Woke up at 3 am to a Screech owl. My cat was out and he's so fat and out of shape I was afraid he was a goner. Nope, and he came in, looking like he'd seen a ghost.
Well, I was going to get up for my redeye flight anyway so I had at it. Called a cab, a 15+ year old Mercury Villager that used duct tape to hold the sliding door window in, and had an ABS light on. Driver bragged that their cabs were better than the "other company".
Got all checked in, the yuppies on "A" bench got to board. Then the plane had mechanical difficulties and the yuppies were trapped for a while then released, to a one forming a line at the gate agent, who, of course, knows nothing.
We're still here?
Predawn turns into day and my flight's two hours late. I change planes at BWI and inquire about a flight loading *right then* to Raleigh-Durham, but they're full. Not one to be shown up, my checked luggage (a toolbox full of non-carryon 7+ inch wrenches and knives, mostly) caught that flight and lingered without me.
I had an appointment to see my dream car, a 93 cavalier with 38000 original miles. My two internal questions were
-- does it have a cheezy 5 digit odometer and
-- is it really rust free underneath?
The answers are no, and YES!
So I buy it; it was some sort of Duke University fleet car. My initial impressions are that the struts are utterly shot, the transmission TV cable needs tightening, and the (R12?) AC still works and/or has been maintained. The thermostat is also likely stuck open, but TCC locks up, so I'm happy there and not gonna mess with it until I get home.
BTW, after a long winter in New England, it's nice down here. Sure, it's humid, but the trees are all leafed out and folks are cutting grass.
My trees are barely budding out.
So after my flight delay, getting my tools, buying the car, it's about 3:30 PM and I want to get temporary tags before the DMV closes. I hit up the Northgate Mall, that houses a DMV, but it has no staples/ kinkos/ mail boxes etc. I need an insurance card for tags. I go to, bear with me, a vacuum cleaner store that also runs a USPS post office. They point me to a staples 3 miles up the road. Go up there, print my info, then beat feet back to the DMV. Get this at 4:55.
PS, gas is cheap down here, 2.29!
So tomorrow early I return the rental car and take a bus back to this hotel and then hit the road northwards!
PS yes I'm lame and have no pics of the car. It's utterly like every other 80s/ 90s cavalier, except for this year it has a goofy "modern" ignition key with notches on both sides but still a classic round-headed door & trunk key.
Well, I was going to get up for my redeye flight anyway so I had at it. Called a cab, a 15+ year old Mercury Villager that used duct tape to hold the sliding door window in, and had an ABS light on. Driver bragged that their cabs were better than the "other company".
Got all checked in, the yuppies on "A" bench got to board. Then the plane had mechanical difficulties and the yuppies were trapped for a while then released, to a one forming a line at the gate agent, who, of course, knows nothing.
We're still here?
Predawn turns into day and my flight's two hours late. I change planes at BWI and inquire about a flight loading *right then* to Raleigh-Durham, but they're full. Not one to be shown up, my checked luggage (a toolbox full of non-carryon 7+ inch wrenches and knives, mostly) caught that flight and lingered without me.
I had an appointment to see my dream car, a 93 cavalier with 38000 original miles. My two internal questions were
-- does it have a cheezy 5 digit odometer and
-- is it really rust free underneath?
The answers are no, and YES!
So I buy it; it was some sort of Duke University fleet car. My initial impressions are that the struts are utterly shot, the transmission TV cable needs tightening, and the (R12?) AC still works and/or has been maintained. The thermostat is also likely stuck open, but TCC locks up, so I'm happy there and not gonna mess with it until I get home.
BTW, after a long winter in New England, it's nice down here. Sure, it's humid, but the trees are all leafed out and folks are cutting grass.
My trees are barely budding out.
So after my flight delay, getting my tools, buying the car, it's about 3:30 PM and I want to get temporary tags before the DMV closes. I hit up the Northgate Mall, that houses a DMV, but it has no staples/ kinkos/ mail boxes etc. I need an insurance card for tags. I go to, bear with me, a vacuum cleaner store that also runs a USPS post office. They point me to a staples 3 miles up the road. Go up there, print my info, then beat feet back to the DMV. Get this at 4:55.
PS, gas is cheap down here, 2.29!
So tomorrow early I return the rental car and take a bus back to this hotel and then hit the road northwards!
PS yes I'm lame and have no pics of the car. It's utterly like every other 80s/ 90s cavalier, except for this year it has a goofy "modern" ignition key with notches on both sides but still a classic round-headed door & trunk key.