ASK AN EXPERT: YOUR CLASSIC QUESTIONS ANSWERED

With people spending more time at home, classic vehicle owners have had more opportunities than usual to tinker with their pride & joy at home. As a result, Footman James jumped in to help enthusiasts with their classic questions they may be struggling to get the answer to.

SHOULD I FILL MY TANK WITH FUEL WHEN I STORE IT?

For the first in Footman James’s ‘Ask The Expert’ series, they explored the age old question of whether you should fill your tank when you’re storing your vehicle. An old favourite this. When storing classic vehicles over the winter months should you fill the petrol tank or not? I get conflicting advice about this one, especially within the context of the shelf life of modern fuels - asked Mike Mahon To answer this, FJ got in touch with David Tassell from Cherished Storage based in the West Midlands. “Classic vehicle storage is quite a complex, fine art with a multitude of variables that need to be taken into consideration; from environmental temperature changes to the age of the vehicle in question. But as a general rule of thumb, the question of whether to fill your tank with petrol while you’re storing it, comes down to whether your petrol tank is made of plastic or metal. If you have a modern classic, from the 1980s for instance, with a plastic fuel tank, you can leave this empty while you store it. If you have a classic with a metal fuel tank though, there are positives and negatives for filling with fuel. If you fill with fuel, there is much less air in the tank which means less corrosion. However, after a couple of months you’ll be left with a tank full of stale fuel - modern fuel does not last as long as it used to, even when compared to just 10 years ago. As a result, most people tend to fill the tank with fuel and then use a fuel stabiliser additive to ensure that the fuel can still be used once you take it out of the garage in a few months’ time. A good inspection inside the tank will tell you more, if it is rusty already, then no amount of fuel will cure this, many tanks are now being remanufactured. Almost any tank could be remade as a one off. Also, one part of the fuel system that often gets overlooked is your fuel hoses, they don’t last forever!”

COVER FOR PILLION PASSENGERS

When the sun is shining and the conditions are just right, it’s understandable that many bikers would want to share the thrill and enjoyment of a classic bike ride with a passenger. But what cover is provided for pillion passengers on a motorcycle with a Footman James policy? To begin with, a pillion passenger is someone who travels in a seat or place behind the rider of a bike or scooter. Also, it’s important to remember that as a biker, you can only carry pillion passengers if you have a full motorbike or moped license. At FJ their cover applies to any passenger on a bike though, whether this is pillion or in a sidecar for example. So how exactly is a passenger covered on an FJ classic bike policy? Essentially, as an FJ policyholder, you would be covered for any amounts legally liable to be paid due to your passenger being injured in a claim which was determined to be your fault. This will only apply however if your bike has been designed to carry passengers, your passenger is facing forward at all times, and if you’re both wearing the appropriate helmets (unless you’re exempt from doing so, e.g. if you’re a Sikh and you wear a turban). If the accident was non-fault, then the policyholder and passenger would both be able to claim their injuries and uninsured losses from the third party involved (provided the third party is insured). Please note, all of the above is subject to the terms, conditions and limitations as detailed in the policy.

OIL & FILTER CHANGES Arthur Branthwaite asked:

Do I need to do an oil and filter change annually on my Bentley Arnage? It’s only done 600+ miles in the last 12 months. For advice on this question, Footman James spoke to client Mark Taylor of Mark Taylor RR & B, Rolls Royce and Bentley specialists. “I would always recommend that you give your classic an oil and filter change annually, regardless of how many miles you’ve driven that year. In fact, when you’ve driven fewer miles it’s actually even more important that you take the time to change the oil and filters. When your car is stationary in storage or in the garage for a prolonged period of time, the oil can start to take on moisture. As a result, the oil’s consistency changes and you can end up with a milky-looking residue on the surface of the oil. If the oil isn’t the right viscosity, this means that it can’t work correctly which of course could cause some problems further down the line. If you’d rather not perform an oil and filter change yourself, a local classic garage like ourselves will happily perform the task as part of an annual service, or as an oil and filter change only.”

Do you have a burning classic question that needs answering?

From engine woes to auction advice and from insurance to finance, FJ will select some of your questions to put to an expert and get them answered once and for all! To submit your question, visit footmanjames.co.uk/ask-an- expert.