I’m going to start with a relatively-trivial complaint about how the Internet connects us all, sometimes too much. The demons that run it apparently have noticed that I have been on Auto Trader, Kijiji and car dealer websites, and told all their demon friends. I’m seeing ads for cars everywhere. News sites, YouTube, right here on Daily Kos, every website with advertising that I visit. I can’t get away from pics of snazzy, sexy, gleaming vehicles, 97% of which I can’t afford. Next thing there’s going to be rolling billboards tailing me as I limp around in the former Red Rocket, now the Red Rustbucket.
Speaking of which, the Rustbucket is continuing its slow, agonizing death… one tire and a donut have gone now, forcing me to buy a new tire that was blessedly cheap. The odometer is now at 399,536 km and I confess an urge to keep it running long enough so I can see it flip over to 400,000. To be fair, I’ve driven the dear thing for five years with not that much in repair bills. It owes me nothing.
I have given up attempting anything resembling a loan since only Baby Shark Financing, Inc. is left, and am now looking only at low four-figure beaters.
Each ad for or dialogue about such a car seems to find something a little wrong. It’s too far away. It needs body work. Ad says “Great car for someone who knows basic mechanics.” (Oh really.) Ad says “needs breaks (sic), exhaust … and a few other things.” (Engine overhaul? Transmission transplant? Trip to Mars a la Tesla?) A neighbour has this cool blue Honda with an arrest-me-if-you-can-catch-me powerhouse under the hood — but manual transmission. (I kind of half-drive stick. When I explained how you do it to my autistic newly-driving son Raphi, he answered with a blunt “no!”)
My mechanic Sean is a great guy who I ask about makes and models, and trust implicitly. In his opinions, he has just two speeds: “it’s a pretty good car,” and “Run. Away.” I have thus been forced to flee from several.
However…! To stop whining for just one moment! Just a few days ago, I found the 2010 Ford Focus pictured above. Asking price is $2,500 (Canadian) which is not much more than half its book value. It’s newer than most of the ones I’ve found. The guy seems very nice and is selling it for a tragic and honourable reason, a death in the family.
And then I found another Ford Focus, a year older but with only 4K km more on the odometer, same price, and possibly definitely less rust because it’s been undercoated every year. (I checked. You can’t see it on the photos.)
My goal of $1,900 US plus what I get for selling the Rustbucket for its as-yet-undissolved parts would translate nicely into that $2,500, plus $45 for Sean to run his eye over it and, if he doesn’t say “Run. Away.”, $180 to certify it.
Assuming I can’t haggle the owner down some, that is :-)
Donation link. Please “send money to family or friends,” don’t pay for a service. The only service I’m providing here is whining. Make a note, “Wheels fund” so it doesn’t get mixed up with regular diary donations if inspiration strikes and I do one.
BTW if you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been posting a lot of news/opinion diaries lately: it’s summer, when I have more freelance writing assignments and less time. I’ll possibly do more when I’m back on the off-season schedule, depending on what else I’m doing.
Thanks and love, especially to the donor who noted “Let’s get this thing moving again” (you know who you are).
KM.
Tuesday, Sep 3, 2019 · 10:24:18 PM +00:00 · KM Wehrstein
So today the Rustbucket’s exhaust system started to fall off. (I swear I am not making this up.)
That’s pushing me harder to buy this one, which has less rust than the one above.
It doesn’t look as purty as the one with hubcaps, but they’re a hell of a lot cheaper than rocker panels. The ones on this one aren’t even a bit rusty.