What's happened?
Where is he?
If the Chev had feelings these thoughts would have been going through its mind.
Sometime around Xmas 1998, the Chev fell out of favour, and was parked in the garage for a long long time. Early in its solitary confinement, a further blow was struck when I decided I could no longer justify the yearly registration. I was not driving it much and had lost the passion. Up until this time, from 1975 to 1999 the Chev had always been on full registration. I had never been and still are not a fan of limited or club registration. I believe that many abuse limited registration and it will only take a small crash for someone to be in real trouble, compared with the price of full registration.
I kept the insurance but modified it to "laid up" coverage, meaning everything is covered except driving on the road.
Luckily I rang Vic Roads to notify them the car was being laid up, rather than just not paying the renewal. Turned out to be a good move as the operator informed me that I could still retain the registration number, but I would be responsible if it was detected on the road during that time. Seemed like a good deal, and the registration number was reserved in my name.
That was it, the lights went out, no more late nights in the garage, the garage door only opened to get the lawn mower out or do a non car related job in the garage. To make it worse I took on another restoration, a VB Commodore for my son Ross. Poor old Chev parked or pushed outside while it was still mobile, having to watch all that attention being given to another car.
Time went on, the Commodore was finished and the Chev was back in solitary. A year passed, then another. I would occasionally start the engine, warm it up, and turn it off. This went on until the batteries died and that was it.
Time rolled on, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.
Nothing, no sign of life, no activity, nothing.
As I remember in the end the poor old thing was covered in dust, full of rubbish, and possibly at a cross road.
Roll on 2007
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