Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!

I'm getting a car!!

I'm getting a car!!

I'm getting a car!!

I'm getting a car!!

(And I'm a little bit excited!)

Sorry :) I had a random text yesterday from my cousin asking if I was interested in having her car as she was looking for a good home for it.

(Bit of background: when I was 15/16 my cousin was going to uni and my Dad gave our family car to her (we called her Moth). She was a Vauxhall cavalier and Dad didn't think she had more than a year left in her, was getting his first company car and my cousin Jess needed a car for uni so he gave Moth to her for free.)

Well, several years on my cousin has now got her first company car with her new job (that she actually started last summer, so it's hardly new now!) And her little car that she bought as a replacement for Moth when Moth finally gave up - Moth carried for another 3-4 years - has been sat on her driveway since then being neglected. So Jess thought of selling it, because it wasn't fair (or economical) to only keep it for breakdown emergencies etc, but then thought of people that might possibly want it. Her brother already has one, and so she thought of me :)

Here's the biggie: I passed my driving test in September 2008 and have not actually driven since the test. I was driven home from it, and have been a passenger every since. So I'm going to have to arrange a few refresher lessons because I can barely remember which pedal is which! I used to be a pretty good driver, always considerate (I don't like it when car engines scream!) and I passed first time although I was pretty unconfident in my abilities and delayed the actual test by about a month or so because I was scared of doing it. My instructor had more faith in me than I did!

However the car is mine if I want it (I do!!!) and having spoken to Jess, and my family we've decided that it's an opportunity I just can't pass up! For the time being Chloe (provisional name) will be staying at home in Wales, and living in our garage which isn't being used at the moment. Dads latest company car doesn't fit in it (BMW 3 series that I could theoretically be put on the insurance for, yikes!! - more background: I do not want to drive large cars, I learnt to drive in a 1.2 Corsa and massive cars scare me).

My brother is 17 and has just applied for his provisional licence. Theoretically he could use it - but will he f&%k! Hands off mate! Hehe. My Dad has offered to pay the insurance for me for the first year at least, which will help a lot. There's no parking where I live now, so Chloe will live in the garage and I'll take her out for a spin when I go home for weekends to see the family and friends. If it gets too expensive to keep her then we can just cancel the insurance and let her sit in the garage with a disconnected battery until we're able to use her again.

So Chloe is a 2000 (W reg) 1.1 litre petrol Clio, in good nick with a new battery and decent tyres. Only bad thing that my cousin (who loves this car and would still be using it if she didn't have a company car) knows of is a paintwork spot on the bonnet where it's not 100% and she did think of getting re-sprayed. However it's a silver (yay!) car, and the metalwork underneath is also silver, and so long as it doesn't rust we don't think it's a problem.

Chloe looks something very similar to this:

(Not my picture, cos she's not sitting in my garage yet!)

I'm so happy, I've always liked Clio's because they are small, great first cars (I know several people who have/had Clio's), cheap to run and insurance because of their size and some 2000 Clio's are still asking for between £1-3k online! Massive, massive thank you to Jess for giving me her little Car for nothing :) Dad said 'what goes around, comes around' and I guess this is proving true!

xx