I’m currently trying to get a Mercedes 230CE up and together. Its 75,000 from new and really straight but I have sorted a small mountain of problems. The Germans can take on the Italians when it comes to electrical headaches sometimes. My 350SE was delivered to its new owner who gave me a lift back in his Jensen GT, one the few cars I’ve never been in. I’m about to acquire a Mercedes 280SE 3.5 with low miles (it’s a saloon) and I have my eye on a Tatra 603 that I would like to make in a rally car, which rather goes against my normal thoughts on people making rare vehicles into rally cars but I like idea of it in orange with the black bonnet as per the factory rally 603’s. I’m in the process of tracking down my dads old Aston Martin DB2 for a story and I’m also on the trail of a Monteverdi 375L : I’ve heard a whisper one might be coming up for sale needing work. The real car of the moment is a fantastic beer money Golf Gti I have acquired which has proved an utter revelation, but you can read more about that in C&SC in the May issue. Richard Heseltines Monica piece has made me determined to get that car going before the summer. Its actually very close – all that required is money! I had a false alarm today. A friend spotted a Mercedes 3.5 Coupe sitting in a yard in Bristol. He must have a sixth sense as he saw it while he was driving along a flyover. It took him a day to work out how to get to it but eventually he tracked it down. Anyway today we met the owner and had a discussion about the car which with its rust bumpers and bubbling paint had ‘Buckley’ written all over it but for £14k I think I’d have wanted a right hook minter not a yank spec car with split leather. I left him my card in the hope that he’ll come down about ten grand but I’m not holding my breath.