Your first experience, When did you catch the magic? Options

[ZacMan1987]

I was lurking over at supraforums.com and they had a thread going about the day you bought your ride, and it got me thinking back...

It was September, still hot as could be, Tennessee summers. I was just back from school on labor day weekend when I got the call. My celi had come in from Wisconsin. We went down to the dealership, and I drove her for the first time, and from that moment, I knew she was going to be mine. I fell in love with everything about that car from the very moment I slid into the driver's seat. She was so smooth. Everything about her just flowed. She was going to be mine.

I almost laughed in an old woman's face when she walked up and started inspecting "my" car. She was aparently shopping, and stopped to inspect "my" car!?? Right then and there, my bond officially formed. She had made some comment to her husband about not liking the door style (no frame around the top) and I calmly told her "You needant concern yourself. I just bought this car."

After the wrangling and paperwork, I walked outside and there she was, freshly washed, shiny as could be, and 100% mine. The first thing I did was to take her out to the lake and stare out over the water. Just stare. With my sunroof open, and the starlight beaming in.

Funny thing is, I still get that feeling every time I slip into her in the morning to drive to school. Every time I see her across the parking lot, every time I wash her. There is nothing like the celica.

They say that a man's first love is his car. While I don't believe that (forgive me celi!) She's still my favorite thing in all the world.

I LOVE MY CELICA!!!!

[desertwolf300]

Those are good stories, but my story is REALLY good. It's long but interesting, so bear with me.

So I had been wanting a 6gc since summer of 2003 and pulled up next to one at the mall parking lot that year in November. I was looking at it and thinking "damn, I wish I had one of these." A few seconds later, I noticed the "for sale" sign. I knew I had to take the number down. Before I could do that, this old couple (probably in their late 50's) walked up and unlocked it. I told him I wanted the car and asked the questions. He said 1995 GT, 54K miles, $5,500. I thought that seemed like a fair price so I told him I'd call back after I found out about the money.

I called him and he said I could pay for it but he said it wasn't for sale anymore. His wife couldn't part with it. He said to call him back next month in December. December comes, I call, still not for sale. January comes, still not for sale. February comes and I'm leaving for basic military training in mid Feb (I enlisted in the Air Force). I say, look if I don't buy the car now, I won't be back for 4 months until I finish basic training and tech school. He says, that's OK, we'll hang on to it for you, my wife isn't ready to sell it any time soon yet. I thought, damn!

4 months later I come back home and call him up. He says, YES we're ready to sell it with 56K miles for $5,000.

I'm very pleased at this point. I didn't have all the cash because I had to sell my 97 altima first. I put an ad in the paper and sold my altima 4 days later for $4,300. I only had to pay $700 out of my pocket to make the 5K price, which was firm. An excellent deal by any means.

This old man was the only owner this car had ever had and he bought it brand new. He had all the oil/maintenence records in a file cabinet and showed them to me. I couldn't believe it. After we settled the taxes and title transfer, I drove it home and thought about how lucky I was to have it after he held onto it for so long and kept his word on selling it to me and not placing it back on the market.

When I bought the car in June 2004, it was stock and white. The pics in my profile show what it is today. Well, sort of. My rotors are drilled/slotted and my calipers are red (need to update). But you get the idea.

The best part is I paid for every red cent of both cars on my own. No help from the parental units.

This post has been edited by desertwolf300: Mar 22, 2006 - 5:30 PM