Yesterday we drove to Seaside to pick up Michael's "project" car. He's been wanting one for quite some time now, and all that dutiful surfing of the Internet finally paid off last week when he saw a car he really wanted at a price that wouldn't break the bank.
It's a 1972 Datsun 510 that Michael says will look amazing once she is fixed up. He's got big plans for this car, and I'm glad because it will a) keep Michael from getting bored and from playing too many hours of video games and b) it will get this car the love that she needs. The car is older than both of us and looks it--but I think under Michael's tender care, she will blossom into the little racecar of her master's dreams.
We rented a car dolly from U-haul and I'm happy to report that we had no trouble with either the equipment or the company; we weren't so lucky when we moved into our house 6 years ago and U-haul charged us for about 50 extra miles than we actually drove. It was a big headache getting that one straightened out and we didn't get our money back until after I wrote a letter to the Better Business Bureau. Thankfully, everything went smoothly yesterday and we arrived in Seaside 2 1/2 hours before the agreed-upon time of 1pm.
Michael and I splurged and had lunch at the local Dairy Queen, then watched the seagulls and the waves on the beach until it was time to pick up the Datsun. The only unfortunate part of the day was the gray drizzle that kept Michael and the car's previous owner company as they inspected the car and got it loaded onto our dolly. We also got various extra parts for the car, including 2 doors that fit nicely in the truck bed.
Our '98 Toyota did just fine pulling the car and dolly over the coastal range, and we had no trouble keeping it at 55mph. There was still some snow up there at the highest part of the range . . . believe me I was glad we were getting this car now and not 1 or 2 months ago. It could have made for a treacherous trip home.
The little Datsun spent her first night outside next to our Honda, but Michael has been diligently clearing space in the garage so that she will soon be under cover.
I'm excited for him and the plans he has for the car. We'll keep you posted on the process of her ongoing makeover.
3 comments:
How fun! I can't wait to see the progress.
That is exactly the kind of car I want to turn into an electric car!! O.o
Carrie,
Michael says you need to buy one and then you two can fix your cars up together . . . 2 heads are better than 1! Plus, he has 5 doors and there's no way he can use them all. :)
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