Saturday, January 07, 2006
Out with the Old, In With the "New"
We finally traded in Mabel the Frankensable. She was just costing so m
uch to repair every payday, that we figured we'd get more for our money if we turned it into a car payment. We decided to go newer, but not necessarily different, and bought a Ford Taurus wagon. (The Sable and the Taurus are twins.) However, our Frankensable was a 1989 model, while our "new" Taurus is a 1998 model. We have truly moved up in the world. (Karim is opting for a Jaguar next time.) "Frankie" (nee Mabel) had cost us more in repairs than her buying price, and was threatening to cost us more. There was a leak in some sort of gasket whatchamajiggy that was forcing us to put water and coolant into the radiator and coolant well every time we went out. As this condition was worsening, the car was overheating on my two block trip to work. Besides the leak, the transmission was threatening to hand-in its apron; someone had stolen the CD player right out of the car in the Wal-Mart parking lot; the dash and upholstery, which had been deplorably care-worn by the previous owner, was getting much worse; the Air conditioner stopped working during the hot months, and now that it is cool outside, the heater has stopped working.
In the end, it was not a tough decision when upon waking this morning, we looked at each other and said, "Let's go look at cars." We stopped by two different car lots. In the first, the man was not helpful and did not seem to know much about the cars he was selling. We were not impressed with the selection. In the second, we found an Arabic speaking Cairot with whom Karim could bargain not only in his own language, but also with his own cultural "strings". We did get a good deal on the Taurus from this man, however, he could not go up on the trade-in price of the Sable due to its despicable condition. We sold her South for $300...exactly what it was going to cost for the gasket thingamajiggy plus labor.
I do not feel guilty. Mabel gave us a few good months of transportation and was a good start for us when we needed her most. However, her old tires were giving out underneath her and she was beginning to resemble an old nag. She will not retire as yet, I think. The mechanics at the car lot will fix up some of her "issues" and raise that three hundred dollar going price. I am sure some young person or needy family will find her to be a good "first car" also, and that she will not end her glory for a while. It's best, though, that she continue her "life journeys" with other people, as we have journeyed with her long enough.
uch to repair every payday, that we figured we'd get more for our money if we turned it into a car payment. We decided to go newer, but not necessarily different, and bought a Ford Taurus wagon. (The Sable and the Taurus are twins.) However, our Frankensable was a 1989 model, while our "new" Taurus is a 1998 model. We have truly moved up in the world. (Karim is opting for a Jaguar next time.) "Frankie" (nee Mabel) had cost us more in repairs than her buying price, and was threatening to cost us more. There was a leak in some sort of gasket whatchamajiggy that was forcing us to put water and coolant into the radiator and coolant well every time we went out. As this condition was worsening, the car was overheating on my two block trip to work. Besides the leak, the transmission was threatening to hand-in its apron; someone had stolen the CD player right out of the car in the Wal-Mart parking lot; the dash and upholstery, which had been deplorably care-worn by the previous owner, was getting much worse; the Air conditioner stopped working during the hot months, and now that it is cool outside, the heater has stopped working. In the end, it was not a tough decision when upon waking this morning, we looked at each other and said, "Let's go look at cars." We stopped by two different car lots. In the first, the man was not helpful and did not seem to know much about the cars he was selling. We were not impressed with the selection. In the second, we found an Arabic speaking Cairot with whom Karim could bargain not only in his own language, but also with his own cultural "strings". We did get a good deal on the Taurus from this man, however, he could not go up on the trade-in price of the Sable due to its despicable condition. We sold her South for $300...exactly what it was going to cost for the gasket thingamajiggy plus labor.
I do not feel guilty. Mabel gave us a few good months of transportation and was a good start for us when we needed her most. However, her old tires were giving out underneath her and she was beginning to resemble an old nag. She will not retire as yet, I think. The mechanics at the car lot will fix up some of her "issues" and raise that three hundred dollar going price. I am sure some young person or needy family will find her to be a good "first car" also, and that she will not end her glory for a while. It's best, though, that she continue her "life journeys" with other people, as we have journeyed with her long enough.
