I'm returning to the site and the club after quite a long break - life, you know.
Anyway, I've owned G400XBX, a red D500/Atmo, for about ten years, and used it a lot, until it blew a coolant pipe under the inlet manifold, almost exactly two years ago. After a bit of fiddling and investigating, I came to the only rational conclusion for the talentless amateur spanner wielder, that I should send it to someone who actually knew what they were doing.
So, in August of '18, it went off to Renault Alpine Tuning Services (AKA Lee, of course); the normal investigations showed that, not unexpectedly, I either had to get rid, or get it done. As at the time MegaDeath International (an American aircraft company...) were paying me very well to design yet another paper aircraft, and as I was very attached to the car, I decided to go for it.
Today, I drove 90-odd miles in the rain from RATS's new base at John Ashley Cars in Rotherham, to my home in central Birmingham, in the rain, in a newly restored 31 year old car I hadn't driven at all for two years, and much for at least five... I was mildly nervous, as one is in such situations. However, the car is in excellent heart, as RATS have done a great job on it, and the drive was totally uneventful. Also, after a few miles, I remembered just how long I've spent driving the thing - it's been a daily driver off and on, been to Le Mans, collected the kids from school, etc etc. It's great to have it back, and I'm very pleased indeed! Its - excellent - re-spray in its original red mean that it is very red and very shiny for the first time in my ownership; the paint was shot when I bought it, which didn't worry me, but it is very pleasing to have it looking like it now does.
Many years ago, when I lived in North London suburbia, a near neighbour was John Sweet, of GTA Le Mans fame: I think my D500 and his Le Mans must have been one of the rarer automomotive coincidences in the country. I now live in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, which is a very enjoyable place these days, but is full of identikit - to me anyway - modern ££££££££ cars that make loud coughing and spitting noises. I'm going to relish the fact that the dozens of AMG/M/erari /RS/whatever that cough past down my street now have the company of something that actually is rare. And doesn't make a silly noise, either. I've already had someone stop and ask me what it was - unsurprisingly, when told, he was no wiser (which is of course one of the numerous reasons why I like Alpines).
I'm now just going to use the GTA, and enjoy it... quite a few distant friends are suddenly going to have a visitor, as I find excuses to go here and there and everywhere. They have been warned, already...!
