Since going in the garage, the car has been out twice.
If getting it in is tricky, getting it out is doubly so… No way I could do this by myself, not if I wanted to keep my bodywork intact.
First trip was to take 3 friends for a pub lunch, given the other option was a Mk1 polo, and that 2 of the guys are about 6’2 and 6’5, and the other prob. about 6′, the Saab made more sense.
2nd trip was to a UKSaabs meet just North of Worcester. Dragged along my Supra-driving friend who is organising the Ring trip. 26 days to go.
After we got past a slow caravan, the car drove very well on motorway, boosting nicely well past the red and driving smoothly.
Saab meet was good, my nearly 11 year old car was the newest, although newer cars could have arrived later.
What was dissapointing is knowledge of how little my car is worth. A highly modded (far more than mine) and well cared for 9000 recently sold for £2k. Parkers list mine as £975, private (Good).
On my return I gave the battery an extra charge to make sure it was completely topped-up, then put the car back into storage.
This brings up a factor of European breakdown cover. I have this, and repatriation, but they look at the value on Glass’ guide, and if it costs more than the car is worth I don’t think they bring it back… A quick phone call later, and they say that the cars they don’t bring back tend to be sheds, and average costs are about £800. As part of cover the least they will do is take the car to a garage for work, and if that is no good, repatriate us and dispose of the car…
If we don’t want to be repatriated, and arrange to do the car ourselves, they have no set policy, but would try to work something out.
As part of our group, a car trailer is being brought along should mishaps occur, so in the worst case I am sure something could be worked out…
Keeping the car in the garage under dustsheets is great. I will need to wash/wax the car far less often, and hopefully rust will be less of an issue.
Only drawback is accessing the other stuff in the garage such as bikes (cycle). These are currently in the dining room since there is no way of getting bikes out while the car is in. Not sure how I will get round that problem.
Still to do before Ring trip
1) MOT – will be a useful 2nd check that all is well
2) Tax – runs out while I am over there
That’s about it really. If it stays in the garage, I might now even have to wash it. Hopefully it will stay clean during the MOT…