Thursday 27 February 2014

RIP SAAB 9-5

Yesterday I was told by the insurance company that ' repairs would be authorised today and I would get a courtesy car from the repair garage and please take the current courtesy car back to the rental firm'.  Today a mechanic rings up, says 'repairs are not economic, come and fetch your personal belongings now'.  When I took on the full implications, I went back to reading WHAT CAR and decided
1) the Alfas rated too low on all counts
2) I needed a car with a main dealer in Malvern instead of 45 minutes drive up the motorway
3) I needed an automatic
4) I needed a boot big enough to hold two looms and three would be better.

The rest of the day was spent driving from garage to garage in this minute Toyota Yaris (which can't take even one small loom never mind three). There was one nice moment. A salesman opened the boot of a Mondeo estate and my reaction was a gasp and 'It's bigger than the Saab' I checked the external dimension and the two cars are pretty well identical.

The result of all this carry-on is that I have not done many of the textile jobs I need to do by Friday evening ready for Guild on Saturday. I have woven more on the Megado and done a lot of work on the Guild submission to the National Exhibition.

The Saab has been a good car, no major problems, swallowed up Michael's wheelchair and our luggage when we went to Munich in it.

3 comments:

  1. Sorry the Saab gave up the ghost. But if you've found a car that suits your requirements, and the insurance company covers flood damage, I'd say you're in good shape. Happy driving! One nice thing, there are Ford dealers (and maintenance depots) everywhere.

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  2. Oh that's a sad day. The demise of a faithful car is no small thing, especially as finding a replacement that ticks all the boxes can be such a headache.

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    Replies
    1. I decided yesterday that buying another Saab 9-5 would be a good idea. A long search on the web resulted in the odd piece of information that what I wanted was only available in Scotland and Kent. I mean why? But I was persuaded out of that idea by Ruth, my daughter. On the lines of that is mad, not only is there no Saab garage in Malvern, there are no Saab garages anywhere. Oh well. Back to panic mode.

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About Me

I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.