Driving Again

So this weekend I did manage about 50 miles all told, less than I'd hoped for but enough to give the "plastic dart" a good run after several weeks of standing still at the collective farm. Comrades Fiona & Giles are shortly away on an extended fraternal delegation to Brazil (negotiating better coffee prices for the workers, no doubt) so the car has been brought into town for the time being.

It always amazes me that it starts up so readily. The engine hadn't turned for three weeks so I was half expecting a battery flatter than the Fens and a frustrating day of waiting for it to charge up. However, after a few hesitant sputters, the motor roared into life and off we went!

With all the new things that have been done to it this year, the car went really, really well. It didn't take long before fourth gear became available and once engaged it purred up to 90 km/h without any difficulty at all. I'd completely forgotten, too, the attention that it attracts. On the road between the collective farm and Montrose, I'm sure one car actually doubled back and followed me for half a kilometre or so ( either a car enthusiast, or I've done something to attract the attention of the Montrose Stasi). Not to mention the crowd of Sunday shoppers pointing and laughing at the Copie, or a friend who came for a short hop and described the pride of the DDR car combine as "a dodgem".

Great to be back behind the wheel, again, and not to be worrying too much about imminent mechanical collapse (other than a mild "I hope that bloody fan's still well enough screwed on", on occasion.)

Trabant