IT’LL be all over by Christmas, apparently.
This isn’t just the mantra of governments waiting for wars to end – quite poignant at the moment, given it’s Remembrance Sunday – but of scores of people across the region who’ve started a classic car project. And still haven’t finished yet.
Take this Range Rover, for example. My dad bought it as a quick project nine years ago, when my biggest worries were GCSEs and figuring out how girls worked. Despite threatening to pass an MOT for at least half a decade it’s still loitering around his garage, sulking whenever someone tries to start it.
I’m a big fan of saving motors from meeting their maker, but just think what’s happened in that time. We’ve been in and out of Iraq, entire world economies have collapsed, and Oasis have split up. Most worryingly, the price of the jungle juice this V8 beast drinks daily has rocketed, meaning running around in something that struggles to get 15 miles to a gallon isn’t exactly fashionable anymore.
My Mini – fresh from a ribbing live on Dune FM last weekend – isn’t quite so severe, but the problem’s the same. It’s finally back in business after a broken braking system sentenced me to three weeks on the buses instead, but even now there’s a list of things that need sorting out. There’s always things always need sorting out.
It is possible to mend the eternal list of problems, but given that most normal people have other things to keep them occupied – like lives – any repairs are confined to the weekends, when anywhere that might sell you the spare parts is closed. This is the main reason why all those old cars you see on people’s driveways never move.
Look, if you really want to take on a rapidly decaying piece of our automotive heritage, please make sure you’ve got a car that actually works as well.
I suppose old cars are a bit more amusing than spending every night watching whatever Jedward is, which I doubt will still be annoying us in nine years’ time.
That’ll all be over by Christmas too, apparently…
No comments:
Post a Comment