Dear All,
I've been pretty quiet on this ng recently, partly because I've been up
to my ears in other things, and partly because I've been having lots of
work done on Carly (ah, c'mon, you remember Carly, don't you? 1977
Inca Yellow 1500?), and haven't had much of a chance to drive her
recently.
Over the last couple of months, she's had her engine re-built, a new
gearbox fitted, and, most recently, a lot of welding done (including a
new nearside sill). The week before last she went in for the 500 mile
service on the engine, and then to another garage for the welding and an
MOT. I am delighted to say that I now have her back, with a working
(indeed purring) engine and gearbox, with the major rust problems
resolved, and that, as an added bonus, she PASSED THE MOT FIRST GO!
I'm thirteen days away from the first anniversary of buying this car. At
a conservative estimate, I have spent over 100 hours working on her, and
about GBP2500 on parts and labour. I have driven her for 4300 miles,
in the summer sun with top down, in driving snow with the top cut to
ribbons by a vandal, in the pouring rain with water fountaining up over
my legs, and, more recently, *without* it fountaining up over my legs.
I've been near to tears over major breakdowns, and in ecstasy over the
pleasure of driving her when she's going well. It's been a very long
and expensive year, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I've
learnt more about cars in the past twelve months than I had in the
previous 33 years; I've gained knowledge and experience and confidence
in myself and my meagre mechanical skills that is priceless, and my only
regret is that I didn't buy a Spitfire many years before.
Here's hoping that no more major repairs will be needed, and that I can
enjoy a hassle-free (and expense-free) driving experience for the next
few months. :-)
Fingers crossed...
ATB
--
Mike
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html
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