Some good publicity for the club

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Man of parts
Although this stunning Gilbern GT is keeping John Roberts busy, he has two other projects lurking in his garage, writes Colene McKessick
Published: 18/08/2010


ALTHOUGH it is quite often the case that vintage and classic car owners share their interest with their partners, it can be very much a one-sided interest.

Indeed, it is often the case that owners’ partners simply turn a blind eye to the car they are working on, occasionally berating them for the amount of money spent on the car.

For just this reason, many car owners have now resorted to mail-ordering parts, getting them delivered to work or to a friend, or hoping that they will arrive when they are at home so their partner doesn’t realise that more parts have been ordered without their knowledge.

John Roberts, 63, from Tough, near Alford, has no escape, though.

“My wife, Irene, is the postie, so nothing gets past her. She sees everything I order for my car,” he laughed.

Unfortunately, these parts arrive quite regularly as John is something of a petrolhead, with three special cars currently residing in his garage.

Currently, his pride and joy is this 1966 Gilbern GT.

The car is something of a rarity, with only 202 produced.

“You don’t see too many on the go, and many people nowadays haven’t even heard of Gilbern,” said John.

“Gilberns were produced in Wales as component, or kit, cars, which was a way of getting round paying car tax.

“I’d owned a Gilbern Genie in the 1970s and loved it so, when I saw this GT on eBay, I went ahead and bought it.”

John’s GT was one of the later models produced, so it has the higher-powered MGB 1800 engine rather than the earlier models’ Coventry Climax or BMC A Series engines. Combined with MGB front suspension and rear axle, the Gilbern GT packed a bit of punch.

“My car was actually the last registered GT,” said John.

“It was sold as a component car in 1966, but the chap who bought it took his time and built it over three years, so it wasn’t actually registered until 1969.

“I didn’t get too much history with the car, but I’m a member of the Gilbern Owners Club so I could probably find out a bit more about it if I wish.

“I travelled down to Hereford to get the car and it was in reasonable condition. I had it trailered up as you never know what cars this age will do on a long journey the first time you drive them.”

Not that John need worry – having trained as a mechanic with Fiat in London, he knows how to give a car a good once over.

“It’s habit – I’ve got to check cars to my own standard to make sure they’re OK when I buy them,” he said.

“The Gilbern needed a bit of tidying up, and a couple of little bits and pieces done, but it really wasn’t too bad. Since I bought it, I have added the racing stripes, and the wheels, and other little aesthetic things. I also modified the engine so that it’s running a fast road cam, and a single 45 Del Auto carburettor, and that made a big difference.

“It takes a little bit of looking after, as do most cars this age, but it has been very reliable. It’s used regularly. If I ever need to nip out, I’ll leave my wife our family car and head out in the Gilbern.”

Although this is John’s first classic car, his interest in cars spans years, and he has been taking part in motoring events for the last 30 years.

“I’m not the kind of person who sits and polishes their car and looks at it. I like to use my cars,” he said.

“I do attend car shows, but they tend to be ones where you’ll actually get to use the car, like Speedfest at Alford earlier this year. I’ve also been taking part on tarmac rallies since the mid-1980s, so I’ve still got an interest in that.

“Earlier this year, a friend and I took part in the AutoEcosse with the Gilbern, and it was fantastic. Over two days, we covered 600 miles, starting at Gretna and ending at Inverness. The car can easily keep up with modern cars and, during the event, the only issue we had was a burst oil pipe, which we sorted easily.

“A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I also took part in an event on the Deeside Way, which included some autotests at Alford, and it was a great day. Irene took a navigation course held by Stonehaven and District Car Club a while back, so it’s nice to be able to have her come on events.”

When John returns the Gilbern to the garage at the end of a run, it has to compete for his attention with two projects he is currently working on.

“I’m semi-retired so a lot of my time is spent in the garage working on my cars,” he said.

“I’ve got a 1971 MGB GT which I plan on building to rally specification. The other is a 1977 Fiat 124 Spyder which I’ve had for five years. I’ve got plenty of parts in the garage for it from my rallying years and, having trained with Fiat, it makes my job slightly easier.

“One of the cars will have to go when they’re done, but I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for the Fiat, considering my history with the company. Mind you, I’m always on the lookout for something else, and I’d really love to get a 124 Coupe.”

In the meantime, John needs to work on a system to get parts past Irene.

“I try to teach her a bit about the cars as I’m working on them, but she mostly turns a blind eye to my garage conquests, which works fine for me.”



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