On the ramp - underside inspection

We thought we’d try and be brief with this month’s ‘On the ramp’. Below is a video of us going through an underside inspection with the lucky owner of this Nissan R32 Skyline GTR (Swoon).

We will go through the underside of the car documenting any drippy bits that should be dry, and wobbly bits that should be stiff, and any other bits that need addressing. This is carried out with as much involvement from you as you’d like. It’s something we really enjoy - as enthusiasts first its just nice having a nose around different auto makers engineering solutions.

If it is something you would like do discuss, please do get in touch

Back to the Future?

This month’s YouTube must watch has to be this effort from Top Gear. Want to have an argument with yourself whilst gazing upon a beautiful car? This is the video for you, the electrified Bentley S1 resto-mod - see type the words “electrified” and “resto-mod” and you immediately get the purist’s backs up, but just look at it….

What's for sale?

I’m going to try a new approach looking at what’s currently on the market. Something for every budget, and something for every taste.

Speaking of taste, how does former celeb chef Gary Rhodes’ 1300 mile Ferrari F430 sound?

Up for sale at Silverstone Auctions next sale on 5th June.

Looking to reduce your carbon output, fancy something electric?

The all electric Mercedes SLS AMG

Up for sale with RM Sothebys in the Netherlands, believed to be 1 of only 9 cars - you’ll have to dig deep, its priced at over €1m

One of our own is up for sale too. This stunning Porsche 968 Clubsport is being offered by one of our Garage Queen’s members. Currently she’s stored at Buntingford - drop us a line if you’re interested and we’ll introduce you to the current owner.

Last month you may remember that we told you about Mistubishi UK clearing their heritage fleet. Well, just a little update we thought was interesting. The Tommi Makkinen edition EVO sold for over £100K in the end. I like them, but crumbs that’s a big number!

https://bit.ly/2QbOaXH

Latest Arrivals - May

The warmest of welcomes to our newest cars and owners. Here’s a quick peek at what’s new this month

Detailing Packages

Has Spring sprung, can we look forward to our cars staying clean a little longer than just 1 trip out? Lets hope so! With this in mind we are trying to streamline our detailing services for you. With prices starting from just £60, there is something for every budget.

Maintenance –  A “freshen up wash” if you will. Designed to maintain the condition of your car. Taking the car out for a run? No problem we’ll get the bug splats and road grime off for you. This is also included in our Care Pack.

Enhancement – “Day in the bay sir”? Our first and most popular level of correction. Minor imperfections in your paint or interior, ceramic coating application, or an area that need that little bit more attention? Then this is the one for you.

Paint Correction – “Showtime” After that mirror finish? We cast our forensic eye over your pride and joy leaving no stone unturned in getting your car to that show standard. Nothing is too much trouble in our most thorough detailing process.

Whatever your after, just drop us an email, or give us a call and we can answer any questions you might have.

Some before and after paint correction shots

Inspiration from where?

One quiet evening I found myself looking over the variety of cars that you have all chosen to store with us. I found myself thinking about the journey that makes us car enthusiasts finally settle on the car we want. I’m not talking about the specific car we end up buying, but more the model we want that we then hunt down to find the best example we can afford. Whether it’s brand loyalty, the enjoyment of an oddity, or a familial tie - it certainly gives us something different to look at every day.

I don’t really think it’s any secret both I and Richard have a bit of a thing for BMW. Being the age that I am, growing up I was at about the peak age for the E39 M5. This sleek V8 bruiser with “400hp”, that also happened to have a pretty good marketing strategy. Remember the BMW film “Star” (Clive Owen chauffeuring Madonna in an M5), being of the Playstation generation I always played the M5 in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2, or when Youtube was in its infancy a video of some German woman absolutely driving the wheels off an M5 Ring Taxi – R.I.P. Sabine.

Well it all worked on me. I was set that the E39 was my dream car and my fate was sealed. For others though (as recently highlighted by Top Gear) our Dad’s cars often have a huge impact on us and our passion. We store some family heirlooms for owners, these are the cars that at a glance aren’t exclusive, expensive, or unattainable, but they mean more to the individual than words can describe.

Or aspiring to a brand that you never thought would be attainable. You’ve saved, scrimped, had a bit of luck come your way and the stars align for you. Whatever it may be is now in reach and you go for it. I’m writing this and thinking it’s not only the cars themselves, but the wraps, parts, paint we lavish them with. We really are an odd bunch us petrol heads.

Whatever yours are, we all have our reasons. The pull to these lumps of metal that only serve as a method of getting from A to B is undeniable. We’ve all been bitten by the bug and whatever you journey has been, we’re very privileged that you’ve trusted us with your journey.

Garage Project

We hate saying good bye to cars and customers, but life changes and people’s circumstances change. Chris has stored his cars with us for some time, recently he has decided to overhaul his garage space at home and create his own space fit for his “Garage Queens”. This has been a long process that we have assisted with – it is still his project, but we have taken some of the heavier lifting jobs and managed the project for him when life has got in the way. The results are outstanding we’re both chuffed with the results, safe to say I think there’s space for another one now Chris?

Thinking of moving on, want to make better use of the space you already have? Get in touch and we’d love to work with you on your next phase of ownership.

Here is a sample of our next plan we’re looking to make a reality (wink wink)

The Industry

I suppose the biggest news to hit the automotive scene this month is the fact that Mitsubishi are withdrawing from the UK market – stating that the only service it will provide to the UK is “aftersales” for their existing customers. The car maker already confirmed that they were leaving continental Europe last year so it really does sound like this is the end. Their reasons are a lack of profitability, and wishing to concentrate more on their own domestic market and SE Asia.

Obviously as a car enthusiast our initial reaction is to think of the Evo, the GTO, the FTO, and all the great names and history that are associated with the brand. But the reality is that most of us would struggle to name a model they currently sell – beyond the PHev Outlander, and L200. They have been on a bit of a steady decline turning out bland hatchbacks, and crossovers in recent years and those golden days of the Evo VI were a long time ago. Longer than most of us would care to remember.

I can double this as the auction insight as well, as all of the Heritage Fleet is up for sale here. The highlights being a Tommi Makinen edition EVO VI with some 10k miles on it , an extremely low miles EVO IX FQ-360, or (at time of writing) something with a slightly nicer price a 1988 Starion, or a vast array of cherished plates ending “MMC”.

It makes you a bit sad looking through the listings. These are some great cars, by a great manufacturer  - I suppose it’s a rather defiant way of them telling us that the EVO is definitely not coming back!

Further reading here