Today's the day!

Olivia has arrived in Cape Town! I'm about to leave to get her. Photos, gushing and joyous dancing to follow....

::update::
Nope no photos yet (forgot the camer cable at work...again). But I can tell you a rather complicated tale of bringing a well-aged lady home!

For starters, she was the only older vehicle in the entire transport place - standing to one side amidst ordered ranks of jealous little Renaults, their paint yet untouched. And, typical Landy, she had marked her territory with a small spot of oil.... :)

We got the paperwork done, then tried to start her. I'd had to phone ahead to tell them about a special arrangment with keys and batteries - all to no avail though, as the batteries (both of them) seemed dead as the proverbial doorknob. No worries, a jumpstart would do. And off we went - until the first traffic light. Where she stalled... Fortunately the guy who took me to get her is also a good mechanic type guy, and was following me home. He got in front of me - we hauled out her conveniently-situated gigantic tow rope, and got her off to a side road to try a restart. He suggested driving her out of the congested traffic, I happily said yes. As I followed in his truck, I couldn't help noting the admiring glances in her direction by other drivers! Oh yes, this is one car you DON'T miss seeing. She stands out a mile - nothing like her on the roads.

So, out of traffic and on the open road, it was my turn. Off we went - screaming along at between 60 and 80 km an hour (no telling the exact speed, as the needle jumps around continuously between the two).

And then she died. Just DIED. No charge on the battery to restart her, and no fuel getting through to make her go. Eish!

So out with the tow-rope again, and a long haul toward home down back ways.

We got up most of the mountain where I live before stopping just a little way from home. My friend's truck would probably not have the traction to go further with such a gigantically heavy load behind it. At which time the kid was out of school for the week, so I went to find him.

Kid and I took the other car (not selling it, by the way - I need one to fetch parts for another) and hit the mall for lunch, armed with a jerrycan for petrol. At the pumps I filled up my car and the jerrycan, and it hit home just how pricey this whole exercise could get - no, is GOING to get. One tank of fuel, 20 litres in a can - R410. Eish again!

Well, back home I decided to hold off on the chuck-in-fuel thing for a bit. Got another friend with his considerably newer Landy to tow me the rest of the way home, then sat down and emailed some Questions through to previous owner. Who got back to me on Skype, and gave me LOTS of info.

Now I know how her tanks are set up, what many unlabelled levers and buttons do, and where to look for issues. It's too dark to seek out the problems now - but will definitely be doing so later this weekend!

In the meantime I've finally gotten to check her out inside and out - and realized just how awesome this beast is. She's something really special - lovingly cared for and built up, with experience under her belt and horizons in her headlights. She totally rocks!

So - Landy is here! Transfer papers still awaited... But I'm a Landy Driver now! YEAH!

My teeth are dry from grinning every time I look out the window and see her standing there.

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