Meet the engineer who fixes what carmakers can’t

The news pages of Autocar are filled with pictures of disguised prototype cars, caught in the open while the manufacturer tests them to destruction. But despite being pounded in the heat of Death Valley, thrashed at the Nürburgring and frozen in the Arctic Circle while in development, many of these cars can’t seem to survive a decade being driven to the shops in Britain without a significant component failing. We don’t mean the entire engine or gearbox, but tiny grommets that can’t be fixed without replacing big andexpensive parts. But it’s the poor owner who has to pay inthe end.” While there, he noticed his girlfriend had to use a pencil to open the boot of her Renault Mégane. Other, smaller crates are filled with parts that are being picked and sent to customers in the UK and mainland Europe, who have found X8R via eBay, Amazon or a link from a forum. The crate labels feature the names of numerous car makers: reinforcements for Volkswagen Beetle door handles, Mercedes-Benz gearlever bushes, Toyota Prius boot releases and BMW swirl flap, DISA valveand Vanos repair kits. They might not have engines but they still use cheap and unsuitable bits in lots of other places.” DIY helps keep costs down Tom Barnard