During the few days before I was set to go and pick up my new Minor, I asked my friend Channing if he'd like to come with me. With my Swift now sitting on a dealer forecourt, I was facing a 2 hour train journey up to Sussex, which I didn't want to spend alone, and I also wanted to spend the memorable first drive of my Moggy with a friend, since it was going to be a long one. Channing agreed to come if I paid his train fare. Seemed reasonable enough.
I used my new video camera that I'd been given for Christmas to film the whole escapade, which I subsequently edited and put up on youtube in two parts. You can see them here and here.
We departed at 11:20 on a cold Friday morning at the beginning of February, and throughout the train journey we managed to eat some sandwiches, Channing managed to coin the name "Shitchester", and I taught Channing Occam's Razor (look it up). Two hours later we arrived at Three Bridges station in Crawley, and Stewart arrived to pick us up in a Ford Transit based low-loader, which luckily has three abreast seating in the front, otherwise Channing would have had to sit on the back.
On the journey to the shop, Stewart told me that they had in fact sold quite a few Moggies in recent months, most of them to housewives who wanted something a bit retro and stylish to go to the shops with.
Once we arrived, I found out that not only had Sean fettled and finished my Moggy as best he could, and sorted out the exhaust, but he had given the whole car a thorough polishing, so even the 45 year old paint sparkled. It looked magnificent.
I went in with Stewart to sign paperwork and hand over the remaining money, and pick up my keys. Their duties had not quite finished yet however. A few days before, I'd ordered a few little bits and pieces to put on the Minor, just to give it a little more of a personal edge. I'd bought two chrome headlight peaks, often fitted to cars like Minors and Beetles, and a larger, wooden gear lever knob to replace the rather tired and smaller one on the car. Stewart and Sean very kindly helped me fit the new headlamp peaks (by which I mean I stood back and watch them do it), and I screwed on the new knob (watch it).
After flicking switches for a few minutes, revving the engine and giggling like a school girl, we bid adieu to Stewart and Sean, and set off. After a mile, we were presented with our first challenge of the journey; filling the tank. After spilling petrol all over the bumper and my shoes, we joined the motorway.
To say I was nervous would be a bit of an understatement. The Swift hadn't exactly been an ideal car for the motorway, and the Minor has just over half the horsepower, and no fifth gear. However, it did very well. We settled down to a constant speed of about 65mph, and had enough time to really take in the car. Channing started playing with the quarterlight on his door; he'd never seen such a thing, while I constantly wondered aloud if that squeak or that rattle was normal, or if there should be that much heat coming from that opening.
It took a very long time, due to both distance and terrible traffic, to get home. However, the car did perfectly well. It didn't strain, overheat, make any undue noises, have problems with power delivery or braking, or dump any of its fluids all over the road. We got home, parked, and went off to the pub for a celebratory pint.
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