Kia: SOLD. Onto bigger and bigger things.
Hello Rustlovers!
Welcome back to another chapter in the automotive saga known as the free model T. I have something delightfully new in store for you dear readers, something refreshing and fun. The end of a story!
Often times I set off to write the tale of breathing life into an old wreck. I dutifully take pictures and write a few posts until the car is finally on the road and you never get to hear about it again! Why not? Because I’ve already moved on to bigger and better things. Not this time, today I will tell you about selling the Kia and starting on the next project. I will also commit to going back through some old posts so I can give “where are they now?” style updates on a few projects that I let fall off of the blog.
So! The story of selling a car is not generally interesting to me and not the focus of my writing but selling the Kia did involve a little drama. I decided to slash the price because my postings had not generated much interest. I dropped it dramatically and immediately started fielding calls. After speaking to an interested party we agreed to meet at a mall half way between us because he lived about an hour away.
I gassed up and headed out.
I pulled up to the mall and idled in the parking lot with the A/C running at temperatures that would make glaciers jealous and texted my perspective buyer. He was stuck in traffic and I was starting… to smell something… OH NO COOLANT!
I proceeded to fling open the hood and could see coolant all over the front of the engine.
I peeked around until I found a loose hose clamp. Here at “The free model T” I try to be educational and entertaining. Airing my own shortcomings, mistakes, and disasters seems to offer a healthy serving of both.
The clamp was my fault. I had loosened it but couldn’t get the hose off so I had just pulled off the other end and kept working. Upon reassembly I failed to notice that the thermostat housing I was installing had a loose hose. My bad.
So there I was 20 minutes from home with NO tools and a buyer showing up any minute and nothing around me but a GIANT MALL WITH A SEARS! To the screwdriver aisle! I bought a set of 6 Stanley screwdrivers because it was about a buck cheaper than the cheapest individual Craftsman flat blade. Normally I insist on high quality tools but I am already well stocked in the screwdriver department and planned on sending these off with the Kia. In this situation I just wanted to save some money and the best tool in the world is the one that you need!
I made sure to text the buyer about the loose clamp while running around the mall looking for some bottled water to top off the radiator, the last thing I wanted was for him to roll up to see me desperately trying to tighten a clamp and dump Evian into the thirsty engine. That would have raised red flags with any buyer.
The buyer showed up just after I finished pouring 22 0z. of pricey mall water down the radiator’s thirsty throat. He was a marine combat instructor and he had his wife and 2 year old son in tow. They waited in their Jeep whilst he and I went for a test drive.
The car was what he needed and the price was right! Paperwork and cash counting ensued. I thanked him for his service and wished him long and faithful service from the Kia. My friend Dr. Paul picked me up and we made beers happen. The End!
So what’s next?!
A bunch of stuff: the radiator blew out on the diesel truck, the “summer project” needs the front driveshaft rebuilt, friends cars keep breaking all around me, and as far as moving onto bigger and better things is concerned how about bigger and bigger things? Like pulling the frame on an ’01 excursion.
Until next time rustlovers,
Semper Fidelis!
