Chasing cars
I have mentioned before that I have been without a car since the end of October. Donna has been driving me to work and home, shopping and occasionally to church.
It's all been very inconvenient for everyone concerned.
I got my tax refund on Feb. 15 and went car shopping. I had checked out various dealer websites, but wasn't having much luck in my price range. I'm not willing to get into a loan situation and don't want to give my friends' contact information for the application in any case, so my search was limited to what I could do with the cash on hand.
One dealership had a car that was okay, but I only drove it around the lot a little because the brakes seemed a little squishy and it didn't move for a few seconds when I pressed on the gas - leading me to think there might be a transmission problem.
Another dealer didn't want me to test drive the car further than "around the block." The belt was screaming, so it needs to be replaced, which I could live with, but there was no way I would buy the car without driving it at highway speed. His suggestion that I drive it at 55 behind Walmart (speed limit 35 mph) was laughable. I had nearly all the money with me and would have gladly bought the car if I liked how it drove on the highway. But I told it I would be stupid to buy it without a thorough test drive.
On Saturday, Donna and I went to look at a minivan. The owner, Belinda, had posted on her Facebook about it. Donna is Facebook friends with her daughter. I drove it to Otho, where my friend Tonya gave it a quick once-over. I turned it off and it didn't start right away. I also drive it to Jim's service station, to put some gas in it and ask them what they thought about what Tonya had told me. (She said don't buy it.)
I ended up buying it. I know the belt needs to be replaced (yes, just like the other one). And now the starter has given me problems a couple more times. I'm hoping that can wait 3 weeks, but if not, I'll manage. But it has just under 147k miles - the least of any car I've owned. So I hope I can keep this one for awhile.
It's an adjustment driving a minivan after a car for so long. It's significantly higher up, so coming out of the driveway at our apartment building it's easier to see oncoming traffic.
It's all been very inconvenient for everyone concerned.
I got my tax refund on Feb. 15 and went car shopping. I had checked out various dealer websites, but wasn't having much luck in my price range. I'm not willing to get into a loan situation and don't want to give my friends' contact information for the application in any case, so my search was limited to what I could do with the cash on hand.
One dealership had a car that was okay, but I only drove it around the lot a little because the brakes seemed a little squishy and it didn't move for a few seconds when I pressed on the gas - leading me to think there might be a transmission problem.
Another dealer didn't want me to test drive the car further than "around the block." The belt was screaming, so it needs to be replaced, which I could live with, but there was no way I would buy the car without driving it at highway speed. His suggestion that I drive it at 55 behind Walmart (speed limit 35 mph) was laughable. I had nearly all the money with me and would have gladly bought the car if I liked how it drove on the highway. But I told it I would be stupid to buy it without a thorough test drive.
On Saturday, Donna and I went to look at a minivan. The owner, Belinda, had posted on her Facebook about it. Donna is Facebook friends with her daughter. I drove it to Otho, where my friend Tonya gave it a quick once-over. I turned it off and it didn't start right away. I also drive it to Jim's service station, to put some gas in it and ask them what they thought about what Tonya had told me. (She said don't buy it.)
I ended up buying it. I know the belt needs to be replaced (yes, just like the other one). And now the starter has given me problems a couple more times. I'm hoping that can wait 3 weeks, but if not, I'll manage. But it has just under 147k miles - the least of any car I've owned. So I hope I can keep this one for awhile.
It's an adjustment driving a minivan after a car for so long. It's significantly higher up, so coming out of the driveway at our apartment building it's easier to see oncoming traffic.
Comments