Picture the scene, it’s the Monday after
Billing 2003, and my pride and joy has done the 300+ mile return journey. I’ve just
washed and polished her due to the wet weather that weekend, and I have to admit
she’s really gleaming!
As you can see, there’s a slight gradient to my drive, but more on that
later.
I’m the first to admit that the MR2 is strictly a second car, for sunny days out and to
polish, to escape the soap opera’s on the nights. So after this picture had been taken, I
drove her into the garage, ready for the dust cover to go on.
Ok, so far so good. I now turn my back on the garage to go and move my day to day
car onto the drive, when I hear a ‘whooshing’ sound behind me, I turn around to
see a rapidly accelerating MR2 rolling down the drive! OK panic time, I start
running, she’s half way across the road, I’m nearly there, she’s ripping though
a neighbours shrubbery, I grab for the spoiler, and feel my index finger snap.
Out the corner of my eye I can see my neighbour staring wide-eyed though the
window!
To late! There’s a sickening crunching sound as the rear bumper impacts the corner
of the house, followed by the sound of shattering spoiler.....
I’d yet to meet my neighbour, she’d only moved in a couple of weeks before, and I’m
looking at my car embedded into the corner of her house, well I suppose its an
ice breaker!
As it goes, she was more concerned about my now bleeding finger, and about the well
being of my car rather than her house
Bumper
Spoiler
Mud Flap
So why did it happen?
Well, habit means I leave the handbrake off. I don’t want the pads sticking to the
discs due to the long periods of being parked in the garage. But she’s never
moved before. But she’s never done 300+ miles the day before at highish motorway
speeds either....
So I think everything had freed off, and I now know that the garage floor is
sloping towards the drive (whoops!) Well
that’s a lesson learn the hard way!
On the whole I think I got off lightly, there are usually children playing in the
road (I live in a very quiet cul-de-sac). The neighbours Audi TT was getting
serviced, and yes she usually parks it on the road. The bumper did its job, and
absorbed the impact, my finger healed itself in a couple of weeks, and the bush
may show signs of life next spring. Oh, and I’m still on speaking terms with the
neighbours!
A new bumper and spoiler were sourced quickly, painted in Helios Blue and fitted;
a chock was acquired pronto, and is put in place as soon as the MR2 is put to
bed.
I’m glad to report that F715 BCW (did you notice that 7+1+5=13!) is now fully fit
and gleaming away. So much so she won best MR2 MK1 at the Tatton Park show a
couple of weeks later.
So if you see me around, please feel free to remind me of the whole embarrassing
episode, the Northwest region members certainly do!
JOHN REDMOND
