Blue Sea M2 Dc Ammeter on 2040-parts.com

Dodhy motors warning to buyers

MORE THAN half of those seeking help for "dodgy deal" second-hand car purchases experience faults with their vehicle within a month of buying it, according to Citizens Advice. Essential repairs include smoke emerging from the engine, corroded brake pipes and snapped clutches. Of the 2,519 complaints to Citizens Advice about used cars in the first two weeks of September, a total of 83% were about faults.

Volvo aims for global market with police-spec XC70

Volvo is staking its police-car fleet ambitions in Europe and beyond on a newly upgraded chassis underpinning the Volvo XC70, already a popular choice among police forces across Europe. The Swedish police force recently designated the 2014 Volvo XC70 D5 AWD as the best car in its fleet after carrying out exhaustive tests, with an overall score of nine out of 10. That's right, the diesel XC70 D5 AWD was chosen as the best vehicle in the police-car fleet in Sweden, even though on this side of the pond, the car is still associated more with ownership of multiple golden retrievers and the school run.

One Lap of the Web: No school like old school

-- You don't see a Packard-powered hot rod very often, and we have to wonder why. Stuff your Ford flatheads, ditch your boring V8s! Few things in the world are cooler than eight cylinders lined up in unwavering authority, to the tune of 327ci, with a McCullough supercharger feeding four Stromberg 97 carburetors above aluminum heads.