Many thanks to the previous owners of the car, who I have managed to contact.
Their help, memories and photos have been invaluable in the compiling of this section.

Strangely, the earliest photo that I have of my car is the most recently discovered. In June 2007 I attended a car show at Weald Park, Brentwood. I parked next to a Land Rover and, as you do during the course of the day, got talking to my neighbour. I had some photos of my car restoration and mentioned that the car was originally located in Jersey. The family that I was talking to mentioned that they used to holiday in Jersey and seemed to remember a blue car like mine outside one of the village pubs. They said that they might even have a photo of the car from the mid-1970s and promised to look for it on their return. We exchanged emails and true to their word, a day or so later an email arrived with two photo attachments of a blue SIVA car outside a pub on Jersey. But was it my car? Well it certainly looked like an earlier version of the car from photos I had inherited. Luckily, on one of the photos it was possible to just make out the car registration plate. This number tied up with an additional photo that I had been sent of the car in garage storage from the 1980s (see later).

What is surprising about these photos is that the SIVA kits were produced between 1969 and 1974 so the car (kit) would not have actually been very old when these photos were taken. However, the presence of bricks in front of the wheels and the condition of the hood looks like the car was not well maintained even at this early stage in its life.  

• In this photo the "Variety Club Special" wooden plaque can be seen across the front of the car. This was still in place when the car was found in the back of a barn.
• At this point in time the car still had its white hood.
• The car has a proper front seat. This had gone by 1986 and replaced with a wooden bench.
• It is believed that these photos were taken around 1975 outside a pub called 'The Water Mill' in Grève de Lecq.
• This location may be Le Moulin de Quétivel at Grève de Lecq.

MID 1980s

With very little information to go on I started searching the internet for any connections between "Variety Club" and "Jersey". To my surprise I very quickly found a contact address for the Variety Club charity organisation and, via their headquarters, I soon had a contact address for the Jersey division or "Tent" as they are known.

I explained to the organisation that, although it was a bit of a long shot, I was trying to find any information about the history of my car, which I believe had once been associated with the Variety club. I was soon greeted by some very friendly people who went out of their way to help and began searching the club archives for me. After much searching, the last photo, quite literally, that they came across in their archives was a photo of my SIVA.

As luck would have it, one of the elder members of the Variety Club had once been an owner of the car. On seeing the photo he remembered that it had once stood outside a nightclub that he used to manage called Caesar's Palace, located at Greve de Lecq on Jersey. Unfortunately, he could not remember who he bought the car from or whether it was roadworthy when he purchased it.

• The above photo is a copy of the photo found in the Variety club archives.
• A reference number was written on the back of the photo showing that it was a publicity photo taken by the Jersey Evening Post newspaper. The photo is reproduced here courtesy of the Jersey Evening Post.
• This photo shows my car in the car park of Caesar's Palace nightclub, located at Greve de Lecq on Jersey.
• Information on the back of the photo states that the photo is of "Dancers from the International Spectacular at Caesar's Palace".
• I contacted the Jersey Evening post and was delighted that they could find an exact date from the reference number. The photo was taken on 17th June 1986.
• The girl at the front is actually sitting on a the large white collection box. This was fitted to one of the running boards of the car and was used to collect small change and donations from passers-by, visitors and tourists. The collection box is probably converted from a battery cover box made for some SIVAs.

It makes me cringe to think of the abuse that the car must have been subjected to when it was sited here. It very probably had drunkards climbing all over it of an evening and kids crawling all over it during the day.

When the nightclub closed it is unclear as to what exactly happened next. The car may have been transferred to the "Fantastic Tropical Gardens" although, this part of the car's history is unsubstantiated. However, the previous owner of the car did recall that, when removed, the radiator was found to be full of sand and pebbles. The sand may have been from a children's sand pit at the "Fantastic Tropical Gardens" or indeed may have happened when the car was sited outside the nightclub.

Did you ever holiday in Jersey? Maybe someone reading this may have holiday snaps of themselves or their children sitting in the SIVA outside "Caesar's Palace nightclub" or at "Fantastic Tropical Gardens". If so, I would be delighted to hear from you.

LATE 1980s

Towards the end of the 1980s the chassis of the car broke into two causing damage to the main fibreglass body panels. This damage probably rendered the car unsafe for children to play on and it is likely that this is when it was towed away.

The car ended up in the rear storage area of Abbey Garage at Five Oaks on Jersey. At this time a car enthusiast spotted the car and offered to buy it but the garage initially refused and the car remained stuck outside.

Sometime later the garage decided to scrap the car but luckily the car enthusiast heard about this and rushed to the scrap yard. The car was rescued and tucked away at the back of a barn as a 'future project'. There it remained for about 10 years.

• This photo show my car in the rear storage area of Abbey Garage at Five Oaks on Jersey.
• It is believed that this photo was taken sometime between 1988 and 1990.
• This photo showed the original Jersey registration which was unknown before this photo was sent to me.
• Note that even in this abandoned state the hood frame was still up and in one piece.

• These photos show the state of the car when it was discovered in the back of a barn in 1999.
• Most of the metal components had severely rusted and very little of the original was salvageable.
• Luckily the fibreglass body of the car can not rust and although damaged in places was pretty much complete.
• The chassis had split in two and the car was sagging and unsupported in the middle of the chassis. This had caused the body to become damaged at the weak section forward of the front seat area.
• These photos show the yellow wheel trim and mudguard - these are all that remain of the yellow SIVA.

• With the body removed the state of the chassis can be appreciated.
• There is extensive rust throughout the car and the chassis is rusted almost completely through causing the body to collapse.

• These photos show the removed body and how little of the original car was salvaged.
• Note that there is no front seat at this stage. It is unknown what was used as a front seat prior to storage.
• These photos also show the yellow wheel trim and mudguard - these are all that remain of the yellow SIVA.

• These photos show the donor car and its engine and chassis.
• The donor car was a 1957 Ford Popular. The engine, chassis and drive-train were treated and renovated.

• These photos show the final stages of an amazing transformation of the car up to April 2005.
• The previous owner undertook a tremendous amount of work to restore the car and get it roadworthy.
• Note that a front seat has been manufactured by making a mould from the back seat. The front seat is several inches narrower than the back and this was achieved by cutting and rejoining the mould to achieve the correct width.
• The car was running and MOTed by this stage.
• I took ownership of the car in April 2005.

• These photos show the condition of the car when it was delivered.
• The centre photo shows the crack in the body caused when the chassis collapsed.
• Obvious major structural differences between this car and Bessie at this stage include the front bumper arrangement, and back luggage shelf, the indicators are set high on the mudguards and the headlights are too large. There are many other minor differences.

• The existing bumper was replaced by a custom made Bessie style one.
• A starting handle tube and cover plate was added.
• A frame was built around the existing radiator ready to house a new brass top.
• The luggage shelf was removed and a new rear light housing made and fitted.
• The indicator lights were moved from the mudguards to the front bumper and rear back plate.

• Obtained sacrificial 105E radiator, sandblasted and polished. First version of fake radiator head constructed.
• Early version of rear tyre holder (later modified) added to a reinforced back seat.
• Excess fibreglass was removed around the Ford style running boards covers.
• Running boards freed. Mudguards freed.
• The mudguards were removed and strengthened by added another couple of layers of fibreglass.
• Body rub down started.

• Correct style carriage lamps obtained.
• Windscreen edge stays constructed. Windscreen frame repaired and stained.
• Windscreen support struts from carriage lamps designed, constructed and tested.
• Windscreen wiper motor obtained, wired and tested.
• Wing mirror brackets designed and fitted.
• Seat cushion foam obtained and shaped to seats.
• Steering column raised for the the first time. This was raised further at a later stage.
• Body rub down on-going.
• Car readied for spraying.

• After much waiting car was finally put into primer.

• Further primer work continued (4 coats).
• Reinforcement of fibreglass around bottom of front seat weak point.
• Storage area under front seat and lift-up front seat constructed.
• Car sprayed "canary yellow" (4 coats).
• Coach-lining of body completed.
• Car lacquered (7 coats).

• Steering column raised further by adding spacers at the steering box.
• Angle of steering column extended by cutting through bulkhead under the bonnet to allow further rise of the column.
• Old steering wheel removed and work started on replacement steering wheel boss.

• Fitted home-made steering wheel boss (made from old steering wheel)
• Fitted new "Five Doctors" style, Astrali, steering wheel.
• Fitted new steering column centre, horn button and indicator switch assembly.
• Reconfigured dashboard by moving battery-charge dial so that all three main dials are centred.
• Moved Ignition switch to below battery charge dial.
• Remounted windscreen.
• New battery.

• Started work on folding hood frame and mechanism.
• Redesigned and attached hood frame mounting brackets on rear seat.
• Designed and made '3-piece poles' for hood frame to windscreen.
• Added hood press-studs attachment points to back of rear seat.
• Added windscreen tension straps.
• Designed and fitted strap retaining clamps.
• Redesigned and fitted multi-purpose windscreen corner bracket (windscreen support strap end cover, corner press-stud and hood frame attachment point).
• Repaired and repainted carriage lamps.
• Redesigned carriage lamp mounting plate and secured carriage lamp base to reinforced front wings panel.
• Added sealant between windscreen glass and frame
• Painted and attached windscreen support struts.
• Painted foot-wells    

          Major changes this month.

• Hood frame and folding mechanism completed.
• Front and back seat upholstered (upholstery button patterns matched to the original Bessie).
• Rubber matting cut and fitted to the running boards.
• Running board aluminium edging made and fitted.
• Rubber matting cut and fitted to front and rear foot-wells.
• Front foot-well prop-shaft plate painted and fitted.
• Rear foot-well aluminium edging made and fitted.
• Artillery wheel trims drilled and bolted to hubcaps.
• Hubcaps and wheel trims fitted to road wheels and spare wheel.
• Carriage lamps finished and fitted.
• Brass radiator head and attachments fitted to top of radiator.
• Front number plate strengthening back-plate countersunk and fitted to front bumper.
• New front and rear number plates fitted.
• Temporary 'wing' mirrors attached to windscreen frame.
• Leather bonnet strap added.
• Radiator painted with heat-proof paint.
• Radiator surround and various areas painted.
• Correct style windscreen washer nozzle fitted.
• Windscreen washer bottle fitted.
• Windscreen washer wiring completed.
• Windscreen wiper wiring completed.
• Trafficator switches added to dashboard.
• New windscreen retainers made and fitted.
• Metal tax disk holder fitted to windscreen.
• 'Fake' folded hood made.
• Hood retaining straps made and fitted.

• Windscreen frame redesigned slightly taller to improve visibility whilst driving.
• Original windscreen plate-glass replaced with toughened safety glass.
• New bespoke windscreen frame professionally built and stained by a local cabinet maker.
• Finally managed to locate wing mirrors identical to the type used from the Five Doctors (1983) onwards.
• Installed bulb-horn the same as used from the Five Doctors.
• Added leather bonnet strap.
• Windscreen top front edge press-stud fittings installed.

• Finally completed hood.
• Fitted press-studs using press-stud fixing tool into the hood at the fastening points across the top of the windscreen and around back of back seat.