It has been over a year since we bought this car. I was driving past the dealership when I saw the back end of the convertible with no license plate. Trade-in! After a quick test drive, the sales manager gave me a price I couldn’t refuse. But you may know what happened after I brought it home. Soon after being purchased, the car became a daily driver for our daughter. This arrangement lasted through the winter and spring until the car started acting up. A low-end mechanic where she lives pronounced the vehicle unworthy of the cost it would take to fix.
Hmm… I don’t tend to believe mechanics from a distance, so my daughter drove it up to us and decided to buy her own car. Our local mechanic diagnosed things and–what a surprise–things weren’t as bad as proposed. Instead of needing a transmission, it was low on transmission fluid. (Why didn’t the first mechanic check that?) Instead of needing a catalytic converter, it needed a coil pack. (Why again?) In the end, we decided to keep the car. It has been cheap transportation and an enjoyable ride for us (especially when the sun is shining). It has a few leaks and paint peel, but when you are driving, those things don’t matter so much. We just keep smiling.