I almost made a BIG mistake!

[cbmk1]

I nearly made a BIG mistake!

At the end of March I found myself without a job. Having spent 26 years doing the same type of work, I suddenly felt utterly lost and bewildered. Add into the equation a mid-life crisis, I had so many questions going on in my tiny brain. What do I do now?? I started to consider what I could sell so as to make life easier... and with a feeling of gut wrenching sadness, I found myself writing an advert for my beloved mk1 Escort. 

And then, with utter relief, I was offered a job. Phew! I took great pleasure in removing the advert. Happy times. 

However, there's a twist. Unfortunately, the job didn't work out. After 3 weeks I was out of work again and.... you guessed it....I was back to writing yet another advert for a certain Tawny Bronze mk1. I should say at this point that I clearly wasn't acting of sound mind. In times of uncertainty I panic and often act irrationally. Factor in the whole mid-life crisis things and chaos ensues!

My partner to the rescue....don't sell the mk1 he says, you'll regret it! Just think about it. Be calm and measured. Breath. Aarrgghhhhhh! The advert went live as pondered my self induced inadequacies and the meaning of life, universe and everything. I found no conclusive answers to.... anything. 

And then, once I'd stopped being a wally, I started to focus on dealing with the issue in hand. I found work which I'm enjoying and.... I took my mk1 off of the market. Alleluia! I appreciate that to some, it's just a car. But no, it's much more than that... to me anyway. My love for the humble mk1 started when I was 7 years old. I'm now....er.... middle aged. They've played such an important part in my life. Any enthusiast will know exactly what I'm waffling on about. 

The joy this car brings can't really be explained. The grin I have when driving, working on or looking at this thing of beauty, says it all. Thanks for reading folks. 

 

 

 

 

[Dave Knight]

Good read👍
 

Life chucks everything at us except good mk1’s.
You made the right choice. Classics are in the blood. 
 

 

[cbmk1]

Couldn't agree more 👍

[Johnny Boy]

I'm glad you were able to keep and enjoy it ☺️

[cbmk1]

Thanks 👍 😊 

[BIG G]

I've owned my current MK2 for almost 25 years and have wavered a few times about selling but my wife thankfully won't have a bar of it and shuts me down straight away saying i'd be a miserable Hairy Orifice without it floating around annoying me. just wish it wasn't worth as much as the owners have changed making the scene pretty dire 

 

[accord83]

Our Escort has been in the family nearly 40yrs, my son bought if off my sister when he was 16 and rebuilt it ready for his 17 birthday. When he was going to Uni he decided to sell it and a guy came round to buy it, I left him to it but watched at a distance. I realised my son was getting bullied into a deal and wandered over to hear the comments coming from under the car as the "Faults" were described. I knew the car inside out by this time, and I should add I was a Police Advanced Vehicle Examiner, it was very tidy. When the chap emerged he saw me and told me the car was junk and the gave us his generous offer. My son was nearly in tears. I told the chap that it might be advisable if he left, in the quiet, delicate way a grumpy 6'5", 18 stone, Yorkshireman can. We still have the car, My son is now 42. (Cost me a bloody fortune over the years though😂)

[cbmk1]

8 hours ago, BIG G said:

I've owned my current MK2 for almost 25 years and have wavered a few times about selling but my wife thankfully won't have a bar of it and shuts me down straight away saying i'd be a miserable Hairy Orifice without it floating around annoying me. just wish it wasn't worth as much as the owners have changed making the scene pretty dire 

 

I tend to agree. The scene is very different now. I remember attending an Escort mk1 Owners Club national day meeting in around 1993/4... let's just say that it was a very different (and brilliant) meeting 😀 

[cbmk1]

26 minutes ago, accord83 said:

Our Escort has been in the family nearly 40yrs, my son bought if off my sister when he was 16 and rebuilt it ready for his 17 birthday. When he was going to Uni he decided to sell it and a guy came round to buy it, I left him to it but watched at a distance. I realised my son was getting bullied into a deal and wandered over to hear the comments coming from under the car as the "Faults" were described. I knew the car inside out by this time, and I should add I was a Police Advanced Vehicle Examiner, it was very tidy. When the chap emerged he saw me and told me the car was junk and the gave us his generous offer. My son was nearly in tears. I told the chap that it might be advisable if he left, in the quiet, delicate way a grumpy 6'5", 18 stone, Yorkshireman can. We still have the car, My son is now 42. (Cost me a bloody fortune over the years though😂)

Sounds like it was good fortune you being around at that point. I'm so glad the car is still with you...and you have a great story to tell too. 

[BaileyMex]

Thanks for posting mate, and I think we can all resonate with some of the challenges that you mentioned, life has a way of throwing you curve balls to challenge your sanity and test your resolve.

I've had my MK1 for 21 years like some of the others, I've been with her longer than the wife, and had it before we had kids, so it's certainly a part of me, and it would be a very grey day that would force me to part with the old bucket.

Was tempted a few years back when someone contacted me via Classic Ford magazine and offered me a lot of money for it, and I must admit...... I was tempted, I kept this offer to myself to mull over for a week or two, but in the end declined, the money would have really helped at the time, but I just couldn't do it. 

Pleased that work has panned out for you and you can keep the MK1, like you say, they are more than just cars....

[YellowTaxi]

You may think you will get over the sale pretty soon. After all most people dont have a car stashed away and rarely drive it. They seem happy enough.!

Believe me, once its in your blood its there.

I made the mistake of selling my pride and joy RS2000 when the prices went crazy. Regreted it straight away and stll do.

I got another now but still miss that car.

Glad things worked out in the end.

Nice car by the way.

[cbmk1]

I totally get where you are coming from. I've already regretted parting with one mk1... my very first which was a January 1968 built 1100 Super.... one of the the really early cars. It still pains me now. Hindsight huh