For the second time since 2005 I've experienced seeing a beloved coupe of mine pass into new ownership.
First it was the parting of my 16v na in 2007. I loved that car. I swore I'd one day get another Coupe.
Tonight I said a fond farewell to my LE.
We've had good times on some epic drives through the UK, Wales, all over Ireland, through the twisting roads of the Cooley Mountains and the Mournes. We've had waves from other Coupe drivers, admiring glances from passers by, looks of wonder from kids as as they say "look at the Ferrari!" and envious nods from folks at car shows.
True we've had some bad times; a blown turbo, a bottom end failure, a CHOD failure in the middle of nowhere on a rainy night, a groaning wheel bearing, a dented door, a faulty crank sensor, but nothing could deter me from parting with this car. No matter what, I could never walk away from it without turning around for a second glance back and think smugly to myself, "yup, that's MY Coupe".
With getting married, moving further away from work, a longer commute and becoming a father, priorities have inevitably changed over the last couple of years and the Coupe shifted from daily car to weekend classic car. The annual mileage fell lower and lower to extent that it was no longer reasonable to pay out tax, insurance etc just to have it gathering dust in the garage.
I made the conscious and difficult decision to sell the car, against the wishes of my wife.........
........and tonight a forum member collected the car and she drove off my driveway for the last time.
I didn't watch it drive off and the briefest of unanticipated distraction meant I didn't hear it drive off either
And so Coupe-less life begins again. It's a strange feeling.
My wife made me promise that someday in the future I'll have a coupe again and I've already decided it'll be a 16v non turbo like my first coupe, but that'll be a number of years away.
I'd like to thank the FCCUK for all the invaluable help it has provided me over the years. It's a brilliant Club with a brilliant forum. I've never come across such a bunch of helpful car nuts!! I may be coupe less, but I will still pop on the forum for a daily fix, to see if I'm missing anything, though probably as a lurker and not a poster.
I will be back in the coupe fold in the distant future and I hope with crossed fingers that this fantastic Club and Forum is still going strong then, probably with an emphasis on restoration of these beautiful classics.
Thanks again and all the best,
Daithi