So, last summer, I decided to sell the wee Boxster. I loved the wee car, & found it great to drive, but being a 2 seater normally meant that I had to either pick a passenger, or just leave it in the garage & take something else... ![Frowning face :frowning2: ☹️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/2639.png)
Ever since then, I had been trying to think of a modern-classic 4 seater that'd hold its value reasonably well, that we could all go for a drive in on sunny weekends for a bit of fun. I concluded that a MK1 Focus RS was that car. I talked it over with Mrs M, she gave the green light, but told me that she "didn't really get it".
I got chatting to a few old colleagues a while back and one told me to forget the Focus & to get an E46 M3. & It seemed a good suggestion! So, I started my search & found a well cared for Silver manual coupe & agreed a deal. But due to work commitments, the guy just gave me far too much time to see other things...
A few Saturday evenings back, me & Mrs M were having a glass of wine, I was browsing the classifieds & spotted a nice Estoril Cab for Sale in Reading. It was a fair bit more expensive than the Silver car, but seemed to have a few big jobs done, so I sent the guy a message. After a few texts back & forth, I sent an offer. He had a new 911 coming that weekend so counter-offered, we agreed a price & 25 minutes later, the Mrs had disappeared off into the office, had a one-way flight & a ferry home booked & told me I was off to London the next morning!! So, we packed the kids off to their grans for a sleepover & we got to sleep for an early start![Nauseated face :nauseated_face: 🤢](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f922.png)
So, the alarm went off at 4.30am & the road-trip began!!![Grimacing face :grimacing: 😬](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f62c.png)
![Grinning face with smiling eyes :smile: 😄](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f604.png)
Belfast City for 5.30 - headed for Heathrow
...& London shortly after 7.30am, ready to jump on a Bus to Reading!
So, an hour later, I had reached my destination and after a 2+ hour nightmare trying to persuade Danske Bank fraud team that I wasn't trying to send all my money to a stranger, I had myself an E46 M3 & I was on my way!
Straight to the Services for some Super, a bit of lunch & a quick pic to send home!
I have to admit, for the first 15 minutes of driving the car, I had pretty much concluded that I had made a mistake. No regret, but I had decided it was another case of Never meet your Heros. The car felt a bit awkward & clunky & not very nice around the outskirts of Reading.
But once I hit the better roads & the car had warmed up well, it all started to make sense!![Blue heart :blue_heart: 💙](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f499.png)
With a 4.5hr drive ahead of me, in a car I didn't really know, had me a little nervous, but after 30 or so minutes, all was good! Seat adjusted, Radio on, Cruise control on and we were all set & headed for Holyhead![Smiling face with sunglasses :sunglasses: 😎](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png)
With the delay with the payment, I hadn't left myself much time for breaks, but still managed a quick stretch of the legs and a photo op somewhere around the Welsh border
4 and a bit hours later & we pulled up safely in the queue at Holyhead, headed for Dublin. By the time I arrived at the boat on Sunday evening, I was really over the moon with our purchase!!
Next stop, Dublin Port....
I arrived home safely in Banbridge just after 1am.
Quite a day, but what a car!!
I am about 2 weeks in now and there have been a few minor jobs along the way, which I will update over the next few days.
But enjoying every minute of it so far![Thumbs up: light skin tone :thumbsup_tone1: 👍🏻](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f44d-1f3fb.png)
![Frowning face :frowning2: ☹️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/2639.png)
Ever since then, I had been trying to think of a modern-classic 4 seater that'd hold its value reasonably well, that we could all go for a drive in on sunny weekends for a bit of fun. I concluded that a MK1 Focus RS was that car. I talked it over with Mrs M, she gave the green light, but told me that she "didn't really get it".
I got chatting to a few old colleagues a while back and one told me to forget the Focus & to get an E46 M3. & It seemed a good suggestion! So, I started my search & found a well cared for Silver manual coupe & agreed a deal. But due to work commitments, the guy just gave me far too much time to see other things...
A few Saturday evenings back, me & Mrs M were having a glass of wine, I was browsing the classifieds & spotted a nice Estoril Cab for Sale in Reading. It was a fair bit more expensive than the Silver car, but seemed to have a few big jobs done, so I sent the guy a message. After a few texts back & forth, I sent an offer. He had a new 911 coming that weekend so counter-offered, we agreed a price & 25 minutes later, the Mrs had disappeared off into the office, had a one-way flight & a ferry home booked & told me I was off to London the next morning!! So, we packed the kids off to their grans for a sleepover & we got to sleep for an early start
![Nauseated face :nauseated_face: 🤢](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f922.png)
So, the alarm went off at 4.30am & the road-trip began!!
![Grimacing face :grimacing: 😬](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f62c.png)
![Grinning face with smiling eyes :smile: 😄](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f604.png)
![PXL_20230312_045552359.jpg PXL_20230312_045552359.jpg](https://img.rmsmotoring.com/attachments/392/392705-0f76d1f55ed3f1557f16c727c757a2a9.jpg)
Belfast City for 5.30 - headed for Heathrow
![PXL_20230312_051526418.jpg PXL_20230312_051526418.jpg](https://img.rmsmotoring.com/attachments/392/392703-99e268270ea5b0b9490fa6ae87383885.jpg)
...& London shortly after 7.30am, ready to jump on a Bus to Reading!
![Img_2023_03_12_09_04_57.jpeg Img_2023_03_12_09_04_57.jpeg](https://img.rmsmotoring.com/attachments/392/392706-ca4f20a921b6c44cf307c2a718d059d3.jpg)
So, an hour later, I had reached my destination and after a 2+ hour nightmare trying to persuade Danske Bank fraud team that I wasn't trying to send all my money to a stranger, I had myself an E46 M3 & I was on my way!
Straight to the Services for some Super, a bit of lunch & a quick pic to send home!
I have to admit, for the first 15 minutes of driving the car, I had pretty much concluded that I had made a mistake. No regret, but I had decided it was another case of Never meet your Heros. The car felt a bit awkward & clunky & not very nice around the outskirts of Reading.
But once I hit the better roads & the car had warmed up well, it all started to make sense!
![Blue heart :blue_heart: 💙](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f499.png)
With a 4.5hr drive ahead of me, in a car I didn't really know, had me a little nervous, but after 30 or so minutes, all was good! Seat adjusted, Radio on, Cruise control on and we were all set & headed for Holyhead
![Smiling face with sunglasses :sunglasses: 😎](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png)
![PXL_20230312_144159326.jpg PXL_20230312_144159326.jpg](https://img.rmsmotoring.com/attachments/392/392708-2c975e77c29cdf203ddcb372be8fe47d.jpg)
With the delay with the payment, I hadn't left myself much time for breaks, but still managed a quick stretch of the legs and a photo op somewhere around the Welsh border
4 and a bit hours later & we pulled up safely in the queue at Holyhead, headed for Dublin. By the time I arrived at the boat on Sunday evening, I was really over the moon with our purchase!!
![PXL_20230312_191233567.jpg PXL_20230312_191233567.jpg](https://img.rmsmotoring.com/attachments/392/392711-b56785686bbf2a66ab7d65ceb95df590.jpg)
![PXL_20230312_195031418.jpg PXL_20230312_195031418.jpg](https://img.rmsmotoring.com/attachments/392/392710-c4148f111e1ab394b3bb6b5827b9e0ae.jpg)
Next stop, Dublin Port....
I arrived home safely in Banbridge just after 1am.
Quite a day, but what a car!!
I am about 2 weeks in now and there have been a few minor jobs along the way, which I will update over the next few days.
But enjoying every minute of it so far
![Thumbs up: light skin tone :thumbsup_tone1: 👍🏻](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f44d-1f3fb.png)
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