It’s always good to know that aftermarket gadgets are actually
working and have a real-world purpose. You might remember I
have a Michelin Fit2Go tyre pressure checker. The posh one on
the Baby Shark is resting at the garage at the moment – more
on that next time. The Golf, though, uses a simpler version, but
i t ra p i d l y ze ro e d i n o n t h e f a c t t h a t t h e n e a r s i d e re a r t y re h a d
a large tack in it. I’ve already sold a few of these to mates with
lower-tech 1990s cars who reckon this could be a lifesaver and it
is. So let’s get that tyre fixed as there’s no spacesaver these days.
2 1 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71
MILEAGE 55,725
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
READER’S RIDE
TALES FROM RUPPERT’S GARAGE
Nick has a great tale involving two cars, so we have
split it into two exciting instalments: “Having got tired
of depreciation and only needing to go to the railway
station for much of the past few years, I spent £700
on a 12-year-old 206 1.4 Verve in early 2018. It had
58,000 miles and three owners to its credit. Not much
service history but the belts and clutch had been done.
“After 20,000 trouble-free miles, I landed a position
that requires a daily 65-mile round trip, so I was toying
with the idea of getting a diesel.” Part two next week...
Peugeot 20 6
SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO [email protected] AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO [email protected]
We asked Richard Tipper, top
vehicle detailer and founder of
Perfection Detailing, who said: “It’s
b e st to d o i t o n a n ove r c a st d ay
so the water doesn’t dry off. Hose
down the car, then apply a snowfoam to soften
the dirt and leave for a few minutes to do its work.
Now hose off the foam. If there are still stubborn
bits like tar spots on the paintwork, use a clay bar
to gently rub them away. Then, using a bucket
with a grit guard, shampoo the car using a hand
mitt. Hose off and dry with a chamois.” JE
A convertible with street cred?
Difficult. Try the Audi A5, BMW 4
Series and Mercedes C-Class. Leg
and shoulder room are okay in the
Audi but head room is a little tight.
Same goes for the BMW but the Mercedes has
slightly less of all three. It’s a difficult concept for
older hacks to judge but the BMW is the one most
likely to have what the young call street cred. JE
ANSWER
ANSWER
QUESTION
QUESTION
READERS’ QUESTIONS
What’s the best
way to wash my
car without
scratching the paint?
Dean Whittam, Boston
I have up to
£40,000 to spend
on a new convertible
but it must have space in the
back for two teenage sons,
who insist the car must have
street cred, too. What do
you recommend?
Jason Clarke, via email