Watching carefully

I'm watching the Canley Classics - Blog avidly as Dave is preparing a 948 for his daughter's first car. My daughter has expresed an interest in getting a car and I've explained that if she wants me to maintain it, it will be a Triumph and more than likely a Herald :-) We've got a fair while yet but in less than 2 years she'll be on the road so I'm just keeping an eye out for the right car - a Coupe is her preference or maybe a convertible but she'll have what I can find and afford - the sweetener to it all is that I made a rash promise a few years ago, they have long memories these Chinn girls! I said I would paint it any colour she likes and yes, Pink is the colour she likes!
My ideal would be to find a straight original car with crap paint and use that - it won't be a bare metal paint job and I may well do it myself - I have the equipment and it could be fun. I don't mind a it of graft on it but not a complete restoration so something that's been sat around for a while and needs recommissioning would be good. She'll want a banging stereo and some nice wheels plus some garish interior but all that can come after we get the basics sorted. I'm fairly relaxed about finding a car, I have agonised about doing this to a car but then I thought that if it introduces a youngster to Triumph ownership then it can only really be a good thing. Judging by the prices of some of our cars these days and the numbers being restored I think it's worth a bit of effort to get something eyecatching on the road.
We have the added incentive that, thanks to Grandparents, Zoe goes to a school where many of the kids get given a new car when they come to driving age, the weapon of choice seems to be a Mini Cooper, usually with a personal plate. Yes it's that kind of place - so unable to compete with sheer cash, she'll have to just show them that money can't buy style and individuality :-) Who needs a personal plate when you've got a personal car? Besides, you can't even stand out in the crowd with an Aston Martin DB9 - there were 3 parked there the last time we had an event and with a Bentley dealership in the village you won't stand out in a Continental either - whereas go there in a Wegdgewood Blue 6 pot Spitfire or a Yellow Vitesse and you immediatley stand out for the price of a weeks depreciation on an Aston!
Skint and smug with it, that's me :-)

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