I've pretty much decided to stop converting my car to a slushbox for my mom. What I'm going to do is buy a '72 510 (1600 for the rest of the world), one that is already an automatic, for her and go back to a five speed in the 1200 for me.
As you may or may not remember, that car was being called Mini-Pearl, for reasons which I won't go into as they aren't that important now. That name will now be transferred to the 510. Therefore, I am going to go back to its original name and start calling it Gil again. This lead me to an amusing thought excersize, a dramatic interlude, if you will. The scene is, I am talking to someone near the car.

Someone: "Hey, isn't that the car you call Mini-Pearl?"
Me: "Well, yes it is, but I'm calling it Gil again."
Someone: "Gilligan huh? Like the island?"
Me: "No, Gil," pause for effect, "again."
Someone: "Um, isn't that what I just said?"
Me: "No, you said Gilligan. I said Gil," another dramatic pause, "again."
Someone: "Look buddy, no matter how slow you say it, it's still the same."
Me: "I'm through talking to you now. Go away."

Hmmm ... i reckon the 510 is a fine car, and your mom may feel safer with such heavy sheet metal surrounding her ... but second-best for your own mother?

My mom drove a 1200 for a couple of years and enjoyed it. For some reason she now only wants full-size Ford or Chevy "dinosaur" cars.

Do you remember the famous joke a few years back that went something like---
#1 Who won the F1 drivers Championship?
#2 Lauda
#1 Who Won the F1 Drivers Championship?
#2 LAUDA
#1 WHO WON THE F1 DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP?
#2 You deaf bastard
#1 You dumb prick

I had to read that few times. Finally when I read it with an Australian accent, I got it. Funny stuff.

Quote:

LMAO

It's a pretty sharp 510, though.

Shucks ... that 510 is nice enough for my own mother.