Finding a new resting place (hopefully not forever!)

At long last, the Scooby has been moved to a new resting place! Okay, so this post is likely going to be a long one, because there’s loads of things to cover in this, but already the excitement levels are quite high.

Aside from keeping the parents happy with the car no longer on the driveway and becoming a bit of an eyesore, this was the first time this car has moved in 8 years. So initially, there was quite a list of worries or cautions going on in my head before even attempting to move it.

I used ChatGPT for a lot of my questions, just to try and get a gauge over what kinds of things I’d be looking at needing to be done (particularly with a car like this). Quite possibly one of the best pieces of technology ever made available to us.

So anyway, the reason this all came about was because it was getting close to New Years, and my parents had a big family gathering organised. So I thought as a nice gesture to them (considering it had been there for 8 years), I said to them I would arrange to have it moved so that it was finally gone for next year. Thankfully, my cousin came to help here who just happens to have a lot of land, and some of the mechanical expertise from being a plant and agriculture engineer!

So not long after, the day finally came where with the help of a man with a low loaded truck and a winch, the car was finally moving again… after 8 years of being sat on the driveway! I was massively surprised that the car seemed to move quite easily, with only one wheel needing the brakes to be forced open with a crowbar.

Although it was being powered by winch, it was absolutely incredible to watch the car move, wheels turning, as it slowly was pulled onto the truck, leaving the car shaped shadow behind on the driveway. I was in a very happy mood by this point.

It was only a short drive from Manningtree to Boxted (the journey took around 30 minutes), mostly through back roads – I can only imagine because it was the route the truck driver knew. It wasn’t the way I would normally go, but it’s always nice going down small country lanes that are completely new to you – potentially somewhere to go once the car is fully up and running perhaps!

So here it is, no longer on the driveway, and in her new resting place. Parents happy, and an important item off the checklist. This is where she’ll stay whilst I get things done on her, do the repairs and get it ready to go back on the road.

I thought this would be a good time to think about some kind of protection, as the spot it’s in at the moment is quite open on all sides, not to mention open to the elements. With this in mind, I wanted to invest in something that’s likely going to be used quite a lot in the future (as I only intend for this car to be a weekend toy if I decide to keep it).

So this prompted me to get a good, weather proof cover. I spent some time looking until I found a custom shaped one, that seemed to get some good reviews, and I have to say… I’m very happy with it!