FJ Barn Finds at the Classic Car & Restoration Show - Part 1

The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show will be held on 24 - 26 Mar 2023 at the NEC.

Thousands of passionate classic car enthusiasts will be attending, either to get inspiration for new or current project or simply to take in over 1,000 vehicles on display from more than 150 car clubs – representing everything from the Morris Minor to the Ferrari F40.

This year Footman James are sponsoring the Barn Find area which will feature classics in various stages of the recommissioning process. We spoke to two owners who’ll be joining us on the day with a pair of fully restored rarities…

1967 Lotus Elan S3 – owned by Adrian Woodward

Adrian bought his first Elan over 40 years ago and has since acquired a further four Lotuses, including this Elan S3.

Adrian said: “I was smitten by the style and performance and set myself the goal of owning a Lotus. During the last 40 years I have enjoyed working on them as much as I have enjoyed driving them. This obsession is twofold; it satisfies my engineering addiction and the joy of driving a car with a race engineered heritage.”

Between 1990 and 1995 Adrian built an AC Cobra replica and it was then that he realised how much satisfaction building a car from scratch brought him. This led to the purchase of the three other Elan restoration projects.  

As if four Elans wasn’t enough, Adrian acquired his last S3 example which he recently finished restoring.

Adrian added: “It was offered to me by a friend who was downsizing his twin-cam collection. I thought the restoration might take a year but instead it took six!”

Every single item of the Elan S3 has been dismantled and paint stripped. Adrian states that it was restored from an ill-advised ‘box of bits,’ but this added to the challenge.

The Elan S3 covered about 2,000 miles in its first year back on the road in 2022. Adrian experienced the inevitable fault-finding period during those miles and still has a few of items to correct, such as ensuring that the doors and bonnet correctly line up.  

Creating a concours example was never Adrian’s intention, and he is pleased to have it featured in the Footman James Barn Find display.

1937 Fiat 500A Topolino – owned by Jacqui Kowalewsky

Jacqui first became aware of the original 1930s Fiat 500A Topolino, nicknamed ‘Little Mouse,’ over forty years ago – but in highly modified form as a drag racer.

Jacqui said: “I always thought that they were quite a pretty little car. However, during my engineering training I became interested in American-style hot-rods - during the 1980s, I drag raced a ’32 Ford roadster and built a ’32 Ford coupe for road use.”

Family duties led to Jacqui’s absence from the hot-rod scene for 30 years, but the spark was reignited… After acquiring a 6.9-litre ’32 Ford coupe, she wanted something completely different and remembered the 500 Topolino.

Due to the modifications needed, Jacqui sourced a restoration project. She found an original UK-supplied Topolino, which was assembled by Fiat UK at Wembley, London in 1937.

Jacqui added: “It seemed perfect, something different from the crowd and very pretty. Being so tiny would not require a huge engine to give it the ‘pep’ that I wanted. I did not want to lose the charm of the original car, so the external changes are minor and discreet. The looks and style of the car are what attracted me after all.”

The Toplolino’s 2.0-litre, twin-cam engine develops around 180hp – all in a car that only weighs 750kg. This gives a claimed power to weight ratio of 240hp per tonne. Notable modifications include all-round disc brakes, a Lotus clutch mounted to a lightweight steel flywheel, and a Quaife CR four-speed straight cut, slider dog manual transmission, which drives the rear wheels via a limited slip differential.

Over three years, Jacqui did all the restoration work in a single car garage on the side of her home, carrying out mechanical alterations, paintwork and interior trimming using just basic hand tools.

Jacqui concluded: “I drag race the Topolino at Santa Pod in pure street trim (no racing slicks) and it clocks 14.2 seconds at a speed of 94MPH. Not bad for a tiddler!”

Visit the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show website to purchase tickets for the show, and use the discount code FOOTMANJAMES for £2 off each ticket.

Insure your classic car on the road and on the workbench with Footman James

Whether your classic is in concours condition after a nut & bolt restoration or in pieces in your garage, Footman James have an insurance policy to suit your requirements. If your classic is currently off the road, FJ’s Laid Up policy protects your vehicle against accidental or malicious damage, fire, theft and attempted theft when kept in a locked garage. It’s also covered during transit to and from competitions, exhibitions and restorers. Call us on the number at the top of this page or request a call back online for a quote.

Once you’re behind the wheel, our classic vehicle insurance policy comes complete with a whole host of benefits such as shows & events cover and cover for your trips to Europe (up to 35 days, restrictions apply). You can also choose to add a range of additional options to tailor your policy to your exact requirements. These include: Breakdown Cover, Agreed Value, Nil Deduction Salvage Retention, Legal Protection and more. Get an instant, online quote here.