Enthusiasts love their classic cars, and people everywhere admire them. They stand out on the road, capture peoples’ interest, and bring back memories of times gone by. However, for all the beauty and wonder that classic cars bring people, something sinister lurks beneath their glossy exterior and polished chrome: They’re full of all sorts of highly toxic, dangerous and cancer causing substances. Even worse, most people who work with classic cars don’t seem to be aware of this startling fact!

Asbestos

Asbestos was a common material used in the manufacture of older brake pads, and is often still found in brake pads made in foreign countries. Most people in the United States erroneously believe that their brake pads don’t contain asbestos due to modern regulations regarding their manufacture. This is a very serious issue that people who work on classic cars need to be aware of.Exposure to asbestos, especially chronic and prolonged, is linked to a number of serious health problems including mesothelioma and asbestosis. Asbestos fibers can also become lodged in the eyes or get into the mouth and swallowed, opening up the potential for other cancers, as well. When working with older cars, take precautions to shield yourself by wearing protective clothing, a dust mask and safety glasses. Be sure that you always do your work in a well-ventilated area.

Lead

In decades past, most notably before the 70’s, lead was a common ingredient used to make paint. Unfortunate laborers in the automotive industry at the time did not know that their chronic exposure to lead could cause kidney, brain, nerve and blood damage, learning disabilities, reproductive difficulties and mental retardation in their children. Many modern owners and restorers of classic cars don’t think about the fact that their car is essentially coated with lead, and remove it without care. The usual method of removing paint from cars is by sanding or grinding, which would throw lead-laden dust into the air where it can be inhaled and become lodged in the mucus membranes. Always wear protective clothing when removing paint from old cars, and do so in a well-ventilated environment.

Bromine

Bromine is a chemical that was, and still is, used in seat belts, plastic dashboards and car seats. It is also a primary ingredient used in fire retardants, which may be on a car’s other upholstery, as well. Chronic and prolonged exposure to bromine has been associated with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, behavioral problems, reproductive damage, impaired memory, and damage to the kidneys, brain and liver. These problems are more likely to show up in future generations, usually the second or third.

Image courtesy of Duncan Harris

The damage caused by forced entry, vandalism, theft, or any other kind of damage goes way beyond inconvenience and financial outlay for the average classic car owner. Zealous enthusiasts usually buy and meticulously refurbish models themselves, taking months and even years to complete a project, so, as you can well imagine, loss of any kind means loss of time, love and a great amount of effort and thought, too.

While it’s crucial to enhance the security of your classic car in order to prevent vandalism, loss or damage, it’s also important for helping you keep the cost of your car insurance as low as possible. Click here to get some great quote comparisons from experts in classic car insurance. If the very worst occurs, you’ll at least want to feel reassured that your investment is, at the very least, well protected at the cheapest possible price.

Because classic cars are easier to force entry into than their more modern counterparts, it’d be incredibly prudent to invest in a Thatcham-approved alarm, immobiliser and tracker. What’s more, a tracker will enable police to retrieve a stolen car quickly, often within 24 hours – particularly valuable in view of the fact that classic cars are often quickly dismantled for parts because they’re of more value and easier to sell on this way. Also, fitting your car with one or all of these devices will help keep your insurance premium low.

TRACKER, one of the UK’s leading stolen vehicle recovery companies, appreciates that many classic car owners are often unwilling to tamper with the authenticity of the vehicle by fitting any modern technology, thus interfering with its original state, and concerned about the fact that the addition of such technological gadgetry would detract from the car’s bygone look.

Stuart Chapman, of Tracker, said: “Classic car owners are understandably cautious when it comes to installing alarm systems and immobilisers. Some devices are even unsightly, even on modern vehicles, so people feel they affect the look of the vehicle. Whilst that might be the case, the appeal of those vehicles for criminals makes it essential to protect them.”

If you’re happy that you’ve taken every step possible safeguard your car against theft or wilful damage, then there still more ways you can keep your car insurance cost to a minimum. Because classic cars are usually parked off road and most often in a garage, driven infrequently and always driven very carefully, car insurance for this class of vehicle tends to be lower than most others anyway.

However, making sure the mileage estimation for the year is accurate will satisfy your insurer that you’re less likely to be in an accident by being on the road less. Similarly, you should get your classic car valued and get the value guaranteed – if your car is written off, for example, you’re guaranteed to get the true value of the car, which usually increases with age, in the case of classics.

Well, this looks like the big Spring Carlisle event that I missed, and I’m glad I did. Some of the vendors told me the place was so packed on Friday that the streets and parking were overflowing. If I’d have taken Friday off like I originally planned, most of the day would have been spent in the car trying to get in or out of Carlisle.

I went on Sunday of course like I usually do and the place was a ghost town. I’ll bet that 75% of the vendors and cars were already gone by noon. Friday and Saturday must have been such a win-fall in sales no-one saw the sense in sticking around past Saturday night.

I had the run of the place. I picked up a few garage signs, and some cool scrap metal art from RecycleCycle.com. In fact, the one that I picked up is shown on their website.

Scrap metal cruiser

I’ve always got really good deals on Sundays in the past since vendors always to unload whatever they can so they don’t have to take it home, and Sunday May 1st was no exception.