ode to a discovery
hi everybody .
this blog is going to be a diary of thoughts and things that happen etc..So if it jumps about abit bear with me
I am going to tell you all about a mate, a devoted friend and comrade through the 5 years i have had him
He is a Landrover discovery, model one and 24 years old,He is called Major Monty. Given to him because i could not think of a name and his colour is called Montpelier red, as i got to know him, his character dictated the Major. Takes his time getting his troops briefed but will without question go over the top if asked.
I always name my vehicles as i think i am more inclined to give them respect and tolerance. And i think as many people do that just because they are made of nuts and bolts does not mean that they do not have a soul .
Which brings me to the reason for my ode. I know he knows something is going on, He may just think this is his new home and we have moved or he may see into the future and realise we ar going and if so what is happening to him.
I know i am not the only one , but i dont speak of things happening to them in front of them . I feel this may upset them and consequences may occur like not starting or some random bit of trim falling off.
He has had an easy life with me , just going to work and back and doing the odd shopping, He can however be tempremental , sometimes he just wont unlock to let me in untill i say in a stern voice "come on monty let me in its pissing down " and then like magic the locks pop up.Or he lets me in but puts the locks back down before i can open the door. Others and sometimes complete strangers have witnessed this. But really it is a small price to pay for the loyalty he has shown me . He has got me home in a blizzard , found his way down our dirt track in the dark when the rain has washed the road away. He has broken down after limping home with me coaxing and pleading and apologising all the way. And has only failed to start once in the morning in the 5 years i have had him.
I have however gained a bit of a reputation with him back where we come from as having the fastest disco in the west. .
He does when the notion inclines , Go for it and seems to enjoy a good run.Who am i to dampen this spirit and hold him back. Every night he gets a thankyou and a pat ,but now not so much as he is far away from the boat, but when i pass or we go out in him he gets it then.
What amazed us all was he drove the 11 hours it took to get here and for the first time since i got him he actually got to normal on the temp gauge. This had us nervous as we thought he might be overheating , so we stopped and had a rest a Tebay and watched the temp all the way down . But on inspection in the morning , all his fluids were fine and he hadnt lost a drop. Wow.
He , and this is mostly my fault , not the prettiest of discos . Aluminium corrosion is nipping at his edges and he could do with a good wax.
He is having to be sold as we will be away at the end of july probably.Will the new owner keep his name , will he say thankyou or praise him when he does a really good over take. Will they ask him if he would please go into second gear and not just try and crunch there way in. He is 24 years old. That is on his original chassis and springs and engine. He has had loads of welding but he just keeps going.
I get far to attached to my cars , but the oldies have such character and i have only ever had oldies.Guilt is plucking at my heart every time i get in . I dont want to say good bye to this guy. The good ones we have always stay with us till the very end, only the ones we dont really get on with get sold..
Well if you ever get a chance to drive an old discovery , do , its fun and they really make you drive them.
I wish monty all the best and hope someone will love him like we do and even maybe give him a nice garage to rest in. But he really has been the best motor i have ever had and i shall miss him and only hope that in the future i find one with such loyalty
Thanks for everything Major Monty..
this blog is going to be a diary of thoughts and things that happen etc..So if it jumps about abit bear with me
I am going to tell you all about a mate, a devoted friend and comrade through the 5 years i have had him
He is a Landrover discovery, model one and 24 years old,He is called Major Monty. Given to him because i could not think of a name and his colour is called Montpelier red, as i got to know him, his character dictated the Major. Takes his time getting his troops briefed but will without question go over the top if asked.
I always name my vehicles as i think i am more inclined to give them respect and tolerance. And i think as many people do that just because they are made of nuts and bolts does not mean that they do not have a soul .
Which brings me to the reason for my ode. I know he knows something is going on, He may just think this is his new home and we have moved or he may see into the future and realise we ar going and if so what is happening to him.
I know i am not the only one , but i dont speak of things happening to them in front of them . I feel this may upset them and consequences may occur like not starting or some random bit of trim falling off.
He has had an easy life with me , just going to work and back and doing the odd shopping, He can however be tempremental , sometimes he just wont unlock to let me in untill i say in a stern voice "come on monty let me in its pissing down " and then like magic the locks pop up.Or he lets me in but puts the locks back down before i can open the door. Others and sometimes complete strangers have witnessed this. But really it is a small price to pay for the loyalty he has shown me . He has got me home in a blizzard , found his way down our dirt track in the dark when the rain has washed the road away. He has broken down after limping home with me coaxing and pleading and apologising all the way. And has only failed to start once in the morning in the 5 years i have had him.
I have however gained a bit of a reputation with him back where we come from as having the fastest disco in the west. .
He does when the notion inclines , Go for it and seems to enjoy a good run.Who am i to dampen this spirit and hold him back. Every night he gets a thankyou and a pat ,but now not so much as he is far away from the boat, but when i pass or we go out in him he gets it then.
What amazed us all was he drove the 11 hours it took to get here and for the first time since i got him he actually got to normal on the temp gauge. This had us nervous as we thought he might be overheating , so we stopped and had a rest a Tebay and watched the temp all the way down . But on inspection in the morning , all his fluids were fine and he hadnt lost a drop. Wow.
He , and this is mostly my fault , not the prettiest of discos . Aluminium corrosion is nipping at his edges and he could do with a good wax.
He is having to be sold as we will be away at the end of july probably.Will the new owner keep his name , will he say thankyou or praise him when he does a really good over take. Will they ask him if he would please go into second gear and not just try and crunch there way in. He is 24 years old. That is on his original chassis and springs and engine. He has had loads of welding but he just keeps going.
I get far to attached to my cars , but the oldies have such character and i have only ever had oldies.Guilt is plucking at my heart every time i get in . I dont want to say good bye to this guy. The good ones we have always stay with us till the very end, only the ones we dont really get on with get sold..
Well if you ever get a chance to drive an old discovery , do , its fun and they really make you drive them.
I wish monty all the best and hope someone will love him like we do and even maybe give him a nice garage to rest in. But he really has been the best motor i have ever had and i shall miss him and only hope that in the future i find one with such loyalty
Thanks for everything Major Monty..
Brilliant ode to a vehicle, so sad when one has to part with something that's been part of their life for so long, but I am sure it will go on
ReplyDeleteGreat ode, you really summed up how little quirks that can sometimes be so frustrating are what gives a car the personality you remember!
ReplyDeleteOops, this comment was from me, for some reason it didn't recognise me.
DeleteBy the way - you should post pictures to the blog!