Happy day!

My car passed its MOT today.  No need for any remedial work - which you can't take for granted with any 18-year old car, especially an old Jaguar.  As you can imagine I'm feeling pretty chuffed.

A new development on the latest MOT certificate is a mileage history, showing the last four recorded odometer readings.  It is interesting to see how the mileage has increased over the years (I did 6,000 miles last year and 4,000 the year before).  Weather it will do anything to combat clocking is a different matter.  My instinct says that the greatest benefit in adjusting a car's mileage is in the first three years, before it ever sees an MOT bay.

I do like the Jaguar, it is a lovely old thing.  Hopefully it will keep going for a good few years as I can't think of anything within my modest means that I would rather own.

Follow-up to MOT: Citroen CX

The garage that looks after my car is a Citroen specialist. While my car was there they also had a 1970s Citroen CX. It looked a lot like the car pictured, right down to the model, registration year and colour.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

It has been a while since I last saw a CX and I had forgotten just how stunning it is. Somehow it manages to be both of its time and futuristic. Only in the 1970s could you get away with so many different shades of brown both outside and inside. But look at that interior, the sculpted curves of that dashboard still look great and owe nothing to outdated traditions of woodworking and the carriage trade.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

Even better, the CX comes from an age when cars could be different under the skin. Where else would you find springs of nitrogen connected to the suspension by high-pressure hydraulics that provides self levelling and height adjustment? Where else would you find brakes operated from the same high pressure system with a pedal responsive to pressure rather than movement? How about high-geared power steering with speed-dependent assistance and powered self-centring?

The CX might not be as iconic as the DS or 2CV but it still deserves to be celebrated.

Prelude update

It has been an eventful week what with one thing and another.

For some time I’ve known that one or two of the bulbs illuminating the instruments have blown. Getting to the bulbs looked challenging enough to delay the job as long as possible. Last week my hand was forced as the final bulb went out.

Driving with the speed and other information only intermittently available when street lighting permitted was a little un-nerving. Driving through an unfamiliar area, full of speed cameras is no fun at the best of times but I was even more cautious than normal.

Back home and in daylight I investigated the location of the bulbs. As is often the case with jobs inside the car – as opposed to under the bonnet – what promised to be easy turned out not to be. On the Prelude there are two screws that secure the bezel around the instrument panel. However, it turns out that this cannot be removed without taking of the steering column shrouding. Eventually I found the parts in question and, with the help of my friendly local Honda dealer, ordered replacements. As the parts weren’t in stock I spent most of the week driving round with the dashboard in pieces.

Now everything is back together, with new bulbs installed. I had forgotten how clear and crisp the Honda’s instruments are at night. Age may be catching up with the Prelude but it is nice to see one area rejuvenated.

The other thing to come up this week was the MOT; I was reasonably confident of a pass but you never know what might be lurking unseen. It would be nice to say that the Prelude passed with a clean bill of health but there was an advisory note about play in the rear suspension and the garage warned that the exhaust isn’t in the best shape. Still, all things considered it isn’t too bad for a car in its 13^th year.

News Roundup 21 January 2011

Possibly the biggest car news story of the week, if not the most important, was the announcement of the Ferrari FF. Whether in a deliberate or coincidental nod history it is a luxury, high-performance, four-seat hatchback with four-wheel drive – not unlike the Jensen FF from 1966.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

Ferrari says its FF stands for Ferrari Four (four seats and four-wheel drive) so Ferrari FF is actually a tautology. Whatever the name Ferrari claims the all-wheel drive system does not compromise the car’s ‘ideal’ 47:53 front-rear weight distribution. It also refers to the car having a transaxle. As I understand it; that means there must be one drive shaft from the engine in the front to the gearbox at the back and another drive shaft running from the gearbox to the front differential. No-one else has commented on this, it will be interesting to see what the FF looks like under the skin. Hopefully all the car’s secrets will be revealed when it is officially unveiled in Geneva this March.

If you are in the market for Ferrari’s latest offering then the Aston Martin Cygnet probably qualifies as affordable town transport. The compact, Toyota-based Aston costs just over £30,000 and production is due to start in April.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

Final news story to catch my eye was the report that discussions are taking place about exempting the oldest historic vehicles from the requirement to pass an annual MOT test. Justification for the move is given that the vehicles in question cover such small mileages and are usually well maintained so the safety impact would be minimal. Of course owners would be expected to maintain their vehicles in roadworthy condition – just as every motorist must.

Car of the Week – Subaru and Toyota RWD Sports Coupé

This week Subaru announced that it would show its Rear-wheel drive sports coupé platform at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring. As you might expect few facts have been revealed ahead of the official unveiling. The only thing we know for certain is that it will use a Subaru trademark flat-four engine.

Actually that’s not quite true; there is a Toyota version - the FT-86 – which has been seen at a couple of motor shows. Apparently the FT is about the same size as a BMW 1-series coupé and has room for four. It is also supposed to be light and power could be anything from 150-350bhp.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

If Toyota and Subaru can get the dynamics right, get details right – like the steering, gear change and pedal feel right – and price it affordably and it could be as big a success as the MX5 was for Mazda.

Good news

The Citroën passed its MOT. It needed new brake pads and one of the headlamps needed re-aligning. On the whole it isn’t a bad result for a car that turned 20 this year. It does mean I don’t have the fun of trying to find a new car – maybe next year.