The journey: Goodbye to the MINI.

First things first, sorry. I’ve totally neglected this blog in recent weeks. Well, not just the blog, the whole project. As is often the way, life got in the way and things have been pretty intense. As much as I know its a good thing to keep up with your hobbies, I’ve just not had the energy or inclination.

However, a chapter has closed and an exciting new one is about to begin. For now, I have some valuable time off between finishing one job, and starting another. And for my own sanity, I want to get this car sorted!

It’s starting with the MINI believe it or not. I’m at the end of my first week of ‘temporary unemployment’ and aside from cleaning the house, I’ve been prepping my lovely MINI for sale. I need to free up some of the cash to support the restoration effort - Although I’m still planning on replacing it with something cheaper.

So, a fresh MoT, some newly refurbished wheels, an oil and filter change and a damn good clean and he’s ready to meet a very lucky new custodian.

Now this car is special. It’s not any old MINI. It’s one of the original MINI GP’s.Known to me and others as 'ThunderBeast'. A stripped out, hand build, light weight and limited edition of the MINI. 2000 of them were built world wide, with mine being number 0545. There are a few hundred of them in the UK. It’s a bit of a modern classic too. It’s only 13 years old, but it feels very analogue and visceral to drive compared with more modern cars. And although everyone complained that the new MINI was massive when it was launched back in 2001, such has been the growth in cars in the last two decades, that these early new MINI’s now look quite small amongst the hum drum traffic.

That’s not all though. The added thing is that this car has a certain sentimental attachment about it. Its previous keeper was a legend on the MINI club scene, and a dearly missed friend - Adrian. He lived for many years with cancer, and was a support and inspiration to Andrew and I when Andrew was living with Leukaemia. He left us on the last day of 2016, and it seemed only right that I make his GP, mine. And what a car it has been. I’d always promised myself a GP having owned almost every other type of MINI there is, and it’s absolutely lived up to the expectation. I've had some real adventures in it, as you'll see below. I’m going to miss it dearly.

The intention was to sell the GP when we were ready to buy a house - That way, Adrian’s car would be enjoyed, and used to help us on our way. At that point in time, Bess was nothing more than a frustratingly obscure dream. However, the trials and tribulations of life happened. I found Bess, my career went up in the air, I had to pull my belt in for 12 months and endure the torture of having the car festering in the garage, unable to do anything on it. Our house deposit was tied up in the GP - something that I wasn’t prepared to compromise on.

And now, 12 months on, the deposit is safely in the bank, I still have the GP and it feels right for me to move it along for the benefit of my lovely old lady. I’m sure Adrian would tell me to do exactly that, knowing what a car enthusiast and sentimental soul he was.

As luck would have it, a prospective buyer heard my mention of selling the GP in a previous vlog update. After a few weeks of messaging via instagram we arranged for him to come and see the car. There was just time for one last trip out to Caffeine and Machine - a drive I won't forget in a while.

Before I knew it, the deal was done and I was waving goodbye to a frankly fantastic car. I won't lie, it was a bit of a sad moment. But knowing that he's off to a fellow enthusiast, and will form part of a very special collection has softened the blow. One of many sacrifices that I’m sure I’ll have to make for Bess. But it will be worth it.

Next time, I’ll share just how I managed to come into the position of all the amazing history that I have on Bess.