Navigating the Pitfalls of Classic Car Ownership

Owning and maintaining a classic car is, quite frankly, great. It can be an incredibly rewarding hobby that develops one’s practicality and workshop skills as well as bringing a sense of joy and satisfaction in being able to successfully keep an older car running, or bringing a neglected vehicle back to life. But sadly it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and there will be times when things don’t go to plan. As the old adage goes anything worth doing is never easy and following a less than stellar experience recently with one of our own modern classics we thought we would have a bit of a moan and discuss some of the difficulties that can befall us as classic car owners, specifically, finding decent, reliable people to help when you require a bit of specialist support for your pride and joy.

Our story begins, innocuously enough, with the rather simple task of trying to find replacement wheels for a Volvo 940 turbo estate. It turns out that one of the original alloy wheels had a rather nasty dent to the inside edge causing some vibration through the steering wheel. Not a huge problem, per se, but the vibration would occur right in that sweet spot around 60-70mph. Not ideal. Not only that but we had wanted to update the look of the car and fit some new shoes anyway so now seemed like the perfect time for a change-up. The problem (and you’ll know this if you have ever tried to find after market wheels for a Volvo) is that the bolt pattern, or PCD (pitch circle diameter) severely limits your options. Having exhausted all possibilities we decided to go with a set of steel wheels but have them banded and dished. We’ve always liked the look and having used them in the past on our Ford Capri (rest in pieces) we managed to find some Ford Focus steelies with the correct bolt pattern.

So with the wheels purchased it was time to have them widened. Banding is an easy and perfectly legal process whereby the wheels are essentially cut in half with a “band” of steel welded in between, thus making them wider and coining the term “banded wheels”. Simple. We got the wheels back and they looked exactly how we wanted so we were happy. For a time at least. It was then necessary to get some colour on them and we opted for powder coating over paint as it’s a more durable solution. Fast forward a week and we picked up the freshly coated wheels, safely tucked up in bubble wrap. It wasn’t until we got home, however, that we discovered a distinctly suboptimal effort with uneven coverage and pieces of debris stuck under the coating. After contacting the company and explaining the situation they were more than happy to rectify the issues and thankfully, after a second attempt, they were finished to the standard that we expected.

To finish the job we needed some new rubber so off they went to the local tyre fitter and this is where the final nail in the coffin reared its head in the form of some of the wheels not holding air due to having not been sealed properly when they were banded. So, three went back to be sorted, only now they have a lovely fresh coat of powder on them. They are currently awaiting repair and we are desperately hoping that they don’t have to be coated again. In both cases the problem was/is being rectified but it shouldn’t have to be this way. For the sake of the correct level of care and attention our time, effort and money would not have been wasted and it just goes to show that choosing the right people to help you with your classic can be a bit of a minefield.

These were by no means shady, back alley traders that want to be paid in cash and then never heard from again either. On the face of it they appear to be decent companies with positive reviews so perhaps it was just bad luck. Either way the whole debacle has left us feeling a little deflated and disappointed. We expect a person to do the job they are being paid to do, first time around. Is that too much to ask? So following on from this experience we thought we would compile a list of steps that you can take to try and minimise these kinds of shenanigans in the hopes of avoiding similarly shoddy service where your classic car is concerned.

Read reviews

The Internet has shown that everyone has an opinion and that everyone feels the need to express that opinion. While this can be incredibly annoying it can also be wonderfully helpful when it comes to finding reliable people to work on your classic, and searching for reviews of potential companies should be your first port of call. Google reviews can paint a pretty good picture so check for generally positive feedback. If and how people respond to negative reviews can speak volumes also so take this into consideration.

Talk to people

If you can then have a chat with any past customers as well as current customers to get an idea of quality of workmanship, reliability etc.. If someone in the industry is using them for repeat business then that’s a good sign.

How busy are they?

Akin to finding a decent restaurant, if a company or person is consistently busy then you can pretty much guarantee that they know what they’re doing and people are happy with the work. On top of this try to find out how long they’ve been in business. The truth will out and if somebody is consistently turning out sub-standard work or a below par service they will soon get found out and business will dry up.

Attitude goes a long way

How do they come across? How is their character? How is their demeanour and attitude? Are they polite and forthcoming with information? How someone behaves will invariably give you a good indication as to how they will treat their work, you as a customer, and your car. If they are rude, uninterested or otherwise negative in any way then you’re better off going elsewhere.

Cost

You’ve heard it a thousand times before but you really do get what you pay for and if their prices appear to be much lower than their competitors this is more than likely a sign that the quality of work will be somewhat diminished too.

Despite following all of these guidelines, as we did, it simply cannot be 100% guaranteed that you’re going to receive a good service or finished product for your classic car, and that’s a shame. A huge shame. We shouldn’t have to manage our expectations when it comes to maintaining or modifying our classic cars, especially after taking all of the necessary precautions to try and protect ourselves from such an experience. It seems that perhaps all we can hope for as classic car owners is to cross our fingers and carry out our due diligence. Or maybe we’re just being melodramatic after a crappy week. Whatever the case, be safe out there, and good luck.