© Cavalier and Chevette Club 2020
With acknowledgement to Vauxhall Motors Limited
Practical Classic’s Restoration and Classic Car Show 2019 with Discovery
The Practical Classics’s Classic Car and Restoration Show 2019 with Discovery has to go down as the best one of these shows we have attended.
We
had
a
massive
amount
of
publicity
in
the
press
before
the
event
with
regards
to
the
Cavalier
Mk1
WNA
258S
“WINNY”.
With
Coverage
in
Classic
Car
Weekly,
Classic
Car
Buyer
and
Practical
Classic.
The
event
website
also
featured
the
car
as
did
the
Show
Guide
with
a
half
a
page
on
the
car
under
the
heading
“Clubbing
together
for
a
great
cause”
and
our
stand
a
photo
of
the
car
with
Vince
Poole
in
the
exhibitor
listing.
Also
Fred
Coombs
Chevette
HS
featured
in
an
email
that
the
organisers
sent out regarding the event on the Saturday.
The event started early for on Thursday morning, with a well packed Vectra B Design Edition (heading for the meeting point at the Toby Carvery at Stonebridge Island. Soon I was joined by Mark Westwood and his wife with their Red Cavalier Mk2 SRi.
After
a
short
wait
everyone
else
arrived
at
the
same
time,
more
by
luck
than
anything
else.
Fred
Coombs
with
his
Chevette
HS,
Graham
Meakes
in
his
Cavalier
Mk3
GSi
2000
along
with
Mike
Shewan
as
passenger.
And
Phil
Scaiffe
with
a
flatted
truck
with WNA 258S on the back.
After
a
quick
stop
for
refreshments
in
the
Toby
and
then
a
rearrange
of
club
stand
items
between
cars
we
made
our
way
to
the
NEC.
We
then
had
the
easiest
entry
we
have
ever
had,
we
just
drove
straight
in,
found
our
stand
which
was
the
largest
we
have
ever
had
at
150sq
meters
and
set
the
stand
up.
We
placed
a
car
at
an
angle
on
each
corner
of
the
stand,
had
a
centre
area
with
a
table
and
chairs.
New
flags
to
complement
our
original
two.
We
then
fenced
the
sand
out
with
three
entrances so we could encourage people to come in and out three ways.
Once setup we had a look around the show and then headed out for something to eat before heating for hotels.
The
Friday
of
the
show
arrived
and
after
a
Weatherspoons
breakfast
we
headed
to
the
Club
stand.
Fred
advised
us
when
he
arrived
at
the
stand
that
he
was
getting
a
Taxi
in
each
morning.
However
not
your
usual
Taxi.
There
was
a
chap
stopping
where he was that was brining a car in for Dream Rides. A new shape Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 which was tuned for 600bhp!!!!
Phil, Graham and Mike started work on WINNE. The plan being that the car could drive out of the Hall on the Sunday and onto the Transporter which would be waiting outside the Hall.
They
proceed
to
strip
the
brakes
down
and
replace
the
Front
pads
and
the
rear
shoes.
As
well
as
check
the
car
over
which,
considering
the
age
of
the
car
is
very
solid.
(Phil
I
believe
is
providing
a
more
in
depth
update
elsewhere
in
the
Newsletter
so
I won’t go to in depth into what work was carried out).
We had a steady number of press come on the stand Friday interested in all the cars but also asking how we were getting on with the Cavalier Mk1.
By
mid-morning
Paul
Ellson
had
arrived
on
the
stand
with
a
bag
of
goodies
for
the
car
out
of
Club
stock.
Classic
Car
Weekly
took
a
picture
on
the
Friday
of
the
Car
and
some
of
us
which
appeared
in
the
following
weeks
issue.
After
a
very
long
day
we
headed straight out to get something to eat in Resort World, before heading for our Hotel’s.
Saturday
came
and
we
were
joined
on
the
standby
Simon
Downs
and
Jeremy
Lettington.
After
a
breakfast
again
at
Weatherspoons
we
headed
off
to
the
stand.
Fred
arrived
after
another
trip
into
the
show
in
his
Taxi
Mustang.
Phil,
Graham
and
Mike
proceeded
with
the
fluid
change
on
the
radiator
and
change
of
the
fan
belt.
A
through
look
round
the
auto-jumble
for
Coolant
and
fan
belt
the
day
before
came
to
nothing
so
we
ordered
on
online
with
a
view
to
Simon
and
I
heading
off
to
collect
for
somewhere in Birmingham on the Saturday. Simon and I headed of into deepest Birmingham collected the coolant. However, the fan belt was not available to collect so we headed back with a work around idea.
Phil, Graham and Mike were hard at work with the rewiring so that the car would start on the Key. A big thanks goes to Dave Deakin from Chevette and Kadett who assisted at this point with the wiring. The New inhibitor switch was fitted.
While this was all going on Fred, Mark and Myself were dealing with lost of members of the public who had come on to the stand to look at all the cars.
Saturday afternoon was busy.
After
the
show
we
headed
off
to
Resort
World
for
something
to
eat.
Comic
Con
was
also
being
held
at
the
NEC
this
weekend
so
there
was
a
fair
few
people
dressed
at
characters
out
of
Harry
Potter
and
Games
of
Throne
walking
around
or
standing
in
a queue.
After we had something to eat we headed for a bar which we had been in previously for a drink. (Note: Phil make sure next time you don’t leave any bags behind in the restaurant). We then retired to our hotels.
Sunday
arrived
and
we
were
Joined
by
Richard
Watt
and
Claire
Samuels.
After
another
pit
stop
at
Weatherspoons
we
headed
for
the
stand.
Phil,
Graham
and
Mike
set
to
work
bleeding
the
brakes
and
checking
over
the
car
to
make
sure
everything
was
ready
for
the
grand
switch
on
at
the
end
of
the
show.
We
had
more
members
of
the
press
visit
the
stand
and
also
potential
new
members.
Remember
the
Mustang
that
Fred
had
been
coming
in
from
his
Hotel
as
a
Taxi?
Well
Fred
and
I
went
over
to Dream Rides and went out as a passenger in the car. All too soon the end of the show arrived with the usual sound of the horns.
We packed up the stand and then the moment of truth. Phil fired up WINNY and the car drove out of the hall and on to the transporter under its own power.
I would like to say a big than you in no particular order to Graham Meakes, Mike Shewan, Phil Scaife, Mark Westwood and his wife, Fred Coombs for providing there cars and helping on the stand and working on there cars during the event.
I would also like to thank Simon Downs, Jeremy Lettington, Richard Watt and Claire Samuels for attending and helping man the stand on various days.
Also I would like to say a special thank you to Paul Ellson for travelling down to the event with a bag of bits for WINNE and for Dave Deakin from Chevette and Kadett which his help on the ignition on WINNE.
Also a big thank you to all the club members that visited the stand over the three Days, New and Old (Not enough space to name you all but you know who you are).
Our
application
is
in
for
the
2020
show
but
before
that
we
await
to
see
if
we
are
in
for
the
2019
Lancaster
Classic
Motor
Show
with
Discovery
in
November.
If
you
are
potentially
interested
in
exhibiting
at
this
one
please
let
me
know
(you
don’t
have
to work on your car at this one).
Kevin Bricknall (602)