Just before the Christmas break I decided to splash out and treat myself to something with four wheels and an engine. It's not that my two wheels are boring me, nor is my pedal power starting to wane, it just allows me to explore a bit more and get everywhere a little bit quicker (well, during non-rush hour traffic at least). I hadn't really got a particular make or model of car in mind, I just wanted something that was cheap to repair (any Japanese manufacturer) and big enough to fit my bike in without me having to take it to pieces. I decided that it didn't really need to be that cheap to run because I would continue to use my bike or the train to get into the city during the week, and would only use the car at weekends or on long journeys. I spent a while looking on various car websites and the NZ version of Ebay (Trademe), but couldn't find anything I thought was good value for money. Cars are quite expensive over here because the majority are imported, so finding a bargain is quite difficult. After complaining at Coastguard, the skipper for my crew said that he was looking to sell his wife's car as she had just bought a new one. I was welcome to take it for a few days for test driving, and to a mechanic to check it over. Needless to say I loved it!
So..... here it is - a 1996 Honda CRV in silver. Great for putting the bike in, and perfect for other large items, particularly since it has a roof rack. The mechanic I took it to said it was one of the best-looking cars he had ever seen underneath, and said it would definitely pass the WOF (warrant of fitness - like an MOT) and should last for many years to come.
I made sure that it was looking all clean and shiny before taking photographs, but as you can see it's in very good condition anyway. It has electric windows, mirrors and a sunroof, and also has very good air conditioning. Perfect in the current climate! The inside is bit dated in terms of seat cover design (but that doesn't really bother me), and there is a built in GPS, but it only works in Japan! There is one little surprise that I found when cleaning out the boot - there's a picnic table that comes with the car. Very useful for camping and BBQs! As I said previously, it's not the most economical of vehicles, but as I only use it at weekends it's not actually that expensive to run.
Fingers crossed it stays happy and healthy for many years to come!
