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F170GGT, yours is the only other Special I've seen on the 'net!
If I'd been a few years further down the line, i.e., with more money and potentially less expensive insurance, I wouldn't have let us scrap Michael, but would have taken the time and money to repair the sills, etc., and replace the wearing parts... sounds like something out of Thomas the Tank Engine! Although I'm clearly biased, I do feel that the Special era was possibly the Maestro's finest hour. It was around at the same time as the Turbo, after all! But as I've stated elsewhere, I prefer the instrument panels from that era to the later ones, and I found most of the other controls better laid out as well, although I must say that the heater controls are much more easily accessible on the Clubman. The most annoying thing is the positioning of the cigarette lighter socket; anything sizeable in it collides with my knee!
If some of the Specials I see around here are still around when I have a bit more money, I may see if someone wants to get rid of it for an over-the-odds sum to allow me to restore it. If I could get one the right colour, I've even thought about trying to re-register such an example as F690OTF, but I don't know whether it would be right. Do registrations become available once the car's been scrapped? We took the number plates off, and I don't think the windows were etched, so no-one knows what the registration was anyway, but I guess that could work against us because it couldn't be registered as no longer used.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I hope your restoration project goes well and that you get many years of enjoyment from your Maestro. I certainly recommend them for learning to drive. I had a couple of lessons in Michael with a driving instructor, who was very impressed with the visibility. Having recently had to drive a Ford Focus in an emergency, I hope I will always be able to bask in the Maestro's luxurious visibility!
Peter
If I'd been a few years further down the line, i.e., with more money and potentially less expensive insurance, I wouldn't have let us scrap Michael, but would have taken the time and money to repair the sills, etc., and replace the wearing parts... sounds like something out of Thomas the Tank Engine! Although I'm clearly biased, I do feel that the Special era was possibly the Maestro's finest hour. It was around at the same time as the Turbo, after all! But as I've stated elsewhere, I prefer the instrument panels from that era to the later ones, and I found most of the other controls better laid out as well, although I must say that the heater controls are much more easily accessible on the Clubman. The most annoying thing is the positioning of the cigarette lighter socket; anything sizeable in it collides with my knee!
If some of the Specials I see around here are still around when I have a bit more money, I may see if someone wants to get rid of it for an over-the-odds sum to allow me to restore it. If I could get one the right colour, I've even thought about trying to re-register such an example as F690OTF, but I don't know whether it would be right. Do registrations become available once the car's been scrapped? We took the number plates off, and I don't think the windows were etched, so no-one knows what the registration was anyway, but I guess that could work against us because it couldn't be registered as no longer used.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I hope your restoration project goes well and that you get many years of enjoyment from your Maestro. I certainly recommend them for learning to drive. I had a couple of lessons in Michael with a driving instructor, who was very impressed with the visibility. Having recently had to drive a Ford Focus in an emergency, I hope I will always be able to bask in the Maestro's luxurious visibility!
Peter
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