Dave Horton and his cars

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kenny38
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Dave Horton and his cars

Post by kenny38 »

I was idely reading a blog recently when Jensen came up. Appears a Mr Dave Horton was a fireman who had a nasty accident involving a bit of plate glass. He bought a CV8 and spiced her up a little and proceeded to win lots of prizes at shows. He also had a convertible out of an FF also hotted up. Is Dave still with us and where are those vehicles now? kenny38
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Martin R
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Martin R »

Dave was active in the club a few years before I joined the JOC.
I saw his former FF convertible SP a few years ago and it is still around.
Dave apparently liked to "bling up" his cars with lots of chrome under the bonnet etc. The bonnet on his FF SP was "interestingly shaped". Not to everyones taste but very shiny and looked stunning.
It's my understanding he is still around but "fell out" with the JOC after other "more standard" cars beat his cars at shows, due to their being more original.
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John Staddon
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by John Staddon »

Dave Horton is still around, I never knew him in his heyday with the club (way before my time) but he is still in to classic cars and I've met him at shows occasionally, he has a Jaguar XK8 now, perfect as you might expect with all of the correct tools and documentation and even the white gloves Jaguar supplied to keep your hands clean should you ever have to do something like change a wheel. Dave has lots of other toys as well including, he told me, a vintage Steerman biplane.

The C-V8 was 104/2093, 'The Lady' or 'The Glitterbug', Dave says he sold it to a private collector in Japan around 1989, but it hasn't been seen since (and he has, or says he has, no recollection of exactly who he sold it to). Dave did tell me that he didn't chrome things that shouldn't have been chromed, but he did polish things that wouldn't have been polished and he was so meticulous about cleaning that preparation for a big concours (and he won at concours that were much bigger than JOC events, like the Benson & Hedges Concours that used to happen in the '80s) involved taking the engine out to clean it off the car.

I believe the FF is still around as well, there should be references to it on this Forum if you search, but I'll let others more qualified than me tell where it is now.

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Eddie
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Eddie »

I met Dave Horton and the NEC show in 2016.

He stopped and spoke to me for ages. Told me lots of brilliant stories about his days entering Concours with the Glitter Bug. Also doing the Beaujolais run in it.

Also Stories about his time in the fire service and his convertible FF.

To be honest I found him a great guy to chat to. He asked me about my car, I told him I am in to Concours, he gave me his card and said if I ever wanted any advice give him a ring.
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AlistairT
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by AlistairT »

Remember Dave very well. He was a fireman like myself and injured his hand i believe on a job after breaking a window. He was mates with my dad and lived local to us.
His CV8 was a top car at the time and won a great deal of awards and I remember having a ride in it when I was a lad. I recall he and a mate had a go at a speed record once. I think they had a American car built ,but the engine let go big time. He later set up a classic car garage based in Kent. My 541R went there for servicing and other minor work. Horton and Bateman classics they were called I believe. Would like to catch up with him one day. .
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Grant
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Grant »

Martin R wrote:The bonnet on his FF SP was "interestingly shaped". Not to everyones taste but very shiny and looked stunning.
My Friend has Dave Horntons original bonnet on his Convertible FF.. here are some sketches from the factory before they built the said Bonnet, it was designed by JPS so that Dave Hortons FF Convertible could have the Six Pack fittedImage >>
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And here is a couple of pics of my Friends FF convertible it is now fitted to >>
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kenny38
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by kenny38 »

Thank you, everyone for your info. Dave would have to be a fascinating bloke to gossip with. Tis a pity he is no longer into Jensens. Kenny38
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Martin R
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Martin R »

Has anyone got a picture of the bonnet which was fitted to Dave's FF convertible after the JPS one?
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Grant
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Grant »

Martin R wrote:Has anyone got a picture of the bonnet which was fitted to Dave's FF convertible after the JPS one?
Hi MartinImage
Here it is.. But I never really liked this oneImage
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challenger
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by challenger »

pretty sure dave hortons sp and cv8 engine work, pics are from jensen 86ish
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cannonball
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by cannonball »

OI think I prefer the blue bonnet as the rise starts at the very front, and has a deff look of a challenger R/T hood with the two nostrils, both fantastic what ever,,
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Frankoid »

AlistairT wrote:Remember Dave very well. He was a fireman like myself and injured his hand i believe on a job after breaking a window. He was mates with my dad and lived local to us.
His CV8 was a top car at the time and won a great deal of awards and I remember having a ride in it when I was a lad. I recall he and a mate had a go at a speed record once. I think they had a American car built ,but the engine let go big time. He later set up a classic car garage based in Kent. My 541R went there for servicing and other minor work. Horton and Bateman classics they were called I believe. Would like to catch up with him one day. .
They were based in "Gasoline Alley" Wrotham. There was also an American spares place there that opened strange hours. I spent many hours there in the 90's :) Dave lived in Orpington and he kept his CV8 at his mums house in Locks Bottom a few houses down from my dad! I almost bought a Tangerine FF from him, I wish I had now! If anyone contacts him ask if he still has the police photo's of my fathers burnt out Interceptor III from the 1970's
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Tim SP
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Tim SP »

Hmmm.

Tony Dickson was a lovely bloke, he owned the 300,000k parts that Horton claimed were H&B-
Sat at Tony's bar was topper's, I wanted to work for him, he would always help you out- many a time " just come to the bungalow when you get there" when normally I had buggered up something!

Well, thats just say I know different.
You dont sell a car you dont own to a trader, esp if that trader knows the owner personally esp given he sold it to owner in first place & owners son works for said trade.
Then squirm when owners tips up to collect & mentions the whole tale....
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Martin R
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by Martin R »

Grant wrote:
Martin R wrote:Has anyone got a picture of the bonnet which was fitted to Dave's FF convertible after the JPS one?
Hi Martin,
Here it is.. But I never really liked this one
That's the one - a little "odd" to my eyes.
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jncohen
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Re: Dave Horton and his cars

Post by jncohen »

I am looking for any photos of the CV8 on concours showing the incredible engine, with everything brightly polished. Also of Dave Horton with the CV8 and the trophies. Have searched the Internet without success. Can anyone help?
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