Monthly Archives: September 2017
Why buy a Classic Car?
It is not surprising that classic cars have become so mainstream when I can remember that messing around with old cars was the prerogative of odd old men in sheds.
Modern cars have become so anodyne and soulless that the thrill of driving or the excitement of planning a road trip has been lost.
I would not recommend buying a classic car as an investment, although over the period 2013 -2016 many classic cars doubled in value and they turned out to be the best investment anyone could make, especially when my bank was offering 0.01% on my savings!
But it is an investment, if you like, in yourself and your family.
There is lots to be said for opening up the garage on a crisp spring morning and giving your pride-and-joy a wipe over before going for a blast down country roads.
The noise and mechanical feel is addictive (and rewarding) and it feels like fast even when you are well within the speed limits.
And as you park up at some village or town for coffee, someone is going to come over to chat.
Apart from meeting people and making new friends a whole plethora of events to attend opens up to you, from the stunning Goodwood events to many top class Concourse de Elegances, but perhaps more importantly, lots of little local meetings often held in stunning estates and gardens so the whole family can enjoy the morning out.
Then there are the organised road trips/rallys and continental touring trips and hill-climbs and racing if you are seriously competitive.
In short, owning a classic car can become a lifestyle that enriches your life . And even in darkest winter (the car tucked under its cover) nothing beats sitting around the fire with a whiskey and the latest classic car magazine or book.
Modern Car Servicing Explained!
There are basically two types of service, Interim (minor) and Full (major) and most manufactures and marques and models adhere to this.
There slight variations but we advise our customers to service their car once a year or around every 10 000 miles which fits in with manufacturers recommendations.
So one year its an interim service and the next a full service, and so on. For cars that do very little mileage, the service interval can be stretched a bit, but oil deteriorates with time so we do not recommend more than 18 months.
Manufactures started some years ago to recommend longer service intervals and some have gone back on this as the cars started to develop problems.
Our advice is always, at the very least, change the oil regularly as at least the engine is saved from contamination and rapid wear and with some of our customers running cars with over 200 000 miles on them, this good advice is proven.
Interim Service
- Fresh oil.
- New oil filter.
- Some cars require a new pollen/cabin filter.
- Some diesels recommend a new fuel filter.
- Visual check-over ( tyres, brakes if can be seen, and all lights).
- Visual check of suspension components/chassis.
- Top up levels for the coolant, power steering and brake fluid, and washer bottle.
- Re-set service light if on.
Cost at Greenway varies between £100 to £200 depending on car and engine.
I can also mention that you are not obliged to take your new car back to the main dealer for servicing and by fitting OE parts, we can make sure your warranty, if any, is protected.
Full Service
- Fresh oil
- New oil filter
- Spark plugs (for petrol engines, although some have long life plugs that only need to be changed
- at high mileage intervals.)
- Air filter
- Pollen/cabin filter
- Fuel filter ( Some petrol engines have a long life one that does not need changing)
- Visual check-over chassis and suspension
- Test and top up brake and clutch fluid
- Top up levels of coolant (and test for condition) and windscreen washer bottle.
- Visual check of brakes.
- Reset service light.
Cost at Greenway varies between £210 to £350 depending on car and engine.
Pollen Filters
As there is some confusion about pollen filters, here is a quick explanation.
Pollen filters or Cabin filters are a paper like filter that filters air entering the inside of the car via the heater blower or air-conditioning system.
They can be situated to the rear of the engine in the scuttle or under the dashboard.
They are often difficult and time consuming to fit, in one top selling car , the fuse box has to be removed first. Not all garages bother to replace them on a regular basis as they add to the cost of the service (they are not a cheap part) and can be fiddly to fit.
We replace them on all major services as they become contaminated with time and build up bacteria (they can get damp) which means the air entering the cabin can be harmful to the occupants.
If you suffer from allergies including hay-fever please mention this to us and we will replace the filter at each service rather than only at the major one.