British edition. £19 once · 30-day money-back guarantee
THE OWNER'S PLAYBOOK

Watch Reg introduce the Playbook. Press play for sound.

Reg Hartley on the Playbook cover

The 500K-Mile Owner’s Playbook126-page British edition + separate 6-page Garage-Ready Pack. Read on your phone; print the tools you need.

For the car you already own

Go into your next garage visit better prepared.

Know what to ask, compare what is included in a quote, and put the keep-or-replace decision on paper.

  • Turn a vague concern into a clear garage handover.
  • Compare scope, exclusions and VAT-inclusive prices.
  • Keep the next step clear, from assessment to collection.
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126 pagesBritish PDF edition
24 scenariosEveryday ownership
16 A4 toolsWith worked examples
6-page packIncluded, ready to print

Sound familiar?

The hard part is often knowing what to ask.

“Is this quote comparing the same work?”

Two prices can include different tests, parts or VAT. Put the details alongside each other before choosing.

“How do I explain what the car is doing?”

Record what happened, when it happened and what you noticed. You do not need to guess the failed part.

“Do I keep this car or move on?”

Separate future costs from money already spent, and make the missing information visible.

Real pages. Practical uses.

Three tools for decisions you actually face.

Each comes with a worked example. The new Garage-Ready Pack gives you a visual quick-start version, included in the book and as a separate download.

Actual pack page comparing a fictional £90 VAT-inclusive quote with £75 plus £15 VAT

01 / Compare the quote

A lower headline price is not the whole story.

See the same quote on the same VAT basis, then compare what is included and excluded.

  • Worked price comparison
  • Questions you can ask the garage
  • Side-by-side printable comparison sheet

The figures shown are a fictional arithmetic example, not typical charges or promised savings.

Actual Garage Handover Note with space for observations, timing and approval limits

02 / Prepare the handover

Explain the concern. Make approval clear.

Bring a useful record instead of trying to remember everything at the counter.

  • What you observed and when
  • Assessment scope and charge
  • Who approves extra work, and how

Blank tool on page 91; fictional worked example on page 92.

Actual decision map showing keep and replace cost categories and suitability questions

03 / Keep or replace

Compare what comes next.

Put both options over the same future period. Label quotes, estimates and unknowns before deciding.

  • Future work and running costs
  • Changeover and finance considerations
  • Safety, suitability and missing evidence

A decision aid, not a forecast of repair bills or a promise that keeping the car is best.

Also included: Collect the car. Close the loop.
A new take-home checklist for checking the agreed work, asking about follow-up and keeping the paperwork together.

More than the next visit

A practical companion for owning your car.

Prepare for the garage

24 scenarios help you record warnings, starting concerns, unusual behaviour and other observations.

Compare and authorise

Use the quote comparison and work-authorisation records to make scope and next contact clear.

Build a routine

Keep service evidence, MOT follow-up and reminders based on your own vehicle’s instructions.

Review the bigger decision

Bring costs and open questions together when considering keeping or replacing the car.

Explore the 24 scenarios

Dashboard warnings and service reminders; starting and key concerns; heat, fluid changes and smells; tyre messages, potholes, braking and steering changes; unusual noise, performance and fuel use; longer journeys, breakdowns and visibility.

Each scenario includes a first decision, recording guidance, a question to ask and a fictional example.

See all 16 original printable tools
  1. My Vehicle File
  2. Handbook-to-Calendar Planner
  3. Ownership Calendar
  4. Before the Journey
  5. Tyre Observation Record
  6. Dashboard Message Record
  7. Fluid Observation Record
  8. Symptom Timeline
  9. Garage Handover Note
  10. Quote Comparison
  11. Work Authorisation Record
  12. After the Visit
  13. MOT & Recall Follow-up
  14. Roadside Information Card
  15. Keep-or-Replace Worksheet
  16. Service Record
What is in the new Garage-Ready Pack?

A visual start guide, worked quote comparison, side-by-side quote worksheet, keep-or-replace decision map, personal decision sheet and collection checklist. Six pages, already included at the back of the 126-page book, with a separate PDF for convenient printing.

Read it. Use it. Keep it.

Built to leave the screen.

The printable side-by-side quote comparison worksheetThe new printable car collection checklist

Actual pages from the included pack. Print on A4 and fill in by hand; these are not interactive PDF forms.

£19 gives you the complete book and the quick-start pack. Use them before a visit, alongside a quote or when reviewing what happens next. No subscription and no extra charge for the pack.

Before you buy

A few useful answers.

Is this a printed book or a download?

It is a 126-page PDF, plus the same six-page Garage-Ready Pack as a separate PDF. No physical book is shipped. Save the files to read offline and print the pages you need.

How do I get my copy?

After a successful payment, the thank-you page provides the download links. A delivery email also provides access to your book. Use the email address where you want to receive it.

Do I need mechanical experience?

No mechanical vocabulary is needed to use the records and worksheets. They help you describe observations and ask questions; they do not teach repairs or replace a professional assessment.

Is this suitable for my car?

It is written for UK petrol and diesel passenger-car owners. Vehicle-specific instructions always take precedence. It is not an EV high-voltage guide, a workshop manual or a source of universal service intervals.

Can I print the tools?

Yes. Print on A4 at actual size and fill in by hand. The separate Garage-Ready Pack makes the new worksheets easy to find.

Does “500K” guarantee my car will last that long?

No. It describes a long-term ownership ambition, not a guaranteed lifespan. The right decision may be to replace a car rather than keep it.

What if the book is not useful to me?

You have 30 days from purchase to try the book and tools. If they are not useful to you, request a full refund.

Your next garage visit starts here

Take a clearer question. Bring a better record.

The British Playbook and Garage-Ready Pack, together for £19. Yours to read, save and print.

Get the Playbook — £19

One payment · Instant PDF download · 30-day money-back guarantee

From our readers

A little more confidence.
A clearer next step.

“I've got a folder stuffed with MOT certificates and scribbled notes. This finally gave me a system. The Garage Handover Note alone is worth the nineteen quid.”
Margaret E.Manchester
“Wish I'd had this before my last garage visit. Would've saved me a hundred pounds in work I didn't need.”
Derek P.Bristol
“The printable tools are brilliant. I printed the Tyre Observation Record and stuck it in the glovebox. Actually use it now.”
Priya S.Leicester
“Kept my old Vauxhall going because of this book. Honest, no nonsense, just clear next steps.”
Tom B.Leeds
“My husband thought I was mad buying a book about car ownership. Then he borrowed the Quote Comparison sheet.”
Susan F.Edinburgh
“Finally someone who doesn't tell you to buy a new car every three years.”
Nigel F.Southampton
“The Keep-or-Replace Worksheet made the decision for me. Kept the car, saved thousands.”
Carol T.Newcastle
“I'm not a car person. This didn't assume I was. That's why it worked for me.”
Imran Q.Birmingham
“Worth every penny. The Symptom Timeline alone changed how I talk to my mechanic.”
Barry N.Norwich
“Bought it on a whim. Two weeks later I'd organised twelve years of paperwork into one folder. That's value.”
Janet H.Cardiff

Readers’ own experiences. Individual results vary.

30 days money back guarantee

Useful to you. Or your money back.

Read the book and try the tools for 30 days. If they’re not useful to you, request a full refund. Simple as that.

Your next step

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The Playbook + Garage-Ready Pack£19 once · 30-day money-back guarantee
Get the Playbook — £19