Today my trusty motor reached a milestone 100,000 miles. This is why I love Japanese and Korean cars. They go on and on and on...
Some folk worry themselves stupid about the slightest scratch or ding to their car I've collected a few of them over the years, but hey, it all adds to the charm I recon. I'm one of those people who buys a car, drives it until it packs in, and replaces it with another second hand car. (Never new, that doesnt make financial sense to me)
Since passing my test in January 2001 after 6 attempts (I maintain this makes me a better driver) I have driven a number of cars, two of them before I even passed.
Car one was my grandads old 1980s fiesta. I was learning in this as soon as I was 17. My grandfather was giving up driving as I was begining, so I got the car. This was very primitive and you had to pull out the choke when starting it up. The way we used to live huh!! This car needed bodywork to get through MOT. It had the work, but someone went into the back of it during a test drive st the garage so it was bye bye car one.
Then I got a red vw polo. I continued to learn in this, but it really was the mint with a hole and was replaced pretty quickly with a Dihatsu Domino. an obscure motor that was great on fuel, thanks to its 850 cc engine. It became known as the washing machine on wheels. This was the first car I drove when I passed my test. It was an odd feeling not having someone else sat next to me. My first trip as a solo driver was to my nans up the road, then to town. This car met its end on a drive to Nottingham. someone went into the back of me and the boot got dented and when I got it open bit had to be secured with heavy duty tape. The tape kept coming undone and the boot was flying open as I went round corners. After I got rid of the Dihatsu I saw a guy driving it round town. I knew it was the same car when I saw the boot fly open. Next was the first of two Nisan Micras. This was a Blue one with number plate of T15amo (tiamo means I love you in Spanish I think) Anyway, as irony would have it I wrote that off in an accident on the M23 around Valentines day. Scarey stuff. Steering locked and I found myself spinning inyo the central reservation during rush jour. Luckily there was no cars in the immediate vicinity, and the air bag deployed. I did, however, cause a massive tail back, and remember hearing it on the travel news on the radio in the ambulance. Next I had my red Micra. Bearing in mind I am over 6ft the micra may not have been the best choice for me. I then traded this in for a Nissa Primera which was quite a big car. That died on me during a cold winter and I ended up flogging it on Gum Tree for peanuts, The bloke who brought it only wanted the door for his car which he was repairing. He came in a pick up truck and took it awsy. Then I got my current car a Hyundai Asscent This saved me cash as I was going frim a 1.6 to a 1.4 engine and into a cheaper road tax bracket. . This is quite a sporty car, Jeremy clarkson decribes it as a "hair drier on wheels. (Yes thanks Jez ) I will keep the Hyundai going until I get a big bill at MOT or it dies and who knows what I will get next.
I quite like the Ford Focus but everyone in my road has one so that could be confusing. (Theres at least six parked in the road) I just don't want to think about how much i spend on fuel. Probably my biggest out going. I did meet a guy in Brighton who said he could run a car on recycled chip fat at 2p a litre. For that price I wouldn't mind stinking like a chippy .
One thing I seem to be good at; losing my car un a car park. I always do this as my car us silver but so are most others parked I the road outside I Once I spent ages hunting for my car in Morrisons car park, only to remember I had in fact walked to the shop, leaving car at my Mums. Doh!
Have you noticed that you don't see many old stlye 80s Fiestas on the road any more? Maybe they have all been traded in for the government's scrapage deal. Good news however If you drive a Reliant Robin. (Yes Del Boy I'm talking to you). I have seen one of these on the road and find them quite amusing. I read today that there is to be a change in rules around classic cars bring exempt from road tax. Any car over 40 years old (made after 1974) gets free road tax from April. And that includes some early Reliant Robins. See Del Boy wasn't such a Plonker after all.
Some folk worry themselves stupid about the slightest scratch or ding to their car I've collected a few of them over the years, but hey, it all adds to the charm I recon. I'm one of those people who buys a car, drives it until it packs in, and replaces it with another second hand car. (Never new, that doesnt make financial sense to me)
Since passing my test in January 2001 after 6 attempts (I maintain this makes me a better driver) I have driven a number of cars, two of them before I even passed.
Car one was my grandads old 1980s fiesta. I was learning in this as soon as I was 17. My grandfather was giving up driving as I was begining, so I got the car. This was very primitive and you had to pull out the choke when starting it up. The way we used to live huh!! This car needed bodywork to get through MOT. It had the work, but someone went into the back of it during a test drive st the garage so it was bye bye car one.
Then I got a red vw polo. I continued to learn in this, but it really was the mint with a hole and was replaced pretty quickly with a Dihatsu Domino. an obscure motor that was great on fuel, thanks to its 850 cc engine. It became known as the washing machine on wheels. This was the first car I drove when I passed my test. It was an odd feeling not having someone else sat next to me. My first trip as a solo driver was to my nans up the road, then to town. This car met its end on a drive to Nottingham. someone went into the back of me and the boot got dented and when I got it open bit had to be secured with heavy duty tape. The tape kept coming undone and the boot was flying open as I went round corners. After I got rid of the Dihatsu I saw a guy driving it round town. I knew it was the same car when I saw the boot fly open. Next was the first of two Nisan Micras. This was a Blue one with number plate of T15amo (tiamo means I love you in Spanish I think) Anyway, as irony would have it I wrote that off in an accident on the M23 around Valentines day. Scarey stuff. Steering locked and I found myself spinning inyo the central reservation during rush jour. Luckily there was no cars in the immediate vicinity, and the air bag deployed. I did, however, cause a massive tail back, and remember hearing it on the travel news on the radio in the ambulance. Next I had my red Micra. Bearing in mind I am over 6ft the micra may not have been the best choice for me. I then traded this in for a Nissa Primera which was quite a big car. That died on me during a cold winter and I ended up flogging it on Gum Tree for peanuts, The bloke who brought it only wanted the door for his car which he was repairing. He came in a pick up truck and took it awsy. Then I got my current car a Hyundai Asscent This saved me cash as I was going frim a 1.6 to a 1.4 engine and into a cheaper road tax bracket. . This is quite a sporty car, Jeremy clarkson decribes it as a "hair drier on wheels. (Yes thanks Jez ) I will keep the Hyundai going until I get a big bill at MOT or it dies and who knows what I will get next.
I quite like the Ford Focus but everyone in my road has one so that could be confusing. (Theres at least six parked in the road) I just don't want to think about how much i spend on fuel. Probably my biggest out going. I did meet a guy in Brighton who said he could run a car on recycled chip fat at 2p a litre. For that price I wouldn't mind stinking like a chippy .
One thing I seem to be good at; losing my car un a car park. I always do this as my car us silver but so are most others parked I the road outside I Once I spent ages hunting for my car in Morrisons car park, only to remember I had in fact walked to the shop, leaving car at my Mums. Doh!
Have you noticed that you don't see many old stlye 80s Fiestas on the road any more? Maybe they have all been traded in for the government's scrapage deal. Good news however If you drive a Reliant Robin. (Yes Del Boy I'm talking to you). I have seen one of these on the road and find them quite amusing. I read today that there is to be a change in rules around classic cars bring exempt from road tax. Any car over 40 years old (made after 1974) gets free road tax from April. And that includes some early Reliant Robins. See Del Boy wasn't such a Plonker after all.