Car preparation standards

[greenamex2]

Best trophy I have was for best prepared car of the year. Forget all the race, class and championship throphies!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by dtype38

Perhaps if race meeting organisers offered a prize - say a free race entry - to the best turned out car in each race, then we'd all try a bit harder on that paint job....

MSV Formula Ford does (or did) that - voted for by the marshals. Not sure about the prize - £200, I think.

[big andy]

bob ian sandworth of green and white mini spares builds my engines they only charge me £18 a hour so there cheap as professional engine builders go and i do see the engines built they ring me at every stage and i get full support on race days there always happy to come along just for there fuel costs,agreed not all engine builders are the same some are just robin dogs as i have found out to my cost

[Tim Falce]

I've tried the pro engine builders and the pro body preparers and pro painters and I have now ended up with an engine built by me, body prepared by me and now repaired by me and I am doing my own spray jobs as and when they are needed.
All this has come about by bad and/or over priced workmanship, at least now if anything doesn't look good or work right it's down to me, but at least it's cheaper and I know what I have got. I also work in a garage that has a foot of clearance around the car.

[Al Weyman]

I also work in a garage that has a foot of clearance around the car.

Blimey been there done that, aint fun. I personally built my own garage here, traditional build, 8 inch thermo blocks and proper tiled roof and electric roller shutter, you would give your eye teeth for it, I know I would have done 10 years ago.

Like one?

[dtype38]

Nice garage Al. Oh and Falcy's not kidding, you can't even swing a tabby in his, never mind a Jaguar ;-)

[midgetman]

Garage? GARAGE! What the 'ell's a garage???? My MG's been built on the front drive, and now that the concrete's been replaced with gravel it's damned uncomfortable as well!

It's not facilities stopping me doing everything myself but a total and complete lack of technical ability. Oh I understand the principles but just don't let me near any precision instruments. I'm ambidextrous - cack 'anded in both hands. Was kicked out of school metalwork classes at 11 for being a liability.

So it's cheque book preparation, and when that's run low it's no preparation. TBQH there's more things to life than grovelling around my car 24/7 anyway. Like good wine. Which is probably why the cheque book ran out in the first place.

[Al Weyman]

Now now, what could be more fun than getting covered in crap under a car, just this minute came in after trial fitting a nice new alloy rad, luv it (well sometimes). My brother in law (also left handed) is very much like you and can not do the simplest of tasks. Me, I'm one of those cocky buggers that can lend their hand to anything including building garages :-)

[midgetman]

Did I say I'm left handed? I am, so that's very perceptive of you.

At least, I am for some things. I was one of the last batch of children who were forced to do things right handed despite naturally being "sinister". Which explains a heck of a lot, like why you never stand round me when I've got a hammer in my hand ;-)