So for the past week or so I have had a post up on Shiply to transport my 1932 Minor from Taunton, Somerset, to Aberdeen. First lot of quotes I received were well over £500 for the 550 mile journey. Quotes have been steadily coming down. I received a new quote this morning of £387, which was very quickly countered by two more quotes of £358! That's well below the magic £1 per mile. I'm in no rush for the car, so I'm going to keep sitting on my hands and see just how low a quote I receive.

So this morning I decided to message a number of companies who had bid on Shiply to deliver my car to Aberdeen. I had decided to ask if they could do the job this coming weekend. Only one company was able to do so, so I accepted their quote and the car will be collected from Somerset on Saturday, and delivered to the Northlink Ferry Terminal at Aberdeen Harbour on Sunday. I'm heading down on the Saturday night ferry and bringing the car back to Shetland on Sunday night. I have a garage space waiting for it. Just hope I can drive it now. Was certainly very different to anything I've driven before. Makes the 2CV feel very modern and easy to drive.

Heading down to Lerwick on the 15:30 ferry to Yell, and the 16:30 from Yell to Shetland Mainland. Should be down there around quarter past five. I'll have a coffee in Mareel then wander over to the Northlink Ferry Terminal and board the boat to Aberdeen. The '32 is on its way up from Somerset at this moment. Just a matter of meeting it at the harbour in Aberdeen tomorrow afternoon, and driving it onto the ferry heading back to Shetland tomorrow night.

The new Specsavers advert with the french plumber features a large ripple AK250

[YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1XLjS8IkB4[/YouTube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1XLjS8IkB4

The '32 has arrived at its new home. Got some running issues that need attention, but given the time of the year, there's no rush.

Got enough garage space for all those cars Jonathan?

My father use to have a Minor just like that when I was first born. Think he paid about £20 for it, had it for a year or so, then sold it for £35. How prices (and wages) have changed!

Bought some new spark plugs for the '32 online yesterday. Got a set of Champion D16 which are the modern equivalent to what was fitted 85 years ago. Still got some running issues, but can't expect anything different for an octogenarian motorcar. I'm not too bothered to be fair, as it's hardly the right time of the year to be driving a vintage open-top car around the Shetland Islands. I've finally managed to secure enough time to spend a decent couple of hours on it tomorrow. I've yet to thoroughly explore it at leisure, so I'm going to have a play with it.

Thought I'd better post a photo or two, of my 'new' car, just so folk know what it is I have.

On Saturday 1 September 1928, prices were advertised:
Tourer with leather, £125, (actual cars had Rexine) with Triplex Safety Glass screen £127.
Two-door fabric saloon in blue or brown with sliding windows £135, with Triplex all round £141.10.0.[15]
Chassis only £100.



Also, from a cartoon of the day:
First urchin: (surveying a small car parked at the kerb) "Its an Austin, I tell yer."
Second urchin: "T'aint, its a Morris Minor."
Third urchin: "S'neither, it's got pedals."

Haha.

This is one of the £100 'ex-works' cars. A fully built, with nothing to add, car, available to buy from a Morris Dealer for just £100. Was the first Minor to be fitted with the more reliable and cheaper to build side valve engine, which replaced the overhead cam version previously fitted. The Minor SV 2-seater, as it was marketed, was launched in December 1930, and made available in showrooms from January 1931.

Cable brakes, 3-speed crash gearbox, only one key, which operates the ignition system (no locks on the doors). Exciting stuff

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by how good the brakes work, and the handbrake works on all the wheels too! And I even managed to make a smooth change from 1st to 2nd gear earlier. Well chuffed with that. Just need to get it running better now. Have ordered new spark plugs for starters.