howigotmine...

How I got mine...

A true story about how I was able to get the car I have!

I had been looking at firebirds for a while.  I wanted a fourth Gen.  The year is 2003, and I was mourning the loss of my 3rd gen GTA.  I searched high and low to no avail.  Every single firebird I looked at had one problem or another that made me feel ill about purchasing.

This one salesman simply didn't want to sell a car that month.  He wanted 11k for a car that had 100k + miles with a nasty interior, and mis-aligned body parts.  I laughed.  I said I would be interested if he droped it to like 7.5 maybe.  Now mind you, an LS1 is an LS1, and mostly that is what I was interested in.  That guy wouldn't come down even $500, and at a used car lot!  Me being no sucker, I quickly abandoned that one.

The next one was georgous, Red, and FAST.  A little too fast for my wallet.  I had a budget of about 10-12 K and they wanted 16.  It had a lot of miles, and  try as I might, again I couldn't get them to come down to even meet me half way.  No big, on to the next.

I am at school (South Puget Sound) and I see this very nice looking black TA with a for sale sign on it.  12K.  I thinking something was weird decided to give the guy a call.  I test drove it, Hard, and the guy actually liked the way I drove it!  I was thinking hmm this is too good to be true! He told me it was a rebuilt title and knowing full well what I was getting into I went to my credit union, applied for the loan, and when the guy came in with a rebuilt title, the loan was quickly denied.  My credit Union wouldn't put a penny towards a rebuilt.

I saw this one 'bird at Rotter's in the Olympia Auto Mall.  It was proudly displayed in their prime display area on their corner lot.  It was in Pristine shape, had low Miles.  They wanted 18 though.  While I had enough credit that I could have had a loan for it, I just couldn't justify (putting pinky to mouth) 18 THOUSAND DOLLARS. So I drooled, and walked away.

It's been a month or so, and every LS1 bird I find is broken or drastically overpriced.  I was starting to look out as far as 500 miles.  What hurt most was that my wife at the time (boy did she miss out) had just got a really sweet deal on a '99 Mustang GT Conv, and I couldn't ever get time with it to satisfy my cravings!  So.  I give up.  Decided I will save some more mula, get on with my life, and by a new 5th gen when they come out.

Then the amazing happend...............

So my brother, Aaron Hughes, has a step dad.  His name is Mike.  Mike likes to barter a bit, and he needed to get a fence put up for his cows (no really) before the winter came.  Being down on my luck, and looking for any excuse to obtain something of value to sell for real $, I said I would help him out.  Little did I know that I would soon make over  $500 / hr. 

Mike had asked his friend Jay to come help.  And good thing too, it was definatley a 3 man job!  We're working hard digging fence post holes with a rented auger thing, and the morning goes by fast.  After washing up we settled down for a hearty meal that was surley made by one of the most fantastic people on earth, Aaron's Mom.  During casual conversation, I was telling mike how I just couldn't find the "right" car.  I quickly explained the examples above when Jay's ears perked up like his belly button.  He smiled and said "I know that car you want.."  I replied cynically "which one?"  Jay says "The one at Rotters, it's only thirteen five."  I, being the all knowing... "No, it's 18.  I checked it three or four dozen times, twice in one sunday, three times just yesterday."  Jay replies "I work for Rotters, and I am telling you that the car is 13.5" 

BANG a light went on in my head, as I realize that Jay was a car salesman trying to sell me the deal of a lifetime.  The next day I went to my bank, who worked with the car dealer, and put me firmly in the cockpit of my baby...(After putting a fair amount of miles on it, and paying it off, it's still worth 12K acording to NADA.) 

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