Workshop Magazine: Issue 30

OUR FLEET: MATT THE MECHANIC WORKS HIS MAGIC ON THE XR2

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ISSUE 30 | MARCH 2018

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How skills training can keep you competitive

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BEAUTIFUL AND A BEAST Ford’s secretive supercar factory where art meets engineering

RATED AND RANKED

Looking to invest in some new equipment? Check out our product tests

A GOOD ENGINE

Clever Mazda tech that could save on petrol

Cock-up by Our Kev that led to a rather awkward phone call

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CONTENTS. 12

EDITORIAL HEAD OF EDITORIAL REBECCA CHAPLIN

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @believebecca

PRODUCTION EDITOR DAVE BROWN

41

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

FEATURES EDITOR JACK EVANS

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SENIOR STAFF WRITER DARREN CASSEY

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STAFF WRITER RYAN HIRONS

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HEAD OF DESIGN GRAEME WINDELL

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Our fleet: Why Tom’s decided to put his Audi A2 up for sale

Counting down: Latest news about June’s event

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28

The Judge: What can you do if an employee is off long-term?

Our Kev: We all make mistakes – and one of mine has just led to an awkward conversation

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16

Bike adventure: Our intrepid duo make it to Lahore

Welcome

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Almost a cat-astrophe! How garage team pulled off a purr-fect rescue

IN this edition of Workshop Magazine, we’re taking a close look at the cars you work on in your garages and how they can clean up their acts.

And if you’re trying to find a way to improve your customers’ experiences, we’ve got a few top tips from around the industry to keep their cars running for miles longer and hopefully put smiles on their faces too!

When it comes to happy customers, I’ve been to a place where dreams really do come true. You’ll have seen it on the cover – the absolutely wonderful supercar that is the Ford GT – and I was lucky enough to visit the place where they’re made. This is a factory usually reserved only for the company’s own employees and those whose cars are in production.

Talking of Fords, my vintage Thunderbird is sort of on the move and you can read about the latest developments on page 41. It’s an exciting process that’s getting ever closer to completion.

When it comes to top tech, Workshop Magazine has the inside scoop. Reporter Tom Wiltshire enjoyed

the sun in Portugal, where he tried out Mazda’s new SkyActiv-X engine. It’s a petrol engine that shares qualities with diesel units, meaning it’s super-efficient and could solve some problems for combustion power before that type of propulsion is forced off the market.

We’ve got all your favourite features in this issue, too.

You can find out about new products, check in with our intrepid motorcycling duo as they reach Pakistan and get some great advice from The Judge, alias Ian Gardner at Lawgistics.

We’ve something extra as well – tool tester Craig Cheetham has been putting a selection of products through their paces. If you’re thinking of investing in some new equipment for your garage, see what we’re featuring on pages 32 and 33. Enjoy the issue!

Rebecca Chaplin, Head of Editorial WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 03

BIG PICTURE.

| MAZDA SKYACTIV-X ENGINE |

Powerplant The UK government might have announced plans for pure-combustion engines to be phased out of new cars by 2040 but we live in the present, and for most switching to electric isn’t a viable option. In the meantime, Mazda has come up with a more fuel-efficient option called SkyActiv-X, as Tom Wiltshire reports.

MAZDA’S SkyActiv-X engine combines characteristics of petrol and diesel engines.

The groundbreaking technology here is that of compression ignition – where fuel is injected into the engine’s cylinders and ignites without the need for a spark. This allows the fuel to burn quicker and more evenly and lets the engine burn a leaner mixture, boosting fuel economy.

Using this system, the engine will produce 10 to 30 per cent more torque than an equivalent SkyActiv-G petrol and return an impressive 20 per cent improvement in fuel economy. The torque and fuel economy curves will be flatter, too, with the company promising more repeatable results than with the current trendy downsized turbocharged engines.

But petrol isn’t as willing as diesel to burn under these conditions, with environmental factors such as temperature and humidity much more influential than on diesel-powered engines. SkyActiv-X, therefore, employs a higher compression ratio of 16:1 as well as spark-controlled compression ignition (SPCCI), where a traditional spark plug helps combustion along. Under high rpm or heavy load, it’s also capable of running as a traditional spark ignition engine.

Air mixes with a tiny amount of fuel during the intake stroke, filling the cylinder with a very lean mixture. Then, as the cylinder compresses, another burst of fuel is introduced at the top of the chamber.

The spark plug ignites this, and the resulting fireball spreads through the cylinder, adding enough heat and pressure for the remaining fuel to combust.

The air/fuel mixture in the majority of the cylinder is purposefully kept too lean to ignite without the aid of the fireball. This prevents ‘knocking’, where ignition occurs prematurely and can push back against the cylinder as it rises. This is very important, as knocking can cause serious damage to the engine.

The timing of the spark plug controls when compression ignition happens, allowing fine control over the engine’s characteristics and enabling maximum performance when it’s asked for, and maximum economy the rest of the time.

A small supercharger feeds air into the engine to keep the fuel/air mixture lean even at high speeds. It swirls the air on the way in, ensuring they’re mixed as thoroughly as possible – important for a clean burn within the cylinder.

04 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Ignition

SkyActiv-X engines use either compression ignition or spark ignition, depending on driving conditions

Performance

The higher-efficiency engine means the gear ratios can be shorter, aiding performance and response

Current Mazda 3 bodywork was used to house the sophisticated engine and chassis tech

Production

SkyActiv-X will feature in Mazda models from 2019 onwards

Fuel consumption

SkyActiv-X promises a 20 per cent improvement in fuel consumption compared with a petrol engine

Torque

Mazda also claims a 10 to 30 per cent improvement in torque

Supercharger

The engine uses a supercharger to keep the fuel/air mixture as lean as possible

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 05

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NEWS. | PROGRAMME |

UK ROUND-UP. What’s been making the headlines at workshops around the United Kingdom?

LEICS:

Triumph Motorcycles welcomed the Duke of Cambridge to its Hinckley factory on February 20. Prince William viewed a new £6 million paint shop facility and even took to the saddle on one of Triumph’s newest and most exciting adventure motorcycles, the Tiger 1200. The paint shop, a major new investment at Triumph’s Leicestershire headquarters, will be pressed into operation in the spring of this year. The duke also took a tour of the rest of the factory as well as Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience, which opened to the public last November.

HULL:

A garage in Hull is going to be converted into a church. The former home of Japtech, a workshop in Gillett Street, is to become a new place of worship for the Church of Pentecost – a division of Christianity that originated in the 1930s in Ghana. The Hull branch of the organisation was founded in 2009. An elder of the church, Emmanuel Frimpong, said it would mean a great deal to the members of the congregation to have a home they could call their own. Japtech has since moved into new premises in Wiltshire Road, off Hessle Road, in Hull.

STOKE:

A garage owner in Stoke-onTrent says he has seen a 50 per cent drop in passing trade as a result of a set of temporary traffic lights on the road outside his business. Andy McIntosh, 49, who owns McIntosh Motor Services in Lonsdale Street, said the lights, which control traffic near a building site, were ‘a big pain’ but his pleas to have them moved even just a few feet have fallen on deaf ears. ‘I’d say passing trade has probably dropped by about 50 per cent,’ said McIntosh. ‘The number of people stopping on their way past has dropped because they can’t get on to the forecourt.’

OXFORDSHIRE:

Greatworth Classics has announced an expansion of its site in Banbury. The new area will complement Greatworth’s existing chassis and body workshops, which have helped it become established as one of the leading specialists of both air-cooled and water-cooled Porsches of all ages. The Volkswagen-based 914 is also catered for at Greatworth, and has become another specialist area for the firm thanks to its involvement in various 914 projects in recent years. The team now has the capability to offer a full range of services on Porsche models of all lineages.

New ClickMechanic initiative will provide helpline to clients CLICKMECHANIC has launched a Mechanic in Residence programme to offer a new and alternative career path.

The initiative by the online marketplace, which connects car owners with local, trusted mechanics, means that car mechanics who no longer want to, or are unable to, work in the field can stay in the industry in a consultancy role.

By applying to the Mechanic in Residence programme, mechanics can work directly for ClickMechanic from home. The mechanic will offer free phone consultations to ClickMechanic’s customers, using their skills and experience to diagnose problems.

In addition, it opens up a helpline to ClickMechanic’s customers, offering easy-to-reach and knowledgeable mechanics who are there to help and advise. By talking the driver through the issues they are experiencing, the majority of faults can be detected or at the very least narrowed down.

Nigel Bennett, head of the programme, said: ‘The main aim of the Mechanic in Residence programme is to assist car owners with understanding the issues with their vehicles and how they can be resolved.

‘By putting technical explanations across in a way that is easier to understand, we give straightforward advice in a non-sales way.’

ClickMechanic aims to hire one mechanic for the programme every month, and mechanics can apply via clickmechanic.com/careers

| JAGUAR |

New production run for D-Type race car SUSSEX:

A couple from East Sussex have won a new Suzuki Celerio thanks to Servicesure Autocentres. Its ‘Win a Car for Christmas’ competition, which was free for all customers to enter, ran across every garage within the network. All visitors to a Servicesure Autocentre were eligible to enter the giveaway through entrance forms on site or via the website. Stacey and Daniel Grant, who live in Uckfield, entered after visiting their nearest site, A & D Motors, also in the town, where they have their car serviced. Daniel said: ‘The car will be invaluable – we’re still in shock!’

JAGUAR has announced a new production run for the legendary D-Type race car, to be hand-built for customers at Jaguar Land Rover’s Classic Works in Warwickshire.

When the model debuted in 1954, 100 D-Types were scheduled for production but only 75 were ever completed – this new project marks the completion of the production target, some six decades later.

The new D-Types will be available, per customer preference, in either the 1955 shortnose spec or the longnose shape that arrived the following year.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 07

NEWS. | PARTNERSHIP |

Schaeffler and Liqui Moly combine to cut timing chain wear SCHAEFFLER UK has revealed an exclusive partnership with oil and additive supplier Liqui Moly, which will see additives offered with every INA timing chain kit.

The additive is the result of a collaboration between engineers from both companies, and the result not only increases the engine’s efficiency but it also prolongs the life of the timing chain. Schaeffler has provided some advice to technicians installing INA timing chains.

During the installation of an INA timing chain kit, the additive – christened ‘Chain Protect’ – should be applied to the timing chain and associated components to help create a robust layer on all ‘point of contact’ surfaces, resulting in smoother chain function and reduced friction.

The crucial element of any timing chain replacement is the ‘breaking-in’ phase, when the new chain beds itself into the old engine system.

According to Schaeffler, Chain Protect can help ease wear during this phase by up to 20 per cent. In addition to Chain Protect, INA timing chain kits include all of the components required for a professional system replacement: timing chains, chain sprockets, hydraulic and mechanical chain tensioners, as well as tensioning and guide rails, the appropriate gaskets and all mounting parts.

| PARTS ALLIANCE |

Two new branches open for business THE Parts Alliance opened two new branches in February – one in Croydon, under the SCMF brand, and the other in Newcastle under its SAS brand.

The new openings represent ongoing investment from The Parts Alliance and a continuing commitment to endorse and develop its trusted local motor factor brands giving local service and national strength.

These new locations will enable improved service for both independent garages and the group’s growing national accounts portfolio.

Peter Sephton, Parts Alliance CEO, said: ‘We’re delighted to continue our branch expansion to establish a true national footprint.’

08 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Dashboard drama as Boris makes a bid for freedom Honda technicians called in to help after kitten ends up in a rather perilous predicament

by ADAM WELLER

A

@adamneverknows

nine-week-old kitten was rescued from inside the dashboard of a car by Birmingham Honda after the mischievous feline clambered into the car’s internals while his owner was driving the vehicle.

The kitten, named Boris, had crawled behind the dashboard of a Honda HR-V, taking advantage of a panel gap near the pedals after somehow managing to escape from the basket he was travelling in.

The scary moment happened when the driver was close to Handsworth fire station, so she approached the personnel for assistance. Acting watch manager Russ Edwards and other members of the fire and rescue service tried to free Boris but didn’t succeed.

Edwards then suggested that the car should be taken to Birmingham Honda so people familiar with the HR-V could dismantle the dashboard.

He accompanied Boris’s owner to the dealership, while a response vehicle followed behind.

Technicians Andy Deakin and Ben Perrow set to work straight away once the car arrived, and their colleagues stopped what they were doing, cautious that the sound of machinery and tools would frighten Boris. Birmingham Honda service manager Mark McDaid told the Birmingham Mail: ‘We tried everything at first. One of the firemen had just bought a tuna

Free! Boris with Andy Deakin, left, and Ben Perrow sandwich so we tried tuna – but Boris wasn’t interested.

‘We then used a shoelace to see if Boris would play with that – and he wouldn’t. The technicians had to remove various trims and they gutted the bottom of the dash, but they were able to put it all back together again.’

Perrow ultimately completed the rescue of Boris after more than an hour of work, to the delight of his owner. Edwards told the Birmingham Mail: ‘The lady was a bit distraught as she apparently hadn’t even told her husband she was going out to get a cat. Its arrival will be a major surprise for him!’

NGK running British Grand Prix contest for loyal BoxClever members NGK has revealed an exciting opportunity for members of its BoxClever independent garage loyalty scheme that could see them experiencing the British Grand Prix as a VIP. The giveaway includes two VIP tickets and full hospitality at Silverstone on Sunday, July 8 to witness the battles between the likes

of Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

The experience will be won by a BoxClever member selected in a prize draw after the entry period finishes at the end of March.

The promotion – dubbed ‘BoxClever Bonanza’ – is the latest in a series of high-profile NGK promotions that has seen the

company give away a Suzuki Celerio, a 1,000-piece Teng Tools kit cabinet and 100,000 BoxClever points.

Mark Hallam, NGK Spark Plugs UK’s marketing manager, said: ‘F1 is a sport that is followed by millions of people, and the chance to win a VIP day out at the home of British motorsport is one that our BoxClever garage members do not want to miss.’

TALKING TRAINING. WITH BILL STIMSON, TECHNICAL SALES DIRECTOR AT EURO CAR PARTS

Retain that competitive edge by keeping those skill levels high Cars have undoubtedly become more complex.

With more electronic systems, alternatively fuelled vehicles and autonomous cars on the horizon, it’s no surprise that there is increasing demand for related training courses across the aftermarket. What is interesting, however, is to see how the demand for new skills is encouraging repairers to go back and revisit the basics. Bill Stimson, technical sales director at Euro Car Parts, explains more.

W

hile the industry was recently debating whether to extend the period for new car MOTs to four years, the last thing anyone expected was for the government to announce a mandatory Level 3 National Occupational Standards (NOS) requirement for all UK MOT testers. This left many experienced and competent technicians unable to carry out MOTs, and therefore keen for training to achieve the required accreditation.

The requirement to revisit MOT training was forced by legislation but it did bring about greater industry awareness of the importance of training and the need to top up existing skills.

Greater tolerance Vehicle builds are becoming more complex with finer tolerances and previous servicing techniques not always the most effective. While previously fitting new brakes was relatively simple, modern vehicles require far greater accuracy.

The tolerance for runout on most new wheel hubs is 0.03mm, and the room for error is tiny.

Repairers need to take care to fully clean the hub face before fitting new brakes.

If old discs without a hub-securing screw are removed and refitted, the position of the disc must be marked (on the hub) before removal to allow correct replacement.

This level of detail would likely not have been taught to repairers years ago.

There are also vehicles equipped with CO2 air conditioning systems already on the road. Many vehicles are leaving the factory equipped with very high-pressure air conditioning gas, which requires specific training for correct and safe handling during an air conditioning service.

Going straight to the top Where new skills are required, it’s human nature to head towards the highest level of training.

Many repairers know that all vehicle sensors and

Euro Car Parts’ Euro Academy can deliver all the training your business will ever need actuators can be tested using an oscilloscope and have invested in this equipment. Owning an oscilloscope is important but could be a wasted investment if repairers do not understand why they are receiving the responses it is recording.

With the ever-changing technology in the cars of today, it is essential repairers revisit the fundamentals of electricity and the role it plays in vehicles, understanding how various electrical components operate and how they can be tested. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to effectively diagnose and interpret electrical circuits.

Euro Car Parts’ Euro Academy offers three individual courses on vehicle electronics: a

“

foundation course on essential electrics, a more advanced course on sensors and actuators, and a high-level course on multi-meters and oscilloscopes. Starting at the multi-meters and oscilloscopes course may sound like the most effective use of time but it always pays to complete all the courses to gain a comprehensive understanding of vehicle electronics.

The route to master technician is not always quick and easy, involving various stages of training. The requirement for Level 3 MOT testers highlighted the importance of training to the industry and the need for many repairers to evolve skills (including refreshing on the basics) to remain competitive.

The route to master technician is not always quick and easy, involving various stages of training.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 09

NEWS.

Michelin teams up with YouTuber in new partnership MICHELIN has signed a year-long partnership with social media personality Mr JWW. Mr JWW – North Staffordshire-based James Walker – is the driving force behind one of the world’s most popular automotive lifestyle channels on YouTube. The deal will see Walker acting as ambassador for the company that employed his father, Johnnie Walker, for 13 years.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Walker senior worked as a test driver for Michelin in Stoke-on-Trent for 11 years before continuing his work in Arizona for a further two years.

Now Mr JWW will work with Michelin to produce films and images spotlighting the manufacturer’s high-performance products and featuring some of the most desirable cars and destinations in the world.

The 31-year-old said: ‘Growing up in our household it was Michelin or die. I truly believe that Michelin are the best in the game, but that connection with my dad makes this a really special project for me.

‘We’re already coming up with ideas for content we can

Mr JWW, left, with Mark Higginson from Michelin produce and I’m so excited about it. Together, I know we’re going to create some amazing films that my audience will love and that will showcase just how good Michelin tyres are.’

The Mr JWW YouTube channel was launched in 2015 and focuses on luxury cars, travel and fashion. It has more than 325,000 subscribers, and Mr JWW’s films regularly achieve more than a million views. Mark Higginson, head of digital for

Michelin in the UK and Ireland, said: ‘The days when we just wanted to talk about tyres are long gone.

‘Yes, Michelin makes premium tyres for the best cars in the world, but we are also an authority on the best restaurants and hotels in the world.

‘Michelin is now becoming a lifestyle brand, and Mr JWW reflects that evolution perfectly.’

Institute urges businesses to ‘stamp out gender bias’ Automotive firms that address workplace stereotypes could gain a competitive advantage

M

en outnumber women in the motor industry by a ratio of 10:2, according to research by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

The data shows that despite being likely to be involved in big financial decisions, such as buying a car or a house, women are severely underrepresented, with a mere 19 per cent of the national workforce and two per cent of automotive apprentices being female.

The IMI has called on all businesses in the automotive sector to ‘stamp out any bias towards men by addressing the gender stereotypes’ within their workplaces, with the belief that firms that do so will gain a competitive advantage.

Lesley Woolley, chief operating officer of the IMI, said: ‘Currently, we have very few women working in our industry. However, a number of organisations within the sector have evolved to place more strong

10 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

and empowering females in senior management roles.

‘The IMI is an example of an organisation that has a positive gender diversity at all levels. We currently operate with a 70 per cent female-to-male split, and we believe it’s important that other businesses in our sector recognise the value of creating a competitive advantage by embracing diversity.

‘More women should look at the retail motor industry as a place where they can create a legacy.’

Karen Hilton, head of sales operations at Carwow, said: ‘This is

a really exciting time for the sector.

I’ve been in the industry for 12 years now and I’m delighted to see more women making their mark and, most importantly, being encouraged to do so. Carwow is a proud member of the ‘‘30 Per Cent Club’’, which aims to have at least 30 per cent of women on FTSE-100 boards, and it’s something we should shout about.

‘It’s so rare that a business that combines two traditionally maledominated industries – technology and automotive – should be able to lead the charge on making both sectors more accessible for female colleagues.

‘At Carwow, we have a female founder and a number of inspiring women who make up our senior management team. This isn’t because they’re women, it’s because they’re great at what they do and that’s what I’m excited to see more of – women, passionate about their industry and empowered to do influential work.’

| COURT |

Jailed mechanic must pay up over £208k tax fraud AN EAST KILBRIDE mechanic jailed for a tax and national insurance fraud worth nearly £209,000 has been told that he has to pay up.

As reported in Workshop issue 29, Iain Wilson, of MacKenzie Gardens in East Kilbride, failed to declare his true income as the sole proprietor of his business, Milton MOTs, in Arrotshole Road, from 2009 to 2014.

An investigation by HM Revenue and Customs revealed that the 61-year-old was suppressing his earnings in his self-assessment tax returns and evaded £208,912.62 in income tax and national insurance contributions.

In January, he was sent to prison for 18 months by Hamilton Sheriff Court after being found guilty, following a trial at the same court in November 2017, of one charge each of fraudulently evading income tax and fraudulently evading national insurance contributions.

Action to recover the money was launched and Wilson now faces having to sell his home after a confiscation hearing at the court. He has to pay the money back within six months.

More than £110,000 in cash seized from his home in 2014 is being used to pay part of the confiscation order.

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142 manufacturers - 34,000 models - 600,000 technical procedures 136 manufacturers - 32,000 models - 550,000 technical procedures Autodata is part of the Solera Group. Visit www.autodata-group.com for more information.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 11

NEWS. | CRIME |

Police raid uncovers stash of stolen car parts in Birmingham AN investigation and joint raid by West Mercia and West Midlands Police has uncovered a stash of stolen car parts at a site in Sparkhill, Birmingham.

Officers at Redditch police station were told about a BMW that had been stolen in Wythall, Bromsgrove. An investigation was launched, during which the owner of the vehicle spotted his car’s wheels for sale online.

The officers from West Mercia Police leading the investigation traced the online sale listing for the wheels to a property in Sparkhill.

After obtaining a warrant to raid the premises, they found out that West Midlands Police were also investigating the site following concerns raised by members of the public.

Officers from each of the two forces teamed up to conduct a joint raid on the site on Thursday, February 15.

When they made their way inside the property, they discovered a number of stolen car parts from high-value performance vehicles, including exhausts, doors, boot lids, suspension units and subframes. No arrests have been made yet PC Chris Woolman, from Redditch police, commented: ‘This was an excellent example of us working together with another force to uncover what appears to be a significant criminal operation.

‘So far, car parts from 14 different vehicles have been identified.’

GardX reveals new distribution partner for Russia GARDX International Ltd has announced that Inchcape Holdings LLC is its new distribution partner for Russia. This strategic partnership will initially launch across Inchcape’s 21 retail centres in St Petersburg and Moscow, representing 10 brands.

Richard Hage, international

development manager for GardX, said: ‘The scope for growth within this emerging market is extremely exciting and represents a new chapter for us.’

Inchcape has global operations in 29 international markets, with more than 400 retail and service centres

employing over 16,000 people.

Paul Elder, group finance and insurance manager at Inchcape, said: ‘Russia is one of many emerging market expansions scheduled with GardX, who have become our preferred paint and interior protection partner of choice.’

Automechanika to look at all the major issues we face ‘Every company in the aftermarket can come together, share ideas and express opinions’ Advice and support will be available from a variety of organisations

| MOTOR OMBUDSMAN |

Family firm signs up to code of practice EDEN Tyres & Servicing has signed up to the Motor Ombudsman’s Service and Repair Code.

The family business has 15 sites across the Midlands, which are being accredited to the regulatory body’s Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Commitments made by garages signed up to the code include the use of honest and accurate advertising, as well as open and transparent pricing, employing qualified staff and having a swift complaints handling process.

12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

A

utomechanika Birmingham will tackle all the major issues affecting businesses in the aftermarket, according to event director Simon Albert.

The event, which takes place from June 5 to 7 at Birmingham NEC, is specifically geared towards meeting the needs of end users, including garages, bodyshops, tyre fitters, motor factors, retailers and franchised dealerships, not just in terms of highlighting new products, but with advice and support on running an automotive business, both now and in the future.

With an exhibitor base set to be the most proactive yet, visitors will also benefit from the event’s thriving

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk seminar programme with issues such as GDPR and MOT changes set to dominate proceedings.

Albert said that with changes affecting the running of garages due to come into place just weeks before the event, Automechanika Birmingham – of which Workshop is a media partner – was ‘perfectly positioned to provide much-needed clarity on issues affecting the trade’.

The seminar programme will be released closer to the event but is sure to draw the crowds as it has done in previous years.

This year, the show will have a ‘Garage Quarter’ for the growing

number of garages attending the event, and an enhanced programme of live events featuring technical demonstrations, free training and keynote speakers.

Albert added: ‘Automechanika Birmingham 2018 is an event for every company in the aftermarket to come together, share ideas and express opinions on how to move business forward.

‘With so much happening in the trade, the event has become a ‘‘mustattend’’ for automotive personnel looking to develop their business.’

This year’s event will welcome vehicle production exhibitors in Hall 6 and aftermarket suppliers in Hall 20, with the dedicated Garage Quarter in Hall 19.

Ice work if you can get it! Landmark year for GKN Driveline’s winter tests GKN has proving grounds for extreme cold on three continents

World-class extreme-weather facilities are crucial for the development of next-generation systems for the car industry

G

KN Driveline is celebrating 30 years of its extreme cold-weather testing programme in Scandinavia.

Originally a small operation run from a single garage over a few weeks, GKN’s ‘Wintertest’ is now a major multi-month event, with up to 20 cars and a full team of engineers dedicated to putting the latest driveline systems through their paces.

Located 62 miles from the Arctic Circle, GKN’s test track facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, provides a hostile driving environment that amplifies the impact of its technologies on vehicle performance.

With temperatures reaching as low as -40°C, the climate enables its team of engineers to analyse and fine-tune systems far quicker than if tested under normal road and weather conditions.

Back in 1988, during GKN’s first Wintertest, the driveline systems being tested included a range of viscous-fluid couplings for all-wheel-drive (AWD) and limited-slip differential (LSD) functions.

The evaluation and development led to breakthroughs such as the first fast-rotating hang-on AWD drivetrain and cutting-edge LSD systems that have had a lasting impact on GKN’s product range. Since then, the testing process has advanced significantly, moving from hand-written records and mechanical adjustments to real-time data and on-the-fly software tuning.

Subsequent breakthroughs have included the development of electronic torque manager (ETM) technology: an active eLSD application that leverages advanced traction and brake control systems. The ETM eLSD, which was honed during Wintertest activities, now appears on a wide range of high-performance sports cars and premium vehicles.

As GKN has continued to develop systems with an even keener focus on traction and lateral dynamics, extreme cold-weather testing on lowfriction surfaces has become even more critical.

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca

This has also resulted in the development of more detailed torque measurement and instrumentation processes. In turn, GKN has been able to offer its automaker customers ever greater possibilities for analysing and altering the characteristics for each individual vehicle.

Michael Ricks, director of global engineering capabilities at GKN, said: ‘We have moved from purely mechanical systems to state-of-the-art eDrive units, and the testing process has likewise become more digitised, with a significant focus on software calibration – making it quicker and more efficient than ever to make adjustments to the vehicle dynamics.’

The 30-year history of GKN’s Wintertest programme also reflects its growth into the electrification market. The business’s early

development of electronic control systems for vehicle dynamics – including integration of ECUs, actuators, sensors and software – has helped to lower barriers to entry for GKN in more recent years. At Wintertest 2018, GKN will showcase numerous state-of-the-art eDrive systems, including coaxial e-axles and the intelligent Multi-Mode e-transmission, as well as the new eTwinsterX with a two-speed gearbox and precision torque vectoring.

‘When we first started testing in Arjeplog we had a relatively small presence, but over the past 30 years GKN has expanded its Wintertest programme substantially,’ said Ricks. ‘We now have up to 25 engineers working here, and between 15 and 20 vehicles.’

Last year, GKN Driveline announced the expansion of its Wintertest programme with a new facility in Brimley, Michigan. GKN now has proving grounds for extreme cold on three continents – Europe, Asia and North America.

“

We have moved from purely mechanical systems to state-of-the-art eDrive units MICHAEL RICKS WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 13

NEWS.

Service stars honoured at Hendy awards ceremony Recognition for staff who work behind the scenes but have a crucial role to play

T

Brake pads could spell luxury city mini-breaks THE Parts Alliance will be sending staff from 25 garages on luxury mini-breaks to a host of top European cities in its biggest promotion to date.

Campaign scratch cards will be included with all sets of Delphi and Bendix brake pads that are supplied during March and April.

‘City Brakes’ will run across all branches of The Parts Alliance, meaning it’ll be available from Allparts, BBC Superfactors, BMS Superfactors, Bromsgrove Motor Factors, CES, Dingbro, GMF, GSF, Parts Alliance (South West), Qualvecom, SAS Autoparts, SC Motor Factors and Waterloo. The holidays comprise three nights’ accommodation with flights and transfers for two people to a choice of 10 leading city destinations, including Paris, Rome and Barcelona.

Other prizes include smart speakers, fitness trackers, tablets and DAB radios plus a merchandise pool of mugs, sweets, snack packs, torches and USB chargers.

Parts Alliance head of marketing Simon Moore said: ‘We’re delighted to be able to offer customers such a wide range of prizes.

‘They’ll benefit from chances to win while gaining the peace of mind and customer appreciation that comes from fitting quality brake pads.’

Additive for Diesel Particulate Filters

PatFluid

®

op technicians and administrative staff from Hendy are celebrating after being honoured at the company’s annual service awards ceremony.

The event was hosted by TV presenter Alex Brooker with entertainment by the electric string quartet Escala.

Hendy chief executive Paul Hendy said: ‘The evening was a great opportunity to thank all of our employees who work behind the scenes but play a crucial role in the success of the group.

From left: Hendy group operations ‘Last year, we serviced and repaired more than 235,000 vehicles at our dealerships in Hampshire, director Andy Stevenson, service manager Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Devon.’ of the year Paul Dittrich and Alex Brooker Technicians plus service and parts advisers were honoured for their work. of the Year. The prestigious Hall of Fame award Jake Evans, who works at Hendy Honda Exeter, was presented to Mike Weatherston, who joined was named Apprentice of the Year and Paul the company in 1980. ‘Mike has been with us for Dittrich, who works at Hendy Ford, Mazda and more than 37 years and has been instrumental in Kia in Eastleigh, named Service Manager our success 12:49 story,’ said Hendy.

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14 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Voting opens April 2018

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Visit | workshoppower.co.uk

Get safety recalls fixed or risk prosecution says DVSA Dealers need to keep themselves up to date so that every used car they sell is safe

M

otor traders who sell cars with outstanding safety recalls are breaking the law, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has warned as it launched a new service designed to help buyers and dealers check if cars are safe.

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 say that dealers must get cars with outstanding recalls fixed before selling a vehicle to a consumer. If they don’t, they can be prosecuted

by Trading Standards.

The rules apply to all commercial sales – from online sellers, authorised dealers and franchises to small, independent high street firms.

The new service – at www.gov.uk/checkvehicle-recall – can be used by workshops too to check cars and uses data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to let anyone wanting to buy a used car, and existing car owners, check if it has an outstanding safety

recall via its registration number. It joins the DVSA’s service to check the MOT history of a vehicle, which lets buyers check if a car has a current MOT and if it has been well maintained.

DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn said: ‘It’s an offence for a motor dealer to sell a car with an outstanding vehicle safety recall. They need to get it fixed before a car is sold.

‘This new service allows you to check if a specific car has any outstanding vehicle safety recalls, making it potentially dangerous, simply by entering its registration number.’

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘Car makers in the UK have a world-leading record for successful safety recalls, and dealers need to keep themselves up to date to ensure every used car they sell is safe. This new service using SMMT data now makes that even easier, allowing them to see whether a car has any recalls outstanding at the same time as checking its MOT history.’

Mike Hawes: Car makers in the UK have an impressive record of successful safety recalls

Authorized Distributor of Opteon , a Brand of The Chemours Company TM

Stocks of Opteon™ R1234YF available nationally from BOC Opteon™ YF (R1234YF) combines environmental benefits with excellent cooling performance, helping the automotive industry to meet legislation 2006/40/EC. BOC is now offering the full range of refrigerant gases needed for any vehicle, R134a, R1234YF and even CO₂. BOC can also offer an ultra sensitive 5% H₂/N₂ leak detection mix which allows even smaller leaks to be detected ensuring a ‘one fix’ solution for the customer.

le availab w o n F R1234Y BOC Limited registered office, The Priestley Centre, 10 Priestley Road, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, GU2 7XY, England. Number 337663 – English Register. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, register number 715528. BOC is a trading name used by companies within The Linde Group. The BOC logo and the BOC word are trademarks of Linde AG. Opteon™ and the Opteon Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Chemours Company. © 2017 The Chemours Company. Trademark registrations and their status may differ from one location to another. Copyright © 2017. Linde AG.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

BOC/506725/UKS/1017

Find out why Opteon YF is the industry‘s low GWP refrigerant gas of choice at: www.BOConline.co.uk/opteonyf

| 15

FEATURES.

PART 5

A lion cub, tigers and more ease enforced stop in Lahore

We’re reporting on the adventures of a pair of globe-trotting mechanics here in the pages of Workshop Magazine each month. Our dynamic duo, Andy Gove and Sean Tubby, have managed to reach Pakistan...

H

Bahawalpur to Lahore Andy Gove

aving arrived in Pakistan, we were looking forward to travelling to Lahore – albeit under the watchful eye of the escorts who had been accompanying us during various stages of our trip so far.

Once there, we were expecting to be let off the leash and were looking forward to exploring Pakistan on our own. We saddled up, turned our bikes over and wound them back. Twenty minutes later, Sean’s bike ‘Barbara’ spluttered, died and then produced the ominous clicking sound you only ever hear from a dead battery.

Having only the night before topped up said battery with acid and water, we knew something else must be at work – or not at work, as the case may be. After some quick roadside tinkering, our escort insisted we move to a petrol station a little way down the road to continue.

Sean began to push Barbara in the unforgiving midday sun as I sped off, leaving him in a cloud of dust while giving him a two-fingered salute over my shoulder, cackling like a madman.

No, that’s not what happened. I rode my bike to the station and the escort drove me back so I could give Sean a hand. By the time we got to the forecourt, we were soaked through from sweat and had probably burned off an entire day’s worth of hydration. While Sean had a dig around for the issue, I took the battery down the road to get it charged at a roadside auto electrician. Before charging it, he decided to test it.

His test method, while not conventional, was highly effective. That said, I wouldn’t recommend immediately zapping 40 amps through a battery

“

to see which cells boil and which ones don’t. As it turned out, the battery did have a dead cell. He then gave 10 rupees – about 6p – to a kid who couldn’t have been more than 12, who then gave me a shrewd, penetrating look that should have come from the eyes of a 55-year-old workshop mechanic. The kid disappeared for 15 minutes and reappeared with a sandwich bag full of powdered sulphuric acid. Ask no questions, I guess. He then proceeded to dump a load in the dead cell. I’m not sure I totally agreed with what was going on, but whatever. With no real way of testing whether the battery was at fault or the rectifier wasn’t charging the battery, we had to suck it and see.

So, after a problematic start we were on the move once more, but again, it was slow going.

About halfway through the day, with our journey already having lasted twice as long as it should have done, we were blessed with a gift: a motorway. Our escorts waved us on and we were free to continue on our own.

The road being next to brand new, we largely had it to ourselves. We were joking and laughing right until it ended, literally (due to it not being finished). This seems to have happened a lot.

Hoping that we wouldn’t have to be escorted again now we were off the motorway, we snaked our way through the traffic as fast as we dared, trying to avoid detection.

This, however, failed, as a police truck simply switched on its lights and had its heavily armed occupants lean out of the vehicle and wave the traffic apart like Moses parting the Red Sea. We were now into the ninth hour of what should have been a five-hour journey and it was getting dark. Barbara had been holding up all day,

The kid disappeared for 15 minutes and reappeared with a sandwich bag full of powdered sulphuric acid...

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Running repairs kept Sean on the move

Extreme Motorsports in Lahore but after Sean was forced to switch his lights on, it all proved too much for her.

The stilted noise of a missing engine followed by a backfire saw us pull over into a bus station.

This time it was Sean’s turn to get the battery charged while I sat and chatted with a local policeman and an anti-terrorist commando who were left to protect me.

The two could not have been more different, one being jovial and talkative, the other being hard-eyed and quiet. Amusing questions were fired at me, such as how many wives do I have and why I don’t have more than one. We also chatted about cricket. Sean returned, red-hot

We’ll never forget the sights and sounds of Pakistan – an incredible place

Playing with a lion cub at a private zoo in Lahore, snapping up a couple of pairs of jeans at a bargain price . . . and do they have any chicken? battery in hand, we slotted her in and set off.

Knowing full well that it was the headlights that had drained the battery, Sean opted for the engine running over the ability to see or be seen, which made entering Lahore at rush hour in the dark a very entertaining experience.

After fighting through the traffic as best we could, we pulled over for a break and were swiftly invited in by the owner of a chauffeur company, who very kindly gave us water to drink and let us use his wi-fi so we could find out where we were meant to be heading. Fifteen minutes later, we found ourselves at our hotel.

Arriving in Lahore gave us the break we needed

to fix and replace what we had chewed through on the road. I snapped up two new pairs of ‘Levi’s’ for the laughable sum of £13 and then it was time to tackle Sean’s battery problem.

After some research, we made our way to Extreme Motorsports, whose owner is a man named Omar. They helpfully and patiently let us come and go through their shop while we messed with Barbara’s electrics.

After discovering that the fault did lie with the rectifier, we were at an impasse – you can’t get them in Pakistan. This meant we had to get one sent out, and that meant a whole week in Lahore.

The next week was probably the oddest but most

incredible week I’ve ever had. We quickly made friends with a local man by the name of Sonu, who welcomed us into his house and social circle, where everyone went above and beyond to make us feel at home.

They showed us the sights and even took us to a private zoo, where we played with a lion cub and got in a cage with two Bengal tigers (in hindsight, the stupidest thing I have ever done).

Everyone we met was just incredible and we were blown away by the whole experience.

And after getting some good inside information about the north of the country, we decided that was the next place for us...

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 17

FEATURES.

Inside Ford’s supercar factory It’s literally the place where dreams become reality, but it’s a world that’s far more analogue than you might imagine when it comes to high-tech motoring. Rebecca Chaplin reports from Canada...

W

hen you’re in a job such as ours, you get to see the inner workings of car manufacturing plants regularly. These mammoth plants are run by robots, feeding car after car through to the technicians who construct them.

Even on the smaller scale side of things, big machinery still plays a part, whether that’s to assist lifting, turn the cars over for better access or hike them up and down.

However, while they’re usually clever, they can also sometimes be tedious and boring. I’ve stood lazily in a few, wishing I had a robot to carry me around.

It was quite a surprise, therefore, to see that you might imagine – one that not many, bar the one of the five biggest car manufacturers in the owners of these rarities and the people who build world is producing hand-built supercars from a them, would ever get to see. Here at the factory small facility in Markham, just outside Toronto. they produce one completed car a day, although It’s not much to see from the outside, blending in around 30 will be on the workshop floor in with the rest of the industrial park it sits in, and various stages at any one time. you’d never guess what it holds inside.

Multimatic is the company that owns the site Here they use little more than the manpower and has the pleasure of assembling the GTs. of 140 employees and largely tools they can use The building we’re walking around has been with their hands to assemble these constructed especially to make these beasts for the road. Standing in cars, but the company’s usual one corner of the workshop, fare fits in well with them. Its almost all stages of the name is known by race fans, and supercars’ construction can be this workshop is like every seen and, if you’re lucky carmaker’s dream – smallenough, sometimes you scale builds with a huge can hear one starting up.

Ford budget.

This is the Ford GT, Although the cars based on the looks of are assembled here, the iconic GT40s but the parts come from with one of Ford’s all over the globe, 3.5-litre EcoBoost as vice-president engines tuned up to of engineering at 638bhp. Weighing in at Multimatic Larry Holt just 1,385kg, it can soar explains. On our side of on to its top speed of the planet, the leather for 216mph – besting its the interior of the cars competition from Ferrari goes from the Highlands and McLaren. It was first to Essex for the seats to revealed back in 2015, be assembled before and this year the first UK making their way across delivery finally made its the Atlantic.

Larry Holt, way to its new home.

The monocoque left, and Jamal While American of the car arrives at Hameedi, chief muscle is something the plant already programme Fords of the past are constructed. Here, the renowned for, the GT engineer for Ford panels – all carbon is a far more delicate fibre – go on to the tub Performance feat of engineering than to check they align

18 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Carbon construction

Access all areas

correctly before coming off again to be sprayed.

The cars are then given their unique VINs, which really can be as personal to the customer as they want.

The framework of the car with its roof attached then splits off in two directions – rolled across the floor by hand. One team will assemble the engine and fit it in the frame, while the other works on the car’s suspension.

It might seem like a rudimentary system to carry this out by hand but careful checks are put in place to keep the highest standard. While there are several work stations around and every team has its own role, they each check the previous work that has been done and can reject it if

Every single piece of Ford’s GT supercar is hand-assembled by the dedicated team of 140 staff at the plant

Special measures are taken to ensure no mistakes are made throughout the whole process anything isn’t up to standard. Holt tells us that so far they’ve never had to send a finished car back into the production line because it didn’t meet their high standards.

When the two halves are fitted with the required parts, they’re then reunited. The technicians can now begin fitting parts such as the brakes and fuel tank before moving on to the more personal touches, such as the interior. As more parts go on to the car we can see what a jigsaw puzzle of parts this is, with almost every individual piece carefully redesigned for the lowest weight and to fit in the tightest space.

That said, as we navigate our tour it’s clear this isn’t really like any other production line. We’re

talked through the features and parts by members of the team, but the technicians fitting them have the time to wander off and grab examples from the shelves. Some are even able to stop for a quick chat about the details of these precision pieces.

With all the parts tightly packed away, the glass and finer interior details can go on, before the painted bodywork can be put back on the car.

This is where things get a little more exciting, as the cars need to be started up to check they’re in good working order.

Here, Multimatic has two rolling roads, ready to run the cars up to speed. The results are measured but also listened to in order to check

that everything sounds correct – more analogue checks in this digital world of car design. The growl of the GT is distinctive and unmissable, with a deep note that is unique on today’s roads.

Then there’s one final test: the light inside the tunnel, rather than at the end of one, which illuminates the car from every angle and makes even the finest imperfection visible.

At the entrance to the workshop a photo of every car that has left the factory is featured.

While some are more vibrant than most might like, there is a clear desire for the famous heritage colours. Gulf blue and orange are clearly popular but the team explain that customers have been known to find specific winning years for their paintwork.

From start to finish, each car build takes around 22 days. It’s a small team, in a comparatively small factory, where they handbuild these beautiful cars, but what’s really clear is the love and passion for these cars. They all stand, squat or bend proudly under the cars’ winning titles – so far – as they construct what are mechanical pieces of art more than machines.

Ford GT in detail WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 19

FEATURES.

| UNDER THE SKIN |

Ford GT

Driving modes Drivers can choose from one of five drive modes, changing the way the car behaves. Up first is Normal, for everyday driving. Then comes Wet for slippery conditions, Sport, Track and finally V-Max – this final setting allowing the car to reach its top speed.

Jack Evans highlights some of the standout features of this supercar.

Design The Ford GT’s teardrop design has been created to minimise drag while increasing the amount of downforce generated.

This makes for higher cornering speeds and greater top speeds too.

| HISTORY LESSON |

From a shaky start to championship racing, it’s the car that shows how the Blue Oval has it all covered

T

hough the latest Ford GT is a high-tech, modern interpretation of what a supercar is, its origins are far more mechanical. Back in the late-1960s, Ferrari was dominating all of the endurance races in Europe. Following a failed acquisition of the Italian manufacturer, Henry Ford II decided to get his own back – by fielding a Ford vehicle in the world-endurance racing circuit. Thus, the idea behind the Ford GT40 was born. The GT in its name stood for Grand Touring, while the 40 was a reference to the car’s height in inches.

Based on the British-built Lola Mk6 – which already used a Ford V8 engine for power – the original GT40 was initially something of a flop.

Its first few outings proved unsuccessful, with many cars retiring because of mechanical issues.

20 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

That was until the project was handed over for legendary designer Carroll Shelby to work on.

With Shelby at the helm, the GT40’s fortunes improved. The car won podiums at key races such as Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, with its most iconic achievement being a 1-2-3 finish at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. It showed that American car builders had a place in European racing, as well as trumping Ferrari at its own game. It then inspired future models. Enter the first-generation Ford GT...

Unveiled as a concept car in 2002 at the Detroit Motor Show, the Ford GT came as a new generation of supercar. Shelby was brought into the fray once more with the job of testing the prototype vehicle.

Whereas the original GT40 had been small and

relatively compact, the new Ford GT was a far larger affair– three inches taller than the iconic racer, as well as being wider and longer. Built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Blue Oval, the Ford GT even featured a styling nod to the significant landmark – if you look closely, the left-hand headlight has been designed to read ‘100’. However, it was unable to wear the iconic GT40 badge – a small American company called Safir GT40 Spares owned the trademark, and negotiations between it and Ford broke down.

In truth, though, despite mirroring the look of the original, there was nothing to connect the two in terms of mechanicals. It was, however, a huge leap forward in terms of technology. The body panels were crafted from lightweight aluminium – as was the engine cover – while large four-

Power plant The Ford GT is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged Ecoboost engine, linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Similar in design to the unit found in the Ford F-150 pick-up, it produces 647bhp, allowing the GT to hit a top speed of 216mph.

Suspension Underneath the supercar sits pushrod suspension with adjustable ride height, allowing the driver to set how high the car sits. It even gets active aerodynamics, which automatically adjust when going at a certain speed to increase or lower air friction.

Chassis The Ford GT’s layout is based around a carbon-fibre tub with aluminium sub-frames attached to both the front and rear. This helps keep the car light but also – crucially – rigid, meaning better cornering performance.

Brakes Hugely powerful carbonceramic brakes sit behind all four wheels. Those alloys, incidentally, can be swapped out for optional carbon-fibre versions, making the car’s overall weight even lower.

Red, white and blue: From left are a Ford GT40 and two Ford GTs, with the latest incarnation of the supercar on the right piston Brembo brakes at all four corners provided a huge amount of stopping performance.

Then there was the engine. A 5.4-litre V8 in the middle of the car came with an additional supercharger and produced close to 550bhp and 678Nm of torque. It was enough to push the GT to 60mph in just 3.3 seconds before hitting a top speed of 205mph.

A total of 4,500 units were planned, though just 4,038 were made by the time production ended in 2006. It wouldn’t be until 2017 that a new one arrived. Though the engine is downsized – now

a 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged V6 rather than the 5.4-litre V8 – power is up to the 650bhp region, while 746Nm of torque is significantly up on the older car’s figure. The sprint to 60mph now takes 2.8 seconds, while the 216mph top speed trumps the first GT’s by some margin.

What ties the two generations together is what made the original GT40 so iconic – endurance racing. The first-generation GT was developed and enhanced to race in FIA but struggled to find form, with three cars entered in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans race retiring before the finish.

However, the second-generation GT fared far better. At the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Ford GT of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing came in first place. Success continued, with podiums achieved at the 6 Hours of Fuki and 6 Hours of Shanghai races. It appeared that the spirit of the original GT40 had worked its way into the latest GT. The Ford GT has become synonymous with high performance and motoring heritage. It stands as a halo car, proving that Ford can still produce powerful, impressive supercars just as easily as it does small, value-for-money city cars.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 21

INSIDE TRACK.

ADAM WELLER LOOKS AT MOTORSPORT ENGINEERING, DEVELOPMENTS AND NEWS

Tunnel vision aims to boost aerodynamic performance I f you have an interest in the technical side of motorsport, you’ll know the importance of aerodynamic testing for racing teams and manufacturers. For every new part you see on a racing car, chances are that several hours of wind tunnel time have gone into it, as well as an untold amount of design time.

With wind tunnels, particularly those that can run full-scale models, being expensive and a rarity, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become more common, as testing comes much cheaper than trying to secure wind tunnel time in any of the UK’s facilities.

However, Aero Research Partners is working on a new option – a disused railway tunnel in Brackley, Northamptonshire, which could well become the new benchmark for aero testing in the UK and Europe, as has been shown elsewhere.

In America, the legendary Chip Ganassi Racing outfit bought a disused tunnel – originally built for a railway line that never came into being – in Laurel Hill, Pennsylvania.

The team sealed both ends of the tunnel and resurfaced and morphed the site into an aerodynamicist’s dream – a location for limitless straight-line testing with no wind or temperature fluctuation, and where a real car can be driven at a set speed so the various forces can be measured and analysed far more accurately than they would in an ordinary straight-line test.

The mile-long tunnel was first used in 2004 for Ganassi’s Nascar and IndyCar teams, and proved to be just as effective as envisaged by the team and their aero wizard Ben Bowlby.

Now the concept of Laurel Hill is coming to Britain – and in an unusual twist, we’re doing it bigger and better than the Americans.

The Brackley tunnel, known as Catesby, is 1.7 miles long and, unlike the highly secretive Ganassi facility, will be available for hire after its

What used to be a railway tunnel, left, is to become a test facility scheduled 2020 launch.

Its construction was kick-started by a £4.2m grant from the South-East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership in December, and Rob Lewis, the managing director of Total Simulation, one of two parties that comprise Aero Research Partners, spoke of the differences between a full-scale wind tunnel and the Catesby Tunnel.

‘They’re very different from one another.

Catesby lets you test the real car on a real road with no wind and no temperature change.

‘In a wind tunnel, you’ve got to constrain the car with struts, wheel tethers and so on, and you’ve got a belt system and a boundary layer suction system and a bunch of other compromises.

‘In Catesby, obviously the car’s on the road, you make the run and make your measurements, turn the car around and make the run again, and you get a good repeatability.’

He added: ‘We came up with the idea independent of knowing about the Ganassi facility, so we were quite pleasantly surprised

that somebody had already done it and it was a success. It’s a good proof of concept.’

The great days of innovation – where a race car’s performance could be improved by five to 10 per cent by creating something new – are over, partly because everything is so tightly regulated, but Lewis says Catesby will come into its own, finding the slight edges that aren’t as easily perceivable as the pioneering gains of the past.

‘If I have 21 ideas of things to try on a race car, seven of them may be a step forward, seven might make no difference and seven might be detrimental to performance.

‘I need to go through them, find the seven small steps forward, stick them together as a package and take it to the track.

‘The days of low-hanging fruit are coming to an end. This thing’s about spotting marginal gains.’

According to Lewis, a full-scale tunnel would set someone back £25,000 a day just for the hiring, before you consider other expenses, whereas he estimates that a night shift at Catesby would cost no more than £7,000. As unlikely as it seems, it does look as if the future of aerodynamic development in the motorsport industry is an abandoned railway tunnel...

WHO IS ADAM WELLER? A self-confessed motorsport addict, Adam is a member of Blackball Media’s talented writing team, providing content for Workshop Magazine, sister title Car Dealer and various other publications and outlets.

22 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 23

JUST THE JOB.

BY GAVIN WHITE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUTOTECH RECRUIT

The importance of employee retention within our industry

Many companies promise training but don’t always deliver

H

iring skilled staff in the automotive industry today is a tough business.

Not selecting the right person for a role could cost a garage or workshop greatly. During the recession, the sector lost many skilled workers to other industries, but as recovery has been substantial enough to see the UK’s car production peak just behind Germany and Spain, the industry is once again hiring to rebuild its workforce.

UK car manufacturing output in 2017 was at its strongest for 17 years, and many companies reshored their engineering operations to the UK, leading to increased opportunities for automotive engineers across the country. Couple this with a reported rise in size of the automotive market to £28 billion by 2022 and the demand for skilled candidates will continue to go up.

Therefore, it is vital that managers within the automotive industry do more to retain and develop their present workforces. It is essential that during the recruitment process employers

don’t overlook the importance of retention and training prospects, which will equip their technicians with the necessary skills to work across multiple areas, particularly as vehicles become more digitalised and electric vehicles flood the market. But, crucially, they also need to deliver on these training promises.

A frequent question during the interview process from candidates is: ‘Is there further training?’ While many companies promise this, it is apparent that they are not always delivering.

Some of the larger automotive companies are beginning to realise this and are doing more to retain their staff, while smaller garages and workshops are seemingly less mindful of the fact.

This issue is acutely felt among 90 per cent of technicians seeking employment through us,

citing lack of progression as the overriding factor for them wanting to move on.

Surprisingly, money is actually lower on the list. Vehicle technicians are recognising the progression opportunity this booming industry can bring and, in the case of permanent recruitment, we see that today’s skilled technicians are very much aware of their value and continue to seek new job opportunities.

As automotive technology is moving at such a fast pace, the industry needs to train employees to ensure that not only are they retained but also that they possess the right blend of skills and education to complete technical jobs effectively and keep up with the evolving technology.

For further information please email hello@autotechrecruit.co.uk or call 01234 240503.

Who is Gavin White? After spotting a gap in the market for a recruitment agency dedicated to placing temporary workers in the motor trade, Gavin established Autotech Recruit in 2010. As an agency solely focused on the automotive aftermarket, Autotech Recruit supplies MOT testers and vehicle technicians on a contract and permanent basis. Seven years on and Gavin now employs more than 20 staff at the company’s head office, with a contractor network of 300 MOT testers and vehicle technicians, supplying workshops across the UK.

24 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 25

ENGINEROOM.

ADAM WELLER REPORTS ON THE CAST-OFF THAT WENT ON TO BECOME AN AUTOMOTIVE STALWART

The motor that powered our finest cars

B

ritain loves an underdog. That’s why millions of us revel in watching the likes of Wigan defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup; it’s why we always root for the smaller teams in Formula One; and perhaps it’s why the least gifted performers often outlast many others on our ‘talent’ shows.

With that in mind, it comes as no surprise to find that the engine that bore a heavy load for our car industry in the latter half of the 20th century was a cast-off.

I am, of course, talking about the Rover V8.

This motor started life in 1960 as the ‘Buick 215’, a General Motors engine that was only used in production models for three years before being abandoned. However, Rover’s then American operations head spotted an example of the 215 at a Wisconsin dockyard in 1964.

Soon, he was on the phone to General Motors to try to secure the rights. Reportedly, the Americans didn’t take the inquiry seriously at first, but a deal was struck and the engine hit our shores in 1967 after a redesign at Longbridge.

To say that the Rover V8 led an eclectic life is something of an understatement. The motor became a favourite for the likes of MG, TVR, Marcos, Range Rover, Morgan, Triumph and various kit car manufacturers, as well as a staple of Rover products until the 80s. Engine capacity fluctuated from 3.5 litres to five and beyond.

To this day, there are specialists who work to maintain, improve and perfect the Rover V8, such as Lincolnshire-based V8 Developments, who have made the engine its speciality since 1980, and sell everything from full engines to injectors, gaskets and ancillaries.

We spoke to Ray Webb of V8 Developments to find out why the Rover V8 has endured.

‘The engine has probably become iconic because it’s the only British V8 that has stood the test of time, and is readily available to the masses for reasonable sums of money,’ he told us.

‘A good network of suppliers for both standard and performance parts helps it continue on today.’

The Rover V8 is very well-used by enthusiasts building one-off cars, but why is that? In a word, lightness: ‘Primarily, it is because it is lightweight. It has a relatively compact size, which lends itself to kit cars, off-road vehicles and even the odd aeroplane.’

As the years have gone on, it seems as though the Chevrolet LS has picked up where the Rover engine left off.

The LS engine has become the mercenary unit for the 21st century, and has even become a popular choice in TVR circles – for example, the remaining race cars from the popular TVR Tuscan Challenge of the 1990s have often housed Chevrolet V8s in modern times.

How does this fact sit with Webb?

‘Most people who fit the big American V8s into their vehicles are looking for torque and horsepower figures that are far beyond the normally-aspirated Rover V8,’ he said.

‘However, unless they are fitting the latest alloy-block V8, they always suffer from handling problems due to the weight of the more common cast-iron block, unless the handling of their car is

The Rover V8 has powered some iconic cars over the years – from the left, the TVR Chimaera; Rover SD1 and Morgan Plus 8

26 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

The Rover V8 has led an eclectic life properly sorted, which ultimately ends up costing large amounts of money.

‘To answer the question is very tricky. Of course, we will always favour the Rover, but we do understand why people do go down this route.’

But was the Rover V8 influential? Surprisingly, Webb says no: ‘As much as it may have been influential to us, overall it didn’t really set the British motor industry on fire.

‘However, it did spark the imagination of hot rodders and kit car manufactures, which in turn raised the general public’s awareness of the Rover V8. It is more of an icon than a trendsetter.

‘One of the main reasons this engine has become so popular is that the basic engine is a 1959 design with a single cam shaft, two valves per cylinder and an overhead valve train, making it very easy to work on for hobbyist tuners.’

Truly then, its ease of use and its appearance in some of the most hearty British sports cars of the 20th century is what cemented the Rover V8’s reputation in the minds of enthusiasts.

Ultimately, the motor fell out of favour with Morgan, TVR, and the other later users of the engine at the turn of the century.

However, with companies like V8 Developments showing no signs of losing interest, the Rover V8 will live on for many years to come.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 27

CLUB.

MECHANIC HAS BEEN OFF ILL FOR MONTHS...

WHAT’S MY POSITION?

O

ASK THE JUDGE: Ian Gardner, sales manager at automotive legal experts Lawgistics, offers advice for dealing with an employee who has a long-term illness.

ne of my mechanics has been off sick for more than three months. Can I dismiss him?

The Judge writes: Unfortunately, the law does not define what or how long equates to a long-term sickness absence. Generally, it is any episode lasting at least four consecutive weeks. For a small employer this could clearly have an impact on the day-to-day running of the company.

If, after a lengthy absence, there is no return-to-work date in sight, you may be wondering when it would be safe to dismiss the employee. However, there is no fixed time frame as to when dismissal on the grounds of ill health jumps from being at risk of a successful claim by the employee to being free from such a risk.

This is simply because things operate on a case-by-case basis. The process that the employer follows will help to maintain legal compliance, which begins from the time the employee initially goes sick up to the point at which any

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decision to dismiss them is made. Firstly, as an employer, you will need to evaluate as to whether you can reasonably be expected to wait any longer for the long-term sick employee to return to work.

The employee’s job role will be vital to such a decision and you will have to determine if the role is an essential element to the company as well as factoring in his or her seniority.

The loss of a member of management is likely to make a larger impact on a company than the absence of a valeter or cleaner, for instance – important though those jobs are.

Also, if you are a smaller company, it is less likely you will be able to sustain cover for a role indefinitely or be able to afford overtime costs or fees for a temporary replacement.

Hold a meeting with the employee and ensure you have listened to his or her views on when they believe they will realistically be returning to the workplace. Their return could initially be on light duties or within another job role until they have fully recovered. If the employee has indicated that the

return is not going to be in the near future, it is best to obtain an independent medical report. (If the employee’s contract makes no reference to a medical report, you will need to gain his or her express permission.)

The report should state whether the employee can return to the workplace, if applicable in what capacity, and include a likely time frame for their return.

Once the report has been received, hold another meeting with the employee to discuss the contents and talk about alternative options that would allow them to return in some capacity. Any reasonable adjustments suggested by the employee shouldn’t be ignored or refused.

If the report concludes that a return to work within a reasonable time frame is unlikely and no reasonable adjustments exist, you may look at moving towards dismissal.

While a medical report may incur a financial cost, if you do not obtain one, any dismissal would be deemed unfair, as the decision will not be supported by medical evidence.

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Just quote ‘Brake Training 2017’ in the promo code box when registering your interest. Find out more and register your interest here: pagidprofessional. co.uk/training/braking/

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TO JOIN GO TO WORKSHOPCLUB.CO.UK OR CALL 023 9252 2434 AND 28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Watch out for pitfalls with surveillance cameras...

Q A

Am I allowed to fit surveillance cameras at my workplace to monitor my employees?

You are certainly allowed to fit surveillance cameras at the workplace if you tell your employees that they are there and let them know the purpose of them being there. Problems can and do arise with covert surveillance, of which more in a moment.

The principle of having surveillance in the workplace needs to be that of a deterrent to employees and not a tool to ‘catch’ employees and obtain evidence to use against them. It is also very important to have a proper need or purpose to the surveillance.

For example, you might have recently had a number of thefts that you need to get to the bottom of, or you might want to monitor staff productivity.

You should also be able to confirm that there isn’t any other proportionate way to investigate what you need to.

Being able to justify the above criteria will mean the use of surveillance is likely to be OK in your workplace.

Having covert surveillance, however, simply isn’t worth doing. In a recent European court case, it has been found

to breach people’s rights to privacy. If you have obtained evidence of a theft, for example, from a covert camera, the footage is likely to be inadmissible in a court and you wouldn’t be able to use it in disciplinary hearings.

If you are going to introduce any sort of surveillance into your workplace, you should have a policy to go alongside this so that you can’t be caught out by any of these issues.

We suggest you obtain advice on having one of these drafted. You should also think carefully about the data protection side of obtaining footage and how this is securely stored and used.

Are you able to store it on a secure database that only certain people can access? Do you have consent to store this data? There will be GDPR implications that will need to be considered soon.

On a similar topic, businesses should also consider the use of monitoring web usage and have an information technology or computer policy in place to advise employees exactly what you monitor and how you do this.

This will overcome the issues associated with monitoring web usage while at work.

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The software can help manage supplier and customer details, help you keep on top of your costs and ensure that your business is running as smoothly and as profitably as possible.

Workshop Club members are eligible for a 10 per cent discount on their first year of a Dragon2000 software subscription – and they get the free Vehicle Health Check app too.

As part of your membership, you will have a free telephone consultation with Lawgistics worth £100. You will also be signed up to Lawgistics’ basic membership package worth £95, have 25 per cent discount off Lawgistics products, get access to guidance notes and document templates and enjoy a discount off membership upgrades – £100 off the Small Business pack and £250 off the Professional membership pack – to better suit your needs.

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Strength in Quality WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 29

PRODUCTS.

New for you Einhell Power X-Change Starter Kit Clarke Tool Chests and Cabinets How much: £81.58 to £287.98 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk Clarke’s new range of heavy-duty, lockable tool chests and cabinets keep equipment secure and tidy. They come in a variety of sizes, and features include anti-slip drawer liners, doublewall steel construction, five-inch industrial chrome-spoke wheels with foot brakes and a protective top mat.

How much: £29.99 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk The Einhell Power X-Change start kit includes a fast charger and a 3.0Ah battery, which has a fast charge time of 60 minutes. The system has been designed for quick and easy usage. The charger is also compatible with any Power X-Change branded batteries.

Laser Tools Air Tubing Pipe Grips How much: £82.30 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk These air tubing pipe grips from Laser Tools are ideal for fitting pipes to pneumatic push-fit-style connectors on HGVs and LGVs. They allow the plastic air pipe to be gripped evenly and without damage so it can be pushed into the pipe fitting without any kinks appearing in the pipe. It covers sizes from 6mm to 16mm and has an adjustable self-locking mechanism.

Sealey V-Scan Pro Multi-Manufacturer Diagnostic Tool How much: £2,399.94 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk The new Sealey V-Scan Pro is a wireless device that lets mechanics provide a complete service diagnostic for cars and vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. It has an Intel quad-core processor, runs Android 4.4, has a 32GB hard drive and wi-fi compatibility. There are two years of updates, after which they cost £599.94 (inc VAT) a year, but you won’t be locked out of anything if you choose not to continue to update.

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Laser Tools Brake Piston Spreader Set How much: £164.59 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk The Laser Tools gearless brake piston spreader set is suitable for multi-piston calipers and comes with three pairs of spreader pads. It also has a gearless ratchet to ensure ease of use.

Cleancraft HDR-H 60-14 Hot Pressure Washer How much: £2,388 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk This pressure washer is great for keeping your workshop clean. It has two large wheels and a steering wheel with a parking brake, as well as brackets for the lance and power cord, meaning everything can be stored easily. It also features an integrated fuel and detergent tank as well as adjustable detergent low-pressure action.

Laser Tools Fluid Drain Pan How much: £35.90 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk The Laser Tools fluid drain pan has a 16-litre capacity for any spilled liquids. It features an antisplash lip as well as an integral spout, and has a diameter of 400mm and a depth of 120mm.

Carlube Multi-Purpose Copper Grease 20g How much: £1.36 (inc VAT) Where from: tetrosylexpress.com Carlube’s multi-purpose copper grease is a lead-free anti-seize compound for applying to threads of nuts and bolts before assembly to ensure easy release without damage, even after long periods in adverse conditions.

Laser Tools Brake Servo Release Tool How much: £61.56 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This equipment has been designed to work with Volkswagen Group vehicles from 2003 onwards. It allows the brake servo operating rod to be separated from the brake pedal to let the vehicle’s brake servo or master cylinder be removed and replaced.

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PRODUCTS. ON TEST

Testing times It’s always good to know you’ve got the right tool for the job.

Craig Cheetham tries out some gear that could be great for you.

W

e’ve got a variety of different new products to test this month, ranging from long-reach screwdrivers to a mega-useful batterypowered impact wrench.

All of the tools on test are available from Euro Car Parts, either via your local depot or at www.eurocarparts.com, sometimes with sameday delivery. ECP has more than 200 depots across the UK, with 130,000 parts available. It offers service parts at very competitive prices with free delivery across the whole of the UK. As well as major car parts – brake pads, wiper blades, batteries, bulbs and all the essential car maintenance essentials such as engine oil and other car fluids – Euro Car Parts also carries sat navs, stereos and a wide range of quality workshop tools in stock. (Prices correct at time of going to press.)

Laser Tools Torque Wrench 5-25Nm Product Code: LAS3451 How much: £86.99 (inc VAT) Where from: eurocarparts.com Torqueing up bolts to the correct tightness is sometimes safety-critical and is the difference between a rush job and a professional one. As a result, the very last thing you need from a torque wrench is even the slightest degree of inaccuracy, meaning that cheap tools are a big no-no.

This ¼-inch square-drive wrench, supplied via Euro Car Parts by Laser Tools, is a decent-quality tool and one that sits towards the upper end of the price range without being overly expensive. At £86.99, it comes with a full calibration certificate to confirm its accuracy, along with a guarantee.

It’s a nice tool to use, fitting comfortably in hand with its alloy grip handle and easy-to-read torque meter, which displays settings in Nm, lb/ft and bar, meaning you can work easily with British, European and North American vehicles.

It is also safe to use with airbag mechanisms, making it ideal for those working in the crash repair or vehicle breaking environments. Our only criticism is that the blow-moulded plastic case isn’t a great fit and feels a bit cheap.

HHHHH

GearWrench 16pc Master Ratcheting Wrench Product Code: 57477083P How much: £594.99 (inc VAT) Where from: eurocarparts.com This top-end ratcheting wrench set is right at the high end of premium professional quality, so don’t expect it to come cheap. However, it does come with a no-quibble lifetime guarantee, meaning that – assuming you look after it – you’ll never need to buy it again...

Ranging from 8mm to 24mm, the kit’s 16 tools come with open spanner ends and reversible ratchet connectors, with the ability to work bolts loose from angles as tight as five degrees – something you’d never achieve with a standard ratchet.

The flat ends also allow access to areas where you wouldn’t stand a chance of getting a socket, offering much more comfort and efficiency when working in tight areas.

The ratchet ends are designed to prevent fastener rounding, with a 15-degree offset for knuckle clearance, which made them extremely comfortable to use.

HHHHH

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

GearWrench 4-Pc 16”& 20” Combination Dual Material Screwdriver Set Product code: 574770570 How Much: £102.99 (inc VAT) Where from: eurocarparts.com GearWrench is Euro Car Parts’ chosen professional-quality brand, and is designed to compete with the likes of Snap-on in terms of quality.

Indeed, at just over £100 for the four, these screwdrivers are obviously priced to compete with top-end tools, but the good news is that they’re more than capable. With a choice of slotted or Phillips heads, the 16- and 20-inch drivers in this particular set are ideal for accessing difficult-to-reach screw heads, while the sturdy galvanised steel blades mean they’ll withstand significant amounts of torsion.

The strong blades and soft-touch handles will also prove useful in circumstances where extra leverage is required to prise things apart, especially with the slotted head models.

As a result, these screwdrivers are ideal for those working in the body repair trade, as they’re excellent for accessing those hidden screwheads on the inside of body panels and behind plastic trim, while the extra-length blades will also come in handy for helping to ‘encourage’ stubborn pieces of trim to come loose without leaving any visible damage.

The handles are also resistant to oil and solvent contamination. As screwdrivers go, these are far from cheap, but they’re likely to last a lifetime.

HHHHH

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Friction Ring Impact Wrench Product Code: MIL448103 How much: £414.99 (inc VAT) Where from: eurocarparts.com Portable impact wrenches are ideal for mobile mechanics or DIY enthusiasts with no live power source. And this kit from US tool maker Milwaukee, distributed by Euro Car Parts, is perfect for such a purpose, as it comes with three 5.0Ah lithium-ion batteries, each giving up to 100 minutes of charge at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius.

Charging the batteries is a doddle – they simply plug into a base station, which comes with a metal bracket should you wish to mount it on a workshop wall. The battery pack slots into the bottom of the impact wrench gun itself, which comes with two speed settings along with a built-in amp to illuminate the work area. This latter feature is a real boost for roadside emergency operators, who may find themselves having to carry out quick tyre changes in the dark.

The gun itself is comfortable to hold and easy to use, weighing 3.0kg with the battery pack attached.

That’s heavy enough for it to remain stable in use without feeling too bulky or unwieldy.

We used the gun wrench for two tasks – to swap over a set of wheels on a 14-year-old Rover 25 and to free off the rear exhaust bracket on the same vehicle. In both cases, it was a pleasure to use. A breaker bar is cheaper, of course, but this is a multi-purpose tool that you’ll reach for time and time again, especially if you’re a mobile outfit. It’s just terrific.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

BRAKES

COMPONENTS SO CRUCIAL FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS’ SAFETY

Rebecca Chaplin looks at the world of brake products and talks to some of the leading manufacturers about how garages and workshops should be handling them.

WHEN it comes to serviceable products on a customer’s car, brakes are one item that most certainly should not be ignored – but the cost can be hard to bear.

That’s why making the right choice can go a long way, and there are other important factors which can keep your customers happy.

Changes to regulations New regulations for brake parts will mean increased sales of these products, according to one of the UK’s leading braking system suppliers.

The implementation of UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Regulation 90 means that all brake discs, pads and drums are subject to approval. Quinton Hazell says that as a supplier it’s fully committed to the new rules.

Julie Boardman, braking expert at Quinton Hazell, said: ‘There will be a growth for brake pads and discs due to stringent safety regulations concerning stopping distances, growing vehicle production and the extended life of modern vehicles. Also, the increase in light commercial vehicles and SUVs and the increase in vehicle weights puts additional pressures on braking systems.’

Quinton Hazell offers a premium braking range as it continuously improves safety and performance, so that garages and workshops can have complete confidence in what they’re fitting to customers’ cars.

Quinton Hazell also offers a two-year / 25,000-mile warranty and has a team of experts available to answer

“

We push our pads beyond the R90 minimums with more extensive dyno and on-vehicle testing.

DR. KEITH ELLIS, DIRECTOR OF BRAKING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AT COMLINE

any questions. All this shows its aim is to help garages and workshops for the long term.

Newly available parts Brake supplier Comline has strengthened its brake pad and

The widest range of brake pads and discs on the market AS WE reported last month, Pagid retained its position as the UK’s biggest-selling braking brand in the UK in 2017.

Phil Woodcock, key account manager at parent company TMD Friction, said: ‘The fact Pagid is the UK’s biggest braking brand once again is testament to four key ingredients. The superior quality of the product and unrivalled breadth of the range, coupled with the world-leading manufacturing expertise within our parent company, TMD Friction, and the widespread availability we offer through our distribution partner Euro Car Parts, comprise the winning formula that makes Pagid the first choice for UK workshops and

34 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

technicians. We will continue to innovate and develop new braking solutions to ensure we further cement Pagid’s position as the leading OE-brand in the UK in 2018.’

As a TMD Friction brand, Pagid benefits from worldclass testing and innovation, with TMD investing more than 25 million euros every year in research and development.

Furthermore, all Pagid brakes are engineered to OE specification and manufactured to the highest standards.

Covering 99 per cent of the UK’s vehicle parc, Pagid offers the widest range of brake pads and discs on the market, complemented by a full range of professional braking tools.

hub assembly kit portfolios with a raft of new products.

The latest influx of part numbers demonstrates the brand’s ongoing commitment to supplying solutions for all popular European, Japanese and Korean vehicles in support of its network of motor factor customers across the UK and to its distributor partners in more than 40 countries worldwide. These new additions bring Comline’s brake pad range to 917 part numbers, while there are now 225 hub assembly kit references available alongside an equally comprehensive range of wheel bearing kits.

Director of braking product development Dr. Keith Ellis explains: ‘We push our pads beyond the R90 minimums with more extensive dyno and on-vehicle testing. This includes hot-shear testing, wear testing for durability across a range of temperatures, and noise testing at a range of speeds and pressures. Putting Comline brake pads through this comprehensive testing programme helps elevate overall quality to ensure the consistent and reliable performance demanded by the Comline brand.’

FOCUS ON

EURO CAR PARTS

A LOOK AT THE HUGE SUCCESS OF EICHER, WITH EURO CAR PARTS EURO CAR PARTS

T: 020 3474 0500 W: EUROCARPARTS.COM

WHEN Euro Car Parts became the exclusive UK supplier of Eicher brake parts in 2006, the distributor knew it was on to a good thing. Forward the clock 12 years and the Eicher brand continues to be synonymous with quality and availability, covering 97 per cent of the UK vehicle parc.

By stocking the Eicher brand, Euro Car Parts provides independent repairers with another high-end aftermarket brake product, giving technicians even greater choice alongside the Original Equipment (OE) brands that it supplies.

The Eicher range has more than 1,000 part numbers, a figure which has more than doubled over the past few years, as Bill Stimson, technical sales director for Euro Car Parts, explains.

‘The growth of Eicher has spread into Europe and is proving just as popular. Today, millions of Eicher brake pads are sold

by Euro Car Parts every year, with instant stock availability from our 200-plus nationwide branches. Key to the success of Eicher has been its significant investment in research and development, leading global quality control process and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. All of which provides independent repairers with a best-in-class range of braking parts, backed up by Euro Car Parts’ exceptional delivery network and its 24-month, 24,000 miles guarantee.’

The most recent Eicher products introduced to the aftermarket include front brake discs for Kia Sportage models introduced from 2016 and front brake discs for BMW 2 series cars manufactured after 2014.

Every part number within the expansive Eicher portfolio is developed with quality and safety in mind. In fact, when R90 standards for brake pads were expanded to cover discs and drums in October 2016, the effect on Eicher was minimal, because all parts are produced with a specification that always has and always will exceed exacting industry requirements.

Stimson explained: ‘R90 provides merely a foundation for the Eicher quality that repairers are familiar with today. And over time, the friction material has been further improved to reduce noise, with anti-squeal shims also being added. More

recently, Eicher introduced a range of high-carbon discs, which are manufactured with double the standard level of carbon.

‘For repairers and their customers, this improves thermal stability and helps dampen vibrations, reducing brake judder and noise.’

Stimson concluded: ‘This is a high-end aftermarket product being delivered to repairers all over the country through Euro Car Parts’ unparalleled delivery network. As the brand evolves, we are investing in the very best support and products for independent repairers, taking every opportunity to make their businesses work harder for themselves and their customers.’

Block exemption certified and with a field-based technical team to support Eicher installs, Eicher is the perfect fit for any independent repairer.

To view the entire Eicher range of lubricants, visit https://omnipart.eurocarparts.com/

“

This is a high-end aftermarket product being delivered to repairers all over the country through Euro Car Parts.

BILL STIMSON OF EURO CAR PARTS

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

CLUTCHES & TRANSMISSIONS

QUALITY PRODUCTS THAT WILL LAST FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Rebecca Chaplin looks at a world where technology is ever-changing – and where technicians need to keep up to date with the latest developments in order to deliver great service to their clients.

AS TECHNOLOGY moves forward, it’s vital that garages and technicians stay up to date with the latest developments. Fortunately, those businesses developing more efficient and higher performance parts for vehicles are on hand to explain how times are changing.

One of the most important parts of a vehicle is the transmission and clutch. As something that’s tucked away inside the car and not visible without dismantling the

engine, it’s something that customers can take for granted – particularly in an automatic.

When things are running smoothly, customers are thrilled with the ease with which their car shifts gears! However, when things go wrong, they’ll soon find themselves at a complete stop and potentially with a hefty bill.

That’s why the businesses we’ve been hearing from this month have put such a keen focus on producing top-quality products and ensuring they last for your customers.

| FIRST LINE |

Investing in facilities and engineers for clutch technology FIRST Line has upgraded its tech centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire, to strengthen its expertise in clutch technology.

The business, owner of product supplier Borg & Beck, has a team of technicians who work tirelessly to ensure that clutch components are of the highest standard.

Borg & Beck engineers have also designed precision measuring equipment for clutch quality control.

This allows them to accurately check each product and means you can pass on the peace of mind to customers that the product will last.

Previously, apparatus had to be used manually, requiring engineers to operate with Windows NT, which could only create relatively simple graphs. Now, with the latest technology, these new additions can carry out lengthy cycle tests and produce a detailed graph for every cycle to monitor consistency and wear patterns.

Digital sensors on the machines produce highly accurate specification data and characteristics.

These give the engineers the benefit of a quicker process with more information, which allows them to check clutches

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Precision is key for Borg & Beck with greater precision than previously. This investment in both facilities and engineers means that Borg & Beck has the knowledge and ability to take its clutch specialism to a new level. Already it has adapted the driven plate equipment to

Schaeffler UK RepXperts will be preparing technicians for the vehicles of tomorrow be able to test dual-mass flywheels (DMF) up to 260mm, meaning it can guarantee that its single-mass flywheels can match the DMF specification as closely as possible.

Besides approvals and batch testing, the equipment also allows the team to fully inspect and examine warranty returns to ensure the clutch is performing to specification, across a range of test criteria.

This has also enabled Borg & Beck to reflect changes in the industry in its products.

In many modern vehicles, manufacturers have replaced certain components, such as the release fork, pivot ball and bearing retainer, with a hydraulic concentric slave cylinder (CSC) release system.

The Borg & Beck tech centre has a bespoke heat testing chamber for CSCs. The chamber simulates the operating temperatures and puts the CSC through a lifecycle test to ensure the seals all perform to specification.

It means that with the capability to complete pressurised seal testing at 140 degrees, each unit is put through more than 100,000 cycles and can test to the standard measure for original equipment manufacturers.

| PREPARATIONS |

Essential hands-on training during Autoinform Live

Autoinform Live sessions are not to be missed – and there will be a bumper weekend of training in April

SCHAEFFLER UK’s RepXperts have already held successful training sessions with technicians in 2018.

Now the company has announced that it will be preparing technicians for the vehicles of tomorrow by hosting crucial hands-on training and seminars during Autoinform Live 2018.

This year’s event is to be held at Glasgow’s GTG Academy, where Schaeffler will be joining fellow Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) members for a bumper weekend of training on April 14 and 15.

Crucially, for those looking to learn more about the LuK 2CT dry double clutch system, the RepXperts will be hosting a training course specifically about this. Starting with an introduction to the different types of system available and identifying the repair opportunities available for independent workshops, delegates will see a practical demonstration of the removal and replacement of a Volkswagen (VAG) DSG clutch using a 2CT repair solution.

Schaeffler’s ‘Mobility for Tomorrow’ module is one of the sessions that should not be missed.

During the presentation, technicians will receive a glimpse into the innovations that are already here, such as thermal management modules and intelligent vehicle stabilisation systems, as well as taking a sneak peek into the future of mobility.

Visitors will also get the chance to see RepXpert Tim Adams share his belt system and wheel-bearing expertise, helping technicians deal with some of the more common installation errors, plus some of the more rarely seen and challenging ones.

In addition, there will be a mixture of demonstrations and discussions to help minimise future problems, and he will also showcase the latest technological advances and provide safety-critical fitting advice.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

EXHAUSTS & EMISSIONS

HOW TO CLEAN UP IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

With environmental concerns very much at the top of agendas, Rebecca Chaplin investigates what opportunities there are for the service and repair sector to keep the customer satisfied.

EMISSIONS is a topic that is right on customers’ minds. Even if they don’t really understand what they are, they definitely know what they do.

The figures speak for themselves. Last year, more people were buying greener cars, and alternatively-fuelled vehicle sales were up 24 per cent in the first month of this year.

That said, fewer new vehicles are being

bought overall, with more car buyers opting for a used vehicle.

What does this mean for you in the service and repair field? Opportunity – that’s what!

It would be easy to argue that by keeping older vehicles on the road we’re increasing pollution levels, but by correctly maintaining cars, we can improve performance and efficiency levels and keep customers happy!

| TOP TIPS | LAMBDA SENSORS | As a leading manufacturer of oxygen sensors, Denso is providing workshops with expert fault-finding tips to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions for environmentally aware customers.

WARNING SIGNS

Technicians should firstly keep note of any physical signs of a faulty lambda sensor – these could be flagged up by the motorist themselves or through a diagnostic check. Typical symptoms include high fuel consumption, rough engine running, poor emissions performance or simply via the diagnostic trouble code (DTC).

To be as proactive as possible, performing a systematic diagnosis can help provide a near-foolproof service and routinely identify any lambda sensor defects.

1. Check service history

A first course of action should be to check for components that may have been replaced at the last service or incorrectly fixed. Also check if any connections weren’t refitted, or if the wrong parts were used. Pay particular attention to anything that could affect lambda sensors, including EGR valves, fuel injectors and exhausts.

2. Visual inspection

Check under the bonnet for any exhaust leakage. This process

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takes a little time but it could potentially save hours.

3. DTCs

Check for diagnostic trouble codes if this wasn’t done before.

4. Live tests

Check the exhaust system for leakage, then check the sensor heater by measuring the resistance at room temperature to exclude an open or short circuit. Next, perform live tests to measure the signal of the 02 sensor only. Pay attention to the time it takes for the signal to give a reliable high-low oscillating signal and check if the min-max values are adequate. Don’t forget to consider a faulty heater current supply from the ECU, which can be measured during a cold start. If that fails to provide a solution, compare with other sensor signals during idle and raised (2,500) RPM.

5. Sensor inspection

The tip of the sensor should be dull grey in colour. If discoloured to red, it may signify a contamination by fuel additives, which can block the sensor and prevent it from

functioning properly. In addition, check for damage to wires and connectors to the EMS system.

6. EMS inspection

Check other parts of the EMS, including MAF sensors, the thermostat and fuel injectors for any exhaust leakage.

By performing a comprehensive sensor check, service technicians can fix minor issues and learn when a sensor is in need of replacement.

Fitting OE-quality parts ensures a long-lasting replacement while also providing an improved service that boosts customer satisfaction and, in turn, retention. Nick Thomas, product manager at Denso Sales UK, said: ‘One of the most important considerations for today’s motorists is the environment.

‘While that focus presents a challenge for workshops, it can offer even greater opportunity if technicians have the know-how to maintain those crucial components for engine efficiency. With green technology developing at a remarkable pace, it is easy to forget there are millions of vehicles on the roads which need to be properly maintained to deliver optimal engine efficiency and reduce emissions.’

Schaeffler’s clever UniAir system needs to be lubricated correctly WHEN it comes to reducing the amount of bad stuff coming out of a car, it’s critical that everything on the inside is running correctly.

Schaeffler’s UniAir is the world’s first electrohydraulic system for fully variable control of intake valves per cylinder. When it’s running at optimum performance, fuel consumption is reduced by 25 per cent and torque is increased by 15 per cent in lower speed ranges, compared with other systems.

The UniAir valve control system ensures diesel and

petrol engines operate at optimum efficiency while reducing fuel consumption.

Although more than a million Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar XE and XF vehicles are fitted with this – highlighting the swathes of drivers relying on workshop knowledge to ensure their UniAir engine performance is maintained – if it’s not lubricated correctly the full benefit of the system will be lost.

To ensure the UniAir system is fully protected, increase customer satisfaction and enhance customer

loyalty and future revenue streams, Comma recommends garages use a quality lubricant from its ‘Performance Motor Oil’ range.

The Comma Oil Finder app enables workshops to match the correct oil from the Comma Performance Motor Oil range to each vehicle.

By simply taking a photograph of the vehicle licence plate, the recommended oils will be displayed instantly, also giving access to enhanced information about a vehicle’s MOT status.

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OUR FLEET.

Ford Fiesta XR2 She’s back! And James is delighted to be behind the wheel of E721 WTU again...

Y

ou don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Not my words, but the words of one warbling Joni Mitchell back in 1970 with her hit Big Yellow Taxi. While I can’t confess to being the biggest Jonieber, or whatever her fans call themselves, she does make a very good point.

It’s been nine long months since I last saw my XR2, when it was shipped off to Matt The Mechanic for some minor surgery and an MOT, and my word, I’ve missed the old girl.

You may remember that while the MOT went reasonably smoothly, the capitalised DANGEROUS word next to the line ‘fuel tank heavily corroded’ was something of a worry.

So much so I decided it made more sense to let Matt hang on to the little Fiesta until one could be sourced, rather than end up in a fiery ball of death at the side of the M27.

Little did I know that finding a tank wouldn’t be the easiest of tasks. Matt tried the usual routes, but struggled, and as the months passed, so too did the urgency to get it back to me.

As I was in no particular hurry to put it back in the garage doing nothing, I told Matt to wait for the right part to turn up, so wait we did.

I didn’t realise it would take quite so long, but in January I heard a new tank had finally been found. It turned up on eBay and as you can see from the picture above right, it was in rather better condition than the one that came off.

While replacing the tank, Matt also spotted the thermostat had seen better days and needed changing, but two weeks ago I finally got the call that it was on its way back complete with new parts fitted and a fresh MOT. When it pulled up outside the office I couldn’t hide the fact I was rather excited to see it – think 10-year-old schoolboy James and the first Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles premiere excited…

OK, so I could never be quite as excited as I was for that cinema visit, but it was close. As soon as I could, I jumped in and took it for the spin I’d

A shiny replacement fuel tank – and that worrying word‘DANGEROUS’ that alarmed James long been waiting for. The radio still doesn’t work – it could be the fact they might have turned off long wave, or whatever radio transmission it tries to decode, since it was last used. But thankfully some Spotify and a mobile phone speaker filled the cabin with some Britney Spears.

Thinking about it now, it probably should have been Joni Mitchell, but that was before I Googled the lyrics to find out the song name for the intro. Suffice to say, Britney aside, it was an epic experience and reaffirmed my love affair with the little Fiesta.

So, what’s next? Well, with prices of XR2s creeping up, hovering, when I last looked, around the £10k mark, now might be the time to invest some cash. There’s a bit of rot that needs looking

Model: Ford Fiesta XR2 Owned by: James Baggott Engine: 1.6-litre, petrol Bought for: £1,200 Mileage: 92,106 Money spent this month: Awaiting bill (and storage fee) from Matt The Mechanic.

Highlight of the month: A welcome reunion and a drive I’d long been waiting for. at which could mean finding a new bonnet and tailgate before a full respray, but as my Peugeot proved, it’s probably worthy of the investment. I’ll keep you updated with my plans, but until then you’ll find me grooving to late-’90s hits from my iPhone and driving everywhere like I stole it.

OUR WHEELS...

WE LOVE CARS AT WORKSHOP AND HERE’S THE PROOF. WE’VE WRITTEN ABOUT THEM AND EVERYTHING...

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AUDI A2

FORD FIESTA XR2

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT

FORD THUNDERBIRD

by Tom Wiltshire Staff writer, @mctreckmeister

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

by Ryan Hirons Staff writer, @RyHirons

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial, @believebecca

Tom’s planning on getting rid of his trusty little Audi – his decision has been made for financial reasons, as you can read on the opposite page.

James is waiting to see what the (financial) damage will be after the long-awaited installation of a new fuel tank, as described above.

It’s been another quiet month, with winter battery issues fading. The temptation to upgrade the exhaust system is creeping in for Ryan.

Hurrah! The T-Bird starts first time and Hard-Up Garage has done a great job on the panels, as you can read in Becca’s report, above right.

Audi A2

Ford Thunderbird

Tom’s sorted his car’s maintenance issues... but made a difficult decision

Great progress is now being made with Becca’s T-Bird, she’s delighted to report

M

y A2’s been languishing unhappily in the car park since before Christmas, watching me drive past it in an array of much newer, shinier cars. But I’m happy to report it’s had some of the TLC it deserves, after months of waiting.

With the MOT expiry date approaching fast and armed with my long-suffering credit card, I took it to an independent garage near our office – the VW Service Centre in Gosport.

Just getting behind the wheel properly for the first time in months, I could feel something was wrong – so it wasn’t that much of a surprise when it turned out one rear spring had broken and the other was badly corroded. Still, with those repaired, the MOT proved not to be a problem.

That wasn’t the end of the maintenance required, though. Next came the cambelt and water pump. The noisy driveshaft was another issue, and it turned out to be completely perished on the inside. To order a new unit directly from Audi would have cost more than £800, so I breathed a sigh of relief when the garage told me it could be rebuilt instead for £200.

The total bill came out to £1,050 – reasonably scary, but less than it could have been. Sadly for me, now that the car’s in a good state it’s time to begin the process of selling. It’s still a great little car that I’d love to keep – but I can’t justify the extortionate cost of insurance any longer.

Model: Audi A2 1.4 TDI Sport Owned by: Tom Wiltshire Engine: 1.4-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel Bought for: £2,995 Mileage: 144,991 Money spent this month: £1,050 Highlight of the month: A £600 saving by having the driveshaft rebuilt, not replaced.

SUBARU LEGACY GT-B

The car is still in its temporary home of Hard-Up Garage in Fareham

T

here’s nothing quite like hearing your car fire up for the first time.

I know, I’ve already waxed lyrical about the first time that happened – but you’ll also remember that on that occasion, its 6.4-litre engine was being fed by fuel from a 500ml plastic water bottle.

Now, Sam Hard at Hard Up Garage in Fareham, Hampshire, has done me the service of getting it running from an actual fuel tank and it sounds fantastic. It’s not just working, it’s on-the-button and first-turn-of-the-key working.

The other fuel tank was hidden away – like most things on this car – and mainly rust and crumbling metal. The new one has been sprayed silver, Hard has made metal straps to hold it in and it’s all connected with the right bits. The sender unit needed replacing and, while I was quite happy with the fuel cap that would have been a challenge for Houdini, Hard swapped it for a new one that’s more secure but looks as if it were original.

Sending my car to be fixed by someone else and actually having to pay for the work to be done is not something I like to do.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have friends and family who can weld, which has always been useful for minor jobs.

BMW 330d TOURING

MG METRO TURBO

Trusting someone, when you don’t really know how good their welding skills are, to make panels from scratch for a car that’s got curves and lines all over the place could have been a disaster. Once it was in the workshop, though, it had to be a leap of faith and Hard did a top-notch job!

Walking around underneath the car, it looks as fresh as the day it left Motor City.

Every wheel arch looks like new and the angles of the bodywork are as perfect as I could have hoped for.

The only thing it’s missing now is an exhaust and a fresh ticket so I can officially register the T-Bird in the UK. Oh, and paint. It’s going to need a lot of that to cover up all of my nice new metalwork.

Although I was hoping for a rat-look car – and the rust on top will definitely be staying – the rest is looking just a little bit shabby.

Model: 1966 Ford Thunderbird ‘Flair Bird’ Owned by: Rebecca Chaplin Engine: 6.4-litre V8 390 Bought for: £4,250 Mileage: 24,043 Money spent this month: £2,000 Highlight of the month: The fact that the car is running with fuel from an actual fuel tank!

NISSAN 200SX

PEUGEOT 205 GTi

by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay

by Jack Evans Features editor, @jackrober

by Christian Tilbury Staff writer, @Christilbury1

by Darren Cassey Senior staff writer, @DCassey

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

The Legacy breezed through its second-ever MOT this month without so much as an advisory, which was a relief to say the least.

Belfort has been struggling with a lack of electricity, but that problem has been solved thanks to a jumpstart from Jon’s trusty Subaru.

A broken house means the broken Metro stands little chance of being sorted. Still, at least it’s not getting wet now the garage roof is fixed.

It’s time to get the 200SX’s insurance renewed. Footman James quoted almost double what Darren paid last year, so he’s shopping around.

Another month of hibernation for James’s 205 – but it will be emerging, blinking in the sunlight, when spring eventually arrives.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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OUR KEV.

OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE HAS HIS SAY ON THE GARAGE BUSINESS...

Too hot to handle... my wheel nut trick went badly wrong O ne thing is certain in life, and that’s that we all make mistakes. No matter how good we are at our jobs, even the best of us screw up sometimes.

For me, after more time than I care to remember in the trade, trying my best to be the most thorough and diligent mechanic I could, I screwed up big-time last week.

We had a young lad bring his Toyota MR2 in to us, a mid-90s example that was clearly loved and well cared for, but probably not used as often as it ought to be.

Indeed, scratch that, definitely not used as often as it ought to be, which is why it failed its MOT with us on a seized rear brake caliper.

Now, I’m not apportioning blame to the owner here at all, as it was entirely my own fault, but the fact the car had seen little use over the past few years was a contributing factor in what happened next, not least because all the rear brakes probably needed was a bit of a clean-up and some grease in the pistons to restore them to full effectiveness.

However, the problems began when I tried to remove the offside rear wheel to get near the grubby bits. Two of the wheel nuts came off as normal, but the other two had pretty much welded themselves in place against the alloy rim.

I tried a torque wrench and several breaker bars, including one that we only ever use to drop the rear axle of our recovery truck, but the things just wouldn’t budge. So, I performed the only trick left in my repertoire, which was to approach the blessed things with an oxyacetylene torch, my theory being that the heat would be enough to free the wheel nuts from where they had managed to lodge themselves.

In theory, this was a good idea. In practice, too, because the first of the two seized nuts finally expanded itself sufficiently to free itself off from the rim after a liberal blast from my hand-held furnace. Three down, one to go.

The last one, though, put up too much of a fight. And

after trying my damnedest to free it off with short blasts of heat, I gave it the Full Monty.

What happened next was a huge embarrassment. Yes, the heat was sufficient to free the wheel nut off, but as it came off in the torque wrench, I immediately became aware of an acrid smell, accompanied by copious amounts of smoke as the relatively fresh underseal that the Toyota’s adoring owner had recently applied explained to us why it said ‘no naked flames’ on the tin.

Within moments, the smoke quickly became flames, and they licked around the inner wheel arch of the MR2, dangerously close to the car’s mid-engine.

We’re safety-conscious in our workshop, so luckily there was a foam fire extinguisher close to hand and we were able to engulf the worst of the blaze fairly quickly, before it hit the engine and petrol tank, but not before it had caused serious damage to the car’s rear axle, quarter panel, paint, wheel and brake components.

Phoning the owner up to explain what had happened was possibly the most embarrassing moment of my career, but luckily, car enthusiasts are often more amenable to garage screw-ups than those who own run-of-the-mill Korean hatchbacks. My apologetic tone was enough to reassure the guy that I felt suitably awful about the situation. I immediately loaned him a courtesy car, and sourced some new old-stock parts to fully repair the car, along with a full repair and respray of the right-hand side.

Even at mate’s rates, in trade with no VAT added, the repairs cost me over £1,500, for a repair that should have taken us an hour and cost the owner no more than £80 in labour, so it doesn’t look very good on the books.

But it was my fault, and to carry the can I deliberately docked myself half a month’s wages so the garage didn’t take too much of the brunt.

I did, though. My missus was less than happy when we had to live on tinned food for three weeks to balance the books and cancel our romantic Valentine’s meal in favour of a home-cooked chilli con carne.

Luckily, my cooking is far better than my ability to remove the offside rear wheel of a cherished Toyota MR2, which proves the old adage correct.

If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. And if you like the heat too much, you’d best get yourself in there, via your local branch of Oddbins to placate the much beloved…

WHO IS OUR KEV? If we told you, we’d have to kill you... What we can say is he’s been around for longer than he cares to remember so certainly knows his stuff...

42 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

”

Phoning the owner up to explain what had happened was possibly the most embarrassing moment of my career...

SUPPLIERS GUIDE.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WORKSHOP SUPPLIER, YOU CAN FIND THE DETAILS OF SELECTED COMPANIES HERE

Aftersales Software eDynamix

W: edynamix.com T: 0845 413 0000 E: enquiries@edynamix.com Info: eDynamix offers web-based applications providing a connected and simple-to-use platform in which dealers can manage a customer throughout the service lifecycle, including service plans, electronic vehicle health check, repair and finance plans, proactive follow-up, online bookings, MOT cleanse, VIDEO1st, aftersales surveys, and automated confirmations and reminders.

Your essential guide to selected suppliers WORKSHOP Magazine is proud to publish the contact details of some of the key suppliers of products and services to the automotive repair industry – from components and parts providers to companies specialising in garage equipment, web design, online solutions and even legal advice for when a transaction goes sour.

Our guide to the industry’s must-have partners follows on from the success of a similar resource in our sister publication, Car Dealer Magazine.

This automotive repair, service and maintenance industry version will become just as indispensable.

Keep an eye on this space each month as we include more and more leading suppliers.

Diagnostic Equipment

Garage Equipment

Nebula Systems

Butts of Bawtry

Garage Equipment

Garage Equipment

Garage Equipment

GEMCO

Pro-Align

Straightset

Garage Management Software

Legal & Compliance

Parts Suppliers

Dragon2000

Lawgistics

Blue Print

Parts Suppliers

Recruitment Services

Trade Bodies

Febi Bilstein

Progress Recruitment Solutions

IGA

Approved Schemes RAC Approved Dealer Network

Approved Dealer

W: rac.co.uk/getapproved T: 0330 159 1111 E: dealernetwork@rac.co.uk Info: Join over 300 used car and van dealers across the UK who enjoy a higher profile, larger footprint, more leads and increased profitability by becoming an RAC Approved Dealer.

We set high standards of the kind expected from the RAC brand to create an excellent experience for customers and unrivalled benefits for dealers.

W: gemco.co.uk T: 01604 828500 E: sales@gemco.co.uk Info: GEMCO is the UK market leader and your one-stop shop for the supply, delivery, installation, training, calibration and maintenance of garage equipment. With the largest comprehensive range of equipment brands available for both car and commercial vehicle workshops, GEMCO provides top-quality garage equipment products and services to car and commercial vehicle workshops.

W: dragon2000.co.uk T: 01327 222 333 E: sales@dragon2000.co.uk Info: Dragon2000 supplies garages and car dealers with a multiaward winning Dealer Management System, time and efficiency monitoring and integrated websites for online service bookings.

Includes free APPraise mobile app for all users – for sending personalised VHC images & videos to customers’ phones to help increase upsold work and customer trust.

W: febi.com T: 01977 691100 E: enquiries@febiuk.co.uk Info: As part of the Bilstein Group, Febi Bilstein supplies a range of more than 25,000 different articles for all popular European vehicle models. From steering and suspension to rubber, metal and electrical, Febi Bilstein provides OE-matching quality components with first-time fitment and long service life. For quality, choose Febi Bilstein.

W: nebulasystems.com T: 01280 816333 E: sales@nebulasystems.com Info: Nebula Systems specialises in the development of advanced technologies for the automotive and future mobility industries.

We make vehicle data and systems more accessible so that a vehicle’s health, status and utilisation can be monitored, analysed, diagnosed and maintained, faster and more effectively, anytime and anywhere.

W: pro-align.co.uk T: 01327 323007 E: enquiries@pro-align.co.uk Info: Dedicated wheel alignment specialists, supplying, supporting and servicing the world-leading Hunter brand nationwide: Hunter aligners – Fast, accurate, reliable, unlocking business opportunities, delivering major income stream and rapid ROI Road Force balancer – A new service very few workshops deliver Tyre changers – Easy service perfection

W: lawgistics.co.uk T: 01480 445500 E: sales@lawgistics.co.uk Info: The motor trade’s leading legal firm, giving help and advice to our members and the industry in general. Passionate about fairness under the law. Our legal team are there to protect your interests.

Not anti consumer, just pro trader. Don’t miss our advice, which is published every month in Workshop Magazine. See pages 28 and 29 for The Judge’s contribution to this month’s issue.

W: progressrecruitment.co.uk T: 01603 717187 E: info@progressrecruitment.co.uk Info: Progress Recruitment Solutions provide specialist recruitment services for all automotive roles across the UK. Their experienced team will work with you to find the right candidate and offer a bespoke service tailored to meet the individual requirements of your business.

W: buttsequipment.com T: 01302 710868 E: info@buttsequipment.com Info: Butts of Bawtry is literally a ONE STOP SHOP for the garage or workshop. Offering a comprehensive range of Quality Garage Equipment from leading manufacturers, backed up by our team of trained and certified service and repair engineers. From a trolley jack to a complete workshop installation, Butts have the answer.

W: straightset.co.uk T: 01909 480055 E: paul.bates@straightset.co.uk Info: Straightset is the UK’s leading independent garage equipment company, providing best-in-class design, supply, installation and service of car and commercial workshops for nearly 30 years. We carry a vast range of quality equipment carefully sourced from top manufacturers within the EU and US and offer one of the most comprehensive aftersales services in the market.

W: blue-print.co.uk T: 01622 833007 E: adl-blueprint.bpic@bilsteingroup.com Info: As part of the Bilstein Group, Blue Print supplies OEmatching quality vehicle components, with strong Asian and American coverage. With more than 23,000 different parts in its range, from braking and clutch components to filtration, Blue Print covers a huge portion of the vehicle parc. Want to get it right first time? Think Blue Print.

W: IndependentGarageAssociation.co.uk T: 0845 305 4230 E: enquiries@rmif.co.uk Info: The Independent Garage Association is the largest and most prominent representative body in the independent garage sector. We are the voice of the industry in matters arising in UK and EU Government, and we help independent garages to thrive in all aspects of their business by offering advice, information and services.

TO HAVE YOUR DETAILS INCLUDED HERE CALL 023 9252 2434 AND ASK FOR WORKSHOP SUPPLIERS GUIDE LISTINGS WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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Experts in the Garage Equipment Industry

SALES 0844 249 8104

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GARAGE EQUIPMENT EXP ERTS. . .

SUPPLY | DESIGN | INSTALLATION | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | AFTER-SALES SERVICE

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Vehicle Lifts | Workshop Furniture | Exhaust Extraction & Analysers Lubrication & Compressed Air Services | MOT / ATL Test Equipment Wheel & Tyre Equipment

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HOME OF THE BIGGEST GARAGE EQUIPMENT BRANDS HOME OF THE BIGGEST GARAGE EQUIPMENT BRANDS HOME OF THE BIGGEST GARAGE EQUIPMENT BRANDS

call 01604 828 600 | email sales@gemco.co.uk | visit www.gemco.co.uk GEMCO Equipment Ltd | 153-165 Bridge Street | Northampton | NN1 1QG ESTABLISHED IN 1985 | PART OF THE STENHØJ GROUP

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