Loose Fasteners are Bad News... Advises Kim Henson. It may seem obvious, but whenever a vehicle – old or new – is being worked on, fasteners have to be released/removed in order to take off ailing components so that they can be repaired or renewed. Equally these fasteners have then to be refitted/retightened when re-assembly takes place. The thing is… It is always wise to re-check the … [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.
Bridgestone Helping to Keep an Iconic Jaguar Model on the Road
Bridgestone to develop new tyres for the XJ220... Thanks to a coming together of minds, Bridgestone has started working with Don Law XJ220 in the UK to develop a new generation of tyres for the legendary Jaguar XJ220. The original collaboration in the development of the tyres for the XJ220 is well documented. However, tyres of the size required for the car went out of production some … [Read more...]
Great Dorset Steam Fair Delights 2016
Steam power galore, vintage/classic cars and commercials, working horses plus an amazing World War I commemorative display – and much, much more… It all added up to the 2016 Great Dorset Steam Fair. Kim Henson was there with his cameras… With an event as vast in scope and size as the Great Dorset steam Fair, it’s a job to know where to start, when talking about it to people who have never yet … [Read more...]
Beaulieu Autojumble Celebrates 50 Glorious Golden Years
Beaulieu’s Magnificent Golden 50th Autojumble. All words and photos, except photos as noted below, by Kim Henson. (With further photographs, individually acknowledged with grateful thanks, provided by Chris Adamson, plus two courtesy of the National Motor Museum). Although at times the weather wasn’t kind, over 36,000 attendees strolled around the hallowed Autojumble fields at the National … [Read more...]
Audi Customers in Poole Take Advantage of a New Registration, a New Centre and a New Event
NEW REGISTRATION, NEW CENTRE, NEW EVENT From 10pm on Wednesday 31st August customers were welcomed into the brand new Poole Audi Centre on Old Wareham Road in the Dorset town, in anticipation of collecting their new Audis, all boasting the September 2016 66-registration plate. (For more information on this amazing new Audi Centre, as recently fetured on Wheels-Alive, please click HERE). More … [Read more...]
Suzuki Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet SZ5 Road Test
Suzuki’s New Baleno Looks Impressive… Kim Henson puts it to the test, and explains the Boosterjet Technology employed in the version test-driven. (Words and photos by Kim Henson). (If you are interested in a different view of the Baleno, as judged by David Miles, please click HERE). Suzuki’s first car, the 360cc Suzulight, was built in 1955, and six decades down the line the company is … [Read more...]
Amazing New Audi Centre Opens in Dorset
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...]
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...]
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