OK Terry, you don\u2019t even have the money in your pocket so don\u2019t even think about it. Sure, this 1962 Ford Ranch Wagon you just came across at the Portland Swap Meet is very, very solid and the black exterior\/red interior is intoxicating in the weird way only diehard gearheads understand.<\/p>\n
Glass is all there, trim is all there and in really good condition. (Good thing it\u2019s a Ranch Wagon, so not much trim to worry about in the first place). The door panels and rear seat are in really, really good condition and it\u2019s a 352 3-on-the-tree manual car. Pretty cool.
\nBut you have a \u201967 Coronet wagon sitting in your driveway back in Nanaimo and in just a few weeks you\u2019ll be heading to Minot, ND to pick up another \u201967 Coronet wagon you foolishly bought for parts one late, hazy, crazy night when reason was on a bathroom break. True but I could sell those two wagons to pay for this one.<\/p>\n
Sketchy Terry, very sketchy. Besides, the guy is asking $4,500US..that\u2019s just ridiculous. But if I could get it for say, $3,300US that would keep it under $5,000 Canadian. If I sold my other two wagons for say, $3,500 I\u2019d be $1,500 or less in the hole but way ahead in the \u201cdon\u2019t have to fix a lot of rust\u201d department. Plus, it\u2019s really cool. I know it\u2019s early, but I\u2008think I\u2019m already falling in love with it.<\/p>\n
Steady Terry. It\u2019s starting to get a little uncomfortable now. You\u2019ve been pouring over the car for more than 20 minutes and I think the owner, Jeff, is getting twitchy. Probably thinking \u201cdamn tire kicker…quit wasting my time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ok, be cool. Step off to the side and get a little bit of advice from your buddies. \u201cThis is a $2,500 car all day long,\u201d says Mark. \u201cAre you really thinking of buying it,\u201d says Ron. \u201cThis car is way, way cooler than that \u201967 Coronet wagon you have,\u201d says Kev. Damn…none of them are saying…use you head, move along. Plus, like I said earlier you have maybe $400 in your pocket. But, that\u2019s what ATMs are for, isn\u2019t it? True.<\/p>\n
OK. Just walk away. This makes sense but it also doesn\u2019t make sense so just walk away. You\u2019ve done it before at swap meets. Yes. I have, but it always hurts a little later. Especially when someone else ends up with whatever part or car you couldn\u2019t make up your mind about.
\nNo, life\u2019s short and this car is too good to pass up. I\u2019m going to do it. No, no. I\u2019m not. I\u2019m going to walk away but I just have to get past the owner\u2019s brother without seeming too sheepish. \u201cSo, what do you think?\u201d he says, sensing he\u2019s got a live one on the hook. Sadly, he does.
\nBe strong Terry. Be a good negotiator. You can do this.<\/p>\n
\u201cThing is, you guys are starting so high at $4,500. I bought a \u201965 Ford wagon here a few years ago for $1,700US and drove it home so I don\u2019t want to piss you off with a low ball offer.\u201d Good Terry, that was good and he doesn\u2019t seem insulted. It\u2019s Saturday afternoon and the car is still here. Maybe Jeff\u2019s ready to deal. \u201cWell make an offer,\u201d says Jeff\u2019s brother. \u201cHow about $2,500,\u201d I hear myself saying. \u201cNo, no I\u2019ve got to get $3,000 for it,\u201d says Jeff. \u201cI\u2019d go $2,700,\u201d I say. \u201cMake it $2,800 and you\u2019ve got a deal,\u201d says the owner. \u201cDone,\u201d I say. You idiot Terry, what have you done? Apparently just bought a 1962 Ford Ranch Wagon.
\nNow what.<\/p>\n
First, visit the ATM and discover your limit is $300 per transaction and so seven transactions later you have $2,100, plus the $300 you already gave him plus $400 you borrow from Kev. You pay Jeff mostly in $20s.
\nThat was surely dumb.
\nSo why am I smiling so much?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
OK Terry, you don\u2019t even have the money in your pocket so don\u2019t even think about it. Sure, this 1962<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n