So, I've owned James for almost a week now and I must admit I am in love. It is such a classic, strong, and fun car! Everywhere I drive people are looking at it and asking me about it. The other day I came home from work to grab some lunch and this guy mowing somebody's lawn just stopped what he was doing and watched me as I drove down the street. The reaction I get from people is just neat, because I've never owned a car that makes people react that way.
After buying a Jeep Grand Wagoneer I have been seeing them more often. The other morning I saw one at the Chik-Fil-A Dwarf House as I stopped by to grab a chicken biscuit. It was a tan one, a couple years older than mine in pretty good condition. Then a guy that works on the maintenance staff at my mom's church bought a green 1986 model for $500. The catch with that - its not in the "best" condition. Needless to say, you get what you pay for with a car that is older than 20 years. Anything under about $7,000 is going to have problems, anything under $3,000 is going to "need some serious work." The real nice ones are going to cost you over $12,000 - all the way up to the nicest of nice for $85,000.
Then, when Natalie and I were taking pictures of James in front of the house some guy on a bike stopped by and asked us about our Wagoneer. He apparently owns a 1987 model and needs some parts for it. Apparently his wife rolled it! It still runs just as good as it did before, but he needs to repair some things on it.
Needless to say, I love it! It is such a great ride. I can't wait to take it up-state to go camping, to go look at leaves, to go see my parents and sister's family - to go to work tomorrow.
He does need some maintenance, however, because when I start him sometimes he takes a little while to start. I think it is, simply, a combination of the ignition components and the carburator needing some TLC. Some of the windows need to be lubricated (they move slowly), but overall it is an amazing vehicle.
This afternoon, I pulled James in front of the house so I could take some pictures of him. Look at these pictures. What other car looks this good just sitting in front of your house? No posing, no car wash or wax, no fancy effects - just a car in front of a house in the afternoon.
So, let me put the reason why I love this car this way. When you wake up in the morning do you look forward to driving your car? When you sit at work do you look out the window and look foward to driving it home at the end of the day? When you are sitting at home, do you try and think of reasons to drive your car? Well, now I do. I've never looked forward to driving a car like that - except for about 6 months when I first learned how to drive. Well, now I look forward to driving my car whenever I can. It puts a smile on my face. For me - that makes it worth it.
