Doesn't it Look Pretty

I’m selling the car on ebay as we type. I sold my Alfa Romeo on ebay and was happy with the final outcome. The auction ends tomorrow and all is going well. My reserve is met. Two people called about the car and one person took it for a spin. I frantically washed and vacuumed it again before the test drive.

Car negotiations are going well. I know I’m a geek, but shouldn’t everyone do this much homework before they spend $20,000? I’m using the techniques from Roger Dawson’s Secrets of Power Negotiation and the information from Fighting Chance. Right now, between the two, proposals are running around $500 under invoice.

When is a clunker a clunker?

Today is the day. Today is the deadline the government had to list cars on their website. I hoped that the wagon (versus the sedan) would qualify as a clunker, but it does not. According to the website, my car gets 19 MPG and does not meet the 18 MPG eligibility threshold.

This puts a dent in my plan to get a new car. I factored in my math a $3,500 rebate. The KBB value for my car is only $2,000. Bids are coming in from various dealers, so we’ll see who has the best deal. The three numbers I have are all in the $19,500 range, minus taxes, tag, title and dealer fees.

Financing was surprisingly easy. My credit union quoted me 4.75% for 48 months beating my local bank's rate of 5.5%.

Sourcing Bricks

Time to construct a permanent walkway to the Carriage House. Right now, we have a gravel path. I troll Craigslist (love it!) every other day looking for cheap or free bricks. I see plenty of salvage bricks around town and when I run, but I'm reminded daily by others that it is a felony to pick those bricks up. I finally scored some bricks today. They are not free, but they are cheap and he is going to deliver them for free. Deal done!

Open Letter re: Cash for Clunkers

Dear Fuel Economy,

Hi. I am trying to find out whether or not my car qualifies for the CARS program. I checked the website and my car is not listed. They have the sedan, but not the station wagon.

I am writing to you because I called the Official Hotline number of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-866-227-7891 and they forwarded me to the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at 1-877-337-3463. I was told that the dealer probably did not provide them with a vehicle for testing and was directed to contact you at this e-mail address.

My car is a 1999, Saab, 9-5, V6, Station Wagon. Any information you could provide is appreciated.

Thanks.

Cash for Clunkers

I have a love hate relationship with my car. After spending a weekend test driving Mini Coopers, Hondas and Nissans, I am still in love with how the Saab drives. I know everyone is tired to hearing me compare cars to the Alfa, but it has great form and function. Unfortunately, my quest for a beautiful car that drives like a dream always catches up with me…as a regular at my mechanic’s shop.

In anticipation of trading it in, I cleaned and detailed the Saab today. I even tried to remove a dent with my hair dryer. Boy does it look good! I had high hopes of utilizing the CARS credit towards a new vehicle, but according to the website my car is 1 MPG over the limit. As a footnote, I should add that they only have the sedan, not the wagon, but how do I dispute something with the government? If my car doesn’t fit the definition of a clunker, I don’t know what does.

On days like this, I dream about selling everything and moving back to NYC.