BrainVacation.com - O Irony Be Thy Name

My story starts on the night of Monday, January 24. I won't get into the drama of why, but Marc has decided to move out of the apartment he was sharing with Matt. Matt was helping us move some of Marc's stuff and he rode with me. On the way back, we were talking about my truck and how long I have had it. He made a comment about how I am the only person he knows who "revs the engine up that high before shifting gears." He then said something along the line of, "But it must not hurt it." I told him that I have had to replace the clutch two times, but coincidently both times were right after my brother had drove my truck for extended periods of time (about a month).

The clutch went out on me on the way home. Oh the irony. I was pissed because I just had the truck in the shop last month. I was also supposed to help Marc move some more stuff Wednesday (26th). Marc has been trying to sell his 94 Ford Explorer since his mom gave him her old Jeep Cherokee. I have wanted an SUV for a while so I was thinking about buying it for a few months.

I looked at my options: Spend $500-$1,000 on a new clutch or buy the Explorer for $2,500.

Analysis of my truck
My truck has a manual transmission. It can seat only two people (legally). Neither the heater nor air conditioner works. The windshield might have to be replaced before it can pass inspection because there is a small crack in it. The radiator has a slow leak. It also needs a tune up and new tires on the back.

Analysis of Marc's Explorer
The Explorer has an automatic transmission. It can seat five people (legally). Both the heater and air conditioner are working. The windshield has a few chips, but I think they can be repaired. It doesn't appear to be leaking anything. It also was recently serviced and the engine runs great. The only currently known problems are that the driver's window doesn't work, Marc's uncle crossed the wires trying to get the window to work, the door panel is torn up, and the ABS light is on. There are a few cosmetic issues, but I really don't care about that shit.

Moving on to Tuesday (25th), I stayed home from work so I could find somewhere to do a pre-purchase inspection on the Explorer. I was trying to find the people I heard about who will inspect the vehicle onsite. Failing that, I decided to take it to the city inspection station Wednesday morning. If it passed the emissions and visual tests I would continue on to the shop that me and my dad usually use. They were gonna charge me $100 to check it out.

Wednesday (26th) morning Marc picked me up, took me to his apartment and gave me the key to the Explorer. It passed the city inspection so I took it on to the shop. He picked me up from the shop and Herschel met us back at the apartment to help us move some more stuff. After we finished moving the heavy stuff, we went back to the shop to see what they had to say.

The guys at the shop told me the front wheel bearings need to be replaced, which pissed Marc off because he had paid a guy to replace them a few months ago. I figure all the guy did was add grease to the bearings to kill the noise for a few days. They also told me that the four-wheel drive didn't work because there were parts missing. They didn't check out the ABS because it would take an hour just to find the problem. They told me the ABS system was not functioning, but the brakes work fine.

Since it will cost around $400 to replace the bearings, I gave Marc two options: If he replaced the bearings I would give him $2,500 after it was fixed. Otherwise I would give him $2,000 now. He chose the latter.

Thursday (27th) I worked on fixing the wiring problem with the windows. Now all the windows are working correctly except the driver's. Being his usual disorganized self, Marc couldn't find the title. He thinks it may have gone to Texas when his mom and dad moved. We drew up a bill of sale and he said that he would apply for a lost title if he can't find it by Monday. I went ahead and paid him and threatened him with bodily harm if it turns out marked with a lemon title. I'm sure it's clean because he got a Carfax report when he bought it. (Carfax, by the way, is a rip off. Don't waste your money. If you want to know why, email me.) I also saw his registration paperwork and the bill of sale from when he bought it, so I know the vehicle is in his name and there are no lien holders.

Friday (28th) morning my dad was harping on me about paying Marc when I haven't received the title yet. He doesn't realize that quite often, you don't get the title immediately when you buy a vehicle. Also, I know where Marc lives.

Monday, January 31, Marc still hasn't found the title and he briefly lost the registration paperwork that he needs to get a replacement title. Where did he find the paperwork? It was in plain sight on his desk (Reference statement above: "Being his usual disorganized self..."). I should have asked him to look and see if the title is in plain sight on his desk.

It is now Friday, February 04, a full week after I paid Marc for the Explorer, and he has finally taken his ass downtown and got the replacement title. BTW...

FOR SALE
1994 Mazda B3000
Green with color matched Leer top
167,495 Miles
Needs work
Price: Make offer
Buyer must arrange delivery after purchase.