This one isn’t going to be popular, but here goes…..
A better man than me once said the incredibly truthful words “A man’s got to know his limitations”. I bought a car late last year with the notion that I would fix it up and learn a little bit about fixing cars up along the way.
I’ve since learned that the lingering thought occupying the back of my mind was an accurate one – I’m totally freaking useless at that sort of stuff.
The car, of course, was a Saab 99 Turbo in an rescuing this one, I hoped to rediscover the love that I had for my original Saab 99T, which I rescued some years ago and managed to get driveable again via the two gearboxes and the turbo I replaced at a considerable cost.
I’ve since found the help I need to be more voluminous than I thought and more difficult to secure in a timeframe that will keep me interested in the project. I also worry a little about what the endgame will look like – whether the car will really allow me to do some of the things I’d like to do. All of these points are things that I should have thought about more before I bought the car.
My Alfa 33 taught me that I can take a running car that’s less than optimal and make it a really well sorted and fun driving car. The Monte is teaching me the same thing. Perhaps it’s because I can enjoy driving it and seeing the results straight away? But bringing a car back from the dead is something beyond my scope.
I’m fickle and poorly equipped for such things, both in terms of skills and patience. I admit it.
Thankfully, I have managed to find a buyer with Saabs on the brain and a willingness to bag a bargain. The car will join his already considerable collection of Saab 99 Turbos awaiting completion and I’m sure all the spares that come with it will be very handy indeed.
Comments are closed.