Car Care

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

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INSIDE: ! Last ride of summer for British classics ! Putting your baby away for winter

PHOTO PAUL MCGRATH

! Rainy day road mystery

A special feature of the

Philip Langridge preps his 1965 Jaguar XKE E-Type for the Sea to Sky All-British Rally hosted by Silk Cat Automotive owners Greg and Liz Wagorn on Saturday. See story on page 32.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Once more up the hill at All-British rally

ANDY PREST aprest@nsnews.com

Anyone who has owned a summertime car on the West Coast – be it a classic, a collectible, a convertible, or any other fair-weather automobile – knows the joy of getting one last run in before the sun sets on summer.

For many fans of British machinery that last trip often came during an event run by longtime organizer Colin Fitzgerald, the Sea to Sky All-British Rally. But when Fitzgerald retired from the automotive business several years back, the event went with him, leaving an end-of-season void that had many enthusiasts feeling the blues even before the skies turned grey.

Included in that list were Greg and Liz Wagorn, co-owners of North Vancouver’s Silk Cat Automotive. When Fitzgerald retired, many looked at the Wagorns as his heir apparents, but it took a while for them to warm up to the idea of reviving the rally.

“People had sort of been waiting on Greg for a few years to see if he was going to do something,” said Liz with a laugh. “One year he said, ‘Yes,’ and then he sort of looked at me.”

Thus was born the Sea to Sky All-British Rally revival, an annual late-September trip from the Silk Cat shop up to Whistler and back. The Wagorns hosted their first rally five years ago and haven’t looked back since, completing their fifth annual event this past Saturday with around 70 drivers taking part under perfectly sunny late-summer skies.

The event has special appeal because of its positioning on the calendar.

“It’s the last run of the year for everybody before they put their babies to bed,” said Greg.

“It’s just to do that last kick at the can before you put away the cars.”

Greg and Liz drove their 2006 Aston Martin in this year’s rally. Greg is working on a 1958 Jaguar 150, but it wasn’t quite ready yet.

“I bought that thing almost 30 years ago,”

he said with a laugh. “I told my little girl – she’s 24 now – probably 18 years ago, ‘you can drive it as soon as you get your license.’

Well, it’s still in pieces, we’re still putting it all together. Typical.”

Greg obviously loves the work, no matter how long it takes. The way he tells it, he was quite literally born to be a mechanic.

“My dad was a mechanic,” he said. “There were seven brothers, originally, and everyone was a mechanic. Little guy, little hands – it was always, ‘Hey, can you put this bolt in there?’ I always played with cars. My dad had a shop so we were always doing something.”

With the Sea to Sky Rally running again, the Wagorns now get to share that passion with other enthusiasts, particularly if the rally happens to fall on a sunny day (which it has in each of the past five years).

“People always seem to wait until that last minute to see what the sunshine is going to be doing,” said Greg. “A lot of the vehicles are open two-seaters. A lot of them don’t even have tops – they have umbrellas.”

And these being classic British machines of all shapes and sizes – Jaguars, MGBs, Range Rovers, Morgans and more – Wagorn does take the necessary precautions before the trip begins.

“I always warn Mitchell’s Towing that we’re all heading up,” he said with a laugh.

“But we’ve all so far made it.”

That the machines still work well is a testament to the owners, said Greg.

“Everybody keeps them in pretty good shape,” he said. “The British car guys, they really spend a lot of time on their cars. They really care for their cars. … These guys, they’re pretty dedicated.”

You don’t own a British classic by accident, said Liz. “Usually when people purchase a British car they’ve sort of gone out of their way to pick something they really wanted,” she said, adding that the rally is much more than just a trip up the highway for the drivers.

“It’s not just to get from A to B to C. It’s nice to share the enthusiasm with each other about the cars.”

WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING

Colin Fitzgerald (centre) gets ready to fire up his 1946 MG TC with the help of Silk Cat Automotive owners Liz and Greg Wagorn at the start of the Sea to Sky All-British Rally on Saturday. Fitzgerald founded the rally, now run by the Wagorns. PHOTO PAUL MCGRATH

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

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Here’s how to put your baby to bed for winter

ANDY PREST aprest@nsnews.com

With most Lower Mainland car shows over and rain clouds on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about putting your classic car down for the winter.

You shouldn’t, however, just park your baby on the driveway, throw a tarp over it and walk away for six months. Greg Wagorn, co-owner of North Vancouver’s Silk Cat Automotive and organizer of the annual Sea to Sky All-British Car Rally, shared some of his tips for keeping classics in mint condition through the winter.

Priority No. 1 is to get it indoors out of the elements if at all possible. If outdoors is the only option, a breathable cover is a must.

“The last thing you want to do is put a cover on that’s going to smother it,” he said. “Then you’ll get mould and everything else, damage to the paint. It has to be a breathable cover.”

Here are some other tips for keeping your classic warm and cosy for the winter.

CHECK THE OIL If you haven’t done a recent oil change and the dipstick is looking a little dirty, it’s best to do it before you put your car away for the winter. “Oil actually traps a lot of the unburned gas,” said Wagorn. “If you just leaving it sitting in the sump, then your bearings and everything are just sitting in the old gassy oil.”

CLEAN IT UP A dirty car in the fall can become an even nastier mess in the spring if left all winter.

“Make sure there isn’t all the grime on it from the summertime,” said Wagorn. “Don’t put it away filthy.”

ADD A FUEL STABILIZER Top up all your fluids, including gasoline, and add a fuel stabilizer to the gas tank. A stabilizer “stops the gas from ticking off, from going bad,” said Wagorn.

TAKE CARE OF THE BATTERY “The ideal thing to do is put a battery tender on it. It slowly maintains it,” said Wagorn.

“If not, make sure it’s fully charged and just

disconnect it.”

INFLATE THE TIRES TO THE MAX This helps prevent the tires from developing flat spots. It’s a better idea to keep the tires on, fully inflated, then to take them off and lift the car, leaving the suspension hanging.

CRACK A WINDOW A little ventilation keeps the air circulating and prevents moisture from building up inside the car.

KEEP PESTS OUT Dryer sheets tucked into nooks, crannies and corners are a safe way to keep pests out.

“Mice don’t like the smell of it,” said Wagorn, adding that the fabric softener plan is an upgrade on a spicy old mechanic trick. “We used to say put cayenne pepper around the engines and stuff like that. Then we actually found when you’re working on it in the spring, you’d be touching it and then if you rubbed your eyes it would just burn like everything.”

DON’T USE THE PARKING BRAKE Park on a flat surface and use wheel chocks so the car can’t roll. Put it in neutral if possible.

Most importantly, don’t apply the parking brake. “It can seize up,” said Wagorn. “The brakes can just stay locked on.”

LEAVE IT UNTIL SPRING Some owners like to fire up their cars periodically, but Wagorn doesn’t recommend that unless you’re prepared to take it for a spirited drive and then go through the winterizing process again.

“If you fire it up, unless you take it for a good run, you’re putting too much moisture in the exhaust,” he said. “You’re not burning off all the moisture.”

Those are some of the basics to keeping your classic looking sharp year after year. It takes some extra work, but it’s worth it. Why would you own a classic if you aren’t ready to give it some TLC? “It’s kind of like tucking away your baby when it goes to bed at night,” said Wagorn.

Summer will be here again soon enough.

Sweet dreams.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

What the heck was that white foam on the roads?

ANDY PREST aprest@nsnews.com

What is that wet stuff falling from the sky and, even more confusingly, what is that milky white stuff running on the ground?

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Drivers across the Lower Mainland were greeted by a welcome bout of rain on Sept. 8, the first heavy downpour after a long, dry, hot and smoky summer. The rain, however, brought with it an unusual phenomenon: a mysterious, foam-like milky substance that was flowing down the streets and leading to slick driving conditions.

I was walking to work that day and saw the milky stream flowing down a busy section of Third Street in North Vancouver. My first thought was that it looked like a car wash had exploded somewhere up mountain and was raining suds down on the city.

When I arrived at work I had the answer, provided by the good folks at Port Moody Fire and Rescue.

“The white milky substance you see on the roads is a result of fresh rain and oil-soaked roads – this is a natural reaction,” the helpful department wrote in a Twitter post accompanied by a foamy photo. “As a result, streets are extremely slick. Please drive with care and add extra distance for stopping.”

Milky mystery solved.

The downpour, however, offered a slick reminder about the dangers posed by driving in the rain, particularly after long dry spells.

It’s a common pattern on the Lower Mainland in September and October, as sunny summer

Recent rains produced an unusual substance on Lower Mainland roads. PHOTO SUPPLIED TWITTER/PORT MOODY FIRE AND RESCUE

skies hang around, broken by periodic sprinkles rather than the sullen soaker hose of winter.

Those isolated rains can be more dangerous than the steady downpours that will come later in the year.

A 2003 study from UC Berkeley concluded that the risk of an accident on a rainy day increases with the length of the dry spell preceding it. Daniel Eisenberg, the researcher who conducted the study, pointed out two likely explanations.

“Oil and debris accumulate on the road when it hasn’t rained for a while, making the roads slicker when it first starts to rain,” he said. “By the second day of rain, the oil and debris have washed off the roads and are less dangerous. Another factor could be that people aren’t as used to driving in the rain when it comes after a long dry spell. Perhaps they become better adapted to the weather conditions by day two or three.”

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Simple tips to help you stay safe on rain-slicked streets

Fresh rain after a long dry spell can lead to treacherous driving conditions, but there’s no reason the situation should go spinning out of control.

Here are some tips from ICBC for safe driving in the rain and other adverse conditions: ! Posted speed limits are designed for ideal road conditions. Slow down when driving on snow, ice, slush or rain. ! Allow yourself at least twice the normal braking distance on wet or slippery roads. ! Avoid driving through flooded or washed out roads. ! Check tire pressure regularly. Pressure drops in colder conditions. ! Keep the wiper fluid topped up for clearer visibility. Replace windshield wipers at the first sign that they are not doing the job of clearing the glass properly.

Here are answers to some common questions about driving in poor weather conditions: Q: IS CRUISE CONTROL

OK IN THE RAIN? A: Don’t use cruise control in wet or slippery conditions.

An activated cruise control system will continue to apply power, keeping your wheels spinning. Snow, ice, slush and rain can cause wheelspin and loss of control.

The only way to stop it is to reduce power. By the time you turn off your cruise control, it may be too late for you to get control of your steering again.

Q: HOW CAN I PREVENT HYDROPLANING? A: Hydroplaning takes place when the tires lose contact with the road surface and float on a film of water, and you lose control of steering and braking. It can happen in rain or standing water.

The higher your speed, the greater your chances of hydroplaning.

Prevent hydroplaning by scanning ahead for large puddles and reducing your speed, especially during heavy rain. If hydroplaning happens, don’t brake – decelerate and drive straight.

Q: WILL MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES HELP ME STOP?

A: While an anti-lock braking system doesn’t allow you to drive faster or to stop sooner, it can help prevent wheels from locking up on wet and slippery surfaces.

ABS also helps you maintain steering and avoid skidding while braking.

In order for ABS to function properly, apply firm, hard, continuous pressure to the brake pedal until the vehicle stops. Don’t pump the brakes as this action turns the system on and off.

It’s normal to experience brake noise or shudder when ABS is in use.

Q: WHAT ABOUT ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL? A: ESC helps you keep control of your vehicle especially on slippery roads or in emergency situations, such as swerving to avoid an obstacle. But remember that ESC can’t override a vehicle’s physical limits. If a driver pushes the possibilities of the vehicle’s handling too far, ESC can’t prevent a crash.

Like ABS, it’s a tool to help you maintain control.

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