14th November 2003

Another Ginetta G4 has turned up from deepest Surrey.  Michael Sholl has been restoring two for some years and we have been tasked to refit a body to a chassis.  It's nearly done and Michael should be out racing with our gang next year.

Spadge is off to MOT the Ginetta G10 any day soon and Mark Faulkner's Cobra dash looks fantastic now that it is trimmed.

31/10/03

We have a G26 on site with a Pinto engine. The car is for breaking and we don't want it hanging around too long. Prices are cheap, cheap, cheap so don't delay!

Ginetta News as at 22^nd October 2003

Well! Where do we start?!  Thank you to all of you who have emailed or called to ask for a site update. Apologies for not doing so earlier.

Current stock additions include the following exciting Ginettas: G21, two more G15s, a G16, a road/race round tube G4 and even a G4R!

Dennis’ G10 is now up and running. It sounds wonderful. We have a small amount of trimming to complete and then it is off to the MOT station.

Mark’s AC cobra mk 4 is having a 1960s dash made and fitted here. We are also fitting a period roll hoop that we have made from CDS tube.

The Elva Courier Coupe of Lord Boothby has had its cage made and fitted here and the body is all bonded on and all the missing panels have been made and fitted. Fred has taken it away for some fettling prior to paintwork.

We have a nice 1966 G4 coming in for a roof and a roll hoop to be fitted. Don Francis has bought the lovely car that Ray Masters owned for many years and he has already participated in a number of road rally events. We will also be carrying out a few tweaks to help the car with its new life.

The Alfa G15 is up and running, the Alfa G21 is coming on well too. Tony Day’s G15 makes good progress every time he visits us. Ray Woods G15 will be prised out of it’s long term storage next week and delivered to his house; to be joined at some stage by his V8 G21 and a G32 with almost no miles on the clock.

Various other G15s have come and gone over the last few months also.

And on the horizon? An up and running G10/G11; our race midget, following a major engine rebuild and thorough testing will be for sale; a square tube G4 project and possibly a G12 project.

News from Spadge as at 5th June 2003

Congratulations to Ian Streatfield who has recently completed the restoration of this delightful early Ginetta G15. They always did look great in yellow! With exceptionally low (proven) genuine mileage it is a very original car that now sports Leda suspension, up rated exhaust, fuel tank, rotoflex and gear linkage, restored chassis, paint and trim. Encouragingly for others wanting to do the same, it has cost Ian pretty much what it is worth, spread over a year or two and he has ended up with a very desirable little English sports car.

Both of the Ginetta G21s that we had in stock are now sold. There are a few Ginetta G15s about that are for sale but that have not made it onto the site so if you are looking for a Ginetta please don't assume that our stock is limited to what is on the site, give us a call.

The Ginetta G11/G10 needs only the radiator for it to run. The trimming is well under way. All the wiring, fuel system, clutch and running gear is finished and the windscreen is going on today for the last time, as this is being written.

Lord Boothby's Elva is ready for collection and the trial fitting of the wheels prior to us finishing the body restoration. Tony's Ginetta G15 is at the paintshop, the other two are getting closer and there is a Ginetta G4 waiting for paint also. The Alfa G21 is coming on well also. There is a nice 998 Imp engine coming together on the bench and parts orders destined for Italy, Japan and USA, as well as the UK.

News as at 30th April 2003

Firstly, apologies again for a gap since the last update. Readers will have been on the edge of their seats following the tale of the epic journey to deliver the Ginetta G12P project to Roger Williams (no, not that one!). We can now bring you the scene of contentment once our delivery system had spewed it's contents all over Roger's lawn. And there's more around the corner, out of shot!

Incidentally the picture of Roger's wife hitting Spadge over the head with a rolled up curtain brochure has had to be cut. Also R.W. has a very nice Ginetta G27 which is probably surplus to requirements. If it takes your fancy, please give us a call.

With a recent spell of unusually good weather came the opportunity to roll out the Dry Bead Paint Stripping Processing Plant. Graham Roxburgh's G15 and the Honourable Lord Boothby's Elva courier Coupe were soon bereft of their once shabby paint and left in their bare, shattered, glassfibre glory….

The Elva is destined for Gentlemen Drivers FIA racing. We were happy to help Lord Boothby with his Lotus 23. We stretched a door and did various other bodywork jobs on the car that subsequently won awards for authenticity, raced with honour and sold for £45,000 (allegedly! Don't tell Lady Boothby!)

But yes, here is Graham's Ginetta G15 as he spends more money with us!

Ian Dufor's beautiful Ginetta G15 complete with it's original steel wheels and sunroof, has just flown through another MOT and benefited from some carb tweaking.

News as at 2nd April 2003

We have an interesting Davrian on the books, fully restored and very nice:

And also an amazing G27.  Having just sold a Sierra Saphire RS Cosworth 4x4 for Stuart Dobson at www.waveneypumps.co.uk we cannot imagine how this G27 will go with the same engine and drive train components (not 4x4 though!)

The owner of the Low Imp featured in a recent News item has come forward and claimed his photographs. Thank you to all of those who sent information.

Our latest quest is to find Ginetta G15 registered UTT 299J. This was used as a rally car and featured in the G15 Superprofile by John Rose. (We have a copy in stock…!) Any information would be gratefully received by the previous owner, Paul Adams.

We have no Ginetta G4 books in stock at present but there is a reprint and update of this most excellent book by Trevor Pyman due out very shortly.

Several cars have found new owners recently, including the Ginetta G12P project. The new owner of this is Roger Williams of Aberdeen. A busy man, Roger asked for the whole set of moulds etc.etc. to be delivered to sunny Scotland. The rapid response delivery team was mobilised. Several days later, Spadge left Suffolk in a 7.5 tonne lorry stuffed full of fibreglass and metal. Late into the first night of the journey, morale was lifted when he stumbled upon the Finavon Hotel between Forfar and Aberdeen, just when he thought a night in the cab was on the cards. And the bar was still open, just! Highly recommended with super breakfasts served by the charming Mrs Doubtfire, you can find it at www.finavonhotel.co.uk.

In the workshop, the Alfa G15 needs £200 worth of new door handles fitting and we need to find some decent wheels for it. This season's Midget is nearly ready for the first outing at Cadwell, once we have fitted the new head. 3 other Ginetta G15s are being worked on, a Ginetta G4 and some Ginetta G12 work is in progress.

We are in the process of building a spare 1650 pre -crossflow in case one of us needs it when racing Chris Stapleton's G4. Howard Jones' is entered at Donington on the 5th of May in the Julius Thurgood Best of British Race, whilst we are in the Cloth Cap Enduro in the G12 at the same meeting. We are hoping Chris will make it too and maybe Patrick Ward-Booth and Paul Shipley; all in their historic G4s. This is shown on our updated race schedule.

We have at least two more customers with Ginetta G4s complete enough to come racing with us this year: Patrick Ward-Booth in the ex John Absolam car and Paul Shipley in a G4 that used to be owned by Patrick!

In the workshop:

Dennis Featherstone's Ginetta G10/G11 is currently being painted. Our own Ginetta G4 is progressing. The Alfa G15 awaits only two special pipes before we can fire her up. A 998 Imp engine is nearly done, Robin Burt-D'Arcy's Ginetta G15 is coming on and much more besides.

The Ginetta G33s we physically have in stock have been drastically reduced in price!

The blue Ginetta G33 is now just £6000! The bonnet has been repaired and now needs painting. The exhaust system has been removed to enable a replacement to be made. We can supply a new system separately. It needs a good clean up but the owner has too many cars.

The white Ginetta G33 is now £9000. It has just been serviced and will come with a fresh MOT. Spadge has been out doing an essential road test in it this very morning and is still grinning.

News as at 11th March 2003

We have been offered a lightweight Clan Crusader - one of only 5 built apparently. It has a 998cc engine on strombergs and a standard transaxle. The whole car needs bringing back to life but it is not expensive at £2000 ono

We have also been offered a Lightweight Mk 6 Davrian. It is an ex-modsports car we think. It has no registration. It has Mk 7 front and rear panels one set of mililites 9/10" and one set of revolutions 9/10". It is mini - powered at the moment. The engine is out and the head is missing. The gearbox is straiht cut. It has got big brakes, quick rack etc. The car is in SE London and the guy needs to sell it quick to finance a honeymoon. (Big mistake mate, but there you go!) Less than £2000 would buy it. How much less would depend on timing and how cruel you are prepared to be!

The Alfa G15 burst into life today. It sounds tremendous. Pictures soon.

News as at 8th March 2003-03-07

Regular readers (we are assured that there are at least three!) may be surprised to see a news update so soon after the last one but, hey, let's keep you interested.

Spadge knew of the G12 shown above and below. Having had a number of conversations with Graham Myers, the owner we were aware of the history of meetings it shared with our last G12 and the film featuring Dr Who's Jon Pertwee going up a hillclimb in the car. When it recently passed into the hands of Brian Ashley of Ashley Exhausts, he had to go and have a peep. What a time warp classic! Despite offers to sell various wives and children, it remains in Brian's possession. Changing hands for an awful lot of money, the car needs a total rebuild. It is a wonderful thing and as such, probably unique as a genuine Ginetta G12 in this condition. As the picture below shows: times change. Look at those arches! Furthermore, we can reveal that they were drilled with holes to enable further arch extensions to be bolted on to this Ginetta G12. These Carlos fandango additions covered up Formula One rear wheels from the 1970s!!!! Love it.

We now have pictures of the red Ginetta G4 that we have for sale. Take a look. It could be on the road or track in a small number of weeks.

Tony Day's Ginetta G15 makes good progress every time he takes a drive up from Kent with his father and bolts some more bits on. It's a great colour too.  (By the way, they were posing, not actually working, can you tell?)

Pictures of the Lenham and news of Howard Jones in his G4 this weekend coming soon we hope.

News as at 4th March 2003

You may have noticed a new picture at the front of the website. This is of Howard Jones and Simon Packford, racing their Ginetta G4s in days gone by. Spadge managed to steal this from Howard during an excellent gathering of Ginetta enthusiasts at an Hotel in Essex last Saturday night. It very well was organised by Ivor Walklett's daughter Charlotte and everyone had a most enjoyable time. It was good to see so many long - standing friends and also to renew a friendship or two. Better news still, was that Spadge's wife was still talking to him the next morning, unlike the previous year!

The workshop remains as busy as ever. Our latest G4 has been sold before we had a chance to finish it. Tony Pollock's G15 has gone back to him to finish off. Tony Gaskin's G15 is ready for paint. The customer G4 that we are restoring is ready for paint, The Alfa G15 will explode into life very shortly. We have a new Spridget for Fos to race with the HSCC this year. Etc. Etc.

Other interesting cars about include a Lenham P68/69 that is for sale at very reasonable money;

A Spartan Sf78 that is ready to race in the HSCC and a Reynard SF78 that is likewise. Both cars represent a fantastic opportunity to race an historic single seater with the HSCC or similar for an outlay of under £9000.

News as at 10th January 2003

Firstly, any regular visitors will notice that there is a new picture on the front of the site. Someone kindly lent us this for us to have copied. This was done and the original duly returned to the trusting owner, some time ago. Spadge cannot remember who it was or which car. Was it you? Or do you know anything about it?

Apologies for the delay in updating the site recently. Things have been rather busy to say the least. Several lovely cars have come and gone without making it onto the site. So if you are seriously looking for a Ginetta it makes sense to contact us rather than wait for stock to be published on the site. If you look around the site you will see new G15s for sale, G4s for sale a G11/G10 and even the G12P project!

What a selection! There is also a G12 on its' way we hope.

Peter Bornhauser's G15 is restored to it's former glory. Mark Shadforth's G15 has been finished. Bruce Shearman's G15 is finished (shown above after we had painted it, a long time ago!) and comfortable in its' centrally heated, dehumidified garage.

A look back at 2002

This is the time of year when the TV and newspapers are full of top tens and "best of" selections". Here are our highlights of last year:

1. Racing the G12. What a blast. Especially as it was unplanned, spur of the moment and very generous of Mark to let Spadge play with his toy. There we were, back in 1966.

2. The Goodwood Revival.  This really is a special event.  Working with an excellent bunch of chaps was a hoot.  Although the sheer quantity of work keeping the period cars going left Spadge with very little time to see much of the racing the whole experience was fantastic.

It did get to the stage where he was mending things that clearly had not worked for years. Relief came in the form of Julius Thurgood and his team needing some help with their race car which was being shared with Touring Car Supremo, Jason Plato. Several hours of hard graft got the car working for qualifying. Several more were required to get it fit again for the race as a number of gremlins appeared. This was achieved and some good laughs were had along the way.

3. Although it is not in the same league as the above we enjoyed a fascinating and scenic trip up to the Yorkshire moors to see Bill Needham and collect one of his creations; a Coldwell GT. It was a fascinating car although a bit limited in the head room department. There are many miles covered in a year here, many of the journeys being fun and interesting and this typifies the best elements of this aspect of our business