Resolutions blown

Keith Adams

Alfasud
Keith and Alfasud. A reunion needed in 2011.

Well, it never takes me long, but I plan to blow my resolutions for 2011. I’d originally said:

1) Own a CityRover. I have a real blindness with these cars – everyone seems to hate them with a passion, but I’d love to own one and prove all of the naysayers wrong.

I’d still like one of these and this one may still happen. I like the neat IDEA-styled body and the down to earth rugged nature of the thing, but I suppose there are higher priority matters in my motoring life. We’ll see, then – but, if one comes along at the right price, it could take over the duties that my Audi 80TDI are currently performing so well.

2) Build up AROnline. The website will be ten years old late in 2011 and it would be nice to continue expanding it to include a wider range of cars as well as move over to a CMS system. That’s happening, even if it is slower than I’d like it to be.

It started out promisingly at the end of 2010, but I need some inspiration when it comes to formulating the new site layout. Any suggestions from you? What would you like to see in? What wouldn’t you miss if it disappeared?

3) Find a good home for my Polski-Rover SD1. I’ve put my heart and soul into this project and, now it’s complete, I feel the need to move on. Er, looking at Point 4), this looks a bad idea, but um… I’d like to replace it with a Citroen SM.

No, no, no. I have a great fleet of classics right now (Alfasud, Ro80, Saab 900T16 and the SD1), with the SD1 performing admirably as the flagship. SM ownership slipped through my fingers and I reckon that I might have been saved from a world of heartache. Here’s the revised plan… in order of preference: get the Ro80 home, fix the cooling issue, MoT it; then dig out the ‘Sud from its resting place and get it back on the road, which means freeing off the brakes, sticking a new clutch slave cylinder and coil on it. And enjoying!

4) Stop buying cars I don’t need. See Points 1) and 3) but my crap car buying fixation did slow down in 2010 and I’d like that trend to continue in 2011. Sadly, I know that I need to keep avoiding K-Series power given my rotten luck!

See above!

5) Be better at answering emails. I’m really sorry if you’re one of those people who’ve emailed me during the year and who didn’t receive an answer. I get a lot but don’t get as much time as I’d like to reply. I will work harder on that.

I’ve been doing okay at this so far 🙂 .

I might come back to that list in April just to see how I fared…

NSU Ro80

Keith Adams
Latest posts by Keith Adams (see all)

14 Comments

  1. @Sprite with Alloys
    I have now sub-edited the relevant sentence and removed the word concerned.

    However, if AROnline’s Editorial Team and Contributors are to refrain from using words like “c**p” and “ch*t”, then perhaps our readers should also resist the temptation to use such words when commenting on our articles…

    I cannot speak for Keith and the other members of the Editorial Team but, personally, I have never really thought that the use of the words concerned adds much, if anything, to informed debate.

  2. Clive Goldthorp :I cannot speak for Keith and the other members of the Editorial Team but, personally, I have never really thought that the use of the words concerned adds much, if anything, to informed debate.

    I don’t think they add much to informed debate either, but I think needless censorship adds even less!

  3. @Wilko
    I would not, with respect, accept that removing a word which has clearly caused offence amounts to “needless censorship” – I was merely doing my best to ensure that no other AROnline readers had reason to object to the use of the word concerned.

  4. I think the site in general is superb, but would appreciate a couple of gaps being plugged in the AR Cars menu.

    The obvious omissions for me are the Morris Minor and MG Midget – bearing in mind some of the other cars listed, I think they are relevant inclusions.

  5. My main question is whether Keith was either going to/coming back from the “bank job” in the ‘Sud photo?

  6. @Paul T
    Appreciated – I’ve been promising to do those two models for years now and will get down to it at some point.

    However, and without sounding awful here, I do this as a hobby and I write stuff that I find interesting or take quality submissions from enthusiasts who send stuff in… and I really struggle motivating myself when it comes to the Minor and the Midget, both of which I find really quite, er, dull. Sorry…

    Anyway, come the day, I’ll get round to it :).

    /K

  7. @Keith Adams
    That’s fair enough, Keith.

    My thoughts behind the Minor were that it was as much an important part of the Issigonis story as the Mini was – particularly with regard to his bloody mindedness in believing that he knew more about what the car buyers wanted than his bosses!

    However, I admit I am biased with regard to the Midget. I own one myself and, as many owners of both it and the MGB, say the Midget is the more fun to drive and has better handling.

    Anyway, thanks for the response – I’ll look forward to something in due course… 😀

  8. @Paul T
    I am often wrong about cars. Minors are cool things and Issi really got lots right with it. However, I have a blindness when it comes to them. I have a Ray Newell book which I mean to lean on for the basis of a feature…

    /K

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