Car servicing and MOT service in the UK

Car servicing and MOTs – they’re not always popular subjects; quite often people find it a nuisance and try to bury their heads in the sand when car maintenance is brought up in conversation. However, people aren’t so closed minded that they don’t concede that it is in fact an important process.

A great number of people, in order to save money, rely on friends or even their own technical knowledge when it comes to car maintenance, which is fine for small jobs. However, the fact that MOT’s are a legal requirement means that your car must see the inside of a garage at least once a year.
It is the responsibility of all vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicle is maintained regularly. This includes finding a reputable garage to have work done on your car, which isn’t as difficult as you may first think.

Finding a good garage

With thanks to a set of laws that were created in 2003 – the Block Exemption Regulations – any garage can do work on your car and the manufacturer’s warranty will not be affected. In the past, the warranty would have become void if anyone but a car manufacturer owned car servicing centre had repaired or serviced your car.

One of the best places to start your search for a garage is on the Internet. After all, there are many reputable companies based online that have an extensive network of approved garages. These companies can offer vehicle repairs and servicing at far lower rates, compared to high street dealers thanks to low overheads. So it is always worth your while, when looking for someone to carry out maintenance on your car, to check online – you might be pleasantly surprised at the deals that you can find.

What’s included in a service

At this point you might be wondering what exactly is included in car servicing. It’s a good question. The truth is that is varies from garage to garage. The most common of services that are offered often include oil change, tyre inspection (including the checking of tread depths and tyre pressure), examination of the brakes (including the brake fluids), and inspection of the exhaust, as well as suspension and handbrake testing.

The tyre inspection part of a car service sometimes bemuses people. There are some individuals that don’t appreciate the importance of having high quality, safe car tyres mounted to their vehicles. This can be a dangerous thing to overlook though. After all, your tyres are the only point of contact that your car has with the road, neglecting you car’s tyres could turn into a potentially fatal mistake.

MOT Tests

As previously mentioned, it is part of the law that a car owner must put their vehicle through a MOT annually once the car is three years old. According to direct.gov.uk, “The MOT certificate confirms that at the time of the test, without dismantling it, the vehicle met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law. It doesn’t mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the length of time the certificate is valid.”

If you are looking for a garage to complete a MOT test on your vehicle, there are over 19,000 such service centres throughout the UK and you can tell whether or not a garage has been given the authority to carry out a MOT if it has a blue three triangles logo displayed.

If you are ever unsure as to what takes place during your MOT test, the procedures will be printed in a manual that you can request to see when you arrive at the garage that you are booked into. You can also request to witness the MOT test, but are not allowed to interrupt the mechanic in any way.

If your vehicle does not pass the test, you will be presented with a failure document detailing why. Repairs will more often than not be needed to be carried out on your vehicle if it has failed the MOT and you wish to get in roadworthy once again.

DragTimes.com was at the 2010 Palm Beach Supercar Experience Weekend and took a few pictures of the amazing group of Supercars setup along Flagler street in Palm Beach. Check out the gallery by clicking on the image below…

Here is a video demonstration of two Porsche 911 Turbo cars show the launch control capabilities of the new Porsche PDK double clutch transmission. The PDK transmission uses two wet clutches, one for the even gears, and one for the odd gears. By switching between the two clutches during shifting, the power remains uninterrupted. The PDK works just like the Nissan GT-R’s transmission.

Take a look at this Lexus IS-F with a claimed 225 shot of nitrous, should it be a bit quicker??

http://tintprotector.com/blog/lexus-is-f-with-nitrous-at-the-drag-strip/

This video shows a stock 2009 Nissan GT-R running against a stock 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo with the Gallardo staying ahead each time while running from 50-130 MPH. The Nissan GT-R is powered by a 3.8L V6 Twin Turbo motor producing 480HP through a DCT transmission while the Gallardo is powered by a 5.0L V10 with 520HP through a 6 speed manual transmission.

Take a look at this video of an Audi R8 with the V8 motor outfitted with a custom twin turbo package from Heffner Performance.  Using 93 octane and only 6 psi of boost, it put down 536HP to the wheels.

A close drag race between a Porsche 911 Turbo 997 vs a Lamborghini Gallardo SE Drag Racing at an airstrip in Germany. The Gallardo pulls slightly ahead in the first two races. In the 3rd race the Porsche gets the jump and the Gallardo can’t pull ahead by the time the race is over.

The Porsche in the video is equipped with a 6 speed manual transmission and a Flat 6 Twin Turbo motor putting out 480HP. The Lamborghini is running the E-Gear transmission along with a naturally aspirated V10 engine making 520HP.

Take a look at this great video of a yellow 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo racing against a silver Audi RS6 Avant on an airstrip in Germany. The 2005 Gallardo is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0 Liter V10 engine producing 500HP with the E-Gear transmission and weighs in a about 3400 pounds. The Audi RS6 is powered by a Twin Turbo V10 motor producing 580HP and a weight of over 4500 pounds. It’s a pretty close race with the Gallardo pulling ahead.

Chevrolet classic muscle cars were at the center of the classic cars period of American large cubic inch high performance motors. The essential theme of the muscle car was extreme performance for minimum amount of money. This classic car concept played to Chevrolet’s strength as a premium producer of striking and affordable muscle cars for sale.
Chevrolet produced the most extensive and most admired collection of muscle cars of any manufacturer throughout the 1960s – 1970s. Chevrolet had authority as a performance-car builder due to its small-block V-8 that debuted in 1955. This V8 was a favorite of drag racers, and its role in the success of the Corvette swayed any lingering doubters that Chevrolet knew how to produce fast cars.
It was the well-known 409-cid V-8 that did as much for Chevrolet’s muscle car representation. Introduced in 1961, it’s most captivating home was the new lmpala Super Sport, which could be setup with a 360 horsepower 409. A dual four-barrel carburetor choice for 1962 brought 1 HP per cubic inch to this dominant V8, and soon after the 409’s produced up to 425 HP.
Chevrolet’s offering in the midway lines was the Chevelle, and its Super Sport revision became one of the most-popular classic muscle cars of all time. The Chevelle SS was initially offered with 283- and 327-cid small-block V-8s with up to 300 bhp. In 1965, a 375-bhp 396-cid big-block was installed in just over 200 Chevelles, and the muscle car competition was on. The Chevelle was so popular that even the car owners manuals are collectors items.
The Chevelle SS 396 became a break away model in 1966, and more than 72,000 were produced that year. The Chevelle SS power peaked for 1970 with the 450-bhp LS6 adaptation of the 454-cid V-8. The LS6 SS 454 Chevelles were among the quickest and fastest classic cars ever built.

There are many top of the line sports cars for sale in the car market that are available in different price ranges. The prices range from $20,000 for a compact car up to the $1,250,000 price of the Bugatti Veyron that can perform as a luxury car or for racing as well.

Since the sports car was introduced in the world of automobiles, the sports car has become one of the best sellers of every car manufacturer that produces any version of its kind. The sports car is still the hottest seller and one that many car enthusiasts want to own. The desirable appearance and extravagance it portrays makes every sports car stunning in the eyes of any driver. Here are some models that are ‘top of the line’ in the category of sports cars:

1. The Aston Martin DB9 Volante has features similar to the Jaguar, especially their external appearance. There are some similarities between the cars but the DB9 is more classical and the Jaguar XKR can be more handsome if you look at the details very closely. The DB9 comes with a 6-liter and 450-hp V12 engine that can satisfy every driver’s need for speed.

2. The Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is capable of reaching 400-hp with smooth steering wheels and track-ready handling. It is affordable with its price of $50,000. The pricing is low compared to other sports cars that have similar features and performance. The current release of the Corvette is still the fastest in its class and to previous Corvettes that were released.

3. The Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Roadster comes with a power ignition hardtop, which is a modification from the previous SL design. It is probably the most extravagant aspect on the design. However, the most awesome feature in this car is its mechanical features that come with a V12 engine and produces 604-hp. The car can blast you away in a glimpse because of its speed.

4. The Jaguar XKR Convertible is a ‘looker’ with its external appearance. Its awesome look does not end there. The mechanical features resemble the other great features of the car. Compared to other versions of the Jaguar, the XKR is highly tuned and has a 390-hp V8 engine that generates the great performance of the sports car.

There are far more sports cars that can be categorized as ‘top of the line’ in their class and in their price categories. Other sports cars that can be classified as super exotic cars include the Ferrari F430, Porsche Carrera GT, Cadillac XLR Star Black Limited, BMW 645Cic, and the Lexus SC 430.