How to recognise an Englishman by the translation?
How to recognise an Englishman by the translation? Guide 2023-04-06 How to recognize an “Englishman” when the steering wheel is on the left? Usually, it is the location of the steering wheel that is considered the simplest method of recognising a car from England, but it is not a good clue at all. An experienced mechanic will easily make a spacer and then finding out where the car comes from becomes more difficult. However, it is not impossible, as you will see in a moment! We invite you to read. In this article you will learn: Why are spacers made in cars from England? How to spot an “Englishman” #1: take a good look How to recognise an “Englishman” #2: check the VIN You may be interested in: What is SORN and when do you need it? What is V5C and what does it look like? ABI categories – what is it? Why are shifters made? A good question to start with is why spacers are made and why the seller might want to hide this fact? As you can easily guess, the main motive here is profit. Cars from Great Britain are still attractively priced and it is still profitable to import and sell them in Poland. However, not every buyer is interested in such a car, having limited confidence in the vehicle after modifications. So he would like to buy a car at a good price, but he is reluctant to let it be an “Englishman”. Are these concerns valid? Well, if a reliable car service starts work, then you should not worry about the steering wheel ratio. The question, however, is whether a reliable service would go so far as to try to sell the car while concealing the origin of the car? The good intentions of the seller can be doubted, so there is no basis for trust in other matters either. Amendments to the regulations of August 15, 2015 It is worth recalling that it is no longer necessary to switch the steering wheel from right to left. You can insure and register a right-hand drive car in Poland. How to recognise an “Englishman” #1: look around in the car Driving a vehicle on the left side forces more changes in the design of the car than you might expect. Such a car is also exploited differently, and thus, you can easily recognise where the driver was actually sitting: Locking and unlocking the door with the key – turning the key in the lock on the driver’s side should lock all the doors of the car. If only the driver’s door locks and unlocks, it means that a passenger was previously seated on that side of the vehicle. The degree of wear of the seats and belts – while the passenger is not always present in the car, driving without the driver has no chance. In older car models, there are clear differences in the wear of the surfaces of the seats and belts. Rear fog lamp – UK cars have fog lamps mounted on the right side. You can replace the lamp at low cost, but not everyone does it. Exterior mirrors – as in the case of lights (both rear and front) are a removable element, but not only their shape should be noted. Despite the replacement, the way the mirror is adjusted may indicate that it was originally on the passenger side, not the driver’s side. Wipers – a detail that probably everyone would overlook, and may reveal the actual origin of the car. Wipers in British cars work in the opposite direction. Even if the seller took the trouble and replaced them, a trace will remain in the vicinity of the assembly site. Hood opening / tank valve lever – these types of elements are always on the driver’s side. Fuses – a panel with fuses located on the driver’s side. He should therefore be on the left side of the steering wheel. If not, you are most likely dealing with “English” after the spacer. Passenger seat adjustment – as a rule, the driver’s side seat does not allow as much adjustment as the passenger seat. Again, appropriate technical changes can be made, but this is another job on the list that takes time and effort and is therefore often simply ignored. How to recognize an “Englishman” #2: check the VIN If you carefully examine all the elements and still have doubts, use the possibility of checking the VIN number. Although the codes are standardised, you may have difficulty deciphering each character with certainty on your own. A decoder will help you then, which will decode the information stored in the VIN number for a fee or free of charge. Looking for a company you can trust? If you want to talk about cooperation – contact us! We guarantee you the highest level of service and professional advice. contact us
Driving “Englishman” in Poland
Driving “Englishman” in Poland Cars from the UK – Regulations, Guide 2023-04-06 For some, a higher standard at a better price, for others a unique, rare model. There can be as many motivations to buy a car from Great Britain as there are drivers. Some return to Poland with their cars after years spent in emigration, others decide to buy and import with the help of professional companies. There are quite a lot of “English” enthusiasts and not all of them consider the steering wheel spacer to be an absolute necessity. Do you have to do it? Let’s take a look at what the drivers themselves think about it. In this article you will learn: Do you have to do a spacer between the pedals and the steering wheel? Do you need to insure a car from England? How is “English” handled? A car from Great Britain and the work of a driver Handlebar spacer and regulations Until August 2015, a car buyer from England had to make changes to the vehicle design so that the steering wheel and pedals were on the left side of the car. Otherwise, insurance companies could not provide a policy for such a vehicle. So it was equal to excluding it from use (although not completely, which will be discussed in more detail later in the article). However, the regulations have changed, so now you do not need to move the steering wheel or change the position of the pedals. Drivers can buy and use a car from Great Britain on Polish roads, without fear of consequences or unpleasantness from the law. UK car and insurance We have already written about what procedures apply when buying a car policy from England here: “Englishman’s” insurance . It is worth emphasizing, however, that changing the registration and insurance company is not necessary, although certain conditions must be met. What are the conditions? Of course, current technical examinations, registration and policy completed in the British Isles. So the car is registered, it is also insured with a third-party liability policy, but they are still British plates and a British company. As you can easily guess, this is a convenient solution, but it will not always be good due to the large differences in the cost of maintaining a vehicle in England and Poland. If you live in Great Britain and visit Poland as part of your holiday – you do not have to worry about registration and insurance. How to drive a car from England? We already know that from the point of view of regulations, it is not necessary to change the side of the steering wheel and pedals from right to left. But is such a car comfortable to drive and, above all, is it safe? If we take a closer look at the opinions of the drivers themselves, we will notice that there is no unanimity here. Opinions are divided especially in the case of maneuvers such as overtaking other vehicles or collecting parking tickets from machines. In both situations, the infrastructure favors cars of the European type, which is associated with certain inconveniences. Overtaking requires greater distance and caution, especially if the driver is not supported by a passenger sitting next to him on the left. However, this is not an impossible maneuver, and some drivers even consider it safer this way. How is this possible? Less comfort when overtaking is an effective stimulus, discouraging this manoeuvre. Drivers decide to take their foot off the accelerator and calmly follow the slower vehicle. Drivers notice that the biggest inconvenience in driving a car with the steering wheel on the right side is the moment of collecting the ticket – at the entrance to the motorway or in the car park with an automatic payment system. If the driver is traveling alone, he or she must get out of the car and walk around it, or exercise to reach the machine from the passenger seat. What about other traffic situations? In principle, there is not much difference whether you drive a European car or not. Moving around cities or beyond them is no different, it only requires mastering the operation of the car. “Englishman” and the work of the driver Interesting conclusions have some drivers, especially those for whom driving has become a source of income. In their opinion, it is worth getting used to driving both right and left-hand cars, because it gives prospects for finding a good job in Poland or in Great Britain. While it would be difficult to acquire such skills in a truck, a passenger car, and even a van, can be bought without any problems. is it worth it? The number of job offers for professional drivers speaks for itself: job offers for drivers. International drivers are undoubtedly a profession with prospects, and business trips to England are more than certain here. Looking for a company you can trust? If you want to talk about cooperation – contact us! We guarantee you the highest level of service and professional advice. contact us
How to take a car in instalments in the UK?
How to take a car in instalments in the UK? Finances, Guide 2023-04-06 Buying a car in installments is a convenient solution not only in Poland. Drivers in Great Britain also willingly use this option when looking for the best installment loan offers. While we all know our home market well and know where to go for such a loan, living in the UK as a foreigner can feel a bit lost. Can you buy a used car with a loan here? How to take a car in installments in the UK? In this article you will learn: Car loans in Poland. What is worth knowing about car loans in the UK? Creditworthiness in the UK – Credit Score. Where to take a loan to buy a car in the UK? You may be interested in: How do you drive an “Englishman” in Poland? What is V5C? ABI categories – what is it? Car loan in Poland If you want to buy a vehicle with an instalment payment, we usually go to several banks or agencies. We initially ask about the current offer, the interest rate on the loan, the number of instalments and the possibility of early repayment. Alternatively, if you buy a used car in a second-hand shop or from a car dealership, we can ask about the possibility of crediting here. This solution is so popular that there is no longer even a need to appear in the seller’s office in person. We will get to know offers for credit or leasing online, using websites specialised in this field – for example here . If the buyer can demonstrate an impeccable credit history, he chooses the most advantageous offer and concludes the contract. Is it similar in the UK? Car loan in the UK – what is worth knowing APR – Annual Percentage Rate – annual interest rate. Debt-to-income – the ratio of the applicant’s total income to his fixed monthly expenses. Each lender has its own guidelines as to the maximum percentage of the loan instalment in the borrower’s liabilities. Some banks recognise that the instalment cannot exceed 40% of income, others that 30%. Early Repayment Charge – a fee charged by the bank / company in the event of early repayment of the loan than provided for in the concluded contract. Set Up Free – usually a fixed fee that the bank / company imposes right after granting the borrower a loan. Secured Personal Loan – an element of the concluded contract is a declared object (car, real estate), which constitutes a pledge in the event of the loan being unable to be repaid. This, of course, is not a collateral that the lender uses because of, for example, late repayment. The pledge will be seized only when the borrower declares that he is no longer insolvent. The advantage of such a clause is the bank’s greater flexibility in granting the loan amount or lowering the standard interest rate. Unsecured Personal Loan – similarly to the point above, it is a loan without collateral in the form of a pledge. It usually results in a higher interest rate and/or less freedom to adjust the repayment period of the loan. PPI – Payment Protection Insurance – another form of security, this time with greater benefit for the consumer. In this case, the bank proposes to pay a certain amount once or as part of an instalment, as insurance against loss of job or part of income. PCP – Personal Contract Purchase – a type of contract that is closest to the known leasing. The buyer makes a deposit right after concluding the loan agreement, then pays monthly instalments in the agreed amount, and at the end has the option to pay the final amount (balloon payment) and become the owner of the vehicle. If the borrower resigns from paying the balloon payment, then the contract ends and the car is returned to the dealer. HP – Hire Purchase – instalment loan spread over monthly payments, but the deposit must be settled in the agreed amount first. It is worth noting that in the case of the last two offers (PCP and HP), the borrower becomes the owner of the car only after making the last instalment or final repayment – i.e. balloon payment. Buying a car and creditworthiness As in Poland, British banks and credit companies use the credit score before agreeing to conclude a contract. Credit Score is a parameter that expresses the creditworthiness of the applicant on a point scale. Importantly, each bank or other entity you ask for an assessment of your creditworthiness develops such a scale on its own. An example rating based on the Historia Creditowa website: 961 – 999 points – the highest level, showing an excellent credit history. You can go to the most demanding facilities without fear, you can also count on a wider range of offers presented to you. 881 – 960 points – good ability, sufficient to apply for loans also in more demanding banks. In this case, however, you will receive fewer offers and they will not always be the best offers that the facility has prepared for its clients. 721 – 880 points – you will receive a loan, but the terms will certainly not be very favorable. You won’t be able to afford every car model. 561 – 720 points – ability at a low level, insufficient to obtain a positive opinion in most banks and branches. If you manage to win the favor of the lender, then you can be sure that the interest rate will be high, and the contract may be subject to additional security. 0 – 560 points – a very low ceiling, which indicates that you have most likely struggled with debt repayment in the past. Perhaps there are still liabilities on your account after the due date – loan instalments, bills. In this case, you will not receive another loan for sure. You will even have trouble concluding a subscription contract for the telephone, internet or even car insurance that you plan to buy. A car in instalments