I must either be brave or barmy. At the end of 2012, at the age of 32, I applied for a place to take a full time degree in Music Technology. Music is my primary interest and I have wanted to make a career of it for as long as I can remember. I am way too old and nowhere near hipster enough to be taken seriously as a musician so to work in the music industry, I have to do something industry related. Anyway - I digress. In February this year, my application was was accepted and I jacked in my secure and reasonably paid job so I could attempt to reinstate my PAT business as well as a detailing start up to keep me solvent through 3 years of university. To keep the money rolling in (or should that be a trickle) I've gone back to doing some trade-plate delivery driving. Most of the cars/vans are your everyday mundane box on 4 wheels, but now and again you get something a little bit more interesting - perhaps not to everybody but if you have a teaspoon of petrol running through your veins, there's a frisson of excitement when you get the keys to something a bit less mass-market.

As there are presumably a good few car fans on here, I thought I'd start posting up some of the more interesting ones starting with some I've already had and will keep it up as the keys get handed over. All the pics are taken on an iPhone and I tend to use Instagram.

It was quite exciting to walk into a Bentley showroom for the first time. I had to pass the house and give the wife a drive around the block, who takes the photo-credit!

Car fun by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

I reckon my vRS is knocking on 270bhp but nothing prepared me for the shove of one of these. Very exciting but after minutes you could just be in any of the VAG group, albeit a posh one.

And then there was this. Because it was a bit sunny I had to do the ****ty thing and drive it with the roof down. 997 Carrera 2S.

Car fun by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

Not a great pic but that's the bonnet vents of an SL500 taken from a windscreen mounted camera on an auto shutter and then cropped. Bit of a crap photo, bit of a disappointing car really for a 5L V8.

Car fun by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

Another crap photo but gives more detail about the car than the car itself. Was an XC90 V8 - Yamaha built 4.4l V8, I am assuming the Polestar badge was just a badge though rather than a performance mod. 311 bhp (not much for a 4.4l V8) and I *think it was a finance repo.

Car fun by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

I liked this - RR Sport TDV6 Autobiography. I don't know if it had every conceiveable extra fitted or if they just have a LOT of standard kit. Electric, heated everything pretty much. Was surprised to not find a toaster in the glovebox. I had what I thought was the radio turned down low and the screen set on the sat nav. The first time I stopped in traffic, the map went off and the screen switched to live BBC1. Bonkers!

Car fun by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

And another Continental GT:

Car fun by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

The most recent 'interesting' car was this Insignia VXR.

VX-arrrr! Aside from the crippling fuel consumption, probably one of the best cars I've driven in along time. #vauxhall #vxr by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

It was a very good car to drive, lots of standard kit too (sat nav, DAB, bluetooth, xenons, auto everything, massive big Brembos with 2 piece discs), nice Recaros. I am torn between whether I like the fact it looks like 'just' an Insignia or if I would like it to look a bit more interesting.

So, let me guess, you're going to study playing the trumpet! LOL.

Nice motors, I'd like a full time job driving these, though you could decome unpopular with the neighbours unless you take them for the odd spin. Keep the reviews coming. .....

So, where do I apply for a job doing this?

Great reviews, good luck with your music degree!

Nice

Cheers guys. I always wanted a career in music and I picked this course because of the strong industry links so hopefully it'll all works out!

It's not all fun! A TDI 110 Passat, 1.6 Zafira and an old Rav4 that wouldn't start today.

This clip comes to mind after reading about your job-

Double post due to tapatalk.

That's exactly what it is like.

There's also a small amount of shameless joy when putting 11 quid's worth of petrol into a Bentley!!

Nothing exciting to report this week. A DS3, a Galaxy that stank of dogs, an Astra, two E90 320is, and a C3 Picasso. Yawn.

Jaaaaaag XK8 4.2 auto yesterday. I thought it was going to be really good but in reality it was cramped, uncomfortable and didn't feel especially quick either.

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

See, it's not all Jags and Bentleys you know.

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

1.4 TDI Fabia 1 Estate. Rather impressed by the 80bhp lump, had a lot more poke than I thought it would have. That's only Skoda #3 since Feb, the other two being an ex-lease Octavia 1.4 TSI DSG and a Roomster 1.4 MPI.

I also had this last week, Leon 1.6 CR Copa. Nicely specced but unremarkable although I do like the rear lights.

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

Just a thought, you might want to display your trade plates on the front of the car rather than in the front screen, as a couple of our guys have been pulled by the law for not displaying plates properly.

I do the same job full time working for Audi and it is the best job I've ever had.

Also get to drive some interesting PX's.

Thanks for the tip, will look at a set of holders as I don't have any other way of fixing them to the front.

Most recent excitement. Wasn't really that exciting either.

Delivery mileage, had to take it from Reading up to the docks at Bootle. Most interesting was the invoice that came it at just over £50K for the basic car before the black pack, sunroof and the 20" wheels were added (another £4K) but there was also £6K discount on the final price which came in at under £48K. A lot of money but also quite a lot of car.

 

Audi Q7 by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

Audi Q7. Bigger than the average parking bay!!

Audi Q7. Bigger than the average parking bay!!

But rather handily you're at eye level with your customers when you're flogging them coke/smack/crack.

 

My brother in law has one (with tinted windows) and I had to meet up with him in a McDonalds car park in order to give him some documents from his dad in a large brown envelope -soooooooooooo dodgy.

 

To be fair to him, he bought it to tow his horse box and the windows were already tinted.

The windows on this were already tinted too. Not quite as big pimpin' as this though.

 

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

 

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

 

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

 

It was horrendous.

OK, it wasn't quite that bad, but you feel very conspicuous, it's not very fast (weighing getting on for 3 tonnes) despite the thick end of 300bhp and God knows how much torque from a 3.8 diesel V8 and it just hadn't worn very well for a 4 year old motor with less than 40k on it.  Went through the auction at over £30 grand as well.

 

Big praise goes to this though:

 

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

 

Just a boggo Passat 2.0 TDI CR140 in Sport trim. It had everything you want (VW's equivalent of an Amundsen+. auto everything) and the Bluemotion Tech. I took it from Enfield to Nairn (about 15 miles east of Inverness), overnighted at home in Leicester and then did it in one go from Leicester starting about 1am on a Monday morning. I got out and was surprisingly fresh considering the distance I had covered in one go, without really realising. I'd have one.

Looks like your getting a nice few motors,

Took a nice A8 down to Sandbanks in Dorset today, bit off running around tomorrow and picking up our R8 V10 plus. Then a couple of trips up north later part of the week, A Q7 and an A7 to bring back.

 

 

Untitled by jonnyguitar, on Flickr

 

 

Fits right in round the back streets of Leics John!!!

Yer get meh?

R8 V10+ would be nice though.

Edited 6 August, 201312 yr by j0hn