclub.co.uk
Posted: 3:54pm, 28 May 2009
Words: Sam Glover
Enter your details
You need to be a registered member of the Practical Classics magazine website to access this page.
Please login now or register for FREE access. If you have forgotten your password, please click here for a reminder.
