In-Car Tech – Five ‘Must Haves’

Being a classic car owner does not preclude you from embracing modern technology. We can have our old cars and we can enhance them with modern, cutting-edge technology. Now we’re not saying you should glue a load of neon lights to your Spitfire. Far from it. What we’re suggesting is a small brace of clever items that will keep you safe, keep you entertained and keep you on the road. The technology is out there, so let’s use it. 

From dash-cams to stereos to charging kit, there is a veritable smorgasbord of kit out there that will complement your classic. Have a look at the five things we’ve listed below, and tell us that you’re not keen to embrace modern technology. We bet you can’t! 

1) ORSKEY Dash-Cam

Let’s not beat around the bush. There are a lot of people out there with a ‘questionable’ approach to driving. These are the people that, ideally, we want to avoid. However, in the mish-mash of everyday traffic, that’s simply not possible. What we can do, however, is have a dash-cam on board so that should the worst happen, we’re covered and free of blame. We’ll have the evidence right there to show what happened. No more ‘he said, she said’ antics, no more protracted insurance claims. This dash-cam from ORSKEY is just thirty quid, and with thousands of positive reviews, it would be remiss of you to not have it as a full-time passenger. 

2) Caliber Bluetooth Head Unit

The problem with modern-day car stereos, at least in the sense of aftermarket items, is that they’re all too gaudy, too many flashing lights and beeps and bongs. What a classic car needs is something that packs modern-day functionality and technology, but without looking like Blackpool seafront at night. Happily, that’s exactly what this Caliber head unit provides. It has sleek, retro looks,which are befitting of any classic dashboard. But more than that, it packs a modern day wallop thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, SD card reader and a USB input. Fit this to your car, and you can charge your phone, listen to your favourite podcasts and more. And all for a hair over £100. 

3) Arteck Boost Pack

Old cars love nothing more than letting their electricity escape. When that happens, you have to faff around with jump leads, and then you need another car to help you. Failing that, you have to wrangle a bunch of people together to help you push it and bump start it. It’s all a bit of a pain. Or at least, it was. Thanks to advances in battery technology, you can now have this boost pack in your glove box that will happily start your car, and charge your phone, and it has a torch on it, too. Just clamp the included leads to your battery, crank it over and away you go. We have one of these and we can assure you, it’s a lifesaver. 

4) CTEK Battery Conditioner 

Following on from number four, there is also this handy bit of kit to consider. The jump back above will get you out of trouble out on the road, where as this battery conditioner from CTEK will keep your battery in rude health whilst the car is tucked away in the garage. Simply connect it to the battery and turn it on, and it does the rest. And by rest, we mean condition your battery. It keeps the charge topped up, it runs through cycles to keep the battery healthy and if the voltage should drop below a healthy amount, it will kick into charge mode and charge it up. This is perfect if your classic is put into hibernation for the cold months. 

5) Foseal Code Reader

If you own a modern classic, you’ll know all too well that there is nothing more annoying than the sudden appearance of the engine warning light. What does it mean? What does it want? Only one thing for it – take it to the garage so they can plug the computer in. Half the time it’ll be a silly fault, but it still costs you money at the garage. Or does it? Buy yourself this clever little code reader from Foseal and you’ll be able to figure out what’s causing the light to come one, you’ll be able to clear the code off and as such, you’ll get motoring peace of mind. Plus, you won’t have to dump a load of money of diagnosing a fault. For just over £20, you’d be mad to not have one of these in stock.