Are you a giffer? Take this test to find out.

[warren t claim]

There comes a time in life when it seems that you've slipped from Grange Hill to Boot Hill without you knowing it. Has it happened to you yet? Take this test to see your "Giffer Score".

Have you ever?

Driven on a UK motorway before the 70mph limit? 40 points.

Been a passenger in a car on a UK motorway before the 70mph limit? 20 points.

Legally driven a car without wearing a seat belt on public roads? 25 points.

Bought a brand new crossply tyre from a major fast fit centre? 15 points.

Bought a remould tyre from a major fast fit centre? 10 points.

Driven home from the pub after at least five pints before the introduction of the breathaliser? 50 points.

Fitted an aftermarket heated rear window. 30 points.

Patch welded a car to get through its first MOT at 3 years old? 15 points.

Fitted a LW/MW radio to your car and had to ponder where to mount it as that car didn't have a factory fitted blanking plate in the dash. 25 points.

Fitted a switch operated electric aerial. 20 points.

Fitted a Selmar/Harry Moss car alarm that involved drilling a hole into a panel to fit the alarm lock. 20 points.

Converted a car from dynamo to alternator. 25 points.

Owned a Mk3/4 Cortina fitted with a set of stolen early Sierra Aero wheel trims. 20 points.

Fitted a sunstrip to the top of your windscreen. 15 points or 30 points if it had the names of you and your then lady.

Waxoiled a car. 15 points.

Fitted a set of front or rear fog lamps. 20 points.

Used offcuts of your living room carpet to make car mats. 20 points.

Fitted an earthing strip to your rear bumper. 10 points.

Bought a Krook Lock. 10 points.

Swapped your points for a Sparkright electronic ignition set. 25 points.

Fitted a manual choke conversion kit. 25 points.

 

Dare you post your points tally?

[Dobloseven]

110

[eddyramrod]

Only 125, assuming that repeat occasions don't count.  Must try harder.

[Wibble]

Phew, only 115.

[eddyramrod]

For clarification: how do we attain Gifferdom?  Do we need to amass or shed points?

[FakeConcern]

Have you ever?

Driven on a UK motorway before the 70mph limit? 40 points. No

Been a passenger in a car on a UK motorway before the 70mph limit? 20 points. Yes

Legally driven a car without wearing a seat belt on public roads? 25 points. No, but I could have. I’ve always worn a seat belt to drive.

Bought a brand new crossply tyre from a major fast fit centre? 15 points. No

Bought a remould tyre from a major fast fit centre? 10 points. No

Driven home from the pub after at least five pints before the introduction of the breathaliser? 50 points. No

Fitted an aftermarket heated rear window. 30 points. No

Patch welded a car to get through its first MOT at 3 years old? 15 points. No

Fitted a LW/MW radio to your car and had to ponder where to mount it as that car didn't have a factory fitted blanking plate in the dash. 25 points. Not  radio, but fitted a cassette player in my first car a Mini 1000. Mounted under the dash.

Fitted a switch operated electric aerial. 20 points. No

Fitted a Selmar/Harry Moss car alarm that involved drilling a hole into a panel to fit the alarm lock. 20 points. Yes (may have been Paddy Hopkirk)

Converted a car from dynamo to alternator. 25 points. No my first Mini was the year they fitted an alternater from factory!

Owned a Mk3/4 Cortina fitted with a set of stolen early Sierra Aero wheel trims. 20 points. No

Fitted a sunstrip to the top of your windscreen. 15 points or 30 points if it had the names of you and your then lady. No

Waxoiled a car. 15 points. No

Fitted a set of front or rear fog lamps. 20 points. Yes fitted rear fog lamps to both my 1275GT Minis, T reg and V reg.

Used offcuts of your living room carpet to make car mats. 20 points. No

Fitted an earthing strip to your rear bumper. 10 points. No

Bought a Krook Lock. 10 points. No (see fitted alarm).

Swapped your points for a Sparkright electronic ignition set. 25 points. No

Fitted a manual choke conversion kit. 25 points. No

 

Dare you post your points tally? Yes.85 points

Edit I may have awarded myself 20 points too many as I fitted a cassette rather than a radio and could have answered "no"

 

[Spiny Norman]

Hmmmm.... 140.

(Edited to show my working. 😛 )

Driven on a UK motorway before the 70mph limit? 40 points. -  No

Been a passenger in a car on a UK motorway before the 70mph limit? 20 points. - Going to say no but possibly when I was very wee, but certainly not at 70mph or anywhere near it, Dad had a Renault 10 at the time)

Legally driven a car without wearing a seat belt on public roads? 25 points. -Just, by a few weeks

Bought a brand new crossply tyre from a major fast fit centre? 15 points. - No

Bought a remould tyre from a major fast fit centre? 10 points. - Yes

Driven home from the pub after at least five pints before the introduction of the breathaliser? 50 points. - No

Fitted an aftermarket heated rear window. 30 points. - No

Patch welded a car to get through its first MOT at 3 years old? 15 points. - No

Fitted a LW/MW radio to your car and had to ponder where to mount it as that car didn't have a factory fitted blanking plate in the dash. 25 points.  - Yes, and not only that, but I bought a centre console from Halfords to put it in.

Fitted a switch operated electric aerial. 20 points. - No

Fitted a Selmar/Harry Moss car alarm that involved drilling a hole into a panel to fit the alarm lock. 20 points. - Yes

Converted a car from dynamo to alternator. 25 points.

Owned a Mk3/4 Cortina fitted with a set of stolen early Sierra Aero wheel trims. 20 points.

Fitted a sunstrip to the top of your windscreen. 15 points or 30 points if it had the names of you and your then lady.

Waxoiled a car. 15 points. - Yes

Fitted a set of front or rear fog lamps. 20 points. - Yes

Used offcuts of your living room carpet to make car mats. 20 points. - No, but my mate did when he bought a brand new Fiesta.

Fitted an earthing strip to your rear bumper. 10 points. - No

Bought a Krook Lock. 10 points. - I'll say no, but I did buy a Stop Lock.

Swapped your points for a Sparkright electronic ignition set. 25 points. - No

Fitted a manual choke conversion kit. 25 points. - Yes.

[eddyramrod]

I've just remembered one I overlooked, so my total is now 145.

I have legally driven a car that had no seatbelts fitted, since the wearing of them was made compulsory (which was 1983) - with passengers (plural) to whom I was not related.  How many points do I get for that?

[Soundwave]

Being born in the mid-80s, it's no surprise I only scored 90. Gifferdom is some way off yet.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:23, eddyramrod said:

I've just remembered one I overlooked, so my total is now 145.

I have legally driven a car that had no seatbelts fitted, since the wearing of them was made compulsory (which was 1983) - with passengers (plural) to whom I was not related.  How many points do I get for that?

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That depends. Have you ever fitted a square front numberplate offset to either the left or right to mimic a 1970s Ford LTD?

[eddyramrod]

Yes.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:30, eddyramrod said:

Yes.

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30 points.

[myglaren]

Legally driven a car without wearing a seat belt on public roads? 25 points.
Waxoiled a car. 15 points

40 points.

(almost 77 yo)

[captain_70s]

50.

A decent showing considering I'm 32...

[eddyramrod]

I'm up to 175 now.  I suspect there's no hope....

[Heidel_Kakao]

Can I have points for fitting an 8 track to a car? If not I only have 15 points from waxoiling.

[HMC]

80

(ive put down the seatbelt thing- is that car or date specific- eg last week i drove a car with no seatbelts, but im not old enough to have done it pre legislation)

+ waxoyled (various) alternator (herald) / manual choke conversion (mk2 granny)

[Homersimpson]

65, I can only confess to these:

Legally driven a car without wearing a seat belt on public roads? 25 points. (Car was old enough to not need seat belts when I drove it back in around year 2000).

Converted a car from dynamo to alternator. 25 points.

Waxoiled a car. 15 points.

 

[eddyramrod]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:25, Soundwave said:

Being born in the mid-80s, it's no surprise I only scored 90. Gifferdom is some way off yet.

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So you were born after I scored many of those points?  Oh I feel old......

[grogee]

45.

Get away from me with your woodbines and horse brasses! 

I'm the future !!! 

[Wibble]

I’m 55 this month and too many of these are familiar practises 😬😁. Does swapping rear brake adjusters and shoes between one Mk5 Cortina and another, to gain an MOT pass, then back again count?🤣

[warren t claim]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:45, Wibble said:

I’m 55 this month and too many of these are familiar practises 😬😁. Does swapping rear brake adjusters and shoes between one Mk5 Cortina and another, to gain an MOT pass, then back again count?🤣

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Yes. 20 points.

[lesapandre]

60 points - I'm not a giffer!

[2flags]

Well, I must be old. I'm up to 190. True giffer. I even wear my hat when driving, but only in the Renault with the top down. I could have scored more, but my Cortina had standard wheels. 😁 You could also have had 'have you ever driven a car with drum brakes all round?'

[eddyramrod]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:49, 2flags said:

 😁 You could also have had 'have you ever driven a car with drum brakes all round?'

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And I'd score again, because I've had several.  Note "had," not just "driven!"

Again I ask, do repeat occasions count?

[morrisoxide]

175

Yay! I won something... Shit I won at being a giffer. I'm only 34 😑

What about boiling brake shoes in a pan on the hob?

Edited to show my work.

Legally driven a car without wearing a seat belt on public roads? 25 points. 1961 & 1964 car that was never made with them.

Fitted a switch operated electric aerial. 20 points. Fox body Mustang, strangely it didn't have one?

Converted a car from dynamo to alternator. 25 points. Morris Oxford.

Waxoiled a car. 15 points. Many.

Fitted a set of front or rear fog lamps. 20 points. Rear Morris Oxford again.

Used offcuts of your living room carpet to make car mats. 20 points. Living room & kitchen carpet.

Swapped your points for a Sparkright electronic ignition set. 25 points. Morris Oxford again.

Fitted a manual choke conversion kit. 25 points. Mercury this time.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:52, eddyramrod said:

And I'd score again, because I've had several.  Note "had," not just "driven!"

Again I ask, do repeat occasions count?

Expand  

Depends. Are you talking about unservo'd drums?

[eddyramrod]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:53, warren t claim said:

Depends. Are you talking about unservo'd drums?

Expand  

Shirley thou jest!  Is there any other kind?

[Wibble]

  On 02/01/2025 at 22:48, warren t claim said:

Yes. 20 points.

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Takes me to 135 then, looking sketchy😬. Shit, just remembered making a Din D radio surround out of wood to fit a Chevette.

[AndyW201]

Only 60 scored. Evidently I'm not as much of an old bastard as my body keeps persuading me I am...

Bought a remould - Yes, a pair if Colways count. (They actually had a good reputation back in the day for boy racers on a budget). 10 points.

Fitted a sunstrip - Yes, a Lombard RAC Rally one, no less, on a Mk3 Escort. 15 points

Waxoiled a car - Couple of times. 15 points.

Fitted front/rear fog lights - Kind of, I fitted a set of Vanden Plas 1500 front valance mounted driving lights to my Allegro - 20 points

My first car (Metro tarted up as an MG lookalike) did have a Harry Moss radio cassette in an aftermarket under-dash mount, a Harry Moss alarm, and aftermarket front fogs, but they had all been done before I bought it.