My Capri

I had dreams of cruising down the Transfagarasan Highway in a mark III claret and blue Capri with spoiler, fluffy dice, huge numbers of headlights and one of those sun visors with the names on that people strangely don't find fashionable any more. I've always liked Capris. My second car was a V registration gold 1.6GL. A huge step up in power from a Mini Clubman and with bags more pulling power. Well, it did have until the passenger door began to fall off and the gold paintwork became more rust coloured. I digress...
My next dream was cruising down the Transfagarasan Highway in an Austin Allegro. OK, so not such a cool dream as a Ford Capri, but still a dream of mine. Obviously my dreams were limited by the £500 budget I had set.
So, have I ended up with either of these two fine specimens of motoring technology? The answer is no. I have settled on some 29 year old German machinery to convey myself and my team around the high and low spots of Europe. A 1982 2.0 litre Volkswagen T25. Now when somebody is trying to sell you a vehicle and they describe it as a piece of S**T, you shouldn't expect anything immaculate. It wasn't. The bodywork lived up to my rather low expectations. The engine however started first time despite 18 months of inactivity. It belched out a cloud of black smoke and stopped again fairly soon after, but it did start.

The new 38 Bus

Some of the dubious bodywork.

So, having viewed the kitchen area and the boudoir, which at present are scattered across a driveway in Weymouth rather than neatly arranged on the inside of the vehicle as is tradition, money and paperwork has been exchanged. Jamie, a local grease monkey (and never has the term been so apt!) is going to collect it and get the necessary welding and other work done to get it through the MOT. I'll then have 18 months or so to deal with the cosmetics and perhaps even learn how to work on this ancient piece of foreign machinery.
Jo is already talking about how we'll be able to camp in the winter. This is from somebody wrapped in a sleeping bag with the central heating on. We shall see.