Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rootes75]

That's it, a valid MOT certificate does not mean the car is roadworthy, you still need to check your car over once in a while.
Certainly with an older car, its part of our routine as classic car owners but there are some (and I know of some) who drive absolute heaps and hide behind the 'its ok cause its exempt!' excuse.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[alastairq]

I know it's thread drift, but I feel many owners don't drive their vehicles anything like enough...so things 'seize up' through lack of use.

Also too many owners have been brought up, day-to-day, on modern vehicles, which are incredibly easy to drive [otherwise they'd get a slating in the press]....so jumping into [say] an Austin Cambridge, or a Ford Pop, for a drive can bring it's own problems, from a driver skills viewpoint.
[Let's face it, with the current love affair folk have with 'values', many get into old vehicle ownership, much like buying an old painting. They may never have painted in their lives...most drivers out there have never driven for a living [as in, 8-12 hours a day, 6 days a week, 48 weeks a year, and so on]....most driving but for an hour or so most days....so, driving 'experience' is in reality quite lacking...made up for with the individual's idea of what is 'reasonable' or, worse still, 'safe'....Thus, driver 'skills', as of old, are dying out...which makes the progress of many classic cars, dubious, to say the least.]
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Ray White]

If anyone want's to experience the difference between a modern car and a classic they should try driving an early (pre Ruby) Austin Seven. OMG talk about sorting the men from the boys!

1.)the brakes are cable operated and poor in standard trim.

2) the steering is vague with plenty of "wander due in part to the front axle not being laterally located. Bounce and rear wheel "steering" is frightful.

3) Power is inadequate for climbing hills and the combination of a three speed crash gearbox requiring double de clutching, 19 inch wheels with 3.5" cross ply tyres and a 4.9:1 geared rear axle give you plenty to think about.

4) Far too much fun... The E.U. would probably ban it if they knew.

[V8 Nutter]

Ray White thinks my statement about some testers not being conversant with old cars is "Baloney" My passion is American cars a friend of mine owned an old Plymouth it failed on play in the bottom ball joints. He had them replaced at the re-test it failed again same fault. the tester did not realise the play was supposed to be there until we showed him the manual where it illustrated the correct way to test the ball joints. Just one example.

[Ray White]

[BigJohn]

I once picked up a fail on a 1957 Standard 10, the one with the brake light above the number plate light, but I was told my High Level brake light worked, just not the others, what others?
I had a tester who could not understand a 4 wheel handbrake on a Flying 12 insisting it should not work on the front wheels, therefore it was faulty somewhere. Corrosion in an area not relevant, small hole in a dress sill on a full chassis car, I could go on, fortunately I could argue my corner and back it up with the relevant books and qualifications.
I now have a tester who understands classic cars.
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1974 Mk1 Escort.

[V8 Nutter]

[

The only ball joints that I know of which have normal amounts of play in them are the spring loaded tie rod end assembly and the drag link end assembly. In my experience any other ball joints that show up as "play" when tested are worn. If the example you give is not unique to that Plymouth then I would like to learn more. I doubt many testers will have seen that model in this country.


[url=https://postimg.cc/sQbL4gcw]

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Drag link end assembly



Tie rod assembly[/quote]


I have just had a quick look through my 1969 edition of Chiltons Auto Repair Manual and there is a whole page devoted to checking ball joints. Many of them if they are checked in the correct way have built in play. the strangest one is, on some 1950's Chevrolets check ball joints with a grease gun. If you can pump grease in it's O.K. if not even if there is no visible play, the joint should be replaced. Apparently the grease grooves are worn away and the ball joint could seize. How many testers know that? I seem to remember some Vauxhalls maybe early HB Viva's had some built in play in the bottom ball joints

[Ray White]

[MikeEdwards]

[alastairq]

Many years ago, it would amuse me to see Audi owners' faces in my local testing station, when I was 'in' for a test on my disreputable Cannon [not pretty, blue tractor paint]...or even, my once-owned old Morgan...[Scabbus, my wife-of-the-time called it]....both of which would pass their tests, whereas the 3 year old Audis would be failing.....on suspension or steering joints.

I have already sought advice from my current testers, concerning the fitment [or absence] of underbody guards?
Apparently, under the new system, the system tells the tester what to look for, according to make & model.
One question concerns the 'security' of the under body guard? The choice of answers is either [a]yes, or [b] no...If no, then that's a 'fail'.
On my disreputable Daihatsu Fourtrak daily[when I get around to it] driver....I have removed the under-engine metal shield, as it interferes with my being able to drain the engine oil. I asked if I needed to refit it? The answer I got is 'don't bother'....so I guess the MoT questionnaire gets fiddled with?

It also has a plastic boat fuel tank instead of the leaky, rusty metal fuel tank....''no problem' was the reply.....he's used to my cobbles-for-repairs....as long as they're 'sound', he doesn't worry about 'pretty'...his major beef is for rusty brake pipes...he likes all mine, as they're usually all copper or kunifer! He repeatedly tells me to weld up the tow bar...which I do..but apparently that sort of cobble is frowned upon in certain circles....so now he gets me to unbolt the tow hitch..then the est 'isn't a tow bar'......so doesn't get 'tested'....It's strong enough...just not 'pretty' enough for modern tastes.
Like the trailer lights it has, which replaced the DAihatsu originals..which would seize up their SS screws at the drop of a hat....They work,they're not very straight, but who cares? I certainly don't!!
Probably why I recommend the business to anybody who seeks advice? Complete lack of bullsh#te...and they don't ramp up prices either....good honest workmanship.

Unlike some of the others locally, where the first response is a sharp sucking of teeth, followed by a tutting.
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Ray White]

TO Return to the thread.....

With all the shenanigans going on around Brexit I got to thinking...

When we voted in the referendum to leave or remain in the E.U. I thought there must have been a raft of E.U. legislation that would have impacted on our hobby so I voted leave. I am hopeless at all the political stuff; not interested in economics, and as far as immigration goes...well my best friend and classic car collector is a British Indian and he's a good chap.

Put simply, I assumed the FBHVC and FIVA were up to their necks in fighting off E.U. red tape and silly rules.

Since then I have been wondering exactly what these onerous anti old car laws are. I can find very little in fact that can be attributed to the dreaded E.U. bureaucrats so I thought perhaps others here could think of something to blame on the E.U.

So far.....not much!

[V8 Nutter]

Ray White. No hard feelings over the ball joints. On the subject of E.U. regulations. earlier this year I met a French man and his wife who had just bought a hot rod in this country. It would not have been street legal in this country, no mudguards and no bonnet amongst other things. I asked the mans wife who was English how they would cope with all the old car restrictions in France, such as a limited distance from home and driving after dark. She replied, "No problem, if you don't go to Paris, no body bothers with things like that". Very French.

[Bitumen Boy]

[Ray White]

I am not surprised that there is so much anti E.U. sentiment about. It seems that many people have a feeling that the E.U. is meddling to an unacceptable degree in our hobby, but when asked directly they are unable to pinpoint any specific examples.

One reason may be that the FBHVC have been successful in heading off any inappropriate legislation and the cross party of MPs which has our interests at heart may have ensured that nothing too onerous gets passed through the Commons.

I can only hypothesise but there has undoubtedly been a lot of "fake news" to coin a phrase. Here is a (rather long) list of Euro Myths.

https://blogs.ec.europa.eu/ECintheUK/euromyths-a-z-index/

[Keith D]