The MOT Debate

Do pre 1965 cars really need an annual MOT check/test ? , the answer is probably not , in my opinion . In fact , the validity of the test is questionable , its value as a monitor of private  vehicle condition is disputable . I can see that vehicles used commercially , taxis , buses , trucks all need to be checked if only to prevent ' dodgy ' companies running unroadworthy fleets , but , it always remains that the MOT test is not a guarantee . We are often told that we should not take the fact that a car has '12 months test' as a guide to mechanical perfection , in fact , the usual quote is " anything can go wrong just after the test " , so what is its real value? . It doesn't make sense to have testing carried out by the same people who carry out any repairs , that in itself is an invitation to ' be creative' , if work is in short supply , further , it is possible that  MOT examiners have different opinions as to what constitutes an impending problem and what requires an 'advisory' . Modern vehicles are far better built using better materials and techniques , components last longer and are more refined and designed than ever before , with this advantage , why do we perpetuate the antiquated expensive testing regime?

Classic car workshops

Older readers will know that running 'classic cars' has to be a labour of love . Read through the for sale section of the popular papers dedicated to older vehicles is a journet through my formative years , anyone born in the fifties will be well aquainted with the Fords , Austins , Vauxhalls, Triumphs , we of that era can name Humber , Hillman ,Sunbeam ,Singer ,Riley , Standard ,Wolseley , Vandenplas , the marques that we remember from our youth , the cars we sat bored to tears in while Dad drove for 8 hours,loaded to the gunnells to get us into the wilds of Devon and Cornwall ,the huge crawling tailbacks we endured on the A30 before the motorways were built , the inevitable queue to get up Porlock Hill , the list of towns and villages to be ticked off as we motored nearer to the static caravan sited at Polzeath in North Cornwall - the stuff of dreams!
This is what we buy into , it's not the cars , exactly , it is how they anchor us to times we remember , ( even the Vanguard Sportsman with the knackered handbrake) , how we travelled and had to work at it , stopping to let the engine cool , making tea at the side of the road , hanging your bathing trunks on the wing mirror to dry , petrol three shillings and sixpence a gallon , put a tiger in your tank , ......this England!

Where to keep your classic car

One of the big problems most people encounter is where to keep their classic vehicle . The majority of owners have , if they are lucky , a garage attached to their house which is usually filled up with everything their wives don't want to keep in the house , usually there isn't enough room left to park the daily driver , let alone an older vehicle that requires attention to bodywork and mechanics . I have to carry out major removal works to get even a small car into my garage when I need to work out of the weather , and then space is at a premium , I end up getting frustrated and annoyed at being constantly held up by not being able to reach power tools or the other side of the vehicle under repair . I often see fellow enthusiasts who regularly manage to carry out quite extensive restorations with little or no proper workshop . It has been suggested that the Local Council may well have lock-up garages to rent but certainly where I live security is a major issue - if anyone has any real , inexpensive ideas of how to get round this problem I would like to hear them!