A little too much up top

So we have most likely found the wife's next commuter car. It is a little older than the convertibles we were looking at, and it is a little too roofy. But it is a nice looking '01 VW Beetle.

Why not a newer car with a drop top? Eco-freakin'-nomics rained out that parade. We can buy this car with cash on hand. And that lets us to continue a long held family rule of only having one car payment at a time. We could have borrowed the additional $ and had more fun with a newer car, but just having a decent paint job and a mechanically sound car will be reward enough.



Actually, that is a little bit stretch. The Mazda only needed one trip to the repair shop since we bought it. But we are both expecting things to start going wrong very soon. The paint is shot and the interior is getting worn out. The window tint failed and it is impossible to see out of the side driver's window. All of these things need to be corrected this summer if we are keeping the 626. Add to that tires and whatever work and maintenance comes up and we are ready to part ways with it.

The Mazda is 12 years old and we have had it for a year, thanks to The Boss Lady's chance meeting with a pole in her previous car. Back then we were going to buy a brand new car for The Boss Lady. Like this time though, we backed off and used the insurance buyout from the Escort to buy the Mazda, extending our streak of only having one car payment at a time.

But we really want to replace it BEFORE the wheels fall off. Which goes against another of our family rules. Our trade-ins are almost always over 10 years old and completely worn out. Can you say send it to the wholesale auto auction?

Anyways, this VW is a private sale. The people are ready to get it out of the driveway before their new baby comes along. They have some silly idea that having a new baby gets expensive. They have it at the VW shop right now, getting an O2 sensor repaired before we finalize our deal.

Hopefully by Friday The Boss Lady will be sporting her new blue ride. What do you bet she has that sunroof open on the first pretty day after that?