RIP Betty boo boo!

Well today came the news I had been waiting on for, well let’s be honest ... years. Doesn’t make it any easier though, and I have shed a few tears over the loss.

My ugly yet reliable little fiesta is no more! She was a good wee lass was oor Betty boo boo. She started as mum’s car when she first past her test back in 1998. Mum loved the little thing, which at the time she called Peggy (funny that eh). Then after mum fell out the loft and gompered up her arm she needed a car that had power steering, so my little Betty became my dads, who didn’t really need a car because he had a company van but put her to good use all the same. From there she spent a while with my wee cousin Emma after she passed her test, right up until the day my wee corsa Percy (because he drove like an old man even though he was brand spanking new) was written off. That day she became mine.

I hated her at first! I was used to power steering, anti skid breaking system and electric windows, none of which wee Betty had. She had a boot full of character though! We’d beat mercs at traffic lights and watch the usually middle aged bald men drivers get right hacked off and try cut us up further down the road, we’d show people up with our awesome team effort at parallel parking and we’d have a good wee sing song along the way with her rattling and shuddering in time to whatever nonsense I was listening to at the time! Those days are all gone now!

I had my first kiss with Mark in that car. It was the car that brought baby Ryan and Aimee home from the hospital. It was the family’s car!

So here it is, in no particular order, the things that stopped wee Betty from living to tell another tale:

1. Offside front seat belt fluffed or frayed which has clearly weakened the webbing
   
2. Hazard warning switch missing
   
3. Nearside headlamp aim too low
4. Offside headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image
5. Nearside windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively
6. Nearside front upper anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint
7. Offside front coil spring fractured
8. Nearside rear wheel bearing feels rough when rotated
9. Offside rear brake pipe excessively corroded
10. Nearside rear break hose twisted
11. Offside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded
12. Offside seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded
13. Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive
14. Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle is excessive
15. Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle is excessive
16. Exhaust emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle is outside specified limits
17. Nearside front lower suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement
18. Nearside front break disc slightly pitted
19. nearside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded
20. nearside seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded
21. Oil leak.

So there we go. Oh and you dont wanna see my emissions form, green peace would have a sodding field day!

I've shed my tears and am now looking at it a different way, the big man must have had his eye on me this whole time. With the anti roll system shot, one wee bump and it could have been bye bye Pammi. The car was a death trap and I didn't even know it, I'm just thankful nothing happened but still sad to see her go to the wee scrappy in the sky! night night betty boo boo we loves ya!!