Anyway, after Elena got her license and then a few months later Nastia got hers, the next step was what to do about cars? Pop pop's old Toyota had been fixed by David for $700.00 with the idea that Nastia would use it. Nastia was never very much in love with it, it was a car!
A Search was started for a car for Elena. A really nice Honda was found at a gas station. It was a little old, but it was in nice shape. I saw it, both girls saw it and Nastia kept saying that if Elena didn't want it she wanted it. Nastia's boyfriend looked at it and liked it, but wanted to see it on a lift to check something out. It took about a week to for him to find the time and by then the car was gone. An other car was found by Teri in West Nyack. It was a Chevy. The Owner had fixed it up and it was in really nice shape. While looking at it the Owner makes a comment that his brother in law had offered $2,800.00 for it but he turned him down because he wanted $3,000.00. I thought he was posturing, he wasn't. I started to negotiate with him when he stops me saying he knows what the car is worth and he wants $3,000.00 for it again reminding me he turned down $2,800.00 from his brother in law. I smile, tell him it's a nice car, good luck, bla,bla, bla,shake his hand and leave. That's not the way to sell a car unless your on a power trip. This is the price and I'm going to get it! You price a car a little higher then what you want for it then let the buyer get the price down so he feels he got a deal. Deal Making 101.I think the car is still there and yes it is still a nice car AND it is still an old car and I guess he has not read Deal Making 101.The Car search went on.
One Day Teri sees this Pontiac Grand Am for sale. It has low miles (82,000 miles) and it's for sale for $2,000.00 I call the guy. He has the car at a lot over on Rt. 59, in West Nyack near the car wash and I could see it the next day, Sunday at 10 AM. I go over to see it, drive it and not wanting to lose it like cars in the past, I make an offer on it. We settle on $1,600.00. The next Day I give him cash and it goes over to Mavis Tire where David proceeds to work on it. A few Weeks later I bring it to Alexander Brothers to fix something he is unable to and I take it to drive.The Deal worked out by the three of us was easy. Nastia wanted my car, the Escape. Elena wanted a car and I liked the idea of driving the Grand Am having owned one in the 80's, which I have talked about. And like the previous Grand Am the current one had more problems then I figured on, but it is a fun car to drive.
The Fun of parking four cars in a three car driveway was temporarily solved by the girls parking on the grass on the north side of the house. That ended rather quickly when it rained and snowed, then rained some more. The Girls lack of refined driving skills soon made a mud puddle out of a mole hill.The final total on the repairs of the Grand Am are not in as of 11/30/18. The Car cost $1,600.00, repairs from David were cheap, maybe $100.00, Alexander brothers as of 11/30/18 are $2,100.00 with more coming this afternoon.
Come Spring the Air Conditioning will need to be fixed, something about the compressor. Yet when You find a slightly open road in Rockland and you get the chance to open the car up a little, all the cost you have put in to the car seem far away. Your still on that high when You start to slow down and your smiling because life is good. Then You look down at the gas gage and realize you went through a half a tank of gas and you remember all the expense this damn car is costing.
