"Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool Opatomus?" - Mitch Hedberg

Hand soap

I didn't post last night because there wasn't time. I was too busy until I was too tired. I hustled all morning getting things ready for Sunday and taking care of some misc. household chores. In the afternoon the guy from Safelite came and installed the windshield and back glass on the truck. While he was doing that I was showing a guy the Falcon.

It's a complicated story, but I decided to post the Falcon to Craig's List at a price that was well more than I hoped to get. Within 20 minutes I had a text from a guy in Georgia who was ready to buy it sight unseen but had to arrange shipping. We exchanged half a dozen text messages and agreed on a price $300 below my asking number. Twenty four hours later I sent a text asking if he had shipping set up and got a reply that said - OK, it didn't actually say this but the meaning was - "THIS IS A SCAM."
My response: goodbye.

Within the hour I had two calls, both from older guys, both with a Falcon in their way-back who were very interested in mine. Long story short, I sold it to the first guy for my full asking price. He's in CA and his mechanic son lives nearby, so son came to look at it, called dad to give a report, and the deal was done. Mom had a '64 Falcon - looks the same - back in the day and has wanted one ever since. She also loves station wagons, so this was a hit on all counts.

This afternoon he came and hauled it off. Dad will come from CA next week to drive it home.
sniff, sniff.
Farewell fair Falcon.

Knowing it was sold but before it was picked up I drove it to an auction held every three weeks by a very large business nearby - they're the people behind the Discovery TV show "Desert Valley Car Kings - and bought a pickup truck. There's a long and complicated story behind this, too. And you're probably thinking, "Your restoring a pickup; why do you need another?" A: because I'm not going to throw cinder blocks and sheets of plywood in my freshly and fully restored 56-year old truck.

Anyway, I came home with an '04 Dodge Ram that's a very basic, no frills, V6 pickup that needs some work but was bought with a very reasonable bid. I have to put tires on it (bought a used set for $150), replace the serpentine belt, and look into a power steering leak. The tranny leaks, too, but Shane said if it needs replacing he'll take care of it at no cost. (Good people.)

Buying a car at auction is a scary proposition because you can't drive it and only get to hear it run for the few minutes before it crosses the block.
"It's not what you know, it's who you know."
And I know Aron, a guy from church who is a shop foreman at the local Kenworth dealer and a mechanic par excellence. Aron met me out there and gave the two trucks that looked like possibilities a thorough going-over. And going-under with the flashlight he brought. He spotted things I never would have noticed! So while there's always a risk buying a vehicle at auction I feel pretty confident because a) I got to know Shane and Jason who run the auction and who gave me candid and solid counsel, and b) Aron's mechanical skills and helpful advice gave me a good picture of what I'm getting.
Plus, the difference between what I got for the Falcon and what I paid for the truck put some coins in my pocket even after the necessary repairs on the Dodge.

And Pam likes it, which is always a good thing.

Busy day, deals done, and I'm pooped!
Cup of coffee, a brownie or six, and bed.