Hi,
It happened! Barbara drove us to Care Co, in Milton Keynes yesterday. Only about three miles, but that's the first time she's driven since the day before Lockdown.
Transfer from her "power-chair" to the driver's seat was not too difficult, coz she had the steering wheel to use as a struggling bar. She stayed in the car, and let the Manager come to her (to take back the small-wheeled wheel chair, that wasn't suited).
Driving wasn't a problem, but she found the clutch pedal a bit heavier than was comfortable. Prognosis (if that's the correct word) ... she needs a new car, which will have to be an automatic ...
,,, or battery powered.
It would be silly to buy a new IC (Internal Combustion), or a CI (Compression Ignition) car that will become UC (Unclean) within a couple of years. It will also have to be GKF (Gammy Knee Friendly). I have reached the stage where if I have to hobble (six inch steps) more than about 25 yards, I take the car. We are paying a fiver a day to have Wilkie walked, during the week (but that doubles as Grandson's pocket money). Our daughter visits on Saturdays, to do whatever she feels necessary, including walking Wilkie (FOC). And Wilkie sulks on Sundays.
But back to disabled friendly cars. What is available, for not a lot of money? Lots of head-room under the roof gutter, wide door, and driver's seat cushion at close to bum height when driver is standing beside the open door.
Is this Personal Contract Plan the way to go?
Barbara's Hyundai (bought new) has just had it's first MOT, with about 5,000 miles on the clock. We also have the Freelander, which also has done very few miles since I bought it. Difficult to justify keeping it, but I tend to get miserable without a Land Rover parked on the drive.
Incidentally, the Hyundai's first MOT almost coincided with the final monthly payment., which was a nice surprise (for me), I thought there was a another two years to run. I have no idea what we borrowed, nor how much we paid monthly. That's women's business.
So ... what to buy that is "cripple friendly", and what is the best way of paying for it? In view of the short life of batteries, is PCP the way to go? I have always regarded PCP as a sort of rental agreement with a large deposit, with the rent being based on "anticipated mileage", and any over or under usage being credited or debited at the end of the hire period .... with a penalty for any damage. The vehicle has to be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's schedule, etc.
I'm guessing that when regular cars become illegal, there will be a surge in demand , but insufficient supply, for second hand battery cars, but with the need to factor in the price of replacing the batteries. (I'm only
six 82 ... you go figure!)
Can anybody offer any forecasts, suggestions or advice, that will enable me to keep a Land Rover on the drive?
602
PS. I wonder how DVLC will react to their multi million vehicle database suddenly becoming full of illegal vehicles?
PPS. I'm guessing that petrol station will cease trading before the final crunch? And central heating oil supplies?
Very OT. Many yonks ago, I read about a small-holder who fenced off an acre of land, and planted a coppice of (I think) rowan trees ... capable of producing a ton of fuel for his wood burner every year, ad infinitum. He kept the undergrowth down by running Chinese Water Deer (for conversion into venison) on the same one acre. Chinese Water dear, are the only species that don't "browse" (eat trees). Double harvest!
Rowan is also known as "Mountain Ash". Ash will burn when "green".
Coppicing/pollarding (slight difference) means cutting the tree for fuel, then waiting seven years, before harvesting it again. I'm happy to be corrected.
My (many times Great) grandfather used to be a lumber-jack in the Sahara Forest, but he claims that goats ruined the business. Goats don't have upper teeth, but use their lower teeth to strip the bark off tree trunks, which kills the trees. Many of the worlds great deserts are blamed on goats.
PPPS. I have eaten my own pigs and goats .... but wasn't really happy about it.