Originally Posted by Nextmove
Sorry Griston 64. The one that got the short straw is a non Volvo. Our 164 is our first and only. The leaver is a '14 Landy Freelander 2. Not because it's a dud, but because we have another '11 Freelander 2 which is a stalwart workhorse, and deserves our loyalty more. The other one is a bit of a primped princess, though very smart to look at and very nice to drive. Neither the BH or I like it as much as the old(er) faithful one, though.
After a messy and rather expensive game of "what cars can we live with and will be most practical and reliable for the wilds of Scotland?" since we came back here to live from Oz for the second time 2.5 years back, we've accumulated 7 cars and sold 3, giving us a rather odd reputation in our little village.
We got talked into our first Freeloader before arrival and had it ready to pick up at Glasgow airport on arrival. It was bought and thoroughly checked out for us by a close friend of a close friend who specialises in Landies. It's been a terrific car, and just right for the conditions around here.
We then felt we needed two cars, as I seemed to do most of the driving when we went anywhere together (I get violently car-sick as a passenger), and I didn't want the BH to lose her interest in driving. We'd had a 4X4 Skoda Yeti in Oz, so we found one here. Fabulous little car, but she wasn't overly fond of it. So the Yeti was turned into a '15 Mini, which we both unfortunately loathed. Fun to drive but a totally claustrophobic experience, nothing like her memories of her original model Mini of many years ago.
So that turned into another Freeloader2, since she'd grown to like the first one so much.
Meanwhile a boost to the exchequer gave me enough courage to "justify" (read apply BS in spadefuls) the need for a "toy" that I'd long yearned for, in the form of an '11 Defender pickup.
Which turned out to be a disaster. Despite trying hard I hated driving it, and when the clutch died almost immediately despite only 30k on the clock, and the thing being in mint condition otherwise, I realised that some dreams are best left unfulfilled.
So that got offloaded (by now the balance sheet was looking a dark red, as every change involved a loss after spending a fair bit/a lot on fixing little bits and pieces up). Down to 2 of wheels.
After a short respite the urge for another toy became too strong to resist so after another BS campaign I went cheaper this time and got a 61 Morrie Minor, in good, (but not nearly as good as advertised), condition. That was my 4th MM over many years, and I wanted something that I could actually work on.
We were an instant tourist attraction in the village, with dozens of people dropping by to inspect and reminisce. Old cars are rarely seen over here.
I then discovered to my great joy a local garage and people who worked there who are into classics big time. Such things are very rare over here in the boondocks, and it gave me the courage to push the marital harmony boundaries even further, painting a picture of only needing one "proper" (ie modern-ish and reliable) vehicle (ie F2), one toy for bumbling around the local roads (MM), and an in-between classic that we'd both like to drive, that would be safe and reliable (once sorted), and comfortable for a reasonable length trip if needed.
And voila, a 164 appeared after the saga I've already described in this thread.
All this was on the understanding that a very nice blue Freeloader 2 got the short straw before the bailiffs and divorce lawyers got into the act. That refund to the exchequer was supposed to go towards a long overdue visit to family back in Oz
And we all know what happened overnight, don't we.... The world came to a standstill. No Oz visit, and no vacancy in the available parking space for the forseeable future.
Talk about first world problems, eh? Absolutely embarrassingly obscene when considering all the locals who are dependent on tourism, which is now non-existent, or other jobs that have disappeared, and thousands of others around the world who are struggling to find out where their next paycheck or meal might come from. Not to mention the incredible people putting their lives on the line for us all.
Especially those geriatrics (like us) in the high risk categories.
Yes, we are very aware, and very humble, to be where we are.
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