We were expecting Donald some time this week, but didn't really know when. In the event it came today!
The first we knew about it was when I got a call from Rob at Brenhaul, asking if I'd ordered a hire car! Now they are pretty used to us using and abusing their address as a dropping-off point for anything too bulky to come to the office, so when some strange person turned up trying to deliver a car their suspicions immediately turned to us!
Initially mystified, the penny dropped when the guy delivering the car said that it was for a particular person, and I recognised the name as the Mistral delivery driver!
After a few phone calls it turned out that 222 was coming at 2, so at about 1.30 Ant and I headed over to Brenhaul to await its arrival. This left just enough time for a furious row involving the entire Brenhaul team about whether it was going to have a 4- or 6-cylinder engine. I didn't join in because I already knew it was 6, at least I hoped so since that was what we had been promised!
Luckily when it turned up, there were indeed six cylinders present, thus saving me the embarrassment of having to ring up Mistral and ask them to forward the two missing ones in the post!
However, whereas Daisy slipped in under the radar on Sunday and was gone before any self-respecting engineer had time to get their tools out, Donald arrived in the middle of an industrial estate right in the middle of a working day.
Now the best way to evacuate a workshop in a hurry is to park an interesting vehicle outside and open the engine flap, and sure enough within seconds Donald was surrounded by a swarm of boiler suits representing Brenhaul, Bluestar and Hants & Dorset Trim. All seemed fascinated by the fact that behind the engine flap was hidden an engine!
It was several minutes before calm (and productivity!) was restored and we were formally able to take delivery of Donald.
One inspection later and with ticket machine fitted, Donald is ready for the road. He is nominally spare for the next few days - I prefer not to use an unmarked white vehicle if we can avoid it - but I suspect it will get pressed into service at some point.
Those who have driven it so far have fallen in love, so the emotional pressure to get it out is severe! And to be honest I'm happy for others to use it. Although it is a very nice, smooth, comfortable, powerful motor, it is almost so smooth as to be boring. It is a 'point and shoot' bus - point it where you want to go, press the accelerator to go and the brake to stop.
Right up there alongside it in the roll call of today's events was the return to roadworthiness of V14 GMT, which has been off since Saturday 23rd January with a faulty fuel pump. Reconditioned pump now fitted and the smoothest, most comfortable DAF now goes like stink! (Relative to other big metal boxes that is!) So I shall look forward to taking 514 out on the prowl while others fight over the Solos.
Donald will continue in plain white until Daisy has returned from paint and is vinylled ready for use, likely to be in the middle of next week.
