When a classic motor vehicle is purchased, the hope is that it is in good condition and can be driven without encountering any major problems. The description provided by the seller the vehicle is in excellent condition and, of course he can produce recipts proving his investment in restoration, repairs and parts. If a classic car is purchased from a reputable dealer, there is an excellent chance that „it does what is says on the tin" and that the vehicle represents real value for money, even though the price might not seem to be a bargain. A professional classic car dealer will make sure that he sells a car in the best possible condition in order to maintain his reuptation and therefore future sales.

  Of course one can also have a great deal of good fortune when purchasing from a private seller, as can be seen in the photo of the extremely well restored MG TD. Whether an older restoration is actually a bargain will only be seen with time. But if, for example, you discover that there is inadequate rust-proofing beneath a perfect coat of paint, there are professionals who can help. You will find many of them listed on the classic-index.eu website. There you will find experts for just about all the problems you may encounter. A seized up master cylinder caused by an overdue brake fluid change, porous heater pipes, or worn out brake pads are just some of the problems that may appear shortly after buying a classic car.

But what about the tyres? Just checking hte profile of a tyre is not a good way of checking that age of a tyre. The first experience might well be the appearance of a third skid mark after an emergency braking manoeuvre. The tyres on the MG TD in the photo were 28 years old and the rubber was as solid as concrete. Of course because they are so hard, they could probably be used for another 28 years without any futher noticeable loss of profile. One would simply need to drive much more slowly to be safe on the road, with the inevitable delays in getting to one's destination. Tips for determining the age of a tyre can be found here "Vintage Tyres".

It is relatively easy to buy tyres for younger classic vehicles, however when you move into the realm of vintage cars, the task becomes much more challenging. However, there are specialists to be found, some of whose dtails we have added to our website in the category "drive line and suspension"

We visited one of these tyre specialists in England. The company "Vintage Tyre Supplies Limited" is located close to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire. Using the classic index route planner it is easy to find, a for vintage car owners a visit is well worthwhile. We truly believe that he is able to source tyres for any type of vehicle, whether it be a French Vélosolex moped or an old Bugatti or Bentley. In our opinion, it is vitally important that specialists still exist to manufacture such items; a slightly higher purchase price is very much worth it. But we were not only fascinated by the floor to ceiling shelves of vintage car tyres. There was also a collection of ancient tyres for testing fit. Old wheel rims do not fit easily onto modern tyre changing machinery. In order that valuable original wheels are not damaged during tyre changing, careful testing is done.

Friends of ours have been searching a very long time for tyres to fit their Mercedes-Pagode. The original Michelin tyres were on the shelf; next to them was an alternative brand made by Vredestein. These tyres were virtually identical optically and of the same quality. We were also very impressed by the range of pre World War II tyres for Bentley, Rolls Royce Mercedes and many more. They were all in the store and available for immeditae delivery or collection. And the price? Of course, the small quanties produced compared to today's mass production means that they are more expensive than equivalent modern tyres. For example, a 550-16 Avon Tourist tyre, made for a 1938 Talbot Sunbeam will cost £95.

A trip to England is recommended not just for owners of British models. Just about every make and model is catered for somewhere in England. Of course you do not have to drive there for a change of tyres. Vintage Tyres also dispatches its tyres abroad. There are also companies in Holland, Switzerland and Germany who offer a similar service and you may find what you are looking for there. You may well save on delivery costs and with some luck and help from classic-index.eu you will be able to find a workshop that carries out competent work on vintage wheel rims. You will find some of these companies here. We are always on the lookout for more and they will be posted on the website as soon as we find them.