http://passionate-about-cars.com How to survive the world of modern motoring Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:40:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 © andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk () andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk() 1440 Just another WordPress weblog andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk No no http://passionate-about-cars.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://passionate-about-cars.com 144 144 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/10/18-stroll-on-alan-sugar/ http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/10/18-stroll-on-alan-sugar/#comments Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:26:48 +0000 admin http://passionate-about-cars.com/?p=166 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/10/18-stroll-on-alan-sugar/feed/ 0 17:18 In today's show, Steve has become Alan Sugar and showed me his new board room! Also - some great news on a new community venture ... In today's show, Steve has become Alan Sugar and showed me his new board room! Also - some great news on a new community venture Steve has piloted - all coming up in Passionate About Cars... Andy: Irsquo;m with Steve from 1st Class garage. Today Steve is looking like Alan Sugar because hersquo;s in his manager clothes, hersquo;s not in his normal shop floor clothes and hersquo;s got a new office havenrsquo;t you, Steve. Steve: Yeh. Irsquo;ve got the new office now sorted and yes, I have a collar on - Irsquo;ve stopped short of putting a tie on yet. Irsquo;ve gothellip; Andy: You can tell from the rustle of his shirt Steve: Yes. Itrsquo;s well starched. Thatrsquo;s the old ex-army training. Andy: Hersquo;s already pointed his finger and fired me. Your fired! Steve: Well I did think, because this office is on a couple of levels I did think about moving the desk to the edge of that upper level, and have the other chair below that so that people have got to look up - but no, no, no. Some people might say Irsquo;m a bit of a control freak at times anyway. But this is the new office which is quite nice because where I had a desk in one of the front offices there, that was all well and good but it doesnrsquo;t allow you much in the way of privacy. So wersquo;re expanding a little bit, Irsquo;ve now taken this office. Wersquo;ve got a yard there which can get about 15 vehicles in which will go quite a way towards our parking issues which wersquo;ve constantly ranted about in the pasthellip; Andy: Wersquo;ve spoken about this so many times havenrsquo;t we, the parking issues. Steve: Yeh, anyone with a business in Brighton would know the problems faced with trying to park vehicles. Itrsquo;s extremely difficult. Because we are a garage and we work with vehicles, thatrsquo;s what our business is, we need to have somewhere to put vehicles. Particularly when theyrsquo;re waiting for parts - wersquo;ve got a vehicle in there at the moment thatrsquo;s waiting for a part from America, I think we spoke about it before, itrsquo;s waiting for the part. So the vehicles get sidelined but you need somewhere to put them. The yard will certainly help in that aspect. Itrsquo;s something wersquo;ve been looking at for some time and itrsquo;s very convenient because it adjoins the main garage - so thatrsquo;s perfect. The other thing of course, it gets me a nice little warm office so this time of year when itrsquo;s quite chilly in the garage I can come in and have a little warm up in the office and the boys can freeze their rocks off in the workshop. Andy: Talking of the workshop, shall we go and see whatrsquo;s going on? Are you still in touch with whatrsquo;s going on, Steve? Can you remember whatrsquo;s going on? Steve: Well Irsquo;ve got a bit of a clue whatrsquo;s going on round there - we can have a look and see what sort of jobs wersquo;ve got in today. I guess wersquo;d better have a wonder round to the workshop and see whatrsquo;s going on. Andy: Is there a shortcut through from here, Steve or do we have to go back round the front again? Steve: No, wersquo;ve got to wonder out through the front door and then up the street. Andy: So wersquo;re walking out Steversquo;s specially heated and humidified office - Irsquo;ll leave my bag there. Through the front office - past Kathleen - hello Kathleen. She was on the phone. Oooo, wind, horrible wind - hang on a second. Steve: Montague Place is renowned for itrsquo;s windiness because of the block of flats. Andy: Oh yes because yoursquo;re right next to a block of flats, thatrsquo;s where all that wind was coming from. Apologies to our listeners for that horrible noise of the wind. So whatrsquo;s going on, Steve, here on the shop floor? Steve: Well wersquo;ve got the taxi van here, itrsquo;s been with us now about 3 or 4 weeks waiting for various parts. This is one of the vehicles where it never got much in the way of maintenance, it... faults andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk no No http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/05/13-engine-refits/ http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/05/13-engine-refits/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 16:21:02 +0000 admin http://passionate-about-cars.com/?p=126 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/05/13-engine-refits/feed/ 0 18:58 Steve talks about engine replacements and the new road widening at Handcross Hill in Sussex, UK. Andy White: Hello Steve, itrsquo;s been a couple of months because ... Steve talks about engine replacements and the new road widening at Handcross Hill in Sussex, UK. Andy White: Hello Steve, itrsquo;s been a couple of months because yoursquo;ve been otherwise occupied the last couple of times Irsquo;ve come to see you. Wersquo;re standing by your big RV. So, yoursquo;ve been out in it? Steve Kennard: Yes, we went out in it last weekend, just to give it a bit of a trial run after its refurb, let's say. We went just along to Chichester way but it was a nice weekend. Andy White: I thought you were going to say for a minute, went to Chichester and then stopped. Steve Kennard: No, no, no. Just went down to Chichester, I mean because of the size of it, we towed a little KA behind. So, we get there, park up on site and then use the KA to run around in locally. Andy White: So, it doesn't fit in the boot like some of those big American ones? Steve Kennard: No, it hasn't quite got the garage, is what you're talking about. I mean a lot of them have what they call the garage in the back of them, which basically sort of goes underneath the bed. The bed is raised up quite high and you've got this large space underneath that you can put small vehicle in. Andy White: How was it, Steve? It wasn't the inaugural trip was it, you've been out in it a few times haven't you? Steve Kennard: No, this was actuallyhellip; Andy White: It was the inaugural trip! Steve Kennard: First trip, yes. The one we were going to go one towards the back end of last year, last October, that occurred - well I had my little attack let's say. Andy White: Yes, your little challenge. Steve Kennard: Yes, the weekend or the week that we were due to go out in it. We went out on it, the idea was just a long weekend, just to give it a run out and see if there were any gremlins, iron out the gremlins. Andy White: Did you find any gremlins? Steve Kennard: The one real annoying thing was the old satellite didnrsquo;t work properly. Couldn't find, it couldn't find the actual satellite itself. Which was a little bit annoying but it wasn't out the way, the DVD player and that lot worked. The most annoying thing was, when we got back after the weekend I switched it on to have a look to see what was wrong with it and it worked fine. Andy White: Isnrsquo;t that always the way? Steve Kennard: Yes, I guess there is a little gremlins in their somewhere, which Irsquo;ll have a look at and get to the bottom of but the bus itself ran absolutely fine, turned a few heads. It gets a few looks where it is at the moment, parked outside the workshop. Andy White: I bet it did. I was going say, itrsquo;s the first time Irsquo;ve seen it actually out in the open because when we saw before it was sort of tucked into your garage at the side, wasn't it? Steve Kennard: Yes, it was tucked in the corner but it's now out in the open. It's all been, as I say, all refurbed inside and it drives absolutely lovely. You just have to make sure you give yourself a little bit of room when you swing it because of the overhang on the back. Andy White: Yes, the back wheels, theyrsquo;re way forward, aren't they? Steve Kennard: Yes, like a lot of these vehicles they have what they call a separate bedroom on the back and that is, it gives you some sort of about a seven foot overhang on the back. Ah, perfect noise in the background at the moment. Andy White: Thatrsquo;s okay, this perfect technology can still pick our voices up despite the road cleaning device coming along. Anyway, let's get on to the shop floor, what's been happening? It's now April, it's nice and sunny, still a bit chilly; what sort of problems are you having at the moment? Steve Kennard: Oh well, where should we start? There are loads of problems. Andy White: You are mentioning a lot of engine changes, actually replacing engines. Steve Kennard: Yes, we've got a high Hyundai, its been here for a little while, sorry not a Hyundai, itrsquo;s a Kia wa... faults,,maintenance andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk no No http://passionate-about-cars.com/2007/10/engine-running-low-on-oil/ http://passionate-about-cars.com/2007/10/engine-running-low-on-oil/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:00:22 +0000 admin http://passionate-about-cars.com/?p=1 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2007/10/engine-running-low-on-oil/feed/ 0 19:14 Steve shows me the damage caused to an engine when it runs low on oil. Steve shows me the damage caused to an engine when it runs low on oil. maintenance andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk no No