NEXT GENERATION DIARIES
Austin-Rover fan Daniel Rooney was still at school when he bought his first classic from one of his teachers. But a rare Bulgarian-built Maestro also entered his life when he won a raffle prize…
HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN YOUR CLASSIC?
‘One day, when I was 16, a “For Sale” sign appeared in the window of my teacher’s 1997 Mini Mayfair. I persuaded my mam and dad to help me to buy it and I passed my test in it as soon as I turned 17. It’s been a brilliant little car; I’m now 33 and still have it! When I was 18, the same teacher introduced me to her dad who had a 1974 Mini Clubman estate that needed full restoration. When I explained that I was training to work in a classic car bodyshop he encouraged me by giving me the car, and I had it back on the road within a year. I love BL/Austin-Rover cars and keep an eye on the Facebook groups dedicated to them. So when one group offered a very rare Maestro as a raffle prize, I bought a ticket. And I won!’
WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR IT?
‘I collected my raffle prize from Dunfermline in Scotland and the Maestro drove home to Cumbria very nicely, despite having been sitting outside and unused for a while. I drove it to the Festival of the Unexceptional and then to the big gathering at Gaydon to celebrate 40 years of the Maestro. I’ve already covered 6000 miles in five months – the Maestro is my daily driver – and I’ve only needed to replace the water pump. How’s that for reliability on a much-maligned model? The rear wheel arches were a bit rusty and it had picked up a few dents along the way but it only had 59,000 miles on it and came with a new MoT. It’s one of the rare cars built up by a Bulgarian joint venture firm and then re-imported, converted to RHD, and sold very cheaply by ‘Apple 2000’ of Bury St Edmunds. Hence my car was registered in 2001 – seven years after UK-production ended. I’ve now repaired and re-painted both rear wheel arches and both dented doors, so it looks as good as it drives.’
WHAT WOULD YOUR OWNERSHIP TIPS BE?
‘I’d encourage any young enthusiast to choose a classic as their daily driver – but it’s very important to join a club; there’s so much help available and you only have to ask. BL and Austin-Rover people are friendly and down-to-earth, they encourage you and will do anything they can to help.
Finding spares is not too bad; the 1.3-litre A-series engine in particular couldn’t be easier.
Some bespoke Maestro parts are a bit scarce but once again the clubs are very helpful and some even get some rare parts made for members, which is amazing. Classic British cars often share common parts so always make friends with the person in the club who knows all of the interchangeable part numbers.’
WHAT DO YOU SEE BEING IN YOUR GARAGE IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?
‘I lo
