Well, I done it. I owned a convertible. Tick.
I’m sad to see it go but there’s no regret. Amazingly for me, getting rid of the car now is sticking to Plan A. I never stick to plan A but I did this time. It went something like this:
When my engagement broke off in 2001 or was it 2000, I spend a year or so moping around cos I wasn’t going to have a wife, house, dog, pond and kids any more. Then I thought: one day, I’m probably going to have all that and I don’t want to look back and wish I’d spent these years doing something other than moping. I’d better think about what I won’t be able to do then, and do it now. Travelling, and wasting money on poser vehicles were the two biggies that came to mind.
The plan was to get a fun classy convertible and sell it for the same as I bought it for, just writing off all the money I spent on it in the meantime.
Here are some of the more interesting points regarding owning a cute ’60s convertible:
- It really is a chick magnet. I thought it was a myth until I owned the car. I’ve had random drunken females make as if to climb into the car when I’m waiting at traffic lights, and had two girls practically fighting over who got first go.
- old men and kids go “wow cool car!” or wave, nod, or smile. Lads of my own age tend to shout “WANKER!” or if drunk enough “WOOOAH HE’S GETTING LAID TONIGHT!!”
- you can smell things. For some reason it did not occur to me that not only can you see around you and get the wind in your hair, but you can smell barbecues, different crops, different hedgerow plants, and different trucks and other vehicles. It really adds to the feeling of being *in* the countryside.
- you only get two seats. This is a real pain if you have more than one friend because it means you can’t get round everyone who you want to give a ride to. Most people are too polite to demand a trip round the block
- people will ask you what type of car it is, then tell you of their brother’s friend’s uncle who’s selling one just like it but yellow.
- 1960s brakes make you drive safer
- the fact that the first thing to break your momentum is a steering-column through the forehead makes you drive safer
- you can have just as much fun on thin tyres at 25mph as with traction control at 60.
- £50 and a weekend a month should be enough on average to keep the car nice, and slowly improve it. Of course you need a garage, which I don’t have any more.