Tiny first steps
Right then where to start, My name is
The first viewing, there she say in suburbia, all shinny and red, Like a ruby. I never believed in first love until that moment (Don’t tell her indoors) so some paper/silver/copper and button beer token exchanged hands. So here goes my first trip as the proud owner of a Robin Hood. Mental note next time I buy an open top car, make sure there is no snow on the ground… I wish I could say it was a baptism of fire but it was far too cold for that. The journey began, luckily I had left the Sat Nav in the Tin Top support car, with my father at behind the wheel as I sat there waiting for him to program Tomtom it in to my holiday home (Dad’s House) I was beginning to fill with dread as the mountains between Chester and West Wales are always cold and windswept even in the middle of Summer. So as I sat there wearing a deer hunter (my friends still point and laugh at it), Industrial Safety Goggles (Sssh Work still don’t know I have got them), Jeans and a T-Shirt with a jacket over the top. After 10 minutes of swearing and shouting at the Tomtom, we finally roll into action. After a few miles without seeing a main road I start to think that something is wrong, after 10 miles I start to worry. That is right in Dad’s exuberance of random button pressing Tomtom was set to shortest route, after 20 miles and a verbal beating he was shown the error of his ways. This is a point where I noticed something that happens every time I fill the Hood up with fuel, random people walk over and start talking to you. I have owned a lot of unusual cars in my time and had the odd person walking up to me and asking questions, but not every time I refuel. I have started to call this the Hood effect. I also noticed as Microsoft would call it a feature of the car. The low refuel speed, anything more than a little bit of fuel and the pump clicks off.
Back on the road again, refuelled (after a lot of clicking) Heading on the fastest route (after verbal redressing) Confused (after random questions from a random person) things where looking up, with Sat Nav pointing us in the right direction it had taken 2 hours of our journey time. Then the sun went down, I am sure I am preaching to the converted but I am sure most of you are well aware how quickly it get cold when the the sun goes on holiday for the night, well I am sure no one in there right mind should ever have to experience it at the start of February on the top of a mountain with snow and fog around you. It was somewhat chilly. At this point I found feature 2 more “features” of the car, the horn did not work, and it had no fog light switch. Lucky I had a day to get it ready before it went in for it’s MOT. Another Stop in a petrol station, (did not fill up in the first one because he was pulling my pants over my head with the prices) After 2 Hood effects I finally got ready to go, this time as it looked like it was going to rain that I would put the surrey roof up. Now then, as I am not built like a racing snake, (I am in my stocking’s a tad under 21 stone), How the flipping heck do you get in and out with the roof up and not look like the car is not giving birth. Anyway after nearly poking my eye out with the gear knob I got in and settled. And off we go, I read somewhere that it was like driving in a tent with a little slit in the front and the is the only way that it can be described. now as I had already said it looked like the weather was closing in and I was correct, the rain came, and again this brought a brand new experience, The wipers worked fine (even though I did chuckle at them the first time they moved) for the outside of the window but the inside needs wipers too. Also another feature was noticed as the bonnet sags slightly below the windscreen, water would get underneath it and then set sprayed into my face.
Finally I get to my destination, My Son (4) and my Mum (she would kill me if I said) rushed out to see the car and to welcome us like returning hero’s to find me stuck in mid air as I had tried to do a forward roll out of the car, but my foot got caught on the roof.
Refuel rate – will try to look at for next time
Horn – Fixed sort sometimes, the slip ring behind the steering wheel moves
Fog Light Switch – Fixed – Trip to Halfords for a switch and wire sorted it
Bonnet Sag – will try to look at for next time