Thursday before Christmas

 Today, I had to get up early and take my friend A to court downtown in Portland – a different county than he lives in, and about 22 miles over all.

Given that I put 71 miles on the car today, I’ll need to get more gas money from him for the next run, on Christmas Day, when we go visit his son in prison.

A had to move out of his place in Portland because the Feds declared his neighborhood a Flood Zone.  He had therefore, a bit of extra cash, and has been looking at VW bugs.  I’ve been a good sport about it when he says "hey, let’s go look at that one!".  We have made trips just to see VW’s and have made detours to see them, so today, as I drove him home from court, when he saw one, I turned around and went back to see it.

(and thus my whole day is spent.  Saw it. talked to the guy, went to the bank, bought it, followed him home)

"It" was a 1964 bug.  46 years old.  The interior was rebult/replaced at some point in the years past, and it looks pretty spiffy.  The bodywork is really very nice, for how old it is – only one noticible ding in a fender (from a car door, it looks like).

The car’s "for sale" sign had a $5400 scratched out, and A got it for $4900.  Probably more than twice what it cost brand-new.

It was apparently a car on a movie lot in California; supposedly, it was in a commercial lately.  It looks like it’s had a good life – most vehicles 46 years old show their years.  A is pretty sure he’ll get his money back, and more, and that seems reasonable.  Someone will just HAVE TO HAVE the car.  A thinks it’s worth more than he paid, and for him, it may be the investment he hopes.  One of his friends is very much in Volkswagons; he taking it over there tomorrow to show it off.

The car has current tags on it’s new license plates; I might not be asked to drive my friend so much any more.

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He’s got a 1965 GMC pickup truck, that needs reassembly.  He took out the six cylinger engine and installed a Checy 327 V-8 but it still needs this that and the other to work right.

He’s got a 1970 Dodge Dart GT – a rare six cylinder GT.  Fewer than 6,000 were made; most GT’s are V-8’s.  That one runs but the tags have run out.

He’s got two Harleys – a 52 hardtail frame with a Shovelhead motor in it, fully custom, and a 1991 Fatboy, nearly identical to the bike that the Terminator rode in "Terminator 2".  The project bike has sat most of the time I’ve known A, but the Fatboy runs well.  A doesn’t have a driver’s license, so the bike is staying home now.

His son in prison knows a guy who has a 1952 Cadillac for sale, and ’52 is the 50th anniversary of Cadillac.  It’s a classic, for what may be a good price.  I guess we’ll learn more about it on Saturday, when we visit the kid in prison.

Sheesh.

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I’ve got a 2009 Dodge Caliber SXT Sport.  If I can hold onto my car, it’s a keeper – Lifetime Powertrain warranty to the original owner, me.  I passed 25,000 miles two weeks ago.  I bought a 2008 Caliber in January 2008, and traded it after 15,000 miles on the Black Caliber I have now.  If worse comes to worse and I lose my black beauty, well, that’s 40,000 miles and three years I have had a "new" car.

How sad that would be.

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