After I graduated from college in the spring of 2005 I moved over to the Seattle area. Prior to the move I returned home to Nampa, Idaho to spend some time with my family before beginning my life in the 'real world.' I also gave my car to my youngest brother and took my grandma's '92 light blue Tauras sedan (blue rampage) since she was no longer able to drive. This car wasn't the greatest of rides but it was sufficient to get me to and from work and wherever else I needed to go. The car lasted the rest of the summer and into the fall with no problems. That same fall my roommate referred me to his company, Countrywide, and I accepted the position and started at the end of October. You know what this means? Car pool time. We would alternate days of driving to and from and work. Needless to day we were both pretty excited about spending half as much on gas and cutting down on the commute time as we could take advantage of the carpool lane.
Come Thanksgiving and things are going well. I have returned from training and I fly home to Idaho to spend the holiday at home. Friday after Thanksgiving I get a phone call from my roommate and the first thing he says is 'has bad news.' I try to remain calm and him to explain. Turns out my roommate, Dan is his name, had to go to work that day. When he went out to his car he realized he parked on a hill and wa low on gas so it wouldn't start. Fortunately he had my keys as he drove my car home from the airport. He preceeded to explain that on his way to work he noticed quite a bit of white smoke coming out from under the hood. He said he had to stop at the last light before the office and was completely engulfed in a cloud of white smoke. He managed to pull into the parking garage and got a ride from his parents after work. So I return to work on Monday and have my car towed to the shop where I learn that I have a busted head gasket. I'm no car expert but even I can understand that replacing this is going to cost more than the car is worth. Nice to know you blue rampage. Now I need to search for a new vehicle.
As I explained before I work at the same office as my roommate so I'm not in dire straights. A couple months go by and I haven't found a deal I can afford yet. Then out of the blue one of Dan's buddies from high school stops by and mentions that his parents are looking to sell a gold '91 Acura Integra LS. I told him I was interested and later that week he drove the car over. We took it out for a spin. I noticed the car seemed to run fine and found out the asking price was very low, $800. When we returned to our apartment I decided to buy it. I gave him $800 cash and he signed the title. So begins my era with the golden goose.
Nearly two years go by before I upgrade and get a newer car. I stuck with an Acura because in that two years I didn't experience any car trouble even as I passed 210,000 miles. So now it was time to try and sell my car. I posted an add on craigslist on a Monday morning and put $1000 as my asking price. I got a couple calls from semi-interested buyers along with a couple of emails that morning. Then about noon a guy calls me who is really interested. It turns out he's willing to come out that afternoon. Since the car has been sitting in my driveway for about 5 months because I have a serious problem with procrastination I decide to go get it washed/vacuumed. I grab the keys out of the drawer and head outside to the vehicle. I unlock the door, climb in, and sit down. Not only do I notice some mold beginning to grow on the steering but to make things worse, the battery is completely dead. In a rush I go buy a new battery, install it, take the car to the gas station for a wash/vacuum and return home to find the paperwork before my potential buyer, Mike, arrives. I'm still searching for the title when he pulls up with his 'mechanic' friend. I hand over the keys and the two begin to inspect the golden goose. We take it for a drive around the block and when we get back Mike asks me if it's OK if him and his friend talk privately for a second. I say 'no problem' and begin to walk towards my front door and they walk across the street to converse. I notice when they're done as they head back towards me. We meet at the car and Mike asks if I would take $800 cash for it. I pretend to ponder his offer and after a few seconds agree to the deal. I invite them inside as I have to continue searching for the title. I offer them a seat in our living room and resume my search in my room. After a couple minutes I found what I was looking for and returned to see that Mike has the cash sitting on the coffee table. This time it was my turn to sign off on the title, which I did and after a quick, cash-counting job I handed over the keys, wished these gentlemen well, and sent them on their way. After I shut the door I turned around and thought to myself, "Wow, that was easy. What a wonder that craigslist things is."
Come Thanksgiving and things are going well. I have returned from training and I fly home to Idaho to spend the holiday at home. Friday after Thanksgiving I get a phone call from my roommate and the first thing he says is 'has bad news.' I try to remain calm and him to explain. Turns out my roommate, Dan is his name, had to go to work that day. When he went out to his car he realized he parked on a hill and wa low on gas so it wouldn't start. Fortunately he had my keys as he drove my car home from the airport. He preceeded to explain that on his way to work he noticed quite a bit of white smoke coming out from under the hood. He said he had to stop at the last light before the office and was completely engulfed in a cloud of white smoke. He managed to pull into the parking garage and got a ride from his parents after work. So I return to work on Monday and have my car towed to the shop where I learn that I have a busted head gasket. I'm no car expert but even I can understand that replacing this is going to cost more than the car is worth. Nice to know you blue rampage. Now I need to search for a new vehicle.
As I explained before I work at the same office as my roommate so I'm not in dire straights. A couple months go by and I haven't found a deal I can afford yet. Then out of the blue one of Dan's buddies from high school stops by and mentions that his parents are looking to sell a gold '91 Acura Integra LS. I told him I was interested and later that week he drove the car over. We took it out for a spin. I noticed the car seemed to run fine and found out the asking price was very low, $800. When we returned to our apartment I decided to buy it. I gave him $800 cash and he signed the title. So begins my era with the golden goose.
Nearly two years go by before I upgrade and get a newer car. I stuck with an Acura because in that two years I didn't experience any car trouble even as I passed 210,000 miles. So now it was time to try and sell my car. I posted an add on craigslist on a Monday morning and put $1000 as my asking price. I got a couple calls from semi-interested buyers along with a couple of emails that morning. Then about noon a guy calls me who is really interested. It turns out he's willing to come out that afternoon. Since the car has been sitting in my driveway for about 5 months because I have a serious problem with procrastination I decide to go get it washed/vacuumed. I grab the keys out of the drawer and head outside to the vehicle. I unlock the door, climb in, and sit down. Not only do I notice some mold beginning to grow on the steering but to make things worse, the battery is completely dead. In a rush I go buy a new battery, install it, take the car to the gas station for a wash/vacuum and return home to find the paperwork before my potential buyer, Mike, arrives. I'm still searching for the title when he pulls up with his 'mechanic' friend. I hand over the keys and the two begin to inspect the golden goose. We take it for a drive around the block and when we get back Mike asks me if it's OK if him and his friend talk privately for a second. I say 'no problem' and begin to walk towards my front door and they walk across the street to converse. I notice when they're done as they head back towards me. We meet at the car and Mike asks if I would take $800 cash for it. I pretend to ponder his offer and after a few seconds agree to the deal. I invite them inside as I have to continue searching for the title. I offer them a seat in our living room and resume my search in my room. After a couple minutes I found what I was looking for and returned to see that Mike has the cash sitting on the coffee table. This time it was my turn to sign off on the title, which I did and after a quick, cash-counting job I handed over the keys, wished these gentlemen well, and sent them on their way. After I shut the door I turned around and thought to myself, "Wow, that was easy. What a wonder that craigslist things is."
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