Window shopping is fine right? Sebastian Vettel’s move away from the prancing horses has prompted a bit of a spring clean for the 4 time F1 world champ. Some of the cars have already been snapped up, but you never know there might well be a last minute bargain to be had.
I’ve got a thing for yellow so I’ll put my name be the Ferrari F12 TDF and the Z8. What are you having?
We’ve likely covered a lot during our conversations so here’s a helpful recap of some of our products, services and prices.
Epping & Broxbourne: (Inside)
Long term: (9 months+) £40 per week.
Short term: (under 9 months) £45 per week.
Epping & Broxbourne: (Outside)
£25 per week.
Ware, Bishops Stortford, Buntingford & Braintree:
Long term: (9 months+) £35 per week.
Short term: (under 9 months) £40 per week.
Care Pack: (all locations) Our most popular approach.
£15 per week – an overview can be found here.
The shortest increment supported is 1 calendar month and is charged at £250 regardless of duration or geography. All prices quoted are + VAT.
If you would like to confirm your space the booking link can be found below:
Any questions in the meantime please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.
On the ramp - Beauty and the Titanic
Most cars can be painted and detailed to take on a stunning appearance but on the underside at the business end it can resemble the Titanic! For the ‘thin edge’ of a panel (and there are many of these) has very little surface area, it’s where two panels are typically spot welded together.
The shiny new panels when spot welded together at the factory have a protective surface and are then seam sealed and treated with a rubberized protective coating. This is usually more than adequate to see the vehicle past what we term it’s ‘first life’.
Nudge it down the road a little, when these cars are actually becoming a classic and one will find that the virtually non existent surface area on this ‘thin edge’ (which could take very little of the protective material in the first place) has now become separated from the metal causing the road detritus to find a home and with no need to rest, spend 24/7 eating into the seam and causing it to separate.
A cursory inspection might have it all looking safe and sound but with a little prising along these edges one often finds the rubberized protective coating is no longer attached and sitting there hiding rust that can migrate back below its surface undetected.
Left unchecked the metal begins to degrade and will eventually be eaten away leaving a hole. These can be quite localized areas and if caught in time can be either treated before the integrity of the panel is compromised or the area cut out and a new patch welded in.
Over the next few newsletters we will take you through the stages of how this issue can be processed.
Thankfully it’s not all doom, gloom and rust holes though. We’ve also come up close and personal with these extremely well maintained examples of an E46 M3 - in for an underside inspection and POR15 permanent rust preventer. Also this stunning MGB GT - in for an underside inspection and enhancements.
Feel free to get in touch in the meantime to discuss anything we’ve raised (get it….raised….Titanic).
Our glamorous receptionist awaits your call.
Hello, and welcome to all our new owners this month. Thank you for choosing to store with us. When national guidelines allow; please come along to a Garage Queens Social.
One for you private plate enthusiasts here. This Maserati Coupe was previously owned by a racing driver, that clearly was not a fan of finishing off the podium. The warmest of welcomes to all our new owners.
After nearly a year storing with us, we said a fond farewell to a 90s icon in this VW Corrado G60 - yes the supercharged one. The owner decided it was time to move on; we personally delivered the car to its new owner in Yeovil.
As I type this the snow of Storm Darcy still falling; but is it too early to start thinking about better weather? The short answer is “no”. We are exited to offer a new underside inspection, wash, and restoration service. We have just had a newly installed outdoor 4 post lift at our Broxbourne facility. The best news of all is that we are now including an underside inspection to all of our Care Package clients, so if you’ve already signed up – Book your post winter inspection now!
If you’ve been using your pride and joy through the winter months you don’t have to worry about the road salt eating away at your brake pipes (That thought certainly keeps me awake at night). We can now take care of that for you with our underside wash service and our usual Garage Queens eye for detail. If you’ve not signed up for the Care Package, worry not. Drop us a line to discuss availability.
In our own news I decided that the interior of the GQ M3 (dubbed “The Rat”) needed a bit of attention. The usual cracking leather and general ‘tired’ feeling needed addressing.
I’d fallen in love with the 20 Jahre material Richard has in his E34 M5. With a few calls to the right people I’d sourced the OE material. I went with one of our own GQ approved craftsmen with the job of the freshen up. Now I was reluctant to mess with the original specification of the car, but I am so happy with the results. Along with the underside wash maybe “The Rat” is a little harsh.
What have you been doing, got a story you want us to share? Get in touch.
Ok so there’s no easy way to cover this one, but we’ll try and make it a bit more digestible than the umpteen different TFL pages that you’ll have to navigate covering the topic. ULEZ for those that don’t know is the Ultra Low Emission Zone covering London. From 25/10/21 it is going to be significantly increased to cover the area within the North and South Circular roads. It’s intention is to keep the air over London less polluted going into the future. You can take your car there still – but it may now cost you.
The simplest way to find out is by looking here if your car even falls within the emissions criteria. Most modern (post 2005) cars already meet the regulations (Euro 4 emissions if you’re really having trouble sleeping) and won’t have to pay the £12.50. The Mayor’s website say that the scheme is designed to tax “Older, more polluting vehicles”.
The new ULEZ zone will operate 24/7 365 days of the year. Cars, vans, buses, coaches, lorries and motorbikes are all included in the new rules, but the charge will only apply to models that don't meet certain emissions standards.
There are historic exemptions so if your vehicle is 40 or older then you do not have to pay, so if your car/s fall into the “Historic Tax class” then you’re off the hook. If you are a resident in London, you may also be able to apply for discounts/exemptions.
In plain English, if your car is made anywhere between 1981 and 2005 and you’re planning on driving into London after 25/10/21; it’s worth checking to see if you’re going to get stung for another road usage charge. It is a huge expansion and likely to catch the unawares out. There is a journey planner here and further reading here to get yourself up to speed.
It seems the industry predecessors have given sales a bad name. And, to be honest it’s an area we always approach with caution.
However, every so often we meet someone who shares the same view. They are complicated pieces of engineering and there will more often than not be a twist or turn that we have to work through constructively, together.
As a seller, if you feel you are cut from a similar cloth, then please do reach out – we’d love to hear from you. Alternatively, if you are a buyer, you can be confident that the owners you see here have been vetted and are workable, honest individuals. Most of which currently all store with us and have a clear trace on the history.
You’ll also see two prices – in store and open market. As the names suggests, any sale between fellow GQ owners will pay the lower price. That price is also open to anyone looking to join the GQ family post sale, too.
So, what’s included:
Inspection and valuation.
Photography and description.
Marketing and lead generation.
Management of all inquiries and viewings.
Full facilitation of any twist or turn including holding the asset until both parties are happy.
Pricing:
10% of sale price.
Starting at £1,000 + VAT.
Capped at £5,000 + VAT.
If for any reason you change your mind or happen to sell the car privately mid process a minimum fee of £500 + VAT is applicable to help cover our costs.
The best part is that you only pay when we sell the car and we typically achieve more than a private sale so usually it doesn’t cost you anything.
Feel free to call anytime or use the form below to ask a question – we’d love to hear from you.
