Wheels & Deals with The Old Car Lady

The Old Car Lady is joined by John Dixon, known as Honest John. He started cleaning cars at ten, bought his first banger at fourteen with no licence, and spent 40 years dealing from pitches and showrooms across South London and Kent.
This is a time capsule of the 70s and 80s motor trade: the tricks, the characters, James Hunt’s car on the forecourt, Sid James’ Rolls-Royce, the traffic warden and the bucket of water, and the fraud squad who watched him for months over a mis-typed chassis number.
Featured Stories
Cleaning Cars at Ten, Dealing at Fourteen: Too small to see over a bonnet when he turned up asking for work. By fourteen he was buying bangers from Exchange & Mart with no licence and selling them outside his house.
The Bug Under the Seat: John wired a listening device under the seats of his showroom cars. He heard exactly what customers said about price and part exchange, then used it against them before they even got to the office.
The Traffic Warden and the Bucket: A traffic warden outside the Dante Motor Company in Plumstead pushed John too far. He borrowed his car cleaner’s bucket and threw the whole lot over her. The street had a whip-round to pay his fine. He sold 50 cars that week.
James Hunt, Sid James and the Forecourt: John put James Hunt’s personal car on his forecourt to draw the crowds. He also bought and sold Sid James’ Rolls-Royce. Both photos are pinned on Sam’s Instagram.
The Fraud Squad and the Rolls-Royce: A mis-typed chassis number on a Rolls-Royce logbook had Scotland Yard convinced John was ringing cars. They watched him for months. The chief inspector eventually came down, shook his hand 

What You’ll Learn
Why you should always let an Exchange & Mart seller stew for two weeks before you call. How to clear a cheque in the same day and why that kills the buyer’s get-out. Why hiding the car after the deal stops the buyer’s mates talking them out of it. Why selling yourself before the car is the only philosophy that lasts 40 years. And why John was the poorest honest dealer in Kent and slept better for it.

A Nod To
John’s son Chris, who now runs the family business, for getting in touch with Sam. Peter Jarvis of Peter Jarvis Cars in Dartford, who John educated in the motor trade early on. And the Giles Book of Cartoons, which apparently featured a motor dealer on a wall waiting for a tractor after the traffic warden incident. 
Vintage and Classic Car Competitions: use code SAM15 for 15% off. 
Dodo Juice: use code SAM10 for 10% off.
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This has been a Worth A Listen Production.

The Old Car Lady is back with Max from The Tyre Kickers for Part 2. This time it’s about the cars they love now: E types, XJS, Silver Shadows and a Porsche 928 that kept catching the eye.
They go through the quick fire round, get deep on E types and XJS’s, debate original paint versus respray, and end with Sam’s dad’s 1984 stock book, with the day to day trade deals like a Merc 280 SE bought for £2,375 and sold for £2,800. Two Porsche 928s in the corner. And a spin in the Mercedes SL R107 to finish.
Featured Stories
How The Tyre Kickers Was Born: Max and Matt have known each other 30 years from Radio One Newsbeat. During Covid they were on Autotrader six hours a day. Matt said why not make a podcast. Episode 53 was recorded the week of this conversation.
The Silver Shadow Research Period: A year and a half of research, club membership and chassis number study. He very nearly bought one the week before recording. Sam is entirely encouraging this.
The Quick Fire Round: Cash or banking? Auction or private sale? Original paint or respray? Manual or auto? Barn find or concours? Short answers, strong opinions.
Dad’s Stock Book: January 1984. A 280 SE bought for £2,375, sold for £2,800. Cars that would be collectible today changing hands at prices that seem impossible now. Every registration number still traceable and Sam I’d planning a YouTube series around it.
Antiques on Wheels: Online banks wouldn’t take car traders so Sam opened one as an antique dealer. Technically accurate. Old stuff, easy to move. She stands by it.
What You’ll Learn
Why the series two E type 4.2 manual is the one to drive. Why a fresh respray on a classic is always a risk. How the CAP and Glasses Guides worked against each other but well together. Why building a history file from scratch can sometimes be as satisfying as inheriting one. And why the RREC build sheet is worth every penny.
Key Questions
Is original paint always worth more than a respray? Max and Sam both say yes, partly for the story and partly because a fresh respray hides as much as it reveals. You never quite know what it will look like in six months and it’s only original once!
Should you buy from a dealer or a private seller? Both come down firmly on the side of dealers and auction houses. The biggest crooks Max has bought from were private sellers. At least with a dealer there is a process and proper mediation if something goes wrong.
Is a car that’s been raced or modified still worth having? Max wants factory spec. Sam allows for safety upgrades where the case is clear. Both agree the story of the car is what you are really buying.
A Nod To
The Tyre Kickers podcast with Max and Matt on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all platforms. Find them at @thetyrekickersuk. The RREC, whose original build sheets are available for a small fee and are absolutely worth it. And Sam’s dad’s stock book and book collection which is going to be a YouTube series.
Vintage and Classic Car Competitions: use code SAM15 for 15% off. Dodo Juice: use code SAM10 for 10% off.
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎦 TikTok, Facebook and YouTube: The Old Car Lady
👍 The Old Car Lady Classic Car Community on Facebook
🔔 Subscribe to our YouTube channel @Theoldcarlady
This has been a Worth A Listen Production.

The Old Car Lady is joined by Max, co-host of The Tyre Kickers, for the first of two conversations built around a shared childhood. Both grew up as car dealers’ kids: SD1s borrowed off the forecourt for family holidays, E types coming through by the hundred, and dads who were never really off duty. This is Part 1.
They cover the golden era of the trade: part exchanges valued at nine years old, the Sunday phone rota, the mortgage run to Glasgow and back, and every trick that kept a 70s and 80s forecourt moving. Max brought photographs, pinned on Sam’s Instagram and Facebook.
Featured Stories
Two Dealers’ Kids on the Same Forecourt: Max’s dad spent 25 years at an Austin main dealer before going it alone from home, supplying smaller dealers trade to trade with cars that had to move fast before the book knocked money off them. Sam’s world was the same. A conversation that starts with instant recognition and never runs dry.
Valuing Part Exchanges at Nine Years Old: Max would be sent round the back of the porter cabin to crawl over the stock while his dad smoked and chatted. No book, just brochure knowledge, rust points and instinct. He’d come back with a number and his dad would say 500 quid. It was 500 quid.
SD1s, E Types and Rubber Bumper MGBs: SD1s borrowed off the lot with 50 miles, returned two weeks later with 2,500 and sand in the boot. His dad had hundreds of E types coming through at the time. They were cheap. Nobody knew then.
The Sunday Phone Rota: Friday adverts, one home phone number and a family rota to cover the weekend in their best telephone voice. Teenagers blocking the line. Customers trying to get through. Considerable Sunday tension.
The Mortgage Run to Glasgow: One week the mortgage was due on Friday and the money wasn’t there. Max’s dad drove to Glasgow with a car, did a deal and came back. His mum went south to Frank Dale, did another deal there. They got back to the house just in time to go to the bank the next morning.
What You’ll Learn
Why trade to trade was a cleaner business than dealing with the public. How a nine-year-old learned to value a car by spec and rust points alone. What the glasses guide was for and how dealers played it against each other. Why an SD1 with 50 miles was the perfect family holiday car. Why there were always queues for SD1s in the 70s even when people said British cars weren’t selling. And what the Zabar sticker, the National Trust sticker and the Right Reverend log book entry all had in common.
A Nod To
The Tyre Kickers podcast with Max and Matt, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all platforms. 55,000 downloads, Independent Podcast Awards finalist. Find them at @thetyrekickersuk. Part 2 next week.
Vintage and Classic Car Competitions: use code SAM15 for 15% off. 
Dodo Juice: use code SAM10 for 10% off.
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎦 TikTok, Facebook and YouTube: The Old Car Lady
👍 The Old Car Lady Classic Car Community on Facebook
🔔 Subscribe to our YouTube channel @Theoldcarlady
This has been a Worth A Listen Production.

The Old Car Lady is joined by Becca Treston, host of the Passenger Seat Podcast, young members coordinator for the Morris Minor Owners Club and a key figure in the Women Driver Social Club.
Becca daily drives Peggy, her 1968 Morris Minor, and has covered 45,000 miles in six years. This episode looks at the future of classic cars through the people coming into the scene today.
From accidental owners who inherit a car and don’t know where to start, to young drivers facing rising insurance costs, this conversation explores the real barriers to entry and what needs to change to keep the hobby alive.
Featured Stories
Meet Peggy: a 1968 Morris Minor, fully restored and driven daily, with 45,000 miles in six years.
The Accidental Owner: inheriting a car and not knowing where to begin, and how community changes that.
The Insurance Wall: why under 25s face some of the biggest barriers to classic car ownership.
What You’ll Learn
Why daily driving a classic car can keep it in better condition. Why 45,000 miles on a well-maintained Morris Minor can be less risky than low mileage neglect. How young members groups support new drivers and why the 25–35 age group is key to the future of the scene. Why rising insurance costs are a major barrier for younger owners. What the Women Driver Social Club actually does and why it matters beyond the people in it.
A Nod To
Passenger Seat Podcast, Morris Minor Owners Club Young Members (MMOCYM), Women Driver Social Club, Evoke Classics

For 15% off all competitons at Vintage & Classic Competitions use SAM15

https://competitions.vintageandclassiccarhire.com/
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For 10% off Dodo Juice car care products use SAM10

www.dodojuice.net

📧 [email protected]

 📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
 🎦 TikTok, Facebook and YouTube: The Old Car Lady
 👍 The Old Car Lady Classic Car Community on Facebook
 🔔 Subscribe to our YouTube channel @Theoldcarlady
This has been a Worth A Listen Production.

Use code SAM15 for 15% off your chance to win a classic car with Vintage and Classic Car Competitions:
https://competitions.vintageandclassiccarhire.com/
Sam Grange-Bailey (The Old Car Lady) sits down with Tim Grigsby of Vintage and Classic Car Competitions for a conversation that goes well beyond the prize draw business. Tim grew up surrounded by veteran cars and larger-than-life characters, raced everything from karts to single seaters, and has built one of the longest-running classic car raffle businesses in the UK.
They get into the real story behind classic car prize draws, why five years in has been the hardest thing Tim has ever done, and why integrity is the only thing that keeps it working. There is also a 1904 Cadillac, a brake rod welded in a French barn, a Ferrari 308 with 26,000 miles he cannot bring himself to drive, and a mum who swapped a Morris Eight for a Rolls Royce 20hp and has never looked back.
Featured Stories
Born Into It: Tim’s dad wrote the technical bible on pre-war Rolls Royce engines. His mum was a BBC makeup girl who may or may not have written off Jim Clark’s car near Tower Bridge. Tim never really stood a chance.
The Brighton Run and the Cars That Should Be Driven: Tim has been doing the London to Brighton since 1971, when he was six, in his dad’s 1904 Cadillac. He still does it today in Annabel, the same car. His view on veteran cars sitting in bank vaults is not a diplomatic one.
The Raffle Business: What It Actually Takes: Tim was one of the first to run classic car prize draws and is honest it has been the hardest business he has ever built. Facebook spend alone ran to £750,000 this year. The margins are not what people with calculators think they are.
The Roadside Repair That Lasted 10 Years: On a rally in France, Tim fixed a broken brake rod in a stranger’s barn using a welder and some thread. A decade later he spotted the same car on the Brighton run. The repair was still there.
A Fleet Worth Talking About: A 1904 Cadillac. A 1914 Sunbeam. A 1923 Rolls Royce 20hp called Daphne. A 69 Morgan Four Four that one lady drove as her only car for 50 years. A Ferrari 308 GTS with 26,000 miles. And a 1977 Lola that takes Copse flat out.
What You’ll Learn
Why running a classic car prize draw is nothing like it looks from the outside. How the British sports car market differs from the supercar lottery crowd. Why paying proper money always gets you the repeat call. What it costs to race a gearbox kart when you are built like a rugby player. And why smart motorways are, in Tim’s words, extremely stupid.
Key Questions
Is the classic car prize draw model as easy as it looks? Tim is emphatic that it is not. Five years in, three world-class businesses behind him, and this has been the hardest. The people getting rich are mostly Mark Zuckerberg.
Who actually wins these cars? Tim’s database is built on proper enthusiasts, not lottery hopefuls. A woman with a blown-up VW Polo bought one ticket and won an MGB. Those are the stories that keep him going.
Should classic cars be used or preserved? Tim’s answer is unambiguous. He has driven his 1914 Sunbeam all over Europe and thinks cars sitting in bank vaults are a waste of what they are.
A Nod To
Vintage and Classic Car Competitions, Tim’s prize draw business. Search online and on social media. Use code SAM15 for 15% off your chance to win a classic car. Links in the show notes or follow this link:
https://competitions.vintageandclassiccarhire.com/
Tim is racing his 1977 Lola at the Oulton Park Gold Cup this year and Sam will be there for a pit lane visit and Part 2. Watch this space.
📧 [email protected]
💬 WhatsApp: 07405 813554
📸 Instagram: @the_old_car_lady
🎦 TikTok, Facebook and YouTube: The Old Car Lady
👍 The