Recent acquisition. 1991 Ford Escort, two
local owners since new, 103,000 miles, always in this area.
Been searching for a back up vehicle for
three months. Doesn’t need to be a daily driver but needs to be reliable. I’ve
had other Escorts and had good luck with them. Readers of this blog will know I’m
a cheapskate (and proud to be).
The seller’s asking price was reasonable.
Me, being the kind and generous type, offered him 2/3rds of his asking price.
Dead silence for two days and then he came back with an offer 80% of his original
price. The deal was made.
There are a lot of strategies in
buying/selling that I use. If it is something I need, is scarce and likely to
be gone if I wait, I suck it up and pay the price.
What I strive for is to not need it
immediately and to maximize my position by having cash in fist. My usual offer
is 2/3rds of what they are asking. Once I make an offer, I shut up. I will
never, ever, be the first to speak. In this case, the silence was two days.
So far, I’m out a set of wiper blades.
Used ½ a roll of paper towels and ½ a bottle of window cleaner getting all the
scum off the glass enable to see clearly. Not smoke, just neglect.
The last
driver was a pig.
Tomorrow will be emissions check and
title/license.
