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Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:05 am
by Davidb
About forty years ago I went to visit him at Fibreglass Services. He was out for an hour or so and I went to the local pub for lunch to be greeted by "Hello Miles!" as I walked in the door from a couple of customers--it seems I resembled MIles at that time.

When I went to his shop later he was there and we had a good chat-I think I owned an Elite at the time. There was an unusual engine under the bench, "What is that?" I innocently asked. "ERA 2 Litre" came the response! Any bloke with a 2 Litre ERA engine under the bench is OK with me...

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:15 am
by Chancer
How old is Saint Miles?

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:24 am
by alan.barker
That's a little personal :shock: , mal elever
Alan

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:26 am
by rgh0
oldchieft wrote:Conversation in Paul Matey's parts parts store: -

"Do you have the Miles Wilkins twin-cam book?"

"Yes, signed by Miles!"

"Ah, do you have the rare un-signed copy?"

"Oh, I see you have met Miles."

Jon the Chief.

Jon
best humor I have seen in a long time :lol:

cheers
Rohan

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:06 am
by Chancer
alan.barker wrote:That's a little personal :shock: , mal elever
Alan


?lev?

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:17 am
by alan.barker
Merci Bescherelle :) ,
kenavo
Alan

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:25 am
by 661
I must admit to being a Miles fan. When I was in my early Elan days he helped me out significantly.You do however have to laugh at him rather than with him at times.
I took the car down to get a repair to the bodywork done on it. He's a bit of a stickler for originality, which is admirable.
He pointed out that my new engine bay loom wasn't quite as good a copy as he'd like and that the Strombergs rebuild wasn't up to scratch. Not that either were relevant to the job in hand.
Curiosity eventually got the better of him and he asked who had undertaken the work. I , truthfully, informed him he had.

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:37 am
by alan.barker
I remember many years ago Graham Arnold in the Club Magazine said that Miles was the best thing since sliced bread or Jimminy Cricket :lol: You have to smile. TVRs it's the same with Adrian Venn.
Without these people our car adventures would not be so full of colour.
Alan

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 11:48 am
by Chancer
alan.barker wrote:Merci Bescherelle :) ,
kenavo
Alan


Its as much my bible as Saint Bucklands tome is!

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 11:49 am
by Chancer
661 wrote:.
Curiosity eventually got the better of him and he asked who had undertaken the work. I , truthfully, informed him he had.


:D :D :D

He could have been a barber!!

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 9:58 pm
by Quart Meg Miles
reb53 wrote:
Quart Meg Miles wrote: who had been operating from his premises,


I hope you mis-phrased that !

Should have been "whom had been..."

He rented out some of his site to other car dealers, at one time a local Ford dealer as overflow and once a MX5 specialist. Recently it was a gang of crooks who appear to have left their stolen cars there, probably didn't pay the rent, and demanded money at about the time that they were arrested. It may have sparked his decision to quit, he certainly reorganised his workplace immediately afterwards and erected a security fence.

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 5:50 pm
by lotuar
I just stumbled across this discussion, and I'm hoping that some of the folks residing in close proximity to Miles might be able to assist.

Just a few weeks ago, I sent a communication via FedEx to Miles at his Fibreglass Services address and hadn't heard back. I hadn't known that he'd moved on from there.

The topic was a passage in his Twin Cam Engine book where he says:
"...work at carried out at Cheshunt included a one-off redesign of the Elite rear suspension based on a Jaguar rubber system (this was done by Brian Luff in 1962)..."


I believe that I own the Elite referred to in that passage, and I'd been hoping that he might have actually seen the car and the modification, so I'd sent photographs.

The Elite in question (#1559) resided at Cheshunt from late 1961 until it was delivered to a customer in December of 1963. It was subject to several modifications including a Twin Cam engine.

If anyone could provide updated contact information, or could pass on a package of information, I'd truly appreciate it.

-Doug

Elite #1559 (more info at http://www.blog.dougfraser.com)
Seven LSB-2072

Vermont, USA (currently hoping to be annexed by Canada ;-)

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:11 am
by alan.barker
I would suggest you phone him but check on what time it will be in UK.
I'm sure he will help if he can
Alan

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:36 am
by 661
That sounds like an interesting car. A type14/26

Re: Miles Wilkins

PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:38 am
by Quart Meg Miles
alan.barker wrote:I would suggest you phone him but check on what time it will be in UK.
I'm sure he will help if he can
Alan

(0)1243 554422

I will pop round in a few days to find out what is happening there.