 This issue marks the 65th anniversary of Car Mechanics magazine – April 1958 being the first issue published. We have a little nostalgia piece, as Alan Anderson asks if there really was a golden age of motoring. Read his thoughts on pages 78-80.
My first CM reading experience was back in the early 80s, probably 1982 as that is when my first car arrived – a 1.1-litre Ford Escort Popular with drum brakes all-round.
It was terrible at stopping but it mostly drove OK. It was a car I could finally tinker with at the weekends, though after a year of driving, I found that the passenger carpet was getting wet after rainfall.
On further investigation the floorpan was rotting – the Ford was just seven years old at the time. I spent many a weekend using mother’s hair dryer to dry out the
carpet and floor. Then a trip to the local motor factors for a tin of rustproofing liquid and a tin of Isopon P38 body filler. Once I had my own premises more cars arrived as I had more parking spaces. A 1980 Honda Prelude required P38 to front and rear valances, bottom of sills. Then a Triumph Dolomite 1500HL in Blaze had a rotten bottom nearside front wing, which P38 attended too. My spray-painting skills weren’t the best back then, but I managed to get a decent job in the end.
I’ve not purchased a tin of P38 for decades – or used it – and I’m not sad about this fact. When did you first buy a copy of CM and what car arrived as your first? Plus was P38 part of your motoring timeline?

Martyn Knowles, Editor
Email [email protected]
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