A Car Dealership – But Not as We Know it; Poole Audi’s State-of-the-art New Centre Opens its Doors to the Public. Words and photographs by Kim Henson. Poole Audi has been operating in the east Dorset town for the last 16 years, and has grown steadily during that time, to the extent that it has outgrown its previous premises. It has therefore relocated into a brand new, up-to-the-minute base, … [Read more...]
Features by Kim Henson
In life, sometimes there are things that you just have to do. In my case many of them relate to my twin loves of 1) motoring, and 2) using writing to convey to others (and share with) my fascination for the subject.
I have been passionate about cars for as long as I can remember, and have always had a thirst for knowledge concerning how and why they work, and how to keep them operating as they should. In addition, I’ve always enjoyed driving, and trying to fairly assess and compare the various good and bad points of different makes and models.
Grumpy Old Mechanic – “Because They Can…”
Why do Car Manufacturers Employ Such Weird and Wonderful Fasteners, When Nuts and Bolts WithTraditional Hexagon Head Profiles (etc.) Worked Perfectly Well? "Because They Can", of course... Our Grumpy Old Mechanic has been having a(nother) moan this week, due to the fact that in order to work on modern vehicles he needs to have at his disposal a wide range of various different types of spanner … [Read more...]
Kim’s Tips – Removing Debris from Car Bodywork Areas Normally Enclosed and Inaccessible
Leaf it Out… Kim Henson Advises on Getting Rid of Leaf Debris etc. from Car Bodywork Crevices, Whenever the Opportunity Arises. It is surprising how much leaf debris and silt can collect in nooks and crannies around car bodywork, especially in areas that are difficult to access and so usually are left undisturbed for long periods. Examples include hollows around and beneath scuttle panels, … [Read more...]
Kim’s Tips – Keep Your Cooling System (Classic or Modern) in Good Nick
Hot Stuff! Off the Scale… Kim Henson offers advice on keeping your engine cool and operating as it should. The recent spell of hot weather has caught out many motorists, in classic and modern vehicles. Temperature gauge needles have been rising, in some cases to catastrophically high levels. Any vehicle with a cooling system in ‘marginal’ condition, and/or with a low coolant lever, is at … [Read more...]
Kim’s Tips – For Safety and Cost Reasons Check Your Car Frequently for Fuel and Coolant Leaks
UNION DUES. Fuel and Coolant Leaks can be Dangerous and Expensive, yet Checking is not Difficult… Kim Henson explains. One way and another I spend a great deal of my time peering under bonnets of both new and old vehicles, and lately I have encountered a number of cars with potentially dangerous leaks of fuel and coolant. Fuel weeping from a loose union or a split hose will ignite if it gets … [Read more...]
Bikers Beware – Check Your Machine’s Tyres to Stay Safe
Bridgestone issues safety call amid spike in bike usage... Bridgestone’s very own ‘bike guru’ is offering a series of simple safety checks for riders to bear in mind as they take to the roads in growing numbers over the summer holidays, after declaring: “The majority of bikers don’t check their tyres.” Senior motorcycle product manager Gary Hartshorne, who has more than 25 years’ industry … [Read more...]
Kim’s Tips – Steering Wheel Removal – Take Care!
If Removing a Steering Wheel (Classic or Modern), Think BEFORE You Act… By Kim Henson. Whether your car is a recent model or an ageing classic, there can be occasions when the steering wheel has to be removed, possibly in order to remove the dashboard, or to gain access to the steering column controls, or even just to ‘centralise’ the wheel on its splines so that the spokes align in their … [Read more...]
Motorway Madness? Turning hard shoulders into running lanes is a dangerous idea…
MPs want the brakes applied to Government plans for motorway hard shoulders to be turned into regular lanes. The concept has been suggested as a quick way of increasing motorway capacity but it has attracted criticism from motoring and road safety organisations. RAC chief engineer David Bizley, “Whilst supporting smart motorways as a cost effective and relatively rapid way of … [Read more...]
Kia’s latest model line-up sampled – First Impressions.
Kim Henson tries four current 2016 Kia models… Optima, Venga, Carens and Soul EV. (Words and Photos by Kim Henson). Kia has been going from strength to strength in terms of UK buyer appeal across its model range, and sales figures are on a steeply upward trajectory, reflecting the high regard in which the company’s products are held. For more information on the firm’s impressive performance … [Read more...]
Beaulieu 23rd Spring Autojumble, 2016 – Showers to endure and sunshine to enjoy!
Kim Henson was there, and enjoyed it very much… Inevitably I enjoy all the Autojumbles at Beaulieu; the heady mix of thousands of vehicular components on offer to help with restoration projects, classic car upgrades or simply to keep an old vehicle safe, legal and on the road, is hard for me and for thousands of other enthusiasts to ignore. The social side of this gathering is great too; the … [Read more...]
Check your vehicle and caravan/trailer tyres BEFORE you set off for an excursion…
Your caravan or trailer tyres, like those on your car, could be in a bad way and MUST be checked... Bridgestone urges caravan and trailer owners to hook up with tyre advice; Kim Henson reports. With a May half term week almost upon us, and with forecasts of a long hot summer ahead, Bridgestone is calling on caravan owners to carry out some simple tyre safety checks, as many vehicles are … [Read more...]
Bridgestone News: DriveGuard tyres represent a reassuring new defence against punctures, and Bridgestone is selected by Aston Martin as an official partner for the new DB11.
Kim Henson reports… DriveGuard ‘extended mobility’ tyres Bridgestone hopes that a diverse nationwide advertising campaign will gain traction amongst a huge audience as it launches its new DriveGuard ‘extended mobility’ tyre to the public, featuring cinema presence, television spend and full motion video boards in major shopping centres. Based on the theme that somewhere out there ‘there’s a … [Read more...]
Western Group of Motoring Writers helps Julia’s House children’s hospice…
The Western Group of Motoring Writers chose Julia's House, serving Dorset and Wiltshire, as one of the recipients of its charitable donations this year... Report by Kim Henson. As a result of its fund-raising efforts during 2015, the Western Group of Motoring Writers (of which I have been proud to be a member over the last 10 years) chose Julia’s House, a Poole-based organisation, as the … [Read more...]
Suzuki’s ‘Way of Life’ and what this innovative, successful company is doing today, plus First Impressions of some of the firm’s latest models…
Kim Henson finds out about Suzuki’s progress, and drives some of its current vehicles… (Note from Kim: You may also be interested in finding out what Wheels-Alive contributor David Miles has written about Suzuki in general and the new Swift 4x4 in particular. David is well known and respected for his insightful analysis of the motoring industry and the models produced by it; please click … [Read more...]
Fresh-faced, magnificent British Motor Museum opens its doors
"It's terrific", says Kim Henson... Located at Gaydon in Warwickshire, the re-named British Motor Museum has just re-opened following a £5.1 million refurbishment, which has taken five and a half years to come to fruition. The work – which was delivered on time and on budget – has included the construction of two new facilities. The Museum is now proud to showcase the world’s leading … [Read more...]
Wheels-Alive Takes a Look… At the RAC Regional HQ at Bradley Stoke
Kim Henson reports on the RAC's fascinating regional base near Bristol... I have frequently driven along the south-west sections of M4 and M5, passing and always admiring the fascinating, futuristic-looking RAC building at Bradley Stoke, just south of the M4/M5 junction near Bristol. I’ve also often wondered what goes on inside the centre. Recently I was invited to tour the … [Read more...]
Ford Sierra – a classic modern classic?
The car that created or broke the mould? Kim Henson takes a look at the Ford Sierra (especially RS Cosworth versions)... In October 1982 the much-loved, angular Cortina (Mark V by then) was finally ousted and in its place Ford introduced the boldly styled five door Sierra hatchback. Initial reaction to its unconventional, rounded bodywork was mixed. Many traditionalists were outraged at the … [Read more...]
The solid, dependable, amazing Land Rover Defender finally bows out…
End of the Production Road for the Land Rover Defender – a unique and much-loved British icon. Kim Henson reports… It hardly seems possible, but as of 10 o’clock this morning, and after 68 years of production of Land Rover ‘Series’ and ‘Defender’ models, no more will be built. Reasons for the discontinuation of the model include 21st Century emissions and safety regulations. However, perhaps … [Read more...]
Give Your Battery a Helping Hand – Kim’s Tips
Kim Henson advises on getting the best from your battery, at the same time helping it to 'survive and prosper'! Whether your car is a classic or a more recent model, its battery has to take a great deal of punishment in winter, with constant demands on its output, through a wealth of electrical systems that it has to supply (particularly on modern vehicles). Low temperatures sap at battery … [Read more...]
Getting Colder… Stand by for below freezing temperatures, possibly with ice and snow. Are you and your car ready? Here are Kim’s Top 10 Tips…
Winter motoring advice which may help you cope, from Kim Henson. So far this winter in the UK, the weather has been predominantly mild and exceedingly wet, to the extent that we have all been lulled into a false sense of security as far as cold conditions are concerned. However, all that is forecast to change over the coming few days, and it is very likely that below freezing temperatures will … [Read more...]
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