I’m not sure we all do this, but I’ll driving down the road and make a commentary on whats coming the other way. Nice Mk2, oohh its on alloys (it gets a bit closer), de-badged, Borbet A’s, mmm it sits well… this happens for bone stock examples too, except there are less observations to be made.

Picture the scene if you may, Supermarket carpark, you are driving round searching for a space and you spy a mint example of your favourite early VW. Negotiating one way systems and speedbumps if you are really unlucky you pull up a few spaces away. The other half heads to the shop door while you cup a hand to the side window and check the mileage. A photo on the phone for future pub ammo and you head into the shop.

Food shopping isn’t the most fun, and you can always think of better places to be, but today you have really itchy fingers. Should you of left a note under that windscreen? What if they were going to sell it next week, or worse still you bump into it at the scrappy in a months time, what could have been? Trying to speed up the weekly shop is tricky. Miss something out and it’ll be no cereal for you next week!

So lets pretend you leave a note for the owners… what do you write? I saw your car in the carpark, the rubbish old VW that no one (except me)  would want… I’ll give you £100 for it!! I suggest a simple “want to sell your car, call me” would suffice.. which leads on to the next what if!

What if they call you, the elderly couple who have owned it since new, only ever put 25,000 on the clock and garaged it since new? Have you the heart to offer them next to nothing for it? I’m not sure I could! Oh at this point I mention that in this hypothetical situation I have just created, money is a bit on the short side, I don’t NEED another VW, nor have I a sensible storage solution in place, not to mention the permission required from my other half!

In selling this idea to the other half it can only be pitched as a money maker – but lets face it nothing is guaranteed. You could be for the high jump if you blow the joint savings on this chance encounter! You tell her, the car I have theoretically just “robbed” an old husband and wife could be up on the forums by tea time for 5 times the price,  for the sake of a scribbled note under the wiper.

But what happens when you get the car, and you think, I’ll just tackle a few little jobs and you start to get attached to it?! It’s the best example you have ever driven, so clean, and would look just right if you lowered it, did this and that, and some wheels…

Writing this down this normal unconscious school of thought, shows how quickly an innocent note under the window, could make your life a nightmare… another project car, even less money to hand and your once approving partner (after being sold the investment opportunity) has the royal hump as she now has to park on the road!!

Back to reality… should you really leave that note after all?! 

Andy