Workshop Magazine: Issue 33 by Blackball Media

OUR KEV: AMERICAN IDIOTS? THE STATES WHERE CARS DON’T NEED AN MOT CERTIFICATE

ISSUE 33 | JUNE 2018

£2.50 | WORKSHOPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Inside Track Stupid rules that go against spirit of motorsport

Legal advice The Judge gives his verdict on your problems

BRABHAM IS BACK Under the skin of an incredible new supercar from famous F1 team

A SKODA SUPERB! Our memorable day behind the wheel of little 1100 OHC Spider

CELEBRATION

Seventy years of Land Rover

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CONTENTS.

EDITORIAL HEAD OF EDITORIAL REBECCA CHAPLIN

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @believebecca

PRODUCTION EDITOR DAVE BROWN

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

FEATURES EDITOR JACK EVANS

£3.5m investment: State-of-the-art Ferrari service centre boasts the latest technology and a talented team

jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober

STAFF WRITER RYAN HIRONS

ryan@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @RyHirons

JUNIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT TRISTAN SHALE-HESTER tristan@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @tristan_shale

HEAD OF DESIGN GRAEME WINDELL

graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

New for you: Three pages of the latest workshop products

The Judge: A triple dose of turbo trouble – what should we do now?

Our Kev: How can US authorities allow so many dangerous cars on the roads?

ADVERTISING

Product test: Safety first with these boots!

SALES MANAGER JON HICKEY

j.hickey@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @cardealerjon

ACCOUNT MANAGER MICHELLE SEARLE

michelle@blackballmedia.co.uk

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION finance@blackballmedia.co.uk

SUITS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JAMES BAGGOTT james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

MANAGING DIRECTOR ANDY ENTWISTLE andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy

CONTRIBUTORS Felicity Bestwick, John Bowman, Jess Ernerth SUBSCRIPTIONS If you know someone who would like a FREE copy of Workshop Magazine, email the details to subs@workshopmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. DISTRIBUTION Workshop Magazine is distributed to a database of up to 10,000 service and repair sites, franchised car dealers, independents, car manufacturers and suppliers.

Company No. 6473855 VAT No. 933 8428 05 ISSN No. 1759-5444 Workshop Magazine is published by Blackball Media Ltd (Company No 6473855) and printed by Warners. All rights reserved. Conditions of sale and supply include the fact that Workshop shall not, without our consent, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated way or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to or as any part of a publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. Workshop Magazine is fully protected by copyright. Nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without permission.

Bike adventure: Our intrepid duo make it to India

Welcome

WE’VE got two star cars of Workshop Magazine this month – one is a classic name, the other is just a classic. The sexy and striking Brabham BT62 has made it on to our cover. It’s a name you might remember from Formula One or a crowd-funding campaign last year. Now they’re officially back with this new supercar – and we’ve got the details on pages 4 and 5. Features editor Jack Evans has been trying out something just as sporty for its time: a Skoda 1100 OHC Spider. It’s a car you may not have heard of before, and it isn’t what you’d expect from the practical Czech brand. Read more from page 18. In other car news, one manufacturer has been celebrating a very special birthday this month. It is, of course, Land Rover. We took part in a remarkable convoy to mark the occasion and you can read all about it on pages 12-13. What else do we have for you in a packed Issue 33? Well, the usual goodies and lots more besides! Tristan

Our Fleet: Rebecca’s Type 3 is whisked off for some TLC from Matt the Mechanic has collated a range of the best new kit to hit the market, Craig has been putting some sturdy work boots through their paces and we’ve been taking a look behind the scenes of another fantastic workshop in Garage Focus. In their Bike Trip, Andy and Sean have reached India. Despite some more troubles with their motorbikes, they’re chomping through the miles and seeing some fantastic sights along the way. They’re not the only ones to have been on their travels, either – Our Kev has just returned from America with some observations on the roadworthiness of vehicles in the United States. Also this month, we’re taking a closer look at ignition systems and filters – and how you can maximise their potential in your workshop to help keep customers happy and make more money. What’s not to like? Enjoy the issue.

Rebecca Chaplin, Head of Editorial WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 03

BIG PICTURE.

| UNDER THE SKIN |

Brabham BT62 Sophie Williamson-Stothert checks out a limited-run track-only supercar derived from the former Formula One team Brabham. Building on a legendary 70-year racing pedigree, former Formula One racer and Le Mans 24 Hours winner David Brabham has announced the family name’s return to manufacturing with the launch of Brabham Automotive’s first model, the BT62. Pure-bred for the track and sharing the same DNA as historic Brabham machines, the £1.2 million BT62 continues the traditional ‘BT’ naming convention established by founders Sir Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac in the 1960s. With just 70 examples of the BT62 going into production, and thanks to the sheer engineering excellence that saw Brabham achieve 35 Formula One grand prix wins and four World Championship titles, the BT62 honours the legacy of the marque’s greatest and most memorable cars.

Visuals

Designed from the ground up, the BT62 is crafted from lightweight carbon fibre – that includes the rear wing, front and rear splitters and floor pan – and features an aggressive aerodynamic package. It sits on 18-inch alloy wheels front and rear and is equipped with six-piston carbonon-carbon Brembo brakes – an F1-grade material used for both disc and pad, weighing half what a normal set-up would while delivering twice the friction.

Performance

Actual performance figures have yet to be confirmed, but we can expect the BT62 to eclipse the McLaren Senna, which can top 211mph and get from 0-60 in 2.6 seconds.

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Formula One liveries

The Formula One theme will be evident in the first 35 BT62s to roll off the production line at Brabham’s factory in Adelaide, Australia. Each one will be liveried to the customer’s choice, in tribute to the team’s 35 grand prix victories. As you can see, the first BT62 to be revealed celebrates the green and gold BT19 raced to victory by Jack Brabham at the 1966 French Grand Prix in Reims.

Interior

In keeping with its motorsport heritage, the BT62 features FIA-spec carbonfibre seat shells with a six-point racing harness, removable carbon-fibre steering wheel, an adjustable pedal box and a carbon dashboard with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. Being a track-only monster, it’s also equipped with a 125-litre fuel tank with quick-fill connectors and a built-in air jack system – not forgetting the fire extinguisher.

Engine

Powered by a Brabham naturally aspirated, mid-mounted 5.4-litre V8 quad-cam engine, which produces 700bhp, the BT62 is capable of setting blistering lap times. It boasts a powerto-weight ratio of 720bhp per tonne and a dry weight of just 972kg. By comparison, the McLaren Senna weighs 1,283kg and has a power-to-weight ratio of 660bhp per tonne.

Handling

The rear-wheel-drive BT62 features an adjustable rear wing, which the firm claims will produce more than 1,200kg of downforce, and has a 41/59 front-torear weight distribution. Its suspension set-up incorporates a double wishbone at each corner, supported by pushrod Ohlins TTX coilover springs and dampers. With the wheels wrapped in bespoke Michelin competition tyres as a finishing touch, the BT62 should stick to the apex as if it’s on rails.

Gearbox

A racing future

BT62 owners will be enrolled in the Brabham Driver Development Programme. However, Brabham insists that its long-term plan is to eventually return to competition and secure an entry to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That means this particular Brabham will be very special not only because of its limited production run but also its racing pedigree.

The V8 unit’s power is delivered to the rear wheels through a Holinger pneumatically controlled six-speed sequential gearbox, operated by steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The gearbox promises full power shifts and auto-blips when downshifting, which should result in a sweet note from its motorsport exhaust system.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk| |05 5

NEWS.

CDK Global unveils new Connected Workshop concept

ealer software provider CDK Global has unveiled its Connected Workshop – designed to pioneer a new era of open and connected industry collaboration and developed in response to new trends and challenges faced by retailers. Working with industry partners such as CitNOW, CDK has created a suite of digital aftersales tools that personalise and streamline each part of the service customer’s journey through the workshop. From lead generation and service booking to digital vehicle health checks with personalised video, CDK Connected Workshop digitally transforms workflows in the service area, offering a seamless experience to consumers. CDK said there was an increasing demand for convenience, with most consumers now preferring to book their service online, so it was important for retailers to make sure they met this expectation. Products from CDK Connected Workshop work together to send service reminders and allow customers to book appointments online. The time is immediately reserved in the workshop diary and the customer gets an automatic confirmation of their booking. To personalise the experience, customers are reminded of any outstanding work needed to their vehicle when they book their

06 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave appointment. CDK said that creating and maintaining customer loyalty in the aftersales area was a key challenge for retailers, so providing an efficient aftersales experience could be a great way to build loyalty there. Transforming workshop operations with digital technologies could also help boost workshop efficiency, it said. The use of tablet devices for customer check-in and check-out, technician clocking and vehicle health checks means tasks can be carried out faster and information synchronised quickly with the DMS. Stuart Miles, CDK managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: ‘The Connected Workshop experience is everything a retailer needs to take their workshop digital and deliver a great customer experience every step of the way. ‘By encouraging collaboration across our industry, CDK understands where new innovation can join the dots between multiple service providers. ‘A great example of this is the use of integrated video with CitNOW. This gives workshops the opportunity to secure more work from VHCs, while helping to create a truly personalised experience for the customer.’

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

GATESHEAD:

A car customising business has received a £250,000 investment to employ 20 people and establish a new branch of the firm in County Durham. Muss Styling, which specialises in the exterior customisation of cars for sports stars and celebrities, is currently based in Team Valley, Gateshead. Managing director Jamie Mussett will use the money from the Finance Durham Fund to set up a new design, sales and marketing base – an opportunity that will boost both its turnover and headcount. The investment will also help the firm to roll out a national car dealership engagement strategy.

| DESIGN FLAW |

NORTH YORKSHIRE:

Twisted Automotive has launched a dedicated coachworks sector of the business following a £100,000 investment. The coachworks department of the Thirsk-based specialist in reengineering the legendary Land Rover Defender will manage all aspects of paint and bodywork, including the preparation of vehicles for further engineering in the Twisted workshop. The expansion coincides with founder and managing director Charles Fawcett’s plans to develop the last new Defender, which he bought off the production line in 2016.

OXFORDSHIRE:

A workshop near Bicester appeared on the Sky One TV show Carnage, having built a flame-throwing Hello Kitty-themed battle machine. Dubbed ‘Mad Max meets Robot Wars’, the show sees mechanics go head-to-head with their warrior machines. The team at Attitude Autos turned a Ford Focus into a post-apocalypse battle bot, transforming the car into a 4x4 by fitting monster tyres and adding a host of weaponry, including a 30-tonne hydraulic ram, two hydraulic arms, disc cutters and water cannon – not to mention the flame thrower on the back!

DEVON:

Vehicles at a workshop in Bideford were damaged in a fire that took crews from three stations to extinguish. The blaze was reported to have started in a 15-year-old vehicle, which had been dropped off by a customer for repair at Rydon Car Sales and Workshop in Northam Road and self-ignited early on May 2. The fire crews from Bideford, Torrington and Barnstaple confirmed the vehicles within the garage were well alight but the cause of the fire within the vehicle is yet to be confirmed. Two vehicles were damaged in the blaze.

New Polo, Arona and Ibiza in recall over seatbelt safety issue VOLKSWAGEN is recalling its new Polo worldwide as well as subsidiary brand Seat’s new Arona and Ibiza after safety fears were raised over their seatbelts. Up to 28,000 vehicles in the UK may be affected by the problem, which could see the rear middle belt spring open while the car is travelling at speed, tests showed. The design flaw was revealed by Tekniikan Maailma – a Finnish motoring magazine – which found that when the vehicle had five occupants and changed lanes to the left at speed, one of the buckles was able to unfasten the other as the middle one was higher than the one on the left. The models affected are the new Polo, available since the beginning of 2018, and the Seat Arona, launched last December, as well as the new Seat Ibiza, which was launched in the summer of 2017. More than 100,000 vehicles worldwide could have the potentially fatal problem. The issue was confirmed by Volkswagen after it carried out tests over two days. A spokesman was quoted as saying: ‘Volkswagen will provide a technical solution shortly and recall the vehicles concerned.’ Meanwhile, Seat issued a statement saying: ‘We can confirm, based on our own analysis, that we have identified the seatbelt issue that Tekniikan Maailma has found. We are currently investigating the repair options.’

| JLR |

New classic car centre in Germany HAMPSHIRE:

An open day saw more than 50 youngsters with an interest in working in the motor industry visit a workshop in Portsmouth. Bodywork repair centre Apollo Motor Group hosted the Apollo Academy Open Day to enable the youngsters and their parents to meet suppliers and enjoy workshop activities, encouraging them to consider an apprenticeship with the company when they finish studying. The group is working with Springfield School and Admiral Lord Nelson School, and is becoming an employer partner with UTC (University Technical College) Portsmouth.

JAGUAR Land Rover has opened a new Classic Centre facility in the German city of Essen. The opening of the centre, run directly by the Jaguar Land Rover Classic operation, marks the first time such a facility has come into being outside the UK. The new 4,500 sq m location will provide sales and servicing of classic JLR products. Sales will be handled through the Works Legends programme, which sees specially selected examples of classic JLR products that have been restored and repaired by the firm sold on to collectors and enthusiasts. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS.

£3.5m investment in Ferrari service centre Revolutionary facility has the newest technology so customers can rest assured that their cars will be in very good hands

amily-owned motoring business Meridien Modena has invested £3.5 million in a state-of-the-art Ferrari service centre near its showroom in Lyndhurst, Hampshire. Located on the Hounsdown Business Park, the centre enables the Meridien Modena team to complete restorations and technical refurbishments, as well as perform routine scheduled servicing on Ferrari vehicles. Creating seven new jobs including two fulltime apprentice technicians from September, Meridien Modena will have in excess of 40 staff running the centre to ensure exceptional service is delivered to customers. With 13 service bays, scheduled service times will be dramatically reduced from a peak of six weeks to between three and five days. Two service bays will be dedicated to working on classic Ferraris which are more than 20 years old as Meridien Modena has officially been recognised by the Italian brand as one of only nine authorised Classiche workshops in the UK. The centre also includes a lounge for clients to relax and view the workshop. The centre has the capability to accommodate 80 vehicles on site, including a storage area housing 35 cars on the first floor. It has an array of the latest technology including leverless tyre-fitting equipment and integrated work tool stations delivering technicians with retractable oil, water, compressed air and power to aid efficiency. A large parts carousel system enables 3,000 components to be stored and there is high-voltage special tooling for hybrid vehicle tasks. Chris Ambrose, who is heading up the Ferrari service centre team as service manager, said: ‘The opening of this additional facility is an exciting development for Meridien Modena. ‘This revolutionary facility has the newest technology available for customers, so they can

by TRISTAN SHALE-HESTER @tristan_shale rest assured that their cars will be in good hands. ‘A key focal point in the centre of the workshop is a first-floor vehicle lift. The first floor has 14 storage lifts which allow 35 vehicles to be stored to allow the workshop below to remain freeflowing for daily work.’ Meridien Modena received the Ferrari Global Aftersales Dealer of the Year Award at the annual Ferrari dealer conference, held earlier this year at the Fiorano Circuit in Italy. Glenn Butt, director at Meridien Modena, said: ‘We’re delighted to be launching our new service centre to benefit our ever-growing client base. The significant investment in the new centre and its facilities ensures that we meet the exemplary standards expected from the Ferrari brand. ‘We are also proud to be the only centre on the south coast that will be able to offer the aftersales facility element of the Ferrari ‘‘Classiche’’ service, a service which can be provided to classic and competition cars. ‘At our new facility, we’ll be able to provide all the mechanical repairs and inspections needed to restore or rebuild a classic Ferrari and ensure each vehicle complies with the original specifications. ‘This is an incredibly exciting element for us, as previously all parts of the Classiche service were carried out in Maranello, Italy.’

The centre boasts a total of 13 service bays

The Meridien Modena team line up

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The opening of this additional facility is an exciting development. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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Using the iConsent module, on average customers select the following marketing options:

10 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

NEWS. | APPRECIATION |

| MOT |

Tasty tribute to Rolls-Royce staff

‘Explain test changes to your customers’

A ROLLS-ROYCE customer was so pleased with the bespoke work carried out on his Phantom that he had a special cake made in the shape of the car to give to the manufacturer’s artisans who had crafted his commission. The cake was colour-matched to his vehicle, and following his presentation of the confection, the unnamed customer handed out slices to the people who had realised his vision at the Goodwood base. He said: ‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the hard-working people, the unsung heroes who are responsible for these mobile works of art.’ No details were given about the work carried out on the flagship model, which costs from £362,055, but Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: ‘We thank our patron for this extraordinary gesture, which was warmly welcomed by everyone at the home of Rolls-Royce. ‘It is not unusual for our patrons to thank

the men and women in the Rolls-Royce family who are responsible for building their motor cars, but this is the first time that one has asked to express their thanks in this way.’

First customer deliveries of the flagship Phantom were made in January and RollsRoyce said the model had a strong order book throughout the year.

MOT centres are being urged to make sure customers are aware what the recent changes to the test mean. The revamped test, brought in on May 20, sees three new defect categories – ‘dangerous’, ‘major’ and ‘minor’. The RAC found that of 1,866 motorists questioned, 49 per cent thought a minor’ fault would lead to an immediate fail. However, it means the vehicle has passed but with issues that should be remedied as soon as possible. Five per cent thought a ‘dangerous’ fault wouldn’t stop a pass and six per cent thought the same of a ‘major’ fault. Both are a fail, though, and the vehicle must be repaired immediately – with those labelled ‘dangerous’ forbidden from being driven until repaired. The RAC’s Simon Williams said: ‘It is important that test centres and garages do a good job of explaining the new fault categories.’

Car parts boss is given company ban after failing to deliver orders Total Engine Replacement did not provide goods to the value of at least £58,000 to around 58 customers, probe found

he boss of a business selling replacement engines has been banned from running a company for 12 years after he failed to deliver goods despite accepting payments. Ali Cakirgoz, 61, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, is subject to a disqualification order preventing him from acting as a director for 12 years, effective from April 27, 2018. Total Engine Replacement Ltd was incorporated in February 2015, advertising replacement engines

“

We will take firm action against companies and individuals that operate in an unscrupulous way.

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk on numerous websites that were all registered to the company. But Trading Standards and the Insolvency Service began to receive complaints from customers who said they hadn’t received their products and couldn’t get hold of anyone at Total Engine Replacement, which had its registered address in Marshgate Lane, Marshgate İndustrial Estate, near Bow in east London. The Insolvency Service carried out an initial investigation into the company’s activities before gathering enough evidence to place Total Engine Replacement into compulsory liquidation in September 2016. Investigators found that despite accepting payments from customers, the company failed to deliver any of the products it had promised. Customers who then tried to complain were left frustrated as the company left emails unanswered and disconnected telephone numbers. In little over a year, Total Engine Replacement failed to provide goods to the value

of at least £58,065 to around 58 customers. Cakirgoz, who was the director, didn’t cooperate with the inquiries and, when asked, failed to maintain adequate accounting records. This meant investigators were unable to establish exactly how much money was received, where the money was paid into and what the company’s levels of assets and liabilities were. Following the disqualification, he is now prevented from acting, directly or indirectly, as a director of a company for 12 years, having allowed Total Engine Replacement to trade with a lack of commercial probity and failing to maintain adequate accounting records. Irshard Mohammed, investigation supervisor with the Insolvency Service, said: ‘Ali Cakirgoz had a total lack of regard for his customers. But thankfully his bogus sales activities finally caught up with him and we have been able to put the brakes on his deceitful activities. ‘Both the winding-up proceedings and the subsequent disqualification action show that we will use the full weight of our powers to take firm action against companies and individuals that operate in such an unscrupulous way.’ WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURES.

Celebrating Land Rover’s 70th Tom Wiltshire joined a convoy of iconic off-roaders for an anniversary celebration like no other.

o name is more synonymous with offroading than Land Rover. Since 1948, every vehicle the brand has produced has had one thing at its heart – the ability to go where few vehicles dare to tread. To mark 70 years of building the world’s best offroaders, the manufacturer invited us to join a grand convoy of vehicles past and present on a tour from its Solihull HQ to the Jaguar Land Rover Classic plant in Coventry, where it ‘restores vehicles with a glorious past, so that they can enjoy a glorious future’.

Here are just some of the vehicles from the convoy…

1948

1954

1950s

1969

1989

‘Huey’, as he’s affectionately known, is the world’s oldest production Land Rover, rolling out of the factory on March 11, 1948. We can therefore credit him as the father of the whole brand. Huey is still as capable off road as he was 70 years ago, and the team at Land Rover Classic keep him in fine fettle.

After the limited initial run of cars, Land Rover named them in ‘Series’ form. This Royal platform is based on a Series I, and offered a way for royalty to see and be seen in equal measure. The royal family are, of course, massive Land Rover fans, and the brand holds a royal warrant.

Demand for an even more utilitarian Land Rover grew during the 1950s, and eventually the Forward Control was conceived. With the cab positioned over the driving wheels, it was much taller and could carry far larger and heavier loads.

As Land Rover’s popularity increased, so too did the quality of Britain’s roads, and the brand came up with a vehicle that would perform as well as the standard model in the rough stuff but offer the comfort of a luxury saloon on tarmac. This Velar prototype soon became the iconic Range Rover.

As the Range Rover moved further upmarket and the Land Rover (now named Defender) remained the agricultural workhorse, a gap emerged for a family SUV – which was promptly filled by the sevenseat Discovery.

Land Rover HUE 166 ‘Huey’

12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Series I Royal Review

Land Rover Forward Control IIb

Velar prototype

Land Rover Discovery

birthday Our convoy on the move

We got a little convoy... Our convoy was just one of many taking place across the world – but with the might of Land Rover’s collection and the generosity of the Heritage Motor Museum at Gaydon, ours was probably the most historically interesting. The large number of vehicles involved meant that we were split into groups of six or seven vehicles for much of the journey. We drove an incredible Discovery 3, built for the Land Rover G4 Challenge global adventure competition – although it never took part. Our seven-strong group was led by a military Land Rover Lightweight, followed by a Series I Range Rover, a bare-metal Defender (left unpainted to show off its aluminium construction), a luxurious Holland & Holland Range Rover, and our Discovery, with a modern Discovery 5 bringing up the rear. We met up with the European press group about a mile from Land Rover Classic and joined together for a grand convoy – in age order – to finish the day.

The procession of Land Rovers and Range Rovers certainly made an impressive sight

1989

1998

2000

2016

2018

To prove that the Discovery wasn’t just a family bus, it took part in the gruelling Camel Trophy championship – modified with snorkels, winches and rollcages and painted in a distinctive ‘sandglow’ colour scheme. The Camel Trophy’s spiritual successor was the Land Rover G4 Challenge.

By the early 1990s, a new market segment had emerged, namely the compact SUV, and the Freelander was the brand’s entrant. It used a monocoque frame, unlike all previous Land Rovers. This one celebrated the brand’s 50th birthday and went on a world tour, visiting 50 countries in 50 days.

When it came to kitting out Lara Croft for the 2000 Tomb Raider movie, only a Land Rover Defender would do – complete with 3.5-litre V8 engines, high-mounted spotlights and everything that a hardcore archaeologist could want.

Marking the end of Defender production after more than 60 years was always going to be an emotional time, and Land Rover chose to do it with this ‘Heritage’ edition – which was inspired by the original ‘Huey’.

As a last hurrah for the iconic offroader, Land Rover Classic created this incredible machine. Fitted with a Jaguar-sourced V8, it’s good for 400bhp and has been fettled to deal with the extra performance. It’s built on late-model Defenders and significantly upgraded. The 150 models sold out in 37 minutes.

Camel Trophy Discovery

Freelander ‘Fifty 50 Challenge’

Tomb Raider Defender

Land Rover Defender ‘Hue 2016’

Land Rover Defender Works V8

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURES.

PART 8

Bumpy and venomous – all creatures great and small

Globe-trotting mechanics Andy Gove and Sean Tubby have reached India, but there’s an impressive border ceremony to witness before continuing their journey. Amritsar and Jaisalmer Sean Tubby

fter finally crossing the Wagah border into India, we realised that we were about an hour early for the PakistanIndia border gate closing ceremony, so we decided to stick around to watch the magic unfold. The magic consisted of the following: Indian side – An extremely large seating area bursting at the seams, a drummer rocking a Maped kit, a chap with a microphone and booming voice, and an array of extremely large border guards wearing huge feathers in their hats. Pakistani side – A seating area around half the size of its neighbour that was around half full, another chap with a booming voice, a selection of brass instruments and some more large border guards with similar feathers in their hats. Oh, and a dude with a Pakistani flag who didn’t seem to stop spinning for the hour-long ceremony. From what I could gather, the aim of the game was for the guards to close the gates between the two countries and then to lower their respective flags. A fairly simple task, some might think. Prior to this occurring, there was a lot of shouting, with the chaps on the microphones screaming for as long as they could, their voices eventually trailing off as they ran out of breath. They took it in turns to complete this task. Next up were the large border guards. Their game involved marching away from their formation, towards the gates, and kicking their legs as high as they could in the air in front of the opposing country’s chosen guard. They all took it in turns to complete this show of extreme power. We awarded top marks to the one guard who planted his shin into his forehead. What an absolute lad!

“

During the ceremony, you could barely hear yourself think over the crowds of people. Groups of all ages had arrived dressed up, some waving flags, some with faces painted. Everyone was cheering and screaming, and it felt like there was enough energy in the stands to rival that of a Nickelback concert. It was immense and I’ve never seen a border crossing like it. After the gates had been slammed shut the flags were lowered and neatly folded away, ready for the next day, when it would happen all over again. And so we set off into the darkness towards Amritsar. Our friend Atif had suggested that we give CouchSurfing a try. This is an app where you can search for registered hosts and find people who have a spare bed, couch, or floor for you to crash on. This is a great way of meeting new people and also saving a few quid along the way. We had found a host while having wifi in Pakistan, but now on the road in India we could not contact said host as our phones were useless. We stopped outside a fast-food restaurant for Andy to go in and find out the password. A few minutes later, I was invited in by the manager for a free milkshake and a chat. I tried to savour the taste of the delicious, cold, strawberry glass of heaven, but it disappeared in under two minutes, certainly hitting the spot. After we met our host, Sachin, we swiftly bought some beers and exchanged stories of motorcycle rides and the like, spending a couple of days with him, chilling out and exploring the city. Our next stop was Bikaner. We tackled the roads in the baking sun during the day, and as night drew in, we were still a couple of hours away from our destination. The HP petrol stations in India are fantastic rest breaks. They have free purified water, free air

The calm was broken briefly when a scorpion decided to wander by my foot and our guide proceeded to smash it. 14 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

The glorious gate-closing ceremony

Architectural splendour along the way and also fuel quality checks on request. We used them for the free water mainly. This particular HP station we arrived at had a nice patch of grass at the rear. We asked if we could pitch a couple of tents there and were told no but we could sleep in the office if we wanted. So, we parked the bikes and rolled out the air mats on the floor of the office. A chap with a shotgun was sitting on a chair outside the pumps and the light from the forecourt poured in through the large glass windows all night, but it was a welcome relief from the now very dark and dangerous roads. . We reached Bikaner in the late morning and met our next host, Raju, who showed us around the old parts of the city and the busy markets. We also visited his family’s farm and had a go on their Royal Enfield motorcycle – something we’d both been wanting to try for a while, after seeing so many on the road. They’re an interesting ride compared with the Twins, with

’Ships of the desert’ make an uncomfortable alternative form of transport

A tight squeeze on one of India’s roads

An HP fuel station became a‘hotel’

Selfies on camels can be tricky things...

harsh suspension that shoots the bumps up your spine and handlebars that feel way too narrow for the size of the bike. But it was a fun experience all the same. Raju had ridden around India a considerable amount and was the youngest person to have ridden from the south to the north of the country. Quite an incredible achievement at the age of 21! We also made some great contacts through Raju and were introduced to a whole network of bikers and motorcycle clubs in India. Venturing on to Jaisalmer on a particularly hot day took us around seven hours and the roads were plagued with unfinished repairs and alterations, diversions and the standard array of livestock littering the way. Having reached the city, we stayed there for a couple of nights. While walking through the old streets and exploring the fort, we realised there was an abundance of people shouting about camel treks in the desert, each person emphasising that their

deal was the cheapest and the best. A camel ride and night spent in the desert under the stars sounded like a fun experience, so we tried to find a worthy tour company. Most were weighing in at between 1,500 and 2,500 rupees (circa £16 to £27) but we wanted cheaper. We managed to strike a deal at 1,200 rupees (circa £13), including a Jeep ride to an abandoned – or ‘ghost’ – town nearby, a ride out to the desert and our camel trek. This included a night in the desert with a guide and dinner, cooked over an open fire. We also had breakfast before the sun was unbearably hot. The camel ride was very uncomfortable and made me miss my bike Barbara awfully. There were no stirrups, so the full weight of my body was planted on my behind and the wooden frame smashed it to pieces. Other than that, it was a fantastic experience and I’d highly recommend it – just take a cushion. Sleeping under the stars in the desert was truly euphoric. I stared up at the vast sky from my camp bed in the

dunes and took in the beauty of it all. I had never seen a night sky quite like it before and it was a good time to digest the experiences and people we’d met so far. The calm was broken briefly when a scorpion decided to wander by my foot and our guide proceeded to smash it with a stick in a panicked frenzy. Regardless, I slept very well. Once we’d ridden the camels back to the Jeep, we travelled back to Jaisalmer and saddled up Flo and Barb. It’s always a nervous moment when you leave your bikes in a random location, not sure if all will be well when you return, but they were fine and the owner of the hotel that we’d left them outside was happy to see us. We took him up on his offer of a shower in one of the spare rooms, but within 10 minutes of being back on the road I was again drenched in sweat and covered in road dirt. I’d go so far as to say that this now felt normal and didn’t bother me. Well, it’s all part of the experience, right? Next stop on the map, Jodhpur... WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 15

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16 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

INSIDE TRACK.

ADAM WELLER LOOKS AT MOTORSPORT ENGINEERING, DEVELOPMENTS AND NEWS

May the best team win – unless they are in endurance racing... T here are many different forms of motorsport fan out there. Some value close, wheel-to-wheel action above all else, others are just there to see spectacular moments and incidents, and some like their racing short and sharp. I’m a man of endurance racing. I value variety in the shape, size and sound of cars, and most major endurance races deliver that in spades. Of course, since an endurance race provides a long narrative, there’s plenty of room for significant ups and downs during the race. Another key part of endurance racing’s timeless recipe is strategy. So many of the most iconic teams, victories and moments in endurance racing history have been defined by a brilliant strategy call. So, why are the governing bodies behind the likes of Le Mans and the Spa 24 Hours doing all they can to bleed away any and all opportunities for teams to use strategy to get ahead during races? As of writing, the Balance of Performance (BoP) has been revealed for the upcoming Le Mans 24 Hours, and while balancing the speed of cars with engine restrictors and ballast isn’t brand new to Le Mans, it’s still slightly disappointing when you see success penalised in motorsport. However, it now seems to have gone a step further, with more and more categories adopting BoP and even regulations that dampen teams’ abilities to get ahead with strategy. At the Spa 24 Hours last year, a 65-minute maximum stint length – ie, the time between pit stops – was imposed, which essentially meant that teams’ hands were tied. One of the main talents for an endurance racing driver is driving fast while managing to save enough fuel to stay out of the pits – after all, the less time you spend in the pits the better. This absurd decision was matched with an equally strange set of pit stop rules, where teams would have to pit in under 95 seconds. If they didn’t, they’d then have to wait until 133 seconds had passed – bizarre! And now, at Le Mans, all teams not called Toyota Gazoo Racing are being handed restrictions to ensure that the only factory team left in the event’s top LMP1 class has an advantage over the privateers. This includes

Strategy is important in endurance racing

restrictions on how much fuel they can use, and also, if any of the privateers are deemed too quick – in other words, faster than Toyota – they will be given added ballast or a power restriction. So essentially, the only way anyone other than Toyota can win Le Mans is if Toyota breaks down, not because there’s no one else able to compete, but because the governing body wants to give the Japanese firm an advantage since it has stayed on while Audi and Porsche have left the category. This strikes me as the absolute opposite of what endurance racing, and racing as a whole, should be about. If an independent team is able to build a better, faster car than Toyota, it should be allowed to do so. As someone who works as a motorsport broadcaster, I have no idea how I would tell Le Mans’ mass audience that the leading car was being slowed because it’s going quicker than a Toyota. I would have no clue how to phrase that in any way that wouldn’t paint the event

as a farce. More troublingly, I see the current state of the endurance racing scene as inspirational anti-matter for any young engineers, mechanics or technicians. Le Mans will always be a challenge for anyone in the garages. However, it should be a challenge that encourages development. What kind of message does it send when any team that finds a way to get ahead is promptly slowed down again? What’s the point in innovating or pushing yourself to be the best if you’re only going to see the advantage taken away by BoP rules? Motorsport should always be an aspiration for the best minds in the automotive industry, but if it becomes so outwardly obvious that anyone who excels is punished for doing so, why would the most brilliant designers and engineers ever go racing? Ultimately, race cars need to be equalised by proper rules, not ballast and engine restrictors. If teams find loopholes in those rules, you then have the choice to close them or let others follow suit. That’s a far better solution than putting bricks into the fastest car to slow it down.

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. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURES.

| SKODA 1100 OHC SPIDER |

Driving a piece of history

The Skoda 1100 OHC Spider was built in the 1950s – and now just two examples remain. Jack Evans got the chance to pilot one recently.

hen you hear the terms ‘rare’ and ‘sports car’ put together, what sort of image do they conjure up? A Ferrari F40, perhaps? Or maybe even a McLaren F1? We’d bet that the Skoda brand doesn’t spring to mind – but there’s a reason it should. We were lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the Skoda 1100 OHC Spider recently – one of just two in existence. And apart from the gleaming red bodywork, there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. You see, the Spider’s history is what makes it particularly special. Back in the early 1950s, Skoda’s motorsport involvement was in a rut. The passenger car side of the business was booming, but as a result of pressure the Czech government

18 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

put on the carmaker to export its vehicles to other Communist countries, very few people in the brand’s home nation could actually get their hands on one. And not many people wanted to enter their own vehicles into races. A knock-on effect of this was that very often, Skoda’s own works racers were left to compete against themselves. And many motorsport engineers were drafted onto the production line, removing them from the action in the pit lane. However, a small glimmer of motorsportrelated hope remained. In 1956, work began on a special, lightweight racer and the result was the 1100 OHC. It made its first public appearance in 1957, and its competition debut just a year later. It achieved good racing success in its time on

The 1100 OHC could be mistaken for a youngster’s

“

Position yourself behind the wicker-covered steering wheel, slot the dogleg gearstick back to first and the car slingshots itself forward.

pedal car, if it weren’t for its four-stroke engine

Nice work if you can get it, Jack!

track, until it was retired in the mid-1960s. The car we drove was then left to languish in a storage yard of the company’s Mlada Boleslav factory – occasionally being robbed of spares – before Martin Svetnicka, a Czech student studying in the UK but visiting the factory over Christmas, stumbled upon it, bought it from Skoda and, one way or another, managed to get it back to London to restore. Unfortunately, Svetnicka lacked the resources to properly return the car to its former glory and, after having switched owners several times, it landed in the hands of Skoda UK. Which brings us neatly to our opportunity to test the little Spider around a short test track at Bicester Heritage. It’s now one of just two in existence WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 19

FEATURES.

| IN DETAIL |

Skoda 1100 OHC Spider

The wicker-covered steering wheel . . .

Sophie Williamson-Stothert highlights some of the standout features of this wonderful little car.

Suspension

Engine

The front wheels are mounted on a trapezoidal wishbone axle with torsion bars, while the rear end features a torsion bar and semi-trailing arms layout. The 1100 OHC is equipped with a hydraulic dual circuit, with drums fitted to all four corners.

– so it was a rare opportunity indeed. The first thing you notice is simply how tiny it is – it’s just 3,880mm long (a Ford Fiesta is around 4,040mm long) and is 1,430mm wide. It could be mistaken for a child’s pedal car if it weren’t for the fourstroke engine under the bonnet. It pushes out a relatively modest 90bhp, but that’s more than enough power given the car’s waif-like weight of just 550kg. You certainly don’t feel like you need much more in the way of performance. Position yourself behind the wicker-covered steering wheel, slot the dogleg gearstick back to first and the car slingshots itself forward in an

20 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

The longitudinally front-mounted four-stroke, inline four-cylinder unit can trace its roots back to the 1100 Tudor of the early 1950s, but it has been extensively modified. Fuel is mixed and fed to the combustion chambers via two twinchoke side draught Jikov 35 carburettors.

impressively spirited fashion. Double declutching is a must for smooth shifts, though it takes us a few laps to get the hang of changing gear without inadvertently tapping the brakes – the pedals are perilously small and placed within millimetres of one another.

Despite the narrow tyres appearing little wider than those on a bicycle, the Spider simply grips and grips, clinging on for dear life even at higher speeds. The noise is manic, the wind beats you in the face as it rips over the thin windscreen and 50mph feels at least three times that. It’s an involving experience, that’s for sure. The drum brakes take the most getting used to; there’s little impression that they’re doing anything at all within the first few inches of pedal travel, and then they kick in all of a sudden, sometimes locking the wheels in the process. Speeding up is always fun in a classic car, it’s the slowing down that becomes the challenge.

Weight . . . and dogleg gear stick

Performance

The 1100 OHC has an output of 90bhp at 7,700rpm and a redline of 8,500rpm – impressive figures for a normally-aspirated engine of today. The 1100 OHC’s power-toweight ratio of 167bhp per tonne is identical to that of the current Octavia vRS 245.

We spent close to 40 minutes lapping the compact circuit. It’s labour-intensive work, with the car’s relatively heavy steering requiring a lot of input and, despite the bountiful grip, a lot of concentration is needed to quickly whisk the Spider through corners. Before long, it’s time to come in. Our arms are shot, and the chilly conditions which at first seemed a little bracing for an open-top car had become – if anything – too warm thanks to the engine’s heat dominating the cockpit. It had been quite the experience. And getting behind the wheel of a car with such an interesting heritage was something we’ll never forget.

Chassis

Constructed from a latticed frame and welded from lightweight, thin-walled tubes, the chassis incorporates a layout that provides the 1100 OHC with near-perfect weight distribution. It boasts an impressive front-to-rear axle weight distribution of 49.7 to 50.3.

Weight-saving was a key concern for the Skoda design team, which explains why countless surfaces have been drilled to remove excess material. Drive comfort has been sacrificed for the most basic and thinly-padded of seats. Staying true to its era, the 1100 OHC isn’t equipped with a roll cage or any kind of safety belts. As a result, it weighs in at 550kg.

Visuals

The 1100 OHC comes as a two-seat fibreglass spider or aluminium coupe – with only three spiders and two coupes ever having been in existence. Featuring a long nose, wire-spoked wheels and a Le Mans-like open cockpit, you could compare the 1100 OHC to a Jaguar D-type.

It took us a few laps to get the hang of changing gear without tapping the brakes WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 21

JUST THE JOB.

BY GAVIN WHITE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUTOTECH RECRUIT

Busting the contractor myths Gavin explains the different types of working arrangements that employees should be aware of as they search for that next position.

or MOT testers or vehicle technicians looking for a new role or career progression, it’s critical to have a comprehensive understanding of the employment contract options that are available, and what each one entails. Recent research has revealed that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular jobs are those that allow people to have greater flexibility. In fact, many would argue that as a society we’re working towards a future where the vast majority of people will be working as freelance or contract workers, selling their skills on an ad hoc basis to those that require them. While many of us are aware of the more commonly known employment contracts, such as full-time and part-time, the lesser-known ones should still be considered. Temporary roles, for example, are invaluable in enabling MOT testers and vehicle technicians to gain experience in a range of working environments, especially in the face of the evolving automotive industry, while also allowing them a wider degree of flexibility and, often, higher rates of pay. So, how do you find the contract type that’s best for you, your career goals and your lifestyle? Firstly, you need to gain a concrete understanding of the contract types that are available to you. Permanent full-time contracts tend to be 35+ hours per week in which, as a standard, employees are offered a salary or hourly wage, sick pay and holiday entitlement. Equally, permanent part-time contracts offer

HERE WE BUST SOME MYTHS AROUND CONTRACT AND TEMPORARY ROLES… Myth Short-term roles have a negative effect on my career development.

Myth Contracting and temporary roles lead to dead-end careers with no prospects.

Busted While being seen to jump from permanent job to job could be a concern for an employer, having a range of experience from temporary work will broaden your career prospects as you’re highlighting your skill set, your adaptability and drive.

Busted Temporary and contracting roles can allow you to gain greater experience and learn new skills in the industry from an inside perspective without being committed to the role on a permanent basis.

a similar range of benefits, but employees work fewer hours per week. Such an arrangement will allow them to work around another job, family commitments or studying. Fixed-term contracts last an agreed amount of time, or for the duration of a particular project; self-employed freelance technicians or testers are responsible for their own tax and fee rates; zero-hour contracts involve employees only

Myth The employer is in control and I’m at their beck and call. Busted You work in partnership with your employer to negotiate an arrangement that suits you both, whether that is set working hours, days or a project. As a temporary worker, your employer will be open to negotiating timing and tasks – projects set for temporary workers are just as important as those in permanent roles, after all!

working when their employer requires them to, and temporary contracts come into play when a contract isn’t likely to become permanent but they are offered similar rights as contracted employees. While a permanent contract will give the employee additional benefits, such as holiday pay, sick leave and a fixed working schedule, a temporary contract allows for more independence and time to pursue other endeavours.

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.

22 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

JOB DONE WITH LESS FUSS Autologic brings you industry-leading diagnostics equipment together with expert support from our OE trained master technicians – enabling you to tackle every job with greater confidence, efficiency and profitability.

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DIAGNOSTICS WITH THE EXPERTS WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 23

ENGINEROOM.

ADAM WELLER LOOKS AT A UNIT THAT ENJOYED A TOP-FLIGHT MOTORSPORT CAREER – AND STILL LIVES ON

The British motor that powered Formula One for almost 20 years

n the current Formula One landscape, manufacturers reign supreme. Ferrari and Mercedes rule the roost, and even when the well-funded Red Bull team takes a victory, it’s considered something of an underdog performance. If any other team on the grid were to manage a victory this season, it would be beyond shocking. Turn the clock back some 50 years, however, and things were markedly different. In 1967, Brabham was firmly on top of Formula One with a self-developed car and an engine designed in collaboration with Australian firm Repco. And while the Brabham team made all the headlines that year, with Denny Hulme taking the championship, the real revelation was at Team Lotus, where Colin Chapman and his team had debuted the Cosworth DFV engine. The iconic engine made its debut at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, in the back of the also-new Lotus 49. Graham Hill placed his car in pole position and teammate Jim Clark took the race win the next day, despite having never driven – or even seen – the DFV or the Lotus 49 before arriving at the Zandvoort circuit for the race. It became clear rather quickly that Lotus and Cosworth, backed by Ford, had created something truly special. Lotus continued to turn in positive performances throughout the season, and before long other teams were interested in using Cosworth’s engine. By the time 1968 rolled around, Lotus had been joined on Cosworth’s customer list by McLaren and Matra, and with Hill taking the championship for Lotus, the era of the DFV was well and truly under way. Including Hill’s title win, the DFV engine would take 12 Formula One Drivers’ Championships between 1968 and 1982, with Ferrari being the only team able to find chinks in the armour of the teams running the Cosworth powerplant during this period. The DFV raced in F1 for the last time in 1985 and took victory in international racing for the final time in 1993, in a Formula 3000 race. The engine was also victorious multiple times at the Indy 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours, and it even found a home in a highly successful racing

24 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

More than 50 years after its debut, the DFV’s legacy continues in historic racing, right. Above: The motor debuted in Jim Clark’s Lotus at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix powerboat. To say that the DFV was a versatile powerplant probably doesn’t do it justice. So, what made the DFV endure to such an extent? Well, like all of the best revolutions in engineering, it was all down to simplicity. The light, compact, 3.0-litre V8 engine was developed by Cosworth on Ford’s dime – £100,000-worth of them to be exact, and that wasn’t top-level Formula One money even in 1967. Accounting for inflation, it would be roughly £1.7 million today; Mercedes spent almost £410 million on Formula One in 2016, and you can safely bet that engine development accounted for around a quarter of that figure. The fact that the engine was simple and successful made it the ultimate package for

private teams. It was, of course, developed extensively over its lifetime, but the engine remained simplistic. That meant that as well as being cheap to build and buy, it was reliable. With all of this in mind, it’s little wonder that upwards of half the Formula One grid used DFV engines at various points throughout the 1970s. And the DFV lives on today in historic racing, with practically the entirety of any given FIA Historic Formula One Championship grid being powered by the motor. While Cosworth is no longer building engines for today’s Formula One, it is probably still one of the busiest F1-related workshops in the world, as it produces new parts for the DFV to support those using the engine in the historic scene.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 25

CLUB. Be precise with assessments

THREE TURBOS HAVE LET US DOWN – SHOULD WE AVOID WARRANTIES?

One of our workshop technicians has been asked to do a ‘satisfactory quality’ assessment on a customer’s car. Help! Consumers often decline the opportunity to have a vehicle inspected before they buy it. However, the moment the car has changed hands, the customer will often go straight to their ‘trusted’ and ‘independent’ mechanic for them to assess the car. Inevitably, they want to know whether that vehicle is of ‘satisfactory quality’ as defined by the Consumer Rights Act. This is very subjective and one has to consider the age, price and pre-existing mileage of the car at the point of sale. When writing the report it never helps to be vague. ‘The tyres will need replacing in the future’ or ‘brakes part-worn’ are worthless comments. When stating the tyre tread or brake pad thickness, one should always also state what the legal minimum is, so as to put the actual reading into context. Consumers (and probably some judges!) assume that a reading of 4mm for a tyre tread renders the vehicle a death trap! Often a technician will be asked to look and report on a consumer’s vehicle when something has gone wrong with it. In such instances, you must try to explain the cause of the problem. Merely commenting ‘head gasket blown’ is not helpful, so you should try to explain why it has blown. We often find this problem results from the car having been driven without coolant for some time and not because the head gasket was inherently defective when sold. So, knowing the likely reason for its failure is important. Also, if an engine light illuminates during the inspection, please make reference to it in your report.

26 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

ASK THE JUDGE: Ian Gardner, sales manager at automotive legal experts Lawgistics, looks into a case where a second repair was needed for a trio of customers.

e are a repair garage, but we are not specialists in any particular make or field. We have repaired three turbos recently and all three customers have returned with the same issue a couple of months later. We’ve just changed to a cheaper parts supplier. As always, we gave a one-year warranty and so felt we had no choice but to complete a second repair in each case. Did we have to do that, and in the future can we do the original work without offering a warranty to avoid the issue again? The Judge writes: Whether you had to do it under warranty will depend on the wording

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of the warranty and so we would need to look at that to be able to give tailored advice. It would also be useful to know the exact cause of the failure. However, on a general level, there is no legal obligation to offer a warranty or indeed to offer a warranty for any particular length of time, but it is obviously a selling point in terms of consumer confidence. Even without a warranty, these customers may have had a right under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to a second repair, as Section 49 requires that a trader carries out work with reasonable care and skill – your customers were likely to argue that this was not the case. Of course, you may believe you have carried out the work with the required level

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of care and skill, but if the component parts you fitted were not of sufficient quality to withstand the heat and pressure then a court may well deem that you did not meet the skill requirement, as unless the parts were supplied by the customer, you were in control of which parts to use and so your skill will be called into question. If the failure was due to a defective part, you can take that up with your supplier separately, but ultimately, in regard to the customers, the buck stops with you. In cases where the work has not been carried out with the required level of care and skill, customers are entitled under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to either a) the work being undertaken again or b) a

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EXPERT 4 DRAWER TOOL CHEST & 7 DRAWER ROLLER CABINET STOCK No. 26840 price reduction that can include the entire amount they paid. Such refunds need to be given out within 14 days. We do see cases of repeated turbo failure and it is often due to the quality of the components being fitted, and so the best way to avoid a similar issue is to source higher-quality components or sub-contract

a reputable turbo specialist to complete the work. This way, you may pay more for your component parts and/or have to charge your customers a higher rate, but ultimately it should save you money and mean you can give a one-year warranty in confidence and not find yourself unexpectedly paying out for a second repair.

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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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| 27

PRODUCTS.

Sealey All-Steel Vice Range

New for you

How much: £105.54-£467.94 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk Sealey’s new All-Steel Vice Range is made up of six models – 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 200mm, 250mm and 350mm. Fixing directly on to a workbench, they’re suitable for use in workshops and garages, are available with swivel adapter plates and have a five-year guarantee.

Clarke IG2000B 1.8kW Inverter Generator How much: £419.98 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk The Clarke IG2000B is ideal for powering sensitive equipment in your workshop. It features a 230V 13A socket as well as a 12V DC 5A output, letting it provide a continuous 1,700W. It’s also fitted with an economy switch so it can idle when no power is being drawn, cutting fuel consumption.

Sealey AP41206BR Retro-Style Drawer How much: £679.99 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk Need somewhere stylish to keep your tools? The Sealey AP41206BR could be exactly what you need! This extra-wide unit has six lift and latch drawers on ball bearing slides. The retro black and red design is bound to stand out, while heavy-duty castors and brakes add extra manoeuvrability.

Laser Tools Alternator Pulley Kit How much: £190.51 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This alternator pulley kit from Laser Tools is compatible with products from Nipondenso, Valeo, Bosch and Marelli. All the components are made of S2 steel, with sockets and spanners in chrome vanadium. The kit allows you to hold and remove alternator pulleys.

28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Laser Tools Locking Grip Wrench Set How much: £42.67 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This three-piece locking grip wrench set from Laser Tools is perfect for heavy-duty tasks in your workshop. Each tool is hardened and tempered, as well as having been drop-forged with a nickel-plated finish. The ergonomic design includes adjustable locking jaws to make each job easier.

Laser Tools Aluminium Torque Wrench How much: £1,397.02 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk

Obart ENM20 Bronze Transfer Pump

This aluminium torque wrench from Laser Tools has a range of 110Nm to 550Nm and measures three-quarters of an inch in diameter. It’s a lightweight and durable tool made of aluminium alloy. Its multi-lever mechanism offers greater sensitivity and accuracy with easy adjustment, a quick pullout lock and a clear dual-scale window.

How much: £149.99 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk The Obart ENM20 is a 230V pump that can be used to circulate and transfer clean liquids, such as water, red diesel and bio-fuel, up to a maximum temperature of 90°C. This model has a bronze pump body and a forward and reverse switch for filling and emptying applications. It’s supplied free-standing for ease of handling.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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PRODUCTS.

Laser Tools Flexi-Head Ratchet How much: £59.45 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This flexi-head ratchet from Laser Tools has an extra-long 300mm double ratchet head – one with a quarter-inch diameter and one with a three-eighth inch. It also features a locking mechanism and 72 teeth.

Clarke CHT695 Oil Filter Cap Wrench Set How much: £45.59 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk This oil filter wrench set from Clarke is compatible with most models of vehicle. Thanks to the innovative cup design sockets, there is less chance of the filters being damaged, which saves time, effort and money.

30 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Laser Tools Hub-Cleaning Tool Set

Clarke CHT526 Drill and Screw Extractor Set

How much: £54.72 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk

How much: £11.98 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk

The Laser Tools six-piece hub-cleaning set allows for the removal of corrosion from the hub and the base of the studs. It comes with one quick-change handle and adapter, two small strip discs and two large strip discs, all supplied in foam storage.

This is a high-quality set of HSS drills and corresponding spiral flutes, which are designed for extracting and removing damaged, jammed or cross-threaded screws. It comes complete with a specially moulded case.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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PRODUCTS.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ON TEST

Caterpillar Holton Safety Boots If you want to protect yourself with footwear that’s tough, durable and also quite cool, look no further, says Craig Cheetham

good pair of safety boots is essential for anyone working in a busy garage, especially where heavy lifting and ramps are involved. They may not be the most luxurious footwear, but you’ll be extremely grateful for them the first time you drop a torque wrench on your toe… Making work boots both comfortable and stylish is the key to making them appeal, and these Caterpillar Holton Safety Boots do just that. From one of the best names in the construction and workshop industries, CAT has a reputation for creating products that are tough, durable and also quite cool – there are very few companies famous for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) whose logo you’d choose to wear outside of work, but CAT has a whole range of hoodies, cargo pants and casual boots that are built on the back of the brand’s rough and tough reputation. Available in sizes 7-13, the CAT Holton boots fall into the higher price bracket for steel toe cap boots, but at the same time, you get what you pay for, and these boots are guaranteed to last a long time. In terms of the protection they offer, the toe

cap is shrouded in a thick bevelled steel, which offers exceptional protection. As part of our testing, we tried lowering a large number of heavy items gently onto our feet (don’t try this at home, kids…) and even with a trolley jack designed for lifting a Land Rover Defender resting on our toes, we didn’t feel any give in the material. We did consider driving the Land Rover onto them as the toe caps are said to withstand up to three tonnes of weight, but sadly (or not) our insurance wouldn’t cover us. It’s reassuring to know though, that if you did accidentally get your toes run over in the workshop, you’d probably still be okay to play football at the weekend. Again, though, don’t take this as gospel – driving a car over your own toes is something you do at your own risk, and natural selection may well play a part. Aside from the toe caps, the boots have a thick natural leather upper and sturdy clasps for the laces, while they can be tied in three places – above, below and midway up the ankle. As work boots go, they’re very comfortable, though the sturdy construction does mean they

feel fairly heavy and they do make operating a car’s pedals something of a guessing game as you can’t feel much through the sole. They were fine in our Land Rover Defender, but when we also used them to move a Nissan Micra they resulted in an impromptu emergency stop. This, though, is something you’ll soon get used to if you use them every day for work. And that, of course, is what they’re designed for. As a result, we wore them for two days solid, with no rubbing, blisters or discomfort. As PPE goes, these are an excellent way to protect yourself while still feeling comfortable and looking good.

Caterpillar Holton Safety Boots Product code: 543771091 How much: £118.99 RRP Where from: omnipart.eurocarparts.com Rating: HHHHH

Euro Car Parts is the UK’s No. 1 supplier of car parts. Go online to omnipart.eurocarparts.com 32 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Join the 40,000 garages that choose Triple QX every day! ■ Competitive price, quality oil ■ Advanced additive technology reduces friction for optimised power ■ Helps prevent build-up of deposits to promote engine cleanliness ■ Maximum engine wear protection, helping to extend service drain periods ■ Meets ACEA and manufacturer’s standards ■ Helps reduce emissions and improve fuel consumption ■ The range covers over 90% of cars and to make sure you pick the right oil every time, we work with Olyslager B.V. to ensure our vehicle look up system tells you exactly what oil you need for the vehicle ■ The range has been developed with leading lubricant manufacturers to ensure premium quality and OE performance

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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GARAGEFOCUS .

COURSES RUN BY EURO CAR PARTS’ EURO ACADEMY HAVE PROVED INVALUABLE

Autofirst Network is the key to our future success UCKFIELD MOTOR SERVICES

ymon Cockill, founder of Uckfield Motor Services, has taught his family well. They never turn business away and there is always room to grow! As part of their ambitious growth strategy, the business joined the Autofirst Network, an initiative backed by Euro Car Parts. The rapidly-expanding garage has eight ramps and two MOT bays and is beginning to take on small volumes of fleet work. Attracted by training, marketing support and technical assistance, the workshop has been an advocate and active user of the Autofirst Network since it joined. The first thing that Uckfield did after joining The Uckfield Motor Services team pride themselves on their reliability the Autofirst Network was to get the 10 technicians ‘You can’t operate in this going to do the best job possible. Part of being that they currently employ industry without technical able to deliver on this promise is investment in to complete the Technical partnerships that give you training and equipment. Being partnered with Assessment, which is available access to the equipment and Euro Car Parts gives us access to expertise and through the Euro Academy. databases you need to complete technical capabilities, allowing us to turn jobs The online assessment asks 75 the job. Training is a vital part of around quickly for customers. questions in 75 minutes assessing this growth because the electronic ‘We have worked closely with Euro Car Parts their electrical, diagnostic and for over a decade, and the team has always been Uckfield Motor Services side of the trade is massive.’ mechanical knowledge. From He continued: ‘Recently, I went approachable. It is one of the few businesses in this, Uckfield Motor Services was able to plan a on the Euro Academy hybrid and electric vehicle the industry with the infrastructure to deliver training schedule for its team. Dozens of courses course because this is a technology that is coming on what is promised, so we see great potential are available, from electrics and diagnostics and for which we need to prepare. Our point in the Autofirst Network scheme. We are already to hybrid vehicle servicing and customer care, of differentiation is incredible service, all the experiencing the benefits, with access to market catering for a wide range of technical abilities. time. By partnering with companies like Euro presence and technical support.’ Speaking about the arrangement and future Car Parts, we can achieve this goal. In addition, A family-run business, Uckfield Motor direction of Uckfield Motor Services, son by belonging to an approved garage scheme, we Services is running out of space for the trophies of Symon, Edward Cockill, emphasised the can attract new customers. This was part of our and bottles of champagne that the family has importance of belonging to an approved garage strategy for becoming an approved Black Circles collected over years of racing. However, it is this scheme. He said: ‘Six years ago, if a car came in fitting centre and we believe that the industry passion and enthusiasm for motor vehicles that with an engine management light on, it would presence of Euro Car Parts, combined with its has been instrumental to its success. be something exciting. These days, there are 65 impressive marketing budget, will also drive new ‘I never imagined that my two sons and control systems on a Mercedes-Benz. business into the workshop.’ daughter would join my wife Melanie and I in There is still a challenge, however, because as the business; it’s terrific,’ says Symon Cockill. repairs become more technical, it is harder for ‘We continue to race Citroen C1s. We might be customers to understand the costs associated dialling back the motorsport but we are keeping with repair jobs. Diagnostics can be a nightmare the race truck for when my grandchildren arrive. with error codes not always accurately identifying They are going to turn up to their first karting the mechanical or electrical issue. To combat this, meetings in a proper truck! Uckfield Motor Services has significantly invested ‘We are creating a business for the next in equipment that speeds up work time and generation of our family. Investing in equipment reduces the end cost for customers. and training guarantees that this business will Edward said: ‘We attract customers who are continue to thrive for many generations to come. looking for an honest and reliable garage that is Any workshop owner would do the same.’

“

We are creating a business for the next generation of our family. 34 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Facebook, LinkedIn & Youtube: GEMCO Sales & Service Twitter: @GemcoEquipment

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| 35

FEATURE.

IGNITION SYSTEMS

HOW YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EGR VALVE FAILURE Clever three-step process to track down underlying faults will save your business time and money, reports Sophie Williamson-Stothert. ELTA Automotive is addressing the common causes of EGR valve failure and how to prevent them, helping to save your business time and money. The complex controls of a modern engine’s performance characteristics are becoming increasingly dependent on sensors. A myriad of these electronic devices work in unison to ensure the engine functions seamlessly to its optimum efficiency and nowhere is this more evident than in the operation of a vehicle’s exhaust and emissions system. It’s these tiny sensors that alert us to system failure and malfunctions, for which exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves are notorious. Following the launch of its VXPRO range of vehicle sensor and control electronics, ELTA Automotive Ltd has revealed the data of its latest research into return rates on EGR valves and the common reasons as to why they fail. ‘In-depth analysis conducted by our TECHASSIST support service indicates that there are two common reasons for returns,’ said marketing manager Tim Brotherton. ‘The first is misdiagnosis. There are several causes of EGR-related fault codes and not all point directly to the valve itself. ‘The second is technicians replacing EGR valves but not addressing the underlying issues that caused the valve to fail. Our research shows that EGR valves that have failed prematurely are often heavily contaminated, indicating that they’ve been installed into a “dirty” system.’ To tackle this, ELTA recommends a three-step process, which it was planning to showcase at June’s Automechanika event in Birmingham. First, you should clean the system using an EGR/turbo-

cleaning aerosol or a Terraclean (or similar) system, then replace the EGR valve before resetting the ECU, so it recognises the new component. ‘When looking specifically at VAG applications, we found that most aftermarket providers experienced issues with the vehicles rejecting the replacement EGR valve. ‘As it typically takes around four or five hours to undertake the replacement, this understandably created a great deal of frustration for technicians, factors and manufacturers alike,’ explained Brotherton. ‘However, our new VXPRO EE6500 EGR valves are effectively dateless, allowing the ECU to recode the part automatically. This simple yet effective solution has led to a lot of interest in the product and I am sure this trend is set to continue as the market learns that we have found a solution to the problem.’ He added: ‘To underline the importance of comprehensive diagnosis, rather than simply to change one of the everincreasing numbers of sensors in the modern vehicle, we are using the technical training hub at Automechanika to address the issue. ‘Although an incredibly important component, the air mass sensor, for example, has become the “first item on the list” to resolve many a problem, when it is often merely a symptom and not the actual cause of the issue. ‘Using our TECHASSIST technical expertise, we will demonstrate that drilling down to find the underlying fault is the key to the correct diagnosis, and as well as yielding better results, a structured procedure will improve workshop efficiency by saving time and money.’

“

Our research shows that EGR valves that have failed prematurely are often heavily contaminated.

A maze of electrical components A COMPLEX electrical system means network failure is inevitable – if one part fails, it’s more than likely that the entire system will crumble. This can easily be rectified in the workshop, but how can you ensure it won’t happen again? The modern motor vehicle consists of a complicated network of electrical components that all contribute to a reliable and safe journey for the driver. Some vehicles, for example, incorporate more than 150 sensors and switches and just one component failure can result in the breakdown of the whole electrical system. It is for this reason that networks such as the ignition system – a vital organ within the motor – needs to be checked regularly to ensure it is in full working order. According to Tetrosyl, the largest manufacturer and supplier of car care products in Europe, in 2015 more vehicle breakdowns were attributed to an electrical component or system fault than to any other automotive product group.

36 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

SMPE sends Lucas products under new agreement STANDARD Motor Products Europe (SMPE) has begun dispatching orders of the Lucas brand to customers across Europe under its new licence agreement. Following months of investment in range reprofiling, packaging and cataloguing, SMPE has worked tirelessly with Lucas-brand customers to ensure they benefit from a raft of measures designed to increase their sales of Lucas engine management products such as ignition coils. Under SMPE stewardship, the engine management product line-up is set for a complete overhaul, with all ranges benefiting from development. The range includes ignition coils, cam/ crank sensors, air mass meters, lead sets, coolant temp sensors and oil pressure switches, engineered by SMPE in the UK. Richard Morley, SMPE commercial director, said: ‘It’s a very exciting time for SMPE and we’re delighted to see our first orders of Lucas products going out to customers throughout Europe. ‘In the past few months, the SMPE team – with their vast experience and expertise – have been completely dedicated to ensuring Lucas-brand customers benefit from the industry-leading support and service available from SMPE. ‘We have some very big plans to develop the brand, with a firm emphasis on range, availability and customer service.’ This year, Nottingham-based SMPE is celebrating 50 years in business. The company offers one of the strongest OE-matching-quality European aftermarket engine management programmes available, through its commitment to quality and performance, underpinned by its ISO 9001:2015 accreditation.

can lead to network failure While these systems will allow a car to run like a dream when they’re in full working order, they also fail regularly because of the vast number of parts within the system, much like an overload – what may start as a dim brake light could turn into something much worse. The increased number of components required to manage these systems requires the individual parts of this network to be designed and manufactured to optimise the finite space available. These advances in system optimisation can be shown in the evolution of the vehicle ignition system. This, along with the recent changes in the European emission legislation, have resulted in vehicle manufacturers revising various aspects of a vehicle’s electrical system to comply. This is achieved by constantly monitoring the performance and waste of an engine and taking the necessary reactive steps to ensure that the optimum running parameters are met.

The improvements that have been made have evolved the simple traditional ignition system to a complex management network that consists of numerous sensor modules to ensure that the motor vehicle runs at optimum efficiency, resulting in less waste and better fuel consumption. One supplier that is focused on delivering original equipment (OE)-quality parts that won’t fail is Ci Ignition. The company has been supplying the vehicle aftermarket since 1913 with a vast range of ignition and electrical components, as well as engine management and sensors. The firm’s latest range carries the QH (Quinton Hazell) brand – one of the largest suppliers of OE-quality aftermarket car parts worldwide, which was acquired by Tetrosyl Group in 2013 – as a symbol of quality and availability. Ci products represent a full range covering 97 per cent of the UK car parc, with more than 4,000 stock keeping units across 35 product ranges. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 37

FEATURE.

FILTERS

ITG EXPANDS PROFILTER RANGE TO CATER FOR LATEST TRANSITS Air filter manufacturer ensures commercial vehicle drivers needn’t compromise on induction efficiency or performance, reports Sophie Williamson-Stothert. PROVING that not all of its projects are aimed at highperformance applications, the team at ITG – Induction Technology Group – has announced an expanded range of ProFilters, meaning the line now caters for an even wider variety of vehicles, including the 2016 2.0 TDCi Ford Transit in its various guises. It’s a move that will no doubt prove popular among owners of Ford’s all-conquering workhorse, with the range now able to be fitted to models such as the Torneo and Transit Custom – models that are increasingly popular with buyers looking for a sporting commercial vehicle. ITG’s ProFilters are ideal for those keen to bring about tangible improvements in performance and filtration efficiency. ProFilters have been designed with easy fitting in mind, perfectly mimicking the inner dimensions of the airboxes on specific models of car, meaning they can normally be installed within minutes using the most basic of tools. A specially created reticulated polyester foam blend, TriFoam, is the material of choice for all ITG filters, thanks to its multifaceted abilities. These include maximised airflow without a corresponding drop-off in pressure, enhanced cleaning efficiency with a proven ability to trap common airborne contaminants, and impressive dust load-up tolerance. The latter ensures that ITG ProFilters can absorb a large amount of fine dust without reducing airflow capacity or efficiency. Tri-Foam’s abilities stem from its advanced construction, with varying thicknesses of finer or coarser foams used for different applications. This, in turn, allows ITG’s engineers to tailor filters to set fittings. Tri-Foam filters consist of a stainless steel wire mesh, a coarse outer layer to both prevent ingress from foreign bodies and straighten airflow, a medium-grade middle layer to trap most of the harmful dirt, and a fine inner layer – the

ProFilters now cater for the latest Transits, thanks to the expanded range from ITG last line of defence against particle-sized contaminants. What’s more, because it uses the very latest adhesive technologies to bond the foam layers, ITG filter assemblies are totally resistant to water, fumes, oils and fuels – including the exotic brews used in racing. The ProFilter’s ability to filter down to a particle level is highly significant, from both a performance perspective and that of the continued health of the Transit’s hard-working

diesel engine. It means that those opting to install a ProFilter in their Transit or Torneo will often experience a slight increase in both power and torque, not to mention a subtly enhanced induction noise. ITG’s latest ProFilter joins a host of similar offerings for a wide selection of commercial vehicles, meaning those who drive them on a daily basis no longer need to compromise on induction efficiency or performance.

Comline has its finger on market pulse with replacement filter for 2015 2.0l TDCi Transit onwards COMLINE has announced that it is the first company in the aftermarket to offer a replacement diesel fuel filter for the 2015-and-onwards 2.0-litre TDCi Ford Transit. Being first with a filter for one of the UK’s most popular light commercial vehicles points to a brand that has its finger firmly on the pulse of the market. In keeping with Comline’s broader filter range, the filter (part number EFF354D) is manufactured using high-quality materials for consistent, reliable filtration and, according to the firm, provides genuine value for money for aftermarket

38 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

businesses. With this significant addition to its portfolio and the numerous other Transit references available, Comline is primed to help keep the nation’s fleet running smoothly. Product and supply chain general manager Miten Parikh said: ‘Comline’s filter range is one of the most complete available in the aftermarket. ‘The 2015-onwards Transit will be an important revenue stream for aftermarket businesses, and our new diesel fuel filter will help customers maximise their profitability on this vehicle.’

FOCUS ON

EURO CAR PARTS

QUALITY THE KEY TO ENDURING SUCCESS OF CROSLAND BRAND EURO CAR PARTS

T: 020 3474 0500 W: OMNIPART.EUROCARPARTS.COM

Bill Stimson, technical sales director at Euro Car Parts, looks at the success of Crosland: a brand of filters that has been synonymous with quality for decades… WIND the clock back 63 years to 1955. ITV starts broadcasting and the average price for a house is just £2,000. More importantly, the British motor trade is booming, with BMC, Ford, Rootes, Standard-Triumph and Vauxhall comprising 90 per cent of the UK’s motor vehicle output. At the heart of this industry was the Crosland brand of filters – a range that was supplied to most original equipment (OE) manufacturers, including Rolls-Royce, Ford, Bentley and Rover. Throughout the next few decades, Crosland would become synonymous with quality, supplying oil, air, fuel and cabin filters to cars and vans globally. Just five years ago, the range comprised 600 references covering 80 per cent of the UK car parc. The filters continue to be manufactured with the same quality materials they always have, and the range is constantly expanding to push the boundaries of quality. A major benefit of Crosland filters is the product’s packaging and branding. Parts are delivered in hard cardboard containers and tightly sealed in protective bags to lock out dust and debris, ensuring a clean filter every time. Importantly, each individual package is stamped with the batch number and when the component was manufactured. This gives the repairer peace of mind over warranty returns and enables each individual part to be tracked. The result is one of the lowest warranty returns rates in the business – less than 0.025 per cent! Quality has been key to the success of the Crosland brand, which has grown to now include 1,400 live references with 97 per cent UK car parc coverage. Not only do Crosland filters exceed the requirements set out by the Aftermarket Block Exemption regulation, but the quality of the range is also above standards set out by ISO16949. Each individual filter undergoes a manual quality inspection following manufacture to ensure it meets the high-quality standards for which Crosland is known. Any parts that don’t meet the strict criteria are not sent to repairers. Crosland also offers extra support to the independent aftermarket. Repairers complete many filter replacements,

Crosland is a historic name in the world of filters

Parts are delivered in hard cardboard containers and tightly sealed in protective bags to lock out dust and debris. as they are serviceable items, but not all of them are straightforward. Crosland recently became aware of a recurring issue with the fuel housing on Volkswagen vehicles. As the housing ages, it typically becomes misshapen, triggering a raft of fuel leaking problems on to the timing belt. To overcome this, a specific tightening sequence must be followed when fitting a fuel filter. To assist with this, Crosland

identifies and catalogues all potential issues for every type of vehicle with a known issue and then includes fitting instructions and support in the box. With a decades-long reputation, Crosland is committed to offering a matching OE-quality range of filtration products to independent repairers years after it first helped fuel Britain’s car-making revolution. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 39

OUR FLEET.

Taylor the Swift at Silverstone, main picture, and below, with owner Ryan

Suzuki Swift Sport Ryan and Taylor take a trip to Silverstone for Japfest – and he finds he’s perfectly happy with the car in its unmodified state

nywhere else in the UK, a sub-£10k Japanese sports car garnished with a wide bodykit, huge aftermarket rear wing while lowered to within a millimetre of the edge of its stretched tyre would stick out like a herring in a sea of bog-standard cod. However, the opposite proved to be true on the Swift’s latest adventure. May’s first bank holiday weekend saw a trip to Northamptonshire for Japfest Silverstone — dubbed the biggest Japanese car show in the country. Frequent readers of these pages may remember I'd been pondering making some modifications to Taylor, but so far the car is still as it came out of the factory. I’d assumed I’d be in the minority of stock machinery at Japfest and that proved true – but I wasn’t quite prepared for just how small that minority would be. Heading up the A34 at 6am proved rather quiet in convoy with a former colleague and his (also stock) Nissan 200SX, but as we got closer, the number of car clubs in extreme machinery we began to pass ramped up. First came a crew of Subaru Imprezas – and not

Model: Suzuki Swift Sport Owned by: Ryan Hirons Engine: 1.6-litre petrol Bought for: £3,995 Mileage: 32,856 Money spent this month: £2 to park next to an ice cream van. Highlight of the month: A nice sunny day out at Silverstone. a single one looking untouched, although it must be said they were very respectable on the roads. Huge exhausts, eye-catching liveries and wild body kits definitely set the tone for the day. Arriving at the track, and as we hadn’t come with a car club, Taylor and I were guided to the ‘individual display’ section. It had been organised into manufacturer sections, but my Swift was the first of the Suzukis to arrive, resulting in it being partnered with an ice cream van. Admittedly, I abandoned the car for most of the day, giving a brief glance across from the bridge over Silverstone’s hangar straight to make sure it was still there – it was easy to spot, thanks

to some incredible valeting work by expert car cleaning colleague Ted. I can’t imagine it gained quite as much attention as I’d hoped, though. What I had realised is that my earlier ambitions to modify the car were beginning to fade into the background. Sure, in the realms of Japfest it’d fit in, but seeing all of the heavily modified stuff on offer made me realise that its stock state was something to be cherished. I may have to get a Japanese-sized number plate to look like I almost belong and come with a Swift owners’ club next year, though. That said, the ice cream was good...

OUR WHEELS... WE LOVE CARS AT WORKSHOP AND HERE’S THE PROOF. WE’VE WRITTEN ABOUT THEM AND EVERYTHING... 40 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

VW TYPE 3 FASTBACK

FORD FIESTA XR2

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT

FORD THUNDERBIRD

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial, @believebecca

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

by Ryan Hirons Staff writer, @RyHirons

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial, @believebecca

Once its problems are sorted out with the invaluable assistance of Matt the Mechanic, Becca plans to put UCW 826L up for sale.

As spring is here and we’re finally getting some hot and dry days, the XR2 is back on the road and attracting some admiring glances.

Ryan and Taylor have been enjoying some quality time together, as you can read in more detail above. Fun in the sun – good times indeed!

Despite things moving forward with the T-Bird this year, Becca has been prioritising her VW lately, so progress has slowed down a bit.

BMW 330d Touring

VW Type 3 Fastback

Jack’s worried about Belfort’s next MOT

A potentially ‘simple’ fix sadly turned out to be rather complex, reports Rebecca

s you may have heard, recent changes to the MOT test have been introduced to improve air quality. Among a myriad edits to the way our cars are checked, diesel cars are now being immediately failed if they show ‘any visible smoke’. As the owner of a now close-to-18-year-old diesel car, this has got me a little worried. Belfort hasn’t been chipped or remapped, but he does have a tendency to be a bit smoky. My usual approach to this has been one with which I’m sure other diesel drivers are familiar: fill the fuel tank to three-quarters, add a good glug of diesel additive and head out on the motorway for a series of full-throttle bursts to well and truly clean out the pipes. However, I’m not sure that’s going to cut the mustard any more – which is why I’ve been

u Becca’s car arrives

at Matt Kendall’s garage in Southsea

I looking into alternatives. The first is pretty straightforward, though relatively costly: give the car a full service, which would involve changing all the filters and replacing the ratty old oil with some fresh lubrication. That should, in theory at least, help the engine run at its best. There’s another option, too. I’ve recently seen how some companies are able to use a small compressor and tank fitted in the engine bay to introduce hydrogen into the car’s burn process. Adding the gas helps the diesel to be used more efficiently but, most importantly, more cleanly too. The end result is less smoke out the back and a far happier MOT tester. It’s all food for thought, I guess...

Model: BMW 330d Touring Owned by: Jack Evans Engine: 2.9-litre turbocharged diesel Bought for: £2,600 Mileage: 147,327 Money spent this month: £0 Highlight of the month: Exercising the old grey matter to work out a route to MOT test success.

SUBARU LEGACY GT-B

was about to write that my fleet of cars has become a stationary museum of almostcollectibles. As many of you will know, the miles travelled by them has been very low over the past year or so. So low, in fact, that the observant among you would have noticed that my Volkswagen Type 3 was bumped from the bottom of these pages to make room for more mobile members of the Workshop Magazine fleet. It has been on the move this month, however, paying a visit to our friendly local mechanic Matt Kendall to get a fuel leak fixed and have a fresh new ticket put on it. With the leak issue still ongoing, and without an MOT or insurance, the first task was actually getting it to him with the help of our long-term test Volkswagen Amarok and a trailer (see our sister title Car Dealer to find out how we’re getting on with the big pick-up). If only the Type 3 had been working, I suspect driving on its tyres would have been safer than those on the trailer! I nervously sat in the passenger seat, not quite trusting the metal frame that was carrying my pride and joy – but incredibly we did make it in one piece. The fuel leak was even more apparent when we tried to start it at Whites Motors – Matt’s garage in Southsea – as the car proceeded to dump petrol on the floor… While I was convinced this was a

BMW 330d TOURING

MG METRO TURBO

simple fix and that just one bit of pipe was affected, it turns out that things weren’t that straightforward. After replacing one section, Matt then began chasing fuel leaks around the engine. Maybe the previous owner hadn’t been completely honest when he'd said the fuel hose had just been replaced, and the bits that we sorted with donated hose might not have been as fresh as he'd claimed either. I did think I was being a bit of a wimp, palming off my vee-dub to a garage to replace one piece of fuel hose, but when Matt called me with the news, I felt less guilty as my tools and capabilities don’t stretch quite that far. Regular readers will remember the struggles I had even changing the spark plugs in this awkward, flat-four, air-cooled, suitcase-sized engine. The end of this story? When the car comes back with a fresh MOT, it’ll be hitting the market. And yes, I know it doesn’t need an MOT any more, but would you want to buy a 46-year-old car without one?

Model: Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback 1600E Owned by: Rebecca Chaplin Engine: 1.6-litre Bought for: £3,500 Mileage: 92,979 Money spent this month: Invoice incoming... Highlight of the month: Feeling reassured that Matt the Mechanic is working his magic.

PEUGEOT 605 2.0 SLI

PEUGEOT 205 GTi

by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay

by Jack Evans Features editor, @jackrober

by Christian Tilbury Staff writer, @Christilbury1

by Tom Wiltshire Staff writer, @mctreckmeister

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

Jon’s been getting quite a bit of use out of HS02 WHB lately – a recent trip to a branch of Sainsbury’s being among many motoring highlights.

Jack has been putting his thinking cap on in preparation for Belfort’s next appointment with the MOT testers. Find out why above.

Christian’s still pondering the ‘to sell or not to sell’ question – despite being happier with D821 ACJ than he has been in a long while...

A new addition to the fleet! Tom brought this British-registered 605 back from its temporary Dutch home last September. Full report soon.

James is wondering whether it would be worth finding out how much this iconic hot hatch would sell for. He’d miss it a lot, though! WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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OUR KEV.

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

It’s a terrible state to be in if there’s no kind of MOT system A few weeks back it was my 40th birthday and also that of the good lady ’er indoors, so to celebrate we’d saved up to go on the holiday of a lifetime. Herself, me and the ankle-biters spent the Easter holidays in Florida, where she and the kids got to do the whole Mickey Mouse thing, while I focused on space stations and American pickup trucks. We stayed in Daytona Beach because a) it was a lot cheaper than Miami, b) it wasn’t Miami and c) it was within spitting distance of one of the USA’s most famous motor racing circuits, the Daytona International Speedway, though of course it was ‘pure coincidence’ that there happened to be a major race taking place on one of the weekends we were there. But I digress. While my family were happily making memories in the theme parks, I was spending much of my time admiring the cars on the roads out there, as the mild Florida climate means they tend to last a long time. Indeed, some would argue that the Ford Taurus taxi that took us from the airport to our hotel had been on the road for far too long already, but a lot of that goes on out there. Florida, you see, like other states such as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Arkansas and Iowa (there are others…) doesn’t have any form of vehicle inspection other than to check a car’s VIN plate when it changes ownership. Otherwise, that’s it – you can drive around unimpeded by the need to take your car for any kind of annual roadworthiness check. To a qualified MOT inspector, that’s insane… When you consider that Daytona Beach is an upmarket resort, itself allied to one of the wealthiest cities in the USA, it’s amazing to see the sheer number of ‘beaters’ there are driving around. But with no means of checking a car’s roadworthiness every year, it’s perfectly normal for even a well-heeled family to run their car until it dies. Old-school American cars take some killing, too, as while the interior quality may be, on the whole, truly dire and the exterior often a bit flimsy, the Yanks sure know how to build a decent engine. Most US V8s and straight sixes will rack up the miles without shrugging a shoulder. Indeed, I got chatting to one guy in a bar and when I told him that Brits were wary of buying any car with more than 150k on the clock, he burst out laughing and proceeded to tell the whole place. But then, that’s the American way. As, indeed, is driving your pickup truck with so much corrosion on the outer wings that you can see the extent of the corrosion on the inner wings without even lifting the bonnet. Or driving a

Chevy Caprice with absolutely zero sill corrosion, which I could tell from a very quick glance as there were simply no sills left to corrode. And this was a wealthy town in Florida. Imagine the same laws applied to rundown parts of Michigan and Indiana, where they salt the roads in winter and where there’s still a huge unemployment hangover from the end of the car industry’s boom years. It doesn’t bear thinking about what kind of dangerous horrors there are hurtling down the highways. But then, these are states where, for some reason that just does not compute in my head, they suggest that wearing a crash helmet while riding a motorbike is simply ‘recommended’. Very few people do. While I’m prepared to put a lot of the premature road deaths in these states down to natural selection – after all, why WOULD you want to drive around in a deathtrap? – there’s a more serious question here. How can the world’s biggest superpower and the strongest economic nation in the entire developed world think it’s okay for its citizens, the vast majority of whom know nothing about cars except how to drive them, get around without ever having to take their car to be looked over by a trained mechanic? Not only that, but if you have a car that you drive every day, you tend not to notice the wear and tear. The rattles start off as slight squeaks and get progressively noisier, the suspension gets softer and saggier, the steering less responsive and the brakes that little bit less sharp as time goes by, but because the process of wear is gradual then if you drive a car daily, you tend not to notice immediately. But you will do when a ball joint fails, a wheel bearing goes bang or a brake pipe bursts, and the consequences don’t bear thinking about – either for the driver or for the unfortunate other road user they may hit. Quite frankly, for a country as outwardly civilised as the USA to have no form of MOT equivalent in some of its biggest states is sheer lunacy, and I find it hard to comprehend. But then, this is the nation that elected Donald Trump as its leader, so maybe that adds a bit of context…

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

”

It doesn’t bear thinking about what kind of dangerous horrors there are hurtling down the highways.

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

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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 26 and 27 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: 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.

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: info@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 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

| 43

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