I have exciting news in my search for my old car: it is still under active title. I suppose this does not mean anything by itself, other than it isn't sitting in a junk yard. Still, this is a big clue to the car's current location. I can't get any more information than this on my own. The nice helpful folks at the dept of motor vehicles aren't allowed to say too much; and that's probably a good thing. They've seen Gone in Sixty Seconds.
I've enlisted the help of a private investigator. He is confident that he can find the location of my old car. When he pulls through, I'll have my answers. I'm trying hard to enjoy the chase, and not get too caught up in the what ifs.
Any or all of the above could happen. My dream of finding the car in good condition and the owner willing to sell are really long shots. Fiats are known for rust problems. My old car had rust starting on the rear fender wells when I last saw it. It's almost a foregone conclusion that the car will need thousands of dollars in body work. Let's say five grand for paint and body work (no bondo). Then there is the transmission: these cars were known to have weak transmissions, and my old car had transmission issues. Figure three thousand for a new transmission, or two thousand for a rebuilt unit. That's seven thousand dollars in repairs for a car that isn't worth seven thousand dollars, and the car would have needed even more than that. These aren't collector cars, so it is unlikely that the current owner spent a lot of money keeping the car perfect. If he did, it suggests that the owner is emotionally tied to the car (like me) and won't want to sell it at any price.
Those are my what-ifs. How well do you think I'm doing on not thinking about them?
I've enlisted the help of a private investigator. He is confident that he can find the location of my old car. When he pulls through, I'll have my answers. I'm trying hard to enjoy the chase, and not get too caught up in the what ifs.
- What if the DMV information is wrong or outdated?
- What if the owner refuses to talk with me?
- What if the car is unsalvageable?
- What if the owner refuses to sell, or asks an exorbitant price?
Any or all of the above could happen. My dream of finding the car in good condition and the owner willing to sell are really long shots. Fiats are known for rust problems. My old car had rust starting on the rear fender wells when I last saw it. It's almost a foregone conclusion that the car will need thousands of dollars in body work. Let's say five grand for paint and body work (no bondo). Then there is the transmission: these cars were known to have weak transmissions, and my old car had transmission issues. Figure three thousand for a new transmission, or two thousand for a rebuilt unit. That's seven thousand dollars in repairs for a car that isn't worth seven thousand dollars, and the car would have needed even more than that. These aren't collector cars, so it is unlikely that the current owner spent a lot of money keeping the car perfect. If he did, it suggests that the owner is emotionally tied to the car (like me) and won't want to sell it at any price.
Those are my what-ifs. How well do you think I'm doing on not thinking about them?
