Clean up your classic – your car will thank you!
Iagree with Scott Moore’s point of view ( CCW, Your Letters, 31 October) wholeheartedly, but believe that we can do much to clean up our classic vehicles.
Just by regularly and carefully checking air filters, engine settings – things like plug gaps, contact breaker gaps and therefore ignition timing and carburettor settings – will make sure that our vehicles are running at optimum levels of performance. These are obvious, but what about seeing that the engines (where possible) run lead free cylinder heads, and perhaps not so obvious, the tyres too.
When they become old they deteriorate in many different ways, all affecting rolling efficiency. I can also see no reason for anyone not having electronic ignition, where possible to have it fitted. This one application will dramatically improve the engine’s efficiency, and it’s no longer an expensive option. I believe that electric cooling fans are a great consideration as well, given the amount of energy absorbed by most classic car set-ups.
In short, don’t just put your cars away every year and then fire them up again the following year, citing that they only cover a small mileage and therefore really don’t need any work. Vehicles were made with motion in mind and can very quickly get out of sorts when left just standing still.
Let’s enjoy our pastime, certainly, but let’s do it responsibly. It really won’t take much and doesn’t cost the earth to do these things.
The bonus? Your classic will run that much better, offer more fuel economy, lower oil consumption and so on. Neglect is also a polluter.
Rob Squire, Yorkshire.