Anyway…I was in London from the West Country on business and had some time to spare and had e-mailed David to ask if I could test drive some cars while I was in London. When I got there I explained that I was only looking, "No problem, I know you will end up buying one so help yourself", some two hours later after having tried Mk 1's and Mk 2's I said thanks very much I'll be back when the time is right to getone. David could not have been more helpful and there was certainly no pressure at all to buy - for anyone who has not been there - the cars sell themselves.

On my return home to Paignton, I enthused to my wife about the fantastic cars that were available at Dandy Cars. They were certainly not the cheapest but were most defiantly the very best available - even my wife ended up with Dandy Cars as one of her favourites websites.

As the months went by we kept an eye on the website and spotted a 1998 VS Special Edition in Satellite Blue with tan leather which my wife took a shine too. It would not arrive from Japan until August so clicked the button and paid our £200 deposit.

The car finally arrived in this country and was ready for an inspection a month ago, so we caught the coach from Paignton to London and took the test drive. The car was even better in the flesh than the photographs on the website. After the test drive it was a definite "Yes" but we still had the Chrysler Voyager to sell, however by co-incidence while we were in David's office our daughter phone on my wife's mobile to tell us that two people had phoned about the car. I phoned them back and arranged viewings for them the following day - the first person to see the Chrysler bought it. We could now progress with the purchase of the MX5 - underseal, alarm/immobiliser, change the cam belt, UK tyres, change the oil in the diff and gearbox were added to the total. As we intend keeping the car for a long long time it seemed sensible to add on those extras now. But do we have a hard topor not - we decided to wait and see if we would need one.

My wife and daughter went up to London to collect the car as I had just come out of hospital after a stomach operation so could not go, we have now had it for 3 weeks - considering the kids said - "why an MX5, it's a car for hairdressers" they insist that the "5" is used to drop them off at friends/school etc. etc. and our daughter is saving up for one herself but it could be a while.

We had a fantastic drive to Salcombe on Saturday with the roof down for the whole journey - but forgot the sunscreen!!! The grin factor for a"5" must be a ten.

For anyone contemplating getting an MX5 - the only place to get a really good one is at Dandy Cars. You will pay more but more than get what you pay for. The only other expenditure we have made since getting the car is to join the MX5 Owners Club, some fuel, we've added a tonnaux cover, a tan leather handbrake cover and gaiter for the gear stick, a new set of door speakers as one was playing up - and a chrome fuel filler cap. Now not sure how much more chrome to do - I think we'll stick to just one more thing - a chrome mesh radiator grill.

The sun's out and this evening so time for a spin along the coast before it gets dark.