Old Car is gone, Handicapped again.

The 1993 Ford Taurus, the End of its RSAF PP Det "Encik' Legacy

After many days of distress with the car repair plus a US$49 dollars ads on www.autotrader.com, my 1993 Ford Taurus is finally sold to a 37 years old teacher and mother of two and her boyfriend, a USMC Corporal. She is the first buyer that drop by to look at the car and she is getting the car for her 17 years old daughter who just got her lesson. It was really a one shot one kill deal. The deal went through at a favourable price of US$1100 but I gave them a good will discount of US$50, knowing the problem the car face and the cheap cheap price I got the car for when I first brought it at US$800 only. A real friendly family, Mum's a teacher, Boyfriend a US Marine who is going on a second tour of duty to Afghanistan and a 17 years old High School girl.

Probably is the SALESMAN blood in me, I offered to bring the family to Walmart to get a bottle of Radiator Coolant and a bottle transimission oil. We return from the shopping trip and quite surprise that the car was leaking radiator again! The deal have not went through yet and now this damn car starts leaking at the wrong time. A bit of quick thinking and I told them it might be the radiator plug that was not fix properly when I drain the cooolant earlier on today, so I went a head and pretend that it was really not tighten. Radiator was top off with new coolant again and off we drove back to my place. I was praying real hard throughout the journey that it stop leaking when we get back. In my mind, I am already preparing that this deal will be called off.

Reached home with a slightly hot engine, probably due to the new coolant. Luckily this time round, there was no leak at all! It could the the radiator plug after all, I guess. However, I played a bit of a reverse psychology, advising them that its ok to walk away from the deal if they are not comfortable, telling them Singaporeans are very honest people and moreover I am in the Military and Ethnics is one of our core values. Thank goodness they stick to the deal with a bit of sweet talk and customer service.

Selling a car here is much more convinient than doing so in Singapore. The first thing is the great advertising service provided by Autotraders.com, for just US$49, you can run you ads online and in their freely distributed magazines till the vehicle is sold. The other option is to just pay US$39 and have the ads run for 2 weeks. Its a wise choice to choose US$49, just US$10 difference for a 'Run Till Its Sold" ads sure beats anything. Transfering the ownership is as easy as the seller signing on the Title Registeration certificate, the buyerpaying the money and driving the car off. The buyer will have to complete the transfer himself at a Tax Office located in various places in the Dallas/ForthWorth metroplex. Unlike Singapore where both party have to go down to LTA to Q and effect the transfer, its much more trouble free over here.

Right now, I am again without a car which is as good as without a leg. Gonna depend on my roommates and friends to hitch a ride to the work place. However, earning a profit from this old grandpa car really made my day. Got to give some credit to this old granpa car, at less it bring me from point to point with only a battery failure sometimes ago. A bit of background information about the car, it was driven by many RSAF Encik in the past and its nearly as old as the Peace Prairie Detachment since its setup in 1996. The last two owner is me and 1SG Goh. If the legacy was true, both of us should have a chance to become Warrent Officers in few years time. Ha ha...