Workshop Magazine Issue 29

TESTING TIMES: ONE MOT CHANGE SCRAPPED, BUT OTHERS ARE ON THE WAY

ISSUE 29 | FEBRUARY 2018

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Farewell to Dan Gurney, a true pioneer of motorsport

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Our globe-trotting mechanics feel the heat as they reach Pakistan

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The plant behind the powertrains that have driven Skoda to success

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EDITORIAL HEAD OF EDITORIAL REBECCA CHAPLIN

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CONTENTS. 12

PRODUCTION EDITOR DAVE BROWN

Very well travelled: The AustinHealey that’s been to Oz and back

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FEATURES EDITOR JACK EVANS

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STAFF WRITER RYAN HIRONS

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HEAD OF DESIGN GRAEME WINDELL

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42

The Judge: Caution is key when it comes to modifying clients’ cars

16

SALES MANAGER JON HICKEY

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

Our fleet: Good progress at last with Rebecca’s mighty T-Bird

34

Our Kev: How a ‘fail’ can be a pass under new rules for MOTs coming later this year

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30

Power plant: A visit to Skoda’s Mladá Boleslav engine factory

Welcome

IT’S certainly been a hectic start to the year, as you’ll see from the pages of this edition of Workshop Magazine – and one of the subjects we’ve been playing close attention to is the MOT testing regime. In May, new regulations will come into force, with fresh guidelines for testing as well as new categories for failures. But will consumers be able to get their heads round the new arrangements?

We have a comprehensive report on the subject on pages 8 and 9 and RAC spokesman Simon Williams told us: ‘While on the surface, this change, which is part of an EU directive due to come into force in May, seems like a sensible move, we fear many motorists could end up being confused by the new categories, which give an indication as to the seriousness of vehicle defects identified in an MOT test.

‘Rather than MOT failures simply being black and white, the new system creates the potential for confusion, as testers will have to make a judgment as to whether faults are ‘‘dangerous’’, ‘‘major’’ or ‘‘minor’’.

‘This will surely be open to interpretation, which may lead to greater inconsistency from one test centre to another. Motorists may also struggle to understand the difference between ‘‘dangerous’’ and ‘‘major’’ failures.

The current system ensures that any vehicle with a fault that doesn’t meet the MOT requirements is repaired appropriately before being allowed back on the road.’

I’ve been speaking with industry experts this month to find out how this change will work. There’s a definite sense that although it’s a step in the right direction, it doesn’t go far enough.

As I’ve mentioned, you can read all about it on pages 8 and 9, and I’d like to hear your views on the subject too. More importantly, do you think your business can survive the changes the industry is facing?

Enjoy the issue!

Rebecca Chaplin, Head of Editorial WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 03

NEWS.

Heroes on track with Jaguar THE Invictus Games will take to the track for the first time ever in 2018, thanks to an all-new racing outfit launched at the Autosport International show in January.

Invictus Games Racing will run two Jaguar F-Type SVR GT4 cars in the British GT Championship that have been adapted

by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) department.

The 1,450kg, 450bhp F-Types will suit the needs of the outfit’s team of drivers, four of whom will be wounded, injured or sick military veterans.

Paul Vice, an ex-Royal Marines Commando, suffered paralysis of the right arm, traumatic brain injuries and the amputation of one of his legs below the knee after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan in 2011. Since his recovery, he has gone on to become one of the most successful Invictus Games athletes, winning seven medals at the 2016 event, including two golds.

His teammate will be Steve McCulley, who spent three weeks in a coma following an IED incident, also in Afghanistan in 2011. McCulley credits his love of motorsport as part of what got him through this trying time, and comes to the Invictus Games Racing project with previous racing experience

04 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

in Caterham’s single-make championships. Both drivers of the second car suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Basil Rawlinson, an ex-2nd Battalion parachutist and Jaguar Land Rover employee, will race alongside former RAF Chinook engineer Ben Norfolk, who said: ‘I was medically discharged in November as a result of complex PTSD, anxiety and depression, which I developed due to an incident in Afghanistan in 2008.

‘One event stayed with me and buried its way into my brain over the course of four years. It came out three or four years ago, and where I am now compared to where I was two years ago . . .’ He pauses. ‘You only need to speak to my wife to grasp how different things are now.’

David Fairbairn, senior manager of SVO Bespoke and Special Commissions, said: ‘We have a lot of rewarding projects but this one tops them all. Not only are we getting the opportunity to develop a Jaguar F-Type SVR GT4 car, but we’re also inspiring injured servicemen and women to try something else and learn about the motorsport industry.’

The team will race for the first time at British GT’s Oulton Park season opener, taking place from March 31 to April 2.

ƒFrom left are Jason Wolfe, Basil Rawlinson, Ben Norfolk, Matthew George, Steve McCulley and Paul Vice – both Wolfe and George are professional, able-bodied racing drivers who will be mentoring the quartet then racing in the cars alongside the veterans

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

NEWCASTLE:

A homeless mechanic won praise after helping drivers struggling to move their cars in the snow. Eddie Unthank, 24, who sleeps rough on the streets of Newcastle, noticed drivers having difficulties while negotiating a car park on a steep slope. Despite the chilly winter conditions, he told drivers they could put his blanket under their cars’ wheels so they could gain traction and get on the move. He told the Chronicle Live website: ‘I worked as a mechanic so I know how to get cars out of snowy conditions and I had a wool blanket spare.’

| JUSTICE |

NORTH YORKS:

A garage is celebrating after winning a prize draw that will see it receive more than £1,000-worth of workshop equipment and accessories. Walkers Garage, based in South Otterington near Northallerton, was among hundreds of workshops that submitted their details for the Ring Golden Bulb campaign – and it was the winner, picked at random. Hosted by Ring, which supplies vehicle lighting, workshop equipment and vehicle accessories to the aftermarket, the campaign was launched in August.

LANCS:

Bowker Motor Group has received planning permission to build a Porsche Centre in Preston – and the development will have a 13-bay workshop. Preston City Council approved plans for the multi-millionpound transformation of the site at the junction of Watery Lane and West Strand. The investment in the 43,000 sq ft building will create more than 30 jobs.

Preston will be the 40th Porsche Centre in the manufacturer’s UK network. Work is due to start in the spring, with an official opening later this year.

CORNWALL:

A garage in Launceston hosted a visit by a group of schoolchildren.

The youngsters, from the town’s St Stephen’s Community Academy, visited Vanstone’s Garage on the Newport Industrial Estate as part of their topic on cars. The children were shown round the business and learnt about what it takes to be a mechanic. They found out about tyre pressures as well as spray painting and examined an engine that had been taken apart. A spokesman for the school thanked the garage and said the pupils had ‘learnt lots’.

Mechanic jailed for failing to pay almost £210k of tax and NI A MECHANIC who failed to pay nearly £210,000 of tax and national insurance due on self-employed earnings has been jailed for 18 months.

Investigations by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed that Iain Wilson of East Kilbride failed to declare all of his earnings as the sole proprietor of his business, Milton MOTs, in Arrotshole Road, East Kilbride, from 2009 to 2014.

Confirming his declared sales against Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency records, HMRC officers discovered that Wilson had been suppressing his earnings, failing to declare his true income to HMRC in his self-assessment tax returns, and evading £208,912.62 in income tax and national insurance contributions.

Wilson, 61, of MacKenzie Gardens, was given the prison sentence when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on January 4. He was found guilty after a trial at the same court on November 17, 2017. Confiscation proceedings to recover the proceeds of his crime are under way.

After the case, Joe Hendry, assistant director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: ‘Wilson chose to lie about his income and didn’t pay the tax due on his earnings.

'He thought he could pocket the money but he was wrong and now he’s paying the price.

‘No matter how well you think you’ve covered your tracks, nobody is beyond our reach.’

| PAGID |

Best-selling brake brand yet again SURREY:

Mechanics at a garage in Oxted faced an odd problem when they found that a customer’s car had been used as a winter nut store by an industrious squirrel! Estate agent Andrew Wilkins had difficulties changing gear while driving his VW Golf after a month abroad so took the car to PTA Garage Services. Mechanics found the car ‘stuffed with acorns – behind the trim, under the bonnet and inside the gearbox assembly’. Wilkins said: ‘They were absolutely everywhere.’ Removing them all – and a dead rat found under the bonnet – took two hours.

PAGID has retained its position as the biggest-selling braking brand in the UK for yet another year.

Factors that were said to drive the OE braking brand’s popularity included product quality, range and availability, as well as innovation.

As a TMD Friction brand, Pagid benefits from world-class research and development, testing and innovation, with TMD investing more than €25m (£21.8m) a year in R&D. Furthermore, all Pagid brakes are engineered to OE specification and manufactured to the highest quality.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS. | MOTOREASY |

Diesel cars ‘break down more often than petrol ones’ DIESEL cars break down more often than their petrol counterparts and are more expensive to repair on average, according to new research findings published by MotorEasy.

The warranty company’s year-long study of around 30,000 breakdowns involving vehicles between three and eight years old found that diesel cars were three times more likely to break down than petrol models.

The analysis also showed that the average engine repair bill for a diesel car was £517, as opposed to £433 for a petrol – a difference of 19 per cent.

The most costly diesel repair bill thrown up by the survey was a staggering £4,030.80. Alfa Romeo topped the list as the most unreliable brand, with a 47 per cent failure rate.

The three other manufacturers with the most diesel engine failures were Land Rover at 41 per cent, Mitsubishi at 36 per cent and Saab at 33 per cent.

Duncan McClure Fisher, founder of MotorEasy, said: ‘Diesels experience many more smaller problems than petrol cars. They are less reliable, and when a big item goes wrong it costs a lot more to put right.’

| DRAGON2000 |

Easy way to deal with MOT bookings DRAGON2000 has launched an MOT Scheduler that allows garages and workshops to manage their MOT booking processes more efficiently by easily accommodating online bookings as well as those made directly with the garage, thanks to a simple-to-use calendar.

This new feature within its dealer management system is an enhancement of the current workshop booking operations and provides a separate MOT section, which can be set up with the times that MOT testers are available.

Free slots then appear on the MOT Scheduler calendar, where service department staff can book customers’ vehicles in without any hassle.

Previous advisories that the customer declined to have done are also displayed so garage staff can mention these.

08 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Why changing technology is a bigger concern than new-look MOT regulations ... and can legislation keep up with all the developments that are looming on the horizon in the automotive world?

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s we will have all heard by now, and as we report on the right, the point at which a car has its first MOT is staying at three years of age – but other parts of this vital vehicle check will be undergoing a shake-up on May 20 to bring it into line with an EU roadworthiness directive being introduced on the same date.

In January, the DVSA revealed its draft MOT inspection manual for vehicles belonging to classes three, four, five and seven.

One of the major changes to the test is the introduction of the failure categories ‘minor’, ‘major’ and ‘dangerous’. Along with this, the new guidance introduces other measures such as a change to the way emissions are tested, and the ways in which reversing lights and brake discs are examined.

Eric Smith, MOT scheme manager for Kwik Fit, explained to Workshop Magazine: ‘As you know, governments don’t work at a very rapid pace. It’s very steady, but from May, an updated MOT tester’s manual will be introduced to bring it in line with all other industries with a nice digital set-up.’

However, with the aftermarket landscape changing so rapidly, there are concerns about how quickly the MOT industry can adapt.

Kwik Fit held a round-table discussion with industry leaders from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) and National Tyre Distributors’ Association (NTDA) to find out whether the sector could cope and what steps needed to be taken to enable it to do so.

Smith said: ‘What we need to think about, and it could take us by surprise if we’re not careful, is the

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca rapid change in the motor vehicle industry. GM has already said that within one year it’s going to have a vehicle produced with no steering wheel and/or pedals. That could be a frightening point, but it’s going to happen and we’ve got to accept it’s coming. Driverless cars are coming for certain, and I would suspect it’s probably commercial vehicles first.’

While large companies such as Kwik Fit are ahead of the curve with new legislation and future- proofing their workshops, smaller businesses may struggle to invest in the equipment required.

‘We’ve got 23,000 garages, the vast majority of which aren’t the likes of Kwik Fit,’ explained Neil Barlow, head of MOT policy and MOT service manager at the DVSA. ‘They’re relatively small organisations, with relatively small amounts of money behind them.

‘The MOT will always follow [the latest technology] to some extent, because the vehicle has to be three years old before it’s checked. And all the MOT is concerned about is whether things work or not.

‘It isn’t ever going to worry about fixing them, so the industry is going to have to be a bit ahead if they want to fix it – whatever it is. I would say that some of those smaller garages may well struggle.’

“

Steve Scofield, head of business development at the IMI, highlighted advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as a huge change in the industry that so far isn’t being addressed in the MOT – despite safety issues.

‘Windscreen technology is here now,’ Scofield said, ‘and that is a safety issue if it’s not put back right – but it doesn’t feature in the MOT today. That’s just one simple thing that the accident repair sector is already struggling with. There’s no regulation in place. Anything to do with radar or lane changing, with a safety element, is going to have to feature in the future.’

He continued: ‘We’ve made some good moves with the DVSA about

The biggest challenge we see globally is legislation staying ahead or even in line with the shift in technology.

STEVE SCOFIELD

Keeping the first MOT test at three years ‘safer for everyone’

M

getting people into the right place, but it’s a non-stop journey.

‘We’re already developing training around autonomous vehicles, and we’re only working with the Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs at the moment, but that needs to filter down into the independent repair sector and the MOT centres. The biggest challenge we see globally is legislation staying ahead or even in line with the shift in technology.’

Chief executive of the NTDA Stefan Hay explained that while technology was adapting fast, it was difficult for legislation to keep up.

‘In terms of legislation, if we look at it over the past four years we’ve been waiting for the legislation to be passed to enable tyre labelling.

‘Every time we get to the final reading by the government solicitors, there’s a delay. We’ve had a general election, the Scottish referendum and we’ve had Brexit. Of course, everything gets pushed back while solicitors focus on bigger issues.

‘We’re not going to see any legislation coming through imminently, because we’ve got this full repeal of European

legislation being brought into British legislation,’ he said.

It’s something that the SMMT has tried to push forward too, as senior section manager Peter Lawton explained. ‘A way to get better adaptability in the MOT was part of the SMMT consultation as well.

We didn’t provide an answer, but it’s something we want the government to bear in mind,’ he said.

‘When it comes to simpler things like timing belts, for the providers of those it’s in their interest to ensure they’re changed properly and they’ve always worked hard to ensure they keep workshops up to speed. I know they’re trying to do the same thing with ADAS.’ He added: ‘With ADAS and autonomous vehicles, it poses a lot of questions about who’s owning them. Do we own cars or hail them?

‘That knocks on to utilisation, and if that goes up, the old-fashioned things like tyres and brakes wear out faster and they need checking more frequently. So maybe a mileage-based MOT would be more sensible than a time-based MOT.’

Our Kev, p42

inisters say they have ‘put road safety first’ as the government announced it had decided to keep the period before a car’s first MOT test at three years.

Last year the Department for Transport (DfT) said that it would be consulting with the public to see whether it should be increased to four years. However, most of those who responded were against the proposal, citing safety as a major concern.

Many argued that the savings to motorists were outweighed by the risk to road users and that the MOT test often highlighted upcoming issues that could affect the vehicle.

A public survey, conducted by the DfT, also showed that only 449 of 1,970 respondents were in favour of the change.

In 2016, more than 2.4 million cars had their first MOT test, which costs owners up to £54.85. It was argued that lengthening the time period until the first test would have saved motorists more than £100m a year.

Roads minister Jesse Norman said: ‘We have some of the safest roads in the world, and are always looking at ways of making them safer.

‘Although modern cars are better built and safer than when the MOT test was last changed 50 years ago, there has been a clear public concern that any further changes don’t put people’s lives at risk.

‘We are looking at further research to ensure the MOT test evolves with the demands of modern motoring.’

Euro Car Parts CEO Martin Gray commented: ‘We applaud the decision to put road safety first. As we highlighted in our consultation to the government, around 17 per cent of cars fail their first MOT on their initial attempt, so extending a car’s first MOT to four years could have resulted in an extra 410,000 unsafe cars on the roads and risked higher accident rates.

‘The three-year-for-first-MOT system ensures vehicle defects are picked up and remedied quickly, to ensure the safety of all road users.

‘We’d like to thank all those in the industry that petitioned the government. It is our belief, and that of the wider sector, that road users’ safety will be maintained as a result of this.’

Stefan Hay, chief executive of the National Tyre Distributors’ Association, said: ‘From day one, we considered the proposal to change the MOT testing frequency to be ill-advised, unnecessary and potentially harmful to motorists’ safety.

‘There was no support from the leading motoring bodies or automotive trade associations, and motorists overwhelmingly appeared content with the 3-1-1 frequency.’

Roger Griggs, communications director for Kwik Fit, added: ‘We welcome the government’s decision to keep the first MOT at three years, as we believe this is vital in maintaining road safety.

‘Although cars are becoming ever safer, Kwik Fit’s research has shown that on many cars wearable items such as tyres aren’t checked frequently enough, with drivers relying on the MOT to flag issues.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 09

NEWS. | TRICO |

Don’t forget to check rear wiper blades, technicians urged TECHNICIANS should always check rear wiper blades as well as the front ones as it’s a great upsell opportunity – and a way of ensuring the motorist has proper visibility all around them.

That’s the advice from Trico, the global leader in windscreen wiper technology. Rear integral blades should be changed just as often as the front wipers, although most drivers only change their rear blade once every five years or so. Highlighting this is a great opportunity to help your customers and win their loyalty, says Trico.

Trico’s rear blade programme now contains 48 blades supported by a dedicated rear blade-only catalogue and supplied as part of the Trico Exact Fit programme. A yellow flash on the packaging helps easily identify rear-screen blades. Trico is also able to provide unique connectors that cover up to two different arm types with the same connector.

Trico product and brand manager Sam Robinson said: ‘The process of changing a rear windshield wiper blade should be repeated annually.

‘This provides another opportunity for garages to increase profit as there is a growing number of vehicles with unique rear wiper blade designs.

‘Although many of these blades look similar, they’re specially developed and unique in fitment. The Trico Exact Fit rear blade programme is comprehensive so can accommodate the wide variety of applications.’

| AUTORAISE |

Charity’s new head of engagement VEHICLE repair industry charity AutoRaise has appointed Mark Bull as its head of engagement for business.

Bull, right, brings industry knowledge and experience spanning more than 35 years to the team, having worked within pretty much every aspect of the automotive and motor insurance industries. AutoRaise chief executive Bob Linwood said: ‘We’re delighted to have secured his services.’

10 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Government deal secures £52.8m for motor industry Agreement involves joint investment and long-term commitments in various areas

From the left at the SMMT’s HQ in London are Ian Constance, chief executive of the Advanced Propulsion Centre; Konstanze Scharring, director of policy at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; business secretary Greg Clark; and Nigel Stein, industry chairman of the Automotive Council. Picture: SMMT

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landmark deal between the government and the automotive industry has been announced, securing millions of pounds of investment.

It involves joint investment and long-term commitments in areas including the design and development of autonomous vehicles, research and development of battery technology, and accelerating the manufacture of ultralow and zero-emission vehicles.

The government has announced £26.4 million of investment, matchfunded by industry to a total of £52.8 million, to help develop the next generation of driverless and low-carbon vehicles, with flagship projects led by Ford, GKN and Jaguar Land Rover.

Hailing it as a ‘landmark’ agreement, business secretary Greg

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk Clark said: ‘For decades, the UK’s automotive industry has powered our economy forward.

‘Today, automotive firms from around the world choose to set up shop here, citing our history of excellence, skilled workforce and world-leading supply chains.

‘In the next 10 years, the sector will see more change than in the previous 100. From the engines that power our cars to the way we control them and our attitudes to owning them, technology is changing what the industry looks like and where money can be made.

‘The automotive sector will shape our response to the grand challenges articulated in our industrial strategy, such as clean growth and the future

of mobility – transformations which will forever change how people live, work and travel.’

Unite union assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: ‘Unite welcomes any new investment in the UK’s world-class car industry, but against a backdrop of continued Brexit uncertainty and job losses at Ellesmere Port, we demand that the government goes further.

‘We need a proper long-term plan for the automotive sector with union involvement that includes a “just transition” plan for workers in the diesel and the traditional supply chain. If the UK’s automotive sector is to retain its world-leading status, then the government must do more to support firms in the supply chain so they can retool, reinvest and reskill workers for the next generation of components.’

Lookers helps future motor technicians by giving car to college NATIONAL retailer Lookers has underlined its commitment to developing the next generation of motoring technicians by donating a car from its Audi division to Sunderland College.

The donation of an A3 was made by Wearside Audi for use by students studying a range of technical diplomas, all of which follow National Occupation Standards and the City & Guilds syllabus.

The A3 will be based at City Campus Park Lane. Students will get to grips with all aspects of the vehicle as they work to improve their maintenance and repair techniques.

The donation forms part of Lookers’ wider campaign to help and encourage young people in the motor industry, with the group’s own apprenticeship programme more than doubling its intake from 78 to 162 last year.

The retailer has welcomed 238 technical apprentices over the last three years and currently has more than 550 apprentices on its books. Wearside Audi itself recently took on four apprentices, including two technicians, one apprentice parts adviser and one service adviser.

Paul Anderson, aftersales manager at Wearside Audi, said: ‘It’s vitally important to the future of the motor industry that we as retailers do what we can to encourage young people to consider a career as a vehicle technician. Today’s modern

From the left, students Michael Purvis, Rachael Pattison and Syed Ahmed with Paul Anderson, aftersales manager at Wearside Audi, and Mel Reed, curriculum leader for automotive engineering at Sunderland College cars come equipped with a whole host of new technologies, many of which appeal to today’s young minds. We are pleased to be able to provide a working model to help students at Sunderland College build up their skills.

‘We look forward to tracking the progress of these students and hopefully some of them will eventually decide to join our apprenticeship programme in the near future.’

Mel Reed, curriculum leader for automotive engineering at Sunderland College, said: ‘Sunderland College’s automotive engineering department is happy to have received a donation of an Audi A3 from Wearside Audi.

‘This vehicle will help to give hands-on experience on up-to-date models, which is invaluable to the learning and experience of our students.’

Kwik Fit and Michelin team up for tyre pressure tests ... and issue a warning to motorists that many vehicles are ‘dangerous’ or ‘very dangerous’

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lmost 40 per cent of cars in the UK are running on at least one tyre that is ‘dangerously’ or ‘very dangerously’ under-inflated.

The figure has been extrapolated after Michelin and Kwik Fit inspected more than 500 vehicles in Tesco car parks around the UK. Michelin classifies tyres that are between 7psi and 14psi below the manufacturer’s recommendation as ‘dangerously underinflated’, while 14psi or more underinflation is deemed to be ‘very dangerous’.

Michelin and Kwik Fit technicians found 27.56 per cent of cars had at least one dangerous tyre, with 12.01 per cent having at least one very dangerous tyre.

Jamie McWhir, technical manager for Michelin in the UK, said: ‘Driving around on under-inflated tyres costs money and it can cost lives.

‘We wanted to team up with Kwik Fit to encourage motorists to check their tyre pressures regularly.

‘It makes sense from a cost and environmental point of view, but more importantly it’s critical for the safety of the vehicle, its passengers, other road users and pedestrians.’

Running a car with tyres underinflated by 7psi decreases fuel efficiency by about one mile per gallon. Michelin estimates

that underinflated tyres could be costing motorists in a city the size of Manchester more than £2 million a year in unnecessary fuel consumption – as well as pumping thousands of tonnes of additional CO2 into the atmosphere.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: ‘Checking tyre pressure is as important as checking tread depth, as tyres at the wrong pressure will compromise handling, grip and braking.

‘As well as the significant safety issues, incorrectly inflated tyres will hit drivers in the pocket through excessive fuel consumption and increased tyre wear.

‘It’s worth reflecting on the fact that a car’s tyres are the only thing to connect it with the road and we urge motorists to check their air pressure, tyre condition and tread depth every fortnight.’

| TECHMAN |

Independents ‘risk getting left behind by dealer networks’ ALMOST 80 per cent of independents have been using the same garage management system for more than three years and risk ‘getting left behind by the dealer networks’, according to TechMan. The findings, which were revealed in a survey of independent garages, also show that a staggering 40 per cent have had the same management system for more than five years, with just 13 per cent having switched in the last 12 months.

Garage management system TechMan – which was developed by an independent garage – say workshops are missing ‘massive opportunities’.

National sales manager Leo Freebairn said: ‘Everyone’s always talking about the pace of change in this industry and it’s no different with garage management systems.

‘In the past year alone, we have overseen 357 updates to TechMan including web bookings, integrated video health check (iVHC), OEM repair times and parts look-up with pricing.

‘Many garages don’t know what they are missing.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 11

NEWS.

One hell of a Healey hits the road again!

It’s been all the way to Australia – and back. Now this 1950s sports car with a fascinating history is getting some TLC in Portsmouth.

John Bowman reports.

A

n Austin-Healey 100 with a remarkable history is getting back on the road thanks to a Portsmouth workshop after an epic journey across the world.

The 1953 four-cylinder 2,660cc roadster was bought new by the racing driver Sir Francis Samuelson after he saw the model at its unveiling at the 1952 London Motor Show as the Healey 100 and promptly ordered one.

Demand was so high for the iconic sports car, though, that it became impossible for the Warwick-based Donald Healey Motor Company to meet all the orders, but British Motor Corporation (BMC) boss Leonard Lord was so taken with the two-seater that he suggested that BMC’s Austin subsidiary could take over production. Thus was born the Austin-Healey marque.

The bodies were made by Jensen Motors and the mechanics fitted at Austin’s Longbridge plant – and this particular car was the sixth off the production line there.

Over the years, it finally ended up with Mike Hopkins – the owner of Waterlooville Motor Company – in the early 1980s, who ensured it was kept in immaculate condition.

It was unsurprising, then, that it proved a hit at car shows – ultimately leading to a request by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu to put it on display there. And it was there, in 1983, that Hopkins got to meet and have lunch with Donald Healey himself. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and to mark the occasion he took along a brass plaque with him for Healey to sign – which he did using a dentist’s pick!

The Waterlooville Motor Company, which carried out crash repairs and also used to restore old cars – was a real family affair but Hopkins eventually sold up and moved to Australia 15 years ago, taking the Ice Blue Austin-Healey with him and enjoying a retirement in Perth that involved regular rounds on the local golf course.

Sadly, he died of cancer last August at the age

12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

The Austin-Healey 100 sitting pretty inside the workshop at Harrington Autos

Mark Hopkins, left, and Steve Simmons

The immaculate engine of the 100

of 75 – a parade of Austin-Healeys formed part of the funeral cortege – and the car has now arrived back in England after a long sea voyage, with son Mark, who is a painter at the Apollo Motor Group in Portsmouth, taking ownership.

He said: ‘When this was in Australia it was the oldest Healey in the country and there’s a lot of them out there. It’s won a lot of trophies over the years for its originality.

‘I feel really proud to have it – now I just want to get out and drive it in the summer!’

Before that happens, though, it needs checking over and some TLC applied to the running parts – so he turned to Harrington Autos of Farlington, Portsmouth, whose bread and butter is modern

cars but has also become widely respected for its work on older vehicles.

Steve Simmons, who is the joint partner with son Robert, said: ‘It’s nice that our customers like to get involved like that with the cars that they bring us. It’s really good. We’re getting a bit of a reputation for doing more and more of the older ones. We’ve done vehicles ranging from a RollsRoyce to a World War II Jeep.

‘These are our customers that we see on a yearly basis and over the years they’ve come to trust us with their pride and joys. We don’t do full-on restorations, but we’ll keep them on the road. We can do most things to them.’

Customers come in and see the work that

The registration book bearing the name of Sir Francis Samuelson – the car’s first owner

The roadster’s dash has a special addition – a plaque signed by Donald Healey himself Harrington Autos is doing and, as Simmons says, ‘it sort of snowballs. We work on the ethos of look after the customer and they’ll come back, and it’s proven fruitful for us that we now get things like this Healey in, which is a pleasure to work on. Customers all admire it. It’s something a bit different – you don’t see it every day.

‘And that’s the way we work. We look after customers and they come back.’

He added: ‘The beauty with these older cars is the customers know that parts can be a bit troublesome, so they don’t expect it the same day.

‘They can leave it here with us, knowing it’s safe and secure, and we’ll get round to it. It’s a good fill-in, so when we’ve got our day-to-day

business done we can then spend a couple of hours on it in an afternoon – it works quite well.’

Simmons started in the automotive industry in 1980 as an apprentice with Hendy Lennox, then worked his way through to Toyota, becoming the first Lexus technician on the south coast, having done the first Lexus course in 1990. Harrington Autos is a Toyota and Lexus specialist and the previous owner was Simmons’ foreman. ‘When he retired four years ago this year that was when we jumped in and bought the business,’ he said.

Working on something like an Austin-Healey does have its differences to working on a modern-day car, which is where Simmons’ long experience comes in handy. ‘It’s very different

in so much as it’s what you’d call old-school,’ he said. ‘We’ve had to invest in some AF tools – it’s all metric on the modern cars but with these ones it’s AF.’ And Harrington Autos is so well liked that it’s also had help where they’re concerned.

‘We’ve even had a customer bring in some AF tools – they’d seen that we’ve had some classics in here and they said, “Oh, I’ve been having a bit of a garage clear-out” and then they came in with a carrier bag full of spanners, sockets, everything. He said: “These might do you.” So it’s nice like that.’

Talking about what needed doing to the 65-year-old Austin-Healey 100, he said: ‘Where it’s come back from Australia and been in a container on a ship, the brakes are sticking on. The battery also needs sorting out, and that’s really about it.

‘We’re going to get it up in the air later on and have a look underneath. The owner tells me that it’s as good underneath as it is on top – I’m looking forward to seeing that! We’ll probably give it a bit of a grease-up, too – all the trunnions and bits and pieces on it. But the main thing is just to get her rolling so that he can then use it!’

Workshop mentioned how much Hopkins was looking forward to using it in the summer. ‘Quite right too!’ said Simmons. ‘Something like this needs to come out in the summertime.

‘During the winter, by all means have it in a showroom somewhere, but yes, get it out and use it. It’s the best thing for it.’

And what did it mean to him to work on a car like this? ‘Oh, we’re very proud! These aren’t things that you see every day. We do the run-ofthe-mill Fords, Toyotas, etc, every day, but when you have something like this there’s pride in it and also responsibility.

‘It’s very nice. If we can help keep something like this on the road then so much the better.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 13

NEWS.

Superstar Sheeran killed off in mechanic’s obituary Icelandic publication uses wrong picture to accompany report

T

he singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran was mistakenly killed off by a newspaper in Iceland recently – thanks to a mixup with its obituary of a mechanic.

The daily publication Morgunbladid, which has its headquarters in Reykjavik and a sizeable circulation of some 30,000, accidentally ran the picture of the chartdominating 26-year-old musician and record producer as part of its report about the death of 82-year-old Svavar Gunnar Sigurdsson, who was a mechanic for Volvo.

Sigurdsson also reportedly performed parttime as a Sheeran tribute act, which is what is believed to have led to the error.

A 26-year-old and an 82-year-old.

Yes, we can see how the confusion over pictures could arise...

| COLLABORATION |

Ricardo and University of South Wales join forces ENGINEERING company Ricardo and the University of South Wales are to collaborate on an electric vehicle battery research and development project.

The West Sussex-based firm will team up with the university’s Centre for Automotive & Power System Engineering (Capse), with Ricardo gaining access to the institution’s facilities, as well as support from its major investment in battery systems.

In return, Capse will benefit from the company’s knowledge and experience of the challenges of research and development programmes.

Capse has already gained national recognition for independent research, development, testing and in-house certification, while Ricardo is an international leader in the development of EV battery systems and works with a wide variety of car manufacturers.

Rory Fisher, managing director of Ricardo Automotive, said: ‘I am pleased to be able to sign this memorandum of understanding with the University of South Wales Centre for Automotive & Power System Engineering.

‘We look forward to collaborating with Capse for the mutual benefit of the university and of Ricardo and its electric vehicle customers.’

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14 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 15

NEWS.

How apprenticeships can help young mechanics get ahead of the competition University isn’t for everyone... on-the-job training can prove a far better option (and won’t leave you £50,000 in debt). Tristan Shale-Hester reports

A

ccording to government data, around 49 per cent of young people who finished school last year went on to university, meaning higher education is massively popular.

It’s no surprise that this is the case. Teachers tend to assume that going off to university and getting a degree is the best option for everyone.

But if you think about it, this probably isn’t necessarily the case.

While university students do learn a great deal of theoretical knowledge about their subject of choice – when they’re not too busy drinking, that is – and end up with degrees that look good on their CVs, they don’t really gain a lot of practical knowledge that can actually be applied in the real world. Take into account the £50,000 or so of debt that comes with the qualification and it all starts to look a bit fruitless. But is there another option?

As it turns out, there is. Thanks to huge backing from the government and a bit more awareness being raised among career advisors in schools and sixth form colleges across the country, apprenticeships have become an increasingly viable option in recent years.

For many people, the idea of going out and actually doing the job they want to do for a living is far more appealing than merely reading about it and sitting exams. On top of this, apprentices are paid to complete their qualification, as opposed to getting burdened with debt, and there’s a good chance they’ll get a job offer from the firm they’ve been working for.

At present, apprenticeships are only available for a limited number of career types, specifically those that have a requirement for hands-on skills.

One of these industries is mechanics. Of course, this is a field where there’s plenty of theory to get to grips with, but a degree won’t give you the practical abilities that employers look for when hiring staff for their workshop.

Twenty-one-year-old Daryl Head from Swindon, Wiltshire, is living proof of how successful an apprentice mechanic can be. He started his training with Thatcham Research and Nationwide Repair and, before he knew it, he was representing the UK at the prestigious WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi. We caught up with him at the Nationwide Repair Centre in Swindon,

16 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Daryl put in plenty of practice before the WorldSkills competition where he now works full-time, and he told us why he chose an apprenticeship. He explained: ‘I wouldn’t have been able to do WorldSkills if I hadn’t done an apprenticeship because I wouldn’t have had the skills.

‘No disrespect to anyone who comes out of university, but they may not have as many handson skills. I know they’re intelligent in the field that they’ve studied, but they wouldn’t be able to enter an international technical competition.

‘I never wanted to go to university, because I’m more hands-on than studying and doing exams.’

During the course of his apprenticeship, Head was given the opportunity to try to qualify for the 2017 WorldSkills competition.

‘I probably didn’t even want to do it at first,’ he said. ‘It was spoken about at college. Our tutor put us through because he thought we were a good class and had potential.

‘I thought it was hassle at first, having to go here and there, but when it ramped up from being local competitions to international, I thought it could be worth doing for the long run.’

As it turned out, Head was absolutely right.

After successfully making his way through the various regional and national rounds, he was told he would be representing the UK in the car painting skill at WorldSkills 2017 in Abu Dhabi.

By the time he was training for the

“

I never wanted to go to university, because I’m more hands-on than studying and doing exams.

DARYL HEAD

Attention to detail is key at all times for Daryl

Tristan makes notes while chatting to Daryl Head

Daryl Head flying the flag for the UK in Abu Dhabi

international competition, Head had finished his apprenticeship, but his intense practice took him to a variety of college and training centres.

‘I did some additional training at Thatcham,’ he said. ‘I was going anywhere I could to practise.

My training manager worked at Coleg Gwent, so I was working there quite a bit. I went to a college in Nuneaton, I went over to a college in Northern Ireland quite a bit and I went to a technical school in Denmark twice. I had so much training. All my basic skills were honed and everything I already knew was refined.’

After dashing from one training centre to another, Head was finally ready to travel to the United Arab Emirates.

‘We went to the House of Commons for a send-off, then went straight to Heathrow and flew out to Abu Dhabi. It was all what I expected. The actual working was the easier bit. The waiting around was the most stressful.

‘We were working on shifts, so for example, some people would go in at 8am and work until 4pm with a lunch break. I was either waiting for

hours and then starting, but it was better when I did two days of working for four hours and then had an afternoon off.

‘We had to do two four-hour tasks and four two-hour tasks. There was a door, a blow-in, a half-wing, a three-stage pearl, colour-matching, a design task and a masking task.’

Thanks to his in-depth training and preparation, Head was ready for everything the competition could throw at him. The biggest challenge he faced was time.

‘For one task, we had to paint a door inside and out, and it was really tight on time,’ he said. ‘We had four hours to paint the door in two different colours and do some repairs.’

Head’s time management proved exceptional, along with everything he did overall, because he finished the competition with a silver medal – highly impressive when you consider the fact he was up against 25 other car painters from all over the world. It just goes to show that an apprenticeship really is the best first step you can take on your way to mastering a skill.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 17

FEATURES.

PART 4:

FEELING THE HEAT ON A SLOW

Having recently ridden through Turkey and Iran, globe-trotting mechanics Andy Gove and Sean Tubby make it across the border into Pakistan...

P

To Dalbandin Sean Tubby

akistan was the easiest border crossing we have had. In fact, it took longer to leave Iran than enter Pakistan.

A well-spoken gentleman talked us through the procedure, while border staff and money changers came to stare at us with interested and slightly bewildered expressions.

We were then sent up the road through a set of huge and ornate gates that were promptly opened to let our bikes through.

Half a dozen smartly dressed soldiers with neatly trimmed beards sat us down at a garden table with easy smiles. They then took our details and were amused and confused about the fact that our passports had the words ‘Northern Ireland’ included in the text on the front.

The western part of Pakistan, from Taftan to Quetta, is considered quite dangerous due to the fact that human traffickers, drug smugglers and the odd religious zealot, bent on beheading foreigners, roam the endless desert plying their trade. This meant we couldn’t travel anywhere without a security escort, and moving after 2pm is prohibited. So we were put up in the local police station for the night.

To travel overland, levies (military guardsmen) will run you between checkpoints, where you are passed on to the next group of officers.

The checkpoints vary from mud huts with oil drums full of rocks used as barriers, to full-blown military outposts, where your documents are triple-checked while the soulless barrel of a light machine gun tracks your movements. The eyes of its handler can be seen just behind, darting nervously between us and the officer in charge.

We were warned about the roads before we entered Pakistan, and to be fair, they are pretty bad, but we’ve had worse.

The real issue is the relentless heat. I don’t know if you’re aware of it but Pakistan is hot – like, really hot – and our escorts would only drive at the mind-bending, soul-destroying slow speed of 40 miles per hour. ‘40 isn’t that slow,’ I hear you say, but when you have 450 miles to travel in a day, I’m telling you it’s very slow!

We rode lazily through the desert with nothing

18 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Sean and Andy had to fight lorries and pick-ups for space on Pakistan’s rutted roads but sand and scrub on either side as far as the eye could see. Only a handful of cars passed us, all driving at insane speeds, and we did notice the odd pick-up, overflowing with people, slashing across the desert. We were later informed by the police that these were gangs of human traffickers shuttling from the Afghan border in the north to the Iranian border in the west.

After what seemed like an age, we made it to Dalbandin, where we stopped for the night.

Checked in to a hotel, we ate with our guide and our security, and waited for the heat to bleed out of the day, which it didn’t. What was searing heat in the day became stifling and muggy at night.

Not to worry though because every room has

a ceiling fan. Did you know that Pakistan also suffers from frequent and fairly long blackouts?

Well, now you do. Not a lot of sleeping happened.

A

Dalbandin to Sukkur Andy Gove

fter an odd breakfast of semi-warm bread and apple jam, we saddled up for another slow journey. We left the city after a circuitous game of tag with various escort vehicles who didn’t seem to know where we or they were going. Matters were made worse by the fact they have the same hand signal

DESERT TREK A stop for refuelling – with the petrol filtered through tights before it’s poured in!

“

We rode lazily through the desert with nothing but sand and scrub on either side as far as the eye could see.

Our intrepid explorers were pulled over by police but, to their surprise, were not in trouble for instructions, such as follow me, follow them, overtake, you can go, would you like tea?, shoot that guy. Finally, though, it all fell into place and we made our way slowly out of the city. One of our escort vehicles was a ’60s armoured truck that consisted of an inch-thick steel box sitting on a Land Rover chassis.

The vehicle could barely move under its own weight and at one point genuinely looked as though it was going to roll back down a hill it was attempting to climb, which would have led to it crushing us and leaving a six-foot-wide track through the entire city.

Back out on the baking roads, Sean briefly mentioned that he had a stomach ache – a fairly

common result of drinking and eating on the road. This was during a part of the journey when we weren’t accompanied by a guide, so we had to stop at every levy station and write our details in their log book.

As we reached the third one, Sean stepped off his bike and almost passed out. He’s not one to complain unnecessarily, so it was a sobering moment to hear him say his stomach was on fire and that his head was spinning off its axis.

I’ll be honest, he looked dreadful. We didn’t know if it was food poisoning, dehydration or something worse, so I packed him full of painkillers and rehydration fluid and we waited it out. After a while, we carried on.

This time I rode behind him. As the day wore on, Sean only started to feel worse. Cold sweats broke out and pins and needles started to eat into his fingers and toes. It is an awful sight watching your brother sagging in the saddle, struggling to keep himself off the bars, his helmet lolling alarmingly with every bump.

We were faced with a tough choice: wait at a levy station in the middle of nowhere in the hope he would recover, or push on with the hope of reaching our destination of Sukkur, where a hotel – and, if needed, a doctor – would be waiting for us. We chose the latter.

Somehow Sean managed to ride for 10 more hours. When we finally got to the hotel, we treated ourselves to an extraordinarily overpriced beer and promptly passed out. The next day we got up offensively late, with Sean, despite feeling stiff and a bit wiped out, back on form.

Not overly looking forward to another day of following smoky, clapped-out Toyota Hiluxes, we were indescribably happy when they drove us to the city limits and told us to ride on.

So we did. Hard. Having far too much fun to notice anything else, we don’t really know how long the police car was trying to pull us over, but as we were riding quite, er, speedily, we thought we were in for a fine, quickly muttering over the coms that lots of smiling and playing dumb was the best option. We were completely taken aback then when they sheepishly confessed they just wanted to meet us and buy us a cup of tea.

We continued and were stopped and treated to tea and various other beverages on several other occasions along the way. We are continually blown away by how welcoming the people of this country are and how happy they are to have us.

They simply love the fact that foreigners are travelling the land and seeing it for themselves.

Reaching our destination, we had an annoying kerfuffle with our accommodation for the evening, the details of which I shall not bore you with. It all ended well though as we were directed to a rather grand hotel outside the city limits.

As you know, we have been camping as often as possible because it’s easier, cheaper and generally better. But the one thing camping doesn’t include is an all-you-can-eat breakfast, which many of our hotels did. This one was especially good and required a nap to get over.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 19

FEATURES.

| AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL |

Best in show Every January, thousands of representatives from the motorsport and automotive industries arrive at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre for the Autosport International Show. As one of the biggest events of the year for the industry, everything from racing championships to aftermarket parts suppliers were on hand to show off their latest offerings. Adam Weller reports

Ginetta launches all-new Le Mans challenger Yorkshire-based racing car manufacturer Ginetta has launched its new LMP1 car, the G60-LT-P1.

The new car bucks the trend of the manufacturer entries that have dominated Le Mans in recent years, by solely focusing on an internal combustion engine rather than a hybrid system.

The first G60-LT-P1 chassis will be run by the TRS Manor outfit in the 2018/2019 FIA World Endurance Championship, and will be hoping to take the fight to the technological might of Toyota and its TS050 Hybrid.

WRC launches its 2018 season For the first time in the history of the Autosport International Show, an FIA World Championship was launched during the event.

The World Rally Championship’s cars and stars were on hand to reveal the look for the 2018 season.

By the time you read this, the WRC season will have kicked off in Monte Carlo, and we will know which manufacturer has taken the high ground as the season kicks into gear.

All we know at the time of writing is that, at the Autosport Show, Citroen, Hyundai, Toyota and reigning champions M-Sport Ford all looked to be fighting fit. As the technical race continues, and the manufacturers continue to throw resources at their WRC projects, 2018 could well be one of the greatest seasons in rallying’s illustrious history.

Reigning World Rally Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia also visited the NGK Spark Plugs stand while at the show. NGK’s products helped the French pairing lift their fifth consecutive title last season, as Ogier highlighted: ‘I know the NGK brand well and know they are one of the partners who helped make the car really reliable last season. They are working together with us again this season.’

Ogier’s 2018 teammate Elfyn Evans also joined the NGK stand during the show, and, much like his World Champion teammates, took time to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans.

20 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Zircotec launched new cylinder head, engine block coatings Oxfordshire-based thermal management company Zircotec launched a new line of products at the show, designed to improved engine performance.

The range of newly-launched products includes thermal barrier coatings for cylinder heads and engine blocks, as well as piston crowns and valve bases. These provide increases in engine performance and durability by efficiently managing heat transfer through crucial components.

Zircotec Group sales director Graeme Barette said: ‘Our new range of engine coatings is the latest example of solutions developed through extensive collaboration with technical partners and OEMs. ‘Over the course of 2018, we will continue to expand our product range through significant investment into research and development.’

The technology utilised in Zircotec products offers up to 33 per cent temperature reduction, and can withstand heat of up to 1350°C.

Steeda’s new Q500 Enforcer Mustang takes European bow With a lack of powerful Mustangs available from Ford itself, British muscle car aficionados have to turn to tuning companies for their tyre-chewing fix.

Enter Ford tuning specialists Steeda, and their Mustang Q500 Enforcer. This 480bhp stealthy take on the ‘Stang made its European debut at the Autosport show. The Q500 was joined on its stand by a host of products from Velgen Wheels, an American aftermarket wheel manufacturer whose growth is extending to the UK. Steeda is its UK distributor.

World’s first all-electric kit car makes UK debut A new Swiss electric car attracted plenty of attention at the NEC. The Erod is a 45kW (60bhp) lightweight sportscar that weighs just 600kg including the 96-volt battery. The nimble vehicle can only achieve a top speed of 75mph, but it will no doubt get to that in short order, as is the way with performance electric vehicles.

Its claimed range is 114 miles.

The Erod can be purchased as either a fully built car or as a kit, which makes it the first ever fullyelectric kit car. The car is available for £32,000 as a kit, or £38,000 in completed form.

Brilliant Billy back in action Less than a year after an on-track accident that resulted in double leg amputation, 18-year-old racer Billy Monger took part in stunt driving demonstrations in the show’s Live Action Arena.

He appeared alongside a host of talented drivers including stunt maestro Terry Grant and several drivers from Mission Motorsport, who strive to create opportunities in the sport for wounded, injured and sick military veterans.

The team took a collection of Jaguar F-Types to the limit for the excitable crowds.

Electric ambitions While the presence of Formula E was minimal, largely thanks to a round of the championship taking place in Marrakesh as the show was taking place, the Autosport Show did provide an insight into what will be joining the flagship electric racing series in the future.

Jaguar’s new I-Pace eTrophy car was in attendance, and announced a tyre supply partnership with Michelin for the single-make series. The championship will follow Formula E around the world starting from the 2018/2019 season.

In addition, the electric, autonomous RoboRace car was on display at the show, as developments continue ahead of a proposed slot on the Formula E bill in the future.

Both series have been extensively covered in our Inside Track column in previous issues of Workshop magazine.

With this year’s Autosport Show under its belt, the motorsport industry now prepares for the 2018 season.

No doubt exhibitors and visitors will be back in 2019 for another highly successful event.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 21

INSIDE TRACK.

ADAM WELLER LOOKS AT MOTORSPORT ENGINEERING, DEVELOPMENTS AND NEWS

Farewell to an iconic racing innovator O n January 14, the motorsport community lost one of its most notable innovators of the 20th century – Dan Gurney.

Born in April 1931, the American racer was one of the most prolific drivers of the ’60s in the US. He also made a mark on European motorsport as a race winner in Formula One, and at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the iconic, low-drag Ford GT40 MkIV. Gurney’s name will forever be etched into the history of aerodynamics, not only in motorsport and general automotive design but also in the aerospace industry, thanks to inventing the ‘Gurney flap’.

The Gurney flap is a small and subtle aerodynamic device, often seen on the rear-facing edge of a spoiler. It creates additional downforce when facing upwards, but creates a negative effect if positioned to face downwards – a mistake that many of Gurney’s competitors made when trying to copy the concept after it first appeared in 1971 on cars he ran under the famous All American Racers (AAR) team.

Gurney attempted to put competitors off the

scent of the flap’s benefit, claiming that it was merely there to strengthen the edge of the wing.

The real beauty of the Gurney flap is that – when properly executed – it represents a very low increase in aerodynamic drag relative to the extra grip it provides. The device is still used widely across the sport to this day, as one of the least expensive and most effective ways to increase downforce on a race car.

At 6ft 3in, Gurney was exceptionally tall for a racing driver. Notably, the design of the Ford GT40s he raced had to be altered, with a ‘bubble’ being integrated into the cars’ roofs so he could fit in once he was wearing his helmet.

Another innovation from Gurney came in the form of the full-face racing helmet. While not responsible for its creation, he was one of the first adopters of it, running the full-face design for the first time in Formula One history at the 1968 German Grand Prix.

In the Formula One World Championship, Gurney took four Grand Prix victories. His first – the 1962 French Grand Prix – was significant, as it still stands as Porsche’s only victory in F1.

By 1966, his AAR team were ready to take on Formula One, and at the wheel of his selfdesigned Eagle T1G, Gurney took his final Grand

The Gurney flap was just one of his innovations

Dan Gurney – a true motorsport great Prix win at the 1967 Belgian race. This was the last time a driver won a Formula One race in a car of their own design.

In fact, 1967 proved to be a key year for Gurney, as he partnered with fellow US racing icon AJ Foyt to take victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the aforementioned Ford GT40 MkIV. At this event, Gurney broke new ground once again, becoming the first driver to spray the traditional champagne from the podium.

This, of course, has gone on to become a tradition in all motorsports.

On the AAR website, Gurney explained his thoughts in that moment, saying: ‘I was so stoked that when they handed me the magnum of Moët et Chandon I shook the bottle and began spraying at the photographers, drivers, Henry Ford II, Carroll Shelby and their wives. It was a very special moment at the time. I was not aware that I had started a tradition that continues in winners’ circles all over the world to this day.’

After 1970, Gurney elected to step back from full-time driving to focus on running his team, and under his leadership it experienced numerous successes in the US. He stepped down from his role at the forefront of AAR in 2011.

Gurney was one of the most popular figures in motorsport, and was even put forward as a potential presidential write-in candidate by Car & Driver in 1964.

He passed away at his home in Newport Beach, California, at the age of 86 as a result of pneumonia complications. Gurney will be missed by the entire motorsport community, but his legacy will almost certainly live on in the industry for as long as people want to race cars.

Farewell to Dan Sexton Gurney: a true motorsport great, whether he was behind the wheel or on the pit wall.

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

22 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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IT’S CLEAR TO SEE WHY MORE WORKSHOPS TRUST AUTODATA Comprehensive and trusted access to technical information for service, maintenance, diagnostics and repair

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Remove RH bank timing chain tensioner 3 .

Remove RH bank tensioner rail and guide 4 & 5 .

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Remove RH bank camshaft coupling chain and camshaft adjusters as an assembly.

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Warning: Engines with variable valve timing: Mark camshafts, camshaft sprockets, camshaft adjusters and related camshaft drive system components (as applicable) with chalk or paint prior to removal or dismantling to assist alignment on installation.

7

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142 manufacturers - 34,000 models - 600,000 technical WorkShopMagazine.co.uk procedures | 23

JUST THE JOB.

BY GAVIN WHITE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUTOTECH RECRUIT

Putting temporary recruitment into high gear for the coming year

V

ast amounts of column inches, when discussing recruitment within the automotive industry, are given over to the skills shortage in the industry.

There are widespread reports on the efforts and investment being made to retain and safeguard the present workforce, while enticing the next generation to enter the sector.

All well and good, but what happens if a dealership or garage is unprepared for periods of staff shortages?

In short, they could lose thousands of pounds a day in revenue from an empty bay.

We’ve now emerged from the Christmas hangover and thoughts are focused on the year ahead. While many businesses will go through periods of economic highs and lows, ultimately, demand will follow a similar pattern.

March and September are traditionally both busy months for MOTs. Last year there was a 10 per cent increase in MOTs due to the 2014 car sales boom, which, through consecutive annual sales, is forecast to be repeated this year.

The winter months also see a peak in servicing due to the cold weather affecting older vehicles.

And, of course, the summer months will, undoubtedly, be a period of staff holiday.

It’s not rocket science.

But, railroaded by annual strategies, planning for inevitable periods of high demand and staff shortages is something which is usually managed on a reactive basis.

However, faced with the hard fact that empty bays could mean a financial hit of around £12,000 of gross margin per month, the situation is brought into stark reality and suddenly the issue becomes a proactive matter.

Through evolving technology, and the influx of electric vehicles, highly skilled technicians are increasingly in demand by garages and dealerships, and there is a growing pool of proficient candidates ready to fill workforce deficits on a temporary basis.

However, recruiting these technicians is a case of first come, first served.

A garage won’t necessarily recruit a temporary

worker who is proficient in electric vehicles, for instance, if they need cover the following day.

It requires a more joined-up approach, a review of the previous year’s activities and the trends shaping the industry, while looking at optimum capacity. If you had to turn business away during a particular month last year but were left with an un-manned bay, chances are the same will happen this year.

Having the flexibility to say yes and ensure that all bays are full could mean at least an additional £12,000 a month profit.

As with all recruitment strategies though, relying on temporary technicians to plug the gap requires deliberation to ensure the right person fits the bill.

To this end, it is essential that recruiting temporary technicians is built into an annual business strategy so the garage has the flexibility to take on additional work and, ultimately, boost their bottom line.

For more information please contact hello@autotechrecruit.co.uk or call 01234 240503.

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

24 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

ACADEMY

of Automotive Skills

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 25

FEATURES.

Back with a Bullitt in more ways than one...

Engine: The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 and benefits here from a bigger radiator for better cooling.

Jack Evans and Rebecca Chaplin report on the emergence of an iconic car from the movies... and the creation of its modern-day successor.

Original Bullitt car

W

hen Steve McQueen appeared behind the wheel of a dark green, beaten-up Mustang in the 1968 film Bullitt, few would think that the Ford in question would go on to be one of the most iconic movie cars of all time.

In truth, back in late ’60s America, Ford Mustangs were ten a penny (or dime, if you will) – which is exactly why it was chosen for the film. The Mustang was a car of the people and the perfect ride for Lieutenant Frank Bullitt. At the time, the Mustang wasn’t seen as a future classic – it was cheap, easy to find and not limited in number.

Fast-forward to 2018, and the metal star of one of the most fondly remembered car chases ever to hit the silver screen has resurfaced – having spent much of its time since the movie in hiding.

Its reappearance also coincides with the release of an all-new Ford Mustang Bullitt, shown at the Detroit Motor Show. Here, we check out what has changed in 50 years.

26 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Smoke machine: That’s right, this Mustang came with a smoke machine – fitted to make the car’s reverse burnout look even more dramatic.

Camera mounts: The Mustang needed to be filmed from all angles, which is why there are camera mounts welded into the rear of the car, and these stick out from the Mustang’s underbody.

Damage: Though it looks like the Mustang has been through the wars, this damage was done on purpose. In order to make the car seem more beaten up, movie mechanics dented, scratched and even steel-wooled the car’s green paint. Sacrilege – but part of the required process to make the Ford look lived in.

New Bullitt car

Chassis: The new Mustang has a limited-slip differential, larger anti-roll bar and large six-piston front brakes.

Badging removed: For the ultimate in stealthy looks, the 2019 Mustang has had almost all of its exterior badging removed, save for a chrome ‘Bullitt’ roundel at the rear.

Paint: Just two paint colour options are available with the 2019 Mustang Bullitt Edition – Highland Green (like the original) or stealthy Shadow Black.

Cue ball: Just like the original car, the new Mustang features a cue ball-style gear stick – a six-speed manual is the only gearbox option available on the car.

Engine: The Mustang was powered by a 390 cubic-inch engine, but this was modified by tuner Max Balchowsky to increase power.

Chassis: As well as engine changes, chassis braces plus stronger springs and dampers were installed to help the ‘stang cope with the movie’s high-speed chases. | FACTORY |

‘The Bullitt followed us everywhere – and now there’s a new McQueen family connection’

W

hile the Mustang Bullitt was Ford’s big reveal at the Detroit Motor Show, it was, a bit confusingly, the Bullitt Mustang that stole everyone’s hearts, writes Rebecca Chaplin.

Having been in storage for the best part of 40 years, the original Mustang from Steve McQueen’s 1968 movie Bullitt was a huge hit when it made an appearance.

Sean Kiernan is the current owner of the car, after it was passed down to him by his father.

‘My dad bought it in 1974 and in 1980 his

career was on the rise, but the clutch spring popped out of place, and it was just at that moment where he was too busy to work on it,’ explained Kiernan.

‘So they bought something a little bit more reliable, but the goal was always to hang on to it.

‘As my mum would say, the Bullitt followed us everywhere we went. Every garage, every house that we had, she followed us.’

It was Kiernan’s mother who drove the car the most; it was her daily driver for the five years it was in working order and it had clocked up

around 60,000 miles by the time it went into retirement.

‘Madison, New Jersey, is where we’re all from and my mum was a Catholic school teacher,’ said Kiernan. ‘From ’74 to ’79 my mum drove that daily to school. It was probably about four or five miles from the house, and when we were talking about it the other day she said ‘‘The nuns could hear me pull up’’ and the nuns would all look at each other and know she’d arrived,’ he said.

It was another 20 years before work WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 27

FEATURES. The iconic car from the movie Bullitt

“

We started it for the first time in 2016 and I haven’t had a chance to even tune it yet.

SEAN KIERNAN

began on the Bullitt. As you can see in the photos, Kiernan has kept everything as original as possible while trying to keep it running.

‘In ’01, we had taken it apart,’ he said. ‘We were never going to upset it or change anything on it, we only changed the things that had to be changed. Everything I did take off it, as far as fuel lines, brake lines and stuff that I did replace, I still have. I hate to say it was on the back burner, but our lives were busy and that’s what happens.

Every car guy has a car in his garage that he wants to get to – this was ours.

‘It honestly is my life. There’s nothing on this planet that’s more personal.’

The Bullitt Mustang has played a huge part in the Kiernan family’s history, but this project with the 2019 version has brought them together with the McQueens.

At the unveil, it was Steve’s granddaughter Molly who drove the new car on to the stage, while Kiernan drove his car across at the end.

We were shown the moment that she first encountered her grandfather’s car – and it had clearly been a huge surprise for her.

Ford hadn’t let on that it had tracked it down – but it had said that it was making a video celebrating the link between the two Mustangs, and filmed her behind the wheel of the up-to-date one.

The manufacturer then said that it needed to get a bit more footage and asked her to ‘act surprised’ when she saw the new car again – for the purposes of the film. But she told us: ‘I had no idea I was going to be shown the original car.

‘The director told me it was going to be the 2019 car that I’d driven the day before. They said, “We just want to get it on tape, we want to film

28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

t Sean Kiernan with Molly McQueen – and the original Bullitt Mustang that starred on screen

your reaction, so put your best acting skills to work and pretend like you haven’t seen it before.’’

‘They told me that Sean had worked on the original car, and that he would explain the new one to me and walk me through it. Then, as soon as I met him, I thought, “He looks younger than I’d anticipated.” There were just little red flags that all started adding up.’

‘I was crazy nervous,’ chimed in Kiernan. ‘It was my most palm-sweaty moment. It was funny because I was just standing there pacing, and people were calming me down.

‘To me, meeting Steve’s granddaughter was awesome, because this car is family and this moment was bringing the families together. It was genuine and I was scared to death.’

For McQueen, it was an incredibly special moment, as she’d never met her grandfather.

She explained: ‘He passed away in 1980 and I was born in ’87. But there were photos of him everywhere, and my mum always talked about him. It was all of those stories that you usually

hear about your grandpa but my stories were on crack, just really cool stories. I have objects and artefacts of his, so I don’t think I was anticipating it, but sitting in that car was the most tangible connection I’ve ever had to him.’

It was the smell that really took her back in time, McQueen explained, and for Kiernan it’s the same. ‘Everybody has that thing from their childhood that reminds them of it. My sister and I can be standing maybe five feet from the car and when we smell the interior it’s like “Holy smokes man!”. Obviously I’m buzzed to have the car, but to have all of the memories with it, that’s what means a lot to me,’ he said.

This is only the start of the journey for the trio, as the Bullitt sets off on a tour. But still, Kiernan has never driven the car properly.

‘We started it for the first time in 2016 and I haven’t had a chance to even tune it yet. Now I can but it’s kind of stuck. I want to tune it; there are a couple of little things I want to play around with. I can’t wait to drive it.’

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training.autotechrecruit.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 29

FEATURES.

Keep the motors running Adam Weller visited Skoda’s Mladá Boleslav engine plant to see what goes into producing engines for the brand and parent firm VAG.

I

n this era, it’s obvious to state that Skoda is one of the better-respected and most popular brands on the market. Of course, the Czech manufacturer’s fortunes would almost certainly not have taken the upturn they did in the ’90s were it not for the heavy investment in the brand from the Volkswagen Audi Group.

Of course, in its home country, Skoda is ubiquitous – the vast majority of the cars on the roads are Skodas. However, more amazing than the Skoda ‘population’ is their contribution to the industrial landscape of the Czech Republic, even after the German buy-out.

Skoda seemingly employs whole towns to produce cars, or – in the case of ‘The Engine Centre’ in Mladá Boleslav – powertrains.

As we arrived for our look at the site, we were delayed at a rail crossing by a seemingly neverending train transporting Skodas by the dozen – a sight so thoroughly Czech that the national anthem should really have been playing.

Martin Hrdlička, Skoda’s head of engine and chassis development, greeted us. He would be our tour guide for the day.

It opened in 2014 in the former grounds of an old liquor factory, with the entirety of VAG in mind and following a £40 million investment.

The site plays host to 250 designers and engineers, and puts a lot of focus into Volkswagen Group’s multi-point injection engines.

These three-cylinder motors commonly find a home in Skoda’s own Fabia and Citigo, and similar models such as the Seat Ibiza and VW’s Polo and Up. In addition, four-cylinder engines for other markets, such as South America, are also produced at Mladá Boleslav.

Gearboxes are another responsibility for the highly productive facility. The focus for this sector of the site is manual gearboxes paired with Volkswagen Group engines producing less than 200Nm of torque.

30 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

“

The site plays host to 250 designers and engineers, and puts a lot of focus into Volkswagen Group’s multi-point injection engines.

’The Engine Centre’ opened in 2014

An engine on a test bench

Information station – Technicians have a lot of data to take in

Engines are scattered throughout the plant – here’s the motor of an R5 Fabia rally car

An area of the site is dedicated to testing, special bench that is able to take increased strain assembling and disassembling test/prototype from power and torque over the others. This, engines. These test mules will go through we later discovered, was exclusively for Skoda hundreds of thousands of kilometres to Motorsport’s rallying operations. ensure that new ideas and innovations can Skoda has worked hard to improve its be proven. Over the course of 2017, 350 efficiency in this area. In the past, the assembly prototype engines were assembled and 400 of a prototype engine on the test bed could were disassembled. take days or weeks.

Twenty forms of testing are used by the However, thanks to lateral thinking and new engineers before they give prototype ideas, countless hours are claimed back designs their seal of approval, during this process – so much so that the including a 1,000-hour durability process of swapping out one prototype test (some 41½ days), which is engine for another can be done in half equivalent to 300,000km. an hour, according to Hrdlička.

A particular challenge faced by the Everything from the exact behaviour technicians is the different emissions of the catalytic converter to precise standards and level of fuel quality measurements of the pressures in the across the world. Hrdlička said: ‘There cylinder head can be measured through Martin are different standards – it is a pity, but the highly advanced systems. Air, water Hrdlička the world is not united. So, there are and fuel are distributed to the engine special standards in China, which are different to through hoses and pipes reaching out from all Europe, South Africa and so on. Also, the quality corners of the room. of fuel can be different – in Brazil, we have to Engine control units (ECUs) also create a use ethanol, and in general, the quality of the challenge for the engineers. ECUs provide production of the fuel is a variable.’ as many as 80,000 parameters, which Fifteen test benches – valued at £1.7 million have to be adjusted, programmed and a piece – are hosted in this area, with one very measured in the testing process.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 31

FEATURES.

The finished product – The World Championship-winning RS Fabia burns some rubber

The motorsport team work hard to keep winning titles

Glowing exhausts are an everyday sight

The test benches stand on steel plates built into the floor of the testing rooms, which sit on air springs and are able to take up to 65 tonnes. They are in place so that the vibrations associated with the testing do not damage the building.

Sixty thousand litres of fuel are needed to power the engines in the vast testing facility for just one week, which shows how major an operation the Mladá Boleslav plant truly is.

Diesel, petrol, ethanol, CNG and LPG are all on tap for the engineers to use.

Next to the testing area is a small room that contains a £525,000 exhaust emission analyser.

Explaining its purpose and the complexities of running it, Hrdlička said: ‘When we want to test the emissions but also the raw emissions, before and after treatment, we have to take some samples. The samples from the exhaust pipes come through pipes running from the testing room into the analyser.

‘The pipes have to be warmed up to 160°C because the sensors are very sensitive and would be damaged by drops of water.’

The facility is also where Skoda’s rally team

If you go so fast there is a lot of fuel consumption and the power is so high that it wouldn’t be possible to go entirely electric yet.’

With rallying being Skoda’s only motorsport focus and the rallying community looking less likely than most of its counterparts to adopt electrification in the near future, Hrdlička’s apprehension about the subject should probably not come as a surprise.

However, with electrification well and truly on Skoda’s agenda for the road, more talk of hybrids and full electric motors will surely fill the halls at ‘The Engine Centre’ soon.

It’s gratifying to know that, through facilities such as this, the buy-out has done wonders for the advancement of the automotive engineering industry in the Czech Republic, rather than stealing away the biggest and best opportunity in the sector for workers in the country.

The facilities are as impressive as you’d expect from anything associated with VW, and if Skoda’s current range of vehicles don’t highlight exactly how contemporary the marque has become, the work that goes into the production of the vehicles surely should.

32 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

perfect their engines for the Fabia R5 rally car.

While we were on site, the rallying engine – a turbocharged 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine developing 275bhp – was in action.

The motor was put through its paces, with simulations of the continuous upshifts and downshifts of an authentic rallying situation. As we watched the monitors, the figures shot up to the optimum range and the dull grey of the engine block gradually became a heated red.

Hrdlička was happy to make his thoughts known about motorsport and the future of electrification within it. ‘At the moment, our turbocharged R5 rally engine has one point which the people criticise: they are not as loud as the engines that came before. So we are thinking “How do we make the engines more noisy?”, because people want emotions. Emotions are what you see, feel and hear. And the car seems to be much faster if it’s noisier!

‘With electric cars, you feel big acceleration, a lot of fun, but they are not so noisy. At the moment, I think we will have some hybrids or something, but fully electric engines are a problem, because the durability is not there yet.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 33

CLUB.

EXERCISE CAUTION IF YOU ARE ASKED TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS

A

ASK THE JUDGE: Ian Gardner, sales manager at automotive legal experts Lawgistics, has some useful advice about fitting performance-enhancing parts.

question we frequently receive from clients concerns their duty to customers who ask for non-standard or performance-enhancing parts to be fitted to their cars, writes The Judge.

Modifying a car by remapping the ECU or by improving the fuel combustion or road-holding can of course be a good thing, as most cars are pre-set by the maker to be averaged out for all drivers expected to use them, ranging from a newly qualified young tearaway to a doddery old codger.

Tailoring a car for a specific owner might be regarded as a worthwhile improvement in both user-friendliness and overall safety, for a person who is comfortable in their car is likely to be a better driver.

There are reasons, however, to be very cautious about making such changes. Apart from the possibility that any non-factory change might invalidate a warranty, there comes with such alterations a duty on those who agree to carry them out to ensure that they are compatible, legal, safe

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and, above all, do not leave the owner in ignorance about the effects of those changes.

There’s a lesson from history that’s worth bearing in mind.

In March 1964, the Formula One World Champion Graham Hill (father of Damon) crashed his BRM at Snetterton, Norfolk, while leading the Daily Mirror Trophy race in pouring rain.

His car was a new machine, designed for a new type of engine and a new design of Dunlop tyre.

As is often the way with motor sport, on race day the new engine was not ready nor were the new tyres. As a consequence, Hill, who hardly ever made a driving error, started from the front row in a car he had not been able to properly evaluate.

Driving at speeds in excess of 140mph, the tyres hit a river of water and threw the car into an earth bank, creating a golden opportunity for photographer Arthur Sidey to get the shot of his life. In fact, it nearly cost him his own life as he fell backwards when the car passed over him!

The car aquaplaned because the tyres failed to drain water.

This was partly because the suspension had been set up for a different tyre, while the old engine had been shoe-horned into the frame, resulting in a tendency to weakness at the back and a need to fit makeshift suspension.

Each of these compromises made the car difficult to manage when Hill needed to respond to the sudden lifting of the car by the water stream. Being a professional, he had nothing to complain about and in fact gave a hilarious interview to Raymond Baxter, the BBC commentator, after the race, during which he joked: ‘Having lost two wheels, I did not see much point in continuing.’

Professional drivers are expected to cope with different technical challenges. The average consumer, however, requires constant reassurance and education when specifications are changed. Sidey’s pictures made the centre pages of the Daily Mirror. It is not an accolade we would recommend for any of our clients!

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TO JOIN GO TO WORKSHOPCLUB.CO.UK OR CALL 023 9252 2434 AND 34 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Does Consumer Rights Act apply to this salesman?

Q

Recently we had an order from a customer for some repair work. The customer told us he is a salesman and drives the car for his business. He warned us that if his car is not fixed on time, he will claim missed sales from us. Surely this customer is not a consumer and does not have consumer rights?

It is true to say that a consumer is an individual who acts for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside that individual’s trade, business, craft or profession. Only then will the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply.

This statutory definition of the consumer has two important aspects.

First, the law refers to purposes that the individual pursues.

It follows, as in the present scenario, that if an ordinary passenger car is

A

used in the course of business or trade, consumer laws will not apply.

However, this needs to be balanced against the degree of business use.

Consumer law will not apply to cases where the goods are used wholly or mainly for business purposes.

The courts have interpreted this provision in the manner that the business use has to be virtually the sole purpose.

For example, if the same car is used for a daily commute to the office, then for business travel through the day and then also used as a family car for shopping, school runs and so on, this is likely to be deemed a consumer case.

The answer to your question is that the consumer rights are likely to apply in your case, unless the car is used almost exclusively for the business needs of your customer.

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

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

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| 35

PRODUCTS.

New for you Laser Tools JLR Fuel Injector Remover

Sealey Micro Soldering Torch

How much: £105.91 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk

How much: £27.54 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk

This fuel injector remover from Laser Tools has been specially designed to fit the long petrol injectors used on Jaguar Land Rover models equipped with 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines. It has angled slide hammer shafts to give improved access when working on the rear injectors.

This butane-powered micro soldering torch from Sealey features piezoelectric ignition and a 1300-degree Celsius burner flame, which is adjustable from 12mm to 35mm. It has a safety lock and a continuous use switch.

Tetrosyl Etch Primer Aerosol 500ml How much: £8.14 (inc VAT) Where from: tetrosylexpress.com This is a chromate-free, fast-drying etch primer designed specifically for use in the repair of rub-through areas and on substrates, such as galvanised steel and aluminium. No sanding is required, just an overcoat with primer before colour application.

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

36 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Laser Tools Hose Slide Set How much: £9.74 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This innovative set prevents air and water hoses from getting trapped under the wheels of a vehicle, as well as stopping the hose riding up and damaging low-hanging body work. The two pieces wedge under the tyres and guide the hoses around the vehicle.

Clarke 12-Drawer Tool Chest How much: £167.98 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk This Clarke 12-drawer tool chest offers superior storage and protection for valuable tools and accessories. The drawers run on ball bearings and the structure is durable and secure.

Tetrosyl Final Finish Bodyshop Polish 880ml How much: £11.74 (inc VAT) Where from: tetrosylexpress.com Carlube final finish polish is silicone-free and safe for use in bodyshops. It’s ideal for removing marks, such as fingerprints or compound splatter. Developed as an extremely easy to use, hand-applied polish, it can also be machine-applied.

Laser Tools HeavyDuty Side Cutters How much: £29.42 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk These heavy-duty side cutters from Laser Tools have a 15-degree angled head for ease of access into tight areas. They’re 200mm and manufactured from chrome molybdenum with dipped handles.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 37

PRODUCTS.

DeWalt D25052KT Rotary Hammer Drill How much: £215.98 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk The DeWalt D25052KT hammer drill features active vibration control, meaning the floating back handle is much more comfortable than one might expect, while the mechanical clutch protects the user and makes the device more controllable. The drill has a variable speed switch as well as a flat piston design.

Carlube LM2 Lithium MultiPurpose Grease 70g

Tetrosyl MicroFlo 20 Glazing Putty 440ml

How much: £1.37 (inc VAT) Where from: tetrosylexpress.com

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This high-performance grease from Carlube is one of a selection of products designed to operate over a wide temperature range in both automotive and industrial settings, and in demanding applications, such as bearings, velocity joints, universal joints, chains and gears. The LM2 grease specifically has been thickened with lithium hydroxystearate soap, meaning it provides excellent protection at high temperatures.

Carlube MicroFlo glazing putty has a hightech polyester resin system that optimises its compatibility with numerous substrates, such as galvanised steel, zinc and aluminium.

It’s specially vacuum-mixed to eliminate air entrapment and defects. Expanded gas-filled plastic microspheres allow the production of lightweight and easy-to-sand fillers.

38 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Laser Tools Engraver How much: £32.02 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This engraver is fitted with a diamond tip and can engrave on any surface. It rotates at between 14,000rpm and 16,000rpm and can be powered via a computer USB, power bank or an adapter.

Tetrosyl Trade Spray 500ml How much: £2.34 (inc VAT) Where from: tetrosylexpress.com Tetrosyl professional trade spray is a topquality, high-performance aerosol for automotive top-coat refinishing. Tetrosyl’s acrylic plus formula, along with the adjustable spray nozzle, provides a spray gun finish straight from an aerosol.

Sealey 20-Tonne Axle Stands How much: £271.14 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk These heavy-duty axle stands from Sealey have a capacity of 20 tonnes each. They’re of a sturdy welded steel construction for superior safety and strength. They have a large crutch for good load distribution and are supplied with captive load pin support.

Sealey Chipping Hammer and Brush How much: £5.94 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk This Sealey chipping hammer and brush is a clever dual-purpose tool. It has a black steel head for removing slag from the welding bead prior to painting. There’s also a steel-tipped hammer to help remove welding slag with speed.

Carlube AdBlue 10-litre How much: £10.50 (inc VAT) Where from: tetrosylexpress.com Carlube AdBlue is a reducing agent produced to ISO 22241 standard for SCR exhaust after-treatment devices in the latest generation of diesel-powered Euro 4, Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines. It helps the environment by reducing the emission of gases such as nitrogen oxides. Each pack includes an air flow bottle and an extension tube.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 39

OUR FLEET.

Ford Thunderbird

Although there’s still some way to go before the Thunderbird is ready to hit the road, Rebecca is thrilled that progress is at last being made

There’s light at the end of the tunnel for Rebecca and her American import

B

efore Christmas, I was panicking quite a lot about the Thunderbird. Thoughts such as ‘Why have I thrown all my money at this?’, ‘What am I doing with my life?’ and ‘When will I be able to afford food again?’ all popped into my head.

As I mentioned last month, I thought everything was going well as I tried to sort a few minor jobs on the car before it was transported to Sam Hard, of Hard-Up Garage in Fareham, for the final bits of welding and brake work to be done.

Hard was also going to check there were no holes in the fuel tank.

I was sitting in a meeting in London as he began sending me pictures of my car in pieces.

At the time, I thought he’d gone mad and had started ripping it apart for no reason; now I know it was absolutely necessary.

In the past month, things have really turned around, though.

Although my pockets look barer than the shelves of a Next store on the second day of the January sales, the car is on the mend.

OK, it’s not perfect, but we’re working to a budget here. The plan is to get it roadworthy and I’ll worry about the rest later.

Hard has welded a new floor into the boot and it looks like new, with a hard-wearing blue

paint finish. That was a flat plate of sheet metal that he’s hand-rolled to give it those originallooking ridges.

Where there were once holes and filler on the passenger side, there are now whole wheel arches. The door is currently under reconstruction and next he’ll be moving on to do the same thing on the driver’s side.

Even more exciting is the news that all of the parts we require have turned up.

The last bits to arrive were the brakes but they’re here now, which means that soon the T-Bird could be a fully functioning car again!

Although it seems optimistic to me, this week the welding will be finished, a new fuel tank will be in – because, what do you know, the old one

Model: 1966 Ford Thunderbird ‘Flair Bird’ Owned by: Rebecca Chaplin Engine: 6.4-litre V8 390 Bought for: £4,250 Mileage: 24,043 Money spent this month: £2,000 Highlight of the month: Progress!

Finally – progress! basically consisted of rust and more rust – and it’ll all be hooked up. I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed that things will go smoothly. I’ve even started filling out my import form in anticipation.

I think once this is all sorted, all it’ll need is a new light bulb to pass its MOT… but that’s something to think about another day.

OUR WHEELS...

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

40 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

AUDI A2

VW TYPE 3 FASTBACK

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT

FORD THUNDERBIRD

by Tom Wiltshire Staff writer, @mctreckmeister

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial, @believebecca

by Ryan Hirons Staff writer, @RyHirons

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial, @believebecca

It’s been a quiet month for Tom’s A2, with the overdue cambelt deterring him from any long trips. But it’s now booked into the garage for some TLC.

Becca’s been lacking funds to give the VW any love. We hear she’s got a second job at the pub, though, so maybe there’ll be more news soon.

It’s all been plain sailing for Ryan’s car Taylor this month. A few difficult winter starts may mean a battery change is due fairly soon though.

As you can read above, the T-Bird is getting closer to being roadworthy – but it’s costing owner Becca a pretty penny in the process.

Nissan 200SX

BMW 330d Touring

Darren’s hoping for a bit of parental help if there’s a change in the weather...

Belfort still isn’t getting that much use, thanks to Jack’s role at Workshop Towers

I

t’s been a winter of procrastination when it comes to my old Nissan. I don’t much like the cold, so the previously discussed misfire has sat largely ignored until warmer weather comes around.

However, I did finally find time to speak to the vehicle electrics expert I’ve mentioned for the past few issues. Turns out that, as expected, my car’s too old to give a detailed diagnostics report, but he did make some educated guesses.

First step is to install a new fuel filter. He guessed that there’s a chance the old filter is so full of gunk that when the turbo gets going and the engine demands more fuel, it can’t get enough and stutters.

Makes sense to me. Fuel filter ordered for the grand sum of £9, I had every intention of fitting it so I went to see my parents, where my car is stored. However, it then rained all day, with absolutely no let-up, and I’m a fair-weather car guy. I don’t think it counts as procrastination if rain stops play, right?

Either way, the misfire remains, and I’ve asked my dad to just take any moment possible to fit it.

If that doesn’t work, the next plan is to take out the fuel injectors and get new ones fitted.

And if that doesn’t work, Mr Electrics Expert wants the car back to try using some more advanced equipment. Fortunately for me, he’s a JDM fan and had friends who owned 200SXs when he was younger. He’s almost as determined to fix this as I am…

Model: Nissan 200SX Owned by: Darren Cassey Engine: Turbocharged 1.8-litre inline-four Bought for: £3,750 Mileage: 133,812 Money spent this month: £9 Highlight of the month: Staying warm and in the dry!

SUBARU LEGACY GT-B

I

t’s hard to believe quite how much time and effort goes into maintaining a car which, in reality, doesn’t move all that much. Take my BMW. As a result of my role here at Workshop Towers, I have to drive one or two different cars a week to review (tough, I know). As a result, poor Belfort doesn’t get much use at all.

So when I do finally return to the 330d, I find that things need sorting – despite relatively few miles having gone under the wheels.

For instance, despite having been hooked up to a solar charger, the battery didn’t have enough energy to crank the engine.

That’s not the fault of the battery – it simply hasn’t been charged enough to get things going.

A quick jump-start later and it turns over first time, though – problem solved.

Then, despite the tyres being close to brand new, they’re flat. I blame this on porous alloys leaking air into them – they're over 17 years old, after all – but that means I have to go and grab the compressor and reinflate them to stop the car looking all sad and abandoned.

It’s tiring stuff, keeping all of it going. I’m thankful that nothing major has gone wrong,

BMW 330d TOURING

MG METRO TURBO

however. The oil levels and temperature stay pretty much normal, while there aren’t any major fault lights displayed on the dash – just the one for the traction control, but I’m blaming that on a faulty sensor.

The air conditioning still blows cold, the radio continues to produce a decent sound and the leather throughout the whole of the cabin doesn’t look half bad considering the car’s age. It’s genuinely a decent example – it’s just a shame that it’s not really getting as much running as it deserves.

This is the part of the report where I say that I should probably sell it and that it needs to be passed on to an owner who will really use it.

I’m just reluctant to part with the 330d, purely because it’s such a good car.

Model: BMW 330d Touring Owned by: Jack Evans Engine: 2.9-litre turbocharged diesel Bought for: £2,600 Mileage: 147,232 Money spent this month: £0 Highlight of the month: The fact that all the issues recently have been minor ones.

NISSAN 200SX

PEUGEOT 205 GTi

by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay

by Jack Evans Features editor, @jackrober

by Christian Tilbury Staff writer, @Christilbury1

by Darren Cassey Senior staff writer, @DCassey

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

This month, Jon braved the wind and rain for a quick oil change.

Seems only fair, given that the car is celebrating its first UK birthday!

Jack’s Beemer continues to feel a little unloved in the Workshop Towers car park – but he can’t bring himself to part with it.

Christian chose to forget the much-needed suspension pump-up and splashed out on some new oldstock wheel centres instead.

Darren’s bought a new fuel filter but rain has prevented it from being fitted, as you can read in more detail in his report above left.

Still in hibernation, James’s 205 has been spared the storms that have battered other members of the Workshop Magazine fleet.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 41

OUR KEV.

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

MOT changes are coming... some sensible, some stupid T he DVSA hasn’t made a song and dance about them yet, but there are some significant changes coming to the MOT test later this year – and like any government-led change of policy, there are some areas that make sense and some that make no sense whatsoever.

We’ll start with the logical bits. Under the new rules, which come into play on May 20, the MOT test will automatically fail a diesel car that has had its diesel particulate filter tampered with. Good.

Yes, DPFs can be problematic, but take them out and you can cause all manner of mischief to engine management systems etc, not to mention emissions.

Other sensible changes are a rule that reversing lights must work – a wise move, as it’s always useful to know if another vehicle is going backwards – and an instant failure for any car whose brake pad warning lamp is illuminated (though there’s nothing in the tester’s manual to suggest that the warning lamp has to work).

Some of the other changes are less well thought through.

For example, the current system of ‘advisories’ is to be replaced by ‘minor’, ‘major’ and ‘dangerous’ fails. A minor fail is actually a pass (work that one out) and doesn’t require the car to be re-MOT’d, so is effectively an advisory.

A major fail is a current MOT failure point – something like a bulb, malfunctioning windscreen washer system, suspension bush or blowing exhaust, which would make the car fail the test but remain safe enough for the owner to take it away for repairs. A ‘dangerous’ fail is just that – something that renders the car unsafe to drive, such as a leaking brake pipe or bald tyre.

In other words, then, nothing much has changed there, other than you can fail the test and still pass, but not get any advisories. I guess the rationale behind this is that the ‘minor’ fails will all have been rectified by the next MOT, but that takes away some of the value of advisories in my book. For example, advising on a tyre nearing the legal limit is exactly the kind of thing you’d want to follow up at the next annual inspection, but some of the other areas where advisories are useful, such as advising on areas you can’t inspect owing to plastic covers, are a good MOT testers’ arse-covering exercise. There’s no real guidance on what we do about those…

Then there are three new items I think are patently ridiculous. The first is that any vehicle with high-intensity headlight bulbs fitted will be an instant fail. I can understand how this might apply for some of the chavvy light shows that get fitted to the front end of modified

Corsas, but some of the latest HID bulbs that are used in lieu of halogens are simply an improvement on the originals. For example, our garage has an old Astravan, which we’ve had for years. We maintain it really well, and despite being almost a quarter of a century old, it still looks pretty smart – I’m fussy like that. However, the original headlamps were as effective as candles in the wind.

I swapped the bulbs for some HID ones last year and the difference in visibility is incredible, but not once have I been flashed at by an oncoming motorist for blinding them, because the bulbs aren’t actually that bright – they just give a better spread of light.

Another instant fail is ‘contaminated brake fluid’. Now I agree that old and dirty brake fluid is a safety concern. But MOT testers aren’t allowed to unscrew any caps or remove any covers, so on many cars it will be impossible to judge.

We’d have to pass every Vauxhall Corsa we saw because the brake fluid bottle is hidden beneath a plastic scuttle cover, yet this is the very kind of car that attracts those with a laissez-faire approach to maintenance.

The worst one, though, is that an illuminated engine management light is now a major fail point.

How this can be considered part of what is, in effect, an annual safety inspection is utterly beyond me.

EMLs come on for all sorts of reasons, often things as simple as bad signals from ECUs and through the ignition system, which are commonplace on cars that don’t cover a huge mileage. Indeed, the amber EML exists as a warning that you should get your car checked out on a diagnostic machine to ensure there’s nothing wrong.

In every car handbook I’ve ever read, though, it says it’s okay to still drive the car.

I’m not advocating going round with your dash lit up like a Christmas tree, of course. But there will be unscrupulous garages that charge punters £100 a go to switch their EMLs off because they don’t understand such witchcraft when you can do it yourself with a ten quid reader…

It’s about time the MOT rules were written by those who conduct MOTs and who know a safe car from a death trap…

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

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I swapped the bulbs for some HID ones last year, and the difference in visibility is incredible, but not once have I been flashed at by an oncoming motorist . . .

SUPPLIERS GUIDE.

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

Welcome to your essential guide to leading suppliers

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

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

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Diagnostic Equipment

Aftersales Software

Approved Schemes

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RAC Approved Dealer Network

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Butts of Bawtry

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Garage Equipment

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Legal & Compliance

Straightset

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Lawgistics

Parts Suppliers

Parts Suppliers

Trade Bodies

Blue Print

Febi Bilstein

IGA

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: paul.bates@straightset.co.uk Info: Straightset is the UK’s leading independent garage equipment company, providing best-in-class design, supply, installation and service of car and commercial workshops for nearly 30 years. We carry a vast range of quality equipment carefully sourced from top manufacturers within the EU and US and offer one of the most comprehensive aftersales services in the market.

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

Approved Dealer

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

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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.

Nebula Systems

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 34 and 35 for The Judge’s contribution to this month’s issue.

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

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

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