Hi Paul - the garden is never dormant these days. I don't know whether you've noticed but our winters come much later and don't last as long. The idea of greasy dirt under the fingernails has no appeal at all. I did all the car maintenance I ever want to do when I had dodgy cars that required me to spend weekends stuck underneath them in the cold and rain.
My recent experience of a ride in an Austin Healey Sprite was excellent but I agree getting in and out is a problem. It might help to keep me flexible, who knows? (http://pigyard.com/wordpress/archives/3428)