The Curse...

Before the storm

I've always been blessed to be able to find great cars at below great car price. Usually, it's around tax time and someone is selling a vehicle to either buy a new one or take care of a tax bill. Sometimes, it's someone just wanting one less car. Whatever the reason, I've been lucky enough to find these cars.

Of course, right after I find one of these fantastic vehicles, within 1 week something happens. This something doesn't change the way the vehicle runs, or make it unsafe. It just brings the car down to the value that I bought it at. For example, About 12 years ago, I used my income tax return to purchase a 1993 Mazda Protoge. It had only 75K miles on it, beautiful paint and was the perfect car. The owner had just gotten another family car and was selling this one for $2700. Not bad at all! In less than one week, a neighbor keyed the car up and the odometer cable snapped. It ran like a dream up until I gave it away for a couple of years ago.

After being without a car for two years, we finally had a tax return decent enough to make another purchase. Keep in mind that I never buy a car that I can't pay for out right. I don't do loans or financing of any sort. It's pay now or don't get it. I found a beautiful Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer edition, 1999 (I think) for only $2900. I did a test drive and there were some things that needed to be fixed but nothing major. We paid $2500 for this beautiful vehicle. I felt like the Clampett's when they found "liquid gold" on their hillbilly property!

Flooded Aftermath

We had a few minor repairs done on the vehicle and brought him home. Less than one week after we bought him, the storms hit on April 2nd! He now looks like a golf ball on wheels. Other than a few minor safety issues that we had fixed, there is no major damage to interfere with him still being a fantastic car.

So, the curse strikes again. I love my giant golf ball on wheels.