Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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Maintaining your car or cars

Posted by Allan Campbell on 20/2/2025, 11:53 pm

I started looking after my cars in 1960 with a 1936 Morris 8 and as a result of that repaired Engine, gearbox, back axle and steering and suspension parts.

Back then if I could fixed something myself I did but in the main it was a replacement job.

This continued until you needed special tools etc. to do jobs. So eventually even changing discs, a brake pads became problematic

So now I just keep an eye on tyre wear, brake disks and their pads plus other bits. Oil level and washer tank. Radiator top up not required so far, it in the service anyway.

You can easily see if a car has been will maintained. Is it clean and tidy even under the muck that they can get covered with.

My car looks great after a good wash but had damage to front bumper plus one side of the rear one. We have a lot of farm traffic so you can go 300 yards and your nice clean car is no more.

I have costed having repairs etc done but just left “as is” the cost of bringing back to spec in more than the value of the car as prices have shot up Lot. The rear bumper will cost £420 to buy so about £750 + fitted, 5 wheels refurbished £500 a slight damage to a door panel £350 ish.

The front bumper supermarket problems and minor so just leave as is.

Because of over 60 years with working on cars, bikes etc I seem to pick up on faults. To running gear.

The other day saw this very nice VW car excellent condition BUT.
I always after a glance over the car look at the brake disk’s front spot on but the rear N/S rust encroachment to edge, clean up required. Went to the O/S rear yuk 50% of the outside of the disk had rust encroachment so 25% of braking area gone.

I suspect that the car is not used very much and maybe stood where that offside rear quarter get the weather.

Unfortunately there are brake disks and Brake disks some aftermarket poor quality and rust quickly or even distort.

The same applies to the disk pads some very good others wear very quickly.

Years ago you were told to check over your car every week and most did.

These days most people just unlock the door, get in and drive off.

As I know my car I do a check every month but also when giving it a weekly wash. Any bulbs out reported by the car’s instruments. Oil and fluid checks usually never needed topping up except washer bottle.

I visually check our three family cars but under the bonnet only on mine.

Checking for rust encroachment on a cars disc is so easy, it takes seconds so why are those on some car left to become a major problem.

I would think lack of knowledge in people that are not like us oldies.

My car is getting serviced on Monday and I give a typed sheet of work requiring done and any additional items to be looked at that I’m aware of but they are given additional leeway for anything they spot.

I am giving instructions for them to give me a report on all suspension bushes etc as to have possible replacements over the rest of the year, why, car has now covered 104,000 miles and it’s a tow car.

I am no longer able to do an underbody inspection as I used to say 4 years ago and defer to experts. Last week I suspected that I had a broken spring on a rear corner. Jacked up the cater and removed and then replaced it. No problem with spring.

However just jacking up the car a problem with the car Jack being extremely difficult to use and added to that the wheel nuts very tight, the wheel itself is very very heavy. I could have got out my big hydraulic Jack but just needed to try the car one( not going the take a big hydraulic Jack)

Wheel nuts have to be tighter to a specific loading using a special tool “ Torque Wrench” and I had to get out my big beastie.

Beware of imperial and metric sizes. Nearly everything is now metric but although rare there are imperial stuff about.

Yes I’m cautious and overly so but that’s me and cars.

These days you will almost certainly have to call out the AA, RAC etc. for a wheel change.

Allan C.