Prescott Hill Climb is a famous hill-racing venue in Gloucestershire. Cars and bikes do timed runs up a hill, so it’s a great setting for classic-car meetups.
“Coffee and chrome” is a casual classic-car meet where people show off their polished cars and chat with the owners. It’s called that because it’s laid-back like a coffee hangout, but the cars are the main attraction.
Footman James is a company that focuses on classic cars, especially insurance. They’re sponsoring the event and partnering with the podcast here.
Car
Metro 6R4
The Metro 6R4 is a rare, high-performance British car from the 1980s. It’s known for being a proper motorsport-style machine, not just a normal small hatchback.
The E-Type is a Jaguar classic sports car from the 1960s. People love it for its iconic styling and because it’s one of the most famous British classic cars.
The MG MGB is a classic two-seat sports car from Britain. It’s the kind of car people take to events like hill climbs because it’s built for driving enjoyment. In the podcast, it’s mentioned in terms of how often it can be used in those activities during the year.
Sterling Moss was a famous British race car driver. The hosts mention he started racing there in 1948, which shows how historic this hillclimb venue is.
The Porsche 928 is an older Porsche grand tourer with a powerful V8 engine. In this segment it’s just being name-dropped as one of the cars showing up at the hillclimb.
“S’s” are a set of corners that go back and forth, making the car change direction repeatedly. It’s tricky because you’re turning one way, then the other, without much straight-line time.
The Granada is a classic Ford. “2.8” means it has a 2.8-liter engine, and it’s mentioned as part of the mixed lineup.
Car
Metro 6R4
The Metro 6R4 is a very special, rare performance version of the MG Metro. It’s famous with enthusiasts, and the host is excited because it’s one of those childhood-dream cars.
A space frame is a strong skeleton made from metal tubes. It helps the car stay stiff and stable, which is useful when someone is building a custom performance car.
Bespoke suspension means the suspension parts are custom-made for this specific car. That can help the car handle better because the builder can set it up for how the car is built and driven.
A five-speed sequential gearbox shifts through the gears in order. It usually makes shifting quicker and more controlled than a traditional pattern-style shifter.
Car
Austin Rover Metro
The Austin Rover Metro is a small British car. Here, the builder starts with a 1.3-liter Metro, but keeps only parts of the original body and then builds a much more extreme custom car around it.
Group B was a rally racing class known for very extreme, powerful cars. Bringing it up here is about the builder’s connection to that high-performance engineering world.
“Maiden journey” just means the first drive of the year or season. It’s often when people are a little extra careful because the car hasn’t been used in a while.
The Jaguar XK140 is a classic British sports car. In this part of the episode, it’s mentioned as the car someone drove to the event, and they talk about keeping an eye on the temperature gauge.
The Datsun 280Z is a classic Japanese sports car that people love for its simple, fun driving feel. Here, they’re talking about how the 280Z is an improved version of earlier Z models, with a sturdier body and more comfortable suspension.
Left-hand drive means the steering wheel is on the left side of the car. In places where cars drive on the left, that’s usually the more natural setup for the driver.
Under-seal is a rust-protection coating put on the bottom of a car. If a car wasn’t under-sealed well, it can rust more easily—especially if it spent time in places that use road salt.
“Rust protected” means treating the car’s metal so it doesn’t corrode as quickly. When you’re restoring a classic, you often strip it down and protect the metal before putting everything back together.
Red oxide is a rust-inhibiting primer/coating used on bare or cleaned metal. The speaker says the car is currently painted in red oxide as a temporary protective layer until it can be fully sorted and resprayed.
Fuel injection is how the engine gets fuel. Instead of a carburetor, it uses a system that sprays or meters fuel, and on older setups you may need to wait a moment so fuel pressure builds up before the engine will start properly.
The Triumph Stag is a classic British car from the 1970s. It’s the kind of car people enjoy owning because it has character and it’s fun to work on and use, not just keep pristine.
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a famous classic American car, and the 1960 version is one of the most recognizable years. Here, they’re talking about where it was built and how it ended up in Australia.
Place
Tarretown New York
They’re saying some of the car’s parts were made in New York before the car was shipped and put together in Australia. It’s basically the “where it was built” story.
An LS3 is a modern V8 engine from GM. People swap it into older cars because it’s powerful and there are lots of parts and tuning options to make it run well.
Term
mapped at war tech
They had the car’s computer tuned by a shop called War Tech. That tuning helps the engine run correctly with the new parts, and it’s often how you get reliable power.
The Ford Escort Mexico is a special, sporty version of the classic Mk1 Ford Escort. The big deal here is that this one is said to be original and unrestored, which makes it much rarer than typical Escorts.
Term
lime green
They’re talking about the car’s paint color—lime green, which they say is officially called lemon green. On classic cars, the exact color name can matter for originality.
“Unrestored” means the car hasn’t been redone to look brand new. For classic cars, that can be important because it keeps more of the original condition.
A “four speed box” just means the car has a gearbox with four gears. Because it has fewer gears, you often need to rev it a bit more to keep it feeling lively.
Term
horse hair in the seats
They’re talking about a theory for why old cars smell so distinct—because the seats may have had horsehair padding. Different materials can trap and release smells in their own way.
A rev counter tells you how fast the engine is spinning (RPM). It helps you shift or drive so the engine is working in the range where it feels strongest.
A “six dial dash” means the dashboard has six separate gauges. Here, they’re saying the Mexico had a more complete instrument setup than the cheaper versions.
A “one owner car” is a car that has had only one owner for a long time. For older cars, that can be a good sign because it usually means the maintenance history is easier to trust.
This is describing older-style engine tune-up work. It includes spark plugs, the ignition points (a mechanical part that helps make the spark), and ignition timing (when the spark happens).
They’re saying the car has had a lot of oil changes, which usually means it was cared for. Fresh oil helps protect the engine and keeps it running well.
A “G50 gearbox” is a particular type of manual transmission used in certain Porsche 911s. It’s the kind of detail car people look for because it helps define how the car drives and what parts/repairs are involved.
“Pure original factory” means the car is basically how it was when it came from the factory, with minimal changes. Collectors often prefer this because it keeps the car’s original character.
A sunroof is a panel in the roof you can open so more light and air come into the car. If it’s factory-installed, it’s usually considered a nice, original feature.
“Body work” means fixing or repainting the car’s outside—like repairing dents or damage. If a car has had body work, it can mean it was previously scratched or repaired.
An engine rebuild is when the engine is taken apart and key worn parts are replaced or repaired. The host is basically asking whether the car’s engine has been “fully refreshed” before.
The Opel Astra is a compact car made by Opel. It’s usually used for normal driving like commuting or family trips. In the podcast, it’s brought up because an Astra van was part of a road-trip story.
A speedo is the speedometer—the gauge that tells you how fast the car is going. The speaker is talking about what the speedometer was showing during the drive.
Scotland is referenced as the setting for a deserted, pothole-free road where the speaker describes a “really good tussle” without cameras. It’s used to set the scene for the kind of driving environment they enjoy.
They’re talking about road trips—where to drive and which routes are the most fun. The conversation is mostly about planning a scenic drive through France.
The Renault 4 is a classic French car that’s known for being simple and practical. The speaker is saying they wish they saw more cars like this on French roads.
A classic Mini is a small car made in Britain that became very well known. People like it because it’s compact and has a recognizable look. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because the speaker always finds themselves wanting to look at classic Minis.
A “transaxle” is a design where the gearbox and the rear differential are combined into one unit. That can help the car feel more balanced and fun to drive, which is why enthusiasts talk about it when discussing certain classic Porsches.
The Porsche 911 is a sports car made by Porsche. It’s famous for its performance and for being a model that has been made for a very long time. People often talk about it because it can be expensive to buy and own today.
This is the classic-car argument about whether you should keep a car exactly like it left the factory, or modify it to make it better to drive. The host is basically asking what matters more to you: being original or being upgraded.
“Twin Webbers” means the engine uses two Weber carburetors to mix fuel and air. The host is mentioning it as part of the classic-car character from their childhood era.
In the UK, an MOT is a yearly safety/emissions test for your car. The host is saying they kept their older cars until they were no longer able to pass that test.
“Crossflow” is an engine design where the intake and exhaust go in different directions through the cylinder head. It’s mentioned here as part of the older engine character.
The Mercedes-Benz SL 500 is a Mercedes luxury convertible/roadster. The host is saying they thought it was a different exotic, but it turned out to be this SL model.
The Dodge Hornet is a car model made by Dodge. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because someone is looking at a specific Hornet and pointing out its front grille. That’s the main reason it’s being talked about—its appearance on the car they saw.
LIVE
Hello and welcome to a very special edition of The Tire Kickers. We are here at Prescott
Hill. This is a Footman James coffee and chrome event at Prescott Hill Climb here in Gloucestershire.
Cars and coffee, what's not to love? The Tire Kickers podcast with Footman James. Matt,
I've just seen a Metro 6R4 which has already made my day and we've only been here 20 minutes.
Yeah well don't peak too soon, plenty of cars to look at Max. Yeah it's a sunny summer,
Sunday morning, we're here with the smell of unburnt petrol and a bit of roasted coffee beans
wafting over as well, perfection. We'll be checking out cars, talking to the owners
and kind of getting in the way. That's all in this special episode of The Tire Kickers
from the coffee and chrome at Prescott Hill Climb. Classic car chat with Max and Matt
in partnership with Footman James.
Well yes, welcome to Prescott Hill for the Footman James coffee and chrome event. It's one of
several events they run throughout the year. The cars are coming in and Mini's just gone past
and E-Type's just gone past. Two fields expecting around four to 500 cars here today.
This is a big event and the reason we're here is it's tied in with some Newsmax,
isn't it? Because Footman James, one of the biggest names in classic cars,
have just signed in to a partner up, sponsored a podcast so we can grow it even further which is
great news. Yeah it means somebody can pay the fuel bill on your stack which means we can go to
a few more events. There's a nice MG coming in here actually, look at 1974 MG. Yeah and it's sort of
breakdown truck in front of it which is welcome to classic cars. It's a comfort your stack by any
chance. It has but yeah so this gathering is one of the first coffee and chrome events. It's the
first actually in 2026 and people here at this historic hill climb although they're not going
up the hill are they? No they can only do so many hill climbs in a year. The MGB is that lovely burnt
orange colour. They can only do sorry so many hill climbs in a year before the local residents
complain. That's a Triumph motorbike Bonneville 150.
There's another coffee and chrome in October at the British Motor Museum but this is a really
exciting day at Prescott Hill. The sun is shining and we are expecting quite a few interesting cars.
Well it's quite a historic site this. I don't know much about Prescott Hill but you're a nerd you
probably do. Well Prescott Hill was bought by the Bugatti owners club in 1937 and racing meets up the
hill have been held here since 1938. Now Sterling Moss made his racing debut here in 1948 as the
Porsche 928 is coming in that's nice. The course climbs 200 feet and the fastest modern single
seaters can do it in 35 seconds. Oh right okay so tell me about the the bends there's some famous
bends aren't there you drive me around the bend but tell me about the ones here. So you've got
pardon hairpin, the S's, semi-circle, allards and a tourist bend. Now there's no right up the hill
as we said but there is going to be some pretty sexy cars coming in that's a TBR making it. I like
the Spitfire behind it. Followed by Spitfire on the roads actually. Is that one of the original ones?
I think that's a Mark 1 isn't it? Is that a Mark 1? He's got his ears in. He can't hit me. He just
ignored you. I can't blame him. Who's that idiot asking you for a Mark 1? It's a real collection
and we look out there's rows and of cars that way and they're in two different sort
of paddocks up here all parked up a real mixture of stuff we're going to get in and amongst the
cars aren't we and try and speak to the owners and find out some of the stories. I mean it is a
real eclectic mix here and due to the the volume of cars that are going to be here I think we'll
find some interesting ones won't we. Yeah enough chat from you let's go and have a look at some cars.
We are standing in the shade under a tree next to a brand new M3 competition touring. It's such a
good mix of cars here because it's new and old and two cars up from that is an Allegro 2 of 1.5
with the go slower stripes down it. We're in field number one so right in the middle of
thicker cars we just sort of decide to come here to see what we could see. It's a TR6 going down
there. There's a Lotus Elan there. There's an old Granada 2.8 gear. A real mix of yeah some old
triumphs, a spitfire, some E-types over there, some American stuff. There's a real mix of stuff
isn't there. Matt I've just seen the car of my childhood dreams a Metro 6R4. This is fantastic.
Gary's the owner he's just driven in. Gary tell me about this 6R4 it is tremendous.
Well it's say it's not a genuine car it's one I've built. It's based on a space frame
chassis which was welded into the car. It's all bespoke suspension it's running a
under K20 supercharged with a quay five-speed sequential. If we come around the back and
have a look at the engine because you're actually running it to cool it down and
you opened up the back here a minute ago Gary and I didn't realise there was a barbecue
here at the event today because it's pretty hot isn't it? It does get a bit warm.
It does get a bit warm. I've never maxed it. It's geared to about 115 but it gets there very
quickly. Can I ask a question then was this actually based on a genuine Metro did you
take a Metro apart and build it? It was a 1.3L. How much of the original Metro is left?
Not a lot. The roof, the sides, the side porters. The actual shell of the car it's just addressing
you know you could take that all off and still run the car. What do you love about this car?
Well I did my apprenticeship at Austin Rover and I actually started the year that they were
building these for the Group B so I've got an affiliation with Austin Rover anyway I spent 22
years there. I just think they're mad really. I mean I'd love a genuine one but you know
three or 400 a thousand pounds so I thought if I can't buy one I'll build one
or try and build something. It's not four-wheel drive it's only rear-wheel drive but it's
quick enough for me. Well this looks great Gary probably the best use of a base 1.3L Metro.
A lot of people might disagree with you. You get a lot of people that look at it and because
it's not a genuine one they'll just put the noses in the air and walk away which is fine
then you get genuine people that are just really more interested in the you know the build and
the engineering and that kind of thing really. Amazing labour of love and an amazing commitment
for you to get it done. Well done Gary thanks for showing it to us. Thank you very much.
Mark you've just arrived in a beautiful XK140. What what colour blue is this? I'm just someone who
drives it. It's one of my dads who passed away but he had quite a big collection and this is one
that we've got yet to get around to selling so. Mark I noticed when you were coming in here you
were keen to park up pretty quickly it was getting a bit hot the old girl was it? Well we're not
sure if the temperature gauge is accurate because it sits above the normal all the way here. It's
a British car it's probably not. It's the maiden journey of this year so having come over an hour
and then we queued all the way up the hill we kind of get yes we'd rather park up quickly than
there's always that point where you just have one eye on the temperature gauge isn't it? That's it
old cars it's just take it easy and see it goes isn't it. How was your journey here in an XK140
then for an hour how far have you come? About 45 miles I think. Right okay so that's pretty good
isn't it how did you find it? Yeah I love it I mean that's why we only come to this it's an excuse
to get the car out isn't it basically so yeah that's why so yeah I'll sit 55-ish most of the way
and lovely. We'll get you to have a coffee and decompress. Thank you thank you very much cheers.
Jim has just arrived in a in an orange Datsun 280Z this is a left-hand drive one but it looks
like a bit like a 240 or a 260 so what's the story with this one? Yeah well this was imported from
the states I think about 10 years ago I've had it for five years I've kept it left hand drive so
it's got the originality because we go to France isn't it so you're on the right side of the road
over there. Perfect and tell me about the 280Z then so what's the differences with this what do
they do on this one that they didn't do on the earlier ones? The whole process of the 240 through
to the 280 and then on to the 280ZX was each one was an improvement on the last so the electrics
were upgraded this has got a stronger chassis than the 240 and 260 slightly more rigid because it was
more of a GT so the suspension was softer rather than racer. So if you're buying one at the moment
which one do you go for what's your call? I'd go for a 280 again but most people go for the 240
because you can pick it up right hand drive and it's the classic it's the one everybody knows.
Now before I say this we are big fans of these cars but what about the dirty R word rust?
Yeah that was a deep sigh wasn't it? Well none of them the ones that went to America so this one
had much in the way of under seal and basically on the way to America they dropped some off on
in the UK and they weren't under sealed at all I mean there's a picture of some of these
on all it's got is four wheels a diff a prop shaft and an engine because everything else is just
melting away. Makes it lighter I suppose. Makes it go faster I think doesn't it? Well it's easier to
kind of modify from that point of view. So what's your mindset then when only one of these are you
accepting it's going to be a little bit they're going to rot a little bit in places or? For me
yeah some people just get the car strip it down completely and get the whole thing done
and then get it properly rust protected before they build it back up. Yeah that's quite boring
though isn't it just enjoy it. For me it is yeah because this is kind of a rolling renovation if you
look at the back it looks almost the same colour but that's red oxide okay so everything I'm doing
at the moment is just painted in red oxide until I can get it sorted and then get the whole thing
re-sprayed. And what is it you love about this car what makes you smile about it? Do you want to
start the engine? Yes please yeah that would be it. You get round and start the engine and we'll
just hang around here by the exhaust which is what we're doing a lot of today isn't it? What did
he do today? Well I hung around a load of exhausts. Men's exhausts. Right he's starting it up. That's
it's what cross fingers and hope or is it? Oh no this is fuel injection so you've got to give it
because it's an old fuel injection give it time for pressure to reach the rebar.
That's got a nice sound doesn't it? Yeah but when you're doing about 60 or 70 can you give it some
beams for us. It sounds better at the back. It does sound good down here. It's definitely
sporty sounding and it looks great it looks really really nice and I love the fact it's got that kind
of original kind of look to it it's not you it's not a show queen is it it's a it's a usable car.
This is I use it do the shopping it's not quite a daily but it's a kind of a weekend car for doing
absolutely anything and everything. Fantastic well thank you very much. Enjoy. Cheers guys.
Well I'm pleased to say after a bit of looking around Max we've found one of Britain's
finest examples of classic cars but we're not going to talk about that we're going to talk about this
the Triumph Stag. Yeah we've had enough of that let's move on. So yeah you know when you own a car
like I do with the Triumph Stag you you look at it with different eyes so you go around don't you
when you're a casual observer of another car you kind of take everything in with this you just
go oh they're done with that what they're done with that. This one is quite a quite a nice tidy
example there's a few things I would probably do on it. What colour is this what colour do you call
this? Red. I'll just call it red. You don't know the factory colour? No I think it's factory colour
or not I can't remember. Oh I can't remember I think you'll find it's no better than factory
this is this is I think it's not the dark calming red it's the and it's not the pimento or less
it's faded pimento I don't know Max you know these sorts of things I don't but I wanted a red one
of these and I think the red pings with the chrome quite well this is a manual mark two
yeah you can tell it's got the silk the silk covers at the bottom there and the later wheels
and also the dashboard oh oh hold on a minute oh god I'm going to get like you. Oh god here we go.
I think technically this is a mark one and a half it's got mark one dials and has it got mark one.
Dashboard looks nice what's that switch down there oh Ken Lofan. Ken's a big guy in the
stag world yeah they did with these surprisingly this is going to shock you about the British car
industry but when they launched the generation two they still used up all the parts for the
generation one so a lot of these cars are a bit like sort of bit Frankenstein and I think this is
one of them it's got old dials in it and newer newer bits because those sills were added to the
mark two so it's a bit of a mishmash this one but I think they do look good in red but I think
they do look can look tired quite quickly and there's certain things I see on this
that I would just change because I think they catch your eye door handles that sort of stuff
but anyway I think the owner's over there so it's like a quick go run run run. Max we just found
this beautiful blue Chevy Bel Air and round the back is Rob just in the boot Rob just maybe slam
the boot for us that's it and we'll get you to chat to us. That is a good sound of 1960s American or
you can tell it's not British. Tell us about this car then because I don't know much about American cars.
This is a 1960 Bel Air it was actually made parts made in Tarretown New York in
early early in the production runs that was about September 1959 shipped to Australia assembled at
the Holden plant in Australia in late 1959 then shipped to Burma where it was it was bought by
newspaper editor and ran in Burma. I bought it in Burma in a shocking state around late 90s and
brought it back to Britain in 2003 for a rebuild. Beautiful color, beautiful color Rob what is it?
It's a light blue. It's called horizon blue and the white top is is ermine white. The Fender guitars
made all their colors based on these kind of car colors back in the day I mean it really pops in
the sun this is beautiful I would describe it as a baby blue you know that's about right well
powder blue powder blue it's absolutely beautiful it's a it's a big old beast though I mean how do
you cope with these sort of narrow streets around here well it is big but it's really only the same
size it's a long wheelbase transit and they go everywhere and you've put a modern LS3 engine in
yes because the original engine and gearbox and all the interior was stolen while the car was in
bits I think scrap metal people may have had those oh no so it was actually next so you just were
left with a car shell yeah so after that I've unfortunately sort of looked at it for a couple
of years because I really didn't know quite what to do with it but my next door neighbor
is a retired aerospace engineer who'd also run a garage and he said you can't just leave this thing
let's do something different with it so we did and it must go like stink with an LS3 it does yeah
it was mapped at war tech September last year so it's now about 450-460 horsepower wow and these
things are actually not that heavy it's probably about 1700 kilos so it goes really quite well
well great story well done for keeping it going well done for rescuing it's it's like a sort of
sculpture on wheels isn't it it must look great going down the road so enjoy the show thank you
for talking to us thank you so Sean is here with a beautiful original Ford Escort Mexico this is a
mark one escort that's right 971 we've had to put our shades on max haven't we because
it is a very very bright color it's a beautiful color lime green lime green or officially lemon
green so tell me about this car because this is an original unrestored mark one mexico so that
makes it super super rare yeah I can't claim credit all the credit anyway because the gentleman who
bought it from Roger Clark cars in 1971 had the car for 50 years he made you know a vow to himself
that after 50 years he'd sell it so I came along and bought it after he'd used it for those 50 years
that's a great story so what do you get with a mexico that's extra than a normal mark one Ford
Escort so a base model would be 1100 engine it went up to a 1300 engine and then finally the 1600
engine but the mexico is the one that the people liked and saw after the performance is 86 horsepower
so in today's terms it's not a lot but it's still quite sprightly it's a four speed box so you can
get it revved up and you know into the into the high rpm and it goes along nicely it's a beautiful
car and these go for serious money now sure now you're not tempted to sell it and maybe buy I don't
a yacht no it would only be a very small yacht but yeah you're right I mean people are just
mad for them I've always been into fords and I've owned quite a few of these now they are
to purchase they are quite an outlay but to maintain them they they don't cost a lot because
it's an original can we actually go inside it and this is a strange question to ask a grown man
but can I smell the interior because it's original Ford interior isn't it it's going to smell like a
1971 Ford well you do the taste sniff test sniff test yeah okay let's go in
right I'm sure this is going to smell just like key in the door old Ford it's going to be fantastic
right I'm going to stick my head in
yeah that's the that's the smell of kind of Ford vinyl overheating isn't it yeah I mean we've got
quite high temperatures today that the I always asked that question because I never knew and there's
lots of things you learn as you go and one of the most logical explanations I was given for why
does an old car smell kind of unique against other cars and I was told it's down to the horse hair
in the seats so there's something unique that's off Dagonham horses yeah it could well be
yeah that's beautiful and and and really really original inside which will get
get him excited because he's very he's Mr original I just love the Mexico had that extra
rev counter and the extra engine temperature gauges didn't it yeah the six dial dash is what
they call it um you the the lower spec versions just had two clocks lovely Sean lovely car don't
let anybody ever restore it don't let anybody touch it well it'll only be in my custody and
then I'll hand it down if um if my son or even grandson gets to the stage where they want to
take it on oh it's a keeper this car then is it yeah it's pretty much a keeper I mean I it's taken
me a while to find something like this because if you can try and find a one owner car a previous
one owner car and the gentleman obviously looked after it very well he kept every single receipt
he recorded every single time that he made any maintenance to it so like plugs and points and
timing and oils it's on its 44th oil change it sounds a bit like max actually if you own this car
because he he writes everything down 44 oil changes fantastic oil and filter changes yeah
every 3000 miles regardless beautiful lovely car great enjoy thank you for showing to showing us
you're welcome Mike has just pulled in in the most gorgeous guards red 1988 not portion 9 11
yeah so g50 gearbox correct yeah yeah I've had it quite a long time I think 2009 I bought it
possibly the best g body Porsche discuss uh yeah I guess I haven't driven that many so I can't I can't
tell you from experience but um it's uh it's quite a user friendly car it's nice and old school as well
so you get the best of both worlds really so we have a little look around it could you tell us
like how long you've had it why you got it uh I bought it in 2009 nothing kid was um just always
wanted one from when I was uh uh young enough to old enough to work out what they were um
talking to the um or reading about the cars this seemed like the best option for user friendliness
and old school poor stuff did you look at many to find it I didn't look at many physically I spent
years probably on the internet oh yeah yeah that's right that's what he does yeah it's it's a beauty
though you've you've done really well and also do you know I'm not I'm not that knowledgeable
about Porsches but one thing I do know this is a great car to take to car meets because you can
stand your bacon roll and your coffee on the spoiler on the back it's a huge huge tea tray
spoiler best not to sit on it it's a whale tail actually it's a whale tail take trays on the on
the turbo oh okay well there you go this is why I don't know about Porsches max takeover I'm so
embarrassed by that mistake so this is a beautiful original car isn't it because I'm not seeing anything
different on this and I think this is how they come the best when it's a pure original factory
car it's got the sunroof factory sunroof and I'm just having a quick look inside
center console it's a lovely car it's had a bit of body work since I bought it it was uh it was
quite a cheap car when I bought it actually and I knew it was sound but a little bit scruffy
and it was local so I realized I'd have to spend a bit on it I think it's an 148,000 miles I think
and I bought it with 120 on it and has that had an engine rebuild yet no oh wow well certainly
there's there's nothing in the in the history file that says it's had anything done like that that's
pretty good isn't it yeah flat sex I think it is a beauty if I was going to get one of these I'd get
this I think this is a beautiful car it's in a great color the red and black works really well to
describe the red it's guards red isn't it I think it's guys and it's really I've got sunglasses on
and it's really a really bright vivid red yeah but the black the black on red just looks fantastic
it looks really good sunroofs open windows are down um and it just it looks classy doesn't it
it looks classy classy I think this is the car that if you think Porsche this is what you think
I think so yeah yeah I think so particularly yeah particularly from that era I mean it's it's a
typical yuppie car of the time and I found out that the original owner was did work in the city
oh right the car came from a dealership in Kensington ticked every box in that yeah every
cliche it was brilliant yeah oh thank you very much for showing us it's a fantastic car and let's
have a look around max don't lean on the whale tail it's not tea tray by the way it's not you've got
that wrong it's a beauty isn't it you've got a Nurburgring sticker if you've been around the
Nurburgring in it have you how was that yeah it was uh I was with a wife actually we went for a holiday
in in Belgium and Germany and um yeah we decided to have a few laps around the Nurburgring unfortunately
it was wet I say fortunately because the bikes don't come on to Nurburgring when it's wet and
as it started to dry out with it the the bikes were starting to come so we stopped yeah but it was
yeah it was really good Harry Metcalf is here from Harry's garage hello Harry hello yeah good to
you you've brought your tester Rosser now the favorite bit of your tester Rosser is your road
trip to Scotland and you've been chased by an Astra max van which I think you managed to overtake
you yes yes well I have uh responsibility and people can see what the on the speedo that would
have been a very good tussle were there were no cameras involved but um I was on best behavior
and it was really good fun he knew the roads and if you get up to that sort of deserted area of
Scotland oh my goodness it's extraordinary this road service no potholes no nothing you see forever
it was a really special part of the world yeah it's a lovely video that is one of your
famous road trips what is your favorite road trip to do because you go to the south of France a lot
yes what's what's the best uh well I yeah what is the best I've tried to find different routes
through France because if you come in from the UK it's all a bit rubbish really if you're coming
I come from Oxford to get to the tunnel and it's it's sort of the only nice bit is the
auto rigs are quieter but you have to go the first after the first day that's when you get to the
really sexy stuff so I try to demonstrate there was other ways going into France and you take a
Brittany ferries and overnight and it dumps you in the harbour down that way it just gives you a
better more scenic start to your trip down we have a boat in ontine we've had a boat in the south
France since 2004 so I have tried every single route down to the boat and I was getting a bit
tedious for some people but people seem to watch it but the D2 that takes you down into Nice area
is very very special and that's where you die through those rocks and these tunnel rocks and
it's just extraordinary every time I go down there and I say I've been doing it for decades
that is a really special bit of road and the route Napoleon is good in parts but gets a bit
rubbish as you get closer to the coming dropping down into grass and so that's why there are
alternatives which I've tried to show and people like seem to enjoy it I did do I did take a 9-11
this year to the D911 near the Villa Vido which is fantastic with an unbelievable road and that
was partly one of your videos I think I saw you went near that and I thought I'm going to do that
as well and it was incredible he also moaned that you didn't see enough classic cars on the French
roads yeah I know you just want desperately to see De Chevaux and Renault 4 sort of pottering
around but they're rare sites really France is terrific because it's got a variety of areas
and they're empty but it is more empty Italy is more spectacular and there's more history and there's
less trouble should we say with police thing but it's a bit crowded there's the trouble with
Italy you have to go really quite south in Italy but there's a freer sense of sort of enjoying
cars more in Italy than there is in France Spain Portugal fantastic absolutely brilliant
it's the effort it takes to get there so Harry we're at this coffee and chrome event which surrounded
by hundreds of different cars I mean you've got a very eclectic collection of cars what's turning
your head in classic cars at the moment what makes you stop and do sort of an owl movement with
well there's quite a few here isn't there to look around I always have to look at the classic minis
I don't know why I'm always drawn to classic minis and there's a Radford up there as coopers and big
big roofs on them I'm having a particular look at transaxle Porsches that we're now starting
to call them I've obviously just got the 928 and there's 944 I can see over there and 924 I think
that is a space that is changed I think because 911 has got more and more expensive particularly
the classics people want to own Porsche but something a bit different more affordable
and a 944 turbo or if you can find a 944 cabriolet I think they're fantastic things those S2 cab would
be very tempting to me so some of those I'm trying to think there's McLaren's here there's a little
land there's a oh a Lancia four-vehs 1600 hf oh they're cute aren't they yeah they are they just
you know is covered in lights covered in stickers they're great to see they're not cars that are
going to appreciate in value and go amazing but honestly they're extraordinary driving machines
and where do you sit on originality versus like resto mods and stuff I'll give you an example
over there's an mgb a front line one absolutely beautiful and over here is an original mexico
which which one floats your boat the front line if you drive a friend with you he doesn't he doesn't
like him oh well yes they are they are very expensive but I just think mgb gt is one of the
best-looking cars on the road and it just gets better looking in its british and we ignore them
and yeah I can remember classic car most of all you just put an mgb on the cover the reason they
were so popular because they were so good and so loved and front line will put air conditioning in
it and they make it go very helpfully um but I I think that's a really uh interesting car
yes of course it's funny that I just don't quite get the value on them they and they
there's that resto mod one that was at london concord it's 300 000 pounds but it's a limited run
but I I just can't see the the value at that they are huge fun but I was from an era I grew up
in the world we had chester demon tweets and we had bubble arts escorts were four 500 quid at the
time and you you kept them until you just couldn't get an mot on them and they were twin webbers
cross flow so I'm I'm in the wrong era I just can't get over the value of them there's other
cars I'd take I'll take the the little release before I had one of those that that's one that
sort of misses me by but there's plenty of other stuff those astan vantages I can't get over the
that's how cheap they're real value hand built British v8 yeah and they're going for type 20
25 000 yeah I just and tv r I look there's tuskens in there god they look that interior they're
fairly sorted now it was camira that was looking at one down there I was always told I bought I had
a 500 griff and I said if you want a reliable tv r get one that is basically the engine is created
from Land Rover so you look for the four liter of four and a half liter and not something that
was played with in period to make it five liter that's where there are obviously issues come now
they're probably all sorted but a four and a half um camira I think that's a fantastic buy in the
teens 15 20 000 one of those I'd love one this is a great event the footman james run this coffee
and chrome thing you get involved in it what what would you say to people who've never been to this
never brought their car to it well it it's just we all want things to do with our cars and it's
just as surprises I have I've just noticed a dian six over there I had one I was a 17 I have to go
and see that so it's it's just a bit of fun you can talk nonsense for a couple of hours and go home
and then yeah just join in with the family you could have a great time driving one of those
around your fields that would be fantastic that could be your farm car yeah well there's
a nice thing about classics there's always one more car isn't it I know thought I was a
Maserati by turbo spider down there but it's an SL 500 but yeah there's just you have no idea what's
going to turn up and being this you know footman james coffin cranes quite they're quite a big
organisation so there's more stuff to see it's bit like the goodwood breakfast meat well they're
almost too busy when you're queuing outside and things this is just about the right size there's
lots of variety but you're not having to queue outside for hours to get in or overheating in the
traffic which is the problem with a couple of cars isn't it yes great stuff well thank you
very much for taking the time to talk to us and thank you for bringing your car and yeah good to see
it so that's it here at the footman james coffin chrome at presscott hill it's been a fantastic
day I think I might have got a little bit sunburned but I'm more excited about the cars I've seen
there's been some cracking cars here yeah you've not even bought me an ice cream yet but the ice
cream van's just over there so let's have one before we go some really interesting stuff in a
real interesting mix of cars I mean sometimes it's classic car events you they get a bit samey oh
there's an iseta leaving oh you like one I do like that's behind it it's a wallsy hornet fantastic
do they want to spare grill for it could you love wallsy hornet I have it's a my attic yeah that's
a mark three I think that's really nice yeah a real mix of cars actually max I mean sometimes at
these events they get a bit samey but what footman james has done here is is really nice because of
the size of this there's a real real mix there's stuff that I like and stuff that you like which
as we found out about different things very very separate things well we'll be reporting from the
coffee and chrome events throughout the year won't we so we'll have more of these to come if you like
the sound of this one you want to get involved in the next keep sign up to footman james uh coffee
and chrome uh you can get it on social media uh and and get notified about the the next event they
do sign up really quickly these events so get yourself on the list get here and come and enjoy
it because it's a really good day out but yeah thanks to footman james for getting involved in
the podcast it's going to allow us to do more things more road trips bigger and better more
crazy ideas and talking of crazy ideas to come next time we're back with a surprise new car max
has bought a brand new classic car he won't tell me what it is uh we's going to do the big reveal
soon but I will be there on hand on your behalf to point at it pick holds at it and try and find
the rust that's to come next time that's in the next episode of the tire kickers see you then goodbye
classic car chat with max and matt in partnership with footman james
About this episode
Coffee and Chrome takes over Prescott Hill Climb in Gloucestershire, with Footman James setting the tone for a classic-car meet that’s big on variety and short on hassle. The hosts spotlight arrivals like the Metro 6R4, plus a mix of modern machinery and historic racing pedigree, including Prescott Hill’s Bugatti-era roots. Along the way, they dive into build details (space-frame Metro, supercharged K20), Z-car rust/under-seal history, and restoration realities—then wrap with more car talk and a tease about rust next time.
A special bonus episode from the Footman James Coffee and Chrome event at Prescott Hill in Gloucestershire. Max and Matt get sunburnt and bumble around a field talking to the owners showing off their classic cars at the famous hill climb course. With Special Guest Star Harry Metcalfe from Harry's Garage and some hot news about the Tyrekickers podcast.
