Car Shoppin'

I spent the weekend used car shopping. Yuck.

First stop was a local "car wholesaler" lot.

The salesman greeted me with a hearty, "We're a wholesaler, so the price on the window is fixed; we don't dicker here!" A sign in the office made it clear they don't "do" financing, either.

I tried out two vehicles, a 2000 Olds van (144k miles) and a 1995 Ford Explorer (185k miles). Neither really tickled my fancy.

"Well, Mr. Davison," said the jolly salesman. "What can I do to get you to buy today?"

Let's review: (1) You don't dicker on the price and (2) you don't finance.

"Nothing. See ya!"

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A search through the want ads turned up a 1998 Crown Victoria with 49k miles on it! I arranged to see the beast at a local park after dinner last night.

Yep, it was white.

Yep, it was a "Police Interceptor" vehicle.

Yep, it's a gas-hog V8.

Yep, I gave the lady a deposit.

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Now, to scrounge up some way to pay for it.

As recounted here, the old savings account has taken some major hits in the last nine months:

• Emergency transmission repairs to the old van while wife and child were stranded in West Virginia.
• Massive take-home pay cut to join the phony-baloney medical plan at work.
• Wife's surgery.
• Bathroom remodeling to get rid of the massive infestation in the walls around the shower.

And now, this!

With any luck, I'll have this all buttoned up within the week. It just means doing all those "car things." DMV - ugh! Insurance - ugh! Financing - ugh!

Wish me luck...