Our young motoring correspondent AUBREY BAGGPUSS and his VEHICLE BLOG BOOK
March 2023
This month I was invited to take my classic car to a car display being held in Lincoln later in the year.
The organisers state "spaces are £10 and must be booked in advance". However I then discovered that the event is totally free for the public to attend.
This is outrageous. Without classic car owners there IS no event so why should they have to cough up for the public to get in free? The organisers can therefore get stuffed.
JANUARY 2023 November 2022 I see that "ready mixed" antifreeze is now being sold in garages and motoring stores. Has there ever been a bigger rip-off or a product more stupid? Why on earth should you pay to purchase and carry home the manufacturer's added water which you can add for free from your own tap? Another consumer rip-off. Last month I was out in my classic car when I encountered a number of joggers running along the roadside. I couldn’t help marvel at their physique: grey lank hair, varicose veined legs and badly lined faces. In short, they all looked completely knackered. Why is it that these characters who go jogging might be fit but they all look 30 years older than they are? Much better to relax in the comfortable seat of your classic car as you roar past these tragic cases. It has been shown that jogging on concrete or tarmac makes you an early candidate for a hip replacement, so whenever I see joggers on the road, I wind down the window and roar with laughter. September 2022 Some organisers are asking for classic car entries to take part in a historic vehicle display at their country show, but they are insisting that all the cars must be in place by 8.45am. This is ridiculous and means that many owners would have to get up earlier than they actually do for work to get there in time. These second-rate organisers do not deserve support and should be following the example of clubs like NECPWA who operate a reasonable and flexible policy in this regard. SEPTEMBER 2021
This month sees the introduction of E10 petrol, which absorbs water, is about 1% less powerful than normal fuel and wrecks classic cars if used over a period of time.
If you have an older car or a historic one, avoid it like the plague.
JUNE 2021
One model of the Peugeot van has the ridiculous name of 'Bipper'. Whilst
one could understand a van being called 'Nipper' what the hell is a 'Bipper'?
It is just a stupid-sounding meaningless name.
I certainly could not take any businessman seriously who arrives in a vehicle
called a 'Bipper'.
A home handyman was in our street last week in a 'Bipper' looking for work.
I am not surprised. I waved him away and, pointing at his van model badge,
I could not help bursting out laughing.
APRIL 2021
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STREET WISE TIPS
RUNNING A CLASSIC? AVOID RED ANTI-FREEZE
This is important information when you re-fill or top up your classic car
with anti-freeze.
When you do TAKE CARE. Most stores and garages now sell red anti –freeze,
which lasts longer. However, it also can attack seals, gaskets and hoses
used in classic and historic vehicles.
So, don’t ’put your old car at risk!
Avoid the red stuff at all costs and stick to the more traditional blue or
green varieties.
DRIVING ABROAD?
Memo for driving in Europe
With so many delightful seaside towns in the UK, many classic car-owning
motorists prefer to stay here rather than travel abroad -and who can blame
them.
But, if you do decide to venture overseas – and take your classic car
with you – remember there are certain rules which apply in other countries
which are not applicable here. Below is a quick guide how to keep on the
correct side of the law when going across the Channel.
France
You will need a warning triangle, a UK sticker and you will need a reflective
vest for each person in the car.
When in France also take very great care when you fill up with fuel. French
garages sell the dreaded ‘E10’ which contains 10 per cent ethanol.
This is lethal to a classic car fuel system: so do not fill up with E10 –
you have been warned!
Spain
In Spain, remember that you have to use your car indicators on motorways,
both before and after overtaking – and you can get an on the spot fine
if you don’t do it. You must also put your headlights on when driving
through a tunnel and can be fined for not so doing. If you wear glasses you
are required to carry an extra pair when driving
Belarus
It is illegal to drive dirty car! Serbia Drivers must have a towbar and 3
m of rope in their vehicle.
Austria
A first aid kit is also required.
And remember, if you have classic car number plates, you must also display the letters 'UK' on the rear of the vehicle.
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DEALING WITH POTHOLES
It is estimated that there are about two million of them. They are lethal
and their whereabouts can take you by surprise. We are talking about potholes,
the blight of classic car motoring.
More potholes are expected to appear on British roads -and the number of
breakdowns they have caused is on the rise. Shockingly vehicle failures caused
by potholes in the final 3 months of last year were up 24% on a year earlier,
despite less rainfall.
Pothole accidents have left drivers with broken suspension springs, damaged
shock absorbers and buckled wheels according to the RAC who said that "urgent
remedial repairs are need to reduce the risk of further damage to vehicles
or injuries to bikers and cyclists.
Clearly insufficient preventative maintenance by local councils, such as
resurfacing, is to blame.
The Department of Transport has committed £6 billion for English Councils
to improve local roads in this Parliament, in addition to a £50million
a year fund specifically for tackling potholes, so this is good news.
But, there is a council road maintenance backlog. Indeed, some councils seem
more obsessed with installing new speed humps than in repairing damaged roads.
However, drivers do have some weapons at their disposal, so follow our simple
guide:-
If you see a bad pothole, note its location, photograph it if you
can and tell the local authority, keeping a copy of your Email or letter.
Some councils have template forms on their websites. Once a council knows
about a dangerous pothole, it is duty- bound to deal with it.
If you hit a pothole and damage your vehicle, note the exact location
and, again, photograph the pothole and the damage. Ripped tyres are the most
common. Keep all paperwork that relates to repairs.
If the damage isn't visible - such as a suspension problem or dislocated
alignment of the steering, go to a garage, get your car repaired and a report
prepared.
Some arrogant councils always make a point of initially refusing to pay when
a claim is made, whatever the circumstances. But a local authority can only
legitimately reject claims if it did not know about the pothole and can show
that it is thorough in inspecting its roads.
That is why if you have previously reported a pothole, and later damage your
car on the same one, provided you can prove you have reported it, the council
do not have a leg to stand on.
If a council clown says they have no money to repair the potholes, this is
no excuse. It is also not true as the government has earmarked an extra £50
million to give to councils to deal with this problem.
For further info, look at https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/CWVsCWL3DiGB9LXiBhJdL?domain=potholes.co.uk - this gives advice of how to
make a claim.
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