Stephen Astra Craftsman
Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 59
Location: North Yorkshire
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: Eulogy to A16 SAY |
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A16 SAY was my first real car (the “held together by chicken wire and filler” Hillman Avenger doesn't really count). I bought it for £1200 back in November 1988, at that time it was a bog standard 1300s 3 door hatch. I had to spend half a day peeling various embarrassing window stickers off it "Young Farmers do it in wellys" across the top of the windscreen was just not me.
Like any other 19 year old I well and truly ragged the poor little thing to death. The '80's were the time of big spoilers so various bits of plastic were bolted on the front and rear (and a mattig wide body considered at one point), and wheels were changed every 6 months or so for what ever Vauxhall alloys I could scrounge from the scrapyards.
At the time I was at University in Stafford and the trips up and down from home (near Middlesbrough) finally took their toll after two years. With the engine clocking about 110,000 miles and using oil heavily I picked up one of the new (at that time) small block 1600's complete with 5 speed box from a very dodgy scrappy. With its heart transplant it was like new all over again (and I guess I really should have left it like that) and it took me all over the country for the next two years or so until one day whilst having it serviced the mechanic (Dave Bogg father of the Bogg Brothers) pointed me at a XE sat in the corner of his garage and said "want that put in"
Sadly things went down hill from then on, mostly due to my deteriorating health and for the last few years I've only managed the odd tinker and drive (usually done less than 1200 miles a year for the last 5 or 6).
Today I've been given the news that we all dread, a lot of the floor plan is shot, the wishbone mounts are peeling away and there’s nothing left to mount the (required) new sills too. The mechanic says that there’s simply too much work required, a new shell would be the best option. However with my poor health I'm not capable of doing as much as I'd want on my own and I simply don't have the cash to pay someone else to do it for me. So it looks like the best damn car anyone in my family has ever had is dead. I'll be putting a post up in the for sale section in a bit when I get things sorted out as I have piles of bits in various places and want have a clear out at the same time.
I'd love her to survive and someone take it on, but if not then I'd like to try and make sure she dies a good death and helps others survive.
RIP A16 SAY
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28724613@N06/sets/72157606871728004/
Stephen |
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