Keeping your car in good shape: a maintenance guide

06/12/2011

After buying a car from Evans Halshaw, you will want to keep it in tip-top condition, so carrying out basic maintenance checks is a must to preserve both the look and performance of your vehicle.

Test all your lights and indicators to make sure they are working properly. Check that you have enough windscreen wash, particularly in winter, and that your wipers are working.

Check your tyres regularly for any signs of wear, punctures or cracking. It is illegal to drive with defective tyres so check the tread surface, and replace them when necessary. Not only are bald tyres illegal but they can also be dangerous as they won’t grip onto the road properly and could cause you to skid when braking.

Check the tyre pressure once a week. Correct pressure is essential for braking, handling, grip and fuel efficiency. The correct tyre pressure for your car will be listed in your manual and you can carry out this check very easily at either a petrol station or using a small hand-held gauge.

Your brake fluid level should be between the 'min' and 'max' line. If you do not have enough brake fluid in your car your brakes could fail. Brake fluid is essential for ensuring your brakes work correctly.

Make sure your engine coolant levels are somewhere between the ‘min’ and ‘max’ levels otherwise your engine could be seriously damaged. Engine coolant is a mixture of water and anti-freeze and removes excess heat from your car’s engine. Wash it off immediately if it comes into contact with your skin or your paintwork as it can damage both.

Make sure you check the levels of engine oil, which is essential for lubricating, cleaning and cooling your car’s engine. Check the level at least once a fortnight but be careful not to put in too much as this can also damage the engine. Check the oil with a clean dipstick to make sure it is between the F and L marks. You can find out which oil to use by looking in your car’s manual.

Check your car’s shock absorbers by pushing down on each corner of the car and then releasing. If your car settles back after one or two bounces then your shock absorbers are working. Otherwise they may need replacing.

Caring for your paintwork not only keeps your vehicle looking great, but also protects it from rust and other damage. Regular washing and waxing is vital for preserving the paint and finish, which will prolong its life and increase its resale value.

Your car’s paintwork can suffer damage from sunlight, salt, dirt, rain and air pollution. You should aim to wash your car every week and wax it every six months to protect it from the elements.

If you regularly drive on muddy roads, consider an undercarriage treatment. This removes the dried-on mud that holds moisture onto the metal leading to rust. Remove insects and other substances, such as tree sap, which can cause lasting damage if left too long.

Fail Compilation

25/10/2011

Youtube Vid: some of the worst cars of all time

19/08/2011

How A Differential Gear Works

31/03/2011

This is the clearest explanation I've yet seen.

More Custom Cars

28/03/2011

see more That Will Buff Out
see more That Will Buff Out
see more That Will Buff Out

Accident Photos

29/11/2010

A good collection here of weird auto accident results from funtasticus.com.

Worst Car Modifications

29/11/2010

Here is a quick page of examples of really bad car modifications from Automoblog

Juke

11/09/2010

New car added today in the main list: the incredible Nissan Juke

Keep the comments coming in - will try and update them as quickly as possible.

Failed Cars

12/12/2009

This page hasn't been updated for a while so I thought I'd throw in some car related nonsense from failblog.org:

more fail, owned and pwned pics and videos
more fail, owned and pwned pics and videos

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

Uglycars Shop

10/10/2006

Now you can buy some fantastic (we hope- but possibly not) Uglycars merchandise from Spreadhsirt designer...Uglycars Shop

Nominations

07/07/2006

Don't be disheartened if you don't see your nomination appear in the listings immediately as we need to weed out the naughty swear words and potentially libellous bits first. Sometimes we won't add a nomination because it is hopeless, abusive, already mentioned or not available in the UK. Oh, and don't bother trying to get into a philosphical debate about car design because we're far too shallow for that (i.e. we don't care). We also hope to add the facility for you to upload your ugly car photos soon.

Yahoo! Search Find of the Year 2004

01/06/2005

Uglycars.co.uk has won the Yahoo! Search Finds of the Year 2004 award in the Weird and Wonderful category.

Ugliest Cars on Central News

14/01/2005

Today (14th Jan 2005) the Ugliest Cars in Britain was featured on the ITV regional Central News. Phil & mark were interviewed by Mark Gough while we tried in vain to spot a bunch of ugly cars by the side of Hylton Road in Worcester.

(pic is Mark chatting to Central News reporter Mark Gough while cameraman sets up equipment)

Links Page

01/02/2001

We've now added a page-o-links for when you get bored with this site (usually after 30 seconds) and need to move on to something more worthy.

Welcome

01/01/2000

Hi Folks,

Thanks for taking the time to stare at this load of old nonsense, which has been going for about ten years or so now (God knows why). Thanks too to the sponsor of "The Ugliest Cars in Britain" - Just Systems Ltd.

This site has just been re-jigged (hard to tell, I know) and is now all active, which hopefully means more updates. A new nominations/comments system is in place, which should mean most of your comments appearing more quickly.

I will also be adding some new cars to the site soon, unless I get abducted by aliens again.

We were pleased to see the pages featured in the October 1999 issue of Practical Classics, the Yahoo Cool Sites list since December 1998, the March issue of Top Gear Magazine and aparrently we featured in the Toronto Star towards the end of November 1999, but sadly my local newsagent said they didn't stock that particular newspaper and perhaps I'd like to buy some expensive cigarettes instead.

And before I forget - don't forget to have a look at the "Guest" slot where we feature a few of the greatest ugly cars from around the universe (and TV-land).

Cheers

Phil
& Mark